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The effect and blessing of Confirmation.

It is to convey the inestimable blessing of the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD by prayer and the imposition of the hands of God's minister, that He may dwell in you, and keep you from the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Confirmation is the perfection of baptism. The HOLY GHOST descends invisibly upon such as are rightly prepared to receive such a blessing, as at the first He came visibly upon those that had been baptized.

Acts viii. 7. "Then laid they (that is, Peter and John) their hands on them, (namely, whom Philip had baptized) and they received the HOLY GHOST."

O God, who hast called me to this high office, to confirm and bless the people in thy name, let thy blessing be dispensed, not according to my unworthiness, but according to thine own goodness, and the appointments of thy church.

O LORD, graciously behold thy servants, on whom I am now going to lay my hands.

Possess their hearts with a lively sense of thy great mercy, in bringing them from the power of Satan, in giving them an early right to the covenant of grace; that with the full consent of their will they may devote themselves to Thee, and to thy service; that they may receive the fulness of thy grace, and be able to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Keep them, O LORD, in the unity of the Church; and grant that they may improve all the means of grace vouchsafed them in this Church, of which they are now to be made complete members.

Increase their knowledge, confirm their faith, and strengthen them in all goodness. Preserve in their minds a constant remembrance of that vow which they are going to renew before Thee and thy Church; that knowing that they are the servants of the living God, they may walk as in thy sight, avoid all such things

as are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable unto the same.

O LORD, who hast made them thy children by adoption, bring them in thy good time to thine everlasting kingdom, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

The Jews' custom was, when children were thirteen years old, and had learnt the law, &c. and their prayers, to bring them before the congregation, upon which they were declared sons of the precept, and were now to answer for their own sins, &c.

This usage was so reasonable and necessary, that it is probable it had its origin from God himself; as we are sure confirmation had from CHRIST.

Bishops shall confirm in their visitations. Ministers shall prepare children for confirmation. Can. 61.

Ministers shall give the names of such as are to be confirmed to the bishop, and if the bishop approve of them, he shall confirm them. (See Rubrick after the Catechism.)

If you ask where this is ordered, I refer you to the Acts of the Apostles. But if the Sacred Scriptures were silent, the consent of all the world in this particular is instead of a command.

Acts viii. 14. It appears from hence, that even in the Apostles' times, confirmation was necessary, as well as baptism, that persons might become complete members of the Church, and partakers of the grace of CHRIST; and that these graces were conferred by peculiar hands; for though Philip had the power of miracles, yet he could not do that which belonged to an higher order :-So great a regard had the Spirit of God to order and discipline.

As the HOLY SPIRIT is present in our baptism, to seal the remission of sins, and to infuse the seeds of Christian life; so is He present in confirmation, to shed further influences on those that receive it, for stirring up the gift of God bestowed in baptism, &c.

Matt. xix. 15.

Prayer after Confirmation.

"And He laid his hands on them."

O HOLY SPIRIT of grace! I make my humble supplication to

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Thee in behalf of those Thy servants on whom I have this day laid my hands. Be thou their wisdom, to give them the knowledge of religion; their understanding, to know their duty; their counsel in all their doubts; their strength against all temptations; their knowledge, in what belongs to the state of life in which Thy Providence shall place them; their piety and godliness in all their actions; and be Thou their fear, all their life long, for JESUS CHRIST'S sake. Amen.

OXFORD,

The Feast of St. Bartholomew.

[NEW EDITION.]

These Tracts are continued in Numbers, and sold at the price of 2d. for each sheet, or 7s. for 50 copies.

LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. G. & F. RIVINGTON,

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE.

1839.

GILBERT & RIVINGTON, Printers, St. John's Square, London.

The following Works, all in single volumes, or pamphlets, and recently published, will be found more or less to uphold or elucidate the general doctrines inculcated in these Tracts:

Bp. Taylor on Repentance, by Hale.-Rivingtons.

Bp. Taylor's Golden Grove.-Parker, Oxford.

Vincentii Lirinensis Commonitorium, with translation.— Parker, Oxford.

Pusey on Cathedrals and Clerical Education.-Roake and Varty.

Hook's University Sermons.-Talboys, Oxford.

Pusey on Baptism (published separately).-Rivingtons.
Newman's Sermons, 4 vols.-Rivingtons.

Newman on Romanism, &c.-Rivingtons.

The Christian Year.-Parker, Oxford.
Lyra Apostolica.-Rivingtons.

Perceval on the Roman Schism.-Leslie.

Bishop Jebb's Pastoral Instructions.-Duncan.
Dodsworth's Lectures on the Church.-Burns.
Newman on Suffragan Bishops.-Rivingtons.
Keble's Sermon on Tradition.-Rivingtons.
Memoir of Ambrose Bonwick.-Parker, Oxford.
Hymns for Children on the Lord's Prayer.-Rivingtons.
Law's first and second Letters to Hoadly.-Rivingtons.
Bp. Andrews' Devotions, Latin and Greek.-Pickering.
Hook's Family Prayers.-Rivingtons.

Herbert's Poems and Country Pastor.

Evans's Scripture Biography.-Rivingtons.

Le Bas's Life of Archbishop Laud.-Rivingtons.

Jones (of Nayland) on the Church.

Bp. Bethell on Baptismal Regeneration.-Rivingtons.

Bp. Beveridge's Sermons on the Ministry and Ordinances.-Parker, Oxford.

Bp. Jolly on the Eucharist.

Fulford's Sermons on the Ministry, &c.-Rivingtons.
Rose's Sermons on the Ministry.-Rivingtons.

A Catechism on the Church.-Parker, Oxford.

Russell's Judgment of the Anglican Church.-Baily.
Poole's Sermons on the Creed.--Grant, Edinburgh.
Sutton on the Eucharist.-Parker, Oxford.
Leslie on the Regale and Pontificate.--Leslie.
Pusey's Sermon on November 5.-Rivingtons.
Bishop Wilson's Sacra Privata.-Parker, Oxford.

Larger Works which may be profitably studied.

Bishop Bull's Sermons.-Parker, Oxford.
Bishop Bull's Works.-University Press.
Waterland's Works.-Do.

Wall on Infant Baptism.--Do.

Pearson on the Creed.-Do.

Leslie's Works.-Do.

Bingham's Works.-Straker, London.

Palmer on the Liturgy.-University Press.

Palmer on the Church.-Riringtons.

Hooker, ed. Keble.-Do.

TRACTS FOR THE TIMES.

RICHARD NELSON.

No. IV.

"What a weariness is it!"-MAL. i. 13.

"O, they be blessed that may dwell
Within Thy house always:

For they all times Thy facts do tell,
And ever give Thee praise.

"Yea, happy sure likewise are they

Whose stay and strength Thou art,
Who to Thy house do mind the way,
And seek it in their heart."

PSALM Ixxxiv. 5, 6.

AMONG all the boys of our Sunday-school, none have given me so much trouble as Absalom Plush, and two of farmer Yawn's sons. They are almost always behind their time; at school they are very inattentive, and at Church their conduct has been repeatedly so disgraceful, that it even attracted the attention of one of the Churchwardens, who gave them a severe reprimand, and threatened to send for a constable; since which they have conducted themselves rather more decently. Perhaps my readers may be inclined to ask why I suffer them to remain in the school, their behaviour having been so bad. My answer must be, that as they are but little boys (for Absalom is the eldest, and he is not more than eleven, if so much), I still hope they may improve; and if I were to put them out of the school, I fear I should lose all chance of gaining any influence over them. However I have made up my mind that if they behave in this sort of way again, they shall go.

There is, too, another consideration which has rather disposed

VOL. II.

A

Gilbert & Rivington, Printers,

St. John's Square, London.

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