Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-11-09
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ABOUT THE OLD BOY.
Prevalent Notions Are Generally n,
Serious Fault.

Prevalent Notions Are Generally Mt
Serious Fault.
The following Bible study by Rev. J..
B. Mack, of Fort Mill, and published
in the Charlotte Observer recently, Is
quite interesting:
What is the greatest hindrance to
the triumph Of Christianity?
1t is not the barrooms; nor the dance
hall; nor the gambling saloon; nor any
Of those lesser evils which some saint
ly souls delight to denounce.
1t is the neglect of the Bible, the fail
ure to regard the Word Of God as the
only sword of the Holy Spirit, the adul-
teration Of Scripture truth with the no
tions of men. Both the church and the
clergy are prone to teach the traditions
of the elders, or the relics Of Paganism
and Popery, or the half truths Of their
own denominations, as eternal verities,
and as the voice of God.
AS an example Of such erroneous and
injurious teachings, see the common
idea of pulpit and pew in regard to Sa-
| tan.
If you ask, "Where Is Satan's home.
and what Is his personal appearance?"
at least nine out Of ten will reply, His
home Is In hell and he is dark and re-
pulsive In his personal appearance"
Yet the Bible teaches us that both of
these answers are untrue:
l. He'll. Is not the home Of Satan.
Yea more; 1t never has been; and the
Bible asserts that more than one thou
sand years must pass by before Satan's
feet can cross the threshold Of hell. To
deny this Is to deny the testimony of
the Holy Ghost as repeatedly given in
Gods Word.
Six times since Adams day, in the
Old Testament is Satan seen. Where
is he found, and in whose company?
In the third chapter Of Genesis he Is
seen in Eden, the garden of God; and
in company with Eve, pure and holy
woman.
In the xxi chapter Of Kings he Is
seen in heaven, in company with an
gels, and is permitted by the Lord to
descend to earth on a message Of de-
ceit.
In the xxi chapter Of I Chronicles he
is seen in the holy city Of Jerusalem,
and in company with David, the kingly
representative Of God on earth.
In the first and second chapters Of
Job he is twice seen IN heaven, and
both times with the holy angels, and al
so conversing with God.
In the third chapter Of Zachariah he
is again seen in the presence of Jeho-
vah, and there to resist that One who Is
the priestly representative Of God for
man.
Not one iota Of the Old Testament
has the slightest intimation that Satan
has yet ever been even in the neighbor-
hood of hell. Precisely the opposite Is
true, for he is always seen either in
heaven or on the earth.
Does the New Testament give the
slightest hint that Satan has as yet
ever been even one moment In hell?
In the third chapter of Matthew he
Is seen with Jesus Christ In three
places: in the wilderness. on a noun
tain and on the temple in Jerusalem.
Next he Is seen near Christ and with
Peter, the leader Of the apostles. Next
he is near, or in the room where Christ
and his disciples are celebrating the
Passover, and he Is dealing with Ju-
das, the treasurer and only official of
the chosen twelve. Next he Is seen In
the great revival, where Ananias was
prominent. Then time and again was
he with Paul, so that in I Thessalon-
ians II, IS, it Is written. "Wherefore we
would have come unto you, even I,
Paul, once and again; but Satan him
dered u.s."
Neither in the Old Testament. nor in
the New Testament Is there one jot or
title Of evidence to prove that Satan
has as yet ever seen single gleam of
the lurid fires of hell, or even smelt one
particle of the smoke thereof To say
that hell has been, or Is now, his home,
is to discount and deny the testimony
of the Holy Ghost.
2. How does Satan appear? Is 1t
with a human face and a dark face,
wreathed with sardonic grins? Is 1t
with scale-like flesh, with bat-like
wings, with sharp horns and cloven feet
and forked tail? Such is his appear
ance as constantly told in prose and
poetry and picture. Our children are
shown such pictures in the nursery,
and our youth read them in the thrill
ing words of Dante, Milton and John
Bunyan. Being thus trained up in the
way they should not go, when they are
old they do not depart from it.
But how differently does Gods Word
speak. The Holy Ghost, through Paul,
testifes that he appears as "an angel
Of light" and by Ezekiel that he is
perfect beauty" He is called "the an
ointed cherub'-not an ordinary angel,
but one exalted above his fellows. be-
ing anointed like kings and priests.
His moral character is hideous for he is
liar and murderer: but his mental
power Is immense, and his personal ap-
pearance attractive and magnetic.
Thus the ideas current among us
concerning Satan came not from the
Bible. They came originally from Pa
ganism which prevailed in Babylon, the
city built by Nimrod, the son of Cush,
and the grandson of Ham. AS he seems
to have journeyed eastward to reach
Babylon, he may have carried this idea
of "black devil (this zernebogus" as