Scotch Presbyterian Church of the last century, has the following statement in his Discourses on Assurance of Faith, which obviously involve the idea of the incompatibleness of faith and the commission of known sin. "It is impossible for a person, living in the love and practice of sin, to draw near to God with the confidence of faith; for, in the very act of drawing near, the heart is purified by faith in the blood of Jesus; or, as it is expressed in the latter clause of the text, [referring to Heb. 10: 22,] he hath his heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and his body washed with pure water. In believing we cease to do evil, and learn to do well. Faith, apprehending the mercy of God in Christ, turns the soul from sin unto God; so that it is as impossible for a person to draw near to God with the confidence of faith, while he lives in the love and practice of sin, as it is for a person to come to you, and go from you at the same instant of time. While the heart is in league with sin, it is departing from the Lord. How then in this case, [that is to say, when the heart is in league with sin,] can the sinner draw near to God? Far less can he draw near with ASSURANCE of acceptance."

I might refer here to the statements of Rev. Andrew Gray, also many years since an acceptable minister of the Scotch church. In one of his published sermons having relation to the subject under consideration, he gives a number of evidences or marks of Assurance; one of which has reference to the connection existing between assurance of faith and the sanctification of the heart or holi

ness. He maintains by argument and by references to the Scriptures, that purity of heart or holiness is the natural result of assurance of faith: that those who possess such assurance are a people especially set apart, are "bought with a price," and are no longer at their own disposal; and that persons, who profess to have assurance of faith, but without a correspondent holiness of heart and life, are under a great delusion.

In view of what has been said, as our limits do not admit of a more minute investigation of the subject, we come to the conclusion, that the doctrine of assurance of faith and the doctrine of perfect love, although in reality distinct, may yet safely and properly be regarded as but different views of one great phasis of experimental Christianity, viz. that in which the soul is without present condemnation, and is in the experience of free, accepted, and full communion with God. Or perhaps we may express the same thing, and rather more definitely, by saying, although they are distinct, they are so closely connected, that the one, wherever it exists, necessarily involves the other; and that either of them involves the idea of evangelical holiness. If there is assurance of faith, it is necessarily followed by perfection of love, and the existence of perfect love, a state of mind which is otherwise expressed by the terms and phrases, sanctification, christian perfection, and evangelical holiness, necessarily implies the antecedent existence of assurance of faith.

But it will be asked, perhaps, by some, whose

early habits of thought and association will naturally prompt the inquiry, if there be this close relation between assurance of faith and perfect love, so that they may be regarded as, in effect, identical and interchangeable, why not retain and employ the former mode of expression to the exclusion of any other? Undoubtedly particular denominations of Christians, and individuals also, influenced by peculiarities in theological views, by early associations, or some other cause, will, on some occasions, give a preference to those forms of expression, which most readily harmonize with such peculiarities and associations. Nor do we suppose, that this is to be regarded as ground of complaint. Nevertheless, there is no necessity of our being limited to one mode of expression; and in the present case, where the inward experience, although always essentially the same, presents itself in different aspects, sometimes as perfect faith and sometimes as perfect love, there is evidently some advantage in not being so. Those, who know by personal experience what this state of mind is, will appreciate this remark, among other things, because a familiarity with different forms of expression, aids very much on many occasions in opening the way to a free and united communion with those, who are in the same state of mind in other Christian denominations. They feel the need of this communion; they cannot do otherwise than seek it and find it; and on both sides it is a great satisfaction to understand the blessed import of the expressions which they reciprocally use. And be

sides, as language is the natural sign or expression of things, it seems obvious, that there is something due on the part of language itself to that natural and eternal relationship, which exists in the case under consideration. Faith and love are twin sisters, born together, and forever inseparable. And the hearts where they have entered and taken possession, by whatever names of sect they may be characterized, are as closely allied and as dear to each other, as the divine and heavenly graces which animate them. He, who has assurance of faith, can never disclaim the relationship which he bears to him, who has perfection of love. And language, whose office it is to suit the word to the thing with entire impartiality, should never be wanting in acknowledged terms both to express the things themselves, and also to recognize and sanction the relationship and union between them.

"Jesus, I my cross have taken,

All to leave and follow Thee;

Naked, poor, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition,

All I've sought, or hoped, or known;

Yet how rich is my condition,

God and heaven are still my own.

"Let the world despise and leave me ;
They have left my Savior too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me,
Thou art not, like them, untrue;
And while Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,

Foes may hate, and friends may scorn me;
Show thy face, and all is bright."

CHAPTER TENTH.

Considerations on the Life of Faith.

"THE just shall live by faith." "The life, which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." These passages, and others like them, involve the important truth, that the Christian life is a life of faith, in distinction from a life of open vision.

There are various modifications of faith; all of which are important in their appropriate places; and all of which, it is quite probable, have a connection more or less intimate with the life of faith. But the form of faith, which is especially necessary, in order to live the life of faith, is that, which makes God present, moment by moment, in any and all events which take place. The want of this form of faith is one great source of evil. It is owing to a defect here, in a great part at least, that many persons, who believe, to some extent, in God, and in Christ, and perhaps in their own final acceptance, nevertheless make but little progress in sanctification. Adhesive in a general faith, which looks at things in masses, and rejecting that which is particular, they necessarily place God at a great distance; while, on the other hand, that faith, which