The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-29

the sermon preached yesterday morn
ing in the First Presbyterian church
by Rev. James Mcleod, y. u. lie
took for his text the thirty-iirst anfl
thirty-second verses Of the twenty
second chapter of Luke, "Simon. ST.
mon, behold Satan hath desired to
have you, that he may sift you rs
wheat; but l have prayed for thee
that thy faith fail not: ana when
thou art converted, strengthen thy
brethren
The speaker divided his sermon ull
der four heads. "The Christians Dan
gel" THE Christians Security "Th'
Christians Conversion" and "1he
Christians Obligation" After refer
ring to the character of st. Peter' ana
the efforts to tempt him. DR.. Mcleod
sail:
1, was VIXEN ST. Peter was oil his guard. that
Satan conquered him. and herein lies our danger.
We are us rc,tain to be tempted y, was he.
The enemy oi our souls has already gained
access to each one Of us and he viii try all MS
arts to seducc us again and again II he
gained access to st. Peter and to all the apos.
ties, and cven to our blessed Lord. we can
hardly hope that he will pass us by. Why
should we bc exempt. VIZ need not !'' isi'or'
o
Christ was warning St. Peter, 'tlie devil en-
tered into Judas lscarot.'
THE CASE OF ST. PETER.
As in the case OF ST. Peter. SO in the ease OF
each ono of lis there is certain to come
some season OF extraordinary trial. when our
religion will he put to the scvcrcst test. lhc
tcmpter will then slit us, and at stch time.
we will have reason to bless God our Saviour
Il -, 4,
TO say, with an ursullicd character, and not as
worthless claff which the wind driveth away.
It is obvious to remark that the temptations
and evils that assail us very real and very
personal They not ghosts OF the inIagina'
tion. They are not set OF abstract ideas
Satan is a real creation. He is a personal being.
whose knowledge and wisdom and power are
superhunan. llc hates all that ia good and he
loves all that is bad lie hates all who are
pure and holy, with hatred that las been
growing in its intensity. ever since ne himself
was thrown .slccr o'cr the crystal battlcments."
1t is both philosnphic and Scriptmral TO AZ.
firm that the evil that is in the world needs
devil for its explanation. The shocking and
horrible and abominabc crimes that too often
dshg,re and degrade and disgrace humanity are
not wholly of human origin. Dcmonilc posses
sion. and dcnoniac deeds Of infainy arc not con-
fined to Bible times. The deeds OF ntan,y per.
one shuddcr. Such men are "brutc hrasts,' You
say. Yes with apologies to tho beasts: for all
hell contains no fouler fcn'ls.
II need not he denoted that some persons
are completely under the dominion OF
the devil They arc his ohcdicnt servants. 1t
is more charitable to believe this than il is to
attribute all the atrocious and revolving crimes
in the world to human nature alone. Human
nature is indeed. bad enough; hut a bad man
plus the devil in him. is capable OF developing
into nnan monster.
Let no one labor under the dclIsion That
Satan is a myth. It. WAS Satan who entered
into Judas and who tried to ruin st. Peter.
and who sent of his messengers to buffet
st. Paul, and who tempted the worlds Re-
'icemcr We do not wrcstlc with myths when
We wrcstlc with Satan and his cohorts.
TIE CHRISTIANS SECURITY.
II have prayed for thee that thy faith fail
not 1t was not st. Peters virtue or picty.
~ moiai courage that saved him; 1t was the
grace and tho intcrccssory prayer OF our Lord
Jesus Christ. 1t wa, ST. Peters boast that he
Nas ready To go 10 prison and to death with
hri,t That lie truly loved tho Master, aud
hat he felt willing to suffer mariyrdom for Wis
sake when he made his boast, there can he no
lcuh. But he had not counted tho cost. When
10 thought he was strong he was woful, weak.
word. intending, doubtless, to cut off the head
If Malthus hut only succeeded in cutting off
,nc nf his ears. But in one short hour the man
who thought himself a hero became cringing
'owaid IN tho presence of a servant maid,
satan siftcd him. At that moment he seemed
> be all chaff and no wheat. liz lied 10 the
Maid and TO others. once and again, and still
gain. ''iIc began TO curse and to swear. say
ng, know not the man of whom We speak,"
pnfo IIo ,;,,, ;,,y,
hen. Ills condition OF mind and of soul wa,
.tiable. lie would indeed have been hope
cssly ruined. had not Christ came to his res.
uc His look OF love melted st. Peters heart.
nd his eyes filled with bitter penitental
ears. His sins were great, hut his repentance
'as genuine. His faith did not entirely fail;
or the prayer OF Christ saved him.
This, too, is our only security. Ii We have not
allen and denied our Lord precisely as st.
'etcr did, yet in some way, and too often. each |
H. OF us has denied Him. When We thought |
&c were strong. we were surprisingly weak. IN
he hour VI fierce temptation, Satan has sifed |
:: and il We have not always yielded to l,s |
1t has been because .Icsus our |
odd and Master has stood by us. and prayed |
or lis that our iaiih might moi fail,
Christians should never forget that the source |
nd secret OF their power over sin and over |
amptation are not in their own wisdom and |
i'll, but in Jesus Christ. Ii we trust IN our own |
reneth, satan's desire will be granted and We |
ill bs siltcd as wheat, and ruined, Ii No |
ould stand firmly, we must stand on the Rock |
Ages.
THE CHRISTIANS $ CONVERSION.
"When thou art converted But surely ST. \
eter had been converted When he lett all and |
,llowed Chris. he was truly converted. But |
seems that he needed 10 he converted again.
There are many protesting Christians who need
second conversion. They have fallen irom their
rst love- They are backsliders without a doubt
hey neither talk nor act like Christians, any
,ore than did Simon in the judgment hall.