Hope brings spiritual beauty, clearness, sunshine, Heaven! Are you rejoicing in hope of the glory of God? Have a good hope! Fifthly. Are you seeking to be wholly sanctified? Inbred sin, if not entirely purged, renders our state still perilous. It will soon wake up when temptation is presented by Satan, or persecution arises from out of the Church or the world. Remaining pride, self-will,* unholy desires, peevishness, anger, &c., are spiritual combustibles in the soul, which will immediately ignite into a flame of unholiness when touched by the match of temptation. But, when there are none of these evils remaining in the heart, and the mind of Christ is implanted, the soul is calm and heavenly under all circumstances. The world, the flesh, and the Devil are under the foot of sanctifying faith, a constant meetness for heaven is felt, and a qualification acquired to glorify God in all things. Do you feel your need of this? Are you hungering and thirsting after this? Are you hoping, determining, praying believing for this? It is nigh at hand. Ponder the following pages in the spirit of prayer for light. Examine every sentiment, Believe every promise. Be filled with the Spirit.-Be filled with the fulness of the great salvation.-Be filled with all the fulness of God! Never forget for a moment that nothing is impossible to the hearty believer. And may the holy fire of sanctifying influence, with which the Son of God baptizes his people, refine you perfectly before you shall have time to read through this book. There is nothing like a good beginning: so beware that you begin aright. Salvation in the lowest sense is preceded by repentance toward God-received by faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and followed by an assurance of God's favour, and peace, joy, faith, hope, love, &c. Weak faith obtains small consolation. Strong faith brings strong con solation. Be clear in your justification. Be entire in your sanctification. You will then be able to join the poet in singing, "True believers have seen The Saviour of men, As his head he on Calvary bowed: We shall see him again, When with all his bright train, He descends on the luminous cloud." By faith we are come To our permanent home: By hope we the rapture improve: By love we still rise, and look down on the skies; CHAPTER I. PERFECTION. A CHRISTIAN is the highest style of man; and the object of our aim should be Perfect Christianity. Having become members of the Christian Church, believers in the only atonement for sin, and initiated into spiritual life, we must not content ourselves with anything short of universal purity of heart, and the highest possible degree of holiness and love. We must be holy-entirely holy-always holyincreasingly holy, until filled with all the fulness of God. The last remains of the carnal mind must be rooted up, destroyed. The whole mind of Christ must be planted in us. The pure love of God must fill the heart, and govern the life in every sense of the word. The whole soul must be LOVE. The whole life must be LovE. The world must see it. The world must feel it. This is attainableeasily attainable-attainable now-attainable by faith"And this also we wish, even your perfection."-2 Cor. xiii. 19. No worldly man in his proper senses would be satisfied with a poor business, while it is within his power to get a very good one. Nor would you remain satisfied with mediocrity in temporal affairs, whilst you have before you the prospect of an independency. Worldly men are exceedingly wise in their generations. Yonder busy and industrious tradesman has got his eye upon a beautiful retired spot, just out of town; and every time he looks that way, he says, "I intend after a while, to build, if possible, a comfortable mansion on that lovely spot, and to spend the latter-part of my days in retirement and ease." His heart is fully set upon it; and every day brings him nearer to it. He puts his shoulder to the trade-wheel, and pushes business onward in good earnest: and his customers increase, and the goods sell out, and the money rolls in. His fifty pounds have increased to a hundred-his hundred becomes a thousand-his thousand increases to ten thousand-his ten thousand to twenty thousand pounds. He gives his business to another, bids good-bye to trade, with all its troubles and distractions, erects a beautiful mansion on the favourite spot, and properly passes for an independent, or perfect gentleman. He has in his way gone on unto Perfection. The Christian's motto should be "Perfect holiness," and all his thoughts, feelings, determinations, looks, words, and actions, should be a general responsive obedience to the apostolic injunction, "Let us go on unto Perfection." In temporal affairs men generally manifest the greatest sense, tact, zeal, industry and economy: much more ought we in spiritual and eternal matters. We have an object in view. That object is Perfection in religion! This must be attained to in this world, or we cannot be qualified for eternal glory; and the sooner that object is attained, the happier we shall be in our own souls, and the more glory we shall be enabled to bring to God. The object is before us-the Canaan of perfect purity and love. Let us press toward the mark, We have been by Mount Sinai, where the curses and threatenings of the violated law like thun ders and lightnings passed through the trembling soul. A little distance from the place of conviction and alarm, the reconciled Sovereign of the universe declared himself to the soul as the God of mercy, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. He then drank water from Christ the living rock, and gathered the manna as it fell from heaven. But, see! Canaan, the land that flows with the milk and honey of full salvation, is before us, and between it and the unsanctified believer rolls the Jordan of Christ's all-cleansing blood. Pass through it by faith and be "sanctified wholly." When the sinner ceases to do evil, and learns to do well, he makes a good beginning in the great business of saving his soul. When he arrives at the cross, and becomes justified by faith, regenerated by the Spirit, and adopted into God's family, he has arrived at a state of mediocrity. When the Spirit "wholly sanctifies," and God takes full possession of the heart, he becomes rich in faith, wealthy in religion; yes, "Holy as God is holy." "Perfect in love as his heavenly Father is perfect." "God then dwells in us, and we in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we IN THIS WORLD."-1 John iv. 17. This is our heaven on earth. Having arrived here, we have only to wait in faith, hope, love, and patience, until our change come: and when the Lord shall say "It is enough, come up hither :"—with the wings of "Perfect Love" we shall happily flit to the heavenly mansion which Christ hath built for us on Mount Sion. "Perfection" is the subject of the Saviour's extraordinary sermon on the mount. Inward purity-practical holiness-universal obedience to God. Every time I read it I am the more powerfully struck with this thought-" The subject is 'Perfection. " Not physical perfection-not in |