The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-04-02
Ca(111aQe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt TalnaGe, d. =.

Los Angeles, Cal. March 3i.-That
temptation is the lot of all; that not in
being tempted. but in inviting and
yielding to temptation is sin, and that
if we trust in God and seek to do
right we will always find way out
is the lesson of this sermon. The text
is | Corinthians Y, IS, There hath %
temptation t.,ken 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 similar
way man will grow and thrive. No
man is absolutely unique. He is one
IL
prosper under like conditions or de-
generate under the opposite condi-
tons. Nature is a unit in this. In
other words. the same ineXOrabie nat
ural laws which cause rose or a
lily or a heliotrope or horse or a
COW or sheep or a robin or blue
bird or trout or q black bass to 90
and to be what it is under certain
conditions are the same ineXorable Di-
illogical laws which will compel man
under certain conditions to do certain
things. When we study the character
istics of species we study in a broad
sense the characteristics of all the in
dividuaIs of that species, and there is
no exception to the rule.
Now, Paul in the words of my text is
enunciating a great natural law. He
comes to Us and says: MY brother, in
your egotism you believe you are diff
ferent from tue rest of mankind. You
NAV think that no man ever faced just
the same trials and temptations aud
sorrows and bitter disapp0intment5
Z. y
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 theT
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 great specie
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 rs 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
they may escape from their tempta-
tons, so If we let Jesus come into our
lives and accept his offer of way OF
escape we may overcome our present
temptations We all have many temp
tations. There is no doubt about that
The next question is, Do we apply the
gospel weapon against those tempta-
tons?
There are, in the first place, physical
temptations. There are temptations OF
the blood. of the nerves, the muscles
of the stomach and Of the heart There
are the temptations which appeal to
the physical organism which we have
inherited from our ancestors and which
may have been weakened by disease
or by abuse. These temptations of thu
physical organism are among the very
fiercest of all temptations to battle
against Paul was speaking literally
scribed himself as an armed sentinel
standing guard over his body or as an
armed foe in mortal combat with the
passions of his flesh. He knew, a.
every true Christian ought to know
that unless he was continually warrino
against the evil desires of his flesh he
would become their slave. He said, 81
keep under my body and bring it intt
subsection lest by any means when
have preached to others myself should
be a castaway." Oh, my brother, dc
you know that with the help of the
Holy Spirit you may overcome your
physical temptations?
One of the most common of those
physical temptations is the craving Of
the stomach and the nerves for a slim
ulant or a soothing narcotic. You are
not lazy. good for nothing drunken
loafer. You are an intense. ambitious
energetic man. You perhaps started
with nothing. and everything, to USE
slang expression. "seems to be com
ing your way" Your business has
been going ahead by leaps and strides
| Tho ordaru haya hooD t1l;nIlIiup i'm ~