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Secondly, The happy effect of this per-SERM. fection, which is establishing our hearts VIII. in the expectation of the future judgment, giving us boldness in it, and cafting out all tormenting and difquieting fear.

Tis

First, To fhew what is meant by the perfection of love, or our being made perfect in it. We must observe that this is the grand fubject the apostle treats of from the 7th verfe of the chapter to the end, as it is indeed the great principle of all moral goodnefs, and the very fum of our duty. true, he infifts chiefly and more largely on what is ftrictly called charity, or the love of our fellow-chriftians and fellow-creatures; not however as feparated from the love of God, but connected with it; for when we are urg'd to love one another, the main argument enforcing this duty is taken from the love which God has manifested to us in fending his Son to be the propitiation for our fins; which argument can no otherwife affect, than from a principle of gratitude or love to God, be cause of the great benevolence and compaffion he has fhewn to us. And in the N 3 words!

us.

SERM. words immediately following the text, it is Vill. directly faid, we love him because he first loved Then follows, as a juft inference, that if we love God, we fhould love our brethren also. So that the love in which christians are made perfect, and their perfection in it gives them boldnefs in the day of judgment, is the love of God and of mankind; what our Saviour gives us as a comprehenfive abridgment of all religion, all the obedience, which is due to the divine laws, *To love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our foul, all our ftrength and mind, and to love our neighbours as ourselves.

But what is this perfection in love which the apostle here means, fuch as good men are evidently fuppofed in the present state to attain to? I answer, it is not abfolutely free from every defect, every kind and degree even of moral infirmity. As there are different orders of moral agents, they have feveral standards of perfection. An abfolute impeccability seems only to belong to the fupreme Being himself. All creatures, the highest and best of them, fince their understandings are limited, are naturally capable of being misled; and being by the condition

*Matth. xxii. 37, 38, 39.

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of their nature dependent and indigent, they SERM. have defires centering in themselves, the VIII. tendencies of which may poffibly, in fome circumftances, interfere with the benevolent affections. But, as in life and intelligence, there are different degrees, nay, and kinds of vital and perceptive powers, so it is with respect to moral perfection; there is one standard for men in this state, another for angels, or the fpirits of the just made perfect; he may be a very perfect man, who yet comes far fhort in moral excellence of the pure celestial spirits.

When, therefore, chriftians are faid to be made perfect in love, which in effect is to be perfect in all religion and all virtue, 'tis to be understood of fuch perfection only, as men may attain in this life; far fhort of that which a good mind afpires to, and actually shall be poffefs'd of hereafter. It confists in the habitual prevalence of pious and virtuous affections; they rule in the heart, controuling and conquering irregular appetites and paffions, and having all the inferior ones in fubordination. This is what the fcripture means with refpect to the primary good affection of the human mind, when it requires us to love the Lord with

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SERM. all our heart and foul and mind; it is a goVIII. verning, and the greatest love, not fuch as

is without all defect, which may be called finful, for tho' that may be said to be our duty, elfe we fhould have no reason to condemn ourselves for defects, yet in the Old Testament where the expreffion is originally used, it is intended to fignify no more than fincerity for it expreffes the condition of the covenant God made with men, which certainly was not impracticable, or above the reach of the present human capacity; and it is frequently attributed to particular good men who were far from being altogether faultlefs.

But, it is farther to be obferved, that this integrity of a virtuous temper and character, has no limits fet to it, no precife bounds to which it shall come, and no farther. The highest powers of our nature, and in their best state, seem to be making continual progrefs; there is always room for the enlargement of the understanding and increase in knowledge, 'tis probable the mind will have the plea fure of making continually farther advancement this way; and for the moral capacities, experience teaches us that they grow; if christians do not find it fo, they have themfelves

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felves greatly to blame; for it is a natural SER M.
and reasonable expectation concerning them, VIII.
that they shall become more perfect in love
both to God and their brethren, more vigorous
in the practice of every virtue, better efta-
blish'd against temptations, more stedfast
and complete in all the will of God. It is
the genius, the very nature of true religion,
that 'tis always tending to growth, just like
the natural life to which it is frequently com-
pared in fcripture; for as an animal, from the
commencement of it's life, gradually ad-
vances towards the standard of perfection
which belongs to it's kind, fo new born
babes in Christ are by the milk appointed for
their nourishment, that is the doctrine of
the gospel, ftill growing in virtue ; and
and every
perfect christian will find his own genuine
temper described in the account St. Paul
gives of himself, Phil. iii. 12. Not as tho
I had already attained, either were already
perfect, but, I follow after that I may ap-
prehend that for which I am apprehended of
Chrift Jefus. Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended, but this one thing I do
forgetting those which are behind, and reach-
ing forth to thofe things which are before, I

prefs

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