Scriptural Sanctification - Media Sabda Org

We close these extracts from Bishop Foster with the following wise words addressed more
particularly to Methodists professing this "higher experience," but appropriate to all classes of our
people. He says:
"Brothers, God has taken us into a great fellowship, even the fellowship of himself; he has made
us partakers of the divine nature; has given to us the Spirit of his Son, the indwelling of the Holy
Ghost; has raised us to sonship and heirship; has set us to be the lights of the world; to be co-workers
with him in the salvation of our fellow-men, the custodians and the dispensers of his eternal truth,
and the witnesses of his grace to present and complete salvation from sin. This is our high calling
of God in Christ Jesus. We expect in a brief period to be done with this earthly life, and are
confidently hoping to be welcomed into heaven. In view of these things, what manner of persons
ought we to be? Surely we are called unto holiness. Let us not quibble and quarrel about names. The
great thing is to live as children of light.
"God has intrusted us with a great trust: the blessed doctrine of Christian holiness. The trust puts
us under peculiar responsibilities. Our fellow-Christians of other communions have given no such
hostages as we have. They are more modest in their professions. It is for us to prove that we are not
rash, and by the beauty of our lives to furnish incentives to the higher experience which we profess.
It is for all who profess the name of the Lord Jesus to depart from all iniquity, and to show
themselves pure and spotless."
We feel like giving here the words of a distinguished minister who was not a Methodist, the Rev.
Dr. Dale, of England. In a sermon preached before the Wesleyan Conference in 1879, he said:
"If Methodism had carried out its doctrine of entire sanctification in public, as well as in private
life, it would have effected the most profound ethical revolution modern history has known."
Anent ["anent," an archaic word = "concerning" -- Old English Etymology of a usage meaning:
"on a level with" -- DVM] what Bishop Foster says in the last paragraph quoted from him, it may
not be amiss to add the following from a private letter written the author by a well-known
Congregational minister and author:
"We Congregationalists must grope our way into the great truth with no denominational teaching
or literature to help us. But it is the great birthright and inheritance of Methodists."
We have quoted thus largely from this profound philosopher, learned divine, and eminent saint
because, from his long experience, his high position, and his wide observation, he is far better fitted
for giving advice to all classes than we are; and because his experience and teaching of this "higher
grace" for nearly half a century, and his well-known catholic and charitable spirit, and especially his
conservative views on this subject, fully entitle him to a patient and respectful hearing by those on
both sides of this perplexing question. Let us carefully weigh his weighty words.
It is not improper for us to add that Bishop Foster wrote the above some eight years ago, and that
part of his advice was intended to meet conditions supposed to be then existing in his own Church.
To what extent these conditions exist in our Southland we are not fully prepared to say. That there