The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1902, Page 10

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10

The Lutheran Pioneer.

What shall I now render unto the Lord for all
His benefits toward me? You are bought with
a price, but this ransom is offered and given to
you without money and without price, freely,
by grace. ‘Therefore glorify God,’’ says the
apostle, ‘tin your body and in your spirit,
which are God’s.’? You glorify God in your
spirit when you take Him at His Word and,
as He directs, cast all your sins, and fears,
and doubts on Him; when you embrace the
Redeemer with the faith of your heart, and
rejoice in the precious truth that you, a blood-
bought sinner, are His own.

You glorify Him in your body by living unto
Him who bought you: glorify Him with your
lips by bearing witness of His holy name; glo-
tify Him in your deeds by your pious, godly
life; glorify Him with your money and goods
by giving liberally and cheerfully towards the
spread of His Gospel and the upbuilding of
His kingdom. N. J. B.

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Confirmation Hymn.

Thine for ever: —God of love,
Hear us from Thy throne above;
Thine for ever may we be,

Here and in eternity.

Thine for ever:—Lord of life,
Shield us through our earthly strife:
Thou the Life, the Truth, the Way,
Guide us to the realms of day.

Thine for ever: —O how bless’d
They who find in Thee their rest!
Saviour, Guardian, heavenly Friend,
O defend us to the end.

Thine for ever: —Saviour, keep
These Thy frail and trembling sheep;
Safe alone beneath Thy care,

Let us all Thy goodness share.

Thine for ever: —Thou our Guide,
All our wants by Thee supplied,
All our sins by Thee forgiven,
Lead us, Lord, from earth to heaven.
Amen.
Mrs. Mary F. Maude.

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Confirmation.

You haye all heard of Confirmation, of
: course. Now, then, what is its nature? Is it
divine or human? of God or of men? a mere
rite? or is it something necessary to com-
plete Baptism? or is if a sacrament in itself?
Different answers are given to these questions.
What do you think about it? You are not
quite sure? Well, let us try to get clear on
these points. :
Confirmation, we say, was not ordained by
‘God. We have no command or promise with
gard to it in the Bible. Search the Book
igh. You cannot find either. So Con-
ation is not a means of grace; it is nota
rament, nor is it supplemental to any sac-
‘ament. Itis only a human ordinance, though
in rite, instituted by the church. True,
, very old. At an early date it was
d and connected with holy Baptism.

Its object was to impress the more deeply
upon the minds and hearts of Christians the
precious baptismal blessings. The laying on
of hands, which was part of the rite, was in-
tended to signify the bestowal of the Holy
Ghost, shed forth in holy Baptism. The
anointing of the person, which was also cus-
tomary, was to signify the spiritual priesthood
of baptized Christians.

In the course of time, however, Confirma-
tion was made a separate and special rite of
the church, and was used both to put its mem-
bers in mind of the heavenly treasures granted
them in holy Baptism and to guard against
admitting such to the Lord’s Supper as were
not fit to receive it. To this end those desir-
ing first communion were duly instructed in
the chief parts of the Christian religion before
being confirmed. Then Confirmation was prac-
ticed, as we have it in the Lutheran church to
the present day.

The first part of the solemn Confirmation
service is an examination of the catechumens
on the chief articles of the Christian faith, in
the presence of the congregation. This is to
show that these persons, baptized in their in-
fancy in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, know what a
gracious covenant God made with them in holy
Baptism; also, that they have been duly in-
structed in all the things pertaining to their
salyation. That is agreeable to the will of
Christ who would have His Church not only
administer Baptism for the salvation of souls,
but also have those of sufficient understanding
taught ‘‘to observe all things that He has com-
manded,’’ Matt. 28, 18.

To prove that the catechumens are fit for
admission to the full privileges of the Church,
including holy Communion, the examination
is held also, particularly to show that those
desiring to be confirmed have a knowledge of
the nature, benefit, and use of the Lord’s
Supper, and are able to examine themselves.
Such self-examination is necessary, lest one
partake of the Lord’s Supper unworthily, and
become guilty of the body and blood of Christ,
which would bring a curse upon the commu-
nicant, instead of a blessing, 1 Cor. 11,27—29.

Next in order, Confirmation embraces a
solemn renewal by the catechumens of the
covenant into which they entered with God
when they were baptized. With their own lips
they confirm the promise which their spon-
sors once made in their stead. Personally re-
nouncing the devil, and all his works, and all
his ways, and personally confessing the three
articles of the Apostles’ Creed, they solemnly
confirm their resolution to remain faithful to
the Triune God, Thus they dedicate them-
selves anew to the Lord with body and soul,
for time and for eternity. This is made part
of Confirmation, because the Lord’s Supper
‘was instituted by Christ for the special benefit
of His Christians. Only such as believe in the
Triune God at _—‘‘nfess their faith in Him are
to be admitted  Tommunion, Matt. 7, 6.

.

Again those wishing to be confirmed make
a solemn vow to remain faithful to the true
visible church of Christ, the church in which
God’s Word is preached in all its purity and
the sacraments are administered according to
the institution of Christ. That is required,
because partaking of Communion is an act
of confession by which one aflirms that he
heartily approves of and accepts all the doc-
trines preached in the church at whose altar he
communes, and that he honestly rejects what-
ever differs from the faith professed there.
More briefly, it is a communicant’s testimony
of being united in one faith with all that com-
mune at the same altar with him, 1 Cor. 10,
17. 21. The church of the pure Word and °
unadulterated sacraments, however, is the only
one approved by God, Gal. 8,9. John 8, 81.

Before renewing their baptismal covenant
and confirming their loyalty to the Truth, the
catechumens are encouraged and strengthened
in their resolution to do so in a short address,
based on some suitable Scripture text. That
this is proper and fruitful of blessings cannot
be gainsaid, Acts 14, 21.

The vow made, a benediction is pronounced
upon the catechumens with laying on of hands.
This latter act does not bestow grace, but is a
solemn manner of invoking the Lord to bestow
His Spirit upon the catechumens for their con-
firmation in the Word and in the grace of God.
That such prayer, as well as others offered be-
fore the Throne of Grace by the entire con-
gregation, are acceptable to God and heard by
Him, Christians have no doubt, Luke 11, 13.

A. B.

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(For the LUTHERAN PIONEER.)

The Creed.

As we have learned, the Law, as compre-
hended in the Ten Commandments, is the
holy will of God. It demands of us a holy,
sinless life, and promises eternal life to all that
keep it. But we have further learned that it
is not in the power of any man to satisfy the
demands of the Law of God. ‘‘There is not
& just man upon earth that doeth good, and
sinneth not,’’ Eccl. 7,20. There have, indeed,
always been men foolish enough to think it
possible to gain heaven by the works of the
Law. Such blind people were, for example,
the Pharisees who gave our Saviour so much
trouble during His life upon earth. Of them
Christ once said to His disciples, ‘‘Except your
tighteousness shall exceed the righteousness
of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no
case enter into the kingdom of heaven,’”’ Matt.
5, 20. During his early life, Luther was also
foolish enough to believe that heaven could be
earned by good works; but by God’s grace
he learned Jater on that ‘‘the just shall live by
his faith,’? Hab. 2,4. Referring to his former .
vain endeayors to gain heaven by his works,
he says in one of his hymns,

My good works could avail me naught,
For they with sin were stained.