Article June 5, 1926 Issue

Signs of the Times

with contributions from William T. Manning, L. Emory Terry, L. O. Hartman

[From an editorial in the Universalist Leader, Boston, Massachusetts]

"Watch ye and pray," said Jesus, "lest ye enter into temptation." "Count it all joy," said the apostle, "when ye fall into divers temptations." Both things are true. We should bend every energy to keep away from temptation, to escape it when it suddenly appears, to banish it as far as possible from our lives. Experience teaches us that we have no accurate measure in advance either of the strength of the temptation or of our power of resistance. It is not humiliating to admit that we can have nothing to do with it, and keep our poise. It is testimony to the common sense of a man, to put it on no higher plane, to say that he knows enough not to dally with temptation. . . . What Paul means is that we should take joy in the things which give us the victory over temptation. The man who finds that he is not safe very far from the Master's side, finds out also that there is great joy in the daily walk with him. The man who tests and tries the method of substituting big, unselfish, noble thoughts for the unworthy ones learns that this, too, is a source of infinite satisfaction. The man who has to use prayer as a shield against all the fiery darts of his complexes within or of his cronies without, discovers in prayer the peace of God which passeth understanding.

[From the Clarke County Sun, Vancouver, Washington]

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