66 (5) It does not make a man infallible; none is infallible while he remains in the body. (6) Is it sinless? It is not worth while to contend for a term. It is salvation from sin.' 66 (7) It is perfect love,' (1 John, iv. 18.) This is the essence of it; its properties, or inseparable fruits, are, rejoicing evermore, praying without ceasing, and in everything giving thanks. (1 Thess. v. 16, &c.) "(8) It is improvable. It is so far from lying in an indivisible point, from being incapable of increase, that one perfected in love may grow in grace far swifter than he did before. “(9) It is amissible, capable of being lost; of which we have numerous instances. But we were not thoroughly convinced of this till five or six years ago. “(10) It is constantly both preceded and followed by a gradual work. (11) But is it in itself instantaneous or not? In examining this, let us go on step by step. "An instantaneous change has been wrought in some believers: none can deny this. "Since that change, they enjoy perfect love; they feel this, and this alone; they'rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.' Now this is all I mean by perfection; therefore these are witnesses of the perfection which I preach. "But in some this change was not instantaneous.' They did not perceive the instant when it was wrought. It is often difficult to perceive the instant when a man dies; yet there is an instant in which life ceases. And if ever sin ceases, there must be a last moment of its existence and a first moment of our deliverance from it. "But if they have this love now, they will lose it.' They may; but they need not. And whether they do or no, they have it now; they now experience what we teach. They now are all love; they now rejoice, pray, and praise without ceasing. "However, sin is only suspended in them, it is not destroyed.' Call it which you please. They are all love to-day, and they take no thought for the morrow. "But this doctrine has been much abused.' So has that of justification by faith. But that is no reason for giving up either this or any other Scriptural doctrine. When you wash your child,' as one speaks, 'throw away the water; but do not throw away the child.' "But those who think they are saved from sin say they have no need of the merits of Christ.' They say just the contrary. Their language is: "Every moment, Lord, I want the merit of thy death.' "They never before had so deep, so unspeakable a conviction of the need of Christ in all his offices as they have now. "Therefore all our preachers should make a point of preaching perfection to believers constantly, strongly, and explicitly; and all believers should mind this one thing, and continually agonize for it." "Now let this perfection appear in its native form, and who can speak one word against it? Will any dare to speak against loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves? against a renewal of heart, not only in part, but in the whole image of God? Who is he that will open his mouth against being cleansed from all pollution both of flesh and spirit? or against having all the mind that was in Christ, and walking in all things as Christ walked? What man, who calls himself a Christian, has the hardiness to object to the devoting, not à part, but all our soul, body, and substance to God? What serious man would oppose the giving God all our heart, and the having one design ruling all our tempers? I say again, let this perfection appear in its own shape, and who will fight against it?' It must be disguised before it can be opposed." Rev. Joseph Cooke, in one of his Boston lectures, thus states one of the vital conditions upon which holiness depends and through which it may be attained: "1. Men as they are can be made holy only by loving a holy person. “2. Nothing so effectually purifies the heart as love, for nothing so effectually woos us from selfishness. "3. There can be no love without trust, and no trust without purity. "4. Love produces in the lover the mood of the object loved. "5. Souls grow more by contact with souls than by all other means. "6. Growth, strength, bliss, arise naturally from spiritual love. "7. All these laws of the higher affections apply to the communion of the human spirit with the Ineffable Holy Person whom the moral law reveals. "8. Under theșe irreversible natural laws, religion is affectionate communion with God as personal. "In 'Locksley Hall,' Tennyson, speaking merely as an observer of human nature in its social zone, utters one of the profoundest of all the truths of its religious zone, when he says: 'Love took up the harp of life; smote on all the chords with might, Smote the chord of self, which, trembling, passed in music out of sight.' "Is there any hand but that of Love that can produce this effect? Under natural law, can man be made unselfish or holy in any other way than by loving a holy Person? Tennyson knows of no other way; religious science knows of no other. "The truth is, we are acquainted with no furnace which will burn selfishness out of a man, except this fiery bliss we call a supreme spiritual affection. There is admiration of men by each other, but there is no burning the selfishness out of men until they come to trust and to love, and to that intersphering of soul by soul, which is always the result of trust of the transfigured sort, one of the rarest things on earth!" V.- (PAGE 116.)' INTRODUCTORY TABERNACLE SERMON. MR R. MOODY'S first prayer and introductory sermon in the Boston Tabernacle, unrevised, afford such an ample basis upon which to form an estimate of the peculiarities and excellences of this evangelist, that we introduce them. MR. MOODY'S PRAYER. "Our Heavenly Father - We praise thee for the privilege we have of coming into this city to preach the gospel of thy Son; and now we pray thee that thou wilt give us faith. Take away this miserable unbelief that keeps back the blessing. May the people be of one mind and spirit in this city. May the Christians be as one man, of one heart and mind; and as we come together day after day, may the Spirit of God meet with us every time. May the Spirit of God move upon the hearts of the people, and may the prayers going up from so many closets and homes be answered. May they have the faith, and experience the power of God in this city. O God, may there be many souls that shall rise up in eternity and thank God for this Tabernacle; and may this building be the birthplace of thousands of redeemed souls. Take away from us any spirit of murmuring, or fault-finding, or complaining; and may miserable unbelief be driven away, and give us unity such as was known upon the Day of Pentecost, one spirit and one mind. And Christ shall have the praise and glory. Amen." MR. MOODY'S SERMON. "You will find my text this afternoon in the thirteenth chapter of Numbers, and part of the thirtieth verse: Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.' Let us go up at once. Caleb and Joshua are great favorites of mine. They have got a ring about them. They were not all the time looking at the hindrances and obstacles in their way; they got their eyes above them. Now, if we can only get a few hundreds of Calebs and Joshuas here in Boston, with eyes lifted above objections and obstacles, I have not the least doubt about the success of this movement. Quite a number have asked me what I want for success here. I want to tell you what I want: I want men of faith, men and women who have confidence in God. That is all I want. I have no doubt about success then. It is these men that are all the time predicting defeat that we don't want. They can't help us. The questions are now being raised all over New England, 'Are we going to have a revival?' 'Is God going to revive his church?' 'Is there going to be a quickening among the people of God?' for that is really where revivals begin. They begin with God's own people. When these hundreds of Christián men are quickened; when these churches, that is, the rank and file, of God are quickened, then, my friends, you will see how quick results are brought about. The only obstacle to a great work is unbelief. "People talk about the opposition and objections created by infidelity. You may take all the infidelity and all the false 'isms' extant, but the greatest harm has come from lukewarmness and unbelief in the church of God. Infidels cannot keep God from working. God can work in spite of all the infidels in Boston, in spite of all the devils in hell. They cannot hinder his work. But it is unbelief that is the great obstacle, and the one we want to get out of the way; bury it so that it may have no resurrection. "I heartily wish we could begin with the same degree of Christian faith in which we have just left some of the cities we |