The Penn's Grove record., 1908-11-13
Tie PUIDIF
A SERMON G%GA
BY TIE REV Mach
IMMHENDEHeNWR
Suhiect. Termination
Subject: Temptation.

~ @ WhllS ~
upon the thoughtfulness of our Saw
Jour, and not only Eliminates oul
understanding of the subject in hand
but also glorifes the moral geniu.
and the perspicacity of Jesus. Il
stamps Jesus as a sage. Few things
that He eve said have differentiated
truths finely. This declaration
and petition is sagacious, penetra.
tive, profound. 1t cuts through sir
to that which is ~antecedent. 1t shows
us n hand and the artiice of the
seducer, and his seductions. Ponder
the text. You will find it central. II
Is suggestive, superlatively in1uen.
tial.
Temptation is a subject that is
much misunderstood. Few grasp its
significance, comprehend it's power,
or apprehend it's fundamental rela-
tionship to sin. You will note that
Jesus says, Lead us not into tempta-
tlon; deliver us from evil" He does
not say, Deliver us from evil, and
lead us not into temptation" The
ordering of the language is %consonant
with the sequence and logic of the
thoughts the words express. Jesus
was conversant with the general un-
intelligence concerning the place of
temptation in the life of man. Then
as now the multitude was more con-
cerned with overt wickedness than
with precedent thought. Then as
now men were more careful to keen
out of the handouts of the police
than to keep their thoughts pure and
their hearts radiant with righteous
ness. We are no better in many ways
than the men to whom Jesus init
mately and Immediately spoke. They
didn't understand the viciousness of
temptation or think about it any more
than do we.
Temptation is subtle. Sometimes
1t appears to be superficial. Now it
is an objective force, an influence
moving us from without. Again it is
subjective, a wrong desire or an evil
wish leading us, as it were, from
within.
But whether temptation be subtle
or superficial, subjective or objective.
whether it be a thought or a poison,
a wish or a woman, temptation is
dangerous. For it holds the seeds of
sin. And sin is godlessness. And
godlessness leadeth by the steep,
sharp way that goes down to that
place whose paving stones are reputed
to be the good intentions of careless
men.
How few of us pay N attention to
subtle temptation. Most of us spurn
IL when the Jail doors draw ajar or
the loss OF social or religious position
is threatened. We cast Satan .c4-
when we can e but we coddle and
t1iGdddle the temptation that we love to
fondle. We hug it to our hearts. We
stroke it and caress it. We wouldn't
for the world commit the crime that
is the offspring of the thought. What
fools we are! Would you rub a rat
tier?
Temptation is dangerous. Most dan
gerous when it is subtle. 1t prepares
the road for sin. 1t makes ready the
heart of man to plan and the hand
of man to execute the will of Satan.
1t lays a and a net. 1t is full
of pretentious promises. 1t comes
in fair array. 1t looks good. Its
pretensions are pretences. Its prom
Uses are aerial. 1t is we'll dressed
But 1t is all clothes. The colors will
not stand sunlight, nor the weave in
spection. 1t looks good. But its
heart is bad. 1t is as dangerous as
1t was in Eden, as subtle, as cautious
as mealy-mouthed, as disastrous.
In the fourth chaper of the Gospe'
according to St. Matthew you may
read how Jesus dealt with tempta.
ton. And reading you will under.
stand, with a little thought, what was
Jesus conception of the relation oil
temptation to sin and why it was
that He taught His disciples thai
temptation was the subtle antecedenf
of wickedness that f1aunts itself, as i
is. 1.-THE tempter came to Him, hi
said, If Thou be the Son of God, com
bread" THE devil set
teth Him on the pinnacle Of the Tenn
pie, and saith unto Him
Cast Thyself down." Again, thu
devil showeth Him all tn,
kingdoms of the world" What dit
Jesus do? What would we do unde,
like circumstances?
Jesus neither parleyed nor fooled
with temptation. He dismissed tn
tempter i%nstanter. He wasted NJ
words in discussion. He attempted
no compromise. He didn't ask fur
Their light or discuss the terms of
fered. He quickly, brusquely, ener
getically spurned the tempter ant
the temptation. I have an idea tina
if the devil hadn't gone the Chris
would have moved n And, be
hold, angels anne and ministered I'm
to Him"
The answers of Jesus were as in
candescent as they were unequivocal
They were hot, surcharged with en-
ergy in full play. They were alam
with a heat that shot light into tn
nature and danger and the metho'
to be free of temptations snare. AM
they were straight. They were no
the sort of answers we return whel
the devil makes proposals to us
Jesus didn't toy with Satan's propo
sitions. He didn't ask him to sub
init a brief. He delayed neither re
Spouse nor judgment. He gave hin
cool hearing, urtical reply, ne oppor
tunity or occasion for rebuttal.
How otherwise we do. Tempta
ton finds us willing, voluble, invit
ing. What sin cannot do tempta
ton does. For the sin we do tn
temptation to which we have yield
ed is responsible. What wind is t
the moving boat and sails, coal t
the locomotive, and heat, gasoline an
associated planes to the aeronaur
Similarly temptation is to sin. Know
ing this it is not wise to parley wit
tempters or temptation. Jesus didn
discuss Satan's propositions, for dir
cussion would have implied the rigt
of Satan to be heard. 1t would hay
given him privilege in court. Jesu
saw that discussion would be di:
obedience, argument a confession
debate damaging.
We are hardly wiser than Jesu,
1t He would not parley, we ougt
not. II His moral sense and ments
insight, His sense of religious respor
sibility, would not permit Him I
argue with Satan we cannot as H.
followers do less than He. To ma,
ley is to listen. And the devil hs
many a sweet tone, plausible plal
fine sounding promise. And mai
there r who, with unstopped an
ready ears, are misled thereby. N
wise man would plot murder on
corner or bargain with a woman f