Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-11-17

out every sigh. ne has hurled every
shipwrcck. Laxarctoes, insane asylums,
commercial panics. plaques, destroying
angels. continental earthquakes and
world. wide disasters are 10 him q perfect
glce. Can you look upon the communism
and the Mormonism and the Mohamadism
and the wide sweep Of drunkenness and
libertinism. the Franco German war
and Crimean war, the North and South
United States war, aud rivers Of blood
flowing across continets Of misery int0
oceans Of wretchedness. without rcalix.
ing the power Of the Evil One. who
reported to the Lord Almighty. and when
asked whence contest thou." answered
From going to and fro In the earth and
from going up and down In H."
THE coNQERER or THE DEVIL.
But blessed be God may substitute
anthem for requiem and "Hallelujah Cho-
rus" for the dead March In SAUL" The
New Testament says: 1.-THE Son Of God
was manifested that He might destroy the
works Of the devil" Il prophesied that
an angel would come down from Heaven
with key and chain and incarcrate and
shut up the old dragon. II says that
Christ came to destroy "him that had the
power Of deaih-that Is the devil" And
from the way Christ drove the devil out
Of those possessed by him until he was
glad to hide under the bristles Of the
swine OF Gadara, and from other eject.
mcnts We know that there Is In existence
n power millionfold mightier than the
diabolic. The old lion OF death shall go
down under the stroke and roar OF the
"Lion Of Judah's tribe" Yea, my text
shows that Satan was compelled to report
to the Almighty and give account of him.
SELF When God said to him: "Whence
contest thou ?" he was forced to answer.
What means that Scripture which says
that Christ shall bruise the scrpents head
II you have ever killed snake the pass.
age ought TO be plain to you. You see
this old serpent, the devil has crawled
across the nations, poisoning whole gen.
eraiions and leaving It's trail on every.
Thing; but after while Il will be cornered
and Kissing and writhing In rage and with
crest lifled and forked tongue shot out II
will make final attack on Christ, and
Christ will advance upon It, and lifting
His omnipotent foot, that foot strong
enough to crush world. lifting that
foot right over the head of the oreptilc.
will put down His heel with a crushing
power that shall leave the monster bleed.
ing and mashed. never TO hiss again or
bite again or shake his old rattle again. |
T hank God he has already received stun.
blow. Hear you not the rumblin g Of the
Christian printing presses and the whirl. |
ing Of the Gospel chariot wheels? AZ
many souls have been added to the
Christian church In the last 30 years Us in |
the previous IS centuries. and that is
ratio Of increase acclamatory with glad.
ness. The kingdom is coming, and am
so sure OF IL that do not propose to fret
and worry because Il has not already
come. I may jump to get on boat thas.yl
is going oil, but do not propose to jump
for boat that is coming In. The sharp
attacks Of infidelity and sin are good
sign that especial blessing Is coming in
showers over all the earth. Flies bite
sharp just before rain.
TEMPTATION Not SIN.
II we do not see the full consumation
our children will see Il. In the time al
the French Revolution great procession
of boys carried through the street ban.
ncr with the inscription: "Tremble
tyranis; We shall grow upr' Though We
may fail TO dqr9pr duty. there Is rising
generation being gospelized and coming
by the hundreds Of thousands from our
Sabbath.schools and Christian homes who
might properly have on their banners
"Trcmble, We powers Of darkness and sin |
for we are growing upr' We may not
amount 10 mnch in ourselves. but u we
put ourselves In the right place We can
no great exploits. Two put under two
make only four; but placed beside two
make 90. Yet what you and most need
Is power to drive back this Apollyn. this
Asmodeus, this Ahnmanes from our
hearts and lives. And we can do I, not
By our own strength, but by divine power
afforded, for here is passage emblazoned
with encouragement which says: "Reslst
the devil and he will flee from you"
Remember Il Is no sin at all to be tempted.
The hest and the mightiest have been
tempted. Milton describes toad squat
ut the car of Eve. The sin Is In surren.
hcring. DO not feel 80 secure in yourself
rs to think you cannot he OvcrthrOwn.
How do you account for the fact that
there are so many old men In Sing Sing
aud Auburn and the other pcnitentaries,
serving out their protracted sentences
for frauds committed In miilife or adj
vanced ages. although their early life had
been good, and nothing hasl been sus-
pecied of them until at 10 or 90 years Of
age the whole land was struck dumb at
their fargcry or enlightenment. The clock
In the stccple NJ old Trinity Church strik.
ing the hours did not remind the recrcant
wall.strceier o! the passage Of time that
would soon bring exposure TO and doom.
The explanation Is that Mephistohelc.
Apollyn. Satan got In his work nj that
time The man was not naturally bad. lie
was as good rs any Of you are, but Satan,
with whole battalions Of Intervals. swoop.
cl upon him unawarcs. Look out for
the wiies Of the devil, no, only those Of
you who are young. but the middle.aged
and the old. Outside Of God you are
not safe moment. hut yield not tn dis.
hcartenment II we put our trust In God
our hest days are yc, To come-days Of
victory, days Of song, days Of Heaven, and
the hest days Of the cause Of righteousness
/ L.. 4. a.