kindled by the sun of righteousness, which many waters cannot quench, nor the floods drown. With the Poet, the subject of it can say; "Thee will I love my joy my crown, "Thee shall I love in endless day." Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ possesses peace, "peace with God" by the justification of his person, and peace of conscience by the renewal of his heart, the fierce passions, and violent tempers which once raged within, have subsided, and the storm has been hushed to peace: but this peace though perfect in its kind, is yet imperfect in degree, it is subject to frequent interruption, sometimes by strong temptations, which come in upon the Christian like a flood, and at others by the roots of bitterness which spring up and trouble him; but when the soul has attained to maturity in holiness, then there is a perfection of this peace, and God's promise is graciously accomplished, "thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon thee." How descriptive is the prophetic language on this subject. "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river.”—A river, not a torrent, rough and boisterous, rushing down from the neighouring steep, and forcing every thing before it with desolating roar, this is a just emblem of passionate people, whose tempers are roused by every trifle; a river,—not a pool, whose waters fail when the heavens cease to pour down their liquid treasures, but a "river" smooth and tranquil, flowing on without interruption, widening and deepening as it flows till it loses itself in the ocean. And this peace not only "keeps the heart and mind through Christ Jesus, but it passeth all understanding," hence the soul can realize the truth of the following senti ments. Careful without care I am, Thou, O Lord, in tender love, Every Christian believer possesses patience; it is one of the fruits which the Holy Ghost produceth in the regenerate mind. In a world like this, trials will happen, provocations will arise, and afflictions will occur, and nothing is more necessary to the believer than patience; but alas, too frequently he feels when reproached unjustly, the risings of resentment, or when afflicted deeply and chastened with sore pain, the remains of impatience, or when his expectations are cut off, the sallies of discontent; but when the soul is fully renewed in righteousness, then patience has "its perfect work," and the man is "perfect and entire lacking nothing," then he "glories in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto him." In persecution, he rejoices and is "exceeding glad," believing that "great is his reward in Heaven," and in affliction he patiently submits, knowing that it "worketh out for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Hence he can sing, Welcome alike the crown or cross, And in proportion as a Christian's confidence, love, peace, and patience, are made perfect, so all the other graces of Religion, are matured with them. But here perhaps a question may be agitated: "Does this perfection admit of any increase, if it is capable of receiving additions, how can it be perfection, and if not why are we exhorted to grow in grace? &c." To this I would reply, things that belong merely to this world, have their rise, progress, perfection, declension and ruin. In vegetation we see first the bud, next the blossom, then the fruit, which ripens by degrees till it attains perfection, but here its progress terminates; it can rise no higher; the sun may continue to shine,-the breezes to blow-the dews to descend; but their salutary influences are lost, the fruit decays, falls to the ground, and mingles with the earth, from whence it had its origin. So the human body rises from a shapeless embryo, to a certain point of perfection, beyond which it cannot pass; but Religion, considered as a divine principle, emanating from an infinitely perfect being has no bounds, limits, nor dimensions. It is a sea without a shore, a hemisphere without a cloud, and the mind of man which is the seat of this Religion, is endowed with powers and faculties capable of endless improvement: so that our souls may not only rise high in the scale of excellence in this world, but dart forward to the perfection of their nature, and shine with new accessions of glory for ever and ever. Hence to use the language of Mr. Fletcher, "a babe in Christ, is called to grow, till he becomes a perfect Christian-a perfect Christian, till he becomes a disembodied spirit, till he reaches the perfection of a Saint, glorified in body and soul. And such a Saint, till he has fathomed the infinite depths of divine perfection-that is to all eternity." But another will probably inquire, "Does this Christian perfection imply the total extinction of every evil principle, and the complete destruction of Sin ?" If by sin you mean what divines have called peccability, that is, a state liable to sin or even a violation of that absolutely perfect rule of right, which was engraven upon the souls of our first parents in their primitive innocency; then we disclaim all "sinless perfection:" but if by sin you understand that principle of corruption, which the church of England calls "original, or birth sin, which is the fault or corruption of the nature of every man which is naturally engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby he is very far gone from original righteousness," &c. then we believe that the grace of God totally destroys its nature: where there is a perfection of faith, unbelief can have no being where there is a perfection of divine love, the love of the world, or of sin, can never dwell :—where there is a perfection of humility, pride must be extinct :-and where there is a perfection of patience, wrath and impatience can never come. But let us appeal to the New Testament. St. Paul writing to the Romans assures them that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound;" but if grace does not destroy sin, sin abounds more than grace; if the remedy abounds much more than the disorder, will it not restore the subject to perfect health. Again, "reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." And what is this death unto sin but the destruction of its nature? For "he that is (thus) dead is freed from sin, for sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Observe also what St. John saith, "If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness; and as "all unrighteousness is sin," the being cleansed from this, must necessarily imply the being cleansed from all sin. "For if we walk in the light, as God is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. For whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." It is useless to enlarge bere, those who are not convinced of the possibility of being saved from all sin, by such declarations as these, must necessarily remain unconvinced, by any thing that God can say, since no language can be more plain, nor truths more authentic, than the above passages. But another will probably object and say, "this doctrine tends to set aside the atonement of Christ, and the necessity of his conVOL. V. 12 tinued influence; for if a man can live without sin, what need of Christ as a Saviour?" But may I not reply to this by a similar argument, if a man can live without disorder, what need of food to preserve him in health? If this room can be purified from darkness, what necessity for the sun to shine into it? The most matured Christians need as much the blood of Christ to preserve them from sin, and thus keep them pure, as imperfect Christians do to purify them; and "it is not enough that the blood of the true paschal Lamb has been sprinkled upon our souls to keep off the destroyer; it must still remain there, to hinder his coming back, "with seven others spirits more wicked than himself." The holiest saint upon earth, is as much dependent upon Christ, for that holiness, as the branch is on the tree, for its life, or the building on the foundation for its support. Hence the perfect Christian can sing, "Jesus my all in all thou art, My rest in toil, my ease in pain; But you will probably admit the truth of this statement, as to the existence of the thing; but not as to the period of its attainment, as you think that such a state of perfect holiness, can never be enjoyed till the article of death. But is there such an intimate and essential connexion between the body of flesh and blood, and the body of sin, that the latter cannot die without the former? If sin were a natural disorder, and had its seat in the body, there would be some plausibility in the objection; but as it is a disease that has its sole dominion in the mind, no reason can be assigned why the body must be destroyed in order to its extinction. Nor can we conceive that death has any tendency to alter our moral habits. It may indeed end" the heart-ache, and a thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to," but to say that it will end sin, and give a finishing stroke to our moral maladies, is not only an outrage on common sense, but a vile insult on the Redeemer, who claims the sole merit of "washing us from our sin in his own blood." (To be concluded in the next number.) Biography. THE sentiments of Arminius have been strangely distorted. Some writers in giving an account of Arminianism, have most unjustly confounded with it Pelagianism, and even Socinianism, thereby attributing to Arminius errors which his righteous soul abhorred. As, in consequence of this, many use the word Arminianism without understanding it, and others associate all that is heterodox with the name of Arminius, we think the following short account of this distinguished Reformer and eminent minister of righteousness, taken from the New Edinburgh Encyclopædia, will be acceptable and interesting to many of our readers. JAMES ARMINIUS, the founder of the Arminian sect, was born at Oudewater, in Holland, in the year 1560. Having lost his father in infancy, he was befriended by a priest, who, though belonging to the church of Rome, had a strong attachment to the principles of the reformed. From this person, with whose name we are not acquainted, he received the first rudiments of learning, and experienced all the attention which his tender years and destitute situation required. While proceeding with this education at Utrecht, death deprived him of his generous patron. Such an event, at such a time, could not fail to be detrimental to his interests. But he was prevented from feeling all its severity by the kindness of his countryman Rodolphus Snellius, who took him under his protection, and, conducting him to Marpurgh, assisted him in the prosecution of his studies. He had not been long at Marpurgh when he was informed that the Spaniards had pillaged Oudewater. Impatient to ascertain the truth, and to learn the particulars of this afflicting intelligence, he immediately formed the resolution of repairing to the spot in person. At this time he was only fifteen years of age, in poor circumstances, at a great distance from Oudewater, obliged to travel all the way on foot, and without any purpose to serve, except the gratification of a curiosity at once tender and distressing. But all this did not deter him from undertaking, nor hinder him from performing, the journey. On his arrival, he found the place of his nativity one scene of carnage and desolation. His mother, his sister, his brothers, all his relations, and the greater part of the inhabitants, had been cruelly put to the sword; and every object that had been endeared to his infant mind stained with the blood of his fellow-citizens and his kindred. Unable to endure the dismal sight, and overwhelmed with grief and melancholy, he instantly returned to Marpurgh. From Marpurgh he went to Leyden, where a university had been lately founded. During his residence there, he made great proficiency in the different branches of learning to which he applied, and by his good conduct acquired the respect and esteem of all who knew him. With the view of completing his education, |