The Penn's Grove record., 1891-10-02
METHODIST CTRlN and
DISCIPLINE


oNhNhhaJ
John 17:17. For this Is the will OF
God. even your sanctifcation ."-1
Thess. 4:3.
Every ordained Methodist minister,
from the beginning Of Methodism until
the present time, has answered In the
affirmative these three questions.
Are you going on to perfectionP Do
you expect to be made perfect In love
in this lifep Are you earnestly striving
after itP So that the charge, that the
doctrine of Christian perfection isnew,
among Methodists, cannot be true.
The question with every sincere in
quirer after truth will not be, DO l be-
lieye in Specification but, What
does Gods word teach or the sribjectp'
The word sancitify and it's derivatives,
is used over one hundred times In the
Bible. Many times it Is applied TO
things as set apart for u specific pur-
pose, but from twenty-five to fifty times
it is undoubtedly applied to persons.
The original word expresses two
things, $40 set apart for a religious
use,n as in the furnishings Of the tenn
pie, and the priests. 1t also means to
purify, and in this sense 1t is used prin-
cipally of persons, and in this sense is
applied to believe in the new Testa-
ment. The word perfection" is APP
piled over fifty times to human char
acters who have come or may come
under the influence Of the Spirit Of
God. Matt. SAB; Col. 1:2S; Heb. Gil;
1921, SC.
The idea of maturity is expressed in
the word perfection. A thing is ma
turs when 1t has grown to the standard
of its type. A mustard plant Is as
| mature as the oak that towers far
above it. A perfect Christian is u
Christian matured in the graces OF
Christianity. He may have physical
and mental infirmities. He will not
be an angel, but simply a man. He
will be tempted by Satan, because he is
a man, and especially because be is a
Christian man, but will be so filled
with love, toward God, that he will
resist all approaches Of the enemy. He
will he so filed with humility, that he
will depend only on the armor fur
nished by God.
Conversion is not s~ancti6cation, but
the perfection Of the graces received
when we become the children Of God
is sanctifcation. The teaching Of the
Protestant church as shown, by writ
ings of DR.. Hodge. DR.. Dempster, John
Wesley, John Fletcher and the Epis-
copal prayer book is that, there re-
maineth in those who are horn of God
some sin, or infection or corruption Of
nature. The work of sanctifcation is
to cleanse us OF this remaining infec-
ton and present us blameless, with
out spot or Wrinkle before God"
The teaching of these able and pious
men is in harmony with the word Of
God. Paul is speaking Of true believ-
ers when lie says, 1.-THE flesh lusteth
against the spirit" sc. Gal. SIT and
in / Cor. 3:1-3. Though they are car
nal, he says to them "Ye are Christ's''
/ Cor. 1923. He was also talking to
Christians when lie said, LET us
cleanse ourselves from all fiIthiness Of
the flesh and spirit" &c. 2 Cor. III.
BY sin in the child of God we do not
understand any outward aud ready fol-
lowing of lust, or transgression, but
any inward passion or pride that would,
if followed. bring condemnation. II
we do not find any Of these doubts, &C.,
in our hearts, and find by careful ex-
animation that we are fully o nsecrat-
ed to God, then are we sanctified.
The Bible does not teach that the
Christian life is divided into two dis
tinct parts. The desire for holiness is
q part Of conversion. Sancti6cati0n, the
realization of that desire. The justi-
6ed Christian, If he is not backsliden In
heart, is going on unto S~ancti6cation,
as the seed is growing into the plant.
The Sanctiied Christian is the matur.
ed justified Christian, and as the Chris.
tian advances the sin in him dies, and
when that is complete, he has entered
the LAND of Beulah" where peace
with God is an abiding experience.
"Let us go on unto perfection. {"
It'll we all come in the unity OF the
faith, and of the knowledge OF the Son
Of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fulness
Of Christ" Heb. Gil; Eph. 4:13.