The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-12-01
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson Tor December .. 1893
-Grate ful ObedLence-y ames lil0-x7.

Especially Arranged from Peloubcts Notes1
GOLDEN TExT-Wc love Him. because Ho
FIRST loved US II John $:ig
THE AUTHOR James the Lords brother.
the acknowledged head Of the church at Jcrusa-
lem James. The apostle. the son OF Zebcdec.
had long before March. A. ID ~ been mar
tyred by iIcrod tActs i.;sl James. 'thc
brother Of the Lord" has tecn identified by
many with James. the son Of Alpheus: but the
best authorities regard them ~ different per
sons. He has been called James the just. lie
was q very rigid observer Of the law. both plor-
al and ceremonial regular worshipcr IA the
temple He was greatly revcrenced. and exert.
I'd a powerful influence. As he 10 speak
the grandeur OF his appearance, the mysterious
awe which chung about him as the heir OF the
line OF David and the earthly brother Of his
Lord. the stern sanctity OF his life. the asccn.
dcncy OF his powerful character. the spcll OF his
lifelong vow 1.-THE Nazarife VOW. gave his words
force which exceeded that OF oil the other
dwellers In Jerusalem According 10 Josephus.
he was stoned To death within "a few months
after the death OF Festus. in November A. ID
81. at the age OF about sixty three or sixtyfour
Afford. who makes him sixty years at the
last mention OF his name In Acts lis. or A.
ID, So
THE PLACE OF WRITING was Jerusalem. over
whose church James was pastor.
TIE DATE was probably A. ID 81 or &C. nine
or ten years before the destruction OF Jcrusa-
lem Dean Plumtre in the Cambridge Bible
places the date between A. ID ~ and 81, proba-
bly, during Pulls first missionary journey
sActs 49,. This would make this the earliest
Of all the epis;les.
To WHOM WRITTEN Evidently TO Christian
Jews everywhere. Christians who were c posed
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 Christians from all parts OF The world
and 81 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 TO which they
belong Very probably. too. members Of his
church at Jerusalem would move TO various
parts. and he would not lose sight OF the sheep
OF his flock even when scattered abroad"
THE OBJECT Of this cpsile IS not so much
theological as practical. to hold up the ideal Of
the perfect Christian In daily life. II presup
poses the knowledge OF Christian doctrine
He is. above all. anxious that they. in their
life as individuals and as community. should
not hold the faith in the Lord Jesus as mere
barren dogma. but should show the fruits Of
their higher knowledge In the r.cckness Of Wis
dom. In nobler and purcr life lchap 3:l3,
There were two directions tn which there
special need OF guidance and help Ono
was the right life under Affections and poverty
Prosecutions and trials OF their fate ract them
on every rlue. MANY OF lntfl were poor. ana
~ 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 life unworthy OF
the disciples OF Christ There was a tendency
in The rich 10 despise and Cypress the poor.
There danger OF respect OF PERSONS OF
idolatry o: riches. OF evil speaking OF party
icuds. OF enyyings aad strife. OF imagining that
piety could be divorced from holy living. In
these things there was great need OF warning
and instruction
PARALIEIs--This cpisiic reflects more than
any other boo. OF tho ,scw Testament the Ian
guage o. the Sermon on the Mount aud offers
many close reserblanccs TO tho Proverbs OF
solomon and the books OF Ecclesiasticus and
Wisdom
THE USCHANGEABLESEss OF COP.
II is by the illustration given in this
lesson that we can understand the ma
ture of Gods unchangcableness II is
not the unchangcablcness of statue.
which always wears the same counte-
nance; nor Of n cold. hard heart. which
has no variation of emotion. but feels
the same toward good and bad alike.
His is the unchangcablcncss which be-
longs to the spirit. the soul-with in
finite variety Of emotions and of nc
same principles. the same knowledge.
the same plans. the same love. forever
unchangcable; 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 il is in the
east. sometimes in the west: some
times at the horizon. again at the
zenith. it makes each day in the year
different course through the sky;
now il is high noon, and now il is mid
night; now cclipsed. and now cloudcd.
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.
lie is the same in knowledge. for lie
knows all that is To bc known. lie Is
the same in Ills purposes and plans,
and all His promises arc 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 viii
keep all Ills promises, and answer
every prayer because lie has promised.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Yer. IL. 1t is very comforting that
our blessings come from the hand Of
love. as the proof of love.
1t is a great comfort that our God is
Interchangeable in character. sU that His
promises are as good now as when first
uttered, ages ago; and His words are
always true. Ills invitations always
hold. His forgiveness is ever the same.
Vers. 1926 TASTY speech lessons
the value Of even the true things such
a speaker uttcrs.
The proverb, speech is silver. but
silence is gold" is sometimes true; but
there are often cases where speech is
gold. and silence is death. We should
not commit the folly of the man who
burned down his barn TO get rid Of the
rats. We are 10 bride our tongues,