Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-10-30

thy truth; thy word is truth" I'M
there is a controversy, a
here, and centending
parties arose in the church as far back
as the fifth century, when Augustine
and Pelagius entered into warm de-
bate. Since that discussion has been
again and again. In modern
times such able men as Drs. Peck,
Fletcher, Limborch, Oberlin, and
Professors Mahan and Finney have
entered the lists as advocates, each
differing somewhat from the other,
of the doctrine of perfection; that is,
the possibility of perfect holiness this
side OF heaven.
Now, the word sanetify, in itself,
cannot be relied on to prove the per-
fectibility of man, for the word sane
tlfy means, primarily, to set apart.
Victims were sanctified ; that ia, set
apart for sacrifice, The first born in
the family were sanctified, or set
apart. "If a man shall sa~nctify"-set
apart-his field let the heather know
that l., the Lord, do sa~nctify"-set
apart-"Israel." Aaron's garments
were sanctified cities of refuge were
sanctitied that is, set apart. 1.-THE
unbelieving wife" sc. Elsewhere,
"children not holy" "Sanctify the
Lord your God in your heart"
Anything less than loving God con-
stantly with all the heart, all the soul,
all the mind and all the strength, and
cur neighbor as ourselves, is sin.
| What says the Bible2 'tIf we say we
have no sin we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in u.s." "There is
not just man upon the earth that
doeth good and sinneth not" Gin
many things we all offend" The
Greek is AVIATION OUK EXOMEN-the
present and not the past tense is used.
Said Isaiah, "Woe is me, for 1 am
undone, because l am 9 man of I'M
clean lips" Said Job, 81 abhor my
self and repent in dust and ashes"
Abraham committed sin and confess
ed it. Jacob said, "few and evil have
been the days of the years of my pill
grimage." Peter denied Christ with
an oath. Hear the inward experience
of Paul, the great apostle of the Gen.
tiles, as he records it in Rom. viii, 2:
rs, where he says Efthat the command
ment which was ordained to life he
found to be unto death" The apos-
tie uses the first person singular
Til 0Gghout 81 consent unto the
law that 1t is good" 81 delight in
the law of God, after the inward man,
but 1 see another law in my members.
When | would do good, evil is pres
ent with me-" The law does not
sanctify. 1t increases knowledge,
uncovers lust, brings a III of moral
loathing, and shows onr just expos
ure to the penalty. 1t imparts a sense
of utter helplessness. 1t exhibits a
standard too high for a fallen crea-
ture. We cannot reach it. The law
kills, destroys the creature. Hope in
self-power begets despair; cOmpels
the sinner to look out of and away
l from self for relief. There is moth
ing in this experience that every true
, christian does not feel. The impen-
itent cannot use such language. Such
= an one cannot say ''that he delights in
, the law of God after the inward man.
. He cannot say, al thank God through
Jesus Christ my Lord" But the sam,
humility here expressed, the same
e consciousness of indwelling sin, tn,
r same conviction of helplessness are
found in all the p~enitential portions
OF the Scriptures, and is the Language
4 of such men as Job, David, Isaiah
S Nehemiah, and the hottest of God
u saints in all ages.
Late in life and just before his mar
tyrdom at Rome, Paul, the aged dis
clple and apostle of Jesus, wrote t,
the PHILIPPIANS: "Brethren, l coun
y not myself to have apprehended. No
= as though | had already attained o
u were already perfect. But this on
. thing | do, forgetting those thing
~ which are behind and reaching fort
unto those things which are before
70 | press toward the mark for the priZ
= of the high calling OF God in Chris
Jesus" AS the apostle feels here, 8
q felt in their day the Augustines, Bel
!" nards, Calvins, Knoxes, Luthers an
2 Chalmers, men Of whom the worl
was not worthy.
p. The Savior told the man who can,
~ to him with the words Good Master
At ''There is none good, but God"
" When the disciples asked Jesus I
y teach them TO pray, as John ha
taught his disciples, the Master CAV
t. to his own chosen to be used by thel
daily that prayer commonly Gale
"the Lords prayer" Now, mar
IS that this model prayer, given by I'll
as loving, living and omniscent shel
III herd to his own flock, forever col
ut tains this petition, "Forgive us OF
n trespasses." The church and eyel
nv member thereof, is to pray q reg
he iarlv and to the end of life for u
Ike forgiveness of their trespasses as Fl
IT. the gifl of daily bread, But how CT
of q man ask to be forgiven, if he h
h committed no sin, if he be sanctifit
lis in the sense that he is perfectly holy
lis Well, it may be replied that goo
ed men, holy men have certain natur
ed infirmities, natural weaknesses, b
ng these must not be called sins. Let
m, be answered back, that whatever h
sst to be forgiven must be sin. It is pc
"; fectly certain that Christ did not ha'
a disciple, while on earth, who d
in not sin. For-it was to the discipl
in, that Jesus spoke, saying: "When
.at pray, say 'Our Father, Sc, forgi
be us trespasses.''
lat The theory of instant and perfe
err sanctification is contrary to every Ia
in of analogy, livery organic thi
lat. around us grows There 10 first
vas blade, then the ar, and after that {
ZEN full corr in the ear. "The path of
be just is as the shining light that shi
.ht eth more and more unto perfect day
cal "They go from strength to strengt
it, evryone of them" "Add to yo
ON faith virtue" &C. "Grow in grace
hat Certain evils have grown necessa
,ss, ly-it would seem out of the theor
,ss. Of the perfectionists.
al LIST. Some who teach the t'holin
dy. scheme" begin by lowering the stal
the ard of the law to suit their vie'
per These say that eve are under gra
of that we shall be judged by a law
Ivy rule adapted 10 our present state a
ali, circumstances called the Law
hit Christi For our Heavenly Fatl
) of never expects of ps, in our debilitar
eri- state, the obedience of Adam in
rid garden. That is to say, in order
sed sanctify the creature, the law must
an made unholy. What is the gain hel
'sus There is none; but immense is
loss.
his End. A man who is perfect, has
ght farther use for the blood of spri
nth ling. For why sprinkle the blood
the cleansing where there is nothing
the cleanse Here. at least, is a cl
IS a case of falling from or arising alb
airy grace. the blood of Christ loses
ross value in the eye of that man v
L-s. T,aIn thai ~ Ice go -,sIS - ~