13. Which of us “fasts every _Friday_ in the year?” Which of us fasts at all? Does not this shew the present temper of our minds, (though not of all) soft and unnerved? How then can we advance the work of God, though we may preach _loud_ and _long_ enough? Here is the root of the evil. Hence the work of God droops; few are convinced, few justified, few of our brethren sanctified! Hence more and more doubt, if we are to be sanctified at all till death: I mean sanctified throughout, saved from all sin, perfected in love. * That we _may all speak the same thing_, I ask once for all, Shall we defend this perfection or give it up? You all agree to defend it; meaning thereby, as we did from the beginning, salvation from all sin, by the love of God and our neighbour filling the heart. The _Papists_ say, “This cannot be attained till we have been a sufficient time in purgatory.” The _Dissenters_ say, “Nay, it will be attained as soon as the soul and body part.” The _old Methodists_ said, “It may be attained _before_ we die: a moment after is too late.” Is it so or no? You are all agreed, we may be saved from all sin _before death_. The substance then is settled. But as to the circumstance, is the change instantaneous or gradual? It is both one and the other. From the moment we are justified, there may be a _gradual sanctification_ or a growing in grace, a _daily_ advance in the knowledge and love of God. And if sin cease before death, there must in the nature of the thing be an instantaneous change. There must be a last moment wherein it does exist, and a first moment wherein it does not. But should we in preaching insist on both one and the other? Certainly we must insist on the _gradual change_; and that ♦earnestly and continually. And are there not reasons why we should insist on the _instantaneous_ also? If there be such a blessed change before death, should we not encourage all believers to expect it? And the rather, because constant experience shews, the more earnestly they expect this, the more swiftly and steadily does the gradual work of God go on in their souls. The more watchful they are against all sin, the more careful to grow in grace, the more zealous of good works, and the more punctual in their attendance on all the ordinances of God: whereas just the contrary effects are observed, whenever this expectation ceases. They are _saved by hope_, by this hope of a total change saved with a gradually increasing salvation. Destroy this hope, and that salvation stands still; or rather decreases daily. Therefore whoever would advance the _gradual_ change in believers, should strongly insist upon the _instantaneous_. ♦ “earnesty” replaced with “earnestly”