The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-14

Simon the Sorceress, when he would push
with which ne did not understand, and for
which he was not prepared as Q representa-
tive. Methodism as a great religions move.
ment may not be above criticism, but 1t
should not lie made to answer for the eccen-
tricities and extravagances, the prophecying
born not of the doctrines, but of the ignor-
ance, the untempered zeal, the self-conscious.
Its trucst teachings and are not In sympathy
with its humble teachable tractable spirit.
The America Of to-day Is no less dear to me
because there was Benedict Arnold, nor do
| love the church any the less because there
were some who were traitors to 1t in It's day Of
trial. The Judases are not all yet dead.
Would to God more OF them would go out
| O great religious body responsible for the in
discretion, or for the unwisdom of some of Its
individual members.
It's disciples, and to ,O'pat does 1fethodisns commit
its Disciples to-day?
| To life Of experimental godliness. That
was the old path. Not simply to formal
union with the church; not simply to pro-
fesson of discipleshlp; not simply to an OBJ.
servance of the rites, and compliance
mere assent of mind to certain doctrines; not
| TO the acceptance of formal creeds; but to a
personal knowledge of sins forgiven through
repentance and faith the assurance Of that
| forgiveness In the witness OF the spirit, and
the personal consciousness of adoption Into
the family Of God-the publication Of the
spiritual will Of the spiritual mana making
Justification and Regeneration is the divine
work accomplished and wrought within
| the believer in Christ. This spiritual state
expresses itself in fife Of godiipess. So that
the religion of Methodism was an experience
born Of personal union with Christ-some:
thing felt and enJoyed-a living power mani
| tested in the character and life Of the chris
| tian.
Practically, there Is no change In the funda-
| mental principles Of Methodlsm from the day
spirit and the teachings of the Methodists OF
to-day, are the same as the teachings OF the
church O century ago. l wish 10 note this
fact: Methodists Insists to-day that men shall
be born agaln-born of the spirit5,made new
christians in the image of the Lord Jesus.
| I don't know that can give you better II.
| |lustration-or such an approxtmation,Eif
you will permit. When my eyes rested In the
the Providence OF God upon the woman
loved, for 1 loved her long before I saw her
as does every man who loves truly and wise.
| ly, and loves well-and as every man who is
brought forward on this line OF human expe-
rience, says. loved herat first sight. The TACT
is, he had loved her for many year. He had
loved her in the ideal. This Is the first time
he has seen her in the flesh and blood, cloth
ed in beautiful garments. but he has loved her
| for long time. When that woman Is en-
| shrined in that mans heart, and he adores
her and worships her, and loves her truly and
devotedly for her beauty Of mind, her tender
ness of heart, her charm of manner, and her
| sweetness Of nature, that woman transforms
| him. That woman, from human point re-
creates that man. and makes OF him totally
different man, and whenever q true woman
fails in true womans work with man, you
may know he doesn't love her. She Is simply
his housekeeper. She is merely pleasant
person to have around the premises-that Is
| about all. But when she dwells In his heart,
and commands his thoughts and feelings, and
rules In the domain Of his affections-then
she Is true woman. She brings him nearer
to the KINGDOM Of heaven than any other
Lord Jesus Christ. She will bring him over.
You may say that your wife doesn't trans
form you, and still you say that you love her.
win Si1S down town In saloon, or In hotel .el
| lobf the office Of some friend until
u 100 clock, and enjoy yourself very pleas:
{antly-a In a social way, and you go back @
Ing for you. She had not felt sleep. She was
singing the same old songs to her babe, with
which her mother sang her to sleep when she
away from homer You stayed away because
you preferred the society OF the men down
town TO the society Of your wife. That Is the
wholes4f 1t. II you had had an affection f9r Or
you loved your wife she would transform you.
You will know yoa love her. So when have
poured into my heart the wealth Of divine
grace. So that when we have the holy ghost
lglven unto us, we know 1t. We have tho tes-
: StACony of this in inbred truth.
2. Methodlsm originally and to-day com.
TO a life Of personal conservation of soul,
TO be like the Master, having his spirit and
following his example;
| To be free from the dominion OF SIM.
To be holy in heart and lte-purlty of heart
and freedom from the corruption Of inbred
And in this work of personal conservation
| ha dor nf hoo ri NH rtty
or what we call the doctrine OF sanctification.
| Methodism did not originally teach that
there was state In which to sin was impossi-
BILE, or state from which IL was impossible to
| of painful lapses and possible apostacy.
II was not extravagant, wild and reckless In
Its statements and utterances Of this doctrine
and It's experience Of purity. Will not M trust rus
trine in my own words, but let MI Wesley.
who should be authority for Methodists as far
as a fallble but thoroughly consecrated man
can be authority, state what was the original
teaching of this important vital doctrine.
Mr.. Wesley says, eat the same time that we
are justified, yea, IN that very moment, Sane
tlon we are saved from the guilt Of sin, and
restored to the favor of God; by sanctifcation
we are saved from the power and root OF sin,
and restored to the image Of God. All expe-
rience, as well as scripture, show this saliva
tion to be both instantaneous and gradual. 1t
| begins the moment we are justified, In the
holy, humble, gentle, patient love OF God and
man. 1t gradually Increases from that mo.
first, is the least of all seeds, but afterwards
puts forth large branches and becomes great
| tree; till, in another instant, the heart Is
cleaned from all sin, and filled with pure love
into Into him that IS our head" TIL We "attain the
measure Of , the oss statue of the fulness OF
Again, "What is it to be sanctified? To be
renewed in the Image Of God, In righteous
ness and true holiness. What Is implied IN
Lord our God with oil our heart. and with our
mind and soul and strength. Does this imply
that all inward sin Is taken away? Without
doubt; or how could we be said to be saved
from all our uncleanness.'"
I beg indulgence while quote from one OF
Mr.. Wesey's letters, written to Mr.. Cough
Ian, who professed TO receive the blessing OF
Christian perfection. but like many others Inn
f "You % never learned, either from my conver.
satlon. or preaching, or writings, that 'holi,
told you quite the contrary; told you It was
the love OF God and our neighbor; the image
of God stamped on the heart; the life OF God
In the soul Of man; the mind that was IN IN
walked. II Mr.. Maxfeld, or you, took II to be
anything else, 1t was your own fault, not
mine, and, whenever you walked out OF that
OF it upon me. Perhaps you thought you had
received what You had not: But pray do not
measure all men by yourself; do not imagine
you are the universal standard. If you de.
ceived yourself. you should not infer that all
others do. Many think they are justified,
none are justified. So neither, II many think
they are perfected in love, and are not, will 1t
follow that mono are so. Blessed be God,
though we set q hundred enthusiasts aside,
we are still 'encompassed with q cloud Of wit
nesses,'' who have testified, and do testify, In