Scriptural Sanctification - Media Sabda Org

Mr. Moody closed with the following words:
"I would not for the whole world go back to where I was before 1870. Since then I have never lost
the assurance that I am walking in communion with God, and I have a joy in his service that sustains
me and makes it easy work. I believe I was an older man then than I am now; I have been growing
younger ever since. I used to be very tired when preaching three times a week; now I can preach five
times a day and never get tired at all. I have done three times the work I did before, and it gets better
every year. It is so easy to do a thing when love prompts you. It would be better, it seems to me, to
go and break stone than to preach in a professional spirit."
Mr. Moody's interpretation of Scripture, confirmed by his experience, is (1) that this baptism of
the Spirit comes after conversion or regeneration, and is different from and superior to it. (2) That
it comes "suddenly" or instantaneously, "like lightning." (3) That this fullness of the Spirit in his case
was not only "ecstatic" and "charismatic," but "ethical" as well. For it brought "assurance," and
internal strength that were permanent -- remained with him up to the time he made the address -fifteen
years after his wonderful baptism. And it so renewed his youth and increased his strength that
he could do "three times as much work" as he could before. (4) He knows when he received it as well
as he knows when he sees a "flash of lightning." Hence he told the young men that "there will be no
trouble about knowing when you have got it."
It is well known that the Quakers, or Friends, and the Salvation Army people thus interpret the
Scriptures and Christian experience. The writings of such Friends as Mrs. Hannah Whitall Smith,
author of The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, and David B. Updegraff, as well as those of George
Fox and other earlier writers, teach substantially and plainly the Wesleyan theory of sanctification.
And the same may be said of the writings of General William Booth, Mrs. Catherine Booth, and
other leaders of the Salvation Army. They use the Wesleyan terminology.
It may be asked if this second work subsequent to regeneration, spoken of by Gordon, Murray,
Pierson, Meyer, Moody, and others, is anything more than one of the "many baptisms" or blessings
of the Spirit, referred to by Dr. Tillett, Dr. Mudge, and others when discussing the "second blessing"
theory of sanctification. Is it not simply an "emotional" fullness of the Spirit, which may pass away
with the occasion that brings it? Or is it not merely the "charismatic" fullness of the Spirit, or a
baptism of courage, or of zeal for souls, referred to by the Rev. Hugh Price Hughes and others, which
may or may not involve that which is subjective, and permanent? Does it involve or bring identically
or substantially what Wesley and his followers call of "entire sanctification" or "perfect love"? We
have answered this question as to Mr. Moody.
As we agree with the Rev. F. B. Meyer that no one who has recently written on "the person and
mission of the Holy Spirit is so lucid, so suggestive, so scriptural, or deeply spiritual" as is Dr.
Gordon (we except Dr. Steele), we will let him answer the above questions. Dr. Gordon calls them
"the first and second stages of spiritual experience," "the twofold life," and denominates them
"regeneration and renewal," or "conversion and consecration." He is careful, however, to tell us that
"in all that we have said we have assumed that the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier and Sealer of this
consecration," meaning that the Holy Spirit does an important work in us when we, by his grace,
more fully consecrate ourselves to God -- perform the act of "self consecration." And he teaches that