The American patriot., 1855-11-10
Satan's Power.

Satan never yet wrought miracle, but he
has performed many aconders. The calamities
which came upon Job are ascribed to Satan
ard they were both overwhelming and aston
ishing. lie brought lightning from the clouds
to burn up the sheep. He stirred up the Sabe-
an and chaldean freebooters to plumber the pa
triarch of his oxen, camels and asses. He raj
sed tornado to destroy the habitation and the
lives of his children. He finally smote the
good man himself with Il disease more loath-
some and distressing than DEATH
But not one of these events was a miracle.
Terrible and wonderful as they were in their
nature, their effects, and their rapid succession
the electric fluids, the killing of his servants,
the plumber of his Aocks, and the "bos" with
which Job was smitten, were all induced in cX-
act accordance with physical laws.
Satan has no power either to suspend or to
counteract single law of nature. This prerog-
alive belongs 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 ere
ate the Heavens and the earth.
The prophets always called upon God to in
terpose his immediate ard special agency when
miracle was to be wrought for the purpose of
establishing their mission, their authority, or
their communications. Both Elijah and Eli
sha PRAYED God to raise the dead When also
I. hat In
of Baa be besought God to send the fire from
Heaven and consume the sacrifice. None but
an immediate, Dirine interposition could have
preserved Daniel unframed in the den Of lions
or his three companions unsinged in the burn
ing furnace The apostles also protested to
work miracles by the power of the Lord Jesus
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
Satan take such advantage of natural aud ply
steal laws, and the operations of Tic human
mind, as to produce astonishing effects and ia
tai illusions. lie drove mad the man among
the tonbs whose frenzy invested him with su-
perhuman strength He impced two thou
sand brutes to leap from precipice into the
lake of Gallilee lie caused heather oracles to
utter such responses as fatally to deude their
ignorant and superstitious dcvo.ees.
Satan has lost none of his magnity, or cum
ming nor will he cease his efforts to delude and
ruin the human family. until he is 'bound a
~ tod
dcceiving the whole world. Ifhe could work
such wonders in ancient times, there is no good
reason to believe that he cannot work as great
wonders at the present day.
This foe to God and man is a philosopher, a
metaphysician, and psychologist. He well
understands the relation of cause and effect
of antecedcnts and sequcnts. No invisible a.
gent, except our creator, is represented in the
holy Scriptures as having so much to do with
the bodies and souls of men. That he has a
mysterious inexplicablc access TO the human
mind, no true believer in the Bible will be dis
posed to question; and no Christian familiar
with the closet can be induced to doubt.
We know that man can take such advantage
of physical law, as to induce the wonderfully
mysterious operations of electro magnetism
and of the telegraph wire why, then, should
we question that such a being as Satan can
take the advantage of physical law, and the
natural functions Of both the body and the
mind, to produce even more astonishing results
in order to effect the ruin of his victims? We
are atmonished not to be ignorant of Satan's
devices, but to be sober and vigi'ant; because
our adversary, ''as roaring lion, goeth about
: seeking whom he may devour."
Nevor joke with policeman.