th Confirmation;
they do not see the use of it." Precisely, they "do not hold" with it,
because they know nothing about it. Then there are others who form a
third class, who have grown up, grown old, perhaps, without being
confirmed, who tell us that they are too old now; that they have lived
all these years without Confirmation, and are all right, and that
therefore they see no reason why they should come forward.

Now, I will say a few words to each of these classes of people. First,
let me speak to those who refuse to be bound by any vow or promise,
because they do not care to lead a godly life. They imagine that if
they are not confirmed they are free to do as they like. But it is not
so. They are bound by the vows and promises of their Baptism, and they
cannot throw them aside. To such persons I say, you _are_ God's
children, signed with the Cross, pledged to lead a holy life. If you
make up your mind to have your own way, to do what you like, even
though it be wrong, then you commit a deadly sin. You are doing just
what Satan did, rebelling against God, and the wages of such sin is
death. Understand distinctly that, as baptised people, you belong to
God; if you sin, you sin against Jesus Christ; if you repent truly, God
will pardon you for Christ's sake; if you go on sinning, you will be
lost. If you say, I will not be confirmed, because then I shall be
free to do as I like, you will be committing deadly sin, and saying
what is not true also.

Next, I speak to those who are indifferent about Confirmation, because
they do not believe, or probably understand, the benefits belonging to
it. Let me speak very earnestly to them. I take it for granted that
you want to please God; that you want to lead good lives; to be saved,
to go to Heaven. You have been baptised, you bring your children to be
baptised. Well, Confirmation and Baptism are very closely connected.
Baptism _gives us life_; Confirmation strengthens us to _live that
life_. Baptism is only the beginning of life. You know we have two
kinds of life: that of the soul, and that of the body. When we are
born our bodies are alive, but our souls are dead in trespasses and
sins; we are spiritually dead. Now life is the gift of God the Holy
Ghost; in the Creed we speak of the Holy Spirit as "The Lord, and Giver
of life." In Baptism, God the Holy Spirit comes to us, we are born
again of water and the Holy Ghost, we become new creatures. We are no