CONFIRMATION SERVICE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2551, 12 July 1909, Page 4

CONFIRMATION SERVICE

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH. Holy Trinity Church was crowded to the doors yesterday evening, when the Right Rev. Bishop Williams administered the rite of confirmation to 08 young persons —13 lads and 45 "iris —presented by the acting-vicar of the parish, the Rev. E. H. Wyatt. Before the confirmation service, evening prayer was said by the Ven. Archdeacon Williams and Hie Rev. E.' H. Wyatt, the former of whom read the lessons. Before administering the rite, the Bishop gave a brief address, in which m earnest and forcible language, he sec forth the teaching of the Church of England regarding confirmation. He began by asking the prayers cf the congregation on behalf of those about to be confirmed, and showed that the laying on of hands, in been practised in the church from apostolic times, instancing the apostles Peter and John going to Samaria to lavhands on those converts who had been baptised by the evangelist Philip, and who. thereupon, received the Holy Ghost. His Lordship pointed out that no new condition was imposed upon those who were confirmed. They hacl already, in baptism, been regenerated by water and the Holy Ghost, and God had given unto them forgiveness of all their sins. It was, however, one thing for God to give this precious gift to man. and another thing for man to accept it. The obligations attaching to those baptised to renounce the devil and all his works and to keep and walk in God’s holy will and commandments —for these were the conditions on which those baptised were made, children of God and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven —were such that no man, of his own strength, could hope to fulfil them. God. however, ha'-T promised the gift of tile Holy Ghost, by whose help it was alone possible for man to do what he had undertaken. Those who were confirmed ratified, though thev did not increase, the conditions undertaken on their behalf In baptism, and sought the aid of theHoly Ghost to enable them to perform them. His Lordship concluded vyith a solemn and impressive exhortation to the young people about to be confirmed, to so live as, by thd help of the spirit of Jesus Christ, which was the Holy Ghost, to follow tlie commandments of God, until they came to His Everlasting Kingdom. The rite, of confirmation was then administered, his Lordship laying his hands on the head of each young ]>erson, and repeating the prayer a comp any in g the act. After all the candidates had been confirmed, the congregation sangthe hymn “O, Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the End.” The benediction, pronounced by the Bishop, brought the service to an end.