The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-01-29
THE RELIGIOUS BILL OF FARE,
Rev. A. s. Clark breaches at
Christ Episcopal Church,
While Rev. Bane Discusses Noah's
ARK at Trinity Church.
Points of the Sermons and what Their
Authors Think the Sub
Jects-Y. W. O. A.-Other
Services.

Rev. A. S. Clark of Christ Episcopal
church, corner OF Pico and Flower
streets, preached before large congre-
CATION yesterday. His sermon, which
was upon the temptation OF st. Simon,
occupied about 20 minutes in delivery,
and was an exceedingly strong discourse.
The work of the choir was up to its &C.
customed excellence. The text was
from st. Luke, % :31-32-Simon, Simon,
Satan hath desired to have you that he
may slit you as wheat; but 1 have
prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.
and when thou art converted strengthen
thy bretheren.
The double call, "Simon Simonl" is
the call of urgency, entreaty and atfec-
ton. How like that other call on the
road to Damascus, ''Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou me?" Danger makes
love more imperative. How we
cry out the names of loved ones
with emphasized iteration when
they are in danger, in trouble
or in woe. There is a warning note of
one without intent upon mischief. Not
an evil principal is here referred to, but
the personality of the evil one. Aside
from the middle age conceptions and
the modern denials, being is repre-
scented not omnipotent nor omnipresent,
but still one without a being OF high in
telligence and OF depraved nature whose
bent and aim is to lure men to their
ruin. How do we know that these ref
erences to Satan, devil or Belzsbub are
not personihcations of an evil principle
within the human breast? Holy scrip
ture is express in insisting upon the
personality of the evil one. The strong
est demonstration lie in the temptation
OF Christ. One of two alternatives
must be true. He was tempted from
then He was not pure, good and holy.
But He was the immaculate One. In
Him was no sin. He knew no notion of
evil, and SO the temptation from with
out must stand as the exploitation.
Satan's desire to have Peter led to
action. There is no such creature as a
lazy devil. Astounding in hatred, high
and fine game is his hunt. No wonder
he covets the prince of apostles, fore
most of the band. What an achieve
ment to have secured on the side oil
evil the resolute determination, the furi-
Gus, hesdlong impetuosity, of Peter.
We know from another life, Saul OF
Tarsus, before his conversion, what
powers for destruction are lodged in an
able and influential man. The purest,
noblest, Hottest, are the DEVILS game.
If he wants you, know that you are
somebody.
The DEVILS sitting process is not aa
God sifteth-dross from grain. 1t is the
reverse process--grain from dross. He
ie no builder, nourisher, or conservator,
but destructionist. famine spreader.
His sitting leaves no residuum of nour-
ishment. Beating fine as the -four oil
wheat, he leaves nothing but the dust
OF the highway, cold, hard unbelief I'M
dermining of character, destruction OF
piety.
In the struggle for supremacy the
eoul is not left alone with it's deadly foe.
Another appears on the scene. 1t is
the crucifed Christ. Having passed
within the vail, the praying Christ with
divine intercessions presents the merits
OF His death and of great high priest.
There is no other mediator or interces-
sor. Jesus lie divine-Jesus all suf
fcent. Wondrous efficacy flows from
His death and life, and into the arena of
mans struggles the divine Jesus enters
as potential factor. We realize that
greater is He who is with us than he
who Is against us. 1t is not good god
and an evil god struggling for the
mastery. 1t is the divine, overruling
temptation, for our good.
For faith is the motive power and
principle is the foundation of character.
A mans belief is his real self. Failure
here, failure everywhere. How say
w ha-
lieves if his heart is right2 How can
bis heart be right when his whole
nature is wrong? How can some say
that creeds are but shibboleth and have
no practical utilities; that the his
toric Christ with His recorded teach
ings belong to mouldy theology? Part
with ideals of virtue is to make ship.
wrecks of morality. Part with faith in
the eternal verities ia to lose grasp of
the Infinite and drown the soul in per-
dition.
st. Peters denial was not complete
fall but a partial faltering. He sue
cumbed for the moment but recovered
and shed tears of repentance. With less
boastfulness and more steadiness he ia
a stronger man for the ordeal to which
he has been subjected.
Strengthen thy brethren, ia the COM
mand to go 10 work. How we'll he did
it, let his whole life after test
ify. Temptation is not an unmixed
evil. Tried in the furnace OF tempta-
ton such souls are able to
help others. Sympathies are enlarged
and quickened, counsels are more help
full and effectusl. 1t is not neediul that
one should fall to be of assistance to a
brother in distress, but the same trials
rnd temptations bind souls in sweet
bond OF sympathy, the divine and the
human meeting together in the won
drous mystery OF the incarnation. How
true it ia in Gods dispensation of mercy
and grace, as St. Paul puts it, the things
which happen unto me have fallen out
rather unto the furtherance of the
gospel.
Trinity NJ. IL. South.
Noah's Ark Type. Gen: 6 chapter,
18th verse, WAS the subject of Rev. A.