The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-05-29

ming of the third quarter, we, thi
week, and next, study passages froI
the Epistle of James. This is unde
stood to be the first one written G
the books of the New Testament.
was written by James, brother of tn
Lord. 1t was probably sent out abou
the time of the Council at Jesusalem
or even before that event. 1t was ad
dressed to the Christian Jews "of the
Dispersion" and ms more distinctly {
Jewish production than any other writ
ing in the New Testament canon.
Bible students have long ago motto
ed the similarity in thought and meth
DDS of expression in this letter and the
sermon on the Mount. The same sim.
ilarity is noticeable in the short letter
of Jude, another one of the Lord s
brothers. These seem to point to, and
emphasize the lasting impression OF
home environments.
When Martin Luther was climbing
the long stairway on his knees, to just
ify himself in the sight of God, the
great truth came to him as though
spoken audibly, The just shall live
by faith" So impressed was he by
this great doctrine, that he for a time
was ready to discredit the passage we
study today. Some even now, claim
that there is a contradiction between
the writings of Paul and James. Paul
everywhere insists on justifications
by faith. James here contends for
justification by works.
If one should stand in the center
of the streets, where Main and Pine
crosses each other, and look at a GER
tain store-house, he would readily sign
an affidavit that the walls were faced
with pressed brick. Standing in the
alley in the rear of the same building
and noting its construction, he would
as readily testify that it was made of
rough brick. 1t would simply be OBJ
serving it from a different viewpoint.
In 1862 it was the duty of the writer
to help to keep the enemy out of
Vicksburg, and in doing so, we point
ed our guns, and delivered our fire
toward the setting sun. In 1868, our
heaviest and most desperate firing was
was mainly toward sunrise, yet we
We're defending the same place against
the same enemy. We had not changed
position-he had shifted the point OF
attack.
Just so is it with James and Paul
they stand, their feet firmly planted
on the rock of everlasting truth. both
guided by the Holy Spirit in the choice
of words, the one contending against
a cold, lifeless. intellectual faith and
the other against a system of legalisn
as devoid of life as the other, but abun
dant in works, with a selfish end in
view.
1t is well that this lesson should
come, just now. Recently two widely
attended meetings have been held in
our city. and a great many persons
professed to have faith in Jesus as
their personal Saviour. There are
many who have not perhaps never
will identify themselves with the
people of God To such, the lesson
seems to be full of warning. Clothed
in our every day language. it begins in
this way. What good will it do you
to say YOU have faith, when you can
not prove it by your enemies? Can
such a faith save you?" The en-
phasis is on the say" and the writer
illustrates his meaning. but asking
what benefit naked and hungry
person would derive from one who
should simply say Go in peace be We
warned and filled and do nothing
else So he argues that faith. that
has nothing tangible to back it up, is
dead. You claim to have faith, he
says go have works. now show me
your faith without any works, if you
can and l viii show you my faith by
my works. You believe that God is
one That is well. The demons be-
lieye and shudder. but that does not
save them. VIII YOU not therefore
understand, that faith apart from
works is barren? Take Abraham S
case. OF him it is said, he believed
God and il was reckoned unto him
for righteousness. But how was faith
made perfect. or manifested to the
world? Suppose he had not offer.
Isaac, how should we ever know he
believed God"
Because he is writing TO Jews, he
cites another example from the Scrip
lures, Rahab, perhaps the only person
in Jericho. who did. believed that Is
,rael should conquer Palestine. bu
would her faith have saved her, if sh'
had not backed it up with deeds
Apart from her works what signifi
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