West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-03-30


this city, who will exhibit them.
DEFECTIVE REFORMATION.
Economical possession" was re-
garded as fact by the Jews, and
treated as such by our Lord. See,
for example, the picture before us,
(St. Matthew II, 43-45.
THESE stands man whose bosom
was short time before the home of
vile demon. The dark spirit how
ever now expelled, the man is free
from his presence and influence. and
the place he accepted is ''empty,
swept and garnished." But it is
not for long; the Evil One has no
rest in those "dry places" Then
goeth he and taketh with him seven
other spirits more wicked than him
sell, and they enter in and dwell
there; and the last state of that man
is worse than the first.
From this we may learn:
l. That a "Defectice Reforma-
ton" consists rather in the dispos-
session of something wrong, than in
the importdtiOR of what is right.
The unclean spirit is gone out of
the man, and there Is risible i'm
provement. The house is swept of
it's filth, and garnished with many
ornaments, but this is all. Such
reformation as this is by no means
uncommon. We may constantly
find evil spirits leaving men, but no
good spirits taking their place.
l. The unclean spirit Of borbdr-
ism may 60 out from man, ciriliza.
ton may sweep the house of lmpnri-
ties, and garni& it with outward
moralities, and artistic beauties, but
it may still be empty so far as NOR
al worth is concerned.
2. The unclean spirit of intemper-
dnce aud profanity may go out of
man. The drunkard may abandon
his cup, and the profane man his
blasphemies, and yet in both cases
the house be left empty, unocupled
by virtue and religious emotions.
Such are spurious and dJectice
reformations. Let a man put away
all intellectual and outward evil
from him, let every demon of error
and habit depart, let his converse
ton and conduct be swept Of all
that could offend the eye Of the most
refined spectator; nay let him be
garnished with such external attrl-
butes as would command the es-
TEEN and admiration of society; still
the house be empty-if the spirit OF
Christ is not in it, the reformation
is radically defective, and morally
worthless.
ii. Such a defectiUe reformation
is no guarantee against future de-
qeneracy. Il will return to my
house from whence / came OUT. etc.
There are four circumstances sug-
gested which will render hesubject
of this defective reformation liable
to fearful relapse:
l. The moral emptiness Of the
soul, an empty mind, a mind with
out a great affection, thought and
purpose, will always be assailable
by the enemy at every point, and
there is no true spirit there to ttt
up standard against the enemy.
2. The constant restlessness Of
ern. The unclean spirit is repre-
sented as walking through dry plac-
es seeking rest and finding none.
There is no repose in evil. 1t is
like the troubled sea, the mind un-
der its influence is never at rest. nor
can ever be.
3. The disposedness Of the spirit
to it. The unclean spirit on its re-
turn, instead of finding the house
bolted and barred, found it swept
and gainished, as if waiting its re-
turn. Partial reformations always
have their reaction. Changes ac-
complished from motives other than
that of love to God, are after all but
the giving up of one sin for another
but one evil spirit casting out an
other.
4. The rast resources Of erH.
..Then goeth he and taketh with him
seven other spirits more wicked than
himself" i
III. The degeaeracy which fol-
lows such reformation leaves the
subject in q worse condition than
ever. His Guilt is augmented. His
susceptibility to holy motives is