The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-01-08

solitude. The worlds great thinkers
and great movers in reformations have
had long times OF solitude. Moses did.
Elijah did Gautama did. Mahomet
did. SO Jesus had his solitude. Out of
il he came 'eady for his LIES work.
He proved himself conqueror in the
first great struggle. The one great
thing emphasized by the victory was
his own loyalty to his Father.
vs.. 3. The tempter came to hun
CRY man. He offered a hungry mans
temptation. What? The Son OF God,
and hungry? Make bread now from a
stone. Ii you are the Son OF God, you
can, you know"
The temptation lay in that sugges-
ton Instead of simply believing that
he was, he was to prove it to himself by
trying a miracle.
1t would be like man saying: |
have been told my blood circulates. l
do not know. | will sever an artery
and see. To say to stone BE bread.
so | can know whether am Son OF
God or not would be distressing the
voice at the Jordan.
VS.. 4. 1T is written in Deuteron-
omy 8: 3. Jesus knew his Bible well. /
do not believe there was visible temp
ter. 1t was from within. The tempta-
tons OF life are even yet born in the
soul. The soul OF Jesus was not sinful,
but it was sin-liable, else he could not
have been tempted. This answer OF
Jesus to his tempted soul was wonder
full. Man lives really not 10y food, but
by spirit The body may die. But the
soul that takes Gods word for its will
live
heard DR.. Pentecost say once: The
devil had never liked the Book OF Deu-
teronomv since his defeat by it in the
| mount OF temptation"
VS.. ). Probably this is real record
OF visit to Jerusalem, and OF clint
to the temples pinnacles. 1t is an in.
| voluntary impulse OF the mind to JUMP
from the top OF high building. know
people who are afraid te lsss55k GnaiH
edge OF mountasa.aa. i 'sa' III: The same
VS.. 6 ~. sSS@@;nasfiip.. 4 different emo
isasssa asi7fi h" probably had enough to
fion1 -iore this.
The canny devil saws: you quoted
Scripture at me, I'll quote it to you.
II YOU do what | tell you, you will full
fil Scripture. Jump off" 1t is writ
ten, Psalm Of: II, He shall give, etc"
The devil sets David up against Moses
i'll his quotation.
VS.. 7. Again Jesus makes answer
by Scripture. 1T is written again"
Deut. 8: 10. Jesus still keeps to Deut-
eronomy. He was more than match
Tor the devil in his use OF the Bible.
There is where Christian strength lies.
You want M, to test God to see if
he will hold me up. | will not. 1t is
written, Thou shalt not tempt God"
Notice this. First. Test yourself
See if you can make bread OF a stone.
Second, Test God. See if he can hold
YOU up, il you jump off.
VS.. 8. Now comes the high noun
tain story. Perhaps it was Mount Pts
gah, Perhaps Hermon. Evidently
these temptations were spread over
many weeks. If you were ever on
very high mountain you know it al
most seems as if you could see all the
world. You surely do see to the limit
OF your vision. So Jesus saw some
where, cities, villages, rivers, hills and
lowlands, even this glorious world.
oh, If that were only mine" would be
such very human thought. There
was temptation in that sight. I have
been in the Mint and seen the piles of
Gold coin, and everything in me seem
ed to be saying, Il want that" Was it
50 with Jesus? Hear the devil within
him.
VS., Q. III you want that | will give
it to you. Only sell yourself to me. Be
my servant, not Gods" There have
been many stories told about men SELL
ing themselves to Satan, and how he
finally foreclosed his mortgage on their
souls. But he did not trap Jesus
VS.. 10. Jesus answered him again,
from Deuteronomy 6: 10. I think Pen
tecost was right. The devil has reason
to dislike that old book, and he has
done his best to discredit it.
VS.. II. 1t drove him from the field.
The fight ended there in the mountain.
He had won his battle for the time. He
was weary. But God was watching.
Angels came and ministered to him.
He must have told this fact to his dis
clples. Were they in physical form?
Were they the influences Of the spirit
in his own soul? However it was that
comfort came after The struggle, it
came A CO. ~ This