The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-05


preaching.
And who will deny this that stops to
consider the place accorded in the plain
text before us? Here it is brought for
ward as an imperative and absolute es-
sential in order to salvation. Here it
appears as a cardinal thought and deter
Diination in the divine mind from the be-
ginning. And yet we live in time
when "a whole generation has grown up
in many cultured communities without
knowing so much as the deflnition of the
term sanctificution. We sit under the
ministries of learned preachers for n
year, or maybe q decade, without hearing
SO much as a sermon ON matter which
has occupied the divine thought until
He has made it Il chief deposition Of rev.
citation and an absolute condition of sal
walton.
Possibly there are two reasons for this
criminal silence on theme of so vital
importance. Times seem to have fallen
upon us when ministers are bent on
nmassing great congregations and when
sects are bent upon building large de-
nominations; specification strikes at the
very heart Of pride and of selfish ambition
and is very much in the way of worldly
greatness and popularity. 1t is good
GAlIlE w leu ihlOnc IL YOU VAIN dll Iueu W
speak we'll Of you.
Again, specification, like regenera-
ton, is something that cannot be fully
known by pressure of philosophy, the
ologJ or even by critical eXegesis alone.
It is a matter oi experimental demonstra-
uion by the spirit, and can only be
preached satisfactorily and successfully
from the standpoint of an actual witness.
And it is hard-vtry hard-to preach
without an experience and especially
against ones experience.
The modern holiness revival, of which
this meeting is Il factor, has no new
church to puild, nor any old one to tear
down. 1t has no fanaticism to propa.
gate nor any free lovlsm OF come. outism
to tolerate. But it has mission to bring
out the great truth of sanctiication by
faith which has been buried beneath the
debris of worldliness, sectarianism, cow
ardice and unbelief. And it has a hope
of seeing the church and ministry 90 far
revived as that this doctrine, so promi-
nent in the Gospel and so essential to
salvation, may be restored to it's lawful
place in the church and in the pulpit.
First, let me define it negatively, for
it is NIT several things which some people
imagine.
ills not human perfection the cleansed
leper was only part of u man when he
came TO Jesus, and Jesus did not repair
him. but cleansed him. What there was
left of the man was clean. So with sane
tifcation. 1t finds man not only de
PRAYED, but dc formed and delapidated
Only IL relic of what man may have been
physically and intellectually before the
fall. Now, sanctification cleanses him,
bu does not make him over. He is only
n part of Il man, but what there is of him
is clean.
1t is not exemption from temptation
Some imagine that the devil is either
dead or out of a job as soon rs God sane
titles human soul. But notice this,
that "inbred SIM" is no necessity of
temptation. Adam and Eve had no in
dwelling sin, yet they were tempted and
fell Christ had no indwelling sin, and
yet Christ was tempted. But, bless God,
he did not fall Sanctifled souls are still
on probation, and nre not only subject to
temptation in general but with an
higher order of temptation than souls
which are not sanctified
1t is not deliverance from the posi-
billy of committing sin. Do you hear
that? Yes, you do, and yet some of you
will 60 out and say that we teach that
we never can sin any more. We teach
no such thing. We teach chat any man
can commit sin that will. But, lock
here, which is the highest possible per-
lection in your mind? IL it that illus
trated by man in chains and in prison
who cannot stand no matter how much
he wants 10 do SO? Or is it that illustra-
ted ny man with liberty, moving in and
out amongst another's goods and cash
and who could steal but wouldn't:
Christian holiness is not inability to sin
1t is unwllingness to sin.