Chapter I: Preface

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THE following pages were written with a desire of awakening in the minds of the younger members of our Church, the inquiry, "Am I living up, in any degree, to the promise and vow made in my name at my Baptism? Have not I sometimes been ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, at least in deeds and in my daily life and conversation? How many combats have I ever fought under His banner against sin, the world, and the devil, since the Sign of the Cross was first imprinted upon my forehead in the holy Sacrament?"

It is to be feared that too many, even of those who have by their own act ratified and confirmed those solemn promises in the presence of the Bishop and congregation, are living in indifference to them. They acknowledge their obligations indeed in words, but the mainspring of their daily actions is very far from being a principle of self-sacrifice and self-consecration. They offer at the Communion themselves, their souls, and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice; but no sooner have they retired from the Holy Table, nay, sometimes before they are out of sight of it, than they act as though body and soul were their own, and had never been bought with a price, nor offered anew, in both the Sacraments, to Him who bought them. How many are there, especially of young ladies, with whom one might be in habits of familiar intercourse for weeks, without ever suspecting that they had renounced the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same! Nay, might not one rather imagine that these very pomps and glories were the very end and aim of their lives? The account of the debut of an eminent concert-singer or tragedian possesses more interest for them than the story of the most triumphant success obtained by the missionaries of the Cross over the darkness and misery of heathenism; and they would rather a dozen western Sunday Schools should go without books, than that they themselves should want the latest fancy of lace or trimming.

It is not often that we are called upon to make any great sacrifice to our religious obligations, though perhaps such occasions would present themselves more frequently if we were more willing to see them; but there is not a day which does not bring with it some opportunity of self-denial and self-sacrifice, or some necessity for an open declaration of our principles either in words or actions. Let us be careful that we do not heedlessly overlook or wilfully shut our eyes to these opportunities as they occur. If faithfully improved, though the plant be thorny to grasp, it will yield golden fruit of discipline and strength; if weakly shunned, or boldly trodden down, the thorns will remain to vex us, long after the occurrence is forgotten. It is often difficult to perform our duty in this respect with a serene and quiet temper; but for this, as for all graces, let us ask of Him who giveth liberally and upbraideth not, and in due time we shall reap, if we faint not.

L. E. G.

ROCHESTER, _Dec._ 1855.

CONTENTS.

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CHAPTER.

I. INTRODUCTORY.

II. CHANGING PLANS.

III. THE NEW HOME.

IV. NEW FRIENDS.

V. THE SHOCK.

VI. THE RESOLUTION.

VII. THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS.

VIII. NEW LABORS AND NEW PLEASURES.

IX. THE CHRISTMAS SERVICE.

X. LETTERS.

XI. "OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN."

XII. "ARISE AND BUILD."

XIII. LENTEN SERVICES—BAD NEWS.

XIV. THE JOURNEY.

XV. THE EASTER SERVICE.

The Sign of the Cross;