world, and the
devil,--in one word, against all that is wrong and bad? And now when you
are old enough to know that you are Christ's soldiers, what will you
deserve to be called, if instead of fighting on Christ's side against
what is good, you forget you are in His service? What are you but
deserters from Christ's banner and army, traitors to Christ's cause?

But some may say, "My case is not like that soldier's. I did not enter
Christ's service of my own free will. My parents put me into it when I
was an infant, without asking my leave. I was not christened of my own
will. My parents had me christened before I knew any thing about it! I
had no choice!"

Is it so? Do you know what your words mean? If they mean anything, they
mean that you had rather _not_ have been christened, because you are now
expected to behave as a christened man should. Now is there any one of
you who dare say, "I wish I had not been christened?"

Not one! Then if you dare not say that; if you are content to have been
christened, why are you not content to do what christened people should?
If you are content to have been christened, you are christened people now
of your own free will, and are bound to act accordingly.

But why were you christened? not merely because your parents chose, but
because it was their duty. Every child ought to be christened, because
every child belongs to Christ. Every child is in debt to Christ,--every
child is bound to serve Christ.

In debt to Christ, you say? Certainly, from the moment you are born, and
before that too. You are in debt to Him since you were born, for every
good thought and feeling which ever came into your hearts and minds, for
He put them there. And will any of you answer, "Then I wish He had not
put them there, if they are to bring me into debt to Him, and force me to
serve Him. I don't wish, of course, that I had been bad; but I wish that
I had been neither good nor bad. I wish I had had no immortal soul,
which is bound to serve Christ."

Now does any man of you wish that really? Dare any of you wish that you
were like the beasts, without conscience, without honour, without shame,
without knowing right from wrong, without any life after death, without
being able even to _talk_--for mind, without immortal souls men could not
_speak_. The beasts cannot talk to each other; reasonable speech belongs
to our souls, not to our bodies. Then if you are glad that you have
souls,