The Warwickshire Herald. — 1891-05-28 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

CONFIRMAT' (I'S AT ASTON.  On Monday last, the Lord Bishop of Worcester, held a confirmation at the Aston Parish Church, the BISHOP, in the course of an address to the candidates, said that that service was one of the most solemn interest to all present. It was so to the congregation there assembled, it was so to the fathers and mothers of the candidates, to their godfathers and godmothers, and to the friends who came to witness the ceremony. But it was of more especial interest to his dear young friends who had came there in the presence of God and that congregation to take upon themselves the vows made for them in their baptisms. That service, as far as their part in it was concerned, could never be repeated; that day must always stand apart and alone in their history. It was a day for which, if they only used it aright, they would have reason to thank God to all eternity. He hoped and trusted that they had come there not because it was customary, not because it was a respectable thing for them to be confirmed, not because their friends wished it or their neighbours would look askance upon them if they were not confirmed, but because they themselves serioualy, earnestly, and prayerfully desired thus publicly to coulees themselves Christ's true and faithful servants. What was the true meaning of confirmation ? If they looked at the service themselves they would find the word had two meaniegs. It meant something they had to do and something to be done for them. They came there to gratify, to confirm the promisee made for them in their baptism, and they Came to be oonfirmed by God's grace, the sign and tokes of which was the laying of his (the Bishop's) hands upon them. They came there to confirm. What was it they confirmed? What were the vows and promises made for them in their baptism? Were they something unreasonable,somethinghard,promises that ought to have been made for them, or by which they ought not to be bound? To renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh, to believe the articles of the Christian faith, and to keep God's holy will and commandments, and to walk in the same all the days of their life. These were reasonable vows and promises. Who was the devil? He was traitor and rebel against God, who sought to set up his kingdom in the midst of God's kingdom, and would fain make of them traitors and rebels against God. What were the works of the devil? They read that the devil was a liar from the beginning. He deceived their first parents by a lie. They were to renounce all falsehood, deceit, and hyprocracy, for those were the works of the devil. They read that the devil was a murderer from the beginning. St. John said, "He that hateth his brother is a murderer," so they were to renounce all that led, if left unsuppressed and unchecked, to murder. They were to renounce all blasphemies, for these were the works of the devil. They were to renounce all distrust of God, and all defiance of God, for these also were the works of the devil. They were to renounce the pumps and vanities of this sinful world. All things that glow and glitter on fascinating to most of us, so attractive, not necessarily sinful in themselves, but which became sinful because we set our hearts upon them, all the pomps of the world, the grandeur of fine houses and grand furniture, all these things which seemed to many of us so attractive, of what value were they? They lasted at the beet, but for a few years, and crumbled and fell to pieces, and perished with the perishing world. Then there were sinful, covetous desires of the flesh. Desires of the flesh were not in themselves wrong. They had been implanted in us by God. When a man was hungry, it was not a sinful desire to eat, nor, when thirsty, it was not sinful to drink; nor, when tired, to take rest; but when hunger led to gluttony and thirst to intemperance, when the desire for rest led to idleness, then all these things became sinful. They were called upon to become Christ's servants, and to set themselves against these things, to believe in the articles of the Christian faith. Why were they to believe these things? Simply because they were Christian children, because they were dedicated to God in holy baptism, and because parents, teachers, and clergymen had made known to them the glorious truths of God's revelation.