The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-04-05
Calrn1age
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talr1lase, D. D.

Los Angeles, Cal, March 31.-Tha
temptation is the lot of all; that not il
being tempted, but in inviting ant
yielding to temptation is sin, and tina
lf we trust in God and seek to de-
right we will always find a way out
Is the lesson of this sermon. The text
Is l Corinthians X, 10, There hath nc
temptation taken you but such as is
common to man."
The scientists teach us that an
thropology, or the science Of man, is
the crown of all the natural Sciences
but subsidiary to it and contributory
to it's proper comprehension are the
other natural sciences. Nature has the
same method of working in all, and if
we learn what she does in the lower
spheres we shall know what she does
in the higher If we learn how the
plants and the animals grow and
thrive, we may infer that in a similar
way man will grow and thrive. No
man is absolutely unique. He is one
of a species the members Of which
prosper under like conditions or de-
generate under the opposite condi-
tons. Nature is unit in this. In
other words the same memorable nat
ural laws which cause a rose or a
lily or a heliotrope or a horse or
COW or a sheep or robin or blue
bird or a trout or a black bass to do
and to be what 1t is under certain
conditions are the same memorable BIZ
n1A 10
under certain conditions to do certain
things. When we study the character
istics of a species we study In broad
sense the characteristics of all the in
dividuals of that species, and there is
no exception to the rule.
Now, Paul in the words of my text is
enunciating great natural law. He
comes to us and says: "My brother, in
your egotisrl you believe you are diff
ferent from the rest Of mankind. You
may think that no man ever faced just
the same trials and temptations and
sorrows and bitter disappointment
which you have. But in your loves,
your hates, your sorrows and your
temptations you are just like the gen
crafty of mankind. You are under the
common law You must eat as they
eat. You will laugh as they laugh.
You sleep as they sleep. You suffer
from the cold and the heat as they
suffer. You cry as they cry. You are
tempted as they are tempted. You sin
as they sin. Furthermore, you can be
saved from your sins by the atoning
blood of Jesus Christ as they can be
saved. You are part of a great species
of living creatures which is called the
human family" Then Paul seems to
generalize all his thoughts into these
words of my text: "There hath no
temptation taken you but such as is
common to man, but God is faithful
who will not suffer you to be tempted |
above that we are able, but will, with |
the temptation, also make a way to es-
cape, that We may be able to bear it,"
Others Were Tempted.
My friends, as there are thousands Of
men and women in the past who have
been tempted just as we are tempted
and God has found a way by which
hey may escape from their tempta-
ions, so if we let Jesus come into our
ives and accept his offer of way of
escape we may overcome our present
We all have many temp
atoms. There is no doubt about that.
The next question is, Do we apply the
gospel weapon against those tempta-
ions?
There are, in the first place, physical
There are temptations of
he blood of the nerves., the muscles
If the stomach and of the heart There
Ire the temptations which appeal to
he physical organism which we have
Inherited from our ancestors and which
nay have been weakened by disease
n by abuse. These temptations of the
physical organism are among the very
iercest of all temptations to battle
against. Paul was speaking literally
Is well as figuratively when he de-
cribed himself as an armed sentinel
standing guard over his body or as an
rmed foe in mortal combat with the
PASSIONS of his flesh. He knew, as
very true Christian ought to know,
hat unless he was continually warning
gainst the evil desires of his flesh he
would become their slave. He said, 81
.eep under my body and bring it into {
lest by any means when l
ave preached to others l myself should
'e a castaway" Oh, my brother, do
'ou know that with the help of the
Holy Spirit you may overcome your 3
Mystical temptations?
One of the most common of those 6
'hysical temptations is the craving Of Y
he stomach and the nerves for slim .
liant or soothing narcotic You are 9
lot a lazy, good for nothing drunken 7
oafer. You are an intense. ambitious ,
man. You perhaps started
With nothing. and everything, to use r
slang expression, Seems to be CON- =
ng your way" Your business has :
een going ahead by leaps and strides. II
he orders have been tumbling In on h
ou as an avalanche. II you had ten n
ands and ten feet and ten eyes and 6
en- brains. you could work them all to h
heir limit The result is you have been II
that body. You cannot n
leep at night. When you arise for n
reakfast in the morning you are more II
Ired than when you went to bed Y
bout two years ago you began to use v
timulants. You did it to arouse your Il
epeted faculties. Then at night you n
to take some sedative. You ~
aid to yourself: 81 must sleep. / must 81
Ieep or shall die" Then you did not h,
re liquor. You did not in the begin h,
ng crave that sedative. But now ev- re-
Y nerve and muscle and sinew of n,
'ur body is crying: give me drink! n
We me that sleeping potionl 1 must p
L Il