Towards the

ate to himself the term, except in the last sense. second, he may constantly approximate, and will then, also, approach nearer the state of infinite, absolute perfection, though this he can never reach.

To strive for holiness, in the sense of freedom from all sin, is man's duty. This is the point of duty enjoined by the apostle in the words, "Perfecting holiness in the fear of God." He does not encourage us to believe, that we shall ever arrive at the point beyond which we cannot still advance. But he does teach, that we may approach nearer and nearer thereto, and are solemnly bound so to do.

We propose now to offer a few suggestions on the practicability of all christians attaining an elevated standard of piety, and the possibility and obligation of a uniform approximation towards complete excellence.

Why should it be thought impracticable for all to attain to exalted piety? Yet the views entertained by most christians do not seem in accordance with this sentiment. True, all may not have the opportunity of acting equally prominent parts, in extending an influence equally broad, and controlling alike, the destinies of large portions of the human family. The intellect, and condition in life, will doubtless, not a little, modify such influences. Nor can it be denied, that the man of intellectual superiority, habits, and attainments, has the advantage, by the wisdom arising from experience and judgment, in avoiding the mistakes and errors of others, over those less privileged. His excuse accordingly, is less for feeble attainments. There is no person however, of sane mind, but may reach to the character of purity of life and exalted piety. By this means, also, he might much extend his influence. Purity of heart and holiness of life, are powerful instruments for acting on others. The light, that shines from the cot of the lowly follower of Christ, has a power and brightness to irradiate extensive tracts around. It will often reach into regions of night far remote. There is a power of transmission, which opens a way into many a dark retreat. It is not always those who have lived in public life, or who have enjoyed an early fame for talents, learning, or various accomplishments, that have shone brightest in the most exalted sphere of piety. The names of many others are associated with those of Newcomb and Page. In almost every church, there are members of sufficient natural force of mind, and happy temperament, to rise, would they put forth the effort, to equal eminence; and none, but might make happy attainments. All might identify themselves with the religious experience of friends, neighbors, townsmen, or perhaps, strangers far remote. Their names, wafted not on the winds of ambition or popular fame, but on the breath of prayer and heavenly love, might reach beyond

the narrow limits of their acquaintance, and a bright halo of heavenly light may appear, encircling each pale, emaciated form, as it descends into the grave. It is not owing to the peculiar destiny of individuals, that some distinguish themselves for usefulness, while others have no memorial of deeds of love or wisdom done for man. It is not, that one is privileged to do good, or designated by heaven to fill a place of celebrity in excellence, or move in a distinguished sphere of beneficence, without that individual exertion, and self consecration to the cause of God and man, which might raise others to the same distinction, that his name is so resplendent, while that of another man never breaks out from its obscurity. Circumstances, no doubt, have something to do with the result. But love to God and man, with an entire consecration to the work of doing good, more than any thing, raises men to notice in the sphere of usefulness. Neither a fertile soil, nor the sunshine, dews or rains of heaven, will load the earth with rich and precious fruit, without the aid of constant and careful tillage. Cultivate the seeds of piety in the heart, and, watered by grace and warmed by heavenly love, they will spring up and yield large and abundant fruit. Multitudes might thus rise and shine, as stars, in the firmament forever and ever.

We turn now to the other point proposed for consideration,the possibility and obligation of uniform progress in christian excellence.

It is a great and dangerous mistake to imagine, that religion is enjoyed at no time as in the first periods of the new life. Such a view makes it to consist in passive exercises, and not in free, moral action; something enjoyed, not existing, as a principle of action, and matured only by a course of right and vigorous effort. The christian principle is not something received into a vessel, first perfectly cleansed for its reception, and for a time, to retain it unmixed with any impurities. It is more like an ingredient brought in among all manner of impurities, by degrees, to precipitate or expel them.

The young convert, who imagines, that he has nearly as much religion as he may ever enjoy, has very inadequate conceptions of its nature. It is then but the blade, without fruit, or strength to endure a severe wind, brittle, and easily snapped before the blast. At first, we watch it as closely and anxiously as we do the tottering infant, till it shall have acquired age and strength. The more confident it seems in its own powers, the more are our fears for its safety awakened. The young convert has but entered upon the race. Strange, were he, at once, to claim its honors or appear gaily dressed in the laurels, gathered only at the close. "Onward," is the motto. As surely may he make progress in his VOL. VIII.

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whole course, as the young learner in science may perceive his faculties expanding, his mind opening and maturing.

The knowledge or skill acquired to day, in any art. may be brought in to the aid of the learner to-morrow to facilitate his work, to enable him to avoid mistakes in forming his plans, and in calculating effects and results. His whole experience, even the errors of yesterday, are available in the labors of to-day. High excellence in any thing, is not attained at once. The skill acquired only by long experience, is wanting to all who have just started in any pursuit. So the christian lacks, at first, the knowledge only gained by the trials and temptations of a longer life. After years of faithful service, he finds admonitions at every step. These have been clustering along his path at every step of his progress, uttering their warnings, reading their instructive lessons, pointing to the right way, till at the end of his journey, if a diligent learner, he has in a good degree, acquired the measure of the stature of a perfect man in Christ.

Thus may any one uniformly arrive at a better knowledge of his duty, and be enabled wisely and correctly to perform it. He, who has passed through the scenes of one revival, if a faithful student, is better prepared to do good in another. He, who has once fallen back after the revival, knows better, another time, how to meet and resist temptation. All, who will thus diligently improve their opportunity, may hope to attain to excellence in piety. There is hardly a limit to the progress they may make; certainly no place at which to stop, as if the summit had been gained, whence, at a view, may be taken in the whole wide range of beauties and objects, which the christian can ever expect to behold. The light will shine brighter and brighter to the perfect day.

Not only individuals, but the church of every age, may make advances upon the preceding. She, too, has the advantage of all the errors and faults, of all the improvements, and the entire experience of other times. If, then, the arts and sciences are perfected from age to age, if improvements are introduced into whatever else is human, why not into our religious experience, which partakes of human imperfections. In every thing the summit of excellence is attained by little and little. Very seldom is a long stride made at once. Plans and enterprises of christian benevolence are generally matured in another manner. Here, real advances are by slow degrees. Reflection, painful study, and untiring industry, are necessary. By the very constitution of our being, they are made the condition of improvement. If it is attempted by a violent impulse to urge forward, at once, through a long tract in its ascendency, the glorious sphere of improvement; it usually rolls back again to a point, perhaps, behind that from which it had been so precipitately forced. Then a new and te

dious struggle ensues, before it can move forward again in its path. Plans of reform and benevolent enterprises, are generally at the outset very imperfectly formed and prosecuted. They partake of human frailty. But, at length, an age comes, which, with the experience of all the preceding, finds out the happy way to perfect the scheme, and carry it successfully forward to completion. Or, in the same age other actors spring up, enabled by a close observation of the errors or causes of the complete or partial failure of their predecessors, and by a better adaptation of means to the end, to carry the work to a triumphant and glorious result. The temperance reformation has been the work of other times than ours. We started with the knowledge of the failure of other proposed measures of reform. With this wisdom, we have made progress beyond all that have gone before us. But it is not likely, that other improvoments may not, and must not yet be introduced, before the work is completed. Let us not vainly suppose, that we have reached the last point of excellence. Other great moral and religious reforms and enterprises of this age, wait, doubtless, for some corrections in the principles on which they rest, or the manner of execution, to receive their completion. The work of missions, happy as the results have already been, is undoubtedly susceptible of improvement. These are yearly made. It is matter of rejoicing and hope, that our Boards of Missions are composed of men so competent and industrious to detect mistakes, and learn the different bearings of measures, ready ever to improve upon the past. In new undertakings, it is usually inevitable, that errors will occur. Were the work begun later, the same experience of efforts rendered unsuccessful by mistakes, by imperfect calculations, by short-sighted human forecast, would be wanting; and an after age then commencing the work anew, would be nearly certain to fall into the same errors. It is consoling to reflect, that in this sense, an age, which by its wrong principles or management in conducting reforms, may seem to retard the work, or even put it back, is yet really setting it forward. The next generation warned to avoid the same dangerous gulf, can with better success pursue the enterprise. Such a view taken of the benevolent schemes of this age, supports the sinking mind, when, as the gathering clouds are surveyed, which hang over them, from their attendant imperfections, the spirit of the philanthropist and christian begin to fail. The Reformation was not the work of one mind or age. Improvements have been made upon the great work of Luther; and greater might have been but for an unenlightened attachment to the labors, as if perfect, of that reformer. The completion of moral and religious reforms, is fre-. quently retarded by the appeal made to their authors, or some other men or age, as affording a perfect pattern. Thus the prim

itive age of the church is often spoken of as almost a perfect age. True, apostolic example and precept shone upon that from a distance less remote. Yet upon us, the same sun shines from a point nearer the zenith, translated indeed to the high heavens, but gathering brightness through the whole way of its transmission, from the innumerable lesser lights intervening. We have the means of hecoming more perfect christians than the primitive church enjoyed. This age might furnish examples of more eminent piety, and successful religious enterprise, than any previous Our churches ought to set forth examples of piety surpassing the distinguished saints of patriarchal and primitive days; or the Baxters, Bunyans, Whitefields, Edwards and Davies, of a nearer age. The light of those days shines down upon us. The church of our time has the accumulated experience of all the past. The dealings of God with his people, the sure consequences of revolt, of backsliding, of worldliness, and other sins, are all before us, set up as so many guide-marks on our way. We have the progress and success of all former revivals to beam on our path through all similar seasons. The consequences of falling away, or settling into apathy, after such a precious opportunity, are all our inheritance.

one.

Let us, then, imitate the virtues and avoid the mistakes of others less enlightened, nor appeal to their memory for examples to justify us in wrong measures, in a harsh censorious spirit, reckless or revolutionary schemes, or a timid slothfulness. But let us press onward in the broad path of improvement, which opens to a more perfect period,—the millennial day. That day is doubtless to be introduced by degrees, by progress more rapid indeed than that of past time, but still by legitimate improvement thereupon. It is only by a careful and well-improved employment of all our opportunities, that the grace of God will be made efficacious, to secure higher attainments, and the more perfect life of a christian. We are most appropriately exhorted to go on "perfecting holiness." The obligation is weighty. We cannot be excused for neglecting to improve our privileges. Our punishment for such a misimprovement must be more deplorable than that of Capernaum or Bethsaida. They knew not what we know. On them the dews and rains of heaven had not so largely descended. Had a neighbor after recovery from a dangerous disease, one but little understood, suffered a relapse by some mismanagement; or had he failed in business for want of experience, or for want of proper knowledge become obnoxious to punishment, by the laws of the community, and had we the benefit of his experience in these several particulars, must we not be proportionably inexcusable not to avoid the same evils? Or had we all the advantages of one who had risen to eminence in his profession or trade, and besides,