The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-11
"THE PRODIGAL SON."
"His Temptation".-Second Of Rev. l.
w. Reads Series of Sermons
on the Subject.

Last evening Rev. l. w. Read of the
First Baptist church, delivered the sec>
ond of Il series of sermons on THE Prod
| igal Son." of which the following is
synopsis:
Temptation comes alike to all. No
man lives who does hot know its power.
The temper comes in various ways, and
by multiplicity of devices. Through
his power men are led into all manner of
sins, and to commit all manner of
crimes Bunyan refers to the man in the
iron cage who said, II have tempted the
devil and he is come to me, which is too
often the case in this world. Men ought
to keep clear of temptation. 1t comes
like the snake in the grass, which by
stealth approaches his victim until he is
sufficiently near to sink his ready fangs
into the flesh and emit his deadly poison.
The young man whose career we are con
sidering was subjected in the very be
ginning TO temptation, and became a
willing prey to its seductive influences.
Like many another one he felt its power.
This part of his history we will briefly no
tice tonight.
First The first thing which calls for
consideration is, what his temptation
was In the account but little is gwen,
but from the demand he made upon his
father. to give him his portion, We may
get a kew which will unlock the door to a
fuller understanding OF his temptation.
a.. He cbafed under his fathers gov
ernment. All temptation is chiefly
inward. 1t is in thought or meditation
upon the wrong side of question. Evil
IDENTIFY this young man had been thinking
about the methods of his fathers govern
ment, and had brought himself to think,
like many young men, that his father was
unnecessarily arbitrary aud tyranicsl
The devil often makes men think that
God, our great father is tyrant, and that
his government is, to say the least. a
harsh administration of justice The
prodigal felt so, and therefore lie rebelled
| (2). He wished TO get from under his
| fathers watchful care. In his home life
he was necessarily under some restraint,
and this was not to his liking. The
tempter at this point made him believe il
he could leave home, everything would
work tremendously for his own interests
He would be from under his fathers eye,
and therefore there would be hone to cal
in question his acts. (3). He dis
trusted his fathers management OF affairs
II is one of the easiest things in the world
to have doubts thrown upon character
or upon motives governing in action. II
one once doubts it is difficult thing tC
have those doubts cleared away, in fact
II Cdu only Dc UNIV w thS hhoas posihfN
evidence upon the subject. This young
man was tempted to doubt and it resulted
in long train of evils. Many life has
been wrecked upon snch rocks. az
He believed in his own ability to manage
for himself he was proud and selfish
Whenever young man gets to that point
where he thinks he knows more than hi:
| father he is in the sure road to trouble, il
not litter ruin. He had wonderful idea:
as to his own ability to take care of him
self, and so, like many others, thought he
knew all that was necessary to be known
and therefore he could get along very wei
without the help of an 'old foggy" like
his father. Many in this enlighteded age
have acted in the same spirit, and in con-
sequence have come to ruin. II the devi
can get young man to feel his own self
sufTiciency, he has him in his chains O
captivity.
| Second. How this temptation mani
tested itself. Eyerytime one is tempted
it is, in some way, manifested
a. His temptation was made known by
demand for his portion. He was SUI
premely selfish, and so the first thing HI
asked for was the money which would
in time. fall TO him. He had no idea o
leaving without his portion. This is tn
way many act; young man who wa
brought up by his pious parents in Bos-
ton. demanded the same thing as TIL
prodigal, and became wreck. 1t is thu
in the life of each one who does rot be
leve in God. All that God has given il
demanded to be used, not as He wills
but as self wills. e. His temptation
was seen in o desire for liberty. Much
said today about freedom, in thought ant
speech. The prodigal would have mad
first rate nineteenth century free think
er. He thought he was bound down I'm
der a servile yoke, and felt that his ind
viduality demanded freedom from thi
yoke. Multitudes today are in the sam
condition with respect to God. Is it lib
erty that the young man needs when b
follows his pious mother to the graveY
it liberty that the young man wants whe
ever ything has gone away from him, an
!, he is left like man on desolate island
Oh, no; it is a friend-it is help. Whe
God is abandoned for personal liberty Il
soul is hound by satanic chains and
slavery, than which none can be mo-
abiect, follows. g. His temptation ma
be seen in his departure--trust in hin
He left home with all Of its hallowed a
sociations and cast himself upon his ow
; resources. Self must hereafter be col
Z sidered, since freedom has been attained
We shall see the results of this liberty
| Is AIT