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r　sins　and　weaknesses；　we　are　not　cast　aside　as　worthless。　〃He　hath　made　us　accepted　in　the　Beloved。〃　Eph。　1：6。　The　glory　that　rested　upon　Christ　is　a　pledge　of　the　love　of　God　for　us。　It　tells　us　of　the　power　of　prayer；how　the　human　voice　may　reach　the　ear　of　God；　and　our　petitions　find　acceptance　in　the　courts　of　heaven。　By　sin；　earth　was　cut　off　from　heaven；　and　alienated　from　its　communion；　but　Jesus　has　connected　it　again　with　the　sphere　of　glory。　His　love　has　encircled　man；　and　reached　the　highest　heaven。　The　light　which　fell　from　the　open　portals　upon　the　head　of　our　Saviour　will　fall　upon　us　as　we　pray　for　help　to　resist　temptation。　The　voice　which　spoke　to　Jesus　says　to　every　believing　soul；　This　is　My　beloved　child；　in　whom　I　am　well　pleased。

〃Beloved；　now　are　we　the　sons　of　God；　and　it　doth　not　yet　appear　what　we　shall　be：　but　we　know　that；　when　He　shall　appear；　we　shall　be　like　Him；　for　we　shall　see　Him　as　He　is。〃　1　John　3：2。　Our　Redeemer　has　opened　the　way　so　that　the　most　sinful；　the　most　needy；　the　most　oppressed　and　despised；　may　find　access　to　the　Father。　All　may　have　a　home　in　the　mansions　which　Jesus　has　gone　to　prepare。　〃These　things　saith　He　that　is　holy；　He　that　is　true；　He　that　hath　the　key　of　David；　He　that　openeth；　and　no　man　shutteth；　and　shutteth；　and　no　man　openeth；　。　。　。　behold；　I　have　set　before　thee　an　open　door；　and　no　man　can　shut　it。〃　Rev。　3：7；　8。




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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　12

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Temptation


And　Jesus　being　full　of　the　Holy　Ghost　returned　from　Jordan；　and　was　led　by　the　Spirit　into　the　wilderness。〃　The　words　of　Mark　are　still　more　significant。　He　says；　〃Immediately　the　Spirit　driveth　Him　into　the　wilderness。　And　He　was　there　in　the　wilderness　forty　days；　tempted　of　Satan；　and　was　with　the　wild　beasts。〃　〃And　in　those　days　He　did　eat　nothing。〃

When　Jesus　was　led　into　the　wilderness　to　be　tempted；　He　was　led　by　the　Spirit　of　God。　He　did　not　invite　temptation。　He　went　to　the　wilderness　to　be　alone；　to　contemplate　His　mission　and　work。　By　fasting　and　prayer　He　was　to　brace　Himself　for　the　bloodstained　path　He　must　travel。　But　Satan　knew　that　the　Saviour　had　gone　into　the　wilderness；　and　he　thought　this　the　best　time　to　approach　Him。

Mighty　issues　for　the　world　were　at　stake　in　the　conflict　between　the　Prince　of　light　and　the　leader　of　the　kingdom　of　darkness。　After　tempting　man　to　sin；　Satan　claimed　the　earth　as　his；　and　styled　himself　the　prince　of　this　world。　Having　conformed　to　his　own　nature　the　father　and　mother　of　our　race；　he　thought　to　establish　here　his　empire。　He　declared　that　men　had　chosen　him　as　their　sovereign。　Through　his

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control　of　men；　he　held　dominion　over　the　world。　Christ　had　come　to　disprove　Satan's　claim。　As　the　Son　of　man；　Christ　would　stand　loyal　to　God。　Thus　it　would　be　shown　that　Satan　had　not　gained　complete　control　of　the　human　race；　and　that　his　claim　to　the　world　was　false。　All　who　desired　deliverance　from　his　power　would　be　set　free。　The　dominion　that　Adam　had　lost　through　sin　would　be　recovered。

Since　the　announcement　to　the　serpent　in　Eden；　〃I　will　put　enmity　between　thee　and　the　woman；　and　between　thy　seed　and　her　seed〃　（Gen。　3：15）；　Satan　had　known　that　he　did　not　hold　absolute　sway　over　the　world。　There　was　seen　in　men　the　working　of　a　power　that　withstood　his　dominion。　With　intense　interest　he　watched　the　sacrifices　offered　by　Adam　and　his　sons。　In　these　ceremonies　he　discerned　a　symbol　of　communion　between　earth　and　heaven。　He　set　himself　to　intercept　this　communion。　He　misrepresented　God；　and　misinterpreted　the　rites　that　pointed　to　the　Saviour。　Men　were　led　to　fear　God　as　one　who　delighted　in　their　destruction。　The　sacrifices　that　should　have　revealed　His　love　were　offered　only　to　appease　His　wrath。　Satan　excited　the　evil　passions　of　men；　in　order　to　fasten　his　rule　upon　them。　When　God's　written　word　was　given；　Satan　studied　the　prophecies　of　the　Saviour's　advent。　From　generation　to　generation　he　worked　to　blind　the　people　to　these　prophecies；　that　they　might　reject　Christ　at　His　coming。

At　the　birth　of　Jesus；　Satan　knew　that　One　had　come　with　a　divine　commission　to　dispute　his　dominion。　He　trembled　at　the　angel's　message　attesting　the　authority　of　the　newborn　King。　Satan　well　knew　the　position　that　Christ　had　held　in　heaven　as　the　Beloved　of　the　Father。　That　the　Son　of　God　should　come　to　this　earth　as　a　man　filled　him　with　amazement　and　with　apprehension。　He　could　not　fathom　the　mystery　of　this　great　sacrifice。　His　selfish　soul　could　not　understand　such　love　for　the　deceived　race。　The　glory　and　peace　of　heaven；　and　the　joy　of　communion　with　God；　were　but　dimly　comprehended　by　men；　but　they

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were　well　known　to　Lucifer；　the　covering　cherub。　Since　he　had　lost　heaven；　he　was　determined　to　find　revenge　by　causing　others　to　share　his　fall。　This　he　would　do　by　causing　them　to　undervalue　heavenly　things；　and　to　set　the　heart　upon　things　of　earth。

Not　without　hindrance　was　the　Commander　of　heaven　to　win　the　souls　of　men　to　His　kingdom。　From　the　time　when　He　was　a　babe　in　Bethlehem；　He　was　continually　assailed　by　the　evil　one。　The　image　of　God　was　manifest　in　Christ；　and　in　the　councils　of　Satan　it　was　determined　that　He　should　be　overcome。　No　human　being　had　come　into　the　world　and　escaped　the　power　of　the　deceiver。　The　forces　of　the　confederacy　of　evil　were　set　upon　His　track　to　engage　in　warfare　against　Him；　and　if　possible　to　prevail　over　Him。

At　the　Saviour's　baptism；　Satan　was　among　the　witnesses。　He　saw　the　Father's　glory　overshadowing　His　Son。　He　heard　the　voice　of　Jehovah　testifying　to　the　divinity　of　Jesus。　Ever　since　Adam's　sin；　the　human　race　had　been　cut　off　from　direct　communion　with　God；　the　intercourse　between　heaven　and　earth　had　been　through　Christ；　but　now　that　Jesus　had　come　〃in　the　likeness　of　sinful　flesh〃　（Rom。　8：3）；　the　Father　Himself　spoke。　He　had　before　communicated　with　humanity　through　Christ；　now　He　communicated　with　humanity　in　Christ。　Satan　had　hoped　that　God's　abhorrence　of　evil　would　bring　an　eternal　separation　between　heaven　and　earth。　But　now　it　was　manifest　that　the　connection　between　God　and　man　had　been　restored。

Satan　saw　that　he　must　either　conquer　or　be　conquered。　The　issues　of　the　conflict　involved　too　much　to　be　entrusted　to　his　confederate　angels。　He　must　personally　conduct　the　warfare。　All　the　energies　of　apostasy　were　rallied　against　the　Son　of　God。　Christ　was　made　the　mark　of　every　weapon　of　hell。

Many　look　on　this　conflict　between　Christ　and　Satan　as　having　no　special　bearing　on　their　own　life；　and　for　them　it　has　little　interest。　But　within　the　domain　of　every　human　heart　this　controversy　is　repeated。　Never　does　one　leave　the　ranks　of　evil　for　the　service　of　God　without　encountering　the　assaults　of　Satan。　The　enticements　which　Christ　resisted　were　those　that　we　find　it　so　difficult　to　withstand。　They　were　urged　upon　Him　in　as　much　greater　degree　as　His　character　is　superior　to　ours。　With　the　terrible　weight　of　the　sins　of　the　world　upon　Him；　Christ　withstood　the　test　upon　appetite；　upon　the　love　of　the　world；　and　upon　that　love　of　display　which　leads　to　presumption。　These　were　the

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temptations　that　overcame　Adam　and　Eve；　and　that　so　readily　overcome　us。

Satan　had　pointed　to　Adam's　sin　as　proof　that　God's　law　was　unjust；　and　could　not　be　obeyed。　In　our　humanity；　Christ　was　to　redeem　Adam's　failure。　But　when　Adam　was　assailed　by　the　tempter；　none　of　the　effects　of　sin　were　upon　him。　He　stood　in　the　strength　of　perfect　manhood；　possessing　the　full　vigor　of　mind　and　body。　He　was　surrounded　with　the　glories　of　Eden；　and　was　in　daily　communion　with　heavenly　beings。　It　was　not　thus　with　Jesus　when　He　entered　the　wilderness　to　cope　with　Satan。　For　four　thousand　years　the　race　had　been　decreasing　in　physical　strength；　in　mental　power；　and　in　moral　worth；　and　Christ　took　upon　Him　the　infirmities　of　degenerate　humanity。　Only　thus　could　He　rescue　man　from　the　lowest　depths　of　his　degradation。

Many　claim　that　it　was　impossible　for　Christ　to　be　overcome　by　temptation。　Then　He　could　not　have　been　placed　in　Adam's　position；　He　could　not　have　gained　the　victory　that　Adam　failed　to　gain。　If　we　have　in　any　sense　a　more　trying　conflict　than　had　Christ；　then　He　would　not　be　able　to　succor　us。　But　our　Saviour　took　humanity；　with　all　its　liabilities。　He　took　the　nature　of　man；　with　the　possibility　of　yielding　to　temptation。　We　have　nothing　to　bear　which　He　has　not　endured。

With　Christ；　as　with　the　holy　pair　in　Eden；　appetite　was　the　ground　of　the　first　great　temptation。　Just　where　the　ruin　began；　the　work　of　our　redemption　must　begin。　As　by　the　indulgence　of　appetite　Adam　fell；　so　by　the　denial　of　appetite　Christ　must　overcome。　〃And　when　He　had　fasted　forty　days　and　forty　nights；　He　was　afterward　an　hungred。　And　when　the　tempter　came　to　Him；　he　said；　If　Thou　be　the　Son　of　God；　command　that　these　stones　be　made　bread。　But　He　answered　and　said；　It　is　written；　Man　shall　not　live　by　bread　alone；　but　by　every　word　that　proceedeth　out　of　the　mouth　of　God。〃

From　the　time　of　Adam　to　that　of　Chr