The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-05-11

ton Of their pride when He illustrates n.
malice. by such weak means a. q sign a. h
Cross, drop Of water, or lighted candle,
This ought mot to be strange for auv III >!
tain who. knows from the Gospel that d.v;
have power to tako possession even of thu N
dies Of living man. 4
st. Paul speaks Of Satan, as the princa =,
holds power over the air around Us thu :. =
"spiris tUko nos0 scorksth IN tic cArldren A. ..s
| l;ef" He calls the devils, prinees and 49,
that rule over this world Of darkness. 80
Of wickednsss IN the regions above us. nj
hesians. 9. IL, y, 2; Go, v. 12.)
As bad mon can use their knovlede. a, a,
nature Of gunpowder, steam and poison. "a, d,
injury Of their neighbors, 90 can the devils ~
their vastly superior knowledge Of the power
Of the elements TO work their malice.
They can do this, Of course,-both msn and
evil spirits-only under the permission Of r.
and within the limits allowed by Him. mn
most brutal man in the world, canuot harm \
insect that God dsfeads. And evil sn;,;l
with all the fury Of storm and csrflaerat;e,
cannot rufie q hair, nor soosch . garment /
God forbids. Under His wings thou .h.]
trust. Thon shalt not be afraid Of tina Chin
that waiketh about in the night, OF Of tb
noondsy devil. A thousand shaIl fall at tb
side, and ten thousand at thy right hand
but 1t shall mot come nigh thee.n (PsalJ
xc.) syi1s a52
The Fathers tell IA that God ns,n;.. .,
enemies to rage against us, partly 40 o punish
ment of our sins, partly to increase cur mari
In patiently bearing these Affections, partl1
to make us feel our weakness and our need ii
help-and to give God occasions for SHOWING
His power and love by defending MS from th7
danger. teg 's@. : -, ~
!. From what is known to rs OF the history od
the world, it seems that God allows the dsvil1
more power to injare men, at times when men
show most indifference to God; and still more
whom they themselves invoke the help Of evil
spirits. .,.e.i'
Some persons think they sag an increase of
this power for evil. Of the present time, in tho
number and grievousness of the disasters
which mark our day.
Whether this be 30 or not, we have reason to
fear Gods special anger in our times; aud it 10
well for MS to make more than ordinary use of
al the projections which his mercy offers to
rs :-because this indifference to God is .
marked characteristic of the present day.
We may have different opinions MS to
whether the sins in general of our period are
greater or less than those of some other peri
IDS. Bnt this particular sin of indifference to
Sod, and to all that is supernatural every one
must confess, that it prevails to an extraordi.
larry degree. Even the ancient heather ma
ions did not SO commonly noy SO boldly leave
nut God, in their politics, their science, their
ducation, nor their marriage-as is done too
revalently now-by those who control legs
alton and public opinion throughout the
world. .
To speak emily of natural science the same
avs which govern it, created also the minds
men: and it is He Who in each successive
&c, gives men the power to discover of these
AVIS Of nature, just as much as He is pleased
let them know, and nothing more. In our
eneration God has been lifting the curtain
title higher than before and men are learn
ng something moro about the elements and
heir mode of action. But with too many, in.
tead of being thankful they have only grown
have set aside God Himself and His
as beneath the notice of scientific
len and like the foolish people that under
'ok to build the Tower Of Babel-they imsg-
,e that in their material science, they will
nd Immortality for their names, and provide
,e world with protection against all temporal
Eils. . Al,
1t would not be strange then If God should
'nfound their ingratitude and pride, by let
ng the evil spirits have greater freedom to
sstroy their works, and battle the inventions
their science.
1t is not cnr place to say that He will do so
at it is the place of all who fear and love
i'm, to offer Him reparation for this spirit OF
'ide, by showing in every way the opposite
irit of humble faith and childlike trust in
i'm. And one very direct means of doing
is, is to have recourse freely, ferveutly and
to those little devotional acts
cause st. Paul tells us God loves to use the
oolish AID contemplate things of the world
r humbling the things that imagine them
Ives to BIO great. (lst. Corinthians, l., II, 2sh
Finaly-at the present time men are grow
g more and more familiar with the evil spirits
expressly invoking their interference
rsons even of education and of high So