Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-27
Or. Hall on sanotlfIoatlon.

ana uneducatcd shall ne hearu mere
squally with the learned.
DR.. Hall on Sanotificatlon.
Editor Virginian- Pilot:
Being very busy Tuesday morning. I
barely glanced over The Virglnian-
Pilots report Of DIR. Halls Sunday SER
mon on sanctification,l and did not, on
that account, attempt to form an opin-
ion at that time. Later In the day,
however / met business man Of Nor
folk. Presbyterian. by the way, who
congratulated me on the fact that DR..
Hall had taken stand with me on the
great question of sanctiflcation. Really
1 had supposed the opposite was true,
but when I came home, ! gave the said
report a careful reading, and TO my
surprise, DR.. Hall and do agree on
many important points touching this
question of sanctification. or course.
we do not see every phase OF 1t from
the same Standpoint. OF our differ
ences it is not my purpose to write, as
controversy is needless. I only wish
to emphasize points on which we seem
to be agreed This, I think Will be
more profitable.
AS understand his views. we
agree
l. AS to the definition of tho word
"sanctffy." He says the root idea is
separation. most heartily agree in
that as. of course, there can be no
sanctlflcation except in separation from
sin. He further says 1t is to "set
apart" and with this is blended an
other, viz: ITO devote; separate from
and separate to-" That is true--it is
separation from sin and devotion to
God. Thus when Jesus said, II sancti-
f,r e,lf H.. -, ,,~l.
was devoting Himself to the sanctih-
cation of His disciples. Here DR.. Hall
Is right, for Jesus did not need to be-.
made holy. He was holy. but He was
devoting Himself to prayer for the
sanctiflcation of His disciples, who. of
course, were believers Here the two
meanings OF the word are admirably
brought out. This makes 1t quite clear
that believers are sanctifed only In an
swer to prayer, for to this end Jesus
was praying (See John, 17:1O, and to
this end Paul prayed as In / Thess.,
6:23, and In the next verse he tells these
Thessalonian believers that God is
calling them to the very thing for
which IIe was praying for them-that
Is to entire sanctifcation Here the
necessity for every believer seeking in
prayer the sanctlfcation of himself Is
very clear, for surely II Jesus prayed
for the sanctificatlon of His disciples
and Paul for the same thing for the
Thessalonian believers, they had need
to Join In that prayer for their own
sanctification, and this also shows how
all believers become sanctified after
they become believers, for IL the dis
ciples had been already sanctified.
Jesus would not have prayed for what
was already an accomplished fact,
NV
proof of the presence of believers in the
early church who had not been sancti-
fed and these God was calling to
sanctifcation.-1 Thess., 5:24. See also
I Cor, 1913.
:. Again, Dr. Hall says: IT freely
admit that there is secondary mean
Ing, especially to the New Testament
Word, signlfying to make pure and
holy" That is correct. 1 would not
ATTEMPT to make it stronger.
3. DR., Hall quotes with much point
and force Heb, 10:11-"By the which
will We arc sanctlfied through the Offer
dng OF tho body of Jesus Christ once
dor AL" That Is good. showing, ms 1t
does, that sanctif1cation is something
done for US and in us, and not any
thing VIC have done for ourselves, The
merit OF sanctification rests III Jesus
and not in man. We should always
keep this fact in full view.
4. II ask your attention to another
Important thought" says DR.. Hall.
namely: That all believers are sancti-
ned because Of their redemption by
Christ Jesus II I have his idea cor
rcctly, then that is true, for Certainly
no one but "a believer can be sancti-
ned. and he only by exercising faith
for the reception of that gift 1t was
SO given to the Gentle believers ut
Jerusalem, as Is shown by Acts. 1850.
and this seems to coincide with DR..
Wars view. because he illustrates this
point further OH In his allus!on to the
redemption of the first born OF Israel
an Egypt by saying; Nov, having been
redeemed. God says to Moses 'Sancti
ay unto Me all the first born Why
old God claim the first born? BE
cause" says DR.. Hall. "they were re-
deemed by the blood of the lamb,
Ihat is as understand 1t exactly, and
tho illustration the doctor uses brings
out the two works beautifully, for no
man can be sanctifed till he has been
redeemed from his personal sins. Thus
we see the heart OF the believer Is made
pure not by growth, or the law. or
anything he can do except believing in
Jesus as the sanctifier, and this after
ne has become Christian.
8. Again, the Doctor says:
This doctrine Of sanctIflcation takes
IT away from the shifting Sand OF our