Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-06-10

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2AlAp ]llllIlX too few have the
AESANMM blessed experience
aeX~N Of seeing his re-
I'm treating form
~ ~ Only he who re-
&AA sists his attacks
Ga has the JOY of be-
holding the undig-
niiied flight of the
enemy of mans soul Christ declared
that the devil was the father of liars,
and as such he is the progenitor of a
cowardly race. He is bold and fearless
when the object of his attack hesitates
to strike the defensive blow and yields
to his advance, but let determined re-
sistance be offered and soon the devil
Is confused and in full and ignominious
retreat The fleeing devil is the only
kind of devil God would have the soul
know. In the galleries of Heaven is
hung the masterpiece of the ages show
ing the Son of God watching the flee
ing form of the devil, while bright an
gels come lowering down TO minister to
Him after He has faithfully resisted his
attacks. But in the Internal regions,
where the devil reigns supreme, the
artist imps are never permitted to
paint such scenes. 1t is a tabooed sub
Ject. The devil, like great many peo-
pie. never likes to look at himself as he
really is. He has preserved the picture
of the scene in the garden with his vic
tory over Adam and Eve. and all about
are hung paintings of his subsequent
triumphs-Noah drunk. Moses angry
and arrogant; David. the adulterer and
hnf ba
wrath of wicked Jezebel, and the long
list of other triumphs which he has
gained over the human race: but no.
where can he found the wilderness
scene with Jesus resisting and utterly
routing the devil. The censorship has
been rigid, and the devil has kept his
forces busy expunging from the rec
ords the incidents wherein he has fig-
urcd ANONYMOUSLY.
M AN experiences so many of the vic
| tories of the devil, andwitnesses SO
few retreats, that he comes almost to
hold the view that the devil is irresisti-
bic. But it is Gods Word that the flight
of the devil is as certain as the resist
ance is determined. Resist the devil,
and he will flee from YOU" The fleeing
devil Ii an encouraging and refreshing
picture to get before the soul. Let us
look long and earnestly at it, so that,
it's truth and meaning may be indelibly
impressed upon the heart. II is need
less to say that the fleeing devil is a
defeated devil Look at that
form. Cowardice gives swiftness to
those flying feet. The cringing out
lines of the figure betoken baseness
and despicable stealth. The blackness
which the devil always heads for when
In flight opens to receive him and is
suggestive of foulness and destruction
and death. The devil never retreats
until he is defeated, but when he is
routed what despicable creature he
Is. But note another thing. The fee
ing devil is an unmasked devil. His
Sleeps clothing never covers his hinder
parts. His disguise which makes him
appear as an angel of light is not am
pie enough to reach all about him.
When he caught a glimpse Of one of
Gods angels and determined to have
garments cut after the same pattern
he forgot all about the back breadths
and seams. and his tailors, while care
able 10 make for him a garment which
was deceptive in appearance from the
front view. but which never has and
never can be made to meet and cover
behind. So the fleeing devil j. an un-
masked devil. From the front view he
looks like anything but the devil he is.
but get him ON run 20 the rear and he
is seen in his true light The cha meleon
changes its color o harmonic with the
object 20 which il H. clinging. and the
devil has a similar ability. When the
soul meets him face to face il is hard to
penetrate the disguise and realize that
IT Is the devil and not some goodly and
desirable parsonage. But let resist
ancc manfully assert itself and demand
60 see the hinder parts, and the gentle
sheep that has come bleating to be
taken into the bosom and fondIed and
cherished as a most desirable posses
sion is discovered 20 be the ugly. shay
gy gray wolf which would eat out the
vitals.
THE reason a good many people dis.
pute the existence of the devil i
because they have never seen him in
fight. He has so successfully identi-
fed himself with conditions. and
things. and impulses. and desires. and
sppetites. and ambitions that his per
souality is obscured. But the fact Of
the matter is that God and His Word
recognize and speak OF him as a real
person from Genesis to Revelation.
and it is something more than an infu-
ence OF natural human tendency with
which the soul has to deal. Not only
must the reality of the devil be felt.
but the directions from which his