The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-22
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
THE DEVIL"

fha Rev. Dr. J. Wiibar Chapman Treats
Forbidden Subject In = Novel Manner
why Mon Arc Disposed to Laugh ~
the Prince OF Darkness.
NEW York CrTY.-The following reada'
ble and helpful sermon is by the Rev. Dr,
J. Wilbur Chapman, the best known evan.
Relist in the country and one OF the most
popular pulpit orators of New York. 1t
In entitled "The Devil" and was preached
from the text And the Lord said unto
Satan, Whence CONTEST thou: Then satan
answered the Lord and said. From gong to
and fro in the earth: and from walking up
and down in it,. Job ~: ~. .,,
slly speak of him who is the subject OF my
sermon with a smile. and yet it is a sub
ject with which one ought certainly to be
perfectly familiar We have all had some
experience with him who is the author OF
our distress. and who Is responsible Tor
every cloud though it be no larger than n
mans hand that has cast itself upon the
sLy OF our life. and yet doubt not that
there are very many nf us that couid not
give a very accurate explanation OF our
views. There are very many who scout
the idea of personal devil at all. and this
view is much more general than we think.
I can quite understand how it should be
40. for Satan's master stroke Of policy Is
to direct our minds from inquiry concern
ing his true character and the methods by
which he governs his kingdom. Some
times for the unregcnerate he EMPLOYS the
vehicle OF darkness that he may blind the
minds Of those who do not believe lest the
light OF the Gospel Of the glory OF Christ
should dawn upon them and they should
believe. an whom the God Of this world
hath blinded the minds OF them which be-
iieye not. lest the light of the glorious Cos
pei OF Christ. who is the image OF God.
should shine unto them Corinthians
"a. And sometimes to those who do be.
lieve he transforms himself into an angel
of light that he may delude them by his
snares. "And no marvel; for Satan him.
self il transformed into IN angel OF light"
z Corinthians IL: II.
The late DR.. James Fl. Brooks. Of st.
Louis, one of the greatest Bible teachers
in our country. said that it used to be his
custom in his family worship to read the
New Testament through consecutively un.
ill he came to Revelation. and then he
would always turn back to Matthew and
read again to the Revelation. and then
back to Matthew once more. until one day
sitting alone in his study he began to ques.
tion himself as to why this was his habit.
and IL occurred to him as he read the Rev
elation through that it must be because
this is the only book in the New Tesla.
ment which tells of the doom of Satan,
and it is quite easy to understand why he
would turn the mind away from that book
which tells Of his defeat.
Men don't believe in a devil now,
Az their fathers used TO do;
They've forced the door OF the broadest
creed,
To let his form pass through,
There isn't print Of his cloven foot,
Or a fiery dart from his bow,
To be found in earth or air to-day.
For the world has voted so.
"Rut who is mixing the fatal draught
That palsies heart and brain,
And loads the bier Of each passing year
With ten hundred thousand slain?
who bliehts the bloom Of the land to-day
With the fiery breath OF hell?
II the devil isn't. and never was.
Won't somebody rise and tell?
''who clogs the steps Of the toiling saint
And digs the pits for his feet:
Who sows the tares in the fields OF time,
Wherever God sows His wheat!
The devil is voted not to be.
And. OF course. the thing is true;
The devil alone should do?
1--WE are told he does not 90 around
Like a roaring lion now;
But whom shall we hold responsible
For the everlasting row
To be heard in home, in church and state.
To the earth's remotest bound.
II the devil. By unanimous vote,
L. nowhere to be found?
won't somebody step to the front forth
with,
And make his bow. and show
How the frauds aud crimes OF single day
Spring up: We want to know.
The devil is fairly voted out.
And OF course the devils gone,
But simple folks would like to know
Who carries his business on"
Men are disposed to laugh about the
devil, but one might as we'll Jest concern.
ing a cunning foe who continually tracks
his steps and waits to thrust his knife into
his heart; just as well jest about the one
who is a vile s'snderer, and who waits to
blast his reputation and cover his good
name with infamy.
The other day in Brooklyn a woman
threw herself out of the window OF five
story building to escape the brutal tor
lures Of her drunken husband. She left
her little boy motheriess and worse than
father!ess. That husband was in the clutch
Of the one of whom ! speak at this time.
Would you make light Of such foe as as
this. The opening chapters Of Genesis
give US q picture OF happy pair in Eden.
peace, purity. perfection and beauty every.
where prevailed God looked upon it and
said that it was very good, when suddenly
all was changed. There is a marvellous
Transformation; sin appears; the curse is
everywhere; trouble begins and rolls high
like the mighty waves of the sea. until the
world is engulfed in the b!ackness Of the
darkness of despair. No wonder that we
feel like crying out again and again in the
words of the text. And the Lord said
unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then
Satan answered the Lord and said. From
going to and fro in the earth. and from
IN adversary that speak, and he is not
subject for testing. l have for the past
ten years been laboring in the interests Of
men, but somehow during the past three
months they have been upon me as a spe-
cial burden. have listened to their heart
breaking cries and their sobs of despair,
and it is with the memory Of these tears
that have run like rivers. and the cry Of
many a man who feels himself to be lost
as he said. is there any hope that l
bring to my readers this message.
The devil Is certainly not myth. j
shall give his names in little while and
call your attention to the fact that they
arc all found in the New Testament. so
this is not an Old Testament delusion car
ried down to the present time, as some
would have US believe. for a!mos. al the
information concerning him we are de.
pendent upon the New Testament Scrip
lures. The Old Testament is strangely 81.
lent. ] call your attention to this fact that
;f you read in the Old Testament the &C.
count Of the temptation and fall in Eden.
then the trouble of Job. then the number