Newport weekly independent., 1903-04-17

VIII open lor you ana let you into the presence of Him Who can feed you on Heavenly mama and thrill your senses with the joy and sweet peace which pass understanding
 5 TT temptation through the lust of the eye? Are the things of the world, its beauties, its attractions, so pressing and crowding upon you for attention that you are forgetting all else? Do not shut your eyes and try to keep out the vision. Admit the beauties of all you behold, but brave ly declare that God has better things than even these for you, and the door of escape will open before you and the glories of the eternal riches in l Christ Jesus will stream through into your soul.
 Isit temptation which comes through the many forms of the pride of life? | Ambition, power, influence? Again | face the temptation honestly. The Devil being such a liar himself would like nothing better than to get you to lying about the temptation which is pressing so sorely upon you. He would like to make you believe it was no temptation at all, only silly de- fusion. Or he would like to get you to lodging the main point at issue and to have you slip around to the rear and look for the door of escape there. And he would have you sure if you did, just as he got poor Peter while Uhe words of his boast that he would not deny Jesus were still warm upon his lips. But face the issue squarely and honestly. Admit that ambition for world influence, power, wealth, is turing you on, if the temptation comes to you from that direction, and then say, you must not crowd God out. He must worship God alone, and behold the door of escape swings open and the soul realizes how little the world had to offer after all, and how worthy of worship and praise God is. Yes, the door of escape from every temptation is found straight ahead as the soul faces the temptation. The spring which will make it swing wide is the magic touch of Jesus Christ, for He who has been tempted in all points like as we knows how to suc- cor them which are tempted.
 TEMPTATION comes to all. It serves the purpose of testing. A piece of steel is tested to see how much strain it will bear It proves it's capacity for service by the amount of strain it sustains without breaking. The Christian is tested to prove his capacity for service in the Lords work. If he stands the pressure of the temptation he proves himself capable of a larger service. If he fails it proves unfitness. Temptation serves to strengthen his faith, if the temptation is overcome, for the try ing of his faith worketh patience, and when patience hath had her perfect work he is entire and wanteth noth- ing to make his character full-round- ed and symmetrical one.
 "Blessed is the man that endureth temptations: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him." The tested steel is valued according to it's strength. The test ed Christian is declared blessed in the estimation of God according to the degree of his endurance, and when the testing of this life is finished he bows before his King to receive the crown of life.
 Temptation is not sin, else would not James admonish the brethren to SPnJnf o xx-hn fo11 s,,{o divers temptations" and Christ would not have been subjected to the will derness experience. Sin leaves its dis figuring mark only at the point where temptation has given place to the com mission of the deed
 Yield not to temptation, for yielding is
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 The testing did not put the weak spot in the bar of steel and cause it to break. The testing only served to reveal the flaw and prevent that bar of steel being put into the engine and thus averting certain Disaster and possible loss of life. The testing of the Christian does not put the weakness into his life which causes him to yield and stain his life with sin. The testing revealed to him the weak ness in his character and prevented a possible greater disaster at later time, through that weakness, if it had not been discovered.
 God does not tempt. but He permits temptation. The warning of Scripture on this point is: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man." God did not tempt Job, but He per mitted Satan to test Him. Satan is made to furnish the fire which tries out Gods gold. He is made to sweat in the service of the Almighty, for every blow he strikes against the Christian who overcomes hardens his muscles and steadies his nerve to strike back the telling blow The hiss ing serpent on the ground that is watching a favored opportunity to i-+,,