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THE 
 
 DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 :/ 
 
 AN ESSAY 
 
 WRITTEN FOR THE BRANTFORD EVANGELICAL ALLI- 
 ANCE, AND READ BEFORE THAT BODY 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. T. S. LINSCOTT. 
 
 BRANTFOKD, ONT. ; 
 THE BOOK AND BIBLE HOUSE. 
 
 1889. 
 

 Entered according to Act qf Parliament of Canada, in the year one tho%uand eight 
 
 hundred atid eighty-nine, hy the Rbvisrrnd Thomas Samurl Linscott, 
 
 in the Offlee qf the Minister qf Agriculture at Ottawa. 
 
THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN- 
 
 fight 
 
 SIN is doubtless an interloper in this world, and servos 
 no purpose but that of evil. It was introduced into 
 the world by the Devil, the prince of evil, and, as 
 Christians, we believe that " Jesus Christ came into the 
 world to destroy the works of the Devil." 
 
 We look forward to the day when sin, as a fact of ex- 
 perience, shall be a thing of the past. We expect some 
 day that the ordinary and normal condition of the soul 
 shall be, " Casting down imaginations, and every high 
 thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, 
 and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedi- 
 ence of Christ." Then " The God of peace shall have 
 bruised Satan under our feet," "And the very God of 
 peace shall have sanctified us wholly," and "will pre- 
 serve us blameless." Then " perfect love will have cast 
 out fear," and " the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, shall 
 have cleansed us from all sin," and, as a result, '" Our 
 peace shall be as a river, and our righteousness as the 
 waves of the sea," " And the work of righteousness shall 
 be peace ; and the effect of righteousness quietness and 
 confidence forever." 
 
 When that happy experience is realized we shall keep 
 the commandment, " Be ye yourselves also holy in all 
 manner of living ; because it is written, ye shall be holy 
 
*, THE DESTRUCTION OP SIN. 
 
 for I am holy." And the words of the blessed Jesus 
 will be fulfilled, " Ye therefore shall be perfect as your 
 heavenly Father is perfect." And God and good men 
 can then say of us, " But now being made free from sin, 
 and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto 
 holiness and the end everlasting life." 
 
 This vigorous and exultant spiritual life, and this 
 deadness to sin, is begun, and perpetuated by following 
 the direction of the Holy Scriptures, " Likewise reckon 
 ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive 
 unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord," 
 
 In discussing the subject of The Destruction of Sin 
 I want first to get as near each other's views as possible, 
 or to get on some common ground of belief ; so that we 
 may start together in search for the truth, even if >\ o 
 have to part company afterwards. That there is a diixer- 
 ence of opinion among Christians as to God's method of 
 destroying sin in a believer, must be recognized if we 
 would make an honest effort to lessen the distance be- 
 tween us, and draw nearer the truth, and hence nearer 
 to each other. 
 
 This difference of opinion is partly caused by misap- 
 prehension of each other's views. It is really remarkaljle 
 how little we know of certain theories, which we take 
 upon us at times to vehemently oppose. Many of the 
 bitter, religious controversies of the present century 
 would have been prevented if there had been a better 
 understanding between opponents of each other's theo- 
 ries. And this is seen in no question more than the one 
 now under discussion. 
 
 Another cause of difference and controversy is, in not 
 
THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 6 
 
 understanding the precise meaning of each other's lan- 
 guage. A correct speaker has no difficulty in making 
 himself understood, when speaking of material matters 
 of fact ; or on subjects that are recognized by the senses, 
 or on subjects in which the hearer has experience in 
 common with the speaker ; but the moment he discourses 
 on the spiritual life, or enters the region of mental or 
 moral philosophy, or attempts to explain the nature of 
 mind, or the laws governing the various mental states, 
 or attempts to analyze the will and fix responsibility ; 
 that moment he is misunderstood, and men draw off from 
 him, and from each other, and form themselves into par- 
 ties and different schools of thought. 
 
 This remark applies especially when used in connec- 
 tion with the possibilities of Christian experience, and 
 the work of the Holy Ghost in the soul of man. Much, 
 in<leed most, of the language used in describing the work 
 of God in the soul, is necessarily figurative ; and it is 
 difficult to use a figure of speech on these subtle and 
 delicate subjects, that will convey one's act idea, and 
 not be capable of being construed to mean -hat was not 
 intended. 
 
 This is one prolific cause of infidel attack on the Bible. 
 You who have read Tom Payne's " Age of Reason " 
 know how he burlesques Christianity and blasphemes the 
 atonement by calling it " The Butcher Theory " of sal- 
 vation. He says. Christians daub themselves with the 
 blood of a murdered man and call themselves holy. He 
 thus perverts the teaching of the Bible, and slanders 
 Christian testimony, by taking figures of speech and 
 typical language in their material sense. 
 
6 
 
 THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 When a material illustration is used of a spiritual 
 subject, it must be taken, not only in its figurative sense, 
 but with the exact shade of meaning intended. The 
 Bible description of the depravity of man, and of the 
 work of grace in the heart, and the triumphs of faith, 
 is largely in figurative, or metaphorical language, and 
 some Christians, not recognizing this, " have erred con- 
 cerning the faith." 
 
 In describing God's method for the destruction of sin 
 in the human heart, the language must necessarily be of 
 the character just mentioned. Such terms as " the des- 
 truction of sin," and " cleansing," or " the death of sin," 
 " The old man being crucified," " the roots of sin being 
 pulled up," " the death oF the old nature," " the old man 
 of sin," and many others, are true only when used in 
 one sense, and their application is limited and i^i no case 
 absolute. Then let us make an honest efibrt to under- 
 stand each other. Undoubtedly, when this is done, there 
 will be real differences of opinion as to when, and how 
 God purposes to give us the complete victory over sin, or 
 to eject the man of sin out of the heart. But the chasm 
 between us, I do not think is as deep and wide as some 
 suppose, and we can, at least, get near enough to look 
 with a loving eye into each other's theological faces, and 
 clearly see the features of our different opinions on this 
 vital subject. Upon close examination, I earnestly hope 
 we shall find that our points of disagreement are far less 
 numerous than our points of agreement 
 
 The theory now advocated is that theory indicated by 
 the Scripture quotations just read. It is my firm opinion 
 thau Ltog has provided a eornplctc remedy for sin, and He 
 
THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 7 
 
 means that " where sin abounds grace shall much more 
 abound," here and now. 
 
 Whatever opinions we may have about Christ's im- 
 puted righteousness ; there ought to be no two opinions 
 concerning Christ's imparted righteousness ; through the 
 which a man's sinful nature is obliterated, and his old 
 sinful self destroyed, and he possesses " the mind which 
 was in Christ Jesus." It is not meant, that this deadness 
 to sin or complete spiritual healing, is an experience 
 that one must have in order to constitute him a child of 
 God ; on the contrary, it is maintained that none but 
 a child of God feels the need of such a condition, and 
 none but those who are under grace can exercise faith 
 for such victory. 
 
 Fi:st.— We are all agreed that, " Without holiness no 
 man shall see the Lord." Nothing unholy can enter 
 Heaven. The souls who pass its portals, and take up 
 their abode in that celestial land, are as white as the 
 driven snow, and as pure as the angels before the throne 
 of God, who serve Him day and night. 
 
 All Christen ium. Catholics as well as Protestants will, 
 I think, endors'^ this statement, so that here we have a 
 common ground to stand upon. Sin is to be destroyed, 
 the human heart is to be free from the power and in- 
 dwelling of sin, Jesus Christ is to destroy the works of 
 the Devil, the victories of the Cross are to be complete 
 in the case of each individual who believes in Jesus • 
 human nature is to be brought back to its original one- 
 ness with God, and grace is to triumph eternally. 
 
 But having agreed on this fact of victory over sin, we 
 
B THE DESTKUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 immediately differ as to when it is to be achieved, and 
 the power through which it is accomplished. 
 
 1. To the credit of the Catholic Church, be it said, 
 that she makes full provision for the purification of all 
 her .sons and daughters before they enter Heaven. Know- 
 ing that men must be holy before entering that pure and 
 holy abode, and seeing that the majority of her members 
 live and die vithout this fitness for Heaven, she has in- 
 vented a purgatory after death, and while passing 
 through the fires, which her imagination has placed in 
 this state of existence, souls are purged of all the dross 
 of sin, and they come out pure gold and are " Made meet 
 to be partakers of the inheritance of the .saints in light." 
 
 Purified souls come from this preparatory state like 
 the fertile imagination of Dante in "Purgatory and 
 Paradise," pictures the three principal Graces : 
 
 " The one bo ruddy, that her form had scarce 
 Been known in a furnace of clear flame ; 
 The next did look, as if the flesh and bones 
 Were emerald ; snow new fallen seemed the third." 
 
 Thus the Catholic theory of final purification is, that 
 fire and punishment are the purifiers and not the blood 
 of Jesus alone ; but truth to tell, that Church is at least 
 consistent, and leaves nothing unprovided for touching 
 the final purification of her children. 
 
 2. Many Protestants in my opinion, are not nearly as 
 consistent as ( -atholics, and are equally in error as to the 
 means God proposes to use, for the destruction of sin, or 
 the entire cleansing of the nature of believers before en- 
 tering Heaven. Those who deny the possibility of a 
 
 lir»j».Tl Vuivinnr f.hio ck -7 r\nf\ fr\nn {m K-Prx o»^yl r.j»T» fUnf ti- — .-.-, 
 
 I 
 
THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 I 
 
 to him afc, or about the time of death, put themselves in 
 a dilemma, from which I have never seen a way of 
 escape. 
 
 1. Some hold the theory that sanctification or holi- 
 ness is the climax of Christian growth and development, 
 and when that state is reached, the Ciiristian is like a 
 ripe head of wheat, all ready for the garner. This state 
 being the ultimatum of life, God then takes him home to 
 Himself in Heaven. 
 
 A little thought will show us that the idea must be an 
 error, as it confounds things that are different. The 
 Bible presents two ideas concerning Christian character . 
 the one has reference to its purity or holiness, and the 
 other has reference to its growth or development. 
 
 The two ideas are as distinct as quality and quantit}*, 
 or as physical health and physical weight and size. There 
 may be as much water in one glass as another, but the 
 one may be tainted with impurity and the other as clear 
 as crystal. Two children of equal age and size, both 
 having life, and perhaps, totally different as to physical 
 health ; the one may be diseased and the other robust 
 with health. All that the healthy child needs is to grow 
 and develop, but the sick child needs to be purified or 
 healed of disease, as well as to grow to maturity ; and 
 the process to reach these different results are as dif- 
 ferent as the results themselves 
 
 The theory under immediate consideration confounds 
 disease with growth, and it does not harmonize with 
 God's method of work either in nature or grace. Disease 
 in the body needs to be driven out, as it is a foreign elc 
 ment. but nature has made full provision for heultlu- 
 
10 
 
 THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 growth until the maximum of physical development is 
 reached. 
 
 Sin, that is, inbred sin; that state of sin in the soul 
 which survives after conversion is no les,s a foreign ele- 
 ment, and its effects upon the living Christian man is 
 like dust in his eyes or disease in his body ; and at times 
 he struggles with more than mortal energy to free him- 
 self from its power. He Hnds Paul's .iescription voices 
 his experience, " Oh wretched man that I am who shall 
 deliver me from the body of this death ?" This growth 
 or gradual sanctilication theory in answer to this agoniz- 
 ing question would say, " The only way you can be rid 
 of this dead body of sin is to grow it off;" but Paul 
 answered his own question and said, " I thank God 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord." So it appears that Jesus 
 is our deliverer from inbred sin, as well as the great 
 provider of pardon for our guilt. 
 
 As a matter of fact, the Bible nowhere holds up 
 growth as a saviour from sin, but gives all the glory of 
 salvation to Jesus. Sin is like the germ of diphtheria ; 
 water will not drown it ; frost cannot kill it ; vitriol can- 
 not burn it, and fire is the only effectual means of its 
 destruction. With a similar view of sin the Holy Ghost 
 is represented under the figure of fire, and says, I will 
 " thoroughly purge away thy dross and will take away 
 thy tin." Time and growth make but little headway in 
 the .lestruction of sin in the heart ; as a rule the body of 
 sin grows with the growth of the spiritual life, and the 
 warfare between the two is often as great in a Christian 
 of twenty oi- thirty years standing, as in the new born 
 babo in Christ. 
 
THE DESTRUCTION Of SIN. 
 
 11 
 
 -V 
 
 2. Others hold that this complete deliverance from sin 
 will not take place until death. 
 
 This theory I believe, does not claim that entire sanc- 
 tification, is the result of growth, but that, in some way, 
 the final blow is then given to sin, and the dying Chris- 
 tian for the first time in his life, is delivered from the 
 bondage of sin, and goes home a free man to Heaven. 
 
 If a Christian can only be made perfectly holy at 
 death, then the w c must either be a result of death, 
 or the soul must then be cleansed by the blood of Jesus 
 Christ. If holiness is the result of ileath then that 
 which is a result of sin, becomes also the destruction of 
 its own cause ; to which I should have no objection if 
 it were true, and if. under the circumstances, it were not 
 an absurdity. 
 
 What is this we call death when viewed in relation 
 to the soul ? If our theory of immortality be true and 
 Scriptural, that the soul is entirely distinct from the 
 bod^, and can live and act in its spiritual sphere apart 
 from the body ; if it be true that the soul is the I, my- 
 self, and that the body is no more a part of the essential 
 man than other matter with which we come in contact ; 
 if these things be true, then by what process of reason- 
 ing can we prove that the death of this bodv works such 
 a marvellous change in the moral quality of the soul ? 
 Death is simply a tenant stepping out of his house. Or 
 does this death -sanctitication go upon the idea that 
 moral quality inheres in the body and not in the soul ? 
 This is the only logical refuge that can be taken and 
 from it this unscriptural theory is easily driven. 
 
 The body is often the instrument of sin, but the soul 
 
12 
 
 THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 IS always the responsible actor. One may as well blame 
 the axe with which the burglar breaks into a house to 
 commit robbery, as to blame the body for sin, or any of 
 the members of the body. These members with which 
 a man commits sin have no more thought, or moral 
 quality, and hence no more responsibility, than the axe 
 just referred to. 
 
 But it must be borne in mind that we are not discuss- 
 ing so much, when and how a man is saved from the act 
 of sin ; but when and how he is saved from the inbeina 
 o£ sin. ® 
 
 Sin is a disease of the soul, and moral quality inheres 
 in the spiritual nature only. The separation of a man's 
 body from his soul can in the nature of things, effect no 
 moral change whatever If it be said that the body with 
 Its appetites and passions are a source of temptation 
 from which the soul is freed only by death ; that these' 
 animal powers are of necessity, our masters in life 
 and compel us to have sinful thoughts and feelings, and 
 that the body is thus a cause of imparting moral quality 
 to the soul ; then I answer, that it is undoubtedly true, 
 that the body is a means of temptation ; but to say, that 
 a Christian man by the power of grace, cannot keep his 
 bodily passions in their natural sphere, and use them 
 only .*s the God of nature intended they should be used 
 IS to speak very lightly of the omnipotent power of 
 Jesus Christ, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, 
 and to debase Christian manhood to the lowest level. 
 
 The old heathen philosophers preached a grander sal- 
 vation than this. A Christian who is still controlled by 
 the animal, has learned but little of the power of grace 
 
 a 
 
 ifat^.■_.ii.*fe.^^.J.^ l ^l.■^^^Jj,i l ^MJJ^ ^ JUJLkU l ..^^g ^r^ 
 
THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 13 
 
 it^ 
 
 M 
 
 r 
 
 in the soul, and knows but little of the victories of faith. 
 But, again, if this death theory were true, how it 
 would rob Jesus Christ of the glory of human salvation, 
 and what a tremendous mistake the redeemed in Hea- 
 ven have been making ! Their song is " Unto Him that 
 loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 
 and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His 
 Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and 
 ever." Now, if death has anything to do with our 
 cleansing from sin, then death should suiely get some 
 share of the praise. 
 
 But, my brethren, death has no part nor lot in the mat- 
 ter. " Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there 
 is none other name under Heaven given among men 
 whereby we must be saved." Evidently we are all 
 agreed that Jesus is "the author and finisher of our 
 faith." It is through His blood we get initial salvation, 
 and it is His blood that cleanseth from all sin ; that is, 
 exterminates sin from the heart. 
 
 Now, then, if He can perform the work at death, 
 why can He not do it, say an hour before death ? And 
 if an hour, why not a week ? And if a week, why not a 
 year, or in fact, any length of time ? 
 
 3. It is to the law and the power of faith that we must 
 look for soul purity, the same as we do for our justifica- 
 tion. " It is not of works lest any man should boast," 
 it cannot be accomplished by time nor by development, 
 and as certainly not by death. 
 
 Jesus is our one only Saviour, and the simple condition 
 upon which He performs His work, and accomplishes 
 His wondrous purpose of destroying sin in the heart of 
 
14 
 
 THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 man is, that of faith. There are, I believe, but few of us 
 
 wu ""t'x*^,^" P"'^"*''"^' "'" ^^ *'^^^^ ^^"«h «oJ intends' 
 and the Bible enjoins. Most of us are sound enough on 
 
 the doctrine of justification by faith, and though we 
 hold to a walk by faith as a theory, we practically 
 depend on works ; except, as we have a general faith in 
 the goodness of God ; and in His purpose and intent tp 
 guide us in our spiritual and temporal concerns. But 
 alas, to special and particular faith victories many Chris- 
 tians are strangers. 
 
 In this matter of inbred sin, manifested by our doubts 
 and fears, our tendency to unbelief, the uprisings of un- 
 holy anger, impurity of motive, occasional coldness of 
 heart, lack ot devotional feelings ; and other sinful ten- 
 dencies and propensities ; how few there are who expect 
 to conquer by faith ! 
 
 Paul prayed " And the very God of peace sanctify you 
 wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and 
 body be preserved blameless unto the comin<r of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ ;" and then for fear some person would 
 think this too big a prayer for God to answer, he adds 
 m the very next sentence, " Faithful is he that calleth 
 you who also will do it." 
 
 The majority, I fear, of even earnest Christians, are 
 trying to accomplish this by a process of wcrks and 
 good resolutions ; and are trusting to time ; and finally 
 to death to finish this work ; when Paul .says " God will 
 do It." Now. if it is God's work it will be accomplished in 
 a man when he complies with the conditions, viz.: believes 
 the promises of God with a living, or an appropriating 
 faith. " This only would 1 learn of you, received ye the 
 
 t' 
 
f 
 
 THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. I5 
 
 Spirit by the works of the Jaw. or by the hearing of 
 taith ? Are ye so foolish ? Having begun in the Spirit 
 are ye made perfect by the flesh." It seems to me this 
 question of Paul's is most pertinent, and bears directly 
 on this subject, for the thing complained of is what hosts 
 ot people are now doing. 
 
 So long as a man believes that he cannot be holy while 
 m the flesh, he certainly will not be, for the condition 
 that God has attached to all the processes of salvation is 
 that of faith ; " According to your faith so be it unto you " 
 18 always the answer of God to a soul struggling for full 
 salvation. 
 
 The measure of a man's faith is the measure of his 
 experience, and of his spiritual triumphs. If he believes 
 a certain amount of sin is necessary; that the Devil is 
 stronger than Christ; that the flesh is mightier than 
 grace ; that the blood of Jesus Christ does not touch in- 
 bred sin, that is, does not cleanse from all sin-then 
 certainly he will be bound to the dead body of sin for 
 his natural life, and will writhe and groan in agony in 
 consequence of his contact with this sin corpse, for the 
 only knife which can cut the cords that bind them to- 
 gether IS the knife of faith, and that he has thrown 
 away. Jesus said "All things are possible to him that 
 beheveth ; and the converse of this is true : nothina is 
 possible to him who believeth not. " 
 
 I confess I do not see how men can read the Bible and 
 not see that thi. full salvation is provided for all who 
 will accept of it by faith. " Christ Jesus came into the 
 world to save sinners." That is. to save them from their 
 Sins, ana from the condition of heart that produces sin 
 
16 
 
 THE DESTKUCTION OP SIN. 
 
 To 8ave sinners by making them saints, to turn bad men 
 mto good men. to redeem and sanctify human nature to 
 cJeanse the heart, and make it a fit temple for the Holv 
 Ghost. '^ 
 
 It is said of Jesus. " Who gave Himself for ^s. that 
 Me might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify 
 unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" 
 I beheve to-day the blessed Jesus is grieved at the unbe- 
 lief of His own people, and He is saying to them. "O 
 tools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets 
 have spoken." 
 
 Does not God say. « I will circumcise thine heart 
 and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God 
 with all thine heart, and with all thy soul " And 
 how dare we doubt it? Does He not also say. "Then 
 will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be 
 clean, from all your filthiness and from all your idols 
 will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you and 
 a new spirit will I put within you ; and I will take away 
 the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a 
 heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you 
 and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye ;hall keep 
 my judgments and do them. ... I will also save 
 you from all your uncleannesses." 
 
 How do these Scriptures harmonize with the as 
 tounding unbelief that I have often heard: that 
 we cannot keep God's commandments; that they 
 simply serve the purpose of showing us how weak 
 we are; that they are a system of measurement, to 
 show us how far we come short of the standard of 
 perfect men ? " As a man thinketh so he is," and such 
 
 I 
 
 vv^ 
 
 .3^S^^K^Sffi»WfflS^BPpa»««»«» 
 
THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 17 
 
 ^V 
 
 a man certainly when put into the scales of God's moral 
 and spiritual law, " will be found wanting," and when 
 put under the Divine standard will be found short of 
 moral stature. 
 
 If a man's moral and spiritual ideal is not nobler and 
 more exalted, I do not wonder that his experience is that 
 of perpetual sinning. But I am bold to say that such a 
 faith, or rather the lack of faith, is a burlesque on Jeho- 
 vah, and a slander upon the work of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and an insult to the Holy Ghost. 
 
 If it were true that God has given us commandments 
 whi^i we cannot keep, or which He cannot, or will not 
 give us grace to keep, then He is worse than the Egyptian 
 task-masters, who demanded from the Israelites bricks 
 without furnishing them straw. What would we say of 
 the parent who demanded of his sou that he lift a weight 
 of five hundred pounds, when he knew he could only lift 
 one hundred pounds ; and then the parent punishes the 
 son for not doing what it was impossible for him to do ? 
 We would all say he was a monster. And shall we, dare 
 we say that God is a hard task-master, giving us tasks 
 of impossible performance, binding heavy burdens upon 
 weak shoulders? Shall not the God of all the earth do 
 right ? And will He not always give us gracious, ability 
 when we lack natural ability, to perform every duty 
 which He requires of us ? Yes, my brethren, He will, 
 and the Holy Scriptures abound in promises to that 
 effect. " But my God shall supply all your need accord- 
 ing to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." He " is able 
 to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or 
 think, according to the power that worketh in us." 
 
18 
 
 THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 r. \ ! ^i ^ P'''°"^' ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^ personal mm- 
 
 ment of God's promises, we shall have perpetual victor - 
 over sm, subjectively and objectively. ^* ^^^^or^ 
 
 I want to say something more concerning the enioy- 
 ment of this experience by faith. If received by faith 
 It IS only retamed in the same way. A single act of faith 
 wiil not put us mto possession of heart purity for all 
 time except that act of faith be a perpetual act We are 
 s^ved moment by moment, by the faith of the Son of 
 God Like the little pebble at the bottom of the running 
 brook, clean and white ; so the sanctified soul by faith 
 b^Tomenr *'' '''"'' ""' '^^ '^^^^ ^^^^^^^h, moment 
 Here is a text which contains the whole plan : " If we 
 walk m the light, as He is in the light, we have fellow- 
 ship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ 
 His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." Here is the constant 
 walk, m the light of faith, as a condition of the blood 
 cleansing us momently. This Scripture, which is precept 
 promise and experience, all in one. is in the present tense' 
 forever. 'The blood cleanseth." It cleanseth me now 
 and now, and now, perpetually. ' 
 
 There is no room for boasting or vain glory in such an 
 experience, as there is no independent holiness apart from 
 the blood, and the constant indwelling of the Holy Ghost 
 The glory is all given " to Him who loved us and ga^e 
 Himself for us. The most profound humility comes 
 with such an experience, and its possessor hm solved 
 John Wesley s paradox — 
 
 " Sink me into perfection's height." 
 
 And the words of Jesus are fulfilled : " He that humbleth 
 
 -C' 
 

 f 
 
 THE DESTRUCTION OP SIN. 
 
 19 
 
 himself shall be exalted." The nearer a man gets to God, 
 and the more he partakes of His holiness, the less he' 
 thmks of his own ability and worthiness. The higher a 
 man lives in the heavenlies the lower sinks self. 
 
 Again, in this spiritual state, the faith act is as natural 
 and spontaneous as breathing ; the one requires as little 
 conscious effort as the other ; and notwithstanding we are 
 saved by the moment, we are not under a constant strain 
 and standing in jeopardy every hour. We are conscious 
 that we retain physical life by breathing, and if we stop 
 breathing we die, nevertheless breathing gives us little 
 or no anxiety. Faith is soul breath, and the air it breathes 
 is fragrant and delightful ; so that constant faith brings 
 constant joy and rest, as well as spiritual victory. 
 
 Second.— Having noticed that all Christians believe 
 that sin will ultimately be destroyed in us, and having 
 seen some of the opinions as to when and how that work 
 will be accomplished, we will now consider some of the 
 reasons why we do not all see that the experience is 
 attainable by all Christians, here and now, by simple 
 faith, just as the Bible declares. 
 
 1. Some include in their idea of holiness a freedom 
 from normal bodily appetites and passions. With such 
 an opinion it is no wonder that many do not believe the 
 experience is for living men. There certainly is no 
 Scriptural warrant for such an opinion, nor is there any 
 good reason for it apart from the Scriptures. 
 
 The foundation of the opinion is a misconception of 
 the two-fold nature of man, that of physical and spiri- 
 tual ; and an equal misconception of God's plan and pur- 
 pose in investing our human natures with the animal 
 
so 
 
 THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN, 
 
 qualities referred to. We must bear in mind that the 
 
 horse that I m.lv ^^ ' ""^ "'"^^ *=■■> " vicious 
 horse that I may be nding affects the character of the 
 
 wellTow w[ ::"■ """" '^ ^"-^ '^P''"™^'' I know too 
 wen, how both the one and the other mav lead m. ,nt 
 
 s.n a„ thns affect my „oral nature. I Z^:^;:^^. 
 tual nature ,f not under the dominion and powerof S 
 
 r/u,t ''"bS'^thf ""Tr-" "' "^^ 'y '^^ 
 
 luiyuisea , out the same thino- is fniA r.f ^i, • • 
 
 ho.e supposed; I may aHow li^ tldriv ^o inlr 
 governable r^ and into inhuman crueltr CeTs" 
 
 anTtrsrtS^r:ii;tr rrr" ^^^- 
 
 -n« of grace to him X tTanl ml^Zi """^ " 
 
 .ua'liro r,r;s thtr '" ?'^^^-' 
 
 good ; and, as a matter of fact, in the sense thai rC 
 p.ono„nced all things good when He created thlM 
 are good. Adam and Eve, while they weTye ho7; h H 
 the annual nature, 'ust the same as rfterwar"! tdt 
 
THE DESTUyCTlON OF SIN. 
 
 21 
 
 
 ff 
 
 vested mail with this nature, in order to carry out His 
 
 whirr ^^T "^"^ P"^r''' ^""^^''"^"g the race; and 
 what God has called clean, what right have we to call 
 common or unclean ? 
 
 No, my brethren, God docs not propose to unman us. 
 or to n,ake us other than human, but He does propose to 
 g.ve such strength of purpose and moral purity to our 
 souls that we shall use the r.,ost animal part, nf our na- 
 ture even to His glory and praise only ; and not as the 
 unwashed do gratify a 'fleshly carnal mind" with the 
 lusts of the hteral flesh. God proposes to give ns such 
 a gnp upon the spiritual reins with which tocmt-olour 
 anm,al natures, and give such strength to our moral 
 muscles that we shall be able to guide and control the 
 most hery of our passions and appetites, as a skilful 
 flor.«man gmdes well trained horses, be they ever so 
 8p.r,ted. God proposes to give us soul purity, and tnen 
 to put our bodies under the complete control of this 
 sanctified spiritual nature. 
 
 • ^- ^T" 'rJ""*" " *'^''" '^"^"^ '«'"'»=»^ "n experience 
 incapable ot feeling anger or indignation. Such an 
 opimon IS doubtless unscriptural. and such a state is con 
 trary to a vigorous and healthy manhood. Throuri, 
 some cause or other, there is a tendency to magnify the 
 gentler. or iemmme virtuesof the Christian character and 
 to minify the more sturdy, or ma«=uline virtues The 
 sisterhood of graces, meekness, humility and gentlen^' 
 have been so preached that our idea of a compfete Chr" 
 tian character does not take in the brotherhood of grace, ■ 
 courage, boldness, and a burning indication 1! Tn' 
 mean and devilish things. Indeed, I have known when" 
 
THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 such feelings have W.^^n exhibited bv 
 
 teen tak 
 
 saintly men, it has 
 
 a 
 
 — ■ evidence 
 
 in ihe S.UI of ICZjn^ "' ""''''" "' '^'"'"^^^^ 
 
 The outward manifestation of both f«^i- 
 similar that to an onlooker, Ldespiltr'"r'"^ 
 niay be mistaken for the other T^- "^''' ^"^ 
 
 example ; and see how bothte.enfe ^^^^^ T T'''^' 
 virtues were illustrated in Him. ' '^""'^"^ 
 
 Suppose He should come to one of TT,-c u u 
 
 »X~^:r; erf s?'^"' -■■" 
 
 Tem„lo, or when a voZconrt tt ' '" ''' ^"'^ 
 ->e of pews, or any of ,1, o X? levi^rC T °""° 
 church funds; and suppose, in the midlt ofT,] H. r"?! 
 overthrow the money tables, and at the „ "'of .IT" 
 
 OM. who woufd'sf/HeTasZereTS :S:- 
 are the improper ideas we bnv*. r.f v, ' ^"°*^ 
 
 " TK. J- • '; . "®^^^ ^^ ftaveof holiness and puritv 
 The discple is not above His Master » «n^ - t7.{' 
 have called themasto,. of the houseT.l i T u " *^^'^ 
 n>ore shall they call ..Jt^^:;:;^:^^^. ''''' ^^'^ 
 In makmg us holy Goa destroys in us , , , :. , 
 nc^^a^y quality of mind or heart^^hat makes J ;i;ht 
 
 3. Again, some think if we become holy that it i, 
 -enence which makes it impossible for ultol '^^l 
 
 V- -ontrary .o the experience of the best of men. 
 
 .4 
 
 t 
 
 W^-!SSSSW*!i!lSvJm"a! 
 
THK DKSTRUCTION OP »fN. 
 
 2:i 
 
 I 
 
 
 ■f 
 
 'iJ 
 
 If this were a correct view, I, too, shouhl oppose it, but it 
 is not a correct view. 
 
 I have never heard such an opinion advanced by 
 any of the advocates of the higher life. The blessing of 
 heart purity is obtained and retained by faith, and if 
 its possessor lets go the faith, he also loses the experi- 
 ence, and retrogrades to his old life and condition. It 
 is not said, that a man may not sin, but that he need not, 
 and will not, so long as his faith remains J iked to God's 
 omnipotence. 
 
 4. Others again, think the experience now advocated, 
 is a point beyond which we cannot go, , nd as they 
 believe in eternal progress, they oppose the d, ctrine also. 
 This again is a man of straw. No person advocates such 
 a theory and it is another example of mental confusion. 
 
 The Christian heart may be compared to a flower gar- 
 den, in which all the beautiful flowers of the ( hrist-life 
 are planted and growing. These plants of love, joy 
 peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faiti meek- 
 ness, and temperance, were planted by the Hoi Ghost 
 at the time of conversion. Soon after the experi nee cf 
 the new birth, the Christian realized to his utter . sma\ 
 that there were. other and contrary plants in his heart' 
 to the fn^rant and beautiful flowers just ment oned' 
 There was doubt and fear, envy and strife, prid^ and 
 petulance, and other similar briers and weeds, occupying 
 the same ground with the rarest and most costlv of 
 flowei's. "^ 
 
 Now, what is contended is, that the good gardner -an 
 and wil^, pluck up all these briers and weeds, and will 
 leave the ground in possess! of the flowers alone. 
 

 24 
 
 THE DESTRUCTION OF SIN. 
 
 Please distinguish between two things entirely different, 
 and that is the pulling up of the weeds, and the growth 
 of the flowers. 
 
 The garden will be perfectly free of weeds, but the 
 flowers will grow and become more and more beautiful, 
 and will emit ever increasing fragrance so long as " the 
 sun and moon endure" ; and when they " Shall wax old 
 
 like a garment and as a vestuie they shall be 
 
 changed," these heavenly flowers will but have begun to 
 bloom in the paradise of God. 
 
 Holiness includes perfect moral purity through the 
 blood of Jesus, applied by faith in an instant through 
 the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit, but it also 
 includes eternal progress. 
 
 " Now the God of peace, that brought again from the 
 dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, 
 through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make 
 you perfect in every good work to do His will, working 
 in you that which is well pleasing in His sight through 
 Jesus Christ ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. 
 Amen." 
 
4 
 
 irely different, 
 
 ■'\ ■ ■'"':■■■■■■-■ 
 
 1 
 
 ad the growth 
 
 
 sveeds, but the 
 
 
 Qore beautiful, 
 
 
 long as " the 
 
 
 Shall wax old 
 
 
 they shall be 
 
 -, 
 
 have begun to 
 
 
 7 through the 
 
 
 stant through 
 
 
 , but it also 
 
 
 of the sheep, 
 
 •venant, make 
 
 will, working 
 
 sight through 
 
 ver and ever,