The semi-weekly messenger., 1901-04-12

L I
was accosted, and satan said, Now
change these stones, which look like
bread, into an actual supply Of bread"
Had the temptation come to you and me
under those circumstances we would
have cried, Bread it shall ber' and been
almost impatient at the time taken for
mastication, but Christ with one hand
beat back the hunger and with the 9th
er hand beat back the monarch OF dark
ness o ye tempted ones. Christ was
tempted. We are told that Napoleon or
dered a coat Of mail made, but he was
not quite certain that it was impenetra-
bic, so he said to the manufacturer of
the coat of mail, Put it on now your
self and let us try it." And with shot
after shot from his own pistol the en-
peror found out that it was just what it
pretended to be, a good coat Of mail.
Then the man received q large reward.
/ bless God that the same coat of mail
that struck back the weapons Of tempta-
ton from the head of Christ we may now
all wear, for Jesus comes and says: 81
have been tempted, and l know what it
is to be tempted. Take this robe that
defended me and wear it for yourselves.
/ shall see you through all trials, and /
shall see you through all temptation"
The Temptation of Jesus.
"But," says satan still further to Jesus,
"come, and l will show you something
worth looking at" And after a half days
journey they came to Jerusalem and to
the top of the temple. Just as one might
go up in the tower of Antwerp and look
off upon Belgium, so satan brought
Christ to the top of the temple. Some
hain md n
strange disposition to jump. So satan
comes to Christ in that very crisis. Stand
ing there at the top of the temple, they
looked off. A magnificent reach of coun-
try. Grainfelds, vineyards, olive groves.
forests and streams. cattle in the valley,
focks on the hills and villages and cities
and realms. Now" says satan, I'm
make bargain. Just jump off. / know
it is a great way from the top of the
temple to the valley, but if you are divine
you can fly. Jump off. 1t won't hurt you.
Angels will catch you. Your Father will
hold you. Besides. I'll make you large
present if you will. III give you Asia
Minor. I'll give you China. I'll give you
Ethiopia, I'll give you Italy, I'll give you
Spain. I'll give you Germany. I'll give
you Britain, I'll give you all the world"
What temptation it must have been!
Go tomorrow morning and get in an
alteration with some wretch crawling
up from gin cellar in the lowest part of
your city. NO" you say, 81 would not
bemean myself by getting into such a
contest" Then think Of what the King of
heaven and earth endured when he came
down and fought the great wretch OF hell
and fought him in the wilderness and on
top of the temple. But bless God that in
the triumph over temptation Christ gives
us the assurance that we also shall tri-
umph. Having himself been tempted. he
is able to succor all those who are tempt
ed.
In violent storm at sea the mate told
a boy-for the rigging had become en-
tangled in the mast-to go up and right
it. A gentleman standing on the deck
said: Don't send that boy up. He will
be dashed to DEATH" The mate said, Il
know what am about" The boy raised
his hat in recognition of the order and
then rose hand over hand and went to
work, and as he swung in the storm
the passengers wrung their hands and
expected TO see him fall. The work done,
he came down in safety, and a Christian
man said to him, why did you go down
in the forecastle before you went up?"
"Ah," said the boy, 81 went down to
prayi My mother always taught me
before / undertook anything great to
pray" What is that you have in your
vest?' Oh, that is the New Testamentr'
he said. 81 thought ! would carry it
with me if / really did go overheard"
How well the boy was protected! | care
not how great the height or how vast
the depth, with Christ within us and
Christ beneath us and Christ above us
and Christ all around US nothing can be-
fall us in the way Of harm. Christ him.
self, having been in the tempest, will de-
| liver all those who put their trust in him.
Blessed be his glorious name forever.
The Agony at Gethsemane.
The third installment paid for our re-
demption was the agonizing prayer in
| Gethsemane. AS ] sat in that garden at
the foot of an old gnarled and twisted
olive tree the historic scene came upon
me overwhelmingly. These old olive trees
are the lineal descendants Of those under
which Christ stood and wept and knelt.
| Have the leaves of whole botanical gen.
| erations told the story of our Lords ag-
| ony to their successors? Next to Cal
vary the solemnest place in Palestine is
| Gethsemane. While sitting there it seem
| ed as if l could hear our Lords prayer,
laden with sobs and >groans. Can this
be the Jesus who gathered fragrance
| from the frankincense brought to his
| cradle and from the lilies that flung their
sweetness into his sermons and from the
box of alabaster that broke at his feet
Is this Jesus the comforter of Bethany,
the resurrector at Main, the oculist al
Bethsaida? Is this the Christ whose
frown is the storm, whose smile is the
sunlight. the spring morning bis breath,
the thunder his voice, the ocean q drop on
the tip Of his finger, heaven a sparkle on
] the bosom Of his love, the universe the
dust Of his chariot wheel? Is this the
Christ who is able to heal q heartbreak
or hush tempest or drown a world OF
food immensity with his glory? Behold
him in prayer, the globules of blood by
sorrow pressed through the skin of his
forehead! What an instaIlment in par,
payment of the greatest price that was
ever paid!
The fourth installment paid for our re-
| demption was the Saviour's sham trial
| call II sham frial-fhoro hoe pavar