as long as it would take to meet the conditions. No one in
such a case should wait an hour, but knowing just what conditions are
required, they should be complied with at once.

Ques. How can we understand the seventh chapter of Romans to harmonize
with the doctrine of holiness?

Ans. From the seventh verse of this chapter the apostle describes his
experience when under the law, before he had been brought into the grace
of God. From the seventh to the fourteenth verse he speaks of his
experience, making use of the past tense. From the fourteenth verse
through the rest of the chapter he makes use of the present tense, but
still continues the description of his past experience.

It is held by holiness opposers that this chapter is a description of
the apostle's experience under grace, and that this is the highest
possible experience attainable in this gospel dispensation. But such an
experience is not consistent with grace at all. If this were all that
grace can do, there would be no encouragement in it for any one to
accept. No sinner could do worse than the experience described here,
except that he might deliberately choose to sin and do everything wrong.
This chapter describes the sinner as having a desire in his mind to do
right but no power within him to carry out his desires, in any respect.
He is awakened to the requirements of the law of God, but finds he is
held fast by another law which holds him with such power as to render
him helpless, utterly helpless, to do anything good. This does not apply
to the justified experience under grace. It applies perfectly to that
under the law, because the Mosaic law had no other power, nor design,
than to awaken the conscience; and this is just what the apostle here
describes concerning himself "For I was alive without the law once: but
when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died."--Rom. 7:9. He died
in trespasses and sin. This was the condition of all men under the law,
and this is where grace found the world. "Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every
mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before
God."--Rom. 3:19.

Ques. Is every child at birth sinful by nature?

Ans. The race of mankind has descended from Adam through Seth, who was
born not in the image of God as Adam and Eve were created, but in the
image and after the likeness of Adam as he was after the fall. It is
evident that