For if men are taught that they have all in regeneration, the “pressing after,” the “groaning for”. There are other Scripture passages which they quote, but as we have answered them in “The Old Man” we will not repeat here.
THE TRUE THEORY
No, no, brother; don’t say that!” The speech of the excited man bordered wonderfully near to blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. There are two works accomplished in the Baptism of the Holy Ghost as received by the Christian believer — “purifying the heart”.
THE BLESSING IS OBTAINABLE NOW
One of the frequent descriptions given of man in the Bible is that of a house, building or temple. The redeemed, encircled in the divine arms and pillowed on the divine breast, was looking into the face of the Redeemer.
THE BLESSING MAY BE LOST
Here is a diagram proof showing that it is not necessary to have inbred sin in the heart in order to do wrong. We refer to the continued loss of true liberty that has for its cause something in the soul and life.
THE BLESSING CAN BE RECOVERED
One we remember stood up at a large camp-meeting in New England and confessed the loss of the blessing. At another time we heard a gentleman in a testimony meeting lament his loss of the blessing.
HOW TO KEEP THE BLESSING
It is noticeable that immediately after a person has received the witness of the Spirit to sanctification, the Adversary charges down upon the soul with his doubts. For several days after she received the witness of the Spirit to her sanctification the devil violently assailed her.
SOME FEATURES OF THE SANCTIFIED LIFE
A third feature in the life of the sanctified is the blessed consciousness of a perfect love. It is a striking illustration of the two-fold experience of work and rest in the sanctified life.
THE LONELINESS OF THE LIFE
Jacob in the obtainment of the Peniel Blessing went out by himself on the brookside. It is not only well to be isolated at such a time, but necessary to obtain the revelation of the deep things of God. Certain instincts of the soul lead us away from the street into the sanctuary, or closet of prayer.
Finally the loneliness of the sanctified life comes as a result of the work of grace itself. We speak of the widespread landscape, the nearness of heaven, and the cloudlessness of the place we hold.
PRAYER AND READING
We have only to go to the Gospel to find the divine example of the very kind of prayer we are pleading for. One of the early Bishops of our church was full of holy fire and power. On passing his hand over the Bishop’s knees he was struck with the rough, hard feeling of the skin.
Again the servant retired unable to get his consent to disturb the man of prayer, and again returned at the end of the third half hour to find the man of God in the same position and perfectly oblivious of his surroundings and the flight of time. It is well to ask the light and blessing of the Holy Ghost upon us each time that we read.
WITNESSING
If one person has gone deeper in the grace of God than another, why not speak of the greater blessing. The Savior and His power to save i on trial before the bar of the world. And so the timid testifier to this great blessing will not do much to the spread of the doctrine.
It is remarkable that witnessing is connected by Christ with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost or the second work of grace. Ring out the bells of Christian witnessing, but let the fruits of the life measure up exactly to the testimony.
GOOD WORKS
We remember to have read of a Christian who was once active and happy in the service of God. There was no covering on the floor, nor curtains to the windows, nor fire in the empty grate. In a few minutes he had a fire burning cheerily in the grate, and food abundant smoking on the table.
At once he recalled that he had tied it to the blanket in the tenement house. When that trying moment comes, we may be sure that the thought which will be sweetest will be the recollection of the good we have done in the name and in the spirit of Jesus.
FASTING, TITHES, AND DRESS
All this is done in the face of the fact that fasting is enjoined in the. We have been engaged in meetings where for days people had prayed for the descent of the Spirit and the breaking up time, when it would occur to us to appoint a fast, and lo. The truth is that one-tenth of the income should be given to the Lord’s cause.
Somehow we feel that Christ could not dress as we have seen some of His servants do in the midst of the physically and spiritually starving millions of earth. So with the rise of Methodism, and the later rise of the Salvation Army, the simplicity of dress was beheld each time.
MOODS, AFFINITIES, AND IMPRESSIONS
It was made for abodes of love, purity and heavenly glory, and here it is projected in the midst of squalor, ugliness, violence and sin. So here is the distinct assertion in the Word, that different spirits come to the soul, not only the Spirit of God, but evil spirits from beneath. The idea is, do not suppose every impression is from God even though it come in the name of religion.
The Bible itself teaches us to be careful and take time, in the words, “He that believeth shall not make haste.” The man of true faith will inquire of God before taking steps that are full of gravity and importance. Other letters have come in the way of rebuke telling us “God impressed them to do so.” In them we have been told to do what we were already doing, and not to do what we were not doing.
DOUBTS, FEARS, AND FRET
God had said that if Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree they should die. The dreadful ruin of King Saul began with his doubting the word of the Lord. According to the Scripture this is the true state of the man in the enjoyment of the blessing.
We reaffirm that sanctification takes worry out of the soul, but the causes for fret still remain. God did it in spite of man, in spite of the authority and power of Church and State.
COME-OUT-ISM AND PUT-OUT-ISM
The way He adopts for the illustration and vindication of the doctrine is by the course of ridicule, opposition and even persecution. The clergy of the seventeenth century, engaged in the work professionally with relaxation of wine parties and fox hunts, while John Wesley and his. As a rule, the less spiritual part of the membership of the church is in the majority, and when this class handles the reins of power, hasty and oppressive measures are certain to come.
He was not a Methodist, but belonged to one of the largest Evangelical churches in the land. It is no small thing to a religious nature to be Jewishly cast out, Roman Catholically excommunicated, and Protestantly put out of the church in various ways.
SECRET SOCIETIES
Is it so that fraternities and societies are drifting in the direction of the club. In many of the fraternities there is, as far as we can hear, intoxicating liquors flowing freely. Each one heard a higher call than that of the church, and that higher call was his lodge.
Why does God say, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly”. It is the one institution that is going to survive the flames of the last day.
SIDETRACKS
They affirm it is to be sought just as the Baptism of the Holy Ghost or sanctification is obtained. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is one thing with them, and the Baptism of Fire another. Let us see what is the Bible and historic presentation of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.
A third objection to the Third Blessing view is that it leaves Inbred Sin in the heart after sanctification or the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius, the Roman Centurion, obtained the Baptism of the Holy Ghost while Peter was preaching.
THE GREAT REMEDY
There is no doubt in the mind of the author, that the church thus far has seen but little of the power of God in spiritual realms. The cause of this stupendous victory will be seen to be in the acquired knowledge of the power of the Blood. Up to this time the great mass of Christians do not dream of the lengths, breadths, depths and heights in the plan of salvation for them.
All this was fore-shadowed in the Trespass Offering, which, though of the same Blood as the Sin Offering, yet was a provision for the sins of. The plain statement of the New Testament is that “The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” This cleansing is in the present tense, and in a perpetual present tense.
THE END
His name is Jesus, and He has come to save His people, and He is doing it. We read that He is doing so, we see it, and above all we feel it. Most of the books and documents have been scanned or typed from works that have entered the public domain.
Some have been reproduced by special arrangement with the current publisher or holder of the copyright. They have been put in a format that can be readily used by computer users everywhere.
