we have no doubt. That God, from whom their sanctification comes, is able instantly to perfect them in holiness, is fully admitted. Bat has he given any reason to expect this God is able to cause it to be sunrise the instant the day has broke, but has he ever done it? No. This is the order of Jehovah's appointment, that the day shall first dawn and its light progressively increase to the perfect day. His word decides, that there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not. The apostles found a law in their members warring against the law of the Spirit, so that when they would do good evil was present with them. They never justified the evil, but they groaned under it as a dead and putrid body from which they expected not to be perfectly freed- till death. Their testimony, agreed with their experience. St. John says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." It is plain, therefore, that the apostle John would have no charity for mushrooms in religion, who claimed sinless perfection.

It is the established order in the kingdoms of nature and of grace, that light first dawn, and then shine more and more unto the perfect day This brings us to a consideration of the coincidences between the morning twilight and the path of the just in their PROGRESS.

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FIRST; They agree in their gradual and constant tendeney toward their respective ends. The increase of the morning light is uniform, though so gradual as not to be perceptible from instant to instant, and the comparison of periods more remote from each other will easily exhibit a difference. So it is with the Christian. is never stationary in the path of the just. He often wanders from that path. Some are wandering more frequently than others. From these wanderings, these deviations from the path of the just, they cannot expect progress but delay. But the just, when following on to know the Lord,-when walking in the strait and narrow path of truth and daty ;-when striving to work out their salvation. depending on God to work in them to will and to do are constantly growing in grace Increase of light, sanctification and stability, attends their course though it be scarcely perceptible. They add to their faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to kuuled ja temaga 124

rance, to temperance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness charity. In proportion as these things accumulate and abound, they evince the soul's progress in the divine life. This thought deserves to be pursued further. Though regeneration begins a new era in its subjects, many errors and prejudices and wrong habits may remain. But as they advance in the path of the just, errors are seen and renounced; tracted views are exchanged for more enlarged ones; prejudices are detected and discarded-wrong habits are discovered and grace enables them to conquer their wrong habits and establish different and right habits. Their growth in humility often hides from them their own attainments in religion when they are perceived by others. It is thus that the righteous go on from one degree of grace to another till they arrive to the measure and stature of men in Christ Jesus. And all these advances are to be ascribed to light and sanctification and strength from on high. Grace does not supersede human agency; but it arouses it into vigorous action.

Again, persons enjoying the morning light may very differently circumstanced. A person in this place is surrounded with many different objects from one in another place. A person advanced five hundred miles toward the rising sun has more light at the same moment than a person here. It is easy to determine that the attention of persons will be directed to the objects with which they are surrounded ;—and that those who have most light may see most clearly. Thus it is with the path of the just. Different moral objects meet the eyes of those spiritually enlightened according to the different circumstances in which they are placed. And their moral affections are exercised accordingly. But these general results are the same. Sin is detested and renounced, and holiness is loved and followed. Still it must be observed that those who are most advanced in the path of the just, and consequently have most moral twilight, are prepared to decide more promptly, and to act more efficiently than others.

We know that in some climates and in some sea. sons of the year, the morning twilight is of shorter duration than in others, and when shortest in duration, it is uniformly most rapid in its increase. Secondary causes

operate in this. How emblematical is this of the Christian course! Some Christians are much sooner introdueed to perfect day than others. And how common the observation, that those who were early called away after becoming pious, appeared by grace to have been making. more rapid advances in the divine life, than others who are continued longer. They sooner ripened for heaven. Secondary causes might have a perceptible in luence, but the fact was undeniab

Once more; The dawning twilight is the precursor of perfect day. We know indeed, that if the day had dawned, and God should withdraw his agency, all would be darkness and chaos again. But who ever knew the day to dawn and the sun not to arise? We know all depends on his power and pleasure in this event: But has he not established a certain connexion between events in the natural world? Does not a similar connexion exist in the world of grace? We know indeed that renewed souls have no power of their own to secure their perseverance in holiness. Left to themselves they would still perish. But that Mighty power which in his own time always ushers in the perfect day after it has dawned, is able to keep Christians, through faith unto salvation. Where is the evidence that a work of grace has been begun in the soul and that soul finally lost? Is Judas named? We ask for the least evidence that he ever was truly pious. The Saviour pronounced him a devil, long before his treason. And when he seemed careful for the poor, his motives were condemned. Did David or Solomon finally apostatize ? Read the 51st Psalm and Ecclesiastes, written after their grievous falls, and determine whether they were or were not penitent. Do you say, some in the apostles' days who appeared to be Christians fell away. We grant it. But what said an apóstle respecting them?" They went out from us, because they were not of us, for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us." How far a person may appear like a Christian and not be one, and how far a Christian may be left to fall and be finally restored, are questions difficult to solve. Analogy in the kingdoms of Providence and of grace, favours the Doetrine of the saints' pesseverance. Hence the apostle Paul writes to the Phillippians, "Being persuaded that

he who hath begun a good work in you, will perform it to the day of Jesus Christ." And a greater than Paul hath said," whosoever drinketh of this water, it shall be in him a well of water, springing up unto eternal life." Reasoning upon the subject we arrive at the same conclusion.Does it appear reasonable to conclude that God will reinstamp his moral image on the soul as the purchase of Christ's death, and then suffer it to be again effaced ? Will he who is without variableness or shadow of turn. ing, do and undo his work of sanctification in the soul ?After all, we admit that the "Law and the testimony," must decide the question. But when we find it unequivocally written," The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands be stronger and stronger;" must we not consider this a broad promise? Besides, the Chief Shepherd has said, "My sheep hear my voice, and 1 know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.” Here we have the nature, order and effects of grace exhiblted,-the agency. of the creature recognized, and the power, and faithful ness, and determination of Christ made known. Hearing ears and obedient hearts characterize Christ's sheep. They are agents in voluntarily following him. He knows them, chooses they shall never perish but inherit eternal life, and has power and stability to carry his pleasure into execution. It is also said of him that," Having loved his own, he loved them to the end." Well might an apostle affirm, that "nothing should be able to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." But we must not further pursue this copious subject. We think Ssripture and reason and analogy are in favour of the saints' perseverance. We recall the analogy of the morning twilight to mind, that when God causes the dawning light to appear, we have confidence that it will be day.

It is time that we proceed to notice coincidences in the CONSUMMATION of the morning twilight and the path of the just. When the morning sun appears there is au end of all doubt and perplexity about day. Then all objeets may be seen clearly and fully by his light, where The organs of vision are adapted to objects presented. There is no longer a struggle between darkness and

light. The light has a complete and uninterrupted ascendency. When enlightened souls drop these clay tenements in the dust, their twilight will terminate in bes holding the Sun of righteousness in all his glory. Then all their doubts and fears will be dispelled. Their spiritual vision will be without error and without interruption. They will be perfected in holiness. Their sanctification will no longer be progressive, but will then be complete. There will be no more fightings without and fears within. Love, peace, joy and triumph will fill their souls. Every obscurity which veiled any part of the kingdoms of nature, providence, and grace, will then be dispelled, and the glory of God and the Lamb, will ABSORB and FELICITATE every energy of their souls forever. Some reflections will conclude this Essay.

FIRST; Let our subject teach us candour toward others. If diversity of circumstances may greatly affect the views, feelings and conduct of persons who are truly enlightened from above, let us candidly consider this in our judgment of them. We are indeed to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints; but we must not make any thing essential in faith which the Bible does not. If many errors may exist in the minds of those who are in heart the lovers of truth let us guard against rash judgment where we discover some errors. Particularly where the Divine life is apparently but just commenced, there let us be lenient towards these babes in Christ. Let us not expect them to see as clearly at the dawn of day as with the twilight more advanced. Let us not expect that Christians will be perfect characters while here in the body. Let us all make those allowan ees that pure Christian charity may require, in hopeing in behalf of others, though we are never to countenance error, or justify sin in the least degree. Let us seek by tenderness and fidelity to diminish their errors and increase their sanctification. Thus we might be coworkers with God in rendering them more useful on earth and more meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.

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SECONDLY; Let our subject excite us to be watchful and prayerful respecting our own circumstances. we may be much more severe in our judgment, than towards others. Let us consider nothing as evidence of a