cross the Atlantic straight to the destined port, and having nothing to do with the coasting trade.

To alter the figure once more: like Abraham, they walk up and down in the length and breadth of the Canaan of perfect love. Gen. 13: 17. Caleb-like, they said, long ago, "Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." And so, like him and a host of others, "they passed over this Jordan, and possessed the and." And, like them, true to their principle,-faith in the immediate power of God, in accordance with his promise, they took no round-about way to enter the land of holiest love, but went straight forward through the swellings of Jordan, undaunted by difficulties and perils. They were not submerged nor overwhelmed; opposition gave way, the obedient waters divided before them, like Jordan, and they passed over dry shod unto the land that flowed with milk and honey, and thus possessed their promised rest. There they abide to this day. Their numbers are increasing in this town daily. More than four hundred purified souls have joined them within a few weeks. Hundreds more are all in readiness to leave the wilderness side of Jordan to enter the promised land,

"Where dwells the Lord our righteousness,

Who keeps his own in perfect peace,

And everlasting rest."

CHAPTER XV.

JUSTIFIED PERSONS DESIRE PURITY.

1ST To A perplexed and anxious inquirer."

Your preferences have not been for holiness. Your justification has been defective in one thing, to say the least,— a hearty desire for purity; that is the brightest gem that sparkles in real justification. Solomon says, "A virtuous woman is a CROWN to her husband." Purity is the crown of justification. If it be genuine, this desire is always attached to it, as weight to lead, as heat to fire, as fragrance to the rose, as green to a healthy leaf,-inseparable. St. John comes down upon this point unmistakably. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. AND EVERY MAN THAT HATH THIS HOPE IN HIM PURIFIETH HIMSELF EVEN AS HE IS PURE."-1 John 3:2, 3. It is upon this principle he speaks so positively, from the fourth verse to the tenth, that "whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." He who is thus aiming and ardently desiring to be as pure as Jesus will hate and avoid sin,— "he cannot sin," certainly not when filled with such a noble ambition and ceaseless aspiration.

Some years ago a young lady in Philadelphia, since gone to heaven, lost her evidence of justification, through some sore mental conflict or other. But one day, when listening

to a sermon on Rom. 8: 16, she regained it. "Then," said she, with the blessing of justification in one hand, I held forth the other for full salvation." That was the proper attitude for a truly justified soul. She soon after obtained the blessing. Now, some have neither hand, right nor left, of soul or faith, held up for justification nor sanctification; they possess neither, desire neither. These are unawakened sinners; both hands are withered, and they refuse to stretch them forth unto God.

Others profess to grasp justification with one hand, but hold not the other forth for sanctification. It is well if such persons are not grasping a worthless pebble, instead of a priceless diamond. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure." But here are persons who profess to have this hope, and yet recoil from the blessing of heart purity. Is my surmise unjustifiable, think you?

But there are those who grasp justification with one hand of faith, and reach forth the other for full salvation Such are grasping the true diamond. Can you separate green from a healthy and growing leaf, and keep it healthy and growing? Or heat from fire, and keep it fire? Or sunshine from the sun, and keep it sunshine? As well try, habitually, to separate a desire for purity from your justification, and keep it justification. God commands you to be holy. "Be ye holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy." How can you continue justified in disobeying so plain a command?

Again, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification." How can you retain the blessing in question, with a will so contrary to God's will? You may answer these questions as best you can; they require none from me

only this, I would not like to trust the safety of my state to such a justification. It is deceptive and dangerous.

A desire for purity, like a precious gem, is inlaid with this heavenly gift. Indeed, it is that which preserves the blessing from moment to moment. Dr. Clarke says, "Holiness, like every other gift of God, comes with the principle of self-preservation in it." That is, holiness preserves itself, and those who possess it, a high encouragement to seek it. I would add, a desire for purity, like every other gift of God, has a similar virtue; it preserves itself and our justification, as salt preserves meat.

No wonder, then, that your "religious experience" has changed color so often. Not to go forward is to go back. Everything we behold is either advancing or receding, growing or declining, going on to a higher state of perfection, or sinking into imperfection. It is so with the human soul.

The day begins, advances to its noon-point, and then declines to night. The bud expands and opens into a flower, but hastens to decay. The leaves of a tree brighten into green, but soon tend to the sear and the fall. Spring pushes into summer, summer into autumn, and autumn into winter. Degradation is the tendency of our nature, unless aspiring after holiness.

This has been the CAUSE of your "sinning and repenting, and repenting and sinning again," your constant oscillations between darkness and light, and light and darkness; ay, and of all your troubles.

I have another character to address; my reply to him will have something more in it for you; so hearken, and attend also to the suggestions of your own memory and conscience.

2. Let "the afflicted without and the afflicted within "

give attention. There is found some good thing in you, towards the Lord God of Israel, as in one of old,—1 Kings 14: 13,- or you would not write so freely of "all your history and present state." There is some good in you, and therefore the devil hates you; but there has been evil in you, and therefore God has afflicted you. I say not this on the evil-surmising principle of Job's comforters, but I gather it from your own confessions regarding holiness!

Your preferences have not been for holiness. There has been a sad misunderstanding between you and God, all these years. Not, indeed, upon the part of God. He can no more mistake than be unjust. But you mistook God's call at first, or you unwisely procrastinated obedience to it, or wickedly rejected it. He called you to holiness on the day of your espousals to Christ. Yes, as sure as he called the Israelites, after they had crossed the Red Sea, to go straight over the wilderness into Canaan, so did he call you then, at that crisis of your "history," to go over straight into the Canaan of perfect love. To pass over into the PROMISED LAND, the land that flowed with milk and honey,"with every blessing blest, — favored with God's peculiar smile," was among the first instructions the Lord gave to Moses, for that people. What shall I say? Can you deny it? To hasten over into the spiritual Canaan was among the first lessons of the Holy Spirit after your conversion.

The hour you left the bondage of sin, and escaped the cruel oppression of hell's Pharaoh, light for holiness dawned upon your soul. When you crossed the Red Sea of your Redeemer's blood, and shouted your deliverance on the shores of salvation, he called you into the Canaan of perfect love. More favored than those of old, who, with timbrels and dances, replied to Israel's host, "Sing ye to