of perfect holiness, introduce them to the school of Christ, and make them candidates for the knowledge of the truth and the liberty of the gospel. Perfectionism was born at New Haven in such a revival; and most of those who have become Perfectionists within the last ten years, had previously been converts and laborers in such revivals. The first conversion, though it has not the security, and of itself cannot save the soul, is a preparatory step to the second conversion, and as such should be valued.

At the same time we ought to remember that it is but half a revival, where non-professors only are converted. A whole revival would be one in which, as fast as the impenitent' were converted to discipleship, the professors' would be converted to perfect holiness. The work of conviction would advance as fast in the church as out of it; and the shout of sinners saved from hell,' would be answered by the shout of Christians' saved from sin.

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§33. THE SPIRITUAL MAN.

WE have heretofore shown that regeneration is the peculiar attainment of the Christian dispensation; that the legal or semi-spiritual experience of Judaism was only the preparative of this attainment; that there were two classes of believers in the primitive church-a carnal class, not free from sin, though baptized with the Spirit-and a spiritual or perfect class, to whom alone belonged the title of sons of God. We have shown also that the transition from the first to the second class, though not very distinctly marked in the writings of the apostles, clearly took place in individual cases, as early as the middle of the apostolic age, and in greater numbers at a later period. We have ascribed this transition to the power of Christ's resurrection, apprehended and appropriated by the believer in his inmost life; and we have defined the change as one in which the flesh is crucified and the spirit raised to victory, so that the subject ceases to be carnal, and becomes truly a spiritual man. We propose now to examine the records of the primitive church with a view to obtaining a more exact idea of the traits of character which distinguish spiritual from carnal believers.

1. The first point we notice is that the spiritual man has a renewed mind. 'He that is spiritual,' says Paul, 'judgeth [i. e. discerneth] all things.' 1Cor. 2: 15. The reason of this is that he has the mind of Christ.' Ver. 16. His intellect is not only under the influence of that Spirit which 'searcheth the deep things of God,' but is assimilated to it, and acts in unison with it. He has the mind of the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.' Col. 3: 10. (See also Eph. 4: 23, & Rom. 12: 2.) This renewed mind is strong and penetrating. Like the Word of God by which it is created, and to which it is assimilated, it is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword;' and in a certain sense we may

say that all things are naked and open to it.' Hence it receives without staggering and readily apprehends divine mysteries which mere human intellects are unable to see or bear. We speak wisdom,' says Paul, among them that are perfect,-even the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But he hath revealed them unto us by his spirit,-which things also we speak.' 1 Cor. 2: 6-13. But he did not speak these things to carnal believers. To the mass of the Corinthian church he said, 'I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it; neither yet now are ye able.' 1 Cor. 3: 12. They were baptized by the Spirit, but they had not the renewed mind, and were unfit for the discoveries which God held in readiness for them. In the same manner Paul discoursed to the Hebrews. We have many things to say, and hard to be understood, seeing that ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again what be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe: [nepios, in Greek, which is the word used in 1 Cor. 3: 1.] For strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [or perfect-teleios in Greek, the word used in 1 Cor. 2: 6,] even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.' Heb. 5: 11-14. In both of these passages (1 Cor. 2, and Heb. 5,) the same two classes-the nepioi and the teleioi, the babes and the perfect-are defined; and the perfect are distinguished from the babes by having a far-seeing, discriminating, robust, spiritual understanding. To these we will add another passage, of kindred character, in which some important fruits of the renewed mind are brought to view. He gave some apostles, and some prophets, &c., for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [teleion] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, [nepioi,] tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.' Eph. 4: 11-14. The mind of Christ not only apprehends freely the mysteries of God, but detects readily the impostures of the devil; so that the spiritual man is firm and steady in the truth of the gospel. We may take this as a sure criterion of the state of believers. They who are tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, are babes, i. e. carnal believers. Spiritual believers are STABLE

MINDED.

2. Another distinguishing characteristic of the spiritual man is a loving heart. For proof of this point we might adduce the whole of John's firstepistle, which is almost exclusively devoted to defining the character of a regenerate man, and constantly makes brotherly love the leading test-mark. But we will continue our examination of Paul. He says in the sequel of his

discourse to the Corinthians concerning the distinction between the carnal and the spiritual man- Ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, [or factions,] are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 1 Cor. 3: 3. Separation from the world, and stern warfare with its evils, are not evidences of carnality; but envyings, strifes and factions within the circle of believers, testify unequivocally that selfish, unrenewed hearts are there. The apostle does not halve the matter. He recog nizes no such thing as an envious, contentious spiritual man. The import of his testimony is, that among spiritual believers there is no quarreling. This result flows in part from the fact, already brought to view, that such believers have a renewed mind, the mind of Christ, and consequently think in unison. But its true source is the renewed heart. The spiritual man 'dwells in love.' He has gained the crown of all attainments, the bond of perfectness,' which is charity. Carnal believers may have many of the external gifts of the Spirit; but the spiritual only have that loving heart which 'suffereth long, and is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things; never faileth.' 1Cor. 13: 4-8. This unquestionably is the grand attainment which divides the spiritual from the carnal believer--the full-born son of God from the babe in Christ.' For Paul says-Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal; and though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing; and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.' 1 Cor. 13: 1—3. Here are many and great gifts and graces which a man may have, and yet not be a son of God. It should be noticed that charity is distinguished not only from gifts of utterance, revelations, and wonder-working faith, but even from that which is commonly accounted charity, viz. benevolence to the poor, and from self-sacrificing devotion. Indeed any one who will study the definition of charity above quoted, will perceive that it is far from being that outward-bound, bustling quality of character which usually passes for religious benevolence. Its elements are mostly negative. The idea of doing good' is not very prominent in it, but as Paul says of it in another place, "it worketh no ill. It is just that quality which fits a man to live in social contact with his fellow men, without giving offense, and without taking offense, It implies a thorough extinction of selfishness, a perfect appreciation of the interests of others and of the value of peace, and a quiet reliance on the faithfulness of eternal love. The man who has it will live in peace, in spite of all the sons of discord. He cannot be drawn into an envious, grudging, murmuring, evil-eyed spirit.

And here we may remark that this unobtrusive spiritual quality is what is needed for the cure of the world's miseries, far more than an enlargement of the 'doing-good' sort of benevolence, or an extension of the rules of the

Peace Societies, or the introduction of the social principles of Fourier and Owen. Whoever has looked into the world reflectingly, knows that selfishness, engendering jealousies and strife, is the most universal and inveterate malady of human society. Charity, as defined by Paul, is the cure for this malady. With charity the world might be a very comfortable Paradise, though its external institutions should remain unchanged. Without it, the most perfect organization can only be a well disciplined Bedlam.

Charity is the very essence of holiness. The terms holiness, perfection, salvation from sin, &c., except as they are used as designations of charity, are mere shibboleths. The idea of being sons of God before charity is attained, is false, if Paul is true; for he says, 'If I have not charity, I am nothing. Our second criterion therefore of the state of believers, is this: Envyings, strifes, and factions are marks of carnal believers. Spiritual believers are free from selfishness, and have hearts of love and peace which exclude strife.

3. Another characteristic of the spiritual man is an unquenchable desire of progress. Paul was certainly a fit representative of the spiritual class. Let us see what was his state of mind. He says I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ; that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do; forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' Phil. 3: 8—15. Was there ever a more vivid expression of God-like ambition! The apostle adds- LET US THEREFORE, AS MANY AS BE PERFECT, BE THUS MINDED ;'-and thus minded' will every one be who is truly spiritual. A thirst for progressive conquest in the field of spiritual attainment, belongs to the very nature of the renewed mind and the loving heart; and no imagination of having attained to unimprovable perfection, or of being a passive subject of grace, will prevent the spiritual man from pressing onward in the knowledge and service of Christ.

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The leading characteristics of the spiritual man, then, are a discriminating and stable mind, a quiet, loving heart, and an energetic ambition for improvement. We do not say that a man who is destitute of these may not be a Perfectionist in the large sense of the term, for that properly enough includes all who believe in the theory of holiness; but we do say that without these characteristics a man cannot be called 'perfect' or 'spiritual' in the primitive sense; he belongs among the nepioi, not among the teleioi.

§ 34. SPIRITUAL PUBERTY.

THE second birth differs materially from natural birth in one respect, viz., -the latter is the beginning of a new personal existence, while the former is a change superinduced upon a previous personal existence. In natural birth a person altogether new begins to exist; the present life of that person is not the continuation or product of an antecedent life; his memory goes not back to a time before he was born. But when a man is 'born again,' his new state is based on a former life; he carries with him the consciousness of a past existence; his memory refers to a period before his spiritual birth, as well as after it; his life is new as being changed, but not new as commencing existence; his spirit has received new vitality and he dwells in a new element, but his individual properties and powers, constitutional and acquired, are those which he had when he was a natural man.

And it is not merely with reference to natural life that regeneration is a continuation rather than a beginning of existence. It is manifest from the representations of scripture, as we have shown heretofore, that there is a species of spiritual life previous to regeneration. Under the Jewish dispensation, and in the case of the disciples, both before and after the baptism of the Spirit, there was a transitional religious experience, partly legal and partly spiritual, which distinguished them from natural men, but did not constitute them sons of God. Regeneration--the peculiar attainment of the Christian dispensation-had, in all cases, so far as we know, this preliminary experience for its basis. In becoming sons of God, men were conscious of a continuation not only of a past existence, but of a previous spiritual life. The regenerate state was the crowning product-the harvest-of the transitional state.

With an eye to this difference between natural birth and the second birth, we perceive, that in forming our conceptions of the change which takes place in regeneration, by help of natural analogies, we ought to choose our illustrations from cases which present a transition from one form of life to another, rather than from those in which there is only a beginning of existence. If the doctrine of metempsychosis were true, and if men in their present natural existence had a continuation of the consciousness which belonged to a previous existence, natural birth would be a satisfactory illustration of the second birth. But as facts are, regeneration is really more like the change which takes place when the worm becomes a butterfly, than like the birth of a child; for the butterfly's life is a continuation of the life of the worm; whereas the child's life is an absolute beginning.

The New Testament furnishes an illustration such as the case demands. Christ says:So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade; then the ear; after that, the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.' Mark 4: 26-29. It matters little whether