The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-07-03
The Christian Crusaders.

7ival meetings, IN behalf OF the unsaved of
Abbevills ana tue aoj AGENT country, for the
PURPOSE OF augtnentins The Church OF Christ.
During the progress OF this series OF meet
.ngs the spiritual enthuaiafn which has pre-.
vailed, and the power OF God which has been
manifested in con victing, con Veftlng and re-
generating the natural heart OF man, which
Is still, as the Prophet jeremiah said 1t was in
his day, ''deceiLIul ABOVE all things and d. 8.
psrately wicked" and also in establishing the
older & Iristians In the faith, bringing lheIn
upon Il higher plane OF Christian living, has
IN the estimation OF some of the more spirit
ually discerned and we'll informed brethren,
been unprecedented In the history OF Able.
Vile.
nave been Witnessed In the meetings nightly,
nave brought some TO the decision that 1.-The
days Of miracles are not past" for what pow
err can lit rebellious man from the depths OF
to hate and forsake sin. live for God. and give
liberty, even to the most illiterate, TO testify
publicly as to the great things which Gud has
lone for them, save the miraculous power OF
God? Nay, verify, The days OF miracles are
not pastt
II has not been the desire Of the Christian
TO be "men- pleasers" In their work,
but they have endeavored "in demonstration
OF the Spirit. and OF power" mot 10 know
anything among men save Jesus Christ and
Truth, aud nothing but the Truth"
that sinners might realiZe their perllous con-
ditiou, without hope in Christ, that the back
slider might be reclaimed, and that Gods
children might see their privileges In Christ
Jesus, as sons and daughters OF God, ITO
worship the Lord In the beauty OF holiness"
On Monday night General Light preached
on the doctrine OF Entire Sanctihcation oas
Ing bis remarks on the text, And the very
God OF peace sanctify you wholly; and pray
God your whole spirit and soul and body be
preserved blameless unto the coming OF our
Lord Jesus Christ" ! Thass. o:23.
TT. ,.tl IT, ~a~k tgTnn ~ soon nttd 40 ft0nf
has, at least. q twofold meaning In scripture.
1t means, first, TO set apart for holy and rellg
GUS use, and IN this sense OF the term the
persons desiring 10 be made holy are required
'Sanctify yourselves, therefore, and be ye
holy They set themselves apart from the
world 10 no longer indulge themselves in the
selfish, carnal, and wicked habits, practices
and self-gratifcations OF the carnal mind, but
to be used for the glory OF God and to be holy.
The second meaning OF the word is, TO allen
ate or separate from sin. to purify the affec-
lions n exalt 10 the supreme love OF God.
II this sense Of the word God ssncti1es. 1t
alone can purify and make holy, but so noon
as the creature is willing to sanctlfy himself,
l.. e., set himself apart for holy and religious
use, in the sense already stated, God Will pu-
rlfy and make holy.
1--WE know, from the text or me most sub
God IN behalf OF the Thessalonian Church.
and which is still before Him In behalf OF all
the Christians Of the different evangelical
churches Of the world, And the very GOD q
your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved
blameless unto the coming OF our Lord Jesus
Christ that there are two degrees OF sanctlh
cation-a partial, incomplete and Imperfect
sancti1catiop, and an entire, complete ana
perfect sancti1cation, and that the persons
who are entirely sanctifled are In such an at.
titude before God hat He can preserve them
blameless in His sight, through an entire life
time.
"In the first clause OF the prayer we find the
word wholly,-wholly. not holy. but Who'll
l.y, the definition of which Ia completely, en-
tirely, perfectly, and 1t has the opposite mean
ing OF incompletely, partially, imperfeGtly ;
and as the Apostle prayed TO God to wholly
|. e.. completely, entirely, perfectly sanctify.
1. g., ALLEVIATE or separate from sin. purify their
and eIalt them the Christians OF
the Thessalonian Church) to His supreme
sanctffed, but on the other hand. we also
that they were already incompletely.
partially, imperfectly sanctifed Christians,
9th they conld not have been mem bers
OF the Christian Church OF Thessalonica
They were Christians, but not yet perfect
Christians. -
awe And the motive which prompted Pau
to pray, Aud the very God Of peace sanctlfy
you wholly indicated by the Language Of tn
your whole spirit. soul and body be preserved
unto the coming OF our Lord Jesus
The motive which prompted him u
pray thus. arose from the longiDg desire
which be had that the persons for whom h,
prayed might be brought into the blessed
state in which they could be preserved blame
less, moment by moment, even unto the com
Of our Lord Jesus Christ or, be Kept, not
only from committing actual, wllful, .lnten
rional and conscious Gin, but also from the de
sire TO do so, moment by moment, through an
entire life time. That the Apostle knew. from
personal experience that 1t was possible for
the brethren Of the Thessalonian Church to
get into this state. is very evident from the
fact that he said to them: Faithful is BE
that calleth you; who also will do IT,, !. g..
wholly ~sanctify You. bring you into the bless
ed state mentioned and preserve you therein.
1.-The Christians Of the Thessalonian church
were partially or incompletely sanctihed BY
God when they partially or lncompletely
themselves-set the nselVes apart
or separated themselves from the world, anu
he sinful habits, practices and self-gratidca'
lions OF the carnal mind, in obedience u
word,-'Let the wicked forsake his wa!
and the Hprighteous mai bis thoughts, q
let him return unto the Lord, which they did
they were converted and born again,
after which they were saved tom the gull
dominion OF SIN aud had power oveI
their Rin ful tempsrs such as-seif.Wlll, anger.
jealousy. envy. pride, hatred, malice, lust. sto;
They we're wholly or completely sanct1ded
BY God when they wholly or completely sane
Lifted themselves, or made an absolute conse-
of their entire beings to God and His
ler vice in obedience TO His Word, Il beseecb
gu therefore brethren by the meicies OF God
mat ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
ooIy, acceptable unto God. which Ia your res
,onable SERVICE In order that they mlghi
have " or 10 follow Jesus In the narrow way
II seifdentsl, sei:-saorihce, ara seii.a9ase'
nent to bear all things and endure all things,
10 be misunderstood, mlsrel resented, mis-
ouoled, hated, uespised, rejected, and regard
ed as the filth OF the world and the oh.scour-
Ing of ali things''
%After they were thus sanct fed. they mol
only had power over sin and their sin full lem
pers, but were also without the disposition to
Yield TO any temptation to which they mlght
nave been subjected under the most severe
1t Is indeed very gratifying 70
that Coo Is just the same to-day as he
In the days OF the early Christians OF the
Church OF ~Thessalopica. Jesus Chris. the
sams yesterday, and to-day, and forever
He is just as willing TO sanctiiy HIS cniIurea
wholly sauctIy H s children 1850 years ago.
Beloved let no man deceive yon,' but remem-
Der that Faithful is He that calleth yon' who
will also do It,"
oil the many persons who enjoy
Ihe blessings OF Entire Sanctihcation, Chris
tIan Perfection, Perfect Love, Inc dlgher
Life, The Rest OF Faith, or by what
aver term the exalted state OF spirituality On.
loved BY the perfectly obedleut sons and
Eauyhters OF God, 10 Known Dougan Clark,
NJ. b., Quaker. Professor OF Latin ana Greek,
EsrIhaIn College, alter being wholly sancti
fled. replied in answer to the question, What
did YOU get p "a clean heart, l was baptized
With the Holy Ghost, and my heart was puri-
IHed by faith. The endowment OF power, for
whatever spiritual power l have been pos
sessed Of since, either tor winning sinners TO
Christ or bringing believers to entire sanctln;
cation by conservation n faith In Jesus, l
dale 1t from that blessed day and hour, g.
which time l did then and there reckon my
dead unto sin and alive unto God,
through Jesus Christ my Lord"
Boston University, says: ~ have the Jobap-
mean evidence that my love is pure and un-
Is, perfected-in the fact that
have boldness In view or the day OF Judgment
John !. II, ls). This Joyful 09ianess y, IL
Inc image OF the Son OF God, and hat am.
through the transforming power OF the Splr'
II. nike Him in purity, and that the Judge