SANCTIFICATION.—MORAL LAW.
By Wm. S. Foote
I HAVE before me a work entitled, "The Christian's Book," by O. Scott, Boston, Mass., 1844, containing essays upon the subject of Christian perfection, by Wesley, Mahan, Upham, and others, from which I have made a few extracts worthy of perusal by those who believe that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord." And it may not be amiss to say that they were from the pens of honest men, who lived and wrote before the closing up of the 2300 days, and the proclamation of the third angel's message—by men who had no occasion to fight against God's holy law, for the sake of putting down those who are trying through grace to keep all his commandments. Mr. Mahan, formerly President of Oberlin College, says on page 287, that perfection in holiness "is perfect obedience to the moral law." It is "loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. It implies the entire absence of all selfishness, and the perpetual presence, and all pervading influence of perfect love. Love is the fulfilling of the law." On page 261 he says, "The church and sacred writers hold different sentiments on this subject. Let any minister, for example, holding the common sentiment upon this subject, begin in the simple and unqualified language of inspiration, to pray that his people may be sanctified wholly, and be preserved in that state until the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; let him charge them before God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep the commandments of God, without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, &c., what would his church and congregation think of him? Think of him! In this region those who teach, and those who believe thus, are called latter day deceivers, fanatics, infidels," &c. He says further on page 281, "The doctrine of holiness as here maintained, contemplates the moral law as the only rule and standard of moral conduct; and consists in perfect conformity to the precepts of this law." How about the fourth commandment, then? Prof. Upham says on page 118, in answer to the question, "What is the nature of Christian perfection?" "Happily for us, and happily for the world this question is answered by our Saviour himself, and in such a way as to leave the subject clear to every humble and candid mind. 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto102it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.' Matt. xxii, 37–39. And it is in accordance with the truth involved in this remarkable passage, that the apostle asserts in Rom. xiii, 10, 'Love is the fulfilling of the law.' And lest cavaliers should find something here to feed upon, and reiterate the old cry of 'Judaism,' I will add that on page 189 Prof. U. says, when speaking of justifying faith, which sentiment all who love the Lord in sincerity endorse, 'It is the fundamental principle; the prerequisite and preparatory element; especially of that love which purifies the heart, and is the fulfilling of the law.' Perfect love contemplates the abandonment of all sin, and sin, we are told, is the transgression of the law. It also contemplates obedience to the moral law, and if we would obtain the "gold tried in the fire," we must aim at entire obedience, knowing that if we offend in one point we are guilty of all. Saul, when commanded to slay all the Amalekites, spared the life of Agag, and it resulted in his ruin. And Caleb and Joshua, in consequence of entire obedience to the commands of God entered the earthly Canaan in safety. And if we would enter the heavenly Canaan, we must not only possess justifying faith; but keep all the commandments of God, the moral law, the law of love. I will conclude by saying that on page 40, Wesley says, when speaking of Antinomianism, "Even that great truth that Christ is the end of the law, may betray us into it, if we do not consider that he has adopted every point of the moral law, and grafted it into the law of love."
WM. S. FOOTE.
Pendleton, O.