flesh," we must learn to "walk in the Spirit :" that is, that the best way of keeping ourselves from the indulgence of sinful desires is by living in the real enjoyment of our spiritual blessings and privileges. If our feeling is, "I would do this thing if I dared, only I know it to be wrong, and I should be punished if I did it,"-our Christian life will be a very poor thing indeed. If we are always checking ourselves, and thwarting ourselves, and saying "No" to ourselves, we are likely to be very soon tired of the task. The right plan is, to enjoy our religion, to take a real pleasure in the things which God has prepared for those that love Him, so far as we can taste them now; then we shall be living in the higher atmosphere, and temptation will be to a great extent powerless, because we shall have a stronger attraction elsewhere. See to it, then, that you are not satisfied until you take delight in prayer and communion with God; until the Bible is precious to you, sweeter, as David says, to your taste than honey and the honeycomb; until Jesus is one Whom you love, not merely respect; one Who is a living, bright reality to you,

Another safeguard.

always close at hand, and not a person far away amidst the inaccessible glories and splendours of heaven. Make it your aim to "walk in the Spirit," and then you will be really able to put temptation under your feet, because you will be living above it.

One thought more; a thought with which See that you St. Peter supplies me. He tells us at the Christians. close of his second general epistle, that the way to secure ourselves against falling from

are growing

66

our own steadfastness," is to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now do bear this in mind; if we are not to fall, we must grow. Perpetual advance in goodness and in knowledge is to be our security against lapsing into sin. Do not be contented then with your present attainments. Do not say, "I know enough of my Bible, I have prayed enough.' Above all, do not say, "I am not, as I know, perfectly good, but I am good enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. God will

surely not shut me out; and I do not see why I should take much more trouble." Such a feeling would show that you know nothing really of the spirit of a true Christian, for the Christian is never satisfied with

himself, but like the good Apostle, "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, he presses towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Above all, my dear young friends, take with you always the thought of the deep and tender and patient love with which the Saviour is continually regarding you. He has a special love for the young, and for those who are just beginning, as you are, to serve and follow Him. Try to believe (for it would be to believe the truth) that He is now caring for you, watching over you, that He is most anxious to make your life happy and useful here below, and to secure for you at last an abundant entrance into the glories of His eternal Kingdom.

Bear always

in mind the

love of

Christ.

The mean

ing of your Baptism.

X.

"THE SECOND DOOR."

THE first door is your baptism. By that door you entered into the visible Church of Christ into that, certainly, but into the true Church, I hope, as well. Why do I say, "I hope"? Because to many persons baptism is no more than a form. "How do you know that?" you say. By their conduct. Baptism verily profiteth, if thou leadest the life of the baptized. But surely it is very unscriptural and very misleading to speak of those who are worldly, or vicious, as if they were born of the Spirit, and made new creatures in Jesus Christ. What does St. Paul say? "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Or in other words, unless you are submitting yourself to the influence and guidance of God the Holy

Ghost, you have no right to look upon yourself as a child of God in anything more than the name.

Now when a man is living in practical forgetfulness of his baptismal obligations, what he needs is conversion. He is turned away from God: he is moving in the opposite direction, and has to be turned right round and brought back to God. Yes: there must be a change of heart, and there must be a new birth of the Spirit, and there must be the impartation of the life of Christ— before that man can be saved.

Your Confir

poses that

have

been living

In your case, however, I have taken for granted what I trust is true, that before mation supConfirmation you were living the life of the you baptized. Of course, I do not mean to say the life of the Baptized that you were free from faults and inconsistencies and sins: far from it. But I mean this, that in the main you were endeavouring, by God's help, to acquit yourselves as soldiers and servants of the Lord Jesus Christ; that you remembered your spiritual position, and strove to act in accordance with it. You came to Confirmation—(I have already reminded you of this)—as those who were regenerated with water and the Holy Ghost,