The herald., 1896-05-18

second, fourth and fifth chapters of DAN
lei. In the New Testament we have
several accounts of the contact Of Chris
tianity with magic.
Magicians from the east visited the in
FAINT Christ, and offered him gifts; and
this occurrence Is recorded by Matthew
as proof of the divine mission of Christ.
But this proof involves recognition, the
recognition that the magicians were in
spired OF God. The enemies OF Christ
represented him as worker in the black
art, and they attributed his miracles TO
Satanic influence and design. So he was
called deceiver of the people. There
are four stories about magic in the ACTS
of the Apostles. In the eighth chapter
Simon, the sOrcerer, appears as q WON
derful parsonage. He was regarded as
a manifestation of God, and he encour-
aged the popular belief in his divine
powers. The preaching of the gospel
and the miracles, performed by the
preachers, arrested his attention and sur
prised him. He was baptised as con-
vert: but afterwards 1t was discovered
that his wicked heart was unchanged,
when he offered the apostles money Tor
the power of the Holy Spirit. Peters
severe and truthful words alarmed 81
mon. In the thirteenth chapter a false
prophet by the name of Bar-Jesus, and
professed Jew, is represented as an OPP
poser of the Christian missionaries. he
was a sorcerer. Paul smote him with
so much spiritual light that he became
blind. So Bar-Jesus had the same ex-
perience that Paul had at his conversion.
The sixteenth chapter contains story
about female medium in Philippi.. Her
spiritual power was prOstituted ana USED
by her masters as a financial enterprise:
Her spiritual intuition recognized Paui
as a servant of the most high Coo; ana
Paul recognized her spiritual gifts. and
exercised the demon. and restored her
to her normal mental condition. This
Philippian medium Is typical case or
hundreds of our age that debauch their
spiritual nature and become pretenders
and deceivers.
The nineteenth chapter gives us an
interesting account of the daring and
enterprise Of the seven sons of Sceva,
Jewish high priest in Ephesus. HIS
sons were exorcists, and they attempted
to cast out demons in the name or
Christ. The insane persons tore the
clothes off the exorcists. frightened
them and chased them away. This mat
ter was reported and made sensation
in the city; and 1t so operated upon the
minds of other enchanters that they
burned their magical text books. which
contained explanations of the figures.
letters, symbols on the splendid image
of Diana, and which contained the rules
for using magical arts. The symbols
on the statue of the goddess, which
were interpreted in the textbooks, were
called the Ephesian letters. Magic had
a spiritual origin, but it degenerated
into trickery and the black art. Nor
bid conditions of the mind are favorable
to that insane curiosity which magic
pretends to satisfy in our day. "a
healthy mind in a healthy body" should
be the aim of every person; and any
thing that tends to corrupt the con-
science, debauch the heart and befoul
the spiritual nature Of man Injuries the
physical constitution. No one can win
a knowledge of truth from the universe
and the omniscient teacher except by
hard work, obedience to law and conse-
Grafton to noble ideals. There is no
royal road to knowledge. He who stud
les the Gospel, and nature. and history,
is safe from all new fads, notions and
unhealthy studies; and he who studies
the life of Christ and strives to follow
his divine example has right to the
inspiration of Gods holy spirit; and the
knowledge of such a person will be like
Aarons rod-it will swallow up all the
rods of the Egyptian magicians. 1t is
not wrong to study uncanny subjects. IL
one has a strong mind; but it is danger"
Gus to allow ones mind to be saturated
with the superStitions of the black art.