Holiness Seekers-Five Different Classes

There are different grades of Holiness seekers. They might properly be divided into five different classes. The first is a person who was never genuinely converted. He thinks he was, but what he calls conversion was in reality nothing more than conviction. In some popular revival his emotions and sympathies were aroused and worked upon until he promised to make a "start for heaven." Perhaps he gave up some of his worst sins such as gambling, swearing and drinking; he joined the church and commenced to live better which produced an ease of conscience. Now he comes to seek holiness; confesses his sins, accepts Christ as his sanctifier, and claims "the blessing by dry faith,' and gets a "dry-eyed" profession, which he is urged to call "the second blessing." The devil knows this kind of work is a sham so he lets it flourish and prosper.

The second case is one who once had the witness of the Spirit that he pleased God. He was freely justified, but he says he feels the need of something more; so now he comes to seek holiness. He has been doing some things he feels he ought not to do and leaving undone other things that he feels he ought to do. He has had trouble with his temper; he has been speaking unkindly to his wife, children, or servant. He has been getting "out of patience" with his cattle or neighbor's hogs. It is hard for him to forget the injustice done him by a certain man.

But now he is sorry for all these things and asks pardon of all concerned; he weeps and prays until he feels perfectly satisfied that all the past is under the blood. Of course he is told this is the "blessing of 'holiness," but doubtless the truth is, he has simply regained his "first love."

The third case is a person who has been living a holy life. He has been saved from foolish talking, and backbiting; from ill will and revenge; from worldly conformity and "harmless () amusements;" from dishonesty and depraved appetites, In short, he has been walking in the light, enjoying the fellowship of the Spirit and been consecrated to all the will of God, -all he knew and all he did not know, as soon as revealed to him by the Spirit.

Notwithstanding this he has been grieved and pained at the carnal stirrings and unpleasant emotions he has felt at times. He attends a camp meeting, holiness convention or some public meeting and is told that "Holiness" is what he needs; so he goes forward as a seeker, He follows the instructions; he seeks for something instead of seeking to get rid of something. He consecrates, but God cannot use his "old man," for consecration means "coming with both hands full." God wants that which he can use. His cure for the "carnal mind" is death. He "reckons himself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God" but the fact is he knows nothing of Calvary's crucifixion, much less its resurrection power.

The seeker is told to "lay all upon the altar for the altar sanctifies the gift." But in this he fails, for nothing unclean dare come nigh the altar. Death must take place and all uncleanness be separated from the sacrifice before it can be offered. He surrenders and abandons himself to God as never in the past and as a result, receives a wonderful manifestation of the presence and power of God. It will do any soul good to do this occasionally. The seeker is told this is holiness and begins to profess and testify to it while self and shallowness is still visible in his efforts and behaviour. But he has professed now, and he "must not doubt," and throw away his "confidence." So the poor mistaken soul goes on professing holiness, calling the smoulderings and stirrings of carnality, "temptations," "doubts from the enemy," "nervousness," "holy Indignation," etc. This renders it almost impossible for God to undeceive him, for he is fortified not only against straight preaching, but the involuntary deceitfulness within has a tendency to ward off light and even God himself. Superficial teachers are largely responsible for all these powerless, hurried-through professions.

The fourth case is one who has experienced all that the second and third did, but was too conscientious to continue to profess, after he was convinced that the "roots of bitterness" still existed within. Through grace he has been enabled to keep every carnal trait suppressed, so that he lives above what many call Holiness. In fact, he lives outwardly as though sanctified. He hears a sermon or reads an article on death to carnality. The subtle manifestations of the "carnal mind" are pictured so vividly and deliverance backed up so forcibly, by the Holy Ghost, that he says, "That is just what I have been longing for."

Or, he may have once had the real experience, but has settled down just enough to become inoffensive, has last the earthquake power in prayer and testimony and become careless on lines of self-denial and secret devotion. He may preach-h and advocate the correct theory and yet be void of the heavenly unction that such a theory produces: Doubtless he incurred guilt when he yielded to carnal ease, but he may have recovered himself so quickly, that he did not discriminate the break in experience. Be that as it may, now he comes to seek holiness. By fasting and prayer he is enabled to see the uncleanness of his soul, (as Fletcher says,) "the remains of envy, jealousy, fretfulness, anger, pride, impatience, peevishness, formality, sloth, prejudice, bigotry, carnal confidence, evil Shame, self-righteousness, idolatrous love, and I know not how many of the evils which form the retinue of hypocrisy and unbelief. By frequent and deep confessions (he) drags out these abominations." He is on the right line, but his deceitful heart will betray him the last moment if possible. And very often it does, for he prays and confesses until he reaches a point where he feels a degree of peace and quietness; this unloading and unburdening the soul of carnal filth, brings a sense of emptiness and rest. The contrast is so great and enjoyable that the unwary seeker slacks up and stops short of the last and greatest battle, that of unbelief. It was easy to pray and confess while the power of the spirit was upon him, but now comes the real test of steady, all conquering faith. Unbelief from within and the devil with circumstances from without, coupled perhaps with weakness of body, will rise like mountains, and swoop down upon the soul with discouragements and ten thousand diabolical schemes, to divert, if possible, the seeker from obtaining the witness of complete deliverance. To add to the test of faith, the Father may turn his face from the scene of crucifixion. The seeker has power to come down from the cross and often does, rather than emphatically will his own death until faith cries, and the blood 'witnesses, "IT IS FINISHED."

The fifth case is the one who receives the witness. The Holy Ghost testifies to it, all Heaven re-echoes the testimony, earth holds her silence and hell quails before the presence of a cleansed soul, -so clean that the devil himself cannot find anything to claim as his own, nor the Omniscient gaze, find anything more that ought to be removed. Reader! Have you this testimony