The Alaska citizen., 1916-09-04
Sermon to the People G G BRUCE
BY THE REV c. G BRUCE


10 see Il ne tould rtSiSl that power. md for that reason alone Eut in this world We have many and divers te,9Itations. and men are going to fal into them unaware and blessed $ the man who. when he is tried r. dures.
 The power to endure is that ! Vl ich places the privilege upon nan of being called a victor. Re move temptation from mems path way wheresoever it is possible. and prepare them for resisting tempta- l tion whensoever it overtakes them Both have their full importance and who can say which is the greatest? The text says blessed is the man Who "cndures." not the man who "es apes As long as the Prince ar Evil is in the world temptations aiIl be here, and as long as boys and girls go out into the world of evil and where else can they go, for evil is everywhere they will be tempted Where We cannot take from them temptation let us train them to say no
 We pay much attention today to developing the physical fibre of the youth for We have learned that they can do better work with strong bodies. We pay much attention today to developing the mind of the child, for We have learned that with a trained mind he increases his powers to do as well as his ca pacities to enjoy. We should also l3y much attention today to devel- uping the moral powers of the youth, that they may be fitted to endure the temptations of life which, if they endure not places over them Q handicap, if Tot entirely eliminat- ing them from the race in life that reaches to earth, gain ard heaven Iy service. Which in th- long run Is ot greatest cOnseQue0Ce. training boy to win at football, to Win at the oratorical contest. or to win in a contest of common honesty? In these days when patriotism and pre- paredness are on every tongue, We are not needing men who will die iJr their country half so much as men who will live for their country. God has given men the earth to 5osaess, and He has told them it can De possessed for long only by carefully adhering to the law of may amass great fortunes and use them for a few generations, but evil Will Oyertake them if they have uuassed them with no regard to the moral law. And it is only the man who endures who can expect l 10 succeed for long. Our country is greatly in need of men who know right from wrong and are willing to adhere to the right. We need men who have the courage to put their convictions into actions, men 'yho, when they are tempted, will endure.
 Another fine thought is embodied in the text; namely, only as We are able to brave the temptation to do evil will We be enabled to receive | iife's highest reward. And what | is that reward? It is character. Moral uprightness before God and man. The power and privilege of doing good. This is mans real l joy and crown. It is no mere deco ration that comes from a superior and can be pinned on the coat, to perish with that garment, but the real crown of life, and of all life's achievements, The apostle named i it well. It is, then, that as We grap- i He with temptation, feel it's power l but not it's defeat. that We can also wear the crown. The law is ineX, orable. No cross, no crown No l temptation, no character Here you may be warned against the error | that Il lS q SlI tO Dt ttlupltu HIS annot be so. for Jesus was tempted i in all points, as we are, yet without ! sin. It can be no sin to feel the power of temptation. Sin enters only in the defeat that temptation l brings You may have heard the i lecturer who used as his subject Why doesn't God kill the Devil?" | There must be some good reason for l God permitting the Devil to remain 1 here on this earth. And that reason 1 is found in the character you make l "hen in temptation you endure. God is not going to kill the devil, for He has given that very difficult and desirable task to His followers to i accomplish. He wants them to ac- complish the task and win the re ward When you study the Word of God with care you will find that there is a very great price placed on the Devils head Think of the reward of eternal life. Think of the pure and holy life of Jesus and remember that that life can be yours by enlisting in the cause of killing the Devil. Such a man shall sit on a throne and rule forever and ever. Every temptation resisted