strengthening us, we come to deny ungodliness, and the world's lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, we become washed, sanctified, and justified. It remains to be considered, how far this work of renovation may be advanced, or how far Christ may prevail in us, and we over our soul's enemies, through the operation of his power in us.

Does the Captain of our salvation lead us to complete victory? -or must we remain all our lifetime subject to bondage?"

The weapons of the saints' warfare are "mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

The Society of Friends accordingly believe, that it is possible to obtain a complete victory over sin, in this life. If we believe that there are some who are complety hardened, and given up to a reprobate mind, such as the apostle said it is impossible to renew again to repentance, can we suppose that God is not able or willing, to carry on his work of renovation and sanctification in his devoted servants, as far as the grand enemy of mankind can carry on his work of darkness in the children of disobedience?

The testimony of Scripture is very clear on this subject: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof: neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as the instruments of righteousness unto God: for sin shall not have dominion over you."

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"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness ?" For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin

is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. vi. 12-14, 16, 18, 20-23.

'Awake to righteousness, and sin not." 1 Cor. xv. 34. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John v. 4.

"We shall see him as he is.

And ye know that he sins: and in him is no sinneth not.” "Little He that committeth sin

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. was manifested to take away our sin. Whosoever abideth in him children, let no man deceive you. is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God." 1 John iii. 2-8, 10.

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The apostle admonishes the Hebrews: "Let us go on to perfection." Be perfect; be of good comfort," said he to the Corinthians. And can we suppose impossibilities are required of us? Surely not! But he assumes this state as already attained: Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect be thus minded.", Phil. iii. 15. Again, he represents it as attainable: That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Col. i. 28. "Labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." Col. iv. 12. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did." Heb. vii. 19. And this also we wish, even your perfection." 2 Cor. xiii. 9.

Thus, if we refer to scripture as authority in this case, as we do in all cases of the kind, the most ample and conclusive proofs will be found, in support of the belief, that it is possible for us to obtain a complete victory over sin in this life.

If we reason from the nature of things, the conclusion will be the same. For who can suppose either that God determines that his most devoted servants should continue in sin through their whole lives, or that he is unable to redeem them from all evil?

What father or master would so dispose the government of his children or servants, that they should either not serve him, or, if they did, that they should be continually destroying what they had done right-or be ever offering him insults and indignities, or serving his inveterate enemy even more than they served him? Vide Barclay's Apology. The idea is certainly preposterous, as applied to human affairs. And surely we must allow that human wisdom and decorum are not superior to the wisdom of God, displayed in the moral government of his rational creatures.

How beautiful is the similitude of the vine, as applied by our Lord, to the relation between him and his followers! "I am the vine, and ye are the branches.” And how forcible the injunction to abide in him, or they could not bear fruit! Is it not essentially necessary that they continue in the vine? And if they continue steadily in the vine, their sap and nourishment will all be derived from that source. Making then the application which our Lord himself made, if we abide in him, deriving our whole life, growth, and nourishment from him, whence should we draw those influences that result in sin? It is only as we are separated from him, and attached to some other stock, that we draw that poisonous sap.

And thus it is, that many who have made considerable progress in sanctification, by unwatchfulness, have suffered themselves to be detached from Christ the true vine, and have fallen into sin, some irretrievably, and thus made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, and become castaway: while others, by attention to the witness for God, obtain repentance, forgiveness, and restoration, through the riches of divine mercy : "For God is able to graff them in again."

But the question is not, whether some do not sin: but whether the dedicated servants of God are under the absolute necessity to sin. We believe they are not. There are a

We are

cloud of witnesses to prove that they are not.
sensible of the frailties of human nature. We know that
man, by his own strength and in his own will, cannot ob-
tain a victory over sin neither can he obtain a victory
over one individual sin. But as he is endued with the

power of God to salvation, he experiences the truth of the
answer made to the apostle : My grace is sufficient for

thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor, xii. 9.

As our Redeemer is all-sufficient to deliver us from the very chains and powers of darkness, so, when introduced into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, he is certainly able to preserve us in that liberty.

But though we believe in the possibility of perfection, so as to attain to true holiness and a complete victory over sin, yet we believe it is only experienced by man," as he is born again, renewed in his mind-raised by Christ, knowing Christ alive, reigning and ruling in him, and guiding and leading him by his spirit, and revealing' in him the law of the spirit of life; which not only manifests and reproves sin, but also gives power to come out of it." Barclay's Apol. Prop. 8.

We also believe in the admonition of our Lord, both as to its extent and its absolute necessity : What I say unto you, I say unto all, watch." Mark xiii. 37. For it is only in this state of watchfulness that we are taught to expect preservation.

The possibility of falling from grace is clearly established by scripture testimony. Both the Old and New Testaments abound with passages which cannot be misunderstood, in relation to the necessity of perseverance.

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The prophet Ezekiel is very clear on this point: "Neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness, in the day that he sinneth." Ezek. xxxiii. 12. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live, if he trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it," v. 13.

The apostle Peter admonishes the true believers to "give diligence to make their calling and election sure." And the apostle Paul himself found it necessary to keep his body under, lest, after he had preached to others, he himself should become a castaway. He speaks also of some who had made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, which they could not have done if they had never had them. He also gives us to understand, that those who had been enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were partakers of the Holy Ghost, and had tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, might

again fall away so far, that it would be impossible to renew them again to repentance. Heb. vi. 4, &c.

But as the necessity of perseverance will not be denied, unless it be on the grounds of unconditional election and reprobation, and as that doctrine has already been examined, I conceive it unnecessary to enlarge here. Vide Barclay's Apol. Prop. 8.

When, in the solemn acts of devotion, we bow before the Throne, we feel an irresistible evidence of the riches of his goodness, and the plenitude of his power. We know that he is willing and able to save to the uttermost. And if we sin, we are left without excuse. We can plead no necessity to sin. The witness for God that was disregarded, and perhaps trampled underfoot, arises in judgment against us, and convinces us that the fault is all our own. Were not the fault our own, how could we feel repentance?

If we admit that a life of holiness is not enjoined, it will destroy the weight of religious obligation, and the very life of devotion, and set aside the whole body of divine precepts and commands.

If we suppose that God has not enabled us to obey his commands, it will be casting a grossly injurious imputation on the divine character.

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We are bound to believe that we are called to holiness, and to 66 be followers of God, as dear children”off the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceit. ful lusts," and "be separated" from all those things "for which cometh the wrath of God on the children of disobedience"-" to be renewed in the spirit of our minds,” and "put on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness;" and, "walking as children of light, to serve him in newness of life."

And we are equally confident that impossibilities are not required of us. He never designed to bring us under continual condemnation, by our continual falling into sin, for want of ability, to resist temptation: knowing that "He will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear; but will, with the temptation, make way also for our escape."

Those who properly maintain the watch and the warfare, can adopt the language of the apostle: "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that