he writes; "Abstain from all appearance of evil, and the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." Now I desire it may be observed, that these are only a few, out of a great many passages, which exhort a man to cleanse himself "from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord."* We may then infer, that whoever proposes to himself any degree of obedience short of the whole law of God, is not living as a Christian, is not guided by the sacred word, and it will be well if he does not deceive his soul to perdition. But you will ask, perhaps, "If God requires nothing less than perfection, who then can be saved?" In answer to this question, I shall not endeavour to explain away the force of any of the foregoing passages, because they are too plain to admit of any other sense than what is obvious at first view; but I would observe, that our salvation is begun as soon as we believe in Jesus Christ, and receive him for our Saviour, and our Lord; and I make no doubt, that if God should be pleased to give death his commission to remove any of us from

* 1 Cor. vii, 1.

this transitory state immediately upon such a faith, we should be placed in a condition of happiness far superior to that we now enjoy. Thus it happened to the penitent thief, to whom, as he was expiring on the cross, Christ said, "Verily I say unto thee, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise." But, as the Bible reveals to us a day of judgment, in which every man shall be rewarded according to his works; and, as our Saviour has told us that in his Father's house are 66 many mansions,"* I also maintain, that the more a soul is transformed into the image of Christ, the higher will be its degree of glory on its departure from the body; and hence our Saviour tells his Disciples, " Ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit upon the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."†

If ye are partakers of Christ, the same mind will be in you that was in him. It was his meat and drink to do the will of his Father; it was that in which his soul delighted. Now, "he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit," and one spirit wills one thing. What then can we think of the religion of that man, who does not desire that every thought may be

he

brought into the obedience of Christ, and that may be perfect even as his Father, which is in heaven is perfect? But, "O, how weak, how frail, how prone am I to wander !" cries every zealous Christian.-Granted.-You have the more need then to watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation, and the more need to cast yourself upon the mercy of Jesus Christ, that his strength may be perfected in your weakness. You are reminded again and again of your being without strength, and of your insufficiency even to think a good thought, not to make you negligent and idle, but to make you rely entirely upon the power of God, that he may work in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, that you may not claim to yourselves any merit in your salvation, but ascribe all to Christ, to whose perfect image you are predestinated to be conformed.

If you still say, it is not necessary to be so very strict, then allow me to ask, Where have you found in the Bible, that any defective measure of holiness is allowed to the servant of Christ? Where have you found it written, that, having attained so far, you need not be anxious about farther progress? Saint Paul, as was before observed, did not think he had gone far enough, and I much doubt if any of us have gone so far; and I am sure we read of

some, who put away a good conscience concerning faith, and thereby made shipwreck.* But, I would ask the objector-What induces thee to complain of the severity of the divine law? "What is required of thee, O man, but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Dost thou complain, that it is painful to fulfil the social and relative duties of life, to do good to the community at large, and to ameliorate the condition of every individual, as far as thy power and ability extend? Had the precepts, which Christianity inculcates, their due weight with mankind, those horrid scenes of slaughter and desolation, which have lately been represented upon the. theatre of Europe, could never have taken place; for, as a celebrated writer observes, "If Christian nations were nations of Christians there could be no war." All the sorrows that men experience arise from setting up their own wills against the will of God, and all the plans that they can devise, without submission to his pleasure, can never produce the happiness they are in quest after; for every variation of their schemes, will be only a variation of their troubles; but the Christian, I mean him who is really so, as well as by profession, is the happy man. He casteth his

* 1 Tim. i. 19.

+ SOAME JENYNS.

care upon God, for he is assured that his God careth for him, and though he may be far from understanding that complicated scheme of Providence, by which the Lord of the universe operates for the general and final happiness of his Creatures, yet he is satisfied, that infinite wisdom arranges and directs the whole, and as there is a promise that all things shall "work together for good to those that love God," he is comforted under all his tribulations, and rejoices with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Examine yourselves then, my Brethren, and prove yourselves. See that your desire to fulfil the will of God be constant and abiding, and take care that you do not merely avoid gross transgressions, but study to approve yourselves the servants of Christ in all things. By these means shall ye be able to "make your calling and election sure," for, " without holiness no man shall see the Lord."