acknowledged his obligation and confirmed. those vows, making answer:

"Yes, verily [I do think myself bound so to believe and do]; and by GoD's help so I will."

We may ratify and confirm these promises every day. Indeed we are required to do so, for every devotional act which is done in the name of CHRIST, is on our part a confirmation of our responsibilities as CHRIST's members.

When GOD is about to confirm and perfect the gift which He at the first gave to us, the Church wisely orders that we should do explicitly what we do at all times by implication. The acknowledgment of our duties which in our Catechism we made to our parish Priest, is now to be repeated as a preliminary of Confirmation in answer to the question of the Bishop.

Sect. 3. The versicles.

The four versicles taken from Psalm cxxiv. 7, and Psalm cxiii. 2, form the beginning of the Service in the Old Salisbury Manual.

Then used to follow:

V. The LORD be with you.
B. And with thy spirit.

Bishop. Blessed be the Name of the LORD.
Answer. Henceforth, world without end.
Bishop. LORD, hear our prayers.
Answer. And let our cry come unto Thee.

The Bishop. Let us pray.

Almighty and everliving GOD, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these Thy servants

Instead of these we have now the versicles from Psalm cii. 1.

The appropriateness of these six versicles will be evident if we remember

1. That Confirmation conveys a covenanted Blessing being ministered in the Name of the LORD.

2. That the candidates have a right to draw nigh and receive that Blessing only by virtue of their first covenant when they were baptized in the Name of the LORD.

We had forfeited the love and acceptance of GOD our Creator, but He has sent His Son to be our Redeemer, and He has shed forth the sanctifying SPIRIT of His Son into our hearts, whereby we are again enabled to draw near and cry, Abba, FATHER.

His children are now coming to seek the full gift of His HOLY SPIRIT, and we have confidence that He will hear our prayer, for "if men, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto their children, how much more shall our Heavenly FATHER give the HOLY SPIRIT to them that ask Him ?"

Sect. 4. The Collect.

The Collect which follows is of great

by Water and the HOLY GHOST, and hast given unto them forgiveness of all their sins; Strengthen them, we beseech Thee, O LORD, with the HOLY GHOST the Comforter, and daily increase in them Thy manifold gifts of grace; the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the spirit of counsel and ghostly strength; the spirit of knowledge and true godliness; and fill them, O LORD, with the spirit of Thy holy fear, now and for ever. Amen.

antiquity. We can trace its use as far as the Sacramentary of Gelasius, (A.D. 494,) but it is probably much more ancient

still.

The Bishop, on behalf of God's people, invokes the blessing which on GOD's behalf he is commissioned to convey. He prays that the sevenfold SPIRIT which, according to the prophecy of Isaiah, rested upon CHRIST after His Baptism, may from Him, the Head, be now communicated to those who, by Baptism, have been made members of His Body. CHRIST had promised to send the Comforter upon His Apostles, that He might abide with them for ever. He did shed this forth upon them on the day of Pentecost. They were to bring others to the participation of the same SPIRIT, as S. John says, "that ye may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the FATHER, and with His SON JESUS CHRIST." The Bishop, therefore, when now about to exercise this apostolic function, prays that the Comforter may be imparted to the candidates; and having been imparted, may make them to increase in power, that they may be throughly furnished unto all good works.