Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-12-04
MEXICO AUDRAIN COUNTY, MISSOURI THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1879

to voluntarily continue SHINING is not
only outrageous, but burning shame.
If they do, they ought to repent in
dust and ashes then they might in
deed pray for forgiveness, and apply
Johns comforting assurance, eff any
man sin, We have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the right
eous." And if such "confess their
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
US our sins and cleanse US from all
unrighteousness." What is sin any
way? The great DR.. Charnock sums
it up thus:
/. 1t is found in a secret atheism.
2. Atheism is the spirit Of every sin.
3. Every sin is kind of cursing
God in the heart. Dob. l 81
4 Sin is reproach. Reproach is
vilifying man as unworthy to be
admitted into company. (rJumb. ID:
3O.)
This aids US to see the force of
Paul's question: ''Shall we continue
in sin that grace may abound? God
forbid" So say I, God forbid!
When the Savior pardoned the wo-
man, he commanded her to ''go and
sin no more.
End. What are the different steps
in being made free from sin? We an
swer: 1st. Justification. 2nd. Regen-
Grafton. 3rd. Sanctlfication. Justi-
tication has to do with the voluntary
transgression of the sinner.
There are but two views to which
we invite attention, viz:
1st. The view of DR.. Hodge-that
to justify means to declare righteous.
End. The view of Methodism-tha
to justify means simply to pardon.
DR.. Hodge claims that ''mere par
don is tie act of the Sovereign-waiv-
ing all the claims Of the law and dis
charging the penalty" This, doubt
less, is true of mere human pardon,
for it does not seem possible for re-
demptive principle to be introduced
into human law; but his statement is
not correct when applied to the par
don God grants to a believing peni-
tent. God does not pardon by waiv-
ing the claims of the law-pardon is
granted a believing penitent under
the provision of the law Of remedial
mercy. An atonement has been made
for the sins of the offender, and by
his faith he is entitled TO pardon
through the provisions Of the law of
pardon. Hence, when God pardons
sin, he does it, not as a sovereign in
the exercise of royal perogative, but
as 'the judge of the whole earth, h."
giving to a believing penitent the
pardon granted to him by the law of
aConement. Thus justification does
not take place but upon Precipitation,
the mediation and intercession of the
third party, and on condition on the
part of the penitent believer of re-
pentance toward God aud faith toward
our Lord Jesus Christ. This DR..
Hodge denies. He says, ''It would
be perfect solecism TO say of GRIM
inal whom the executive had pardon
ed that he was justified; or of q re-
formed drunkard that he was justified.
The word always expresses a Judge
ment-whethe of the mind, as when
one man juetities another for his con-
duct, or officially of a judge. If such
be the established meaning Of the
word, it ought to settle the contro-
versy as to the nature classification.
We are bound to take tho words of
Scripture in their true established
sense and, therefore. when the Bible
says God instifies the believer, we
are not at liberty to say it means that
He pardons or sanctifies him. 1t
means, and only means, that He pro-
nounces him just" Now, we agree
that it would not be correct to say of
a criminal, pardoned by a human
governor, that he had been justified.
Pardoned, would be the only suitable
word but there is no analogy in
these cases. When a human gov
ernor pardons a criminal there is no
satisfaction made to justice. The par
don of such is entirely arbitrary, and
above all, law. Take the penitent
believer, try him by the requirement
! of the moral law, and he cannot be
justified; for he has wilfuIly broken
it. But such are not tried by that
law. Such an one being led by the
/ Spirit; hence, are not under the law.
Paul says (Gal. 5:1S): "If we be led
of the Spirit, ye are not under the
founded, constructed, cemented, and
completed in contradiction 1t is
continually putting one thing for an
other, and never treating or regard
ing thing as it Is. We agree that
Christ was both perfect and righteous,
but God demands, under the law Of
atonement, that we not only become,
but live, free from sin. Paul, in
Rom, chap, teaches that "Belng
justified by faith we have peace with
God" &c. Christ said: sd aught-
er, be of good comfort thy faith hath
made thee whole" Justification then,
is pardon, full and complete, and ac-
knowledged by all to be instantane-
ous-in q moment.
III. Regeneration means to renew !;
this is the added act and both are by
faith. There is not dissenting
voice to regeneration being instanta-
neous. Justification regards an act
of the judge towards the sinner, and
regeneration a work wrought in his
heart. This Is accomplished so soon
as the penitent sinner believes. 1t
is called "a new creation" g Cor.
5:17.) "Life from the dead,"
(John 5:25.) Putting off the old
man." Rom. 6 chap. 1t is like the
re-tunlng of an instrument; making
harmony. The same is seen in the
grated tree, through which its nature
is changed and improved, and the
old stock made to bear good fruit.
The experience of all regenerate per-
sons is found in l John, 8 IA. "We
know that we have passed from death
unto life." Regeneration is incipient
sanctification. Paul speaks of 1t
thus: "How much more shall the
blood of Christ, who, through the
eternal Spirit, offered himself unto
God, purge your conscienees from
dead works to serve the living God"
Psul Snesks tn iustlfied and raoener-