The Irish standard., 1891-03-14

my of Christ, their reception, actual OF
desired, is essential for the obtaining OF
Holiness. But, although they are the
crownjng acts in obtaining tins great
result, and likewise the essential ones,
they Dresuppose infinite. labor, The
short cermonY Of lmmersing the head
and pronouncing few words IN bapt-
ism rests ON nc less than the Infinite
nerits of Christ and exacts On the part
OF the recipient the immense labor Of a
worthy preparation. No one surely will
deny the greatness of the spiritual con-
flict that must be wagtd and victorious
ly won before the soul has been brought
into complete subsection and resOiu-
tin las been formed under no provoca
tion whether of ridicle, or OF human re-
spect, or Of corporal pain. aye even of
death to forswaar the baptjsmal VOWS
OF to be disloyal to tbs allegiance they
imply. No one Will say that 1t is easy
to truly repent OF ones sins, 60 break
their letters and to purpose life alto
gether new for the future. This task s
80 difficult that few adults will submit
to it. The animal and sensual man
who will endure the greatest physical
exertion. who Wonld brave tbs cannon Is
mouth, quaIls before this conflict and
shrinks in dismay from graphing with
! its difficulties. In fact unless Gods
grace acme TO mans assistance, no
adult would be bapJ1sed and as it ia
few have the courage, strength and
grace, through this gate to enter into
the kingdom of Heaven. Would it not
! then be ridiculous and shallow. aud al
together misleading, to charge Chris
tians with chnniving at sin. and with
| being accessory 10 the sinners re-
| manning in sin, because they believe
that the simple ceremony OF bapt1sm
will blot out the greatest iniquitys It
certainly would bea charge misleading.
shallow and ridiculous, III view of the
preparation required for the reception
of this simple ceremony. Well. what
is said OF one sacrament, is said OF them
all, and among them of the last anoint-
ing. The sneers that can be urged
against extreme JUNCTION, can ba equal
ly foolishIy and wickedly urged against
baptism. e. bottle of oil would be Of
no more avail in the one case than a
basin of water in the other, unless
Christ prescribed the rite, gave value to
| it and man worthily disposed himself
for it. Through a powerful movement
of Gods grace. mans heart may be
turned in an instant. as in the an
gulshed CRY of David II have sinned, I"
or it NAV be turned to God when the
outward senses give no Indication Of
the interior struggle. In sucn extreme
cases, when the soul is about to leave
the body--ahe instrument no more of
sin than Of sanctification--the saera-
ments are administered conditl0naltv.
and the condition touches precisely
the worthy disposition Of this recipient.
IF thou art disposed" the priest says,
that is 'lf thou whose outward senses
are benumbed with the coldness of ap-
preaching death, art interiorly aware
of thy sins, if thou dost realize their Of
fence to heaven, and truly repent of
them and earnestly desire recon.
ciliation with God, absolve thee, !
anoint thee" 1t is only too true that
negligence of Christian duties may have
to paw the dreadful penalty Of an un-
worthy disposition at that critical
moment and then, the condition not be-
ing fulfilled. there is no administration
of the sacrament. But on the other hand
the patient prayers Of relatives on earth
and in heaven may avert the usual
effect of such negligence, the dying
man NAV ''from the depths" cry to his
maker and be heard through the timely
ministrations of Gods church. Let
then Gods mercy be extended to the
crumbling masterpiece OF His works and
before the golden fllet is broken AID
the,soul has taken its flight 10 its Crea-
ter let it receive if in anv way it NAV
be possible, the parting blessing of
aUlt SuuICus
But to return. Whatever reason
there may be, plausible or otherwise,
for rejecting revelation altogether,
there is no reason but positive lncon-
sistency In admitting 3 portion. and
ridiculing the rest. 1t IS absurd to al
init the new life infused into the soul
by baptism and to reject the other sac
raments which augment. n0urish and
inviQorate that life. In the natural
world the saving most injurious to
Heaven is that God has brought into
the world more beings than On be fed
at His table. Is not then in the
SUPERNATURAL order the most sinful
assertion this, that Christ has given rs
all q new life In baptism but left moth
Continued on Eighth Pase.)