The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1921-04-22

faction" especial
ly IL they have had experience IN ieau-
ing men to Christ.
A more recent definition is one gwen
by Or. Il. S. Ames, associate professor
OF philosophy in the University OF Oni.
cago. He declares that religion Is
complex of activities and emotions, an
organization of attitudes and hapius
In the service Of commanding ideais'
and that 1T expresses itself In politieai
economic and social relations" he
further asserts that religion arises
from human nature itself"
FROM these definitions, elaborate but
elusive, we turn to our text ana us
context The latter part OF the hrst
chapter of the Epistle of James deals
with the subject Of real religion.
Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and cometh down
from the Father Of Lights" Real re
llgion, which Is the binding back OF
the soul to God, Is from above. ot
His own will begat He us with the
word of truth" This marks the De-
ginning of real religion. Only twice
born people possess real religion; all
other is unreal and unsatisfying. IL
does not meet either the need Of the
heart or the demands Of the con-
science. There Is no entrance into tna
kingdom of God except that OF the
new birth. Unless a man be born
from above he cannot see or enter the
kingdom Of God. Apart from seeing
and entering the kingdom OF GOD
there can be no real religion.
The greatest loss that has come to
the churches Of America In the last
thirty years Is the loss Of proper en-
phasis upon this great and fundamen-
tai truth--"Ye must be born again."
AS q consequence Of this vague re-
ligiousness has taken the place OF
vital Christian experience.
| The result of the new birth and the
new life from God is that Its recipient
becomes a spiritual child of God. This
new relationship brings with 1t new
responsibilities. These responsibilities
as outlined in this Scripture mark out
the path Of the one who is truly and
| really religious. let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to
wrath" The Fathers children must
be swift to hear" that is, alert to
hear the voice of God as II speaks
through the indwelling Spirit, and by
the study Of the Word, or in the provi-
Dental circumstances of life. In the
midst of the babel OF false religious
tongues we must be alert to hear the
voice of God.
Being thus swift TO hear" the
Christian must also be "slow to
speak," not desiring TO parade his
knowledge and make for himself a
name; not seeking prominence and
popularity but walking humbly before
God. Anyone who has name to
make for himself In this world can
never be used Of God There Is only
one name TO be exalted. and that the
name of Jesus" If the Christian has
opportunity to speak. and Is lei to
tell of those things which he has teen
swift to hear" he may possibly find
little or no response 10 his message.
His hearers may turn away and criti-
cize. What then? Shall he be angry
or resentful? No. he must be "slow to
wrath" for such wrath OF anger or re-
sentiment "worketh not the righteous
ness Of God" II only units for serv-
ice. All such clamorings OF the self
life must be resisted and the engrafted
Word be received with meekness. for
this alone Is able to save your souls"
that is, to keep Us experimentaily In
the way OF salvation. The Word must
be transmitted into life so that we
shall be @doers Of the Word and not
hearers only AS food unassimilated
pcisons us, so hearing without apply
Ing produces harmful and disastrous
effects. But the man who looks into
"the perfect law Of liberty" and adj
iusts his life according to Its teach
lngs. is preserved in the way Of real
religion and tr1e blessedness.
Real religion relates both to ones
self and TO others. IF any man among
You seem 10 be religious and briCleth
not his tongue but deceiveth his own
heart, this mans religion Is vain" Ills
profession is empty. The evidences Of
the new life are absent and he stands
condemned by his own inability to re-
strain and control himself.
Real religion in its exercise toward
others Is said to consist In visiting
-the fntherIess and widows In their az.
aiction.~ This is the outward express
siorisof real or true religion. The Drac-
tice Of those things suggested By tire
phrase visiting the fatherlexs nd
RIdows- Is part Of our outward serv-
ce. The doing Of such things Is the
natural outflow Of the lie which Is be
gotten within us by the sovereign grace