Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1889-12-16


The last and most apparent use which
evil 10 com PEELED TO perform IL that OF
publication. This third division 10
properly subdiyided into two heads
direct temptation and Fermentation.
Evil comes into direct combat with Us,
and this We call temptation There are
| InclinAtions in our affections toward
what 10 evil. and evil flows into these
inclinatioos. endeavoring to excite them
and 90 cause Us to do evil-to hate, TO
cheat or take undue advantage OF an
other, to want to rule over others or
injure them, or any other OF the thou
| srnd evils to which the human heart Il
| prone.
Ii may seem strange to you that it il
good for Us to come into states OF temp
ta,ion, and yet this il true. 1t is By
| this means that We are esta blished In .
good life. 1t 10 when we are in tempsa-
| ton that We turn TO the Lord and lock
to Him for strength, and when We do
this we are conjoinsd to Him. All
things work together for good towards
| those who are trying to do right and are
struggling along the narrow road to
kesyen, and ii we are among these 1t 10
. blessing to us that at times We have to
combat against evil. AS We overcome
we come into . heavenly state OF lite.
/. il true We are taught to pray to our
Heavenly Esther, Lead Us not into
temptation" but by this We mean that
we are not to be eager to come into con-
tact with evil. tor We might be tempted
| 10 fight in our strength; but we should
leave all Thugs to the Lord. who know
eth best what temptations ii 10 necessary
| for US to go through in order to com bat
the particular evils or tendencies to evil
| in our own heart; and He Temperate
the wind to the shorn lamb. and II We
put ourselves entirely into his keeping
He will only permit evil to come in
contact with US - we are able to
bear the com bat and - it ID necessary
tor our advancement In spiritual lite.
With many OF Us who are travelling
hesvenward it would not do to bring US
into deep. desperate temptations, tor We
should be swept away by them into
horrible evils For this reason most
Christians cannot be let into deep temp
tations until they leave this world and
enter the world of spirits, and there
they come into states OF vsstation
which search their Utmost intentions
see and acknowledge every evil in their
-
and reject them. 1t is only then that
they are prepared tor heaven.
Evil also performs uss in our spirit
ii purifi cation by what il known in our
doctrines as lamentations. Many of
Us may think we have been advancing
in our heavenly lite in . satisfactory
way. when in TACT there wAs some deep
ly grounded evil aft sction in our hearts
OF which we were entirely unaware.
The oaly way that this evil can be
brought to the Su face so that we can
be made conscious of it and see it in its
true character, is by the Lords permit
ting the sphere of hell SO to few into
our af1e stions that this evil will become
intensifi I'D, and thus active. 1t we are
Christians We shall then be properly
Mortified 1T perceiying such evils in our
souls. and will earnestly combat them.
1t there were no evil In our hearts, or
inclinations to evil, the sphere OF hell
could have no ipfl1ence upon US. tor it
would fied nothing congenial into which
iticould flow. But whilesour regeners-
ton 10 progressing there are mum berless
purpose OF bringing US out of these evils
that the Lord permits the bells to come
into contact with US that they may be
made manifest. Yes. more than this.
All those that are evil not only stir up
the rom aiming avils in us but they f roe
ly combat against whatever il good in
us; and it We on our part promptly rise
up and give battle. We not only in con-
querlng subdue further evils in cur
selves. but we also quicken and confirm
what is good in Us; that is, supposius
OF the Lord. 1t was by temptation
combats that our Lords glorifcation
took place, and it is thus that our reRen-
GRAFTON advances.
Now the sphere of evil, that is. of
hell. may be brought into conta"t with
Us either through IN internal inf Ience
direct from the hells,or By our coming
into contact with evil men around Us, or
even by coming into contact with the
evil which still remains in the hearts OF
our fellow christians. In fact. some of
our greatest temptations and irritations
come from this last mentioned cause.
With oil good people there is generally
some remnant of evil. frequently taking
the form of spiritual self consciousness,
either that OF spiritual pride. or some
times even an undue humility. As We
start out in our christian lite We quite
readily throw of gross external evils,
but there are many shades of interior
evils. many OF them almost intangible,
and these are only overcom with the
greatest difficulty. In fact, if the Lord
did not from the very goodness of his
heart and from his great love for us and
concern for our eternal happiness per
NIT evil spirits to isrcely attack rs and
infl,me these evils, We should know
nothing of them ct oil.
But the Lord will not forsake us for
an instant. but when necessary will put
US into the fierce fires of temptation,
even IS the refiner again and again re
turns the gold into the furnaces until it
is entirely purified. and he csn see his
face in its clear surface as in . mirror
So the Lord will permit US to come into
temptation until there 10 nothing op-
posing to his divine lite in us. When
the last evil in our hearts, however in
terror it may be, is overcome and sub
dued. then temptations cease, and We
come into . deep interior state of peace
and innocence. In bringing about this
state in our hearts the Lord has com
PEELED the powers OF evil to be of great
use to Us. Aud what may be true of
each one of w is true of his whole |
church. so We see that the words of the |
psAlmist are profoundly true: Surely |
the wrath of man shall praise thee; the
of wrath shalt thou restrain"