• ”Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.” – Corrie Ten Boom

Biography of PHOEBE PALMER.


Inseparably connected with the doctrine of entire con- 
secration and sanctification are the names of Dr. and Mrs. 
Phoebe Pahner. After obtaining a deeper Christian expe- 
rience themselves^ the lives of these two consecratd evan- 
gdists were devoted to leading others into the same expe- 
rience. The influence of their teachings can be traced in 
the lives of many noted Christians of both America and 
Britain. Mrs. Palmer is well known for her teaching of 
'' Put all upon the altar, and the altar sanctifies the gift/' 
This figure was drawn from the fact that in Old Testa- 
ment times the fire was always bummg on the altar, and 
the sacrifice was consumed as soon as placed on the altar. 
So, Mrs. Palmer taught, the fire of the Holy Spirit is al- 
ways burning on the altar of true consecration, ready to 
consume every one who truly offers himself a living sac- 
rifice to God. 

For a long time after her conversion, Mrs. Palmer had 
a great desire to be sanctified, but she felt as though the 
blessing was too great for her to ever think of attaining 
to it. A close study of God's Word convinced her that He 
had commanded and expected all Christians to be holy, 
sanctified, *' vessels unto honor, sanctified and meet for the 
Master's use." " This is the will of God, even your sanc- 
tification," "For God hath not called you unto unclean-^ 
ness, but unto holiness," "Be ye holy, for I am holy," 
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which 
no man shall see the Lord," and many similar passages of 
Scripture convinced her of her need of holiness. Then she 
began to expect God to convict her deeply for the experi- 
ence. At last her eyes were opened to see that " knowl- 
edge is conviction/' and that the only conviction necessary 
was to be convinced of her need. She then began to seek 
(earnestly for the experience. At first she felt that great 
agony and struggle of soul must be necessary to obtain the 
experience. But finally she was convinced that it was to 
be obtained by faith, as it was not necessary to struggle 
and agonize to obtain an experience which God commands 
and expects all Christians to have. She then trusted God for 
the experience, and could say with the writer of the hymn, 

"When I gave all trying over. 
Simply trusting, I was blessed." 

In her widely circulated book, "The Way of Holiness," 
she relates her own experience, speaking in the third per- 
son, as follows: 

" Over and over again, previous to the time mentioned, 
had she endeavored to give herself away in covenant to 
God. But she had never, till this hour, deliberately re- 
solved on counting the cost, with the solemn intention to 
* reckon herself dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God 
through Jesus Christ our Lord " (Rom. 6: ii) ; to account 
herself permanently the Lord's, and in truth no more at 
her own disposal ; but irrevocably the Lord's property, for 
time and eternity. Now, in the name of the Lord Jehovah, 
after having deliberately 'counted the cost,' she resolved 
to enter into the bonds of an everlasting covenant, with the 
fixed pui*pose to count all things but loss for the excellency 
of the knowledge of Jesus, that she might know Him and 
the power of His resurrection, by being made conformable 
to His death, and raised to an entire newness of life. . • • 
On doing this, a hallowed sense of consecration took pos- 
session of her soul/' etc.

From the book ‘Deep Experiences of Famous Christians’ pp. 378,379

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2 Responses to Biography of PHOEBE PALMER.

  • Cliff Warner says:

    ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION 1) mandated from heaven. 2) a biblical fact. 3) exclusively for believers. 4) aucustrated in the heart of the believer by the God Head (Devine Trinity). 5) subsequent to regeneration and justification. 6) a prerequisite for a steady life in holiness and glorification. (Heb.12:14)

    • womenof7 says:

      Hi Cliff, Sanctification is something that is attained by dying to self daily. No one person is "entirely" sanctified wholly at one time. It is a process that we live out while here on earth. I hope this is what you mean? Thanks for the comment, Michelle

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