The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-21
SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Rev. benjamin. Parsons ON the enDSe0'
Of sanctification.

OAOOAD
No.. Rnrsamtu Parsons ON the snbject
Of eanctifcation.
a. the Second Presbyterian church Rev.
1ssr3smin Parsons, the pastor, preachea
rv,oy the sub;ect of ''Sanc.itication. ne
took his text from:
r~v,tscus II :fi-sFor an the Lord your Goa.
Ys shan therefore sanctify yourselves ana ~
sheil be holy" .,.o,sh Tbv
truth. Thy word Is truth.
11ee t1ld Texfameut and the New agree IN CIV
fne sreat emphasis TO personal holiness Inc
,viucinle underlying all their teachings Is,
sswffhout holiness no man shall see the ioiu.
Whatever mar be said or thought on VIC ils.s
fsr Al must c0ncede that tbs holiness eqliTsa
s tho product OF the joint operation o. you
,rf1l ana mans viii. The command OF my
ss~t ncenn,ifv yourselves. - calls for the exer-
elsa a. the human will. And Christs PRAYER,
seanctifv them through Thy truth, recognizes
the NECESSITY Of the gracious operation OF 1ods
VIII IN fheir behalf The Holy Gnost i con-
cerned Al the process, But 70 are washea, put
= 80 sancflfied. but ye ere justified In the
;arme ar the Lord Jesus aud by the spirit OF our
ood:" ssved BY the washing Of regeneration
ana renewing Of the Holy Ghost, chosen 70 sal
vssion through sanctltication and peiici Oh the
irnth.
nanctifcstion, supdrY theories exist
TIrrt-eome hold that sanetincation is an IN
.fsrfaneous act OF God, whereby the soul Is conf
rzeta1y and permanently freed from SIN ana
s5nnfur. That is, that God OF His own grace. at
$500 roiut Of Time perfects and establishes the
sosll ii state OF holiness long before that souls
eafthly race 10 run
eeeond-Another view held by not q few Is,
that b. dlligent use OF the means OF grace. we
nay not only carry forward the process OF self
eonctihcation. but carry 1t forward UNTIL long
beiors death. we attain to state OF sinlessness,
having uerfcctcd holiness in the fear OF the
Lord
Ihird-Anofhe view 10, that while perfect
ana complete sanctifcation is the high ideal
which We azs most solemnly enjoined to en-
oeayos 70 realize yet that no believer, do his ut
moef. ever has attained or can attain to COM
plcfe sancfihcation in the present life.
This view II consroverted by Dr. Briggs, who
mys: sThe error that sanctihcation cannot be
accomplished in this life paralyzes every enort
MOI true. The error, too. that sanctihcation VIII
oe Immediately completed at death as by mag
ioal 81 81 God encourages men to slnggishness
"a tl1eir sanct6cation in this iife." To find re-
lief from objections which this view causes to be
inside. this distinguished thinker takes refuge in
the belief that the process of sarctifcaiion, be-
xun but not completed before death. viii be car
Pied on in the intermediate state between death
and the Anal resurrection. Now, before present
Inn what satisfies me rs the true Scrip
tural doctrine Of sanctifcauon, ] re-
mark:
riut = That persons who. through
IN alleged act OF God, or efforts OF their
own in the use OF means OF grace. can prove to a
demonstration that they are wholly sanctifi ID
@-in body, mind and soul--and therefore are be-
yond the need OF using OF the Lords prayer, the
petition forgive us our debts as we forgive our
!. debtors," are very few, so few, indeed, that
Ave meyer had the fortune OF finding single
onl. Tho best Christian persons have ever
known were humblest and meekcst also aud
proved that they were being sanctifed By proofs
that they felt acknowledged and deplored thei.
deffciencies. and were longing, laboring and
praying to be made more and more like unto
Jesus Christ, the absolutely and only holy one.
eecond-Thaf with regard to the intermediate
state. a. 1t is called, Wig: Unexpored and un-
known territory. supposed 10 lie between the
death OF the body and the resurrection and final
destination of the inhabitant the soal, our igno.
rance il too groat to warrant the affirmation
that the process OF sanctifcation begun in our
present life Is carried forward In that unknown
state. We want something better than mere
speculation on matter OF such tremendous i'm
P0kIaucS ~ tue HttiuS VI tue Soul Tor ADMISSION
into the Immediate presence OF the indefinite
aud holy God. This day thou shalt be with me
IN Paradise" To be with Christ In Paradise, for
such man as he TO whom Christ made this
promise seems to me TO indicate an immense as
well as sudden stride from the moral condi-
ton the man had been I'm until the hour of his
crucihxion mp 10 the moral condition no must
have attained In at once enjoying companion
ship with Jesus in Paradise-no room there for
senctification during an intermediate state.
Third-That the view which satisfies me rs
being the true one. supported by Scripture. nv
reason, by Christian testimony, by universal OBJ
eervstion and experience, is, that whilst inst.
6cation Is an act OF God altering our relation m
the law ana pronouuclng us free fro m its curse
and giving title TO eternal llfe sanctifcation Is
Awork within Us, commenced In our regeneration
BY the Holy Spirit, who. in TACT il the shirt nj
Christ within us, purifying US from the nollp.
{ lions OF tho fiesh and spirit Justification h
perfected at once, aud is as complete AZ the frs,
moment of believing a. 1t ever will be. s.for
there t. no condemnation 10 them that are in
Christ Jesus" But sanctiheation is progressive
ana IS never absolutely perfect In this life. but
Will be eonsummatcd when we leave the boly
It's very important that we see the dtstinr.
ton between justification as an act OF God. ana
nancfihcation as progressive work in us.
Standardization is the sbsolyinr OF n s,n,,o-
from the guilt of sin aud death: but sanntfsos,
ton Is an alteration Of qualities from evi1 >,
good. y
Sccond-Justidcaiion consists In the nsr,o, =,
eins through the imprtation OF chr.st,s rish,'
eousness; sanctiacation Is the renovation Of NJ.
nature by the Holy Spirit
Third-lus;ifcaiion is perfect I, .A,. va.
sanctdeation progressive, but not completes I'M
death. 'A''
do not know that we can possiblv co,s,-,,o.
better definition OF specification than tbs,
given In the asse mhly's caieeh.sm. Wis. r,.,a.s
&cation 10 the work OF Gods free grsea
we are renewed In the whole msn So - :
Image OF God. and are enabled moro ana ,,e.,
TO die unto sin and live unto rira,eo4,s,-,'N
Gods gracious will and our win worEinc -
gethef like blocks OF granite or marie ,,os,
skiilfuily chiseled aad then placed side nv sisc'
are tho words that are here placed sida he .',s'
IN the construction Of this definition. a'N'
Every Hem In It can be subssan,Ia.sa n, 49,,
dant citations from the word of God
need not prove here that our sanc.,so.,,...
~ well a. justification is Of the free 60, :,
God. That il too plain 70 require ers,,,,,,.,',
The renewal OF the whole man, whe-ehx -, a.
made new creature in Christ yesus cs, ~ IS
fscted by no power less than the graciops 49,.
of Gods spirit Tho soul must be renays, =,
I'll its powers. and faculties. and asfeetia.'.
Not that the very substance OF it il chan-aS -.
new qualities mast appear in whole snnl. a.. .
tIl the members OF the body must becor,a q" ~
elYuments Of righteousness TO work holi,... ;.
ne proofs OF the process OF saneafestlon ara
NO: H4e
First-An actual dying unto sin.
occond-An actual living unto richtsnnsr.,.
This dying and this living are each efFectcs ~
the Holy Spirit working upon and thro,cn =.
with the will OF the Christian. As the ns,h :.
She Just Is as the shining light SHINING y,oss
md more unto the perfect day: and As tsa L.
esspiritual life IL. FIRST the blade, then ,hs a.
Alter that the full corn in the ear: so sane,tcs.
oph Is thing OF degrees. proceeding fror, ~.
1ern implanted by the Holy spiri, in revsnsrs
ston and nuriured by Him aad growing an
0eseloping more and more until the rsue frr,
y deadness unto sin and life unto righ.eousne.
produced. Plainly we must work out our owr