The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-08-10
KEEP AWAY FROM SIN.

The Stages of Temptation and Our Rela.
ton Toward Them.
LEAD us not into temptation" is the
petition of the prayer our Lord taught
us. 1t assumes that we do not want tc
be tempted. 1t implies what is really
a somewhat advanced or at least de-
veloped phase of Christian character,
in which one is earnestly trying to
avoid sin, and is asking Divine help to
escape the indictments to it. There is
one stage above it and several stages
below it.
The confirmed saint has reached a
stage above it. In the heavenly glory,
at least, we may hope that temptation
will have no power, that we shall there
reach the blessed necessity of obedience
to Gods law, SO that it will not only be
possible not to sin, but impossible
to sin. We can hardly imagine any
temptation to have the least eff
feet on such confirmed soul beyond
exciting its pain and detestation. We
are told that God can not lie, nor can
such soul. There may, them be such
stage in Christian development that
one will scarcely need to pray, LEAD
us not into temptation but we are
slow to believe that such stage is
reached in this world
The petition, we have said, implies a
desire to avoid temptation and SIM yet
even this does not seem to be the con-
slant attitude of all those whom we
may in charity call Christians. There
is a lower plane on which those live
| who utter the words, and yet actually
challenge and seek temptation, know
ing that they may fall and often desire
to fall before it.
One lower stage is that which is repre-
sented by those who, in the words of
the first psalm, walk in the way of the
ungodly." They are not confirmed in
sin. They do not really seek it's guilty
pleasures, but they daily with it dam
gerously. They indulge their curiosity
by going to see it. They do not intend
to yield to temptation, but they will
go aside to pass by it, and observe what
it is. They do not hate it; they do not
pray to be led away from it; indeed,
they actually go in its direction that
they may see and hear it. This is an
extremely dangerous attitude of mind,
and we fear it is an extremely common
one. Few stop there and escape with
out faint.
The next step takes one almost past
the line of Christian character. 1t is
that stage IN the experience with
temptation when one stops to loiter
| with it. He no longer walks in the
way of the ungodly; for he stands in
| the way of the sinners, conversing with
them and often yielding to their sug-
| gestions, This is the position, it may
be, of one who is not yet hardened in
sin. He goes into temptation, fingers
there, yields, but feels remorse and re-
penis, and turns his face often away
Such man in his business, in his
temper, does constantly what he
knows is wrong He has some
favorite temptation to which he
yields, some secret bosom sin. for
which he desplses and hates himself,
but from which he does not really try
to deliver himself by avoiding tempta-
ton. His spiritual position is a very
dangerous and unhappy one
There is one stage only below it. 1t
is that of the man who makes his will
ing seat with the scornful. TO him the
voice of conscience no longer calls with
any efficacy, He has silenced its
pleadings. He has chosen its compan-
ions. He has embraced his temptation
and makes his home with it. May we
not fear there are such even in the
membership of the church of Him who
will say to not few at the last: 81
never knew you?-N. Y. Independent