omnipotence? Do we say that He will not do it before death; then where
is His own holiness? In either case, we dishonor God and rob ourselves
of an inestimable and indispensable blessing. God save us from such
folly.

Scripture, reason and experience, therefore, all unite in the sentiment
that entire sanctification is to be sought and obtained now, and if
now, then it is to be obtained instantaneously, and if instantaneously
and now, it follows, also, that it is to be obtained by faith, and from
these premises the further conclusion is logically deducible, that we
cannot make ourselves any better in order to receive it, but that we
must take it as we are. And so we arrive at and adopt the pithy precept
of John Wesley, "Expect it by faith--expect it as you are--expect it
now."

In these remarks we have necessarily anticipated some things which
belong more accurately to the next chapter; but we are not seeking so
much for a perfectly methodical arrangement, as for a clear and
Scriptural presentation of the subject. And we proceed to affirm now
that entire sanctification is not only essential as the condition of
entering heaven, but that it is also necessary for the highest results
of the Christian life on earth. It is not only an indispensable
blessing to die by, but, if we would fulfill our Father's will in this
world, it is indispensable to live by.

But before leaving entirely the subject of growth in grace, having
demonstrated, as we trust, that we can never grow into entire
sanctification, we ought, perhaps, to explain what we mean by the
statement that we can grow indefinitely in that precious grace after,
and not before, we receive it. Entire sanctification has two sides or