The Red Cloud chief., 1892-05-27
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 Bs Cast Out
Present. Work Needed.

- DV a. AuiIIiukC ttluStTdttu III UO-
tent and convincing language the duty
incumbent upon Christians Of embrace
ing every opportunity that offers in
this life TO do good and to advance the
cause of the kingdom Of Christ by q
bold acknowledgement Of their prin-
ciples before men. The text selected
was Mark tx. IS: 'Thou dumb and
deaf spirit, I 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 al 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 a word-arti :ulation was impossible.
The spirit that captured this member OF
the household was n dumb spirit-so
called by Christ-a spirit abroad to-day
and rs lively and potent as in
New Testament times. Yet in all the
realms OF sermonology I 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 son
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 rs witches. Under one
Judge, In Lorraine, 900 persons were
burned to death as witches. In one
1 neighborhood of France 1000 persons
were burned. In two centuries 200, 900
persons were slain ms witches. So
mighty was the delusion that IL in
cluded among its victims some Of the
greatest intellccts Of all time, such as
Chief Justice Matthew Hale and Sir Ed
ward Coke and such renowned minis
ters 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
sophcrs, Lord Bacon. That belief
which has become the laughing stock
OF all sensible people, counted its dis
ciples among the wiscst and best pco-
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 q
spiritual existence, when, standing be-
fore the afflicted of the text, he
said: "Thou dumb and leaf 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 n 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 a
dent mute have ! seer with the angel
of intelligence seated ut the window of
the cye, who never came forth from
the door Of the mouth. What u miracle
VI 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 a wonder at
needlcwork, at the piano, Mt the sewing
machine, and an intelligent student of
the Scriptures, and confounding philoso-
piers, who came from I'LL parts of the
world to study the phenomenon.
Thanks to Christianity for what
It has done for the amelioration
Of the condition of the deaf and
dumb. Back in the ages they We're put to
death as having no right, with such
paucity of equipment, to live, and for
centuries they were classed among the
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 n deaf spirit, charge
thee come out of him"
There has been apotheosization Of
silence. Some m has said silence II
golden and sometimes the greatest tri
umph is to keep your mouth shut. Blu,
sometimes silence Is a crime and the
direct result OF the baleful influence O,
the dumb devil of our text. There II
hardly a man or woman in this house
to-day who has not been present on
some occasion when the Christian re
ligion became n target for raillery
Some one got the laugh on thu
Bible and caricatured the profes
sion Of religion u hypocrisy, OF
made u pun out OF something tina
Christ said. The laugh started and yo,
Joined in, and not one word of p.otes
did you utter. What kept yon silent
Modesty? No. Incapacity to answer
No. Lack of opportunity? No. 1t wa
q blow on both your lips by the wing o
the dumb devil. II some M shOult
malign your father, or mother, or wife
l.N.rl =. ah;ll x,o,, x.xo,,lI f,,o1