Morning journal and courier., 1893-07-17
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL
 IS PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY MORNING. One Dollar Per Year Gin advanee). Single Copies cents.
THE DEVIL.


 Saturday morning we remarked that "it has been perceived of late years that the devil doesn't gain on the world on account of preachers vacations, and so such vsca- tions have become general" Our neighbor the Register, which is usually hearty be- liever In progress, and whose general ten denoy Is decidedly optimistic, is apparently In doubt about the truth of this remark, and would like to know how the fact 1t sets forth was perceived and who perceived 1t. We pass calmly by the slight cast up- on our own power of perception, and will try to help our dubious and de'il- bound neighbor out of Its difficulty, only pausing to remark that undue fear of ghosts and undue fear of the devil are often found in company.
 Firstly, as the preachers say, the devil is not looked upon as he once was. In the old days a roaring lion, constantly on the rampage, was the chief figure used to de- scribe him. In those days, too, he was a personal devil. Now, he does not roar. He Is not even an animal, with an animals
 
 sonifed at all now 1t Ia as gentleman, at home in polite society, pleasant and good natured. And he is not anywhere near as personal ss he was. He Is much more ab- strsot. In fact he is go abstract now that some think he has lost all defniteuess.
 Secondly, this change in the devil having come, a change In the way of fighting him is natural and even inevitable. In the early days of this country the settlers went to meeting with their guns In hand, expecting every minute an attack from lurking Indians. And the preachers in those dayswent to the meeting houses ss ready and az well prepared to fight 8 prowlipg and ferocious devil as they and their hearers were to fight prowling and ferocious Indiana. Now the hearers go to meeting in peace and confidence and sleep in peace and confidence while there. And the preachers do not feel called upon to engage every Sunday in @ personal wrestle with the devil as the old-timers did. Of course the reason for this change Is because the devil isn't what be wac.
 Thirdly, the devil having changed and the method of fighting him in the pulpit having changed, we now come to the -ap- plicstion of this condition of things to the matter of preachers vacations. When s roaring lion is around q mans premises, looking after him, his wife and his chill dren, he doesn't take a vacation. He stays at home and walks around with a gun ready to shoot. But when only the "principle of evil" is around his house, as 1t Is around every other house, and when 1t doesn't take definite form and shape, he trusts to luck and goes on vacation If he wants to. If he thinks about the mat ter at all he thinks that when he comes home refreshed and strengthened he will look more sharply than he has for ''the principle of evil" and when found will assault 1t with intent to kill.
 Fourthly, preacher can fight the prin- ciple of evil as well at the sesshore or in the mountains ss he can in 6 hot, uncom- fortable meeting house, with the congre- gation so exaspersted with fighting heat and flies that the aforesaid principle has a 
 So preachers vacations do not lessen their opportunities for fighting the principle of evil and they do decrease the opportunities for that principle to make gains.
 Lastly, and in conclusion, therefore, we perceive that as the devil Is not what he was; as 1t Is not so necessary to lie In wait for him with the gospel gun at stated periods as it was when he was roaring lion; as "the principle of evil" can be fought at one time as well as snoth- CT; as only so much strength is given to each one who fights 1t; ss such strength can be maintained and made more efficient by means of vacations; and as that princi- pie can be and Is fought in vacation time, we feel justified In saying that the devil does not gain on the world on account of preachers vacations.
 We hope we have helped our inquiring neighbor to perceive what we have per ceived in this matter. If we haven't we will try again. There is more than one probation for an honest seeker after truth 1 nowadays.