characteristics by which those who do and those who do not exercise "perfect love" may be distinguished from each other. "Perfect love casteth out fear." "He that feareth is not made perfect in love." From the above considerations, the following conclusions are to my mind undeniably evident. 1. As the apostle is professedly speaking of what he knew to be true, from observation and experience, he did know, from observation and experience, the effects of "perfect love." 2. There were those at that time, who had in his judgment attained to this state; else why did he give the characteristics by which such persons might be distinguished from those who have not made such attainments? Other examples might be adduced.

IV. The Bible affirms, that to this state the church shall attain during the progress of her future history. This I argue from the following considerations.

1. For this glorious consummation Christ has taught his whole church to pray, "Thy kingdom come: thy will be done on earth as in heaven." There is certainly a very strong presumption in favor of the occurrence of any consummation, in the fact, that Christ has required his whole. church to pray for it.

2. For this consummation Christ not only prayed, but declared its occurrence to be essential to the conversion of the world. John 17: 20-23.

3. To bring about this consummation, is one of the re vealed objects of his redemption, and purposes of his grace Eph. 5: 25-27, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." The phrase, “by the word," i. e., a preached gospel, shows, that this passage is to be applied to the church in this world. Eph. 1: 9, 10, "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him." In the first passage above cited, we learn, that it is the object of Christ's redemption, perfectly to sanctify his church. In the last, it

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is declared to be his purpose, in the "dispensation of the fulness of time," to accomplish this very object. What other meaning can we attach to the phrase, to "gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth?"

4. God has unconditionally promised this very consummation to the church, Jer. 31: 31-34; Heb. 8:10—12; Ez. 36: 25-27; Jer. 50: 20; Ez. 37: 23. Here I would remark, that a promise may be unconditional to the church, and conditional to all individuals of whom the church is composed. God, for example, unconditionally promised to the seed of Abraham the land of Canaan. Yet no one generation could take possession of that land without faith in that promise. See Heb. 3: 19, and Numb. 32: 15. Such, however, was the nature of the promise, as to render it certain that some generation would believe, and take possession of the blessing. So of the promises of the new covenant; "some must enter in." Yet such is the nature of those promises, that those only who understand them and embrace them by faith, can "enter in." There remaineth, therefore, a glorious consummation to the church. God shall "sprinkle clean water upon her, and she shall be clean." "From all her filthiness and from all her idols shall he cleanse her." "In those days and at that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found." "Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with any of their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions."

When will the church understand the "riches of the glory of Christ's inheritance in the saints?" Then shall her " peace be as a river, and her righteousness as the waves of the sea.

5. The same thing is implied in other passages relating to the future glory of the church. Isa. 11: 1-9. The entire description here given is applicable only to a state of perfect moral purity. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the seas." If sin remains in the bosom of the church, there will be something to “hurt and destroy." See, also, Isa. 2: 4, and 65: 25; Micah 4: 1—4; Zech. 14: 20. "In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD," etc.

6. It is declared that the church shall come into this state

before the "battle of the great day of God Almighty," which is to precede the millennium. Rev. 19: 6-8, "And to her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints." What emblem can express a state of perfect moral purity, if this does not? That this is the real meaning of the sacred writer, is evident from verse 14, in which the moral purity of heaven is expressed by precisely the same emblem, "fine linen, white and clean." Here we have the actual accomplishment of the object of redemption referred to in Eph. 5: 25-27, and of the purpose of divine grace spoken of in Eph. 1:9, 10: "The marriage of the Lamb," which is to take place on earth, "will come" when, and only when, Christ shall "present the church to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing;" but when it shall be "holy and without blemish." 1 conclude, then, that the Bible teaches us, that some have already attained to a state of entire sanctification in this life, and that to this glorious consummation the church is hereafter to be brought.

We are now prepared to consider the following remark of Mr. F. "It is remarkable, while he [Mr. Mahan] is contending for the doctrine of the actual attainment of perfect and permanent holiness in the present life, as the secret and spring of higher devotedness which he trusts he himself has found, it was not that doctrine, but another, which put him in possession of the secret." I observe, 1. That I have nowhere contended for the "doctrine of the actual attainment of perfect and permanent holiness in the present life, as the secret and spring of higher devotedness.' The secret and spring of all attainment in holiness, I have every where placed in simple faith in those provisions and promises of divine grace, which render the attainment of perfect holiness in this life practicable to us, and practicable in the sense in which I have explained the term. 2. Every one is aware, that while an individual theoretically adopts one sentiment, he may, in certain circumstances, practically adopt precisely the opposite sentiment. Certain philosophers, for example, deny the existence of the external world, while their practical convictions are in direct opposition to their theory. A sinner who theoretically holds the doctrine of inability, practically adopts the opposite doctrine when brought under deep conviction of sin. So with myself at the time to which Mr. F. refers. The redemption of Christ was then present

ed to my mind as a full and perfect redemption. I felt that in Christ I was "complete," that in him every demand of my being was met, and perfectly met. In this light I presented him to others. It was by subsequent reflection, however, that I became aware that the principles which I had practically adopted necessarily involved the doctrine of Christian perfection. Here permit me to express the conviction, that no man ever makes high attainments in holiness without the practical adoption, at the time, of this very doctrine, the perfect fulness of Christ's redemption. To make such attainments with the common theory distinctly before the mind; to rise, under such circumstances, from the gloom of spiritual barrenness to the enjoyment of the life and peace which the gospel promises, is, in my judgment, a natural impossibility.

I will now notice one or two difficulties of the common theory respecting this subject, which have not been referred to in the preceding remarks, but which the advocates of that theory will be necessitated to meet before the churches.

1. They must meet the doctrine of Christian perfection upon its own merits, unencumbered with any imputed or supposed alliance with perfectionism, or any of the forms of fanaticism at which the church is justly alarmed.

2. All admit, that if the declarations of Scripture in respect to the provisions and promises of divine grace, are to be understood literally, they authorize us to expect entire sanctification in this life. The advocates of the common theory maintain, that we are to put a restrictive construction upon such passages. Now, when would the universally received principles of interpretation require us to put a literal construction upon promises? In determining this question, respect should always be had to the power, knowledge, and goodness of the promiser. In God these are all perfect.

3. All admit that we should be under obligations infinite, to put a literal and not a restrictive construction upon "the promises," when the former construction is most favorable to holiness. Now, the literal construction of "the promises" authorizes us to pray for and aim at perfection in holiness, with the joyful expectation of obtaining it. Which construction is most favorable to fervent prayer and rigorous effort for holiness, that which authorizes such expectation, or that which annihilates it?

4. Another difficulty in the way of the common theory will be found in the argument in respect to the internal evidence of Christianity. The argument is this: (1.)The absolute perfection of the moral precepts of Christianity. (2.) The perfect adaptation of its system of doctrines, etc., to secure obedience in us, to its precepts. Of one or more possible constructions of the language of inspiration, that must be admitted to be the true one which is best adapted to secure obedience to the moral precepts of Christianity, or we must give up for ever the argument for the truth of Christianity from internal evidence. Now, who will deny, that the construction for which we contend is better adapted to secure obedience than the opposite construction? Finally, every one who understands the doctrine of Christian perfection, knows perfectly, that its truth is a perpetual want of the church. To persuade her that this doctrine is not true, is to persuade her that that gospel, which professes to meet all her wants, and render her "complete in Christ," is an imperfect gospel.

I notice but one other statement of Mr. F. Speaking of the " permanent and visible state to which the Christian must reach," "To this state," he says, "he will be raised, not by dwelling on any abstract notion of the actual attainment of perfect holiness in this life," but by "beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord," and "being changed into the same image, from glory to glory." I reply, in conclusion of this article, by citing the following extract from the work under consideration. The design of the extract is to show the influence of dwelling upon the doctrine of Christian perfection. It implies three things:

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"i. Deep and profound meditation upon the pure and perfect law of God, and upon the action of all the powers of our being, in all the circumstances and relations of life, in conformity with that law. By thus meditating upon the divine statutes, the Psalmist declares that he had become "wiser than his teachers." Who will dare affirm that such meditations are not in a high degree favorable to holiness? Who will affirm that, in thus meditating upon God's pure and perfect law, we shall see no bright reflections of that glory, in the beholding of which the Christian is changed into the same image?

"2. In another view of the subject, dwelling upon the