Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-09
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR HOUR
Conducted by Grace Livingston Hill-Lutz.
For Sunday nntor her

conducted by Grace Livingston Hfll-IutZ.
For Sunday, September 10, 1905.
Topic: What is Practical Christianity" James
n:14-28.
IA. What doth 1t profit, my brethren,
though a man say he hath faith, and have
not works? Can faith save him?
10. If brother sister be naked, and
destitute of daily food?
16 And one of you say unto them. Depart
in peace, be we warmed and filled; notwth-
standing we give them not those things
which are needful to the body; what doth it
profit?
H. Even so faith If it hath not works, Is
dead, being alone.
Is Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith
and have works; shew me thy faith with
out thy works. and 1 will shew thee my
faith by my works.
10. Thou believest that there is one God:
thou doest well; the devils also believe and
trembe.
20. But wilt thou know, vain man, that
faith without works is dead?
Fl. Was not Abraham our father justi-
fed by works when he has offered Isaac his
son, upon the ALTAR
q. Seest thou how faith wrought with his
works, and by works was faith made per-
feet?
%. And the Scripture was fulfilled which
saith, Abraham believed God, and it was
imputed unto him for righteousness: and he
WIS Caleu the friend OF God.
"a. Ye then how that by works a man
is justified, and not by faith only.
70. Likewise also not Rahab the har-
lot justified by works when she had received
the messengers and had sent them out an
other way?
26: For as the body without the spirit is
dead. so faith without works is dead also.
The Lesson.
The chapel was very still as Elizabeth
n sneak She 90 tbo
Young Peoples Society and very popular.
She had a wonderful gift of interesting peo-
pie, and she always spoke to the point. Also
her words were pointed and deeply spiritual.
Her voice was sweet and her face was
sweeter. She would have made a good
smodei for an artist who wished to paint a
picture of a saint she stood with her
beautiful. eager face Illuminated by an en-
thuslaSm which was contagious. Even the
few strangers who were present understood
at once that something unusual and inter-
estlng was about to be said because of the
sudden intense hush that pervaded the ROOM
and the boys on the very backest seats
ceased whispering and giggling and rafting
the leaves of their hymn books and sobered
down to listen.
wonderful, perfect faith. and she spoke as
one who understood her subject from per-
sonal experience.
She spoke of a life lived on higher grounds
than most Christians lived, a life iu daily
companionship with Christ, life wherein
sin reigned not, and whers everything was
taken TO Christ to decide, and every weak
ness was turned into strength by Him. She
told of those who had lived this life las see
ing Him that is invisible and said it was
for all who would take it. She quoted Mr..
Meyer, and Drummond, and Webb-Peploe,
and a number of other writers who make
the way plain to life of faith and perfect
dependence upon Christ, and she closed with
a beautiful poem recited exquisitely, urging
all to come to Christ and find out what it
was to know in whom you have believed.
When she sat down her cousin, who had
just come the night before to visit her and
who was sitting by her side, turned slightly
and noticed the look of exalted devotion in
EliZabeth's face. then wondered and half
envied her. Was it all true, that could
have SO much faith in Christ as that?
Would it be possible for her to get where
Elizabeth stood and feel so sure that she
could conquer her temper and trust that all
her troubles would be brought out in the
best way for her, and be really happy in
being Christian? If she thought that were
possible she would become a Christian at
once.
A young man arose after Elizabeth sat
down and prayed beautifully, showing by
his prayer that he, too, understood this life
of faith, for he reminded the Lord of the
many promises which He had kept to him.
and begged that one soul at least might be
brought to a closer knowledge of Christ
that night. AS he prayed, Maud, the cousin
felt that there was slight possibility that
she might be the soul whose redemption
might be the answer to that prayer.
They went out in the. starlight toward
their home. Elizabeth spoke to a number
of the young people on the way and several
o. them told her how much good her words
had done them. She thanked them pleas
antly, as if she was used to this and Maud
enved her her life once more. 1t brought
Christianity out in a new light before her
eyes.
But when they reached home Elzabeth's
mother met them at the door.
why, Elizabeth, is 1t possible that you
went out this cold night without your
heavy coat and without rubbers too!' she
exclaimed.
II seemed almost rude that any one should
speak to her in that way after the transfig-
uration of the past hour. There almost
halo about Elizabeths head in the mind
of her cousin. But the halo vanished
quickly as a frown gathered upon her
srooth brow.
80, nonsense, mamma" she said petu-
lartly. 1T isn't awfulIy cold tonight,
and the walks were only little damp.
And if 1t had been cold as Alaska wouldn't
have worn that old coat to church. It's all
out of fashion and wouldn't be seen in a
barn with 1t on. You needn't think I'm
going TO wear 1t this winter, for 1 just
won't, and that's 1at!'
There was more said and on many SUBJ
jects, and a number of the older members
OF the church came in for severe criticism
on Elizabeth's part. Somehow Maud did
not hear much of 1t. She was thinking
about faith and wondering If Elizabeth
really had anything more than she had
herself. In fact had Elizabeth as much.
For though she was not egotistical she
knew she never had spoken in that way to
her mother, and that 1t had not been her
habit to criticise her neighbors SO unmer-
cifully as Elizabeth was doing now. She
went to sleep with the conclusion that there
was not anything but talk in religion after
all
But the next day 1t happened that some
one came in who CHANGED to mention the
young man who had prayed in the meeting
the night before.
He has given up his chance of going to
college and gone to work instead that he
may pay back debt his father left when
he died, which he would not really have
had to pay in law at ALL and he gives regu-
larry to the church oue-teuth OF all that he
earns, and no one knows how many little
quiet sacrifices he makes every day Tor the
Lords sake" And then as they talked on
OF him and more and more showed how he
was living out the faith of which he had
spoken in his prayer, Maud grew thoughtful
again and wondered II perhaps she had not
been mistaken. There was such thing as
a faith that was not all dead words, even
IL Elizabeth did not seem to. have got all
of it. Maud felt that she would like to
know more about it.