The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-08
ATTACKSSUNDAYPAPERS
DIR. JOSHUA STANSFIELD CALLS
THEM SABBATH DEsTRoYERs.v
"a Modern Immortality He Declares,
That Has Come to Stay-Sermon
on Temptation.

He said in part:
There are few recorded incidents in the
life of our Lord which bring before us more
clearly his essential humanness than that
of the wilderness temptation. The expert
ence of those hours is thoroughly human,
whether regard IL as an interpreter Of
or as interpreted by the experiences of
men. Indeed IL is so essentially natural
and human that the writer of the epistle
to the Hebrews bases Christ's understand
inf of and sympathy with men in trial upon
il. He says: He was in all points tempt
ed as we are, yet without sin and
being tempted He knows how to succor
them that are tempted" In his essay on
history Emerson points out that for a
proper understanding Of history everything
must be measured from the individual
standpoint. "All general facts are to be
generalized, all private facts TO be gen.
eralized, then history becomes true and
biography deep ana sublime" Here, then.
we have partial record of the temptation
of the perfectest man. the Goldman, Jesus.
1 say a partial record, for surely no one
thinks there is a full and complete record
of forty days temptation in twelve short
verses; partial, yet sufficient, record; a
fine summary in rich and eloquent symbols
of the testing and triumph of Jesus, not a
literal record of isolated facts-lifted to a
high mountain, transported to desert, or
forsooth, but more. the spiritual history.
the soul struggle of our Master
The beauty and strength, then. of this
recorded temptation, is not its supernat-
uralness, but It's naturalness. 1t was the
natural the inevitable In a world like ours,
for so worthy and well-purposed soul:
Jesus, full of the Holy Ghost returned
from Jordan, and was led by the spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted of the devil"
See the circumstances. Fresh from Jordan,
where, upon baptism and a sublime conse-
Grafton of himself to God, and his great life
work, he heard the voice of the Father in
at y snd 10 hes hen
pleased" Filled with this consciousness,
he is led of the spirit into the wilderness
severe loneliness. the place of mental and
moral conflict-to be tempted of the devil
as to whether He would be true to the
high ideals, the lofty purpose, the great
work to which He was called. AS thus
seen and read, everything falls into order
and the record becomes highly suggestive
and richly helpful to all who will heed it.
The world spirit the tempter, challenges
Him in all the essentials of His high pur-
pose and through every part of His being,
physical intellectual, moral
THROUGH THE PHYSICAL.
First-Temptation through the physical
and for personal ends. The consciousness
of divine power is within Him and upon
| Him; the sense Of hunger and physical
| want is also upon Him, and the temptation
| is, 'All your high powers for material and
personal ends" crafty yourself, "com-
mand that these stones be made bread"
How reasonable this! And yet Christ an
swers Man shall not live by bread alone,
put by every w0rd mat proceeaeth out or
| ground Of His refusal the highest reason of
all. Surely, there are few men present who
cannot read the full meaning of this temp
| tation from their own past experience, and
n thousand young men to-day, fresh from
| our schools and universities, with high
ideals and the lofty enthusiasts of a
| worthy youth upon them-for the holy
| thusiasms and ideals Of youth are heavens
rebuke to the commonplace of every gen.
| eration-these all, as they touch the actual
| or commercial ana social ana CIVIC lie,
| know the hunger for bread-the lust for the
material-natural legitimate, wholesome
and yet the great temptation is TO use the
highest powers of ones life wholly for per-
sonal and material ends. Use your pow
ers while you have the chance feather
your nest while you can" make hay while
the shines" Every man has his
chance; now is yours; take it and make the
most of it." This is the worlds wisdom;
this the tempter's voice. this the challenge
to the divine IN man, and many hear and
heed, and fail, and the political, the COM
mercial and the social walks of life are
strewn with the embers of burnt-out en-
thusiasms and with shattered Ideals In the
busy realms of practical politics and pros
porous business there stalking around
numbers of men who are but ghosts of
dim as they reckoned with the facts So
called rather than reality. They drowned
their dreams In the satisfying Of their
wants. They possibly made a fortune. but
they lost Kingdom, for man does not live
by bread alone. but by the word of God.
when faith is gone, when honor dies.
The man is dead.
Second-The mountain temptation. Here
surely it is, on the heights commanding a
wide view of the facts" of life that the
temnter presses sore. Look over the king
d9ms Of the w0rid e:e my d power ides Is every
all right as an ideal, but if you are going
to make out much in this life you must be
practical Look at the facts Look at the
he showed king
doms OF the world" Would you be rich?
Would you have power and place and lead
wilt acknowledge me-" All! this is the
crux temptation to many a noble soul.
Jesus knew it, felt it, lived through it, and
HE knows how TO succor them that are
tempted"
AT PRICE OF PRINCIPLE.
To be practical at the price of principle
is to dim the vision, to dwarf the powers.
to drown the conscience, to damn the soul.
Beware of the mountain temptation, that
high altitude of practical outlook which
sees things as they are, and Is called to
acknowledge them as such, as if indeed,
because certain things are as they always
must be: There has always been gamb-
ling and drunkenness, and RIGHTEOUSNESS,
and political mendacity, and corruption in
the world, you know. and there always
will be, l suppose; so we had better just
recognize the fact, and make the best of
it," OF almost any form of evil some are
weakly ready to cry, as of that modern
| immortality and Sabbath destroyer the
Sunday newspaper, well. 1t has evidently
| come 10 stay" So, verify with every
wrong if men will weakly own it thus.
And he showed Him all the kingdoms of
the world." and said: You see my power
| everywhere; men just recognize things as
| they are; wisely adapt yourself to them;
| stoop. bow down. and | will give thee un-
| limitedly. And Jesus refused to thus rec
| ognize evil 1t is written, thou shalt wor-
| ship the Lord thy God, and Him only
| shalt thou serve.
Third-The battle with spiritual pride
| The temptation from the world with
/ out has been met; the battle has
been fought and won; the consciousness
| of His power and the sanctity of His pur-
| pose are firmly held to, and now on the
| very pinnacle of the sacred temple of pure
life and holy purpose the closing and most
| seductive temptation of ali is to moral ar
| pride. Now declare yourself everywhere:
| blaze abroad your powers; vaunt your
| strength; have no fears: you can accom-
plish anything; you can conquer every
| thing; dash in, fear nothing; your pro-
gramme is great. your purpose is high;
you're a good man: you are the of
God" He will give His angels charge
concerning thee, 10 bear thee up lest at
any tine thou dash thy foot against a
stone oh. what temptation thus TO men
of high moral purpose and powers. 1t is
the secret of a thousand wrecks in re-
| formers. young preachers, religious en-
thusiasts and such. Hear Jeusus as He
saws in answer TO devils who quote scrip