if you can believe, or dare affirm, that this love shall never, in this life, exist in your heart.

V. I argue, that perfection in holiness is attainable in this life, and that the sacred writers intended to teach the doctrine, from the fact, that inspired men made the attainment of this particular state the subject of definite, fervent, and constant prayer. Col. iv. 12, "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." Heb. xiii. 20, 21, "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that. which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ." The prayer of the apostle in 1 Thes. v. 23, is also distinctly before the reader's mind. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly,' &c. On these and kindred passages I remark,

1. Such prayers are in perfect conformity with the prayer of Christ himself in behalf of his church, as recorded in John xvii. 20-23, and cited above. They are also in conformity with the standing petition which Christ dictated to his

church. "Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven."

2. All such prayers are dictated by direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Now in Rom. viii. 27, we learn, that the "Spirit maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." In

1 John v. 14, 15, we also learn, that "this is the confidence that we have in hin, [Christ,] that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, we know that whatsoever we ask, we have the petitions that we desired of him." Have we not then proof

positive, that when we pray, and pray in faith, for perfect holiness, that blessing will be bestowed upon us. Is it possible, reader, for us to believe, that Christ himself prayed, and taught his church to pray, and the Holy Spirit inspired and influenced apostles and saints to pray, for a blessing which the Scriptures require us to believe God will not bestow upon his people?

3. Let us suppose that God has revealed to us the fact, that he has made no provision for the bestowment of a certain blessing upon us, that whatever our prayers, intentions, and efforts actually may be, infinite wisdom has unchangeably determined to withhold the grace necessary to its attainment in this life. Would it be proper for us, under such circumstances, to pray for that blessing?

What would such a prayer be, less than a request, that God would reverse the revealed dictates of infinite wisdom? In what other light shall we regard the prayers of inspired men for the perfect holiness of Christians, on the supposition that God had revealed to them the fact, that no provisions were made in the gospel for the bestowment of that blessing, that he had irreversibly determined not to confer the grace necessary to its attainment, whatever the prayers and efforts of his people actually might be, and that it is a dangerous error for them to suppose the opposite? Is not the fact, that inspired men prayed thus fervently and constantly for this blessing, the highest possible evidence, that they regarded the attainment of the blessing, as coming within the range of the provisions and promises of divine grace?

VI. I infer that perfect holiness is attainable in this life, from the many promises of Scripture which are conditioned on this state. For example: Isa. xxvi. 3: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." Mat. vi. 22: "If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." 2 Cor. xiii. 11: "Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love. and peace shall be with you." Phil. iv. 6, 7:

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus." All the blessings promised in such passages, of which the Bible is full, are conditioned directly or indirectly on the existence of perfect holiness in the subject. When, for example, God promises "perfect peace to those whose minds are stayed on him," the condition of the promise, is of course, perfect faith, or confidence. Because the want of such confidence would forfeit the blessing, or render the enjoyment of it an impossibility. So also the "single eye," the command, "be perfect," and "be careful for nothing," &c., directly require the same thing, or a state of perfect holiness. Does God promise to his people in this life, blessings of infinite value, upon conditions which he requires them to regard as impracticable? What is this but the most solemn mockery conceivable? A parent continually holds before his children promises of the richest blessings in his power to bestow, but all pledged upon conditions with which he holds it criminal in them to believe they will ever comply. What would be thought of such a parent? Shall we charge such conduct upon God?

In reply to the above argument, it is sometimes said, that Christians do experience the fulfilment of these promises in proportion to their fidelity. Very true, I reply. This fact however does not in the least diminish the force of the argument, as above stated. God does hold out the richest blessings upon the definite condition of perfect holiness in us. Now if, as is true, according to the common theory, he requires us to believe that these blessings are proffered upon a condition with which we shall not comply, what is this, I ask again, but the most solemn mockery conceivable ?

VII. I argue, that perfection in holiness is at tainable in this life, from the testimony of Scripture that some did attain to that state. On this subject 1 remark, 1. That from what the sacred writers have left on record in respect to the provisions and promises of divine grace, from their prayers, exhortations, precepts, &c., in respect to this identical subject; in short, from the fact that this particular subject was the special theme of their meditations, discourses and prayers, we ought to conclude, in the absence of positive proof to the contrary, that they did attain to this state; just as, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we ought to conclude that they died in the triumphs of faith.

2. The fact, that some of them are said to have