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wherein the change was wrought, with sound speech which could not be reproved: and, 3. If it appeared that all his subsequent words and actions were holy and unblamable.

The short of the matter is this: 1. I have abundant reason to believe this person will not lie: 2. He testifies before God, "I feel no sin, but all love: I pray, rejoice, and give thanks without ceasing: and I have as clear an inward witness, that I am fully renewed, as that I am justified." Now if I have nothing to oppose to this plain testimony, I ought in reason to believe it.

It avails nothing to object, "But I know several things wherein he is quite mistaken." For it has been allowed, that all who are in the body are liable to mistake: and that a mistake in judgment may sometimes occasion a mistake in practice: (though great care is to be taken that no ill use be made of this concession,) For instance: even one that is perfected in love may mistake with regard to another person, and may think him, in a particular case, to be more or less faulty than he really is. And hence he may speak to him with more or less severity than the truth requires. And in this sense, (though that be not the primary meaning of St. James,) "in many things we offend all." This therefore is no proof at all, that the person so speaking is not perfect in love.

Q. But is it not a proof, if he is surprised or fluttered by a noise, a fall, or some sudden danger?

A. It is not: for one may start, tremble, change colour, or be otherwise disordered in body, while the soul is calmly stayed on God, and remains in perfect peace. Nay, the mind itself may be deeply distressed, may be exceedingly sorrowful, may be perplexed and pressed down by heaviness and anguish, even to agony, while the heart cleaves to God by perfect love, and the will is wholly resigned to him. Was it not so with the Son of God himself? Does any child of man endure the distress, the anguish, the agony, which he sustained? And yet he knew no sin.

Q. But can any one who has a pure heart, prefer pleasing to unpleasing food? Or use any pleasure of sense which is not strictly necessary? If so, how do they differ from others?

A. The difference between these and others, in taking pleasant food is, 1. They need none of these things to make them happy; for they have a spring of happiness within. They see and love God : hence they rejoice evermore, and in every thing give thanks. 2. They may use them, but they do not seek them. 3. They use them sparingly, and not for the sake of the thing itself. This being premised, we answer directly: such an one may use pleasing food, without the danger which attends those who are not saved from sin. He may prefer it to unpleasing, though equally wholesome food, as a mean of increasing thankfulness, with a single eye to God, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy: on the same principle, he may smell to a flower, or eat a bunch of grapes, or take any other pleasure which does not lessen, but increase his delight in God. Therefore neither can we say, that one perfected in love would be incapable of

marriage, and of worldly business: if he were called thereto, he would be more capable than ever; as being able to do all things without hurry or carelessness, without any distraction of spirit.

Q. But what does the perfect Christian do more than others? More than the common believers?

A. Perhaps nothing; at least externally so may the providence of God have hedged him in by outward circumstances. Perhaps not so much; though he desires and longs to spend and be spent for God; he neither speaks so many words, nor does so many works. As neither did our Lord himself speak so many words, or do so many, no, nor so great works, as some of his Apostles. (John xiv. 12.) But what then? This is no proof that he has not more grace: and by this God measures the outward work. Hear ye him: "Verily I say unto you, this poor widow has cast in more than them all." Verily this poor man, with his few broken words, has spoke more than them all. Verily this poor woman, that hath given a cup of cold water, hath done more than them all! O cease to judge according to appearance, and learn to judge righteous judgment.

Q. But is not this a proof against him? I feel no power either in his words or prayer?

A. It is not: for perhaps that is your own fault. You are not likely to feel any power therein, if any of these hinderances lie in the way: 1. Your own deadness of soul. The dead Pharisees felt no power even in his words, who "spake as never man spake :" 2. The guilt of some unrepented sin, lying upon the conscience: 3. Prejudice toward him of any kind. 4. Your not believing that state to be attainable, wherein he professes to be. 5. Unwillingness to think or own he has attained it. 6. Over-valuing or idolizing him. 7. Over-valuing yourself and your own judgment. If any of these be the case, what wonder is it that you feel no power in any thing he says? But do not others feel it? If they do, your argument falls to the ground. And if they do not, do none of these hinderances lie in their way too? Ye must be certain of this before you can build any argument thereon. And even then your argument will prove no more, than that grace and gifts do not always go together.

"But he does not come up to my idea of a perfect Christian." And perhaps no one ever did, or ever will. For your idea may go beyond, or at least beside the scriptural account. It may include more than the Bible includes therein, or, however, something which that does not include. Scripture perfection is, pure love filling the heart and governing all the words and actions. If your idea includes any thing more or any thing else, it is not scriptural; and then no wonder, that a scripturally-perfect Christian does not come up to it.

I fear many stumble on this stumbling-block. They include as many ingredients as they please, not according to Scripture, but their own imagination, in their idea of one that is perfect; and then readily deny any one to be such, who does not answer that imaginary idea.

The more care should we take, to keep the simple, scriptural account continually in our eye. Pure love reigning alone in the heart and life, this is the whole of scriptural perfection.

Q. When may a person judge himself to have attained this?

A. When after having been fully convinced of inbred sin, by a far deeper and clearer conviction, than he experienced before justification, and after having experienced a gradual mortification of it. he experiences a total death to sin, and an entire renewal in the love and image of God, so as to rejoice evermore, to pray without ceasing, and in every thing give thanks. Not that "to feel all love and no sin," is sufficient proof; several have experienced this for a time, before their souls were fully renewed. None therefore ought to believe, that the work is done till there is added the testimony of the Spirit, witnessing his entire sanctification as clearly as his justification.

Q. But whence is it that some imagine they are thus sanctified, when in reality they are not?

A. It is hence they do not judge by all the preceding marks, but either by part of them, or by others that are ambiguous. But ] know no instance of a person attending to them all, and yet deceived in this matter. I believe there can be none in the world. If a man be deeply and fully convinced, after justification, of inbred sin; if he then experience a gradual mortification of sin, and afterwards an entire renewal in the image of God: if to this change immensely greater than that wrought when he was justified, be added a clear, direct witness of the renewal: I judge it as impossible this man should be deceived herein, as that God should lie. And if one whom I knew to be a man of veracity, testify these things to me, ought not, without some sufficient reason, to reject his testimony. Q. Is this death to sin, and renewal in love, gradual or instantaneous ?

A. A man may be dying for some time; yet he does not, properly speaking, die till the instant the soul is separated from the body: and in that instant he lives the life of eternity. In like manner, he may be dying to sin for some time; yet he is not dead to sin, till sin is separated from his soul. And in that instant he lives the full life of love. And as the change undergone when the body dies, is of a different kind, and infinitely greater than any we had known before, yea, such as till then it is impossible to conceive; so the change wrought when he dies to sin, is of a different kind, and infinitely greater than any conceive till he experiences it. Yet he still grows in grace, in the knowledge of Christ, in the love and image of God: and will do so, not only till death, but to all eternity.

Q. How are we to wait for this change?

A. Not in careless indifference, or indolent inactivity; but in vigorous, universal obedience, in a zealous keeping of all the commandments, in watchfulness and painfulness, in denying ourselves, and taking up our cross daily; as well as in earnest prayer and fasting, and a close attendance on all the ordinances of God. And

if any man dream of attaining it in any other way, (yea, or of keeping it when it is attained, when he has received it even in the largest measure,) he deceiveth his own soul. It is true we receive it by simple faith. But God does not, will not give that faith, unless we seek it with all diligence, in the way which he hath ordained.

This consideration may satisfy those who inquire, Why so few have received this blessing! Inquire, how many are seeking it in this way? have a sufficient answer.

And you

Prayer especially is wanting. Who continues instant therein; Who wrestles with God for this very thing? So ye have not because ye ask not; or because ye ask amiss, namely, "That you may be renewed before you die." Before you die! Will that content you? Nay, but ask that it may be done now! To-day! While it is called to-day! Do not call this, "settingGod a time." Certainly to-day is his time as well as to-morrow. Make haste, man, make haste! Let

Thy soul break out in strong desire

The perfect bliss to prove!

Thy longing heart be all on fire

To be dissolv'd in love!

Q. But may we continue in peace and joy, till we are perfected in love?

A. Certainly we may, for the kingdom of God is not divided against itself. Therefore let not believers be discouraged from "rejoicing in the Lord always." And yet we may be sensibly pained at the sinful nature that still remains in us. It is good for us to have a piercing sense of this, and a vehement desire to be delivered from it. But this should only incite us, the more zealously to fly every moment to our strong Helper, the more earnestly to "press forward to the mark, the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus." And when the sense of our sin most abounds, the sense of his love should much more abound.

Q. How should we treat those who think they have attained?

A. Examine them candidly, and exhort them to pray fervently, that God would show them all that is in their hearts. The most earnest exhortations to abound in every grace, and the strongest cautions to avoid all evil, are given throughout the New Testament, to those who are in the highest state of grace. But this should be done with the utmost tenderness, and without any harshness, sternWe should carefully avoid the very appearance ness, or sourness. of anger, unkindness, or contempt. Leave it to Satan thus to tempt, and to his children to cry out, "Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience." If they are faithful to the grace given, they are in no danger of perishing thereby: No, not if they remain in that mistake, till their spirit is returning to God.

Q. But what hurt can it do to deal harshly with them?

A. Either they are mistaken or they are not. If they are, it may destroy their souls. This is nothing impossible, no, nor improbable. It may so enrage, or so discourage them, that they may sink

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and rise no more. If they are not mistaken, it may grieve those whom God has not grieved, and do much hurt unto our own souls. For undoubtedly, he that toucheth them, toucheth, as it were, the apple of God's eye. If they are indeed full of his Spirit, to behave unkindly or contemptuously to them, is doing no little despite to the. Spirit of Grace. Hereby likewise we feed and increase in ourselves evil-surmising, and many wrong tempers. To instance only one. What self-sufficiency is this, to set ourselves up for inquisitors general, for peremptory judges in the deep things of God! Are we qualified for the office? Can we pronounce in all cases, How far infirmity reaches? What may and what may not be resolved into it. What may in all circumstances, and what may not consist with perfect love? Can we precisely determine, how it will influence the doubtless, " look, the gesture, the tone of voice? If we can, are the men, and wisdom shall die with us !"

we

Q. But if they are displeased at our not believing them, is not this a full proof against them?

A. According as that displeasure is: if they are angry, it is a proof against them; if they are grieved, it is not. They ought to be grieved, if we disbelieve a real work of God, and thereby deprive ourselves of the advantage we might have received from it. And we may easily mistake this grief for anger, as the outward expressions of both are much alike.

Q. But is it not well to find out those, who fancy they have attained, when they have not?

A. It is well to do it by mild, loving examination.. But it is not well to triumph even over these. It is extremely wrong, if we find such an instance, to rejoice, as if we had found great spoils. Ought we not rather to grieve, to be deeply concerned, to let our eyes run down with tears? Here is one who seemed to be a living proof of God's power to save to the uttermost, but, alas! it is not as we hoped! He is weighed in the balance, and found wanting! And is this matter of joy! Ought we not to rejoice a thousand times more, love? pure if we can find nothing but What then? It is a harmless mistake. "But he is deceived." while he feels nothing but love in his heart. It is a mistake which generally argues great grace, and a high degree both of holiness and happiness. This should be a matter of real joy to all that are simple of heart: not the mistake itself, but the height of grace, which, for a time, occasions it. I rejoice that that soul is always happy in Christ, always full of prayer and thanksgiving. I rejoice that he feels no unholy temper, but the pure love of God continually. And I will rejoice, if sin be suspended, till it is totally destroyed.

Q. Is there no danger then in a man's being thus deceived?

A. Not at the time that he feels no sin. There was danger before, and there will be again, when he comes into fresh trials. But so long as he feels nothing but love, animating all his thoughts, and words, and actions, he is in no danger: he is not only happy, but safe, under the shadow of the Almighty. And, for God's sake, let