The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-29
TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS.
DR.. Mcleod Says They Enable Him
to Be Touched with Sympathy
for Men.

Rev. DR.. James Mcleod. pastor of the
First Presbyterian church, delivered a
sermon yesterday morning on "Christ's 8
Sympathy with the Afflicted" basins
his remarks on Hebrews. AIS:
"For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feel
ing of our infirmties; but was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet with
out SIM
The three points to be drawn from
the text DR.. Mcleod explained, are:
The sinlessness of Jesus; the sympathy
OF Jesus, and the temptations of Jesus.
A fourth point the priesthood of Jesus,
can also be added, he said. The sim
lessness OF Christ, His priesthood and
His temptation qualify Him to be a
sympathizing Savior. He said, in part:
Since sin entered our world of humanity
Christ alone is siness. His immaculate
conception Is a significant Bible fact and
it is the only immaculate conception
known to Holy Writ. 1t was the pre-
cursor of His immaculate life.
Although Jesus was absolutely sinless,
yet lie was liable to be tempted and the
fact is that HE was tempted in all points
like as we are" And Just because He
was so tempted. He can be touched with
lHe leeIlllS VI our lHIlTHltleS.
After referring at length to the temp
tations Of Jesus and to His resistance of
them he continued:
We think so much and we believe so
strongly in the absolute Deity of Jesus
that we are liable. at times. to lose sight
of His true humanity. We must not for
get that Jesus Christ our Lord, had the
body of a man and the soul of a man and
nf in
sin alone excepted. He was no stranger to
either pain or pleasure, to hunger or
thirst. to sorrows or joys, to holy love or
to righteous Indignation.
After referring at length to the theo-
logical discussions anent the tempta-
tions of Jesus as considered from the
standpoint that as there was no pos
sibility of His yielding to temptation,
He deserves no credit for resisting
temptation the doctor continued:
The discussion of the theologians on
this point are largely speculative and of
little practical value. That which should
and does interest us, Is the fact that
we have a Saviour, who Is intimately ac-
quainted with us. and who is able and
| willing to help us. He knows our frame
| and His knowledge of our faculties and
His conflicts with the forces of evil and
| confidence in the statement that He is
touched with the feeling of our intirm-
| tiles. He was man of sorrows
| and He IS well acquainted with human
! griefs in all their forms. He is easy of
access and He is mighty to save.
The important part which temptation
plays in the development of human char
acter was dwelt upon as we'll as the ne
cessity of always being in readiness to
| resist the tempter
While our Devine Saviour has no SYM
pathy with guilt, He has infinite SYM
pathy with the guilty, concluded the
doctor. While He never yielded to temp
tation, He knows how to deliver the
| godly out of temptation and He can
| save them from sin here as we'll as from
its guilt and penalty hereafter He has
done so in the case of myriads. great
multitude whom no man can remember.
He has saved sinners who We're stepped
in sin, and who were saturated with guilt
scarlet sinners, and double-dyed sin
ncrs. He has washed them and made
| them whittier than snow. BY His holy life
| and by His vicarious death, our great
| High Priest has opened up way into
| the holiest of all places. for all who love
| Him in sincerity. All who walk In this
| way are safe. And moreover, this is the
| only way by which the weak and weary.
| the wayward and tempted and sinful
| sons of men can ever reach the paradise
| of God.
| Blessed is the man that endureth temp
| tatior for when he is tried. he shall
| receive the crown of life. which the Lord
hath promised to them that love Him.