Cha^s

 

New Haven Nov 19^th 1861

 

Dear Father:

                        Don't be frightened at the above date, for I'm going to write a Sunday letter. The President preached this morning on The Temptation of Christ, taking for his text the account in Mat. 4^th Chap, first eleven verses—As he advanced a few ideas which were different from any I had heard, I took a few general notes, thinking you would be interested in them, and will fill them out as well as I can from memory—

 

            The Temptation did not appear to Christ in human form, but only had its being in his imagination. There are three grounds for this view—

1^st Satan, in the Scriptures, never takes a / human, tangible form—

 

2^nd What need was there of the pinnacle and mountain? Owing to the spherical form of the earth, but a small part of the Kingdoms of the world could be seen at once—And if, as is sometimes supposed, the country lying nearby is referred to, there would have been no need of going up to so slight an emminence to see what could be seen almost as well from the ground. It is worthy of remark, that no mention is made of Christ's coming down from the temple or mountain.

 

3^rd The Temptation would be very much more serene, than if Satan had really appeared to him, and conveyed him to the temple &c.

            The Temptation was intended for Christ in his / capacity as the Messiah—

 

            Let us consider how this idea is carried out in each of the three trials.

 

1^st The Temptation of Hunger. Christ might have said to himself, Why has the Father given me my miraculous power, if I may not use it, if I may not satisfy my appetite if hungry? What harm in using this power, if necessary to my bodily convenience & comfort? The answer which He gave the Tempter shows his ruling desire to continue in his entire dependence on God's ordinary Providence. Now, why would not Christ avail himself of a miracle to supply himself with food? Elijah availed himself of such power, but Christ was the Messiah. A yielding in this case would materially change the character of the Kingdom he was to found—would make it one of ease & comfort. Again, if the lord yielded, He could not have taken upon himself the work of our / Salvation. He was a servant. If he had yielded, He could never have been subjected unto death. As to the second Temptation—(The result of the first shows supreme trust. If God wished it, Christ's hunger would be satisfied, and if there appeared no human means at hand to accomplish that end, He was willing to wait & trust in His Father) The Temple was chosen as the locality, because it was a place of general resort The Jews in great numbers, and it would have produced a great effect, had Christ thrown himself down unharmed. His answer was, I cannot put myself outside Gods ordinary Providence—He was to be treated as other men. It would be presumption for him to perform a miracle to work off God's general order of things. It would be a superficial way of showing His Messiahship. He knew that truth never comes in such overpowering force as to compel belief.

 

            The purpose of the third Temptation was to direct Christ from establishing his own Kingdom. There are a few difficulties connected with this. Why did it come last? It is not apparently so strong as the others—But it could not be, as some suppose, the love of power to which Satan appealed /

 

            His habits of self-consecration had entirely removed that—Satan's object was to show Christ an easy and improper way of establishing His Kingdom—to reign without fighting—to be victor without conquering. The question as Satan presented it, was not—Should the Kingdom be established? But, could not Christ take an easy path to establish it? But He held strictly to His original conception of the Kingdom. Again, as to worshiping Satan, Religious worship is not meant, but only respect & homage.

Lessons to be derived from the subject

 

1^st It shows us how Christ's character was strengthened.

2^nd It brings Christ nearer us—giving us sympathy in similar trials.

3^rd It shows the importance of a proper conception of our place & calling.

4^th Christ's Temptation was not myth— / that theory rests on the assumption that there is no such thing as a miracle—

 

            If Christ was the Messiah it was eminently proper that He should be tempted at the beginning. it is entirely in harmony with His calling.

 

The transaction is too grand to have been the invention of man—It is an intellectual & moral trial to see if Christ would be true to His calling.The Ancient Church could not have comprehened the nature of it.

 

5^th This successful trial gives us great encouragement to strive against temptation. If we overcome once, we are billed for another fight. We know ourselves & our enemies better. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down / with my Father in his throne."

 

Of course I have murdered the sermon, but perhaps you can see the course of course thought sufficiently to judge of the merits. It was a very fine discourse—You know, we have four preachers now. The Pres. & Profs. Dwight, Fisher & Chappin—who preach two Sabbaths apiece in turn. It is an improvement on the former arrangement. Coz. W^m favored me with a call yesterday, and intimated that if he received an invitation to spend Thanksgiving with you, he should accept. I will state, for the benefit of you at home, that Mr. C. took pains to inform me that the call was made wholly out of regard to my family. He says he is to preach for Dr Hanes of Hartford, this winter. So I suppose a letter addressed him there would reach him. I believe I wont write / any more to night. I will write a secular letter to Frank in a day or so.Till then, with love to all,

 

Your aff son

Charlie

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