1.A 24. LETTER XXIV
LETTER XXIV. An objection stated-Answered-He grow, faster, in consequence of being sanctified-Illustrated-No other way to avoid apostasy than to press forward-No standing still-No foundation for the objection-The sanctified soul will grow to all eternity Confirmed by our Hymns. MY DEAR M : It has been objected by some, that if we are made partakers of entire sanctification, we are so perfect that we cannot grow any more. That this objection is founded in error, will appear manifest from the following considerations. Which child is is likely to grow faster-the one that is born in a healthy state, has suitable care taken of him, is nourished with wholesome food, and takes a proper degree of exercise-- or the one that has a sickly constitution, has, consequently, no appetite for substantial food, and is unable to strengthen his physical system by due exercise? Common sense will anser, that the former must necessarily grow with the greatest thriftiness.
Well, the sanctified Christian is restored to perfect soundness of heart and mind, has a sharp appetitue for spiritual food, and is ever ready to exercise himself in every good word and work. Such a soul is, therefore, prepared to "grow up into Christ, his living Head, in all things," much faster than the one yet labouring under the "dire disease" of "inbred sin." All his mental powers are in vigourous action-- his understanding is enlightened-- his affections are purified-- his heart is expanded with holy love to God and man--his motives are pure, and he aims at right objects in all his pursits-- he has a keen relish for the word of God-- believes heartily all the promises of God, and obeys his commandments. Does not such a man "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ?" Is he not prepared, rom the state of his heart, as well as from the equilibrium introduced into all his mental faculties, and into all the passions and appetites of his nature, to "grow up to the perfect statue of a man in Christ Jesus," much more steadily, thriftily, and of course, more surely, than the one who is still lingering along under the weakening disease of the remains of sin in his heart? I think there can be but one opinion upon this subject.
We know very well that mankind are represented, in their natural state, as sickly, diseased, "bruised and mangled by the fall;" so much so, that "from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundness." In this state the great Physician finds them. He takes them under his care, and to those who are willing to submit to his prescriptions, he pledges himself to effect a "perfect cure." This is done in justification and sanctification, the patient, in the mean time, submitting to take the bitter pill of repentance, while he exercises himself in prayer and faith. But a person who stops at justification has but half a cure performed. He is still sick at heart, and while labouring under this heart-sickness he certainly cannot grow up into Christ in all things as fast as he could were this remaining disease removed.
Besides, there is no other way to avoid backsliding from God, than to strive after this entire sanctification. Hence the reason why so " many are sickly and weakly" among us, and others are "falling asleep" in the arms of carnal security, is, because they have not been urged on in the path of holiness because they have not "forgotten the things which are behind, and pressed towards the mark for the prize of their high calling of God in Christ Jesus"--because they did not " leave the principles of the doc trine of Christ, and go on to perfection." And I scruple not to lay it down as an invariable rule, that unless a justified Christian continually press on in the way of holiness, and seek earnestly after entire sanctification, he will inevitably " lose his first love," slide back into a state of lukewarmness, and finally apostatize from God. No man can stand justified before God while he goes counter to his will. And this is the " will of God, even our sanctification," declared not only in the text just now quoted, but generally throughout the word of God, both in the Old and the New Testament. Well, can a man retain his justification that does not make this will the supreme rule of his faith and practice? Certainly he cannot. If, then, he would retain a consciousness of his " acceptance in the Beloved," he must " lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset him, and run with patience the race that is set before him, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith," that he may receive from him continual supplies of grace to strengthen him for the race, and wisdom to direct him in the selection of the means necessary for his growth in the Divine life.
It is so true, that it has become an established maxim, that there is " no standing still " in this " work of faith and labour of love." We must be either gaining or losing; either going forward or backward. Those, therefore, who do not go forward, must go backward; and those that thus go backward will most assuredly lose their standing in a state of justification, and, of course, fall into a state of condemnation while those who go forward, according to their best light and ability, will gradually gain a victory over their besetting sins, will be delivered in the hour of temptation, until finally they will be able to say, sin is totally destroyed from their hearts, and the " life they now live, they live by faith in the Son of God" "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made them free from the law of sin and death."
There is, therefore, no foundation for this very common objection, that if a man is made " perfect in love," there is no room for growth. There are, in fact, degrees of perfection. As Mr. Fletcher has somewhere said, a bud is a perfect bud, but not a perfect flower, and a perfect flower is not perfect fruit, and the fruit may not be yet perfectly ripe. Each stage is perfect in its kind and degree, though the bud is very im perfect when compared to the ripened fruit. So the bud of conviction may be perfect in its kind, while the blossom of justification presents an other degree of perfection, and the full-shaped fruit of sanctification presents a higher degree of perfection than either of the former, and then the sanctified Christian must go on ripening in every holy grace of the Spirit, until, like a ripe shock of corn, he is gathered into the garner of his Lord. And even after his arrival there, I apprehend he will be ever growing, his capacities will be continually expanding, so that he can comprehend new beauties of God and his works; new mysteries will be unfolded to his delighted view, while his holy soul shall for ever drink of those rivers of pleasures which flow from His right hand forever more. But the sanctified Christian will not only thus grow in wisdom, in humility, in faith, and abound more and more in good works, but he will labour more cheerfully, more easily, vigorously, safely, and profitably. As a sound, healthy man can eat and work much more than he that is sickly, so the Christian that is made "every whit whole," by the healing efficacy of Jesus blood, can do his Master’s work to much better purpose than he that is still labouring under the sin-sick disease of the remains of the carnal mind. He can pray with a stronger faith, watch against the slightest touches of temptations to sin with greater vigilance and success, can speak to others on the subject of salvation with much more ease and propriety, and enter into all the works of benevolence with a deeper sense of their importance, than he otherwise could.
How full of this subject, this continued growth in the Divine life, are our Hymns, to which I so frequently refer with the more pleasure, not only because you, my dear M., admire them so much, and sing them so heartily and delightfully, but because they are so exactly conformable to Scripture, and agree so perfectly with the experience of every holy Christian.
" Yet ONWARD I baste to the heavenly feast; That, THAT it the FULNESS; but THIS is the TAITI!" But turn to the 283d hymn, old collection, and see how earnestly the poet prays God to " let his wisdom be his guide," and God’s " peace and love his portion be," and then concludes the hymn in the following words of faith and prayer :
" Arm me with thy whole armour, Lord!
Support my WEAKNESS with THY MIGHT; Gird on MY THIGH THY conquring SWORD, And shield me in the threatning fight : From FAITH to FAITH, from GHACE to GRACE, So in thy strength shall I GO ON; Till heaven and earth flee from thy face, And glory END what grace BEGUN." And as if eager to grasp the whole length and breadth of sanctifying love, he says, " Give me the ENLARG D desire, And OPEN, Lord, my soul, Thy own fulness to require, And comprehend the whole. STRETCH my faith’s capacity WIDER and yet WIDER still; Then with all that is in thee, My SOUl FOREVER FILL!"
It would seem that the poet adopted the principle of perpetual progression, a continual enlargement of the mental capacity, not only while we live in this world, but to all eternity. And what is there incongruous in this? Are not the works of the Almighty sufficiently magnificent to occupy the mightiest intellect in their contemplation, in their minutest examinations, as well as to command the wondering admiration of the most profound thinker, to all eternity?
O, my dear M., this is a subject too vast to dwell upon. It overwhelms us by its greatness!
" Astonish d at thy frowning brow, Earth, hell, and heaven’s strong pillars bow;
Terrible majesty is thine! Who then can that vast love express, Which bows thee down to me, who less Than nothing am, till thou art mine!"