The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-19
EVANGELIST PEARSON
BEGINS GREAT MEETING
ThePresbyterian Chui ch Is Crowded Nightly
With Vast Throng
FAITH AND WORKS THE OPENING SUBJECT

, preach to Sinners" he remarked while his
eyes twinkled, "till Gods people get
right"
II am stickler for time" said he land
/ don't want the ushers to be bringing
people down the aisle after / begin to
| preach, not even if the Prersident of the
United States should want to enter. Let
them stay in the vestibule and do the
best they can, or go home and come
again the next night in time to get
seated
Then the evangelist led in a fervent
,, prayer for the Spirit of God to rest on
this meeting; that the hearts Of the peo-
pie should be open and that all might
be blessed by the preaching With the
singing of 'I am Thine, oh Lord al pre-
liminary services. were over and the
evangelist. with the open Book before
him, read as the foundation for his SER
mon James, second chapter, IA to 20,
beginning with the words What doth 1T
profit my brethren, though a man say he
hath faith, and have not works? can faith
save him." his text being "Ye see then
how that by works a man is justified,
and not by faith only James 2:24.
With the words from this verse as his
subject the evangelist entered into a ser
mon that was plain and practical illus
tration of the place OF faith and works
in the lives of those who are among the
people of the church. He said that the
justification of faith was by works and
that in life the two were inseparabale
There is.' said Mr. Pearson, "a great
controversy as to the respective places
of faith and works, but am not here
to engage in a controversy, but simply
find the AanaNer To. the question What
DOCS God say?' Some people say that 1T
does not matter what a man does if his
belief is right, while, others say that it
does not matter what his belief is if he
does right"
In speaking of this Mr.. Pearson declared
that both must go together, that faith
and works were CO. -adjutors. That Pauf's
voice for faith and James for works were
not contradictory, but that one went with
the other to make UP the Christian.
Entering into a discussion of faith,
works and justification the preacher said
that three questions arose, and that his
sermon would be upon those, three ques-
tions, and that he would treat them thus:
I'D How are we justified in the sight of
God; (2) How are we justified in the
sight of man; (3) What is the connec-
ton between faith and works.
Taking up the first of these he ex-
claimed I'VE, Who?" and said that those
| spoken of as being saved by faith were
! the unregenerate, the unsaved men and
women. The standing of an unregenerate
, man in the sight of God re declared to
be Qst.) He is guilty, (2nd.) He is con-
demned. (3rd.) He is under the curse OF
Gods Holy Law. There is" he said,
mo escape from this conclusion unless
you repudiate Gods book That the sin
ner might be acquitted in Gods sight
he declared was the work of faith. mo
sinner is justified by the law said he,
''fcr the province of the law is not to ac-
quit, its purpose being, as told in Romans
3:2O to give only the knowledge of sin.
AS an illustration he told of the archi
test using a plumb line to judge of the
perpendicularity of a wall,not to straight
en- it and Just to the law of God, made
as plumb line to the soul and the con-
| science, could only show whether one was
morally perpendicular, morally plumb.
| .He who expects justification by the
! law said Mr.. Pearson, "is perverting
| Gods word
From Romans 8:3 he drew the truth
| that what the law could not do, was
done by the Son of God. Look away
| from the law to the Lamb of God that
taketh away the sins of the world, for We
are not saved by the law, but by Jesus, >
was his summing up of the question of
Justification by the law.
To the second question he declared
that by works alone there was no justi-
fication, as is told in Galatians 2:16 and
Ephesians 2: S-9-10. for we are saved
unto good works, not because of them
In developing this idea he declared
that God saves us by grace through
faith. and that having had faith to be-
lieve and accept God our works justify
us in the sight of men as having had a
true salvation.
Reading from Galatians 1924 he drew as
the connection between faith and works
the words: Wherefore the law was our
that We might be justified by faith" /"
After further discussion of the faith
by which the lunregenerate are brought
| into touch with God. Mr.. Pearson took
up the second view of the question and
discussed how he might be justized
| in the sight of man, the 1--WE" in this
case applying to the churches
justification in this case comes by
works alone, was his summing by
their fruits you shall know them" said
Matthew, and as precedent for his de-
ductions along this line Mr. Pearson
cited the case of Abraham, when God
| commanded him TO take Isaac and offer
him as sacrifice. He obeyed even up
to the last moment. and the angels who
had not Gods insight into Abraham's
faith. saw his justification by his works
In MesoDotamia Abraham exhibited the
faith Paul speaks of, while after the
birth of Isaac he shows the works re-
Quired by James. leaving no conflict be-
tween the two.