Now think for a moment of our figure of a soldier again. What makes him a soldier? It is not uniform that makes a man a soldier.
It does not matter how well his uniform fits, or the badges he puts upon it. If he is a soldier only in outward appearance he is not much use to his king and country; nor shall we be of any use to our commanding officer, to our Heavenly King, if we are soldiers only in name. Two things are necessary. We must be trained: and we must be prepared to fight A few words about each.
We must be trained,—The men in that we may become good soldiers of Jesus Christ, but it also sets forth the duty of the Christian soldier. Let us look more closely at it. I will repeat it, commenting upon certain things and explaining as I go along.
I said, "Forasmuch as this child has promised by you his sureties to renounce the devil and all his works, to believe in God and to serve him."
That is to give up what is wrong, believe what is true, and do what is right. "Ye must remember that it is your part and duty to see that this infant be taught, so soon as he shall be able to learn, what a solemn vow, promise, and profession, he hath here made by you. And that he may know these things the better, ye shall call upon him to hear sermons"—that is receive instruction in the faith and practise of Christianity, in modern speech we might say, attend Sunday School—"And chiefly ye shall provide, that he may learn the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and all other things which a Christian ought to know, and to believe to his soul's health." All this is necessary in order that, like the men in our text, "keeping rank," we too may "Come with a perfect heart."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.