because we know that his word is true, and he can not lie. It is all through faith in his word: "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."-Mark 11:24.

THE ACCEPTANCE.

A person may go to a merchant to buy goods that are offered for sale, and select the desired articles, learn the price of the same, and pay the money; and the merchant holds out the goods, offering them because the price has been paid. But now, unless that person accepts them, it will do him no good. He may have confidence that the merchant is true to his word and will let him have them, yet hesitate in accepting. Just so it is with salvation. People may do everything else but accept that for which they have been asking. God wants us to lay hold upon his promises, consider them true, and then step out boldly and receive what is our own. We have the promise spoken of by the prophet: "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 an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk

in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.. I will also save you from all your un

..

cleannesses. . . Thus saith the Lord God: I will yet for this be inquired of for the house of Israel, to do it for them."-Ezek. 36:25-37.

After fully obeying the word of God we can now with all confidence accept the promises, and have his word fulfilled in us, and the Holy Spirit, which is the abiding Comforter, take up his abode in our hearts. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions desired of him."-1 Jno. 5:14, 15. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he has given us."-1 Jno. 3:22, 24. And after we have accepted, God sends the witness of the Holy Spirit, and "hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit."-1 Jno. 4:13.

SANCTIFIED.

There are a great many views regarding sanctification, but our views and opinions do not amount to

much unless they are in harmony with the word of God; and when brought in line with his word it sweeps away all false views and opinions. Sanctification means, set apart; a separation; and while in a sense a justified person is set apart to the service of God, yet the separation which the word of God requires for entire sanctification has not taken place. It requires a real crucifixion of the "old man," or carnal mind; a heart cleansing and purifying must take place. As Paul says, purifying our hearts by faith. Acts 15:9. And "being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."-Rom. 15:16. Cleansed from all unrighteousness. 1 Juo. 1:9. We are sanctified by the will of God through the offering of Jesus Christ once for all. Heb. 10:10. "For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us; for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."-Heb. 10:14-16.

A sanctified person is one who is made holy, who has a pure heart, who is free from sin, has had all actual transgressions forgiven, and the sinful nature taken out of the heart. Holiness-fighters claim that a person can not live free from sin in this life. Even preachers fight holiness and say they sin more or less every day in thought, word, and deed; but we are taught in the word of God that we are to try the spirits

by the Word. So let us put this class of preachers and holiness-fighters on the witness stand now and try them by the Word, those who believe they must sin every day in thought, word, and deed. The Devil himself would not dare to make a broader assertion than this; in fact, he could not, because the worst sinner on earth only sins more or less every day in thought, word, and deed, and every holiness-fighter is classed in with them by the word of God. We read in 1 Jno. 3:8, "He that committeth sin is of the Devil." This is rather hard on holiness-fighters. The next

verse says, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." This surely ought to be plain enough, if there were nothing else in the word of God against them.

They say it is impossible for a person to be perfect in this life: but Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' He meant just what he said. He means that we are to have our hearts purified so that we can live pure lives in the sight of God. That we may live a life of Christian perfection. He does not mean by this that we become perfect in knowledge, perfect in understanding, perfect in wisdom, so we will never make any mistakes; but perfect in heart so that we are enabled to live pure and holy lives. "For as he is so are we in this present world." It is God in us that makes us pure. And when everything in opposition to God is eradicated and destroyed, and Christ is

enthroned within, it is then that we are made to reign in this life through one Christ Jesus. But some say, "There is none that doeth good, no, not one;" and use this as an argument against a pure and holy life. A preacher who was in opposition to holiness once brought up this argument against holiness, and said that the Bible did not teach holiness. We asked him if he belonged to that class that did not do good. At first he did not like to own to it, but when we told him that it really was not only in the Old Testament, but in the New also, and that we are under the gospel dispensation, and the New Testament is our guide and discipline, then he readily owned up to it that he belonged to that class. We referred him to the word in the Old Testament where it was spoken of those under the law, and the apostle says, "The law made no one perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did." This better hope was Christ, and through his suffering and death the veil was removed, and the way opened for us to enter into the holy of holies, or state of entire sanctification. But he said it was found in the New Testament, that "there is none that doeth good, no, not one." So we opened the word of God at Rom. 3:10, and there read, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.' "Yes," said he, "there you see what it