Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-11-24

8. There was opportunity. His bust

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3. There was opportunity. His busi-
ness gave him full access to the house.
There was no danger of his being sus-
picioned or detected. Every circum-
stance was in favor Of his yielding.
4. The temptation was repeatedly
pressed upon him until it became a
sore temptation" She sought to COM
pei him to sin. He was tempted at that
period Of life when impulse is stronger
than reason. There have been those
who having successfully resisted a
str6ng temptation the first time 1t was
presented, have gone down when the
assault was repeated. Joseph stands
before repeated attacks.
S.. The law Of God had not yet been
publicly given condemning this sin. He
had only his reason and conscience to
rely on.
6. His destiny in Potiphar's' house
was largely in her hands. There came
in the temptation to an intrigue with
her the suggestion Of being lifted out
Of the position Of slave. Coming from
one far above him in position, 1t was
flattering temptation to the young
slave. This woman, when she could
not have her depraved desires with
him, determined to have revenge. 1t is
a characteristic Of such that II you re-
fuse to yield to their solicitations, they
turn against you In hate and seek to
accomplish your ruin through false
hood. He patiently suffered under the
unjust accusation and imprisonment
His magnanimity Is without parallel.
It Is more conspicuous and rarer than
his purity. He spares his weak tempt
ress He saves the honor Of his mas
ter's house. He spares his master pain
Of heart. Possibly one word from him
in true explanation Of the case would
have saved him from imprisonment;
but this explanation would have blast
ed the happiness Of his master and
broken his heart. He had rather have
his master believe that he was guilty.
than have him believe his wife was
guilty Of unfaithfulness. He was con-
demned for that in which he was most
deserving.
III. THE MEANS BY WHICH JOSEPH
ovERcAME TEMPTATION.
1. He resisted this temptation to
moral uncleanness with steadfast res
olution. He felt that it would be great
cessory in the crime Of moral suicide.
which this depraved woman was ready
to commit. If he felt that 1t would be
q crime to lend aid to another ready
for self-ruin, what then must be the
wickedness Of the seducer who lays his
plans to lead astray the innocent? "It
is Tar better that sister or daughter be
laid In the grave than come to d1shon-
or" Then the seducer is worse than
q murderer, for he destroys life, honor,
and the soul. "Fratricide is only COM
mon murder aggravated, and incest is
only common impurity aggravated" "
Unsullied in character he saw only the
moral evil Of the temptation, and re-
gardless Of the suffering she might In
flict on him, he tears away from the
temptress.
2. He met this temptation by his
masters confidence in him. "My mas
ter wotteth not what is in the house,
and he hath committed all that he
hath to my hand" He would not
abuse this confidence and sell his per-
sonal honor. Young man, you are
treated as gentleman. Don't abuse
the confidence put In you by innocence
and her parents. The Apostle Paul
commands that we regard the younger
women as sisters with all purity, q
Tim. v, o.. Joseph recoils from this
temptation as he would have done had
it come from his own sister. He felt
that he must defend this woman's hon
or when she herself was unwilling and
unable to defend it. He would protect
her against herself. He who will not
only protect woman from others, but
also from herself, is worthy to be call
ed a man. Never treat a girl in any
other way than you would like man
to treat your own sister," Joseph
would not invade the rights of the
husband. Gratitude to the man who
had pitied him, friendless slave, keeps
him back. He may have reasoned, "he
has treated me as man, and Will act
the man by him. I will not disre-
gard the rights of fellow-man." He
looks at the consequences Of his sin on
others. In the hour Of fierce tempta-
tion he does not forget the rights Of
others. We cannot disregard and vio-
late the sacred rights of other men.
There is a deep written law in human
nature that allows q man to take ter
rible vengeance on the man who vio-
lates the sacred rights Of his home. In
the fact that no adequate punishment
for adultery has ever been provided by
the law, there is the suggestion that
the law regards the injured husband as
the proper one to inflict the punishment
due the crime. Some man has holy
right or interest in every woman, I
care not how depraved she may be-.
She is the mother, daughter, sister or
wife of some man. The man who gives
any woman occasion to regret, for any
cause, having met him, Is unworthy Of
the name of a man, and should be for
ever branded with disgrace and dis
honor Beware Of the man who speaks
Of the reputation of wo-
men. Probably he has lived only to
tempt the weaker sex, whom he now
traduces. His vices have necessarily
excluded him from the society Of the
pure and virtuous." -.
3. He overcame by his greatness.
None greater in this house than ]"
therefore, I will not stoop to do low
thing. A low down man might do this
thing; but not I. Greatness ought to
strengthen against sin. Some would
abuse greatness Of position to secure
them in wrong doing. There are those
in high position who commit fragrant
acts of wrong which they would not
dare commit If they occupied lower So
cial or official positions. Joseph, doubt
less, remembered his dreams Of great
ness. He must not thwart his dreams.
He resists by the power Of coming
greatness. Not simply by what I am
now; but also by what am to be. He
did not live in his outward circumstan-
ces; but in the consciousness Of his
own integrity and in God, thus he
found happiness. He looked on this as
a great sin and not simply weakness
and folly of youth. Put your greatness
your character-between you and
Never get familiar with
a girl whom you could not introduce to
the purest woman you know"