The Sunday School

11. "Whatdoth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and hare not worksf Can falth save Mm?" The R. V. says, "Can thatfa'ith ivo him?" There ! are 110 contradictions in the teaching of ure, and oneof the plainest doctrines ia all the book, taught even in this lesson Iiy the Spirit, tlmmgh James (verse 23) is that the or,ly salvation revealed to us is thal whieh lias boon fully wrought out for us by the Lord Jesus Christ without any help of ours, and which we must re by faith as a free tri ft. from God. See Rom. iv, 5; Eph. ii, 8; Titus iii, 5. It is most unmistakably clear that we are sa ved by faith alone. Butit is justas elearíy taught that the evidence of that faith will be seen in our daily Uves by our walking in the good works prepared for us. See Eph. ii 10; 'litus in, 8. A faiththat doos not procuco gooil works and a holy life is not genuine, but is an empty name. 15, 1. "If a brother or sister be naked and dcstituto of daily food, and onc of you say unto them, Depart in peaoe, be ye warned and iillod, notwithstanding ye give them not thoso things which are needful to the body. What doth it profit?" Or as John says, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in ilicd and In truth" (I John iii, 18). Jesus Himself said, "My mother and My brethreu are these which hear the word of God and do it" (Luke viii, 21). And again, "Not every one that saith unto Me Lord, Lord, shall enter intothekingdomof heaven; but he that doeth the will of My ï'ather, which is in heaven" (Math. vii, 21). 17. "Even so faith, if it luith not works, is dead, being alone," or, as in the margin, "by itsulf." Faith cometh by hearing the word of God (Kom. x, 17)- that is, by receiving the word of God, and the word of God is incorruptible secd, whichis sure to gi-ow. Faith reoeivee Christ into tho hcart, and Christ in us cannot be hid any more than He could bo hid in the hoxise in the borders of Tyre nnd Sidon (Mark vii, 24). You walk by a field in which not a green bladc; is tobo seeu, although it looksaa if it had been sown, and the fai-mersays that he sowed itwith good sec-a three months ago. Either the seed was no good or was destroyed after being sown, or the farmer lied. IS. Yea, a man may say, Thou linst fairh and I have works. Show me thj faith without thy works and I will sliow theemyfaith by my works." ïhe B. V. margin beging this verse, "But somo one will say." Wo can talk faith, but we cannot show faith cxcept by our deeds. It is the same with love. God does not need our works to prove our faith, for He can read the heart, but He tells us that believers should be careful to maintain good works because they are good and profitable unto men (Titus iii, 8). Not only profltable to those who do the works, for we are to be rewarded according to our works (Rev. xxii, 12; I Cor. iii, 8, 14), but profltablo to those who, seeing the good works, may be led by them to I-Iira who worketh in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. ii, 13). 19. "Thou bclievest that there is 'one God. Thou docst weR The devils also lieve and trembli-." The K. V. saya "shudder" instead of tremble, and the K. V. margin saya "demons" instead of devils. There is but one devil, though there are hosts of demons, hia followers. One has said fchat thero ai-e no athcists or infldela in heil. All who aro there bclieve in the milities of heiland the devil, of God and of heaven, but they cannot believe on tlie Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Those who die in theirsins can never come where Christ is (John viii, 31). ïherefore it is written, "Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke. Then a great ransom cannot delirer thee" (Job xxxvi, 18). It is greatly to be feared that mañy professing Christians are no better, as far as salvation is concerned, than the demons who believe and shudder. They believe all about God and Christ and have been reccived into church membersliip because of this knowledge, backed up good moral eharacter. But haring never truly recejved Clu-ist (John i, 12), they continue lost souls. 20. "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" The knowledge of God and of Christ that does not lead one to recelve tho Lord Jesus Christ into his heart vrill only prove a greater condemnation. This class of people is described in Heb. vi, 4-6, as enlightened, tastcd the gift, knew somewhat of the Spirit's teaching. But if the continuance in grace and good vrorks is lacking, then it is evident that they merely believcd about Christ, but never truly rcceived Him. In II Pet. ii, 20-22, ive rcad again af such as were to some extent benelited by their knirwledge, but were uever truly new creaturea 21. "Was not Abraham our father justi3ed by works when ]io had offered Isaac lis son upon the nltar?" ïhis was the ontward and evident justiflcation before ncii, forwe are justifled freely by graee, meritoriously by the blood of Christ and nstmmentally by faith (Kom. iii, 24; v, I, 1), and there is no conflict or contradiciion in these statements. Abraham rested for 25 yetara on the bare promise of God. ïhen Isaac was given. After he had grown to be a lad God tricd his servant to see if he was still rcsfiing on the promise or upou the visible Isaac. Now, God knew his scrvant's heart and did cofc Deed to provo liini fchat God might know, but thac all generatióna jnigh't see that Abraham restednot in the visible gift of God, but in God Himself and His suro vo:il. 22. "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith mado perfect." Faith, the germ, works the manifestaron. It is writtcn in Heb. al, 17-lit, that Abraham, wheu he was tried, iif ■am oncreü up lsixwc, 111 whorn thü promises were to be fnlfllled, believing that God was able to ïviise him up even from the dcnd, from whenee also ho rerrived him in a figuro. In Rom. iy, 19-31, it is writtcn eonccrning the birth of Isaao that Abraham ilid not consitk-r himself v.ov Sarah. Bnt Btroug in faith, giving glory to God, hc was fiüly persnadcd that God wüs :iblo tu nul would perform what He Ii..l promised. 83. "And the Scriptaro was fulülled, whlch saJth Abraham beücvcd God, and It was imputed unto him for rightoousncss, anti he was called theiriend of God. " When God told Abmham that hia seed hould bc r.s the stars for miütihjde, Abraïain certainly could not icd that it would i jo so. His only assurance was liio word of God. and because hc took God at lis word yc have thls statement concerning him in Jon. xv. ij, whero we have the words "beand "righteousness" used for Ote ürst time in Lui-ijj,iue.