The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-07-19
EVERY SOUL
IS Temple
At SOME 7 |NE
DR.. j. W. BURNS AT FIRST CHRIS
TIAN CHURCH PREACHED POW
ERFUL SERMON ON I'm THE
TEMPTER'S CLUTCHES"


times the subject of temptation. |
once heard lady say that she had
been so thoroughly converted to God
that she was never tempted. She said
that before her santihcation she found
it hard even to resist temptation, but
that she had been so completely filled
with the Holy Spirit that she did not
even feel the slightest inclination to
sin, and that the temptcr never pre-
sented himself After she has finished
speaking, her pastor said, No, no, sis
ter. that isn't Christianity You have, it
is something else The point is, my
friends that even the believer, the
most ardent Christian, is even sub
jected to temptation am glad that
all of us are often met by the tempter.
If did not know this. | would be led
often to believe that there is some
thing wrong with my own sincerity.
Also. temptations have their func-
tions, which we will discuss later. |
heard of another woman that told her
pastor that she was sure there was
something wrong with her salvation
because she met so many temptations
She wanted her name stricken from
the church roll, because of unworthi-
ness. She was very wisely informed
that even Christians often fell into
the tempter's clutches, and that the
Devil would rather have her now than
to have had her Eefore her name was
placed on the church roll. 1t is al
ways more valuable for the Devil to
get you after you have identified
yourself with the church than before.
If he gets you then, he hurts the
whole church and the cause of Chris
tianity If he gets you before, he hurts
only you. So it is, my brethren, the
tempter is always after the Christian
as well as the non-Christian."
"The tempter is crafty and always
on his job. He realizes that the
young man is one of his greatest as
sets. He begins on the young man as
early as possible. Your parents do
not know what is best for you, he
says. They are old and fOggy. Your
associates know better than they.
Break from your mothers apron
strings. BE a real man Also, he does
not forget to add, Booze and ciga-
rettes will not hurt you. Look at 9th
ers about you. They make a man Of
you. They give you friends and good
time. You can quit your meanness
when you want to. Every young man
must SOW his wild oats. These are
some of the devils biggest lies. There
isn't a word of truth in any of it. The
tempter always made me feel when
was a boy at home that my parents
we're hard on me. He always told
me so and to prove it, pointed out
other parents in the neighborhood
who permitted their boys to do as they
pleased. Since | have become man,
have discovered the falsity of it,
"'The church is cold and damp in
the winter time, he says to the un-
believer, and sometimes to the beliey-
er also. In the summer time the
church is the hottest place on earth.
The Sunday school is not interesting,
the Christian Endeavor was organized
to keep the young folks from having
good time, and the preacher is a
CRATER. To the young lady he says,
look about you, all the popular girls
in town dance and you'll marry bet
ter out of the church than you will
in it It's the church that makes so
many old maids, he says. Another OF
his falsehoods The church is full of
hypocrites. You're better off out of ii,
| than in it. Your morality is better
! for you than the Christianity the
4
| church members possess. Besides, look
at the church debt. You are wanted
to help pay it These are some other
| things that he continues TO whispe;
into the ear. That's his business
friends. He doesn't want you to raise
your family in the church of Christ
He doesn't want your children to
have a praying father and mother
"To the believer he is always com
municating doubts He calls attention
to the different creeds and denomina
tions and wonders who's wrong
Somebody must be wrong. it is prob
ably you he says. No man can be
a Christian when he feels like get
ting angry at times. How unnatural
some things In the Bible are. To be
a Christian, you must be like Christ
and vou're not You are almost per
suaded to believe him. He seems Sc