The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-26
under sin. in the Canaan bound journey
do he Ia

uuuer SIM In tne OAnhen- pouno journey
they were under the law.
Their sins were all destroyed when
Pharaoh and his army were drowned in
the sea. The law died when old Adam
was cruci6ed, as there was nothing left
that needed she law. Now they are not
only free from Pharaoh's cruel scepter
but free from Sinsi's laundering law.
Free from tho law. oh, happy condition,
Jesus hath bled. and here Is remission,
Cursed by the Jaw and bruised by the fall,
Chrlet mas redeemed us once Tor all.
q. Growth in grace. They made lit
tie or no progress in the wilderness, but
cumulsted wonderfully rapidly. Under
the military prowess OF David and the
unprecedented wisdom of Solomon Israel
conquered all nations. Hence we see
the time for growth In grace Is after
ssnctificatioR.
Babylon in the Bible is the synonym
OF false religion. The ultimstum Of all
their heinous apostssies was that God
forsook them and they were carried
| away into Babylon, and ere long by the
mercies Of God they were reclaimed and
reinststed In Jerusalem.
In the parallel experience, all who
have never been born OF the Spirit are
In the dark slavery of Egypt. ALI who
| are In the progresnive wilderness ex-
perience; 1. g., in the twilight; l. g.,
they "see men as trees walking" have
degree OF peace and joy, are on their
way 80 Canaan, are in = justified state.
When they reached Kadesh; 1. g., holi-
| ness las there can be no stand-still in
religion), an issue Is forced. They can
no longer retain their justification un-
less they 60 forward into sanotifoation.
l was nineteen years travelling from
E0Vnt
| crisis. and WAS conscious thar I could
not retain my Qualification without
| going forward into holiness.
b. There Is foolish idea going abroad
that some Christians are opposed to
| holiness. As we'll say the flower is OPP
| posed TO the fruit, or the foun tain OPP
posed to the stream. Like loves les
like. When people have any religion,
they want more, yea, want all they can
get. The popular standard Of jusiifca-
ton ia far TOO low. The justified com
| John 3: 81 The great bulk of the
| church to-day profess nothing but q
SHINING religion. plainly illustrating to
the world that they are not Christians
at all. They are either unconverted or
fallen. Thousands of preachers preach
this SHINING religion. thus indirectly
contrasting that they are sinners them
| selves In the broad road to hell.
Comparatively few of the church at
the present day are in the Csnsan ex-
perience; /. O., sanctifed. Perhaps q
minority ara in the progressive wilder
ness; /. O., justified, and moving ON to
| holiness, while the ma jori,y are eitbe,
down in Egypt or in she retrogressive
| Wilderness; /. O., the fallea state.
AS John Fletcher so boldly states.
"All who ara not either sanotifed or
pressing toward IL, are fallen" II you
| are Christian you desire holiness above
all things. If you doa't desire holiness,
| take warning. you are no Christian. Be
not deceived. Heed MOI the preachers
who cry. peace, peace, when there 10
no peace"
What shall We do with the thousands
OF backslidafs who crowd our churches?
Don's preach holiness to ,hem, for it
will only make them mad. Take Mount
Sinai for your pulpis and preach the
| law I'LL you get them convicted. Then
| repentance, justification and regenera-
ton, hll you get them reclaimed. Then
preach sAnctifcstion, and you will find
them duly apprsoia.ive.
Sanctihed people often mistake lot
| OF church members for Christians, who
are unconversed sinners and backsliders.
They get convicted. crowd the altar and
ptoltSe STANDARDIZATION Wleu the Dl6eS-
Ing they receive Ia conversion or recla-
nation.
i. Now, reader, are you free? "If the
Son shall make you free you shall be
free indeed" John 8: SO Commit
ting sin is the service of the devil. So
If you are saved from committing
known and willful sin, you are free from
| the devil. II you have 8 clean heart;
l. e., have no disposition to commit sin,
you are free from tho law.
Glorious freedom ! 1t is heaven on
| earth Thus we become "kings and
priests unto God" and reign jointly
with Christ upon His own throne.
Now. If you wish to know more Of this
subject, VIZ beg you to attend regularly
for awhile our Business Mems MONDAY
prayer meeting at the Y. M. @. A. hall
as ~ o'clock sharp, every day except
Sunday.