Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-09-16
Lying Wonders.

tame upon Job are ascrbed to Satan; and they
we're both overwhelming and astonishing He
brought lightning from the clouds to burn up the
sheep lie stirred up the Sabean and Chaldean
freeoooters TO plunder the patriarch of his oxen,
canlels, and asses. He raised tornado to destroy
The habitation aud the lives Of his children. He
finally smote the good man himself with disease
more lcsthsome and distressing than death.
But rot one OF these eSssss xss a miracle. Ter
ribe and wonderful as they were in their nature,
their ELECTS and their rapid succession-the elec
trio aids the ling of his servants, the plumber Of
his focks and the "bois" with which Job was smit
ten were ali induced in exact accordance with ply
sicsl laws. 3.
Satan has no power either to suspendor to eoun-
teract single law of nature. This prerOgative be-
longs only to God Hence God only ever has
wrought miracles, or ever can perform such works.
To establish, to suspend or to counteract the laws
OF nature, is as solely the work of God, as it was
solely his work to create the heavens and the earth
The prophets always called upon God to inter
pose his immediate and special agency when mir
aele was to be wrought for the purpose Of estab-
fishing their mission, their authority, or their COM
rnunications, Both Elijah and Elisha prayed God
to raise the dead, When also the elder prophet
confouuded the worshippers of Baal, he besought
Goi to send the fire from heaven and consume the
sacrifice. None but an immediate, Divine interpo-
sition could have preserved Daniel unharmed in the
den oil ions, or his three companions unsinged in
the burning furnace. The apostles always profess
ed to work miracles by the power Of the Lord Je-
sus Christ, and Christ wrought miracles by his own
power because he was God manifest in the flesh
There is no reason to Doubt however, that Sa-
tan take such alvlntage of natural aud physical
laws, and the operations of the human mind, as to
produce astonishing ehtcts and fatal illusions. HI
dove mad the man among the tombs, whose frenzy
invested him with super-human strength. He i'm
peled two thousand brutes to leap from o preci
pice inLo the LAKE OF Galiee. lie caused heather
o aces to utter such responses as fatal to deude
their ignorant and superstitioas devoiees.
Satan has lost none his, malignty, or cunning;
nor will be cease his Efforts to deluie and ruin the
human family, until he is 'beunj for a Thousand
years" He is hence represented as deceiyiug the
whole world If be could work such wonders in
ancient times, there is no good reason to believe
that be cannot work great wonders at the present
day
This foe Of God and man is philosopher, met
apbysician, and q psychologist He well under
stands the relation of cause and effect, Of an.ece
dents and sequents. No invisible agent, except
our Creator, is represented in the Holy Scriptures
as having so much to do both with the bodies and
souls of men. Tnat he has mysterious, inexpli-
cable access to the human mind no true believer
IN the Bible will be disposed to question: and no
Christian familiar with the closet, can be induced
to doUb. r --E
We know that man can take such advantage Of
physical law as to induce the wonderfully mysteri
Gus operations of electro-magnetism and the tele
graphic wire; why, then, should We question that
such being as Satan can take the advantage of
physical law and the natural functions Of both the
body aud the mind, to produce even more astOnish-
ing results, in order to effect the ruin of his vic
Tins We are admonished not to be ignorant OF
Satan's devices but to be sober and vigilant be
cause our adversary, 'as a roaring lion, walketls
about, seeking whom he may devour."
We are not to suppose that the instructions and
warnings of the Bible concerning the power, ma
snity and devices of Satan, have become obsolete,
These admoHitons are even more necessary of ap-
plcation in the trials of these latter days, thar
they were when Gods people generally were
der the immediate guidance of Divine inspiration
The predictions of Christ and his apostles clncerr-
ing the devices of this great deceiver looked fa
down into the distant future. OF the rise progress
and power Of the papacy, the apostle says: Then
shall that wicked be revealed, whose coming is af-
ter the working Of Satan, with all power, and signs
and lying wonders, and With all deceivab eness oi
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love OF truth, tha. they might b,
saved And for this cause God shall send tb
strong delusion that they ould believe lie thai
they all might be damned who believe not the truth
but had pleasure in unrighteousness" Take heed
says our Savior, "that no man deceive you. For
many shall come in my name saying, am Christ,
aud shall deceive many" ''And many false proph
cts shall rise and shall deceive many" "Then il
any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or
there; believe it not. For there shall arise false
Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great
signs and wonders; insomuch that, fit were pos
sbe, they shall deceive the very elect" In his
c,mmuuicstons to the beloved disciple, our Lord
saws of the BEAST" "He doeth great wonders, SO
that be maketh FIRE come down from heaven in the
sight of men, and deceiyeth them that dwell on the
earth by means of those miracles which he had
power to do" When John in vision. witnessed the
pouring out of the sixth vial, he says: "And saw
three unclean spirits Ike frogs come out Of the
mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the
be ,st and out Of tie mouth of the false prophet
For they the spirits of devils working miracles
which 20 forth unto the kings of the earth, and Of
the whole world to gather them to the battle of that
great day OF God Almighty"
The Greek word in these two last quotations,
translated miracles, signifies signs, and properly
presents false miracles, those "lying wonders"
expressed by the apostle Paul. If Satan can make
his victims believe that such "lyiDg wonders" are
real miracles, they answer his purpose Just as well
as if the laws of nature were actually suspended or
counteracted. .4
~" Never despise a man bee use his employ
ment is humble, or bis clothing bad. The bee is
an insect which is not very pleasing to the sight
vet its hive affords an abundance OF honey