Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-05-21
CASTING OUT DEVILS.
DR.. Talmage Discourses on the Duty
Of Christians.
They should Speak Out Boldly For Christ
The Dumb Devils of Apathy and In
difference should BE Cast Out
Present Work Needed.

tent and convincing language the duty
incumbent upon Christians of cmbrac-
ing every opportunity that offers in
this life to do good and to advance the
cause of the kingdom of Christ by a
bold acknowledgement of their prin-
ciples before men. The text selected
was Mark tx. %: "Thou dumb and
deaf spirit, charge thee come out OF
him." The preacher said:
Here was n cause of great domestic
anguish. The son of the household was
possessed of an evil spirit which, among
other things, paralyzed his tongue and
made him speechless. When the infu-
ence was on the patient he could not
say word-articulation was impossible.
The spirit that captured this member Of
the household was dumb spirit-so
called by Christ-a spirit abroad to-day
and as lively and potent as in
New Testament times. Yet in all the
realms of sermonology cannot find a
discourse concerning this dumb devil
which Christ charged upon in my text,
saying: "Come out of him"
There has been much destructive
superstition abroad in the world con-
corning possession by evil spirits.
Under the form of belief in witchcraft,
this delusion swept the continents. Per-
sons were supposed to be possessed
with some evil spirit, which made them
able to destroy others. In the sixteenth
century, in Geneva, 1900 persons were
burned to death as witches. Under one
judge, in Lorraine, 900 persons were
burned to death as witches. In one
neighborhood of France 1000 persons
were burned. In two centuries 100000
persons were slain rs witches. So
mighty was the delusion that it in
cluded among its victims some Of the
greatest intellects of all time, such as
Chief Justice Matthew Hale and Sir Ed
ward Coke and such renowned minis
tiers of religion as Cotton Mather, one OF
whose books, Benjamin Franklin said
shaped his life-and Richard Baxter,
and Archbishop Cranmer, and Martin
Luther; and, among writers and philo-
sophers, Lord Bacon. That belief
which has become the laughing stock
of all sensible people, counted its dis
ciples among the wisest and best peo-
pie of Sweden, Germany, England,
France, Spain and New England. But,
while we reject witchcraft, any man
who believes the Bible must believe
that there are diabolical agencies
abroad in the world. While there are
ministering spirits to bless there are
Internal spirits to hinder, to poison and
to destroy. Christ was speaking to a
spiritual existence, when, standing be-
fore the afflicted one of the text, he
said: Thou dumb and deaf spirit come
out of him."
Against this dumb devil of the text l
put you on your guard. Do not think
this agent of evil has put his blight on
those who, by omission Of the vocal or
gans, have had the golden gates OF
speech bolted and barred. Among
those who have never spoken word
are the most gracious and lovely and
talented souls that were ever incar-
mated. The chaplains for the asylums
for the dumb can tell you enchanting
stories of those who never called the
name of father or mother or child, and
many of the most devoted and prayer
full souls will never in this world speak
the name of God or Christ. Many
deaf mute have seen with the angel
of intelligence seated at the window OF
the eve, who never came forth from
tba door of the mouth. What miracle
of loneliness and knowledge was Laura
Bridgman, of New Hampshire, not only
without faculty of speech but without
hearing and without sight, all these
faculties removed by sickness when two
years of age, yet becoming wonder at
needlework, at the piano, at the sewing
machine, and an intelligent student OF
the Scriptures, and confounding philoso-
pliers, who came from all parts Of the
world to study the phenomenon.
Thanks to Christianity for what
IL has done for the amelioration
of the condition of the deaf and
dumb. Back in the ages they were put to
death as having no right, with such
paucity of equipment, to live, and for
centuries Jncy WCAO OAoooSN sSAAANAAN 49,
idiotic and unsafe. But we are not this
morning speaking of congenital mutes.
We mean those who are born with all
the faculties of vocalization, and yet
have been struck by the evil one men,
toned in the text-the dumb devil to
whom Christ called when he said:
''Thou dumb and deaf spirit, charge
thee come out of him"
There has been apotheosization OF
silence. Some one has said silence Is
golden and sometimes the greatest tri-
umph is to keep your mouth shut. But
sometimes silence is crime and the
direct result of the baleful influence OF
the dumb devil Of our text There Is
hardly man or woman in this house
to-day who has not been present on
some occasion when the Christian re-