Letter to Helen E. Mahan from Alfred T. Mahan, 1884 Dec 31

though not in importance, the person, in this case you, confirms the promise made in his name by his or her sponsors in baptism; what that promise was you know from your Catechism. The second, and most important, part is that the person is next confirmed by God, who gives to im the gift of the Holy Ghost. If you will look at the Confirmation service you will find both these made plain. Thus the Bishop first asks the candidates "do you renew and confirm" your promise; & also tells the congregation that it is "convenient" (that is, suitable) that they should "openly before the church confirm the same." On the other hand they are spoken of as "all that are to be confirmed" and as those to whom "Confirmation is the administered"; and at the end of the baptismal and Confirmatioh services you will find the same way of speaking, "to be confirmed", in the rubrics at the end. Doubtless the most important use of an equivalent expression is in the prayer before the Bishop lays on his hands: "Strengthen them, we beseech thee, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost." Strengthen is a pure English word, which means the same as Confirm, which is of Latin origin. You see then there are two who Confirm; the person who Confirms his baptismal promise and God who confirms, strengthens, the person by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Of these the latter is by far and away the most important, for man is weak and often will fail in his most honest efforts; but God is All-mighty, "and to save to the uttermost them that so come to Him"; He cannot fail, neither can His promise. Were it otherwise, papa and

manner might hesitate to bring so young a child to be confirmed; might say; let us wait till she is older and wiser to confirm her promises. But as it is shall we wait all those sweetest and best years in your life, those years in which the Holy Spirit and his grace can most certainly and perfectly enter into you, stremgthening you; shall we keep you back from being confirmd by God. You are not too young to receive His blessing; and we may be very sure that if we kept you back from the manifold gift of grace, Satan would not think you too young for the work of his evil spirits. Look upon confirmation therefore in this way, chiefly as God's act towards you; by which you shall receive a special favor and blessing, beginning then and

2 daily increasing. You will not expect to find this favor in great degree all at once. When you see a little boy, like Lyle, you dont expect to see him next day a full grown man; you know, though , that the gift of life in him will cause him to grow; increase day by day, till he comes to man's size and state. Mamma cannot make him grow she might slave from morning till night, and think ever as hard and he would not grow an inch. "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?" The life and growth are God's gift only. But if mamma did not give him food, and see him properly clothed, and that he had air and sun and cared for when sick he might well die Here you see is man's part. Still the life is greater, far greater than the meat; God's part than man's part. So much greater that St Paul, speaking of his spiritual life, said "I live , yet not I but Christ is living in me." I have accordingly spoken and wish you to think much more of it- on the other hand you have (16)

something to do, as mamma has to keep your life, which God gave you well and strong. To tend and care for the spiritual life, the gift of the Holy Ghost, which God gave you when you were baptized and strengthens where you are confirmed you must do every day those things which your sponsors promised and the sum of them is in the lines. If in our daily course our mind Be set to hallow all we find tc There are many wise ways of managing which you will learn from time to time, but prayer watching trying, this is your part- and to hallow all will lead you to pray and watch and struggle. Do not ne afraid to promise this because you may fail. Your promise is not that you will never do wrong and always do right, such a promise would be a lie to begin with- Your promise is that you "will not follow nor be led by" evil. A person does not follow because he falls down, nor is he led by one who suddenly jerks him out of his road; no more does one follow evil, because he falls into a sin; nor is he led by it, if it on a sudden overthrows him. Following or being led applies to the daily corner