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tle expressly declares, that sin is the object of his perfect abhorrence. "For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. Now it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." This is also the language of the pious Psalmist, "I hate vain thoughts. I hate and abhor lying. I hate every false way." Such are the feelings of all those, who have been renewed in the temper of their minds, and have put off the old man with his deeds. They hate sin in every form, and abhor it in themselves as much as in others. Thus it appears from the love, which good men have to the divine law, and from the hatred, which they have to every transgression of it, that they do sincerely desire to be perfectly holy. But yet,

II. They are imperfect in holiness.

Solomon says,
Again he says,

The Scripture represents the most eminent saints, as falling short of perfection in this life. "There is no man that sinneth not." "There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not." And he scruples not to ask this serious question, "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" The Apostle John asserts, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." These divine declarations concerning the imperfection of good men, entirely harmonize with their own declarations concerning themselves. Job says unto God, "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." David bitterly bewails his remaining corrup tion of heart. "Mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink, and are corrupt, because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly: I go mourning all the day long." When Isaiah had a clear view of the divine purity and majesty, he cried out, "Wo is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and dwell among a people of unclean lips: för mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts." Though Paul once thought he was blameless, yet after he became an eminent christian, and was better acquainted with his own heart, he had a deep sense of his great imperfection in holiness. He says, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect. I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Thus it appears from what God says of saints and from what they say of themselves, that none have attained, and none will attain, to perfect holiness in this life.

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I proceed to show,

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III. Wherein they come short of perfect holiness. This is a point no less difficult, than important, to determine. There are, however, but three different suppositions to be made concerning the imperfection of saints. The first is, that all their moral exercises are perfectly holy, but too low and languid. The second is, that all their moral exercises are partly holy and partly sinful. The third is, that some of their moral exercises are perfectly holy and some are perfectly sinful. Let us examine each of these suppositions distinctly.

First. Let us inquire, whether the imperfection of saints can consist in the mere weakness of their holy exercises. Those, who embrace this opinion, suppose

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that saints are always in the exercise of grace, and that all their gracious exercises are perfectly holy. But if this be true, it is extremely difficult to discover wherein they are morally or criminally imperfect. Supposing their affections are indeed low and languid, how does this appear to be a criminal defect or imperfection? There can be no criminality without some positively bad intention or design. But there.is no positively bad design or intention in loving either God, or man, in a low and languid manner. Though saints are conscious, that their love to God and other holy exercises are not so lively and vigorous at one time, as at another; yet they never feel to blame merely on account of the weakness or languor of their religious affections. It is impossible in the nature of things, that good men should always have the same high and ardent exercises of grace. The strength, or weakness, of their holy affections, depends on a great variety of causes, which are entirely under the divine control. God often calls them to different duties, places them under different circumstances, and presents different objects to the view of their minds. All these things must have some effect upon their feelings, and serve to strengthen or weaken their exercises of grace. Though our Savior was as free from moral imperfection at one time as at another; yet his holy and heavenly affections were not always equally strong and vigorous; sometimes he was all calmness and serenity; but at other times he seems to be in raptures. At one time, he groaned in spirit; but at another, he rejoiced in spirit. At one time, he appeared to be in an extasy of joy; but at another, to be in an agony of sorrow. Hence it is evident that his holy affections were sometimes higher and sometimes lower; and yet always entirely free from the least moral defect or imperfection,

This clearly proves that the imperfection of his followers cannot consist in the mere weakness of their gra

cious exercises.

Besides, saints are conscious of something more than mere languor or coldness in their religious affections. They find in their hearts feelings directly contrary to love, meekness, gentleness, patience, submission, and every other exercise of pure benevolence. Hence they know, that their moral imperfection consists in something totally different from mere weakness of holy affections.

Add to this, the impossibility of their feeling a criminal weakness in their truly holy exercises. They cannot tell, nor can they be told, how high their religious affections must be, in order to be perfect. If perfection of holiness consisted in the height or strength of affection, we might expect to find some standard in Scripture, by which to determine whether our holy exercises were perfect or not. But we find no certain degree of strength or ardor in holy affections, which the Scripture represents, as the only point of perfection. The sacred writers clearly distinguish between holy and unholy affections, but never intimate that one holy affection is more perfect than another. They represent all true love to God as supreme. Our Savior says no man can love him truly, unless he love him supremely; that is, more than father or mother, brother or sister, wife or children, houses or lands. The truth is, whenever any person really loves God, he loves him for what he is in himself, and consequently he loves him supremely; which is loving him as much as it is possible to love him, with his present attention to, and knowledge of, the divine character. Whoever loves God, loves him with all his heart, and to the extent of his natural capacity. Hence every saint is con

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scious, that he feels perfectly right, so long as he is conscious, that he loves God for his real excellence. And he cannot tell, nor can he be told, wherein he is to blame for not feeling a higher or stronger affection towards God, than he actually feels. He knows, and other's know, that if he had more knowledge of God, he would have more love to him. For every holy affection is measured by the object of the affection. One saint may love God more than another, because one saint may have more knowledge of God than another. And so the same saint may love God more at one time than at another, because he has more knowledge of God, at one time, than at another: or which is the same thing, he may attend to more of the divine perfections, and to more displays of those perfections, at one time, than at another. This is the only difference be tween the love of saints and the love of angels in heav en. Their knowledge is the measure of their holiness, and not the height or ardor of their affections. For if the height or ardor of their affections was to determine their characters, who could say, that any saint or angel was ever perfectly holy? There is no certain height or strength of affection pointed out in Scripture, by which we can determine, that any creature in the universe loves God enough. Hence it is very evident, that the moral imperfection of saints in this life, cannot consist in the mere languor, coldness, or weakness of their gracious exercises.

Secondly. Let us inquire, whether their imperfection can arise from their moral affections being partly holy and partly sinful. If their affections were of such a mixed nature, they certainly would be criminally imperfect. For, if each of their moral affections could be partly holy and partly sinful, then each would have something in it of moral perfection and of moral im

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