The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-04
DR.. SWEENEYS SERMONS.
Temptations OF Christ and the Ir'-
umph OF His Kmgdam Discussed.

uflnn oil MS n Istiii ifA'-st'f'Ns
Temptations Of Christi tnls was the
theme discussed d. Rev Dr. h, u.
Sweeney in his church at Seventh ana
Grace streets. on Sunday morning before
a fun congregation. He began by saying
the temptations of Christ were tlil OF
Significance and bearing on our life and
duty. every incident In the life OF Jesus is
full of import, from the babe at Bethie-
hem to the suffering on tne cross, the
death and resurrection. The Official he
of Christ began with his temptation ana
ended with His cruchXlOn. Mr. Sweeney
said there are no circumstances I'm tho
Bible fin the sense the word is commonly
used, certainly the temptations of Christ
were not circumstances, for he said ODD
abiding 90 his life and temptations, Tor
this purpose was tho Son of Man mani
Tested, that u, 10 overcome me power
Of sin. The temptations were matter
of course. 20 Illustrate His ability 10
crush the power of tho devil, ana thli
battle between Christ ana the down must
be 20 IL finish and final, the decisive Dat-
tie OF the universe, IL was, ANA Christ
trlumphed that you and I may triumph.
We are told Christ was tempted ln all
points as we are. and 10 IS true. the first
was through tho lust Of The hesn-appe-
days would certainly be an appalling
temptation. next through curiosity and
then through pomp and power not in
every minute detail of these different
forms. but neverth aless "ike as we are.
for an the temptations which beset men
to-day may be embraced under the three
heads cited
Christ dld not hunt temptation. nor
should We We are told He was led up
into the wilderness, there temptation
awaited Him. This fact should be inn
pressed on our minds, and we should ever
remember the admonitlon. Let him that
thinketh ne standeth take heed lest he
fall" We cannot afford to hunt for or
get I'm the way OF temptation. IL 1t can
be avoided. and our prayer should ever be
dead as not into temptation"
AT the evening service Mr. Sweeney
was greeted by an audience filling every
part Of his large church, and delivered
an instructive and scholarly discourse
showing the triumph OF Chrlsts kingdom
as the only everlasting kingdom. His
address was based on the dream OF Neb-
uchadnezzar and its Interpretation (Dan-
lei i) He first spoke Of how the wise
men and soOthsayers Of the kingdom
could not recall the dream that had been
lost 10 the mind Of the king and drew
the deduction as had the king. that II
they could not recall the dream, their
power 70 interpret was a farce. Mr..
Sweeney stated there had been some
doubters as 70 the writing Of this proph-
ecy until after the events foretold had
come to pass but It was an ascertalned
fact that the book OF Daniel had been
translated into the Greek three hundred
years before Christ. and had q place IN
its chronological order IN the Alcxandrian
library. lie then called attention 70 the
historical facts that the Babyonian, un-
der The kings before BelshazZar, was the
first government having universal domln-
ion on earth. the Medo-Persian, under
CYRUS. the second: the Greek or Greek
and Macedonian. under Philip and Alex
ander. the third, and the Roman, under
her several kings, the fourth ana last IN
history. He cited the fact thai nearly all
the insignia Of the BabylonIans was OF
gold that OF Medes and Persians or sill
yer. that Of the Greek OF brass and that
of the Roman OF iron. az further testi-
mony to the correctness OF the prophecy
OF Daniel. for we recall the fact that the
image seen in his dream by the king was
head OF gold breast and arms of silver,
middle and thighs ~ brass and legs 81
iron. with toes OF iron and clay. and II IS
evident 70 the mind Of a searcher after
truth that the clay came IN the admiA-