The Globe-republican., 1893-12-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for December 8, 1899
Grateful Obedience 1:16-.:.

GOLDEN TExr.-We love Him. because He
first loved uS-l John i:l9
THE ACTHoR-Jar,es the Lords brother.
the acknowledged head OF the church - Jerusa-
lem James, the apostle, the son o. Ze0edee,
had long before March. A D ~ been mar
tyred By Herod facts i2:2I James, Sthe
! brother Of the Lord" has tecn identified by
many with James. the son of Alpheus but the
best authorities regard them as diheren, per
sors- He has been called James the Just He
was very rigid observer of the law both NOR
.! and ceremonial. regular wo-Shipsr In the
temple He was greatly reye-enceG. and exert
ed a powerful influence AS he rose 10 speak.
the grandeur OF his appearance. she mysterious
I awe which ciUrg about him as the heir Of iLv
ike OF David and the earthly brother Of his
L-rs. the stern sai City of his life, The asccn-
derry OF his powerful character, the spell ot his
Lifelong VOW rhe Nazari,e VOW. gave his words
. force which exceeded that of all the other
jewellers IL Jerusalem According TO JCsephuS,
. lie was stoned to death within q few months
after tie death of Festus, in November, A D
81. II the age of about sixty-rhree or sixty-four
Afford who makes him sixty years at the
/ last mention Of his name in Acts 2l:lG, or a.
D. IS
THE PLACE OF WRITING was Jerusalem. over
whose church James was pastor.
TIE DATE was probably A. D. 81 or g. nine
or ten years before the destruction Of Jerusa-
lem Dean Plum;re in the Cambridge Bible
pAaScS ZIG U1lc between A ~ Al aLC 0l. OrOO3-
oiy curing Paul's first missionary journey
(Acts 49,. This would make this the carries,
ofau the epis,les
To WHOM MISUNDERSTANDING 10 Christian
Jews everywhere. Christians who were exposed
20 many trials and temptations. James him
self is represented in all notices OF his life as
never Leaving the Holy city; but numbers OF
Jewish chr-tians from all parts of the world
would come up 20 the great annual festivals.
! and OF course would meet often with the
mother church AT Jerusalem. SO that James
would thus become acquainted with them. and
through them with the churches 20 which they
belong. Very probably, too members of his
church 1T Jerusalem would move 10 various
parts, and The would not lose sight OF the sheep
+ OF his flock even when scattered abroad
THE OBJECT Of this epistle is not so much
theological as practical. 10 hold up the ideal OF
/ the perfect Chris tian in daily life. II prcsup-
poses the Knowledge of Christian doctrine
I He is. above all anxious that they, in their
/ life Us individuals and rs community, sho@ld
! no, hold the faith in the Lord Jesus as q mere
( barren dogma but should show the fruits Of
| their higher knowledge in the thickness of Wis
/ 6om in . nobler and purer life CHAP. 3:l3,
There were two directions in which there
was special need OF guidance and help One
( was the right life under Affections and poverty
Prosecutions and trials Of thei. fate met them
/ On every side. Many of them were poor. and
! i'll treated on that account They needed COM
fort and courage and wisdom TO act Alright in
/ these circumstances. Or the other hand. there
were many temptations to q life unworthy Of
/ the disciples Of Christ There was tendency
/ in the rich 10 despise and Cypress the poor
/ There was danger Of respect Of persons" OF
/ idolatry OF riches, Of evil speaking. Of party
feuds, Of envyings and strife, of imagining that
/ piety could be divorced from holy living. In
/ these things there was great need Of warning
and instruction
PARALLELS-This epistle reflects more than
any other book OF the New Testament the Ian
guage Of the Sermon on the Mount, aud offers
many close resemblanceS to the Proverbs Of
Solomon and the books Of Ecclesiasticus and
Wisdom
THE USCHANGEABLENEssO OF Con.
1t is By the illustration given in this
lesson that we can understand the ma
ture of Gods unchanged leness. 1t is
not the unchanged leness of statue.
which always wears the same counte-
nance: nor of cold. hard heart. which
has no variation of emotion. but feels
the same toward good and bad alike.
His is the unchanged blenesS which be-
, longs to the spirit. the soul-with in
finite variety of emotions and of &C
tions. but with the same character. the
same principles. the same knowledge,
the same plans. the same love, forever
unchangeable: and toward the same
persons in the same circumstances al
ways acting and feeling the same. To
men on earth the sun seems constant
" changing. Sometimes it is in the
east, sometimes in the west; some
times at the horizon. again at the
zenith: it makes each day in the year
a different course through the sky:
now it is high noon, and now it is mid
night: now eclipsed, and now clouded.
But what is it that changes? The
earth changes. the seasons change. the
clouds change, but the sun itself is the
same through all these changes. So
men change. their character changes.
their actions change, their needs
change. and hence their relations to
God change: but God is always the
same. always loves. always rewards
faithfulness and Furnishes iniquity.
He is the same in knowledge. for He
knows all that is to be known. He is
the same in His purposes and plans.
and all His promises are sure. and just
as good to-day as when first uttered:
because they were made in all knowl-
edge and all wisdom, and He has all
power to execute them. Because God
is Interchangeable. therefore He will
keep all His promises, and answer
every prayer because He has promised
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Yer. l.. 1t is very comforting that
our blessings come from the hand of
love. as the proof of love.
1t is great comfort that our God Is
Interchangeable IN character. so that His /
promises are as good now as when first
uttered. ages ago; and His words arc
always true. His invitations always |
hold. His forgiveness is ever the same |
Vers- 1926 Hasty speech lessons !
the value of even the true things such 4
a speaker utters-
The proverb. Speech is silver. but I
silence is gold" is sometimes true: but I
there are often cases where speech is /
gold. and silence is death. We should I
not commit the folly of the nan who
burned down his barn TO get rid of the /
rats We are to bride our tongues.