The Penn's Grove record., 1903-08-28
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS"
The Rev. George p. Eckman DIFFERENTIATED
Between Enticennent to Evil and Temp
tation in the Sense of Proyidential Trial
Account of Heredity.

tation in the Sense of Providential Trial
Taking Account of Heredity.
New York C1TY.-The Rev. George p.
Eckman, pastor of st. PauPs d. =. Church,
preached Sunday morning on Trials and
James i: IL: BLESSED is the man that en-
dureth temptation; for when he is tried,
he shall receive the crown OF life, which
the Lord hath promised to them that love
Him" Mr.. Eckman said:
The beatitude chosen for our text stands
central to the discussion of temptation
which James pursues in this chapter. The
subject is considered under two aspects.
The writer begins with temptation in the
sense of providential trial, and concludes
with temptation in the sense of seduction
to evil. The one may be understood as
proceeding from God, though it is per-
mitted by Him In the process of human
discipline. The one is hailed as an occasion
Of good. The other is denounced as the
source of injury. Before the one the au-
thor sounds a trumpet of gladness. Be-
Toward the one we should assume an atti.
tude of friendliness. Toward the other we
must maintain a bearing of hostility. To
the test of both phases of temptation we
are bound to be subjected. From the con-
test with each we may return triumphant.
Over the victorious contestant in each
combat the author shouts, BLESSED is the
man that endureth temptation" Let us
turn to the apostles discussion of this ever
important theme.
Count it all JOY when We fall into divers
temptations!" he exclaims. Observe that
these are providential troubles. They are
not self-inficted. The sufferer has fallen
into them. They are unsought, unexpected
and unwelcome. They constitute what in
worldly p~arlance are called calamities. Yet
in the very midst Of the maelstrom of mis-
fortune the Christian is urged to rejoice
with exceeding great JOY.
Jubilant in trouble-the thing is utterly
preposterous to the mind which knows
nothing higher than earthly philosophy.
Shall the merchant sing cheerily while his
commercial structure is crashing in ruins
about him? Shall the youth smile ~serenely
while the fondest ambitions of his life are
being, ruthlessly defeated? Shall the Just
man be exultant while society condemns
him for his piety and goddess men hate him
for his virtue? Yes, If he is a Christian,
James would reply. Let him count it all
joy when he falls into these dire straits
however. difficult it may be to discover
their value. What madness this seems to
the wording!
A moments reflection will prove ever to
the children of this world that joyousness
in affection which at the first appears to be
an unnatural and superhuman temper I'm
der the circumstances, is actually easier
and more philosophic than mere resigna-
ton and fortitude. Is it not better for
man in the midst of a rushing stream to
race the torrent, breast the waves and
stride up against the current than to turn
his back upon the food and try to stand
erect where he is? Will he not be sure to
fail to keep his feet in the latter instance:
VIII he not have immensely better chances
to stem the tide in the other fashion? II
is much the same with trouble. He who
submits his back to the stroke of adversely
and strives to bear a calm countenance and
q brave heart while his head is bowed with
grief, will succumb more easily to the sor.
rows of life than he who has a thankful
Joy in his heart born of the knowledge that
to a Christian all the miseries for which he
IS not personally responsible are intended
Tor his advantage. With such a fate the
sufferers face may shine, his heart may
may assert himself with won
drous aggressiveness. So he will stalk on
against the current, throwing off the bill
lows as they pile upon him, and shouting
Tor Joy IN the very mid-stream of affection.
There is something deeper in the philoso-
ply OF james, however, than the mere Of
fering of a wise method of confronting
trouble. He sees a close relation between
trouble and a triumphant life. Count it
all joy when We fall into divers tempta.
lions Tor troubles; knowing this, that the
trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work,
that We may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing" There is the formula for produc,
ing a strong and symmetrical character.
1t reminds of Paurs statement, 1--WE
OiArU IN rihf1lo<ionc also Br~,. 4Io4
tribulation worketh patience, and patience
experience, and experience hope, and hope
maketh not ashamed" The person oil
good character has no occasion for shame,
being perfect and entire, wanting nothing
But such fulness of life can only be OBJ
tanned through ministry of trial.
We can, at least, measure some of the
effects OF this kind of discipline. The try.
ing of faith, the proving of ones conf.
dence IN the invisible but eternal admins
tration of God is not the least of these re-
Suits Who will deny that without faith
In the unseen it is impossible to construct
a great character? Said a distinguished
teacher, Great imagination may make
great poet; great logical power a great
philosopher; great faculty of observation
a great scientist, but nothing makes a
great man but great faith" It is only
small people who insist on walking by
sight. The great souls dwell in the invisi,
bic. The cheap crowd call such persons
dreamers. But these dreamers alone attain
eminence and power.
1t was the faith Of Columbus which
swung the Western Hemisphere out of OBJ.
livion into light. It was the faith of Luth-
er that rent asunder the papal domination
and civil and religious liberty to Europe
and the western nations. 1t was the faith
OF Llncoin' that swept "the sum Of all vii
iainies from our borders and sent millions
OF ebon-iaced men from chains to sover-
eighty" 1t is the faith of some ~valorous
soul that removes every mountain of diff.
Guilty, strengthens every crooked path and
solves every problem that balks the pro
gress Of truth. The list of faiths cham
plons lengthens with each decade. Brigh,
are the glories of those "who through faith
subdued Kingdoms, wrought righteousness
obtained promises. stopped the mouths Of
lions, quenched the violence of fire, es.
capped the edge of the sword, out OF weak.
fight, turned to fight the armies of the
aliens" By faith the greatest achieve
ments of the spiritual as well as of the ma.
terial world are won.
Endurance is the test OF character. i
there any permanence in its fiber? Mis-
fortune will answer the question. A great
conf1agratlon sweeps over a city. Struct-
ures OF WOOQ are devoured with dvldlty
Stone ediices resist the flames with some
success, but they, too, crumble and dissolve
under the intense heat. The steel safe
drops from the counting house and is
frlghtfully bent and blistered. But heaps
OF gold coin, now a mere molten mass, from
which image and superscription have en-
tirely faded, still reveal the quality of the
yellow metal. Society discloses in its ca
tastrophes a similar test. Adversely sweeps
like a plague over the land. Fortunes are
lost in the twinkling of an eye. Business
is unsettled from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific. The foundations of commercial sta
bility seem to be shattered before the ad-
vancing tide of financial ruin. Then only
the strong stand firm. The weak resort to
ufsslpatlQp to waste of body and soul, to
crime. The - become more pure. The
wicked grow more vicious. And thus the
event which brings blessing to one brings
curse to another. It is all a matter of per.
sonal character, of moral fiber. Blessed
IS the mar that endureth temptation"
Temptation in the sense of enticemeht
to evil is totally different from temptation
in the sense Of ~providential trial. If James
is jubilant over the advantages of the lat
ter, he is no less intense in His adherence
of the former. The SORROWS and misfor-
tunes of life may come in the order of dl.
vine providence to refine character. Yield.
ing to sin because Of allurements of evil
must be traced to some other origin. James
boldly declares that the fault lies in the
corrupt human heart.
Ho will find chiactors 70 his doctrine