Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-06-27


hell-more sly, more terrific than an,
thing that prowled in that country
satan himself, met Christ.
The rose in the cheek Of Christina
Publius Lentullus, in his letter to th
Roman senate, ascribed TO Jesus-tha
rose had scattered its petals. Abstinenc
from food had thrown him into emacia
ton A long abstinence from food re
corded in profane history is that of tn
crew of the ship Juno; for twenty-five
days they had nothing to eat. But thi
sufferer had tasted month and ten day
before he broke fast. Hunger must hav,
agonized every fiber of the body ant
gnawed on the stomach with teeth o
death. The thought of a morsel o
bread or meat must have thrilled til,
body with something like ferocity
Turn out a pack of men hungry a
Christ was a-hungered. and if they haC
strength, with one yell they would de
your you as lion kid.
1t was in that pang of hunger thai
Jesus was accosted and satan said
"Now change these stones. which look
like bread, into an actual supply OF
bread" Had the temptation come tC
you and me, under those circumstances
we would have cried, BREAD it shall
bel'' and been almost impatient at the
time taken for mastication: but Christ
with one hand beat back the hunger.
and with the other hand beat back the
monarch of darkness. Oh, ye tempted
ones! Christ was tempted. We are
told that Napoleon ordered coat OF
mail made, but he was not quite certain
that it was impenetrable, SO he said to
the manufacturer of the coat of mail,
Put it on yourself and let us try it, y
and with shot after shot from his own
pistol the emperor found ont that it
was just what it pretended to be-a good
coat of mail. Then the man received a
large reward.
bless God that the same coat of mail
that struck back the weapons of tempta-
tion from the head of Christ we may
now all wear: for Jesus comes and says:
81 have been tempted and know what
it is to be tempted. Take this robe that
defended me and wear it for yourselves.
shall see you through all trials and ]
shall see you through all temptation"
But" says satan still further to
Jesus, "come and will show you some
thing worth looking at" and after a
half days journey they came to Jerusa-
lem and to the top of the temple. Just
as one might go up in the tower of Ant
werp and look off upon Belgium, so
satan brought Christ to the top Of the
temple. Some people at great height
feel dizzy and strange disposition to
jump; so satan comes to Christ in that
very crisis. Standing there at the top
of the temple they looked off. A mag
nificent reach of country. Grain fields,
vineyards. olive groves, forests and
streams, cattle in the valley, flocks on
the hills, and villages and cities and
realms.
Now" says satan, "rll make bar
gain. Just jump off. | know it is
great way from the top Of the temple
to the valley, but if you are divine you
can fly. Jump off. 1t won't hurt you.
Angels will catch you. Your Father
will hold you. Besides, I'll make you
large present if you will. I'll give you
Asia Minor, I'll give you China, I'll give
you Ethiopia, I'll give you Italy, I'll
give you Spain, I'll give you Germany,
I'll give you Britain, III give you all
the world" Whata temptation it must
have beenl
TRIUMPH OVER TEMPTATION.
Go tomorrow morning and get in an
alteration with some wretch crawling
up from a gin cellar in the lowest part
of your city. "No," you say, 81 would
not bemean myself by getting into such
contest" Then think of what the
king of heaven and earth endured when
he came down and fought the great
wretch of hell, and fought MIN in the
wilderness and on top of the temple,
But bless God that in the triumph over
temptation Christ gives us the assur-
ance that we also shall triumph. Hav-
ing himself been tempted he is able to
succor all those who are tempted.
In violent storm at sea the mate told
a boy-for the rigging had become en-
tangled at the mast-to go up and right
it. A gentleman standing on the deck
said, Don't send that boy up; he will
be dashed to death" The mate said, 81
know what | am about" The boy
raised his hat in recognition of the order
and then rose hand over hand and went
to work; and as he swung in the storm
the passengers wrung their hands and
expected TO see him fall. The work
done he came down in safety, and a
Christian man said to him, "Why did
you go down in the forecastle before You
went up?' "Ahr said the boy. II went
down to pray. My mother always
taught me before undertook anything
great to pray" "What is that you have
in your vest?" said the man. "Oh, that
is the New Testament" he said; 81
thought would carry it with me if
really did go overheard" How we'll
the boy was protected
care not how great the height or
how vast the depth, with Christ within
us and Christ beneath us and Christ
above us and Christ all around us moth
ing can befall us in the way of harm.
Christ himself having been in the tenn
pest will deliver all those who put their
trust in him. Blessed be his glorious
name forever.
The third installment paid for our re-
demption was the Saviour's sham trial.
| call it sham trial--there has never
been anything so indecent or unfair in
any criminal court as was witnessed at
the trial of Christ, Why, they hustled
him into the courtroom at two o'clock
In the mnlnlinn TheN naNa him no time