Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-08-09

Lesson for Aug. ne.
How to resist temptation. Behold
Jesus. Follow him; keep clio o to him.
Surely this Is reasonable lesson. We
heard reformed man, one time, telling
how Christ helped him in temptation.
1--WE were taking supper together, my
friend and /, and were on very init
mate terms. At the close OF the meal
my friend said: Let's go and have q
drink Il don't drink, said. Then
take cigar But don t smoke. ;
Well, then, q glass OF soda 90, yes,
said, III do that, for didn't want
to seem disagreeable. But what was
my surprise. the next moment, TO be
brought right up against saloon
own strength. think Niust to keep my
word, / would have gone in with him
But right there Christ he ped me land
L stopped squarely in mytracks and
said, Under no circumstances will
! go in there That was the end of 1t.
1t is the end OF temptation for all who
will have il So Cal Jesus to yOus aid.
Think what he would have done. what
he would have you do. Ask him to help
you, and then-dO it.
Points IL the Lesson.
Then. Right after Christ's baptism,
just then came the tempter. Satan
shrinks not to invade the no lest mo-
ments. Beware of him.
Led up OF the Spirit, or. more lit
orally, through or under the Spirit.
Christ, even in the midst OF tempta-
ton, was still under the Spirit rs guild
ance and control. Take the Spirit with
you wherever you go.
And tits also through or under the
devil. He was led up BY the Spirit; he
was tempted by The devil There were
| two influences at work, and for time
they seemed to work together. But
only as two opposing forces draw near
each other for lattle. The ground
chosen, the swords d avn then we see
their mutual antagoni I'M. The Spirit
brought Christ to Satan but that he
might prevail over him and send the
prince of darkness back to the pit in
discontinue.
"a hungered"-and here comes Sa-
tan, Selling his advantage, always at
/ lacking at the weakest Joint. Com
mand that these stones be made bread. :"
1t was so also on the pinnacle OF the
temple, when Christ was hidden to
come floating down lice an angel from
the skies. That was surely, in che
sense, q temptation. for it would have
given Christ instant homage from the
souls he desired t, help So, more
over, on the exceeding high mountain,
with all the world spread out before.
Just slight, tactful recognition of
Satan as the prince o. the powers of
the air, the worldly spirit. ard how
quickly the nations would turn aud
give heed to his words With ut doubt
/ % to ha Of ~ In
did his best-or his worst.
But in each case it meant inhdelity
and disloyalty to GOO. thus Christ's
| three-fod answer clearly indicates:
1t is written. 1T is written" 1T Is
written" Principle versus policy.
Christ would b. true to the divine wis
dom, whatever conditions OF worldly
prudence might be presented. In this
he also teaches u with what weapons
we can best meet Satanic advances.
We are taught here how ose to the
heart OF sin lies unfaith, infidelity, and
how much like Satan it is to disbe-
| lieve God. Oh, the effrontery of it.
Had not God the Father just spoken
out of the heavens Matt 3: III and
saiS: This is my beloved SOM" And
now comes Satan slyly insinuating,
questioning: IF thou be the Son Of
God" AS If there was any doubt of it.
Well, there can be no doubt of 1t atthe
end OF the temptations in Satan's mind.
See him stink away. And there is no
doubt of it in the angels minds. See
them ministering INTO the Son of man.
Tempted and proven.
HINTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
Make it practical, personal. Temp
tation is an everyday matter. We are
all tempted, but with the temptation
God gives a way OF escape. Let no
man say when he is tempted. l am
| tempted of God, and so give over all
resistan and effort Of recovery. "Re-
sist the devil and he will fle from you. i"
Call upon the Lord for help and sue
cor. This Christian brother at our
side ha, just slipped and fallen. A
sudden temptation assailed him He
yielded and is in the gall OF bitterness.
Last night in the after meeting two
voices, albeit Christians, confessiny
o, ert sin. The very bitterness of the
experience and the torture OF soul that
is manifest speaks hope to us for these
men. They are evidently not where
they belong. They are out of their
normal element, and God is calling to
them to return. Encourage tempted
souls to come at once to him who was
lin all points tempted like as we are,
yet without SIM" He is able and will
ing to lift up and support the fal en-.
Get your feet on the rock.
But do not trihe with sin. Along
with the prayer Deliver us from evil
goes the petition, Lead US not into
temptation. 4. w. Bliss tells us of q
huge ser ent they one time had on ex-
hibition in the Lakeside City. A so.
called serpent charmer used 10 come
on the stage and allow the reptile to
coil itself in loathso re folds about him,
1t was under ane sthetics which allayed
for the time its snaky nature. But one
day the old serpent awoke. There was
shrek on the platform and the man
fell back. eople though II was part
of the per ormance, but the stage man.
ager knew better. When they carried
him off, they iounl every bone in his
bpdy broken. The great rept lie hal
given him oce hideors squeeze, and
that was the end OF him. Beware of
the world, beware of Satan. The end
Is death.
This same brother, now successful
evangelist, tells us of an incident in
his own eaclier life, when he was a.
commercial traveller. He had made q
good sale, and the merchant said, 1t
is your treat" He knew what that
meant There was a saloon across the
street, and he was expects ed to go across
and "aet nm tho drinksr for the wh ole