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, g CSITTS.

"The entnanee of thy cuoPd giveth light.'

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S a b l D a t h - S c h o o l LessonsON THEB O O K O F J A M E SFor Senior Classes.

January 3 to March 28, 1891.

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S f l B B f l T H - S G j O O I i l i E S S O N SON T H EBOOK o f JAMES,

FOR SENIOR CLASSES.I-

JANUARY 3 , 1891 .JAMES 1:1-8.

N O T E . T h e r e a r e severa l persons brought toview in the N ew T e s t a m e n t w h o b e a r th e n a m e ofJames, as, " James the son of Zebedee" (Mark 1:19),"James the son of Alphseus" (Mark 3:18), and"James the brother of the Lord" (Matt . 13:55).Which one of t hese wro t e the book cal led the epistle of James, is a question on w h i c h t he r e is greatdivers i ty of opinion; but it is t he gene r a l view (seeS m i t h ' s Bible'Dictionary, a r t . "James, Epistle of")that the wr i t e r of t h i s b ook w as no t the apost le J a m e s ,the son of Zebedee . but James th e Lord's b r o t h e r ,w h o , though not one of the twelve, w as a n elder ofthe church at Jerusalem, and one of the "pillars"(Gal. 2: 9 ) of th e new Christian f a i th . A c t s 12:17;15:13; 21:18; 1 Cor. 15:7; Gal. 1:19 (fromw h i c h w e may in fer that hew as a lso a n apostle); GaJ. 2:9,12. It w as wri t ten f rom Jerusalem, w h e r e Jamesseerns a l w a y s to h a v e resided, a nd s o m e t i m e a f te r theapostolic co u n c i l at Jerusalem, A . B . 51 ( A c t s 15 : 6 ),th e latest date assigned it be ing A . i > . 6 2, the epistle,i tse l f (according to marginal note inserted b y t r anslators) bearing da te "Anno Domini tir [ abou t ] 6 0 . "

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THR BOOK OF JAMES.1. What does J:imes style himself?2. How does James designate t hose to w h o m lie

ded ica tes h is epist le ? Verse 1, last part; c h a p . 2:1.3 . Were t hese Jews, a s s u c h , or Christians ?

Verse 2, f i rs t c l au se .4 . At what time does the epist le especially apply ?

S ee c h a p . 5 : 3 , 7-9. Note 1.5 . What does this p rove in r e f e r ence to Chr is

tians? Note 2.6 . What experiences a r e w e to w e lcom e , or o o u n t" all joy"? James 1:2.

7 . What kind of temptations are h e re r ef e r r ed to?Ans.Not i m p u l s e s to personal sin, but circumstanceswhich are calculated to try one's faith.

8. What_does the trying of faith, if endured,w o r k ? Verse 3 .9 . What scope s h o u l d b e given to patience? and

what wil l result to h im w h o gives it f u l l exercise?Verse 4 . Note 3 . .

10 . What kind of wisdom is m en tioned in verse 5 ?Chap. 3:17.

11 . What encouragement have w e to seek for this?Ib.12. How are w e to ask f o r this ? Verse 6 .] 3 . What is meant b y the express ion, " upbraidetn

not" ? Ans,He wi l l not reproach u s f or past s infu l -ness, or present unworthiness, but wi l l forgive ourpast lack and shortcomings. Though w e have longneglected our duty, he is glad to have u s c o m e eventhen, and seek h is help.

14 . What are w e to understand by the w o r d" wavering " ? Verse 6 .

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THE BOOK OF JAMES.

15 . To what is a wavering man compared ? Am. ~ > ' But let him ask iii faith, nothing doubting; f o rhe that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven bythe w i n d and tossed." Verse 6 , Revised Vers ion .

16 . What is the m o s t striking s y m b o l of instability ? Ans.A rest less, ever-changing a nd shiftingw a v e of the sea.

17 . What c au s e s a m a n to b e like a w a v e of thesea, or unstable?18. What illustration have w e of d o u b l e - m i n d e d -ness ? and h ow does it a f f e c t character? Gen. 4 9 : 44;1 Kings 18: 21; I s a . 57:20,21.

19 . What c a n a d o u b l e - m i n d e d man h o p e to r eceive in a n s w e r to h is prayers?

1. The epist le of James is addressed to Christians,a nd whi le i t s lessons of patience, obed ience , stability,faith, and devotion, to the c a u s e of God, are applicableto m e m b e r s of the Christian church in every age,there are s o m e expressions which s h ow that it w a s designed to b e particularly applicable to the church inthe last d a y s , and hence may be taken to apply specifically at that t ime .

2. If the epist le h a s a particular application to thelast days, and Christians here addressed are designated a s " the twe lve tribes scatteredabroad," it s h o w sthat 1 1 0 Israel is now recognized but Christian orspiritual Israel, all tribal distinctions b e tween thenatural descendants of Abraham having been lost.It w o u l d b e necessary f o r this distinction to b e p r e se rved, if the natural seed is still to b e regarded a sIsrael; but it is evident that n o s u c h distinction wi threference to the spiritual, seed is possib le among m e n .

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THE BOOK OF JAMRS.though it may b e preserved in t hose b ooks a b ove inwhich are enrolled the names of the members of thechurch of the First-born. S ee Heb. 12 : 23 . Thisfact wi t h reference to the Bible view of Israel, soplainly brought out in James, explains h ow the w o r kof R e v . 7 :1-8, gathering out twelve thousand f rome a c h tribe of the children of Israel, can b e ful f i l led inthe last generation that lives be f o r e the second c o m ing of Christ.

3. T h e w o r d " patience " here has th e s igni f i cance ofendurance, or the quality of not being m o v e d or over thrown on account of the burdens, di f f i cu l t ies , or a f f l i c t ions attending the profession of a Christian. Theverb' f r om w h i c h this noun is derived, signifies," to remain or stay behind w h e n others have departed to bear up under, endure, su f fe r patiently;to continue f i r m , hold ou t , remain constant, persevere."In the expression, " Let patience have her perfectwork," the w o r d "perfect" m e a n s "brought to c o m pletion; fully accomplished; fully developed;" butendurance cannot b e "brought to completion" untilthe period of our trial and conf l i c t is over . The pas sage is therefore equivalent to the exhortation to " endure unto the end " (Matt. 24:13), or to " b e patient[endure] unto the c o m i n g of the Lord:" Jas. 5 : 7 .

II.J A N U A R Y 10 , 1891.

JAMES 1:9-18.W I T H James 1: 9 a new l ine of thought is intro

d u c e d .1. What condi t ion in life is referred to in the ex

pression, "the brother of low degree"? S ee note 1.2. What is the privilege of such an one in the

gospe l ?

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THE BOOK OF JAMES,3 . In- what r e spec t is lie exalted ?4. Ou the plane/of Christianity, what art : the rich

to do? Verse 10 .5 . In what sense is he m a d e low ? S ee note 1 .( j . Can r i ches prolong life? Verse 10 , last c l ause .7 . -B y what does the apos t le illustrate this? Vcr.se

11 .8. Of what u se then is wealth ? Luke 16:0-1:.'.9 . Upon w h o m is a blessing pronounced in Jame.-s1:12?

10 . What is the f o r c e of the w o r d " endureth" ?Ans.The s a m e a s patience in verse 4,to continue f i r m , to bear u p under. This may apply to allkinds of temptations.

11 . How are the w o r d s "for when h e is tried" tob e unders tood ? Ans.Literally, w h e n lie is proved;w h e n h i s pe r iod of trial is c o m p l e t e d , and h e has stoodthe test , then h e wil l receive the c r o w n of life.

12. D o e s God ever tempt m en to sin ? S ee note 2.13 . Why not?Ib.14 . In what sense, is the w o r d "tempt" "used in

Gen: 22 :1, 2, Revised Version. S ee note 2. (15 . By what are w e tempted to sin ? James 1:14..16 . What is the of f sp r ing of lust? Verse 15 , first

part.17 . What does sin, f inished, bring fo r th .? Ib.,last part; R o m . 6:23.

18. What death does sin bring forth ? E/,e. 18 : 26 ;Rev. 20:14:19 . T o what does the exhortation of verse 10 relate ?

Ans.We are not to err in our own v i ews of God'srelation to sin; as, f o r instance, t o s u ppose that he

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THE BOOK OF J AMES.tempts u s to sin, and so to make him r e spons ib le , aadexcuse ourse lves therein.

20 . From w h o m does every good and perfect giftc o m e ? James 1: 17 .

21 . With what are these gi f ts contrasted? VerseI- '!. Ans.All good, but no evil, c o m e s f r om God.

22. D o e s h e ever deviate f rom this rule ? Verse17 , last part.

23 . What has lie done f o r us? Verse 18.24 . Tlirough what instrumentality does G-od bringu s to a new life ? Ib.

25 . What text does the u se of the w o r d "first-fruits" in this passage explain? Rev. 14:4. S eenote 3.

NOTES.1. Distinctions are built up among m e n , b a s e d u p o ndi f f e rences of circumstances or condition in l i fe . Butin the light of Christianity all such distinctions ares h o w n to b e f ic t i t ious . The true value o.f a man isshown to consis t in h is moral worth, and the possi

bilities of eternal life w h i c h are set be f o r e h i m . It isfo r what manmay b e c o m e in t hese respec t s that Christdied fo r h i m . But these advantages are open to the' low as wel l a s the high, to the poor a s we l l a s therich. Christ did not d ie simply f o r the great, thetalented, the wealthy of this world; but h e diedequally f o r t hose w h o are in the humblest and m o s tdestitute circumstances. Thus the " brother- of lo wdegree" need not sink d o w n , crushed in spirit, underhis circumstances, esteeming himself of no value, andharboring no high and noble aspirations; but he mayread the great interest Heaven takes iu h i m , in theinfinite sac r i f i ce made by Christ in his behalf; andthus h e is "exalted" to the true plane of life, and enabled to take correct views of h is privileges, both f o r

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THE BOOK OF JAMES.

the present and f o r the future; a nd in this h e mayrejoice. The rich man may also rejoice that he isbrought to see himself and h is life in the trus light,and no longer to pride himself qn circumstancesw h i c h are of no value. Thus he is "brought low"in being enabled to discard the false exaltation ofw e a l t h , aiid estimate human wo r t h by the true and'Bib le standard. The rich is brought low only a s judgedby the world's standard; but it is really an exaltationto h im to b e c o m e f r ee from the world's lo\v and fa lsestandard, and see himself in that light which cometh from ab ove . It is s o m e t i m e s said that " Christianitybrings all d o w n on the s a m e level." This is just theoppos i te of the truth; it brings all up on the s a m elevel.

2. On verses 13-16 J. P. T h o m p s o n , D . D ., has thefo l lowing excellent remarks : " The philosophy of sinis given in verses 1316 in terms that answer exactlyto our ow n exper ience . God is not the author of sin.G od does not subject us to temptation, that, through-sinning, w e may illustrate h is g r a ce . Trials as testsof our c h o i c e of good or evil, of our faith in h imse l f ,of our love and devotion, he does appoint for our.moral discipline aTid culture; but temptations thatlook toward sin, and lead to sin, are the promptingsof our ow n des i res when t hese are loosed from thecontrol of reason and consc ience . The sin does notlie in the fact of temptation, nor in the susceptibilityto temptation ; but when w e su f f e r our susceptibilitiesto natural good to b e wrought upon to such a degreethat they entice u s to forget r eason , consc ience, dutyto God, w h e n these overstimulated desi res c o m e to ahead in the decis ion of thewill to gratify themthendo they bring forth sin. The counteractive to suchtemptation is a just conception of our highest good a sin G o d , and from him; a patient, prayerful, unwavering trust in h i m , and the keeping h is w o r d in ourhearts as our l s > w and guide."

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JO THE HOOK Of JA MES.

3 . In I Cor. 15: 20 , 23 Christ is declared to b e the"first-fruits;" and lie a lone is the first-fruits so far a sh is being the antitype of the wave-sheaf (Lev. 23:10,11) is conce rned , and also as related to "them that sleep." But R e v . 14:4 s a y s that the 144,000 (ofw h o m that pas s age speaks) are the first-fruits; andthis at first sight appears like a contradiction. But.now the passage b e f o r e u s in James c o m e s in to explain, by s h o w i n g that the w o r d " first-fruits" is also

u sed in another sen se , we are a kind of , or in acertain sense, f i r s t - f ru i t s unto God. The 144,000 arethose w h o are r e d e e m e d from among the living atthe coining of Christ; and if James, a s w e have seen,also speaks particularly of the last" generation, w h e nthe Lord is at the door , the relation b e t w e e n the tw opassages very strikingly appears.Til.

J A N U A R Y 17 , 1891.JAMES 1:19-27.

1. How should w e govern oursclvt" in hearingand speaking? James 1:19.

2. T o what else should w e b e slow bes ides speak- ,ing?7f t . ' ' .3. What similar injunction is givou Jiy the a po s

tle Paul? Col. 3:H.4 . Why are w e to b e slow to wrath? Verse 20 .5 . "Wh a t are w e exhorted to lay aside? Verse 21 .6 . What are meant by t hese terms?7 . What are w e to receive? S ee R evised Vers ion .8. What is this implanted w o r d able to do?9 . Upon what condition only cau w e be benef i ted

by the w o r d ? Verse 22.10 . T o w h o m is the man w h o hears but does not,

compared? Verses 23 , 24 .

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THE BOOK OF JA HIES.

1 . 1 . How can o u a b e benef i ted by a mirror? Indicated in verse 24 , last part. S ee note 1.

12. What constitutes the great Christian mirror?.Veree 25 , first part.

13 . How long should w e look into the law? Note'2.

14 . While looking into the l a w , what s h o u l d w edo? Verse 25 , next to last c l a u se .

15 . What is the p r o m i s e to such?Ib., last c l a u se .16 . How may a pe r son s h ow that h is profess ion ofrel igion is vain ? Verse 26 .

17 . From what should a pe r son bridle h is tongue?1 Peter 3:10.

18. What kind of a religion must a pe r son have tob e benef i ted by it ? James 1 : 27 , first part.19 . What are s o m e of the marks of this kind of r eligion ? Verse 27 , last part. S ee note 2.

20 . How much is embraced in the expression, " u nspotted f rom the world"? 1 John 2:15, 16 .

1. Looking only occasionally into the great mirrorof Goci's l a w , to note h ow our c o u r s e of conduct variesf rom its holy requirements, is not ' enough. For, like 'the man w h o turns away from the mirror, and soonloses from h is mind a sense of the de fec t s w h i c h it revea led, so w e, w h e n we f a i l to keep the la w be f o r e u s,=6on lose a sense of our duty. But w e should " continue therein," that is, continue looking into the perf e c t law of liberty, and then a s fast a s w e thereby discove r d e f e c ts in our characters, take h o l d , by the graceof Christ, to remedy them. There are many w h o donot like the l a w , b e c a u s e it exposes their sins ; and sothey, try to persuade th em se lv es that it has beenabo l i s hed , as if that w o u l d r e m o v e their defec ts of

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13 THE BOOK OF JA .IfES.

character. This is a s wise a s it w o u l d be for a manto dash a mirror into fragments b e c a u s e it revealeddefec t s in pe r son or c lo th ing , and then imagine thatthat r e m o v e d the defects .2. " Religion" is f r om religare, w h i c h signifies " tobind anew or back, to bind fas t . "Webster. It d enotes that b o n d by which a m a n is attached to theserv ice of the deity h e wor s h i p s . Hence there may

b e fa lse rel igions a s wel l as true, vile and degradingre l igions a s we l l a s pure and undef i l ed . One mayseem to b e very rel igious, and yet h is religion b e vain,or wor t h l ess . But h e w h o has true religion will bridlethe tongue that h e speak no evil, visit the fatherlessand w i d o w s in the performance of deeds of sympathyand charity, and keep himself f r ee f rom the w o r k s ofthe f lesh (Gal . 5 : 19-21) a nd th o follies of the w o r l d .

J A N U A R Y 24, 1891.JAMES 2:1-7.

1. W I T H what statement does this chapter open ?James 2:1.2. How does James speak of Christ ?

3 . What is m e a i i L b y "the faith of our Lord JesusChrist" ?

4 . What is meant by not having this faith withr e spec t of pe rsons ? S ee note 1.

5 . What condi t ions c o m m o n l y lead to respect ofpe rsons ?6. H ow is the gospe l calculated to change our esti

mate of a rich m a n ? Acts 10 : 3 4 .7 . How wi l l it change ourestimate of a poor m a n ?8. What kind of clothing usually distinguishes a

rich man? Verse 2.

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9.. What kind of clothing usually characterizes apoor m a n ?

10 . What is meant by " vile raiment" in this verse?11 . What w a y of s h o w i n g r e s p e c t does James m e n

tion ia verse 3?12. In the c a s e James supposes , on what ground is

honor s h o w n to the rich man? S ee note 2.13 . What rebuke does this call out? Verse 4 .14 . la what r e s p e c t does h e sa y s u c h ones are par

tial ? S ee note 3.15 . What is nieaiit b y . b e com ing judges of evil

thoughts ? S ee note 3 .16 . What is indicated b y the j>pening w o r d of

verse 5 ? Am.The emphatic nature of the statement James is now about to-make?

17 . What does h e sa y of the poor , calculated toplace them in the true light?

18. In what r e s p e c t w e r e th e pe r sons b e speaks of,poo r?

19 . In what respect w e r e they rich?20 . How does faith make r i ch ?21. How m a y w e show that w e put a w r o n g esti

mate on the poo r ? Verse 6, f i rs t c l ause .22. Who usually opp re ss the p o o r ? S ee note 4 .23 . What foolish c o u r s e toward the rich ought th is

to correct?24 . Ought brethren ever to go to la w b e fo r e u nbel ievers ? 1 Cor. (i: 1.25 . What does James sa y the rich'blaspheme?

James ' 2 : 7 .26. How do they blaspheme i r , ? S ee note 4,

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THE HOOK OF JAMES.

NOTES.1. In this chapter James p roceeds to speak m o r eparticularly of the false, distinctions built up amongm en and by m e n , and the respect to different oneswrongly manifested on account of these distinctions.This h e sets forth by an illustration, in which h e takesoccas ion to state m o r e fully the grand truth that allt hese barriers are s w e p t away by the gospel , and allm en stand alike be f o r e God. And none w h o pro fess

the faith, or rel igion, of Jesus Christ should cou n t e nance any such distinctions, nor manifest any partiality to the d i f f e r e n t m e m b e r s of the church.2. The w o r d "assembly" inverse 2 is translated"synagogue" in the margin. In a general sense it isnot to b e conf ined to Jewish s y n a g o g u e s but w o u l ddenote any p l a ce of m eeting .3 . Verse 4 r e ads , "Arc ye not then partial in yourselves?" or , D o y e not make a di f f e rence amongyou rse lves? that is , calling one better than anotherb e c a u s e one is rich and another i s poor , whereas nos u c h distinction should b e r e cognized , but every question shou ld be dec ided on its m er its , and not on the

condition or circumstances of the individual. Then,s a y s the apost le , if y ou act thus are y e not "becomejudges of evil thoughts," or , in other w o r d s , judges. having evil thoughts, or judging according to an in correct or evil principle. This again w o u l d b e w r o ng .4. The r e f e r ence to the "judgment-seat," in verse 6 ,w o u l d seem to strengthen the idea that James, in thef i r s t part of this chapter, has reference to the settlement of di f f icul t ies by l a w . The rich are the veryones w h o are apt to opp re s s in this way those wlio-rnthey dislike on account of their religion, or for otherreasons . And they are the ones w h o , if unbelievers,m o s t generally make light of Christianity and b i a s -

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THE BOOK OF JAMES. IB

pheme the name of Christ. And even if they pro fessto be bel ievers, they might even then blaspheme h isname by going contrary to h is instructions ill theirtreatment of the brethren. Matt. 18:15-17. TheChristian is the last pe r son in the world to f a w n upona rich man on account of his riches, considering whatthey are liable to lead him to do . But while thereis no sin in riches,in themselves, if properly acquired,and no virtue in poverty, from the same point ofview, yet the fact remains that the rich are m o r e aptto be worldly, and the poor in this world's goodsm o r e ready generally to look forward to the p r o m is edkingdom and acquire by faith an interest in the everlasting r i ches .

LESS-5O1VJ A N U A R Y 31, 1891.

JAMES 2: 8-16.1. To what la w does James now ca l l attention?

James 2: 8, f i r s t c l au se .2. How d o w e know that this is the t e n - c o m

mandment law? Ans.By verse 11, w h i c h quotesfrom that l a w .3 . Why is it called the " royal " law ? S ee note 1.

4 . What is meant by "fulfilling" it?. R o m . 13:10 ; 1 John53''

5 . According to what scripture a r e w e to fu l f i l lit? Lev. 19118.

6. Is.this scripture any part of the royal law?S ee note 2.7 . Of what are they conv inced , w h o have r e spec t

of pe rsons ? James 2 : 9 .8. How does the la w then conv ince u s of sin?

R o m . 3:20; 7:7.

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1C , THE BOOK OF JAMES.9 . Of what does James say one is guilty if lie of

f ends in one point ? Verse 1 0 .10 . How can this be so ? S ee note 3 .11 . How does he illustrate this in verse 11 ?12. T o what does the w o r d " h e " refer in verse 11,

f i r s t c l a u s e ? S ee margin.13 . What does this prove respecting the perpetuity

of the ten commandments?14 . What is the law ca l led in verse 12, and w h y ' ?Ps. 119:45.15 . What connec t ion has th is law with , the judg

ment? James 2: 12, 13.16.. What should w e have in view in all that w e

speak and do?17 . What threatening is m a d e against the unmerci

f u l ? Verse ] 3 ; Matt. 5:7; 6 :14, 15 .18. What is the meaning of James 2:13,1art c l ause?

S ee note 4 .19 . What does James say, of faith and w o r k s in

verse 14 ?20 . Are w o r d s a lone a suf f i c ien t proof of faith? Ib.21 . What kind of faith is it, therefore, w h i c h c a n

not save a man ? Ib., last c l au se .22. How is this illustrated in verses 15-17 ?

N O T E S .1. In verse 8 James ca l l s t hose to whom lie wr i t esinto the p re sence of a higher, a supreme law, b e f o r e

which all stand as eq ua l . In its sight there are norich or p o o r , high or l ow . Its inquiries respect onlyright and w r o n g , innocence and guilt. It is the" royal " l a w , b e c a u s e it is the law of the great King.B e f o r e this all must b o w . In accordance with th is ,all petty dif f icul t ies must b e settled, and our conduct

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THE BOOK OF JAMES.

one toward another b e regulated. Thus the apostlefittingly reaches the climax of h is argument.;2. The commandment, " Thou shalt love thy ne igh bor a s thyself," is not taken f r om the d e c a l o g u e , but isfound iu Lev. 19:18. Yet Christ sets this d o w n asthesecond of the two great commandments in the l a w . "Matt. 22:36-40. In answer to this question by a l a w y e r , " Which is the great commandment in the law? "

Jesus a n s w e r e d : "Thou shalt love the Lord thyGodwith all thy heart, and with a ll thy sou l , and with allthy mind. This is the first and great commandmentAnd the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thyneighbor as thyself. On these tw o commandmentshang all the law and the prophets." What is herecalled " the first and great commandment," is l ikewisenot found in the d e c a l o g u e , but in Deut. 6 : 5 . Promthese facts s o m e are disposed to argue that the tencommandments d o not occupy the supreme position of" the law of God; " f o r if they did, they say, the Lordw o u l d have quoted them in answer to the lawyer'sques t ion ; but a s, instead, he quoted from the booksof Moses, therefore they claim there is no distinctionb e t w e e n the ten commandments and the la w of Moses;and quotations from other parts of the Mosaic c o deare put b e f o r e the ten commandments. But all suchf a l se reasoning is overturned by the way in whichJames here presents the sub j e c t . He s a y s that w eare to f u l f i l l the royal law according to the scripture,"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Then hes h o w s what he means by the " royal law " by quotingtw o of the ten commandments. Thus hedemonstratesthe connec t ion b e t w e e n that scripture and the d e c a logue by s h o w i n g that that part of the decaloguewhich relates to our duties to our f e l l o w - m e n , w h i c hcontains the commandments, "Thou shalt not kill,"and, " Thou shalt not commit adultery," is summedup in the command to love our neighbors a s ourselves;

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la THE BOOK OP JAMES.and consequently the f i r s t tableof the d e c a l o g u e , thatpart which relates to our duty to God, is summedup in the command to love God with all the heart.What Christ sa id , therefore, to the lawyer w a s equivalent to quoting the w h o l e deca logue , s ince lie gavean epitome of bo t h t ab les .

3 . On James 2 :10, J. P. T h o m p s o n , D. D., has thefo l lowing pertinent note: " The la w of God is - H > t astring of precepts; it is a principle, a spirit, a unity.It encircles one like a ring of gold . If he steps overit at any point, he goes outside of it, and is a transgressor as really a s though he should break it inpieces at every point . Indeed, one breaks this la wby the spirit of pride, of envy, of jealousy; by any"feeling which, if carried out into action, would do in jury to a neighbor. Only the spirit of love pervadingall our conduct can preserve intact the pure and"' ho ly law."The Bible in the Home, p. 1 1 9

4. " Mercy re jo ice th [margin, " glorieth "] against.judgment." James 2:10. Various constructions are'put upon this pas s age ; but that which s e e m s tobe themos t ob viou s des ign of the declaration is to sh ow h owexceedingly p r e c i o u s a quality mercy is in the sightof heaven. He that s h o w s no mercy will receivenone . He w h o s h o w s mercy wil l receive it. Matt. 5:7 . And mercy rejoiceth against judgment, that is, itis a matter of re jo ic ing, one in. which w e may glory,and which redounds to the glory of God, that a planhas been devisedwhereby mercy can b e consistentlyextended to those w h o are under condemnation andjustly exposed to judgment. No principle of God'sgovernment has b een sac r i f iced , no lowering of God'sauthority has been su f f e red , no indignity has b e e ncast upon the law; and yet the sinner can b e saved.Thus mercy re jo ice th against judgment.

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LESS01VF E B R U A R Y 7 , 1891.JAMES 2:17-25

1. W H A T is said of that which c l a i m s to b e faith,if it has no accompanying w o r k s ? James 2:17.

2. What is the only kind of faith that avails anything? Gal. 5:6.

3 . If it w e r e possib le to conceive of real faithapart from action, what w o u l d be the condition ofthat faith ? James 2:17.

4 . What does James represent that s o m e maysay?Verse 18, first part.

5 . What challenge does he give to such ? Nextclause.

6 . How does James say that h e wil l sho w h isfaith? Verse 18, last c l au se . , ,

7 . What is the first great fact - for faith to grasp?Verse 19; Heb. 11:6.

8. Is belief to this degree commendable ? James2:19, second c l au se .9 . What other c l ass bes ides m en does James m e n

tion as believing in one God ? Ib., last part.10 . D o e s this belief benefit'he devils? Why?11 . In order f o r it to be a benef i t , what must b e

coupled with it? Verse 20 .12. What are the w o r k s necessa ry to make ^hisfaith of benefit to m en ? Heb. 11:6, last c l au se

13 . In what way are w e diligently to seek him?Mark 16:16; Acts 2 :38; *3 : 19; Matt. 3: 8, etc .

14 . What c a s e is taken to illustrate the doctrineJames is presenting ? James 2:21.

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tit THE BOOK OFJAMf.

15 . What w o r k s on Abraham's part are referredt o ? 16 .

16 . What did Abraham's faith on this occas ionembrace ? R om .4:16-22; Heb. 11:17-19.

. 17 . What connec t ion had h is faith with h is w o r k s f 'James 2: 22, first part.

18. What d id h i s wo rks d o f o r h is faith?lb., lastpart.

19 . What w o u l d h i s faith have b e e n without hisw o r k s ?20 . What scripture w as ful f i l led in this c a se?

Verse 23 .21 . On what account w as r i g h t eousnes s imputed

to h i m , on account of h is faith or h is works? Gen.15:6.22. What tw o things, therefore, are necessary tojus t i f i ca t ion ? Verse 24. S ee notes .

23 . By what w o r k s w as the harlot Rahab justified?Verse 25 .

24 . What w as her faith w h i c h led to her works?Josh. 2:9.25 . What is the condi t ion of faith without works?and to what is it in that condition compared ? James2: 26 .

NOTES.1. A great deal of unnecessary discussion has

taken p l a c e over the question whether or not Jamescontradicts Paul on the subject of justification byfaith, or faith and wo r k s . But there is no contradiction b e tween them; they simply treat the subjectf r o m d if f e r en t standpoints. Paul presents a faith thatproduces works. James presents works that are produced by faith. The fo l lowing lenmrks by J. P.

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Thompson, D . D ., are to the point " Faith a 'nd w o r k sare like the tw o poles of the galvanic battery theymust be brought together in order that the current oflife may f low and give out sparks of love. Either ispowe r l e s s without the other. They are the two/ociof an ell ipse, in which the Christian l i fe m o v e s on inits heavenly c o u r s e now nearing one, and now theotherbut held by both in constant equilibrium. T oremove either w o u l d be to make that life erratic, orcause it suddenly to collapse and c o m e to a stand.James represents one pole, one f o c u s ; Paul, the o the r .Their teachings are not opposed, and should not b edivorced. James puts faith into concrete f o r m s . Heho lds , a s strongly a s does Paul, to the necessi ty offa i th ; everything must besought in faith; everythingmust b e done in faith. But it must b e a living faitha faith that s h o w s its sincerity by the sac r i f i ces ofpel f which it m a k e s , by the w o r k s of love which itp e r f o r m s . A merely intellectual orthodoxy may b eheld by d e m o n s . A mere profess ion of faith may b eworth no more than the body of a man without thebreath of life. A true faith loves, w o r k s , l ives. Itregulates the -conscience , the s p e e c h , and the life, bythe conviction of God's constant p re sence ; it s h o w sits appreciation of spiritual realities by separationf r om the w o r l d ; it takes the la w of God a s a reality,and, bringing its grand truths and inspiring m otivesto bear directly u p o n the conduct of every day, w o r k sby love."Bible in the Home, p. 1 1 5 .

2. "It is im possib le to separate w o r k s f r^m faith,yea, a s im poss ib le a s it is to separate burning andshining from f i re . " Luther."James by no means a f f i r m s that works g ive lifeto, produce, or c rea te , faith; f o r faith c o m e s by thep o w e r of the w o r d , entering into and received by u s,and by nothing else. But faith g r o w s complete inw o r k s . That is the s a m e a s Paul's say ing , or , rather,

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THE BOOK OF JAMES.the Lord's say ing to Paul, that the st.ength of Godm a y b e comp le ted in weakness . 2 C o z % 12:9. Thest rength of f a i th , indw ell ing f rom the beginning, a ndalready received along wi th the f i r s t seizing of g r a ce ,b e c o m e s f u l ly p roved , veri f ied, a nd its opera t ion c o m pleted. T h u s ou r ca l ling and election are m a d e s u r ein the dil igence of living a nd doing. 2 Peter 1:10.Thus Abraham's f i r s t ca l l w a s m a d e s u r e iu h is lastworks , and t he w o r d concern ing just i f ica t ion b y (ou tof) f a i th , already be fo re a c c o rd e d t o h i m , w as l a w f u lly and actually con f i rmed as a truth."Stier.

LESSOIVF E B R U A R Y 14 , 1891.JAMES 3: 1-9.

1. W H A T exhor ta t ion is given in James 3:1?2. What is the fo r ce of th is exhorta t ion ? A ' I I S .

That none should, a s s u m e to b e mas te r , or dictator,ii i the c h u r c h .

3 . Why s h o u ld no one a s s u m e s u c h a position ?Matt . 23 : 8 ; 1 Peter 5 : 3.4 . Why wil l t hose w h o do t h i s h ave greater con

d em n a t io n ? S ee note 1.5. H ow m a n y offend in m a n y t h i n g s ? James 3:2..6. What is a tes t of one's p o w e r to b r id l e the

w h o le b o d y ? Ib .7 . What is m e a n t b y th e expression "to b r id le the

w h o l e b o d y " ?8. What illustration is used in verse 3 ?9 . What more fo r c i b l e illustration in verse 4?

10 . In these i l lust ra t ions wi th what is the bit andh e l m c o m p a r e d ? Verse 5 .

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THE BOOK OF JAMES.11. What is said of the tongue in this verse? S ee

note 2.12. What is ofteu the principal c a u s e o f ' , . alienationamong brethren, and trouble in the church? Verse

6 . S ee note 3 .13 . From what does the tongue draw its supply of

material f o r mischief? Verse 6 ; Matt. 12: 3 4 ., 14 . What"then is the only sure safeguard again.it

mischief from the tongue? Luke 6: 4 4 , 4 5 .15 . Why is the tongue called a fire? Prov 16 :27 , 28.

16 . By what is it set on f i re, w h e n scattering itsevil ? James 3 : 6 , last c l a u s e .

17 . What skill have m en s h o w n in subduing an i mal natures? Verse 7.

18. How have they s u c c e e d e d with the tongue ?Verse 8.

19 . Why is it so difficult to control the tongue ?Ib.20 . Of w h o s e tongues does the apostle speak, oft hose of Christians, or those of unconverted pe r sons?S ee note 4 .21 . What inconsistent u se of the tongue is furtherdescribed ? Verse 9 .22. Whom does the apost le m e a n by " we" in thisverse ? S ee note 5 .

NOTES.1 . The w o r d rendered " master " in verse 1 is by

s o m e here rendered "teacher" be not many teachers and thought to refer to an aggress ive and offensivepropagandisrn of re l ig ious views. One of the definitions of the w o r d , to b e s u r e , is . "teacher;" but thelexicons make it, in the N ew Testament, the equivalentof "rabbi," so that Matt. 23:8 w o u l d apply to it;

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a nd if w e give it the sense of "teacher," thesub jec t a ndcontext w o u l d obl ige u s to unde r s t and it a s m e a n i n gto dic tate , or set u p one's views as th e standard,a nd try to oblige everyone else to confo rm to t h e m .S u c h expose them selves to greater c onde mna t ion ;for a ll are fa l l ib le a nd l iable to m istakes . T h i s istrue even of p rophe ts and apost les . See th e casesof N o a h , Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Paul, P e t e r , "andB a r n a b a s . A c t s 21:26-28; Gal. 2:11-13. Andw h e n one enters u po n a ca l l ing for w h i c h h e is notfitted, a nd c l a i m s m o r e than h e is justly entitled to , h eis th e m o r e censu r ab le .

2. N o w o r k is m o r e di f f icu l t than the p r o p e r governm e n t of th e tongue. Useless, f r ivolous, idle, or injur i ou s conversa t ion is th e b a n e of m a n y lives. T h edange ' r of abuses of th e tongue enters even into th ed o m a i n of rel igion; and rel igious cont roversy is tooapt to b e cha r a c t e r ized b y s h a r p , bi t te r , a nd content ious words .

3 . H ow l a rge a propor t ion of u n h a p p i n e s s in thef am ily , o f t r o u b l e in socie ty , a nd alienation a nd discordin the c h u r c h , comes f rom a w r o n g u se of the tongue !And h ow apt m a n y are, even if they d o no t originatea s landerous repor t , to take i t u p a nd repeat it to oth ers! S o if w e h a v e not a s lande rous tongue, w e m a yhave a n ear for scandal; a nd th is is a tw in evil, f o rw i t h o u t t h i s t he occupa t ion of th e tattler and b u s y b o d y in o the r men ' s m a tte r s w o u l d soon b e gone.

4. In verses 6-8, James evidently h a s r e fe rence to theu n reg eu e r a t e tongue ; for t h e g r a ce of God c a n b r i n git into subjec t ion. T h e grace o f God c a n p u r i f y thehea r t , w h i c h is th e great f oun ta in ou t of w h i c h c o m et h o u g h t s , that blossom into words . But w h e n th ef oun ta in is m a d e r igh t , that w h i c h c o m e s f rom it wil lb e r igh t . S o it is said that " a good- .man ou t of th e

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THE BOOK OF JA MRS.good treasure of his heart bringetlv forth that whichis good." Luke 6 : 4 5 . The true remedy thenagainst the evils which flow f r om the tongue is to havethe heart subdued and made right in the sight 1 ofGod::

5 , Verse 9 w o u l d seem rather to apply to t h o s e w h ohave a f o r m o f godliness but deny the p o w e r thereof,w h o have a fo rm of lip serv ice toward God, and whilepro fess ing to honor God, the Creator or Father of all,yet denounce or curse their f e l l ow- men , the creature,either f o r their lack of rel igion, or b e c a u s e they fancythey have the wrong rel igion. By the w o r d "we,"the apostle doub t l e s s re fe rs to a general conditionamong m e n , not including himself personally a s guiltyof the inconsis tency of w h i c h h e speaks . Just a s itis of ten said that" w e " d o this or that, and take thisor that c o u r se , when all that is meant is that peop legenerally do so.

VIII.F E B R U A R Y 21, 1891.

JAMES 3:10-18.1. W H A T inconsis tency is m en tioned in James 3:

10 , f i r s t c l ause?2. What does James say of this?Ib., last c l ause .

S ee note 1.3 . What does So lomon sa y is in the p o w e r of the

tongue? ^Prov. 18:21.4 . What quest ion is asked in James 3:11?5 . What is the f o r ce of this quest ion ? S ee note 2.6 . What f i g u r e s does James now introduce, drawn

from the productions of nature? Verse 12.7 . Are these stronger or weaker than the p r e c e d

ing one respecting the fountain ? S ee note 3 .

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.# THE BOOK OF JAMES.8. What conclusion does James t hen d r aw con

ce rn ing sa l t wa te r a n d f r e sh? Verse 12.9 . If sa l t wate r is mingled wi th f r e sh , h ow does ita f f ec t it fo r ordinary use?

- 10 . If a person shows b y h is words a n evil character, a n d y e t c l a i m s that h is character is good, w h a t ish is r e a l character?

11. What turn is given to th e sub jec t in verse 13 ?Ans.Conditions a re in t roduced b y w h i c h a ll pre.-tensions c a n b e tested.

12. D o e s the l anguage r e fe r to one w h o is reallywise, or only c l a i m s to be so ? S ee note 4 .

13 . H ow is a m an to p rove h i s c l a ims to \visdoii)and know ledge? Verse 13 .

14 . What is the m e a n i n g of th e w o r d h e r e rendered"conversa t ion " ? Ans.T h e whole cou r se of l ife depo r t men t .15 . T o what w o r d s of Chr is t ' s is t h i s port ion of

James'epistle parallel? Matt . 7 :15-20.16. What is the m e a n i ng of th e exhor ta t ion in

James 3:14 ? Ans.If a pe r son h a s bitter envy ing andstr i fe in h is he a r t , it m a tte r s not h ow m u c h scientificknowledge h e m ay possess, or h ow skil l fu l h e m a y b ein deba te , h e h a s noth ing ove r wh i ch to g lo ry . Heh a s no religion nor true wisdom, a nd to pre tend thath e h a s , is to lie agains t the truth.

17 . What is th e sou r ce a nd nature of th is w i s d o m ?Verse 15 .18. Is s u c h really wisdom, or only a sham?

19 . What a l w a y s a c c om p a n i e s envy ing a n d st r i fe?Verse 16 . .

20 . What a re the seven charac te r is t i c s o f true wisdom ? Verse 17 .

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THE BOOK OF JAMES.

21. Will the true fruits of r igh teousness appear inp e a ce or strife? Verse 18. S ee note 5 .

22. In what c lass wi l l t hese fruits appear? Il>.,las t c l a u se . t23 . How does Christ speak of, this class? Matt.

5 : 9 .NOTES.

1. James 3 : 10 ." T h e se things ought not so to b e . "The f o r ce of the w o r d translated " ought," is strongerthan is expressed by the English w o r d . It m e a n s thatit must not be so. It is so inconsistent that it is utterly intolerable ; it is m o n s t r o u s .

2. Verse 1 1 . " S w e e t water and bitter." The swee twater corresponds to the " blessing," and the bitterwater to the "cursing" spoken of in the verse be fo re .And a s a fountain does not send out both swee t a ndbitter water f rom the s a m e place at the s a m e t ime , sof rom the fountain of the heart should not c o m e forthboth blessing and cursing. But, as in a fountain,if bitter water should perchance b e mingled wi th thesweet , the w h o l e would b e spoi led, so all the blessingswhich theheart utters toward God are utterly vitiatedand spoi led by the cursings w h i c h the s a m e heartutters toward m e n . Hence it b r ings forth no goodfruit at all .

3 . Verse 12.James' statement concerning the f ig-tree and the vine is much stronger than that in r e f e r ence to the fountain, f o r tw o veins of water, a goodand a poo r , might possib ly m e e t and pour forth theirmingled streams f r om the s a m e ori f ice; but in natureit is im poss ib le f o r the f ig-t ree to bear olives; or a vine,figs. Such a monstrosity in nature is unknown. Itremains f o r human nature alone to make so depravedan exhibition. But the fruit determines the nature ofthe t ree . If olive berries are produced, however

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much the tree may bear an outward semblance to thefig, it is not a f ig-t ree, but a n olive-tree. S o if thetraits of a man's character are evil, if that is the fruith e b e a r s , h o w e v e r much lie m a y pro fess to b e a Chr i s tian, h e is not s u c h , but a s inner . A sou l that is d epraved must act w i t h i n the b o u n d s of that depravity.Hypocrisy, the counterfeit, can b e manifested onlyon the side of the good . A so u l really good cannotmanifest sham traits of evil, for it w o u l d thereby b ec o m e evil; but a sou l really evil can m a n if e st shamtraits of goodness, and not thereby b e c o m e good.

4 . Verse 13.Heavenly wisdom lias a n inseparableattendant, w h i c h is love; and love produces fruits b yw h i c h its p re sence is ever m an if e s ted , and by whicha pe rson ' s condi t ion c a n b e tested. If anyone c l a i m sto b e e n d ow e d wi th true w i s d o m , let u s note what eff e c t it has on, h is temper and c o n d u c t . Is h is w h o l ec o u r s e of conduct characterized b y m e ek n es s? D o eshe seek to avoid sin, and follow the things whichmake f o r peace? Is h e in behavior m o d e s t and m o d erate, patient and harmless? Is h e ready to yie ld toclaims w h i c h are just and proper? Is he kind andc om pass ionate , and ready to fo rg ive ?' Is h e careful anddiligent in the performance of h is duties toward Godand toward m en ? Is he s in ce re and upright in allL is decisions ? Such traits are characteristic of truew i s d o m , that w h i c h is f r om ab ove , a s speci f ied in verse17.

5 . Verse 18.Righteousness a s m ani f es ted in themanner set forth in the verses embraced in this lesson,is sure to produce its good results, as seed that is s o w nis to produce a harvest. It is m en of p e a c e w h o.sow the seeds oftruth. M en of turmoil and strife c a n not r e c o m m e n d any cou r se , nor properly advocate anytruth. But the peace-makers are continually r e c o m mending the wisdom b y which they are governed, to

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others; and their c o u r s e of conduct is represented a sthe sowing of heavenly seed, w h i c h is sure to bringforth divine fruit. "To enjoy the p e a c e of God in theconsc ience, and to live to promote p e a c e among m e n ,is to answer the end of our creation, and to enjoy asm u c h happiness ourse lves a s the present state ofthings can a f fo rd . " Clarice.

F E B R U A R Y 28, 1891.JAMES 4 :i-8.

1. W H A T evils does James now speak of a s existing in the church ? James 4:1, f i r s t c l a u se .

2. From whence does he say that t h e s e w a r s andbrawlings (margin) spring? S ee note 1.3 . Where do t he se worldly and carnal desi res orimpulses w o r k ? Verse 1, last c l ause . R o m . 7:23;1 Peter 2:11.

4 . What is referred to in James 4 : 2, first clause?Ans.Evidently t hose ambitions and des i r e s wh i chtake possession of one w h o backslides from God, andb e c o m e s worldly. Then h e seeks h is happiness f romthe pride of l ife, the lust of the eyes, and the grat i f i cation of bodily appetites, and the des i res of the f lesh .But true happiness is not to b e had f r om .this sou r ce .S ee note 2.

5 . To what does such a false c o u r s e of life lead? Ib., last part.

6 . What exerc ise is referred to by the w o r d s , " Yeask"? Verse 3 . S ee note 3 .

7 . Why are not such prayers a s are referred toanswered? Ib.

8. What is it to ask a m i s s ? 1 6 . , last c l au se .

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THE BOOK OF JAMES. 3126 . Why must a double-minded man purify h is

heart? S ee James 1:6-8.