River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-01-06

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blessing instead of injury.
II would have been sin for our
Lord to have followed the course in
dicated because, although not mis-
using the Divine power, he would
have been tempting God to use
Divine power for his deliverance,
whereas this was unnecessary, as
he had not been called upon to thus
hazard his life, but rather was re-
CURED to sacrifice it-laying it down
in the service of the Truth and of
humanity. Our Lords answer was
directly to the point and was an
other quotation from Holy Writ:
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God" In every case Satan seems
to have realized that he was prompt
ly and fully met by the quotations
and his temptation shown to be con-
trary to the Divine instruction.
Christ's followers are tempted
along this line also-tempted TO pre-
sumo on the goodness of God and
by words or acts to place themselves
in such positions as would test or
tempt God in respect to his provi-
Dental care of them-along lines
which he has never authorized in
his Word. The woodworking
spirit is contrary to the spirit of
humility anyway and, if gratifed,
would lead to spiritual pride and
egotism. God wishes his people
now to walk by faith and not by
sight"
Temptation III. Again it is un-
necessary for us to assume that
there is any very high mountain in
the wilderness in which Jesus was
being tempted, for there is no such
| high mountain there. Nor is there
a mountain in all the earth on whose
pinnacles all the kingdoms of the
world could be seen in a moment.
In this case, also, our Lord mentally
transported to a high mountain, to
a great, lofty kingdom overlooking
and overlapping all earthly empires.
For in Bible symbology mountain
represents kingdom. In a brief
moment Satan pictured himself to
our Lord as the ruler of all earth's
| kingdOmS-aS having the ruling
empire of earth, controlling all en-
| pires. This is in accord with the
Scripture which declares that Satan
is the Prince of this world (this age) +,
and that he now ruleth in the
hearts of the children of disobedi-
ence"-thus ruling the vast ma
jority.
After thus picturing his own power
over the world - the power of a
usurping prince imposing upon the
ignorance and superstition of man
kind, Satan's argument paraphrases
thus: l know we'll the object of
your coming, and the promise that
your kingdom shall bless all the
world and uplift the willing and
obedient out of sin and death condi-
tions. wish you we'll in the enter
prise. l deplore present conditions
myself. Undertake your work of
reform in harmony with the present
order of things. If you will thus
recognize me, will cooperate with
you. You then will be their earthly
ruler, while I, Satan, as spirit-be-
ing, would still control after the
manner of an overload. If you take
any other course, it will bring you
| disappointment, scorn, defeat,
shame.
Our Lords reply was, Get thee
hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God,
and him only shalt thou serve"
The temptation passed successfully,
Satan withdrew and holy angels
ministered to our Lord.
We have similar temptations, in
one form or another. The tempta-
ton is, Will we connive with and
recognize unjust counterfeit institu-
tons, because they have power and
because to oppose them would i'm
ply their opposition, shame and
scorn. Such temptations of the Ad-
versary may come through political
or social or religious institutions,
saying, serve Us and we will assist
you. Those whose hearts are loyal
to the core, as was the Redeemer's,
will repulse the Adversary and dis
dain his proffer of assistance on any
terms.
This great Advocate, having been
tempted in all these lines, is able to
succor us. Yet he waits for US to
realize our needs and to apply for
succor at the throne of grace, as in
timated by our text.