Newport weekly independent., 1902-10-03

seemed to have his own way. He led into sin every son of the Adamic race; he saw Gods chosen people scattered and destroyed; he thought he was winning in the great contest against the Almighty God of the universe, for he failed to see the thread of faith from the broken and sinful lives of those who believed in God running back to Heaven down which was drawn the Deliverer in fultillment of the promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. Satan's vision could not penetrate the inner council chambers of Heaven; he could not know how the Lord was preparing to nightly deliver the Devil-ridden world
 Our Deliverer.-The song of the an- Saviour at Bethlehem brought a ioy- full message to sin-cursed earth, but it struck terror to the heart of Satan. God had been teaching man through the centuries the long and painful lesson that he was a failure and unable in his own strength to win victory over Satan, or by his own righteousness to attain Heaven. And while He was revealing to man his sinfulness and his need, Satan was coming to believe in his hellish pride that he was always to be the victor. But when God sent His Son as the mighty Deliverer of the hu- man race, then was enacted the gi- gantic battle of the ages and Satan met his first defeat and his power was broken forever.
 "Then was Christ led of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil" He must of necessity meet the arch enemy of God and de- feat him in terrific battle. The pie ture which Bunyan draws of Chris tian's meeting with Apollyon gives in a graphic and realistic way some- thing of what that contest between Christ and Satan in the wilderness must nave been, and the victory won there made the triumph of Bunyan's Christian possible. 1t is the only way of victory. Satan fears no foe but Christ, from whose presence he fled in the wilderness after his re- peated and complete temptations. 'There is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,'' because the name
 of Jesus is the only sound which can
 put Satan to rout and bring deliv-
 erance to the sin-stained and tempted
 heart.
 If the man with the unclean spirit
 had let Jesus do his housekeeping
 and take up His dwelling place in the
 heart after it had been swept and
 garnished, the company of devils
 would never have dared come back
 again seeking to take up their abode
 there. The world will have to turn
 Devil and his angels. There is no
 cure for the ills of the sin-cursed weary cid world but the blood of
 Jesus Christi which can wipe out all
 marks of the cloven hoof and ban-
 ish it's owner to the bottomless pit. Hedyed About.-With all of Satan's
 sangfroid in the presence of God he
 was i'll at ease. There was fly in his ointment. As he had journeyed
 
 that nerfect and upright man Job who eschewed evil and would have
 nothing to do with the Devil, and it troubled him to see that he was not able to exercise dominion over him :, Job was prosperous and happy, and the Devil could not come at him be- 2 cause the protecting arm of God was , thrown around him. Satan charges
 that Job is serving God because He
 blessed and protected him. 'Hast not thou made an hedge about him?" he petulantly asks. Yes. God had, and thanks be to His blessed name, He does so to this day to those , who love and serve Him. The Devi , can't get near us while we stay with l God, except as the Lord let's him ir , order to try us, for "the trying o1 l your faith worketh patience, but lei patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, want T ino nothing" "WhOm the Lord lov l eth, He chasteneth," and He makes Satan furnish the elbow grease. Satan begged the privilege of test ing Job. He thought he could make him curse and turn from God. He {, afflicted Job until all the dross il his nature was burned out. At first r Job sees only himself and his suffer ings and misfortuneS, but he never doubts God, and at last out of the mist and darkness of his affliction. ] he catches glimpse of the Lords face, and exclaims: "I have heard