and fatigue-subject to innumerable ills and distresses-furnishing many occasions of temptation to sin—and acting as a constant weight, upon the upward tendencies, and movements of the soul. Surely, when the work of sanctification upon the soul is done, God will provide it with a better place of residence than this. It cannot be, that he will leave it, any longer, in such a situation to "groan, being burdened"—to endure the lustings of the flesh-to be annoyed by the motions of sin, which proceed from the members-and to pass through successive stages and scenes, of disease and pain. Instead of this, it is far more consistent, to believe, that, when perfectly delivered from sin, it will be emancipated at once-will put off the tabernacle, in which it has lived, while sojourning in this vale of tears-and rise to the mount, in which it is to be "clothed upon" with another and a better "house, which is from heaven."

If it should occur here, in the form of an objection to the view just presented, that

Jesus Christ was perfectly holy, while he tabernacled in a human body, it is only necessary to say, that the cases are not parallel; because his body was not polluted by sin. It was not sinful flesh, but only "the likeness of sinful flesh," in which he was made. God did not suffer his "Holy One to see corruption." He assumed our nature, as far as this could be done, "without sin"; and, that a difference might exist between his nature and ours, in respect to sin, he was not the offspring of man by ordinary generation. The circumstances attending his introduction into the world, were peculiar. He came on a special visitation of grace and good-will to men; and he came in such a way, as to bear their griefs and carry their sorrows, without participating, personally, in any of their corruptions, either in body or mind.

In addition to the facts, thus far enumerated, there are others which might be in

troduced; but these are sufficient for our present purpose. They are facts, which appear to us, to be incompatible with perfect freedom from sin. And we therefore conclude, that entire sanctification in this life, is not contemplated, as an attainable state, in the scheme of human redemption. The work of renewing our fallen nature to holiness, is commenced and continued here, but not completed. The period through which its performance extends, is from the moment of regeneration, "till the day of Jesus Christ." It is not the plan or purpose of God, to bring it to maturity sooner. And, accordingly, no instance of such maturity can be produced from the records of the past-there is no reason for expecting it to be derived from any intimations which are contained in Scripture-and the incongruity between it and other acknowledged facts, would be such, as to invade, and, in respect to this point, to destroy, the analogy of faith.

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PART III.

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS.

It is strongly objected, by the advocates of Perfection, to the view presented in this discussion, that its practical tendencies cannot be otherwise than injurious—that it must have the effect, of lowering the standard of piety, of cutting the nerves of exertion, and of producing a dwarfish and doubtful state of religion in the church, instead of those high and bright illustrations of the power of godliness, which all should desire to see. And, if the ground, taken in this objection, were tenable--if it could be shewn, either from facts in the case, or by other sufficient reasons, that the doctrine here maintained, is less favorable to holy living, than the principles of those who op