The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-12-18
ABOUT THE OLD BOY.

"A l. u
Notions Are Generally at
Serious FauIt.
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
It is not the barrooms nor the
dance nor the gambling saloon; nor
any of those lesser evils which some
sanity souls delight to, denounce.
1t is the neglect Of the Bible, the
failure to regard the Word of God as
the only sword of the Holy Spirit, the
adulteration of Scripture truths with
the notions of men. Both the church
and the clergy are prone to teach the
traditions of the traditions of the ell
ders, 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, zee the com,
mon idea of pulpit and pew in regard
to Satan.
If you ask, "Where is Satan's home
and what is his personal appearanceY'
at least nine out of ten will reply, His
home is in hell, and he is dark and re-
pulsive in his personal appearance. D."
Yet the Bible teaches us that both OF
these answers are untrue:
l. He'll is not the home of Satan.
Yea more it never has been and the
Bible asserts that more than one thou
sand years must pass by before atoms
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 lis Satan seen. Where
is he found, and in whose comany?
In the third chapter Of Gene he is
seen in Eden, the garden of God and
in company with Eve, a pure and holy
woman.
In the xxi chapter of l Kings he is
seen in heaven, in company with an
gels, and is permitted, by the Lord to
descend to earth on q message OF de-
ceit.
In the xxi chapter of l Chronicles
he is seen in the holy city of Jerusa'
lem, and in company with David, the
kings 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
also 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 Sa-
tan mas yet ever been in the neighbor-
hood of hell. Precisely the opposite is
true, for he Is always seen in heaven or
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 pla-
ces: in the wilderness, OIL a mountain
and Oh temple in Jerusalem. Next
be is seen near Christ and with Peter,
the leader of the APOSTLES. Next he 1s
near, or in the room where Christ and
his diciples are celebrating the Pass
over, and he Is dealing with Judas,
the treasurer and only official of the
chosen twelve. Next he is seen in the
great revival, where Ananlas was
prominent. Then time and again was
he with Paul, 80 that in Thessalon-
ians ii, 1S, it is written, "Wherefore
we would have come unto you, even l,
Paul, once and. again but Satan him
dered u.s."
Neither in the Old Testament, nor
in the New Testam ent is there one Jot
or little of evidence to prove that Sa-
tan has as yet even seen a single
gleam of the lurid fires of hell, or even
smelt one particle of the smoke there
of. 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 it
with human face and dark face,
wreathed with sardonic grins2 is it
with SCALE like flesh, with bat-llke
wings, with sharp horns and cloven
feet and forked tail? Such is his ap-
pearance 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
B1nyan, Being thus trained up In
the way they should not 90, when
they are old they do not depart from
it.
But how differently does Gods Word
speak. The Holy Ghost, through Paul.
testifies that he appears as ian angel or
light" and by Ezekiel that he Is "a
perfect beauty" HI is called the
anointed cherub"-not an ordinary
angel, but one exalted above his"iel,
lows, being anointed like kings and
priests. His moral character Is MD
eous for he is a liar and murderer; but
his mental power is immense, and his
personal appearance attractive and
magnetic.
Thus the ideas current among US
concerning Satan came not from the
Bible. They came originally from
Paganisln 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