sincerity of whose piety he gives us assurance, were nevertheless frequently doing things, and manifesting dispositions, which were highly displeasing to their Master. And even after the copious effusion of the Holy Spirit, the disciples and ministers of Christ are not described, as living without sin, though they lived in a very exemplary manner. The writer of the Acts of the apostles mentions a sharp contention between two of the most renowned apostles, which led to temporary separation. These things are not introduced, because we love to dwell on the sins and imperfections of the people of God; especially these scripture worthies, the truth of whose religion we are made acquainted with, by the unerring word of God: But if the word of God presented them to us, as men sanctified only in part, it is no doubt important that we should keep this in view; else we shall be in danger of imitating their failings, as well as their excellencies: we shall also be in danger of forming too low an idea of the perfection of the heavenly state,

If we leave the Bible history of saints, it is not our province to declare with positiveness, concerning any particular name, that it is written in the book of life: but this we may say with confidence, that some of those who have borne as many of the apparent fruits of the Spirit, as any trees which in later times have stood in the garden of the Lord, have been remarkably full, as it appears by their private writings, in speaking of their great imperfections, even at those times when they appeared to be most conformed to God. It appears to be established by witnesses now alive,

I

as well as by written history, that President ED WARDS was a man uncommonly devoted to the service of God: Yet it appears from those parts of his Diary which are printed, that he viewed himself as sinfully imperfect in the sight of God, to a very great degree. He would often be so affected, not only with his sins committed in unregeneracy, but with those which he now saw in his heart, that he would lock himself up, that he might give vent to his burthened heart, and groan out, "Oh the infinite evil of sin !" The Life of DAVID BRAINERD is in the hands of many.. What man, since the days of the apostles, has manifested more of a spirit of self-denial, and more ardent love to Christ? How evidently disinterested were his experiences, if he has not entirely mis-stated them in his Diary. They were not only evidently disinterested in their commencement; but, (what is more convincing,) in all their progress, even to the end of life: Yet, if this man had any kind of knowledge of his own heart, he had a great degree of sinful imperfection in his inward parts. A great multitude of others, who have given the most striking proofs of piety, might be added to these, to show that the pious have always viewed themselves as sinfully imperfect. I proceed,

4. By a few plain unequivocal passages of scripture, to establish the doctrine of the sinful imperfections of the saints while on earth. The first text to which I would refer is, 1 Kings, viii, 46, "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not.") If there be any man who has arrived to a state of sinless perfection, then

what is contained in this parenthesis would not be true. The next passage I would refer to is Prov. ix. 20, "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin ?" No one can say, I am the man, if the doctrine drawn from cur text is true; but if it be not true, there may be men found who can say, We are pure from our sin. But the very question strongly implies that there is no such man to be found on earth.

all."

Very

Job declares, chap. ix. 20, "If I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse." similar to this, is that passage 1 John i. 8, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." In view of these two last passages, it seems strange that any should dare to say, that they are perfect in such a ser se, as to be sinless. I would add one more passage; it is James iii. 2, "In many things we offend All is the nominative to the verb offend. The apostle declares, that in many things we all offend. If this is true, then none are sinless--none are blameless. The 4th question in the Debate was to this amount, Do any in this life arrive at such a state of perfection, as to live without sin? If we have not misunderstood the scripture testimony on this subject, the question must be answered in the negative; That none do in this life arrive at such a state of perfection, as to live without sin. Having proved the doctrine, that good men are sinfully imperfect in this life, I proceed, as was proposed,

II. To show the consistency of this divine constitution in the economy of redemption. It implies no approbation of sin in the Holy One

of Israel. He has not made it the duty of his people to remain imperfect until they die. All the sin in the world is included in God's plan, and yet he is holy. Christians are blame-worthy for all their imperfection; but God is holy and wise in ordering it so, that they should be imperfect. He could make them perfectly holy at the moment when he changes their hearts, but this would not be for his own glory, nor for their best good, when the whole period of their existence is taken into view. As short-sighted and imperfect as we are, we can see some good ends to be answered by the present plan, in distinction from one which should have made the saints sinlessly perfect in this life.

1. We can see, that the present plan is calculated to make the saints eternally more penitent, humble, thankful, and every way meet for their heavenly inheritance. Repentance is an exercise and frame of heart which well becomes creatures who have sinned. When the Lord gives a new heart to his people, then they loathe themselves in their own sight for all their abominations. They then have an affecting view of their depravity; but the indwelling of sin in believers, with all its influence in opposing the reign of grace, and bringing them into captivity, gives them a much more affecting view of their deprav ity, than they can have at their first conversion. This makes them cry out with more feeling, "Behold we are vile! We abhor ourselves and repent in dust and ashes?" This holy loathing of sin, and of their own sins in particular, will go with them even to heaven, and will perfect

And this repentance,

their blessedness forever. And this and consequent blessedness, will be much more perfect, on account of the warfare between holiness and sin, which is carried on in the heart of every child of God, from the time of his adoption into the holy family, until his reception to heaven.

The humility of the saints will be greatly promoted by the plan, which Infinite Wisdom has adopted to train them up for the heavenly state. There are two things which are calculated to make creatures feel the reverse of pride and selfsufficiency; or, in other words, to feel humble. The first is, that they are entirely dependent for life, breath and all things; that they have nothing which they can, in an independent sense, call their own. There is another thing still more calculated to promote humility in creatures, and that is, a sense of their sinful character in the sight of God. And since the Israel of God will have a more clear and exquisite sense of their sinfulness in his sight, by means of the spiritual Canaanites which are left in the land, to prove them; this will make them more humble. to all eternity. Every thing which is calculated to keep pride from re-entering heaven, is of great importance. The method which is taken with the saints is well calculated to prepare them for an eternal state of the deepest humility.

That the saved may be most blessed forever, they must be very thankful. They must have the clearest, and most affecting sense of the favors which they have received, and of their very great unworthiness to receive those favors---also of the infinite benevolence and grace of God, in