"far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." (Ephes. i. 21.) For says the Spirit again, "Ye are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power." (Col. ii. 10.) For again says the word, "As He is, so are we in this world." (1 John iv. 17.) More than mere washing, then, more than spotlessness, is meant when it is added, "Ye are sanctified."

It has been remarked that the same agency is spoken of in washing, sanctifying, and justification. Thus, "washed us from our sins in His own blood," has the companion Scripture, "Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate." (Heb. xiii. 12.) We are even free to admit, yea more, to contend, that these effects are collateral and contemporaneous; for, it is " 'by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Heb. x. 14.) Moses made this great mistake-he smote the rock the second time, "the rock that followed them, and that rock was (signified) Christ." There is no more smiting. "I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad." (Matt. xxvi. 31; Zech. xiii. 7.) "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sin ;" it was an act of eternal merit and power. He is seated for ever as a priest, He riseth no more as such. He will come the second time without sin unto salvation. He is on His Father's throne, waiting "until His enemies be put a footstool for His feet;" so it is in Matt. xxii. 44; Mark xii. 36; Luke xx. 43; Acts ii. 35; Heb. i. 13, the work of the Father; whereas in 1 Cor. xv. 25 it is as translated, for there His own work is stated.

Let us inquire wherein this sanctification consists. As in washing, so in sanctification, there are two kinds.

1. Sanctification is an absolute condition, secured by the absolute fiat of the Almighty.

This is dogmatically taught in a few Scriptures, especially in 1 Cor. i. 2: Unto the Church of God which is in Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus." An earnest

writer has said, "The Bible is not a book of dogmas. Whatever it is, it is not dogmatic." ** This is a hard saying, though by an able and spiritual man. That it is not all dogmatic is comprehensible. But if his definition of the word "dogma" is correct, that "dogma is the authoritative statement of doctrine," surely there is much of it in the Bible. But this is modified by another sentence: "It is the settlement of matters of belief by human authority." Such dogmas no true free man in Christ will submit to.

A man without a creed is scarcely a man at all. Intellectually he falls below the level of His creation, for "God made man in His own image." Creed is a formulary of belief, and a man who thinks at all believes some things. Even the devils believe; yea, they made their confession; and that they thoroughly believe is proved in their trembling. Where a man gets his creed is all-important. In the Romanist community this is provided for him; but so much does this differ from the New Testament creed, that a learned man of that party, on once taking up the New Testament, read a little, then threw it down, saying, "Either that book is false, or our religion is." Now why, we ask, should the Scriptures be supplemented? Expositions there can be no objection to; prolonged commentaries may have their use; but what form other than the Scriptures, and opposed thereto, should be tolerated?

Ye are sanctified," says the apostle in our text: and how? 66 By the Spirit of our God." Now these words were addressed to those whom he had just rebuked with these humbling words: "Ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (Cor. iii. 3.) Could such be sanctified? It is said so. But in i. 2 of this epistle it is qualified thus "in Christ." Here is ground for praise: here is comfort for the tender conscience-for the one who succeeds

not in his fruitless search after something to commend him to the notice of a holy God. There is nothing to be found. This, like many other things, must be taken on the authoritative "testimony." Faith alone can accept this dogmatic statement, and this is all that is required. "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?" (Job xi. 7.) If God made no demands upon us that are beyond us, faith would have an easy mission: but not so; there is a faith that can remove mountains. It is a hard labour that faith has to accomplish, and how are we straitened in the accomplishment! Nevertheless, to one in earnest communion with God, faith is more easy than unbelief, for he is daily proving that He is faithful who has promised-He cannot lie.

We may refer to a human tribunal for an illustration of what we are discussing. A man is charged with theft. Evidence is taken for and against. He is proved to be free from the charge. There is nothing analogous to washing here, for he was not defiled by the theft. He was, however, charged with the guilt. He is pronounced "not guilty." This is a faint illustration of the condition of sanctification-and only faint. It is, however, on the ground of this "not guilty" verdict that the prisoner is justified from all the demands of the law.

He that has been washed returns no more to his wallowing in the mire of natural uncleanness, however he may turn aside through the deceitfulness of sin that dwelleth in him. But not because he is washed simply is this safety secured. He is sanctified he is made meet for the Master's use. The idea of sanctification is holiness, a being hallowed, consecrated, set apart. So we find in Ex. xxix. concerning the priests, "This is the thing that thou (Moses) shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me, in the priests' office." Then we read of washing, anointing with oil, and sprinkling with blood. Furthermore, we read in Ex. xxx. 30, that this anointing is consecration:-"Thou shalt anoint

Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them."*

In 2 Thess. ii. 13, we read, "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." We see that this sanctification occupies the foremost place in the work of the Spirit. Not only is it a foremost thing, but a fundamental—the very ground of our being in Christ. "He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love." (Eph. i. 4.) The medium of the choice is sanctification, as we read in the first of these Scriptures, and the continued existence is in the same, for "saints" and "sanctification have the same root meaning.

Sanctification is not mere innocence. One may be innocent, and yet never rise higher than his normal condition: such would for ever have been Adam's condition in Eden. He kept not his first estate; nothing can restore that and effect nothing more. The blood of Jesus Christ goes immeasurably beyond this: it washes indeed, and thus institutes a condition corresponding to Adam's; but by God's ineffable chemistry there is an utter change-once enemies, now reconciled; once afar off by wicked works, now brought nigh; once children of wrath, now children of God; once aliens and foreigners, now fellow. heirs with Christ of the kingdom; once darkness, now light in the Lord; once dead, now quickened together with Christ, yea, "members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones;" one with the Father and the Son." (John xvii. 21.) This is sanctification indeed; but not all that is meant. Hence we remark :

Secondly. That sanctification is to be the daily, habitual work of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bearing on this point most manifestly is that prayer of our Lord,

Holy and hallow seem both to have the same Saxon root hal-whole, though holy seems more evidently from the Greek öλos, whole. The Greek “äyɩos, holy, is from a negative, and y, the earth; i.e., separated from the earth."-Parkhurst.

"Sanctify them through Thy truth, Thy word is truth." (John xvii. 16.) This is said of those to whom He had previously declared, "ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." They were sanctified to the work; their Master prays that they may be sanctified for the work, by being made fit for it in holiness.

The objection may be anticipated that sanctification is thus made necessary only for workers. And who of the Lord's people, we may urge in reply, are exempt, as workers? If any, there are no directions for them. Drones are not suffered long in the busy hive. "If any will not work, neither let him eat." The bread and wine of the kingdom are not for him. What can I do? "does any one inquire?" "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might." Beware how this demand proceeds from a selfish, ease-loving heart. It is not every one that is called to be an evangelist, or pastor, or teacher. But there are more places to be filled than occupiers for them. This discrepancy, this inadequacy is not through disregard of the great Shepherd of the sheep, but through the indifference of those who should be "filled with all the fulness of God." They should" come behind in no gift," seeing that the Holy Spirit dwelleth in them. The body is not one member but many." Gifts are always safe when grace predominates. Grace is orderly, so ought gift to be. Grace is always lowly and conservative: gift may be lofty and corrupt, as in Balaam.

God will save His people, therefore He provides the means. He will then have them look after their own salvation, to make their calling and election sure, i.e. stable, firm. He leaves it to them to care for, always promising His help, and do they care? "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance," i.e. He never recalls them. If they are not very manifest, if almost hid, it is because the "people love to have it so;" they grieve, they quench the Spirit.

This practical sanctification can be effected only by a continued effort. We have already referred to, and somewhat enlarged on the washing of

the water in the word, and the issue of that is a making clean; but sanctification by that same water seems to be a process leading to a higher condition. This effect is, perhaps, analogous to that which is wrought by afflictions cleansing us; but we do speak of sanctified, or even sanctifying afflictions: indeed, when we use the former term, the meaning is not that the afflictions themselves are such, but that the effect on us has this issue: "He (chasteneth us) for our own profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness." (Heb. xii. 10.)

This

Whilst affliction is one great means for the sanctification of the family of God, we must not look upon it as an arbitrary institution, or an inevitable resource of Him who is love. is assuredly confirmed by that word, "He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." (Jer. iii. 33.) Neither are we to consider it as an accident, for "affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground." (Job v. 6.) It is, therefore, speaking with all reverence, a necessity which we lay on our Father's hands. The whole history of God's ancient people proves this, and our own experience confirms it. God has a certain purpose in conformity with what He has already effected. Thus He declares us to be "elect through (or in) sanctification of the Spirit" (1 Pet. i. 2); then, "this is the will of God even your sanctification." We repeat, it is not an arbitrary institution. Take a wise and loving earthly father-does he daily, or periodically, or even occasionally take the rod and chasten his children with the thought that such a discipline must be unconditionally good for them? Or does he use that rod, or whatever chastening he may adopt because of some transgression? Now, we are told that earthly fathers do this as it seemeth good to them, with wise intent, doubtless, but our heavenly Father with certainty "for our profit." Does God, in the infinity of His love and wisdom, give us needless sorrow? Does he choose it, or do we burden His heart and hands with the distasteful work? He en

joins it as a duty upon "fathers of our flesh," and the terms are precise as given us by Solomon, "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." (Prov. xxiii. 14.) Like the whole of the book of Proverbs, this is heavenly wisdom ap-, plied to earthly things.

SCRIPTURE EMENDATIONS. JOHN iii. 19, "And this condemnation is just, because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, for their deeds were evil."

The

The A. V. sets up another ground of condemnation besides that mentioned in the previous verse, it is really only a justification of that. word "just," is supplied to show this. "If ye were blind," said Jesus, "ye should have no sin, but now ye say, We see, therefore your sin remaineth." (John ix. 41.) So, if light had not come into the world giving power to vision, there would be no condemnation for rejection. No one condemns the blind for not seeing; nor the most clear-sighted for not discerning an object without light. We have both light and sight. No one disavows sight, though many reject the light. That was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John i. 9.)

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God, however, requires nothing from man beyond what man can yield. Certain faculties are given, and these with varying powers. "Every man according to his ability," is the rule of exaction. No celestial tribute is demanded from an earthly subject. The five talents can produce five; and the two, two. No more is required of the one talent. If dissatisfaction rolls it up in a napkin, then rebellion is not slow to reproach the rightful lord with unrighteous and unreasonable expectations. In all departments of the world's laboratory, the industrious, as the greatest producers, are those who, virtually at least, most justify Him who endows them. The slothful fail, and then ascribe to others the evil results, as

being likewise the cause of inefficiency. So we sometimes hear such vain excuse as, "If I had faith, I would do so and so." Is there faith at all? If so, what is done with it? Is it too small for use? The little seed may yield a great tree: yea, has within it that tree in embryo. Faith is capable of indefinite growth; but it must be cultivated; refreshed with the dew of Heaven continually, it will never know drought, nor shall the leaf thereof wither.

Beyond the exercise of endowment, nothing is required. New creaturehood is no more in the power of man, than was the power to make man out of the dust of the ground-to mould him into that magnificent form and elaborate structure which became the noblest of Eden's beauties. He who breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life must again exercise His all creative might to make "children of wrath" become "sons of God." He who gave Christ justly demands a belief from those for whom He gave Him, that they should believe in the genuineness of His gifts and the efficiency thereof. Clifton.

W. HOWELL.

PROVINCIAL JUDAISM.

I HAVE the privilege occasionally to exchange a few thoughts with a Jewish brother, and to speak of Him "whom to know is to have life eternal." Such a privilege I had yesterday, the day following that of the atonement (1). The occasion fitly suggested the subject of the true atonement, which was also our topic then.

One does not often meet with a son of Abraham confessing ignorance as to the day on which the above high fast ought to be celebrated, which was however the case under consideration. "I had quite forgotten," said the pseudo-Israelite, "about the day of atonement this year." And on bringing before him the nature of that institution as a shadow of the substance and as one of the chief types having reference to Messiah, he remarked: "Well, according to your belief, then modern Judaism is false, and therefore I need not keep it!" But, dear

friend," said I, "if you take my word for one thing, why not for another? If you believe me that modern Judaism is false, why do you not accept the teaching of Christianity, which I maintain to be true?" Here is the clever answer: We have (he is with a partner in business) a deal of work to do, and have no time for such things. Moses, and Abraham, and others had nothing else to do, so they could be religious; but we have to work hard for a living."

I reminded my young friend seriously of the day of judgment, with which the day of atonement should have inspired him-whether that plausible answer would then stand the test; and with that we parted. P. W.

Correspondence.

THE NEW MEAT OFFERING ;
OR, TWO WAVE LOAVES.

LEVITICUS xxiii. 15-21.

To the Editor of the Hebrew Christian Witness and Prophetic Investigator.

DEAR SIR,-The inquiry in your last number, "What is signified by the two wave loaves?" with your reply to that inquiry, induces me to offer a few remarks which may, I trust, help to elucidate that significant feature of the typical Pentecostal feast.

Agreeing with you, that the "fifty days" were to be computed from the morrow after the ordinary Sabbath in the Passover week, that morrow typifying the eventful "first day of the week," when Jesus burst the bonds of death and rose triumphant from the grave; does it not follow that, on the descent of the Holy Ghost, "when the day of Pentecost was fully come," the offering of the two wave loaves in that feast represents those, concerning whom Peter spake, saying: "The promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts ii.), viz., to all Israel; for the promise of the gift of the Spirit in the last days, which Peter quotes from the prophet Joel, was made eight hundred years before Christ and previous to the separation of the tribes; including, therefore, not devout Jews only, but

both houses of Israel. True, the Gentiles were to be made partakers of their blessing-not to form two churches, Gentile and Jewish,- but to be built up together as the one Church of the living God. They are not, however, strictly speaking, included in this feast of the Lord for Israel; its two loaves typifying rather, in the Divine prescience of Him who had purposed their separation,* the two houses of Judah and Israel; as expressly so, as the twelve tribes were typified by the twelve cakes on the golden table, put there for a memorial before the Lord,t and by the twelve precious stones on the breast plate of the high priest, engraven with the names of the children of Israel, engraved also upon the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod ;‡ the names of all the twelve, and not of two tribes only, borne thus before the Lord upon the breast and shoulders of their high priest expressing-and oh, how graciously so-the love and power that were pledged ever to remember and glorify Himself in them, as "the people whom he had formed for Himself, that they should show forth His praise; never to cease from being a nation before Him for ever,§ however blind unbelief may ask concerning these "tribes of His inheritance," Where are they? How have Jehovah's promises concerning them been fulfilled? How can they be found and restored? And even where their existence is admitted, yet, ignorant of the truth signified, we believe, by the two wave loaves, a solution of the difficulty is sought by merging all the twelve tribes into the one house of Judah, in manifest contradiction to the inspired statement of their distinctness up to the time of their still future return to their own land, as symbolised by the two sticks of Ezekiel xxxvii.; one "for Judah and his companions of Israel, the other for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel his companions."

But to follow on with the details of the type under consideration. The two loaves were to be baken with learen, invariably a type in Scripture of corruption-of the evil of the flesh; for however regenerate, born of the Spirit, or adorned with His gifts and graces, the believer has still the old nature to be kept in subjection;