The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-10-07
"Utcle Jake" said I, "do you believe

in real, personal devil?" The old man
looked surprised. "Why not" said he.
"Why not? Don't the Bible tell us all
about him and all his oficers-Satan and
Beelzebub and Apolyon and Moloch and
Belial and all those fellows? Why, the
old scoundrel came here first. He had
possession when Adam was created, and
he began right straight to work on him,
and he's been working on his posterity
ever since. Don't feel it? Don't l
know it? He's been working on me all
my life, and I have to fight him every
day. What makes me have wicked
thoughts-thoughts of passion, revenge,
envy, covetousness. When that mean old
rascal, Jim Wilkins, was tore all to
pieces by the cyclone, what made me glad
of it? Don't 1 know that all such
thoughts are unbecoming to gentle
man? What makes me love to hear Sam
Jones sanctify the people, what makes
little child show passions and selfshness
before it can talk? The Lord dident
make US that way, not at the start, He
dident. The old devil is at the bottom Of
every bad thing, and We have just got to
fight him, that's all. If he whips the
fight here, then we become his subjects,
and go straight to his kingdom, fire or no
fire. That's what I believe. If I tell my
boy not to go in washing this evening,
he is perfectly free and able to mind me
or mot mind me, and just 50 the Lord has
made me free agent to do right: or to
do wrong. The good Spirit works on me
and the devil works on me, and I can
take my choice-that's what I believe"
Sam Jones and Sam Small have got
together again, and they make q powerful
team. 1t doesn't matter what some folks
or some papers say about them they are
shaking up the people. I don't know
what would become of us if it were not
for the preachers. saw man shedding
tears last night while Sam Small was
talking, who hasent had tender thought
or pure one in years, they say. Maybe
he will come to himself yet, and like the
poor prodigal, 60 back to bis fathers
house. l hope 80. Everybody hopes so.
Some folks don't like the spasmodical,
emotional religion, but it is better than
none. 1t puts man to thinking, and is
a sign that he is not clean gone. Our
tabernacle is an institution and comfort.
It is crowded every day and every night,
and all its influence is for good. Hum
dreds 60 there that won't 90 to the
Churches, and some of them are gathered
in.
There are but two great highways in
this world, and one of them leads to the
Churches and the other to the jails. Not
that so many reach the prisons, but you
can see the Jail away off at the end of the
avenue they are on. Their bent is in that
direction. And you can see the spires of
the churches away off at the end of the
other. The churches are the freest
houses on earth, and the best. They have
no secrets, and the doors are wide open,
and pay what you please, and everything
that is done or ssid there is for peace
nobody quarrels or fight. You can't say
that much of any political meeting or
any secret society or grand jury or ALI
snce meeting. never heard of q young
man being made worse by going to
Church. There is sad song that says,
"Where is My Wandering Boy Tonight"
that poor mother was singing. Well, if
I was to step in and say, "He's at
Church, madame" wouldn't she be hap
py? Parents are not afraid of the
Church. They may not belong to it, nor
go to it, but I never saw one who tried to
keep his child away? Did you?
Well, no; I never did. I nave read
of them, but I reckon it was romance.
BILL ARP.