132 THE GOSPEL AND THE PLOW 



service to give content to the words, to prove that the 

 words have Life back of them. The word became flesh. 

 Jesus' matchless sermons and parables are strengthened 

 by His deeds. When challenged it was not to His words 

 but to His works He appealed, "Many good works have 

 I shewed you from my Father ; for which of those works 

 do ye stone me?" St. John 10: 32. 



Again when John the Baptist was in prison, doubts 

 arose in his mind as to whether Jesus was really the 

 One that should come. He sent two of his disciples to 

 ask Jesus, "And in that same hour He cured many of 

 their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits ; and unto 

 many that were blind He gave sight. Then Jesus an- 

 swering said unto them, Go your way and tell John what 

 things ye have seen and heard, how that the blind see, 

 the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the 

 dead are raised, to the poor the Gospel is preached." 



This He offers as proof of His Messiahship, and in this 

 instance He does not mention preaching till the last ; His 

 healing of the body and caring for its needs come first 

 into His mind in this hour when He wants to strengthen 

 the faith of him of whom He says that of those born of 

 women there is not a greater prophet than John the 

 Baptist. 



There is a very real danger that all desire to guard 

 against. The danger is in substituting "service" for 

 ' ' salvation, ' ' business for Godliness. We are commanded 

 to "work out" our own salvation, something we already 

 possess, not to work in order to gain salvation. The idea 

 that work, if there is only enough of it, can save a sinner 

 from his sins is held by some. I was asked to give an 

 address to a company of students to answer the question 



