Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-04-04
Calt,,aSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talnlaec. d. d.

| 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 dc
right we will always find way OIL,
is the lesson Of this sermon. The text
is Corinthians x, IS, "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 its proper comprehension are the
other natural sciences. Nature has the
| same method of working IN all, and il
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
Of a species the members Of which
prosper under like conditions or de.
generate under the opposite condi.
tons. Nature is q unit in this. In
other words, the same inexorable nat
ural laws which cause rose or a
lily or heliotrope or a horse or a
COW or sheep or robin or a blue
bird or a trout or n black bass to do
and to be what it Is under certain
conditions are the same inexorable BIZ
illogical laws which will compel man
70 IN, 4
things. When we study the character
istics Of 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 egotism 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 disappointments
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 rs they
eat. You will laugh as they laugh
You sleep as they sleep. You suffer
frcm 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 great species
of living creatures which is called the
human family" Then Paul seems to
all his thoughts into these
words OF my text: There hath no
taken you but such as is
to man. but God is faithful
who will not suffer you TO be tempted
above that We are sble. 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, rs there are thousands OF
men and women in the past who have
been tempted just as we are tempted
md 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
We all have many temp
.ations. 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
gainst. Paul was speaking literally
IS we'll as figuratively when he de-
cribed himself as an armed sentinel
guard over his body or as an
rmed foe in mortal combat with the
PASSIONS of his flesh. He knew, az
very true Christian ought to know.
hat unless he was continually warning
gainst the evil desires Of his flesh he
you'd become their slave. He said, 81
eep under my body and bring il into
objection lest by any means when |
ave preached to others myself should
e castaway." Oh, my brother do
GU know that with the help OF the
Ioly Spirit you may overcome your
hysical temptations?
One of the most common of those
hyslcal temptations 10 the craving of
ne stomach and the nerves for a slim
liant or a soothing narcotic. You are
OF lazy, good for nothing drunken
'afer. You are an intense, ambitious.
nergetic man. You perhaps started
18th nothing. and everything to use
slang expression. "seems to be COM
,g your way" Your business has
cen going ahead by leaps and strides.
he orders have been tumbling in on
on as an avalanche. If you had ten
ands and ten feet and ten eyes and
N brains. you could work them all to
lelr limit. The result is you have been
rerworking that body. You cannot
eep at night, When you arise for
In the morning you are more
red than when you went to bed
bout two years ago you began to use
imulants. You did it to arouse YOUR
,Dleted faculties Then M pjubt wa, |