The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-07
CONFLICT
WITH EVIL
Satan's Struggle For
Mastery.
VISION OF zACHAR|AH
Israel, in Person Of Joshua, on Trial,
Devil as the Prosecute.
Parallels.

The following is, in part. the sermon
preached by Rev. Mr.. Erdman at Central
Union Church Sunday:
The text to which 1 wish to cali your
attention this morning is found in Zach
ariah, third chapter and first verse-"And
he showed me Joshua, the high priest,
standing before the angel of the Lord
i and Satan standing at His right hand
| to resist Him.
! 1t has always been a mark of great art
| in writing to depict in a few simple words
some striking scene. This art of word
painting is one of the prominent feat
ures of the Scriptures. What volume is
more full of dramatic scenes simply told?
Inc old prophets and seers, though many
times humble and crude men, were en-
dred with rare powers of rhetoric. Where
can we find situation more dramatic
more impressive, than our text? How
little is said, how much suggested, To
the prophet Zachariah the vision was a
vivid picture which failed of description
which was beyond reproduction in words
IL was too momentous, too lofty. He
could only state the fact, And he showed
me Joshua standing before the Lord and
satan at his right hand to resist him."
Here before the eyes of the seer was
pictured a crisis in human affairs. JOSH
ua, the high priest, stands as representa-
o.
pie; Satan all that is opposed to God and
His people. Israel, as it were, is on trial
before God, Satan the prosecutor. seek
ing to obtain possession.
When, after centuries of growth and
development, Christianity had extended
until almost the entire known world was
under Its sway; when, however its DUR
lty and spotlessness had not kept pace
With its advance, we find that SO much
error and evil had crept in that 1t was
hardly to be recognized as the system of
LIFE instituted by Christ. The freedom of
action, the freedom of thought which
Christ intended should be each mans
birthright. had been swallowed up by an
infallible church. Men were in slavery
10 a corrupt priesthood, slavery that
bound not simply the body but the soul
also. They were held i'm the bonds of in
fallfble tradition and spiritless Journalism
But there was one Joshua. a true high
priest OF righteousness, who dared to
stand on trial for the saving of Gods
people. The scene at the Diet of Worms
is but another reproduction of the vision
or Zachariah. There stood Luther. like
Joshua of the vision, pleading for right |
eousness of the heart, and by his side
was Satan standing to resist him. That
mighty gathering of prelates and elect
ors stood as one man to resist the truth
and righteousness for which Luther |
fought IF there should be as many
devils in Worms as tiles on the housetops I
still would / enter,' exclaimed that no. |
bic priest, and with this fearlessness of !
evil, and confidence in God, Luther waged |
ms conflict until the torch which he had
lighted at Wittenburg had set on fire the
whole of Europe. With all his macbfna-
tons Satan could not stop the onward I
march of truth and righteousness.
Today before our very eyes we see
again the vision of Zachariah in the land /
OF emma. So the conflict continues in
great world affairs and just when Gods /
truth was beginning to be established !,
Just when souls turning to God and
seeking ighteousness-Satan appears to
overthrow. Missions were becoming so
Wen established, were finding receptive
hearts, were entering new fields. enlarg- Il
ing work, calling for new workers. ev- !,
eIything so hopeful, evil powers of Satan
appear TO resist, to tear down. In the L
end will be victory for God and truth h
seeming defeat now, but larger onportu II
nifty later
once again another time, when. like t.
the vision of the text, Satan stands by II
our SIDE to resist us, is when we have won
some victory over temptation and when
the good seems nearest and our homes
are highest. We have taken a step IN
ward, nave laid hold upon some good
are possessed of some righteousness. and
are getting along famously. Then comes
satan TO resist us. Under his willy at
lacks We are led to be over-confident. We
begin to relax our vigilance and open our
serves to greater blows. We become proud
ana hnally self-satisfied, content with the
little we have accomplished.
NO great step in the worlds history was
ever taken without mighty conflict. No
Important period in our own experience {
was ever passed without an earnest :
struggle. The conflict is ever present.
l. is our duty to make the fight for truth
ana righteousness. AS in our text the
victory was with God and for holiness. \
50 IL snail be to us. If We put the same c
trust IN God that Joshua did, if we an
pI oach with the same humility and de- : :
'ne lor cleansing, the victory will be :
ours. Our filthy garments will he taken {
'H' we snail be clothed anew in the gar /. /.
nents of righteousness, and our iniauitv .
shall pass from u.s.
nay goo give US the strength to come !.
-~vS