Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-02-06

Rev. s.. u Cowan, the evangelist from
Georgia, began a sories Of meetings under
the Holiness Association Gospel Tent of
South Carolina, ut Sthis place, on last
Friday night. Two services are being
held each a. \! u Il p ig. ity
The attendance ut the night service is
quite large. On Monday night about 10
O'Clock some malicious person or persons
cut all the ropes which holds the tent
up, and but for the calmness Of the
weather, the tent would have fallen to
the ground Such conduct Is reprehen-
siblo in the highest degree, and should
the guilty parties be discovered they
ought to be severely punished. 9.
AS was announced in these columns
last week, Rev. nj. T.. Carlisle preached
in the Walhalla Methodist Church last
Sunday on the subject of Holiness"
His sermon was not delivered in con-
troversial spirit at all, but he simply told,
in plain words, what was the orthodox
doctrine of holiness as taught by the
Methodist Church at large. The great
doctrine of holiness or sanctification, as
expounded in his usual cleai and logical
style, we believe, 10 be boSii scripGural
and Methodistic, and hence we give our
readers a brief synopsis of his able SER
mon. The text was 1st Peter I, 1916:
"But rs he which hath called you is
holy, 80 TO ye hoiy i'll all manner OF con-
versation; because it is written, be ye
holy; for am holy" He began by stat
ing that there arc three theories Of holi-
ness: ~ That we are made holy at
death; (2) that there is continual ad-
vance in the state in which the work of
regeneration leaves us; in other words,
that holiness is the maturity Of tho
graces resulting from conversion; (3)
that there is a second instantaneous
change after conversion by which one is
made perfectly holy. The position was
taken tii,tt Holiness ,ig Q state and not an
experience in the sense in Which coifYer::
sion is an experience. Then followed
the definition of holiness from tho teach
ing of tho Bible. Numerous references
were given in support of each position.
Holiness is first q state of purity of heart.
This was shown from the use of the
words ''holiness" by the writer of the
Epistle to the Hebrews, and "pure in
heart" by Christ in His sermon on the
Mount. 1t Is q state of conservation to
God, as is shown by reference to both
Old and New Tcstaments. It is state
in which one does not commit sin, not, as
is held by some, state in which one
cannot commit sin. References were
here given especially to the sixth chapter
of Romans and the first Epistle of John.
1t is the beauty and glory of q Christian
to stand firm through faith, though ho is
able and continually tempted to sin.
Next it was shown that holiness is com
manded in the Bible, and is represented
as an essential to the attainment of
eternal life. From these facts and the
justice and love of God, the conclusion
was reached that holiness is attainable
in this life. Every truly converted man,
having his heart cleanscd by the applica-
ton of the blood of Christ, consecrating
his life to Gods service, and walking
obedicntly in the way of the command
ments, has, in the very nature of tho
case, tho seeds of holiness in himself.
There is needed no second cleansing to
make him holy, but he goes on maintain
ing and "perfccting holiness in the fear
of God" Attention was called to the
fact, so ofton overlooked, that this per-
fecting of holiness is largely our work.
God cleanses tho heart at conversion; we
must keep it clean by watchfulness and
prayer, assisted His grace. The idea
that one has nothing to do in the matter
is false and unscriptural. In conclusion,
the idea was enforced that this condition
of development is tho normal condition
of the soul; that there is not second
instantaneous work of cleansing by which
the soul was made holy, but that the
cleansing was done ut conversion, and we
must perfect on our part the purity and
holiness resulting from the work of re-
generation. On next Sunday at II A. M.
Rev. Mr.. Carlisle will discuss the second
blessing theory.