[From the New York Observer.]
INTERNATIONAL S. S. LESSONS.
HY REV. K. P. ROGERS.
JANUARY 25.
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS.
MATT. 4:1—11.
GOLDEN TEXT, —" For in that he himself hath ;
sufferad being tempted, he is able to succor them 1
that are tempted."— Hebrews 2:18.
Central Truth: —Christ was tempted in
all points like as we are.
The event recorded in this lesson oc
.
cured directly after the baptism of Jesus.
It is noticed that the time of temptation
followed the time of exaltation. Jesus
had, just received a special manifestation 1
of the divine favor. The Holy Host, in a
visible, symbolical representation, had j
rested on him, and a proclamation had |
been made before the assembled people
that he was*the "beloved Son" in whom
the Eternal Father was "well pleased." i
Immediately ofter this, we are told
that he was "led of the Spijit into the;
wilderness to be tempted of the devil."
The question has often been asked, llow
could Christ, who was a perfectly holy j
being, be tempted to sin? The answer is
easy. Christ was man, as truly so as he
was God. As such he had a nature like
ours, with all the constitutional passions
and appetites belonging to it. This was
necessary to enable him intelligently to
sympathize with us, .and help us to resist
our temptations- He could feel hunger,
thirst, weariness and pain as much as wo
can. And they were not pleasant to him
any more than they are to us. They
could produce suffering in him as truly as
in us. lie would feel a natural desire to
escape them as truly as we should. Hut
eonstiutional desires are not in them
selves sinful. The sin lies in gratifying
them unlawfully, both in spirit and in
method. We may desire physical grati
fication ; we may desire fame, or power,
or pleasure and it may not be sinful. IJut
when these desires seek to be gratified at
the expense of law, or moral principle, or
duty to higher interests or relations, sin
begins. Temptation assails us and we
weakly and culpably yield.
In this way Christ could be tempted, and
good men can be tempted. But Christ
had no sinful nature, and so he was able
in his own strength to resist and foil the
tempter.
But this story is not a myth, or merely
an allegory. It is not an unreal drama.
It is the history of a real experience.
Christ was truly tempted, anil the temp
tation was oppressive and painful. "He
suffered, being tempted." And it was
not a merely arbitrary thing. There were
good reasons for it. There were wise
and good purposes to be answered by it.
It proved his fitness for the great office
which he had assumed. It established a
tie of sympathy between him and his peo
ple. The three temptations to which he
was subjected represented the common
temptations of life. To be truly and ef
fectually our helper in these, it was nec
essary that he should not only feel them,
but conquer them. Hail Satan succeeded
in mastering Christ, it would have been
the greatest possible triumph, and re
demption would have been impossible.
Satan staked everything on this effort t >
lead Christ to sin, and failed!
I do not know that it was necessary for
us to hold that the language of the narra
tive is to be in all details understood lit
erally ; that a personal tempter, real ;
stones, a literal temple, or mountain, are I
to be insisted on as parts of the occur
rence. Nor do I hold it necessary, on the |
other hand, to claim that the history only
•clothes in dramatic form a real but intei - j
nal experience; that the narativo describ- j
es a series of images or pictures which
were presented to Christ's imagination,
by which Satan hoped to seduce him into
sin. The difficulties which besets us in
any conception of Christ as tempted to '
evil, are inherent, and we must be con- ■
tent to believe that Christ was "tempted
in all points like as we are, yet without
sin." He was subjected to this test by
God's permission, and for God's wise and i
! good purposes. It was according to the i
divine plan. Its issue was a glorious
success. Christ tritmphed over Satan j
and thus prepared the way for his believ
ing people to triumph also.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
; 1. Seasons of unusual exaltation often
lead us into strongest temptations.
Times of unusual prosperity or success; ;
I seasons of extraordinary popularity or j
j eclat; when things are flattering and j
very promising, are often occasions for)
j the tempter. The proverb which is so
! common, "Woe to us when all men speak
well of us," illustrates this idea.
"We should suspect some danger nigh
When we possess delight."
2. Temptation is not a thing of mere
I place or surroundings.
Satan is in the wilderness as truly as
in the city. The old monastic systems
1 were found to be full of corruption, and
men found that to lock themselves with
in a cell was not to lock Satan out. Our
, evil natures and wicked hearts render us
an easy prey to the tempter anywhere,
j Even the closet or the communion table
i are familiar with his presence. When
j " the sons of God came to present them
selves bcfoic the Lord, Satan came also
' among them."
: Our temptations are in proportion
io our responsibilities.
Christ was tempted because he was
| the Messiah, the great Saviour of the
world. For such a lofty place, it was
essential that his fitness should be fully
proved.
Many men have been found unequal to
! lofty station or important trusts. Under!
ordinary pressure they might have stood
' firm.
4. There is no sin in being tempted, or
in feeling the power of temptation.
The sin lies in yielding, in sacrificing
: principle to policy, or supposing that
; " gain isgodliness."
5. Satan is a splendid liar, but a liar
! still.
He made magnifUcent promises to our
Lord, but he could not have performed
them. He makes equally splendid prom
ises to men, but they who trust him do it
i at their peril.
(!. Temptation comes from Satan; vic
tory conies from God.
" Lead us not into temptation, but de
i liver us from the evil one," is one of the 1
most pertinent petitions of the " Lord's
| prayer."
" Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees."
7. " Blessed is the man"—not who es- 1
eapeth, but—"who endureth temptation."
" The disciple is not above his master,
' nor the servant greater than his Lord."
j S. The Word of God is a mighty weap
on with which to resist the tempter,
The Psalmist said, " Thy word have I
! hid in my heart that I might not sin
| against thee." "The word of God is j
| quick and powerful, and sharper than a
two-edged sword." By it our Lord con
quered Satan. "IT IS WRITTEN " was his
j all-powerful weapon.
lie is a brave champion in the fight
with the devil, who is " mighty in the j
| Scriptures."
| 0. Seasons of struggle are often follow- j
ed by seasons of peace.
There is great force in the saying j
j " Then the devil leaveth him, and, be-1
| hold, angels came and ministered to i
: him." " Are they not all ministering '
I spirits sent forth to minister to them who j
shall be heirs of salvation."
Resist the devil, friends; for thus, af-J
I ter him, Angels!
Translate the sense of Scripture into j
your lives, and expound the Word of God j
by your works. Interpret it by your fin
gers. That is, let your workings and
your walkings be Scripture expositions,
ias living epistles read and known of all j
j men.
I I
C° AL
NATIIAN TIDI),
DHAI.KU IN
| PITTSTON, WILKES - BAR RE, AND j
LOYAL SOCK COAL.
| Invites the patronage of his old friends and the pub- '
lie generally. I shall keep a full assortment
of all sizes,
AND SHALL SELL AT
LOWEST PRICES FOR CASH.
Yard and office, foot of Pine street, just south of
Court House.
. Aug. 30 N.TIDD.
Vertical
*
Feci I.
\susual, the Vertical Feed
Sewing M achine took First Pre
mium, at the late county Fair.
J FIGHT MIT SIGEL
I . ,
and all
HONORABLY DISCHARGED SOLDIERS
will consult their own interests Dy calling at
J A C O B S'
long established and well known
ONE PRICE
CLOTHING
HOUSE,
PATTON'S BLOCK,
' and buy their coats, pants, vests, overcoats, shirts,
overalls, Gloves, Hose, Hats and Caps, and every
thing in the line of fine and stylish
GENTS' FURNISHING GOODS.
Don't be deceived by persons falsely representing
i themselves to be JACOBS, but come directly to my
store In I'atton Block, Main street, near Bridge stf
j
| aug2G H. JACOBS.^
Text Book Uniformity.
RESULT WHERE ROOKS HAVE TO
STAND ON THEIR OWN MERIT.
At ii Convention of School Directors, of
| Centre County, held a Bellefonte, Decem
ber 20, 1878, pursuant to the call of 11.
Meyer, Esq., County Superintendent, for
the purpose of considering the propriety
of taking measures to secure a uniformity
of the text-books used in the schools of
said county, the following action was
taken, over fifty directors being present
and nearly all the district in the county
being represented:
COPY OF MINUTES.
Upon motion of C. P. Stonerod, of Snow
Shoe township, the following preamble and
i resolutions were adopted:
WHKKKAS: Great expense and waste are
j frequently incurred by the present and eon-
I nstatly changing variety of text-books used in
j tiie common schools of Centre county, there
i fore, be it
Resolved, By the representative directors
l here in session, that a system of text-books,
; suitable, complete and uniform, be adopted in
accordance with the laws of the State,
throughout the county.
Upon motion of J. C. P. Jones, the follow
| ing plan was adopted with but one dissenting
vote, to carry into effect the following pre
amble and resolutions:
First. The various publishing houses to
send samples of their books to each schol
board in roe county lor examination and to
submit therewith the lowest exchange, intr. -
ductory and wholesale prices, and the length
of time they will guarantee to furnish them
at said price.
Second. No agent of any publtshing house
j to be permitted to do any work in the county,
1 to lie either general or local agent, beyond
| sending his books and terms as above stated.
Any house or agent violating this under
standing, their books to be counted ou of the
! contest.
Third. The several school boards of the
I county, after examination of the various
1 books which may have been submitted, to
hold a meeting at which each director shall
make out a list of the books which he prefers
i to have adopted in the county, and send it to
I Henry Meyer, Esq., County Superindent, at
! Rebersburg, Pa., prior to the first day of
, June, 1871), who shall ma.:: / * e
| several statements so sent, and the books up
lon the various branches having tin ighest
I number of votes or preference shall be the
; series recommended for county uniformity.
The County Superintendent, after having
| made the above canvaos as above, to send the
j result of the same to each of the papers in the
j county for publication.
W. C. HEINLE, Chairman.
! J. C. P. JONES, Secretary,
j The following is the result of the votes
j of the Directors of Centre county, Pa., on
the uniformity of Text-books in said
I county, with the number of votes cast fro
| each book, under the foregoing plan and
j resolutions:
READERS. No. vote.
for eacsh
j New Graded 74
Independent 20
! Appleton's 17
j New American 12
SPELLERS.
j Swinton's 83
J New American 6
i Independent 23
j Appleton's 1
J Patterson's
] Sander's Union
j Raub's 1
GEOGRAPHIES.
Swinton's ... 100
Colton's 14
j Mitchell's 10
| Independent 1
! Montcith's 5
HISTORIES.
I Swinton's 63
I Redpath's 5
Barnes'Brief 7
Butler's
Quackenbos' 1
Watson's 6
V RITTEN ARITHMETIC.
Robinson's Shorter Course 57
Grccnleaf's IA
Brook's
Gilnc's 22
Boff's 12
N rook's Union 3
Mew American 4
MENTAL ARITHMETIC.
Milne's 7
GreenleaPs 4
ALGEBRA.
Robinson's 53
Greenleaf's 1
COPY BOOKS.
Spencerian 69
Appleton's 30
Ellsworth's 10
GRAMMARS.
Kerl's 72
Swinton's 17
Clark's Brief 15
Bullion's 1
Harvey's 20
Quaekenbos' 3
Fewsmith's ' 1
LANGUAGE LESSONS.
Kerl's 5
Clark's 1
Harvey's 5
Morton's 5
BOOK-KEEPING.
Bryant & Stratton's 44
Folsom's 6
Smith's...
' CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
Townsend's... ••