The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-07-01


: hell-more sly more terrific than any
thing that prowled in that country
satan himself met Christ.
The rose in the cheek of Christina
: Publius Lentullus, in his letter to tn
n Roman senate, ascribed to Jesus-tha
3 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 thu
crew of the ship Juno; for twenty-thret
Jays they had nothing to eat. But thii
J iufferer had tasted a month and ten days
before he broke fast. Hunger must have
! agonized every fiber of the body and
gnawed on the stomach with teeth Of
death. The thought of morsel Of
bread or meat must have thrilled the
body with something like ferocity
Turn out pack of men hungry as
Christ was a-hungered, and if they had
strength, with one yell they would de-
your you as lion kid.
1t was in that pang of hunger that
Jesus was accosted and satan said,
"Now change these stones, which look
like bread, into an actual supply of
bread" Had the temptation come to
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, we tempted
ones Christ was tempted. We are
told that Napoleon ordered a 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,"
and with shot after shot from his own
pistol the emperor found out that it
was just what it pretended to be-a good
coat of mail. Then the man received
large reward.
bless God that the same coat of mail
that struck back the weapons of tempta-
ton 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 a 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, focks on
the hills, and villages and cities and
realms.
Now" says satan, "Pll 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 a
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,
III give you Britain, I'll give you all
the world" Whata temptation it must
have been!
TRIUMPH OVER TEMPTATION.
Go tomorrow morning and get in an
with some wretch crawling
up from gin cellar in the lowest part
Of your city. "No," you say, 81 would
not bemean myself by getting into such
a 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
Christ gives us the assur-
ance that we also shall triumph. Hav-
ing himself been tempted, he is able to
3uccor all those who are tempted.
In a violent storm at sea the mate told
4 boy-for the rigging had become en-
-angled at the mast-to go up and right
t. A gentleman standing on the deck
said, Don't send that boy up; he will
De dashed to DEATH" The mate said, 81
Know what / am about" The boy
'aised his hat in recognition of the order I
IND then rose hand over hand and went ;
20 work; and as he swung in the storm ]
he passengers wrung their hands and |
expected to see him fall. The work
lone he came down in safety, and a !
Christian man said to him, "Why did I
,ou go down in the forecastle before you
vent up?" "Ah!'' said the boy, Il went !
Town to pray. My mother always {
aught me before | undertook anything i
,reat to pray" "What is that you have |
n your vesty" said the man. "Oh, that !
s the New Testament" he said; 81 t
bought ! would carry it with me if l /
eally did go overheard" How well
he boy was protected!
| care not how great the height or /
low vast the depth, with Christ within '
is and Christ beneath us and Christ y
bove us and Christ all around us moth I
ng can befall us in the way of harm L
,hrist himself having been in the tenn t
est will deliver all those who put their
rust in him. Blessed be his glorious o
anne forever,