gree of modesty and reserve always is, are proper; and that they ought, in justice, on their appropriate occasions, to be applied to such persons, I cannot doubt. Persons, who are in the assurance of faith, are not merely "professors of religion," as the modern expression is; but are Christians; and that too in the highest sense of the term. They have laid themselves upon the altar of God; they have separated themselves from every known iniquity; they can say without hesitation that they have no desire but for God's glory; they are continually guided by the Holy Spirit; they have been enabled to appropriate the great and precious promises; in their moral nature and in their affections they bear distinctly the image of Christ; in a word, they have devoted their whole being to God, and nothing is so dreadful to them as a violation of his will, even in the smallest thing. With such dispositions and purposes of heart, I cannot see why they may not be described, in the form of expression which is sometimes employed, as "perfected in love;" and why they may not as properly be called "sanctified," "holy ones," or "saints," as many others, to whom these expressions have been applied, both in later and in earlier times. But the propriety of these remarks will perhaps more fully appear by a reference to the doctrine contained in one of the following chapters, where the precise relation between assurance of faith and perfection of love is particularly pointed out.

CHAPTER EIGHTH.

Relation of consecration to assurance of Faith.

It can hardly be necessary to say any thing, in addition to what has already been said, in illustration of the great importance of that state of mind, which is denominated ASSURANCE OF FAITH. He, who truly desires the blessed experience of-holiness of heart, will necessarily attach a high value to the possession of Assurance; because holiness, in the gospel or evangelical sense of the term, is obviously identical with perfection of love. And perfection of love, as we shall have occasion to notice more particularly in a subsequent chapter, is the natural result of perfection or assurance of faith.

In respect to the nature of assurance of faith, we may remark here, after an examination of various statements and illustrations on the subject, that it appears to consist essentially in two things; FIRST, in a general but unwavering confidence in God's character, administration, and promises; and, secONDLY, in a confident belief of our personal acceptance with God through Christ. And accordingly it is not limited to the second particular, as some

persons may be inclined to suppose; but the second element, viz. that of a particular or personal acceptance, which probably, in the popular view of it, is the striking or characteristic trait, has its basis in a prevaling or assured faith of a more general char

acter.

With these remarks we proceed to enter on the principal topic of the present Chapter, viz. the rela tion existing between consecration and assurance.--We have already had occasion, particularly in the third chapter, to refer to the relation, existing between consecration and faith in general. Faith, (especially that faith, which is appropriating and purifying,) and the commission of known sin cannot go together. They are mutually antagonistical and destructive of each other. Just so far as consecration, which implies a fixed determination with divine assistance to resist sin in all its forms, actually exists and no further, is the way open for the principle of faith, especially in its appropriating character, to enter and to take effect in the soul. The Savior himself has explicitly taught us, (John 5: 44,) that those, who, in the spirit of self-seeking, pursue worldly honor, and not the honor which cometh from God only, are unable, in the religious sense of the expression, to believe.

(1.) But proceeding from the more general view of the subject to the particular and specific one now under consideration, we remark in the first place, that ASSURANCE of faith, like all other forms of religious faith considered in distinction from natural faith, is the gift of God. No one has

it without the divine blessing. But here, as in every other case of God's dealings, we see no other course but to take the position as almost a self-evident one, that there are reasons in the divine mind for every occurrence or fact and also for every modification of the divine conduct; and that God, in imparting the immense blessing of assurance of faith, does not, and cannot act accidentally. In other words, there is some antecedent fact, some preparatory condition, in connection with which this great blessing takes place. Not a meritorious condition, it is true; nothing which lays God under obligation; but still a preparatory antecedent or condition actually existing in the view of the Divine Mind, and as an indispensable part of the divine arrangement. And that condition, as the matter presents itself to our view, is CONSECRATION. Not a consecration in part, but in whole; a solemn and a permanent giving up of the whole being to God. If with any inferior degree of consecration there may be an inferior degree of faith, there cannot be a perfection or assurance of faith, without a consecration corresponding to it. It must, therefore, be a consecration, such as was described in the chapter on that subject, both of body and of spirit, both of persons and of possessions, ENTIRE, PERMANENT, and

IRREVOCABLE.

(2.)-We proceed to mention, secondly, some considerations in support of this view, viz. that entire consecration is, and must be, the antecedent condition of entire or full assurance.-Assurance of faith, as the phrase is commonly employed by wri

ters, and as we have already had occasion to notice, is used not only to express an entire and perfect confidence, on the part of those who possess it, in the character and administration of God; but also in their own personal acceptance with God through Christ. They have no doubt, on the one hand, of the truth, mercy, and justice of God; nor have they any doubts, on the other, that they are the beloved children of God; and that, in entire consistency with his truth and justice, are fully accepted of Him. Such is the nature of their assurance. But we hazard nothing in saying, that it is impossible for a man to believe with assurance of faith, that he is fully accepted of God, which is one of the leading elements, though not the only one, in the state of mind denominated assurance, while he is knowingly sinning against Him; which, of course, he must be regarded as doing, so long as he remains unwilling to consecrate himself. It is impossible, among other things, because it is contrary to the natural operations of the human mind in all analogous cases. It is just as impossible, (repeating here an illustration of the subject which has been already employed,) as it is for us to believe that a man, whom, we are injuring and illtreating every day, and whom we also know to be acquainted with our evil conduct, can regard us as a friend. There is something, in such a case, in the nature of a moral contradiction. The two things cannot go together.

And, furthermore, it is impossible, because such a belief, viz. that God does fully and cordially ac