The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-04-23

II
] - mighty work. His
'.=sAzsz2s coming trans
formed a life. 1t made dark and al
flicted home one of brightness and JOY. IL
brought gladness to the mans circle OF
friends and 1t exerted us lhhu-
ence upon the multitude that saw
and heard of the miracle. 1t is not
hard to picture that home before Jesus
came. There was sorrow there; there
was trouble there. The skeleton IN the
closet was that demon-possessed man
We do not know how long he had been
in that condition We do not know
whether it was the son OF aged par
ents or the father of the home. But
we do know that 1t was darkened by
a black shadow. All. how many such
homes there are! The fair-haired boy
has grown to manhood. and instead OF
bringing gladness and pride to the
hearts OF his parents, he has yielded
himself to the evil influences about
him until at last he has become pos
sessed of a wicked and dissolute spirit.
OR II may be the husband and father
of the home has forgotten his sacred
marriage vows, he has stified the inner,
nobler. manlier feelings which came
when the first baby nestled in his arms
and seemed to crow with delight be-
cause OF It's sense of security and pro-
lection In his strong embrace, and as
a result OF his hayward course. the IN
diligence Of his baser nature, the light
has gone out Of his wife's eyes, the
bloom has left her cheeks. and instead
of the song upon the lips there are the
heavy heart and aching head. Yea, and
aching and sore body and limbs. too.
perhaps, where the cruel blows have
fallen. And the children crouch and
tremble when they hear the heavy
tread OF the fathers feet. All. how
many. many. homes there are In this
fair land where the Devil has found
his abode in the father or son, and the
black shadow OF sin has driven out all
the 10y and gladness. Somewhere In
Galilee there was such a home. And
there are still such homes to-day
thousands and thousands. scattered
through city. town. village and ham
let.
Oh. WHAT a bondage Satan is able
to lead into! Strand by strand he
forms the rope of habit until 1t Is too
strong for any human will to break.
Link by link he FORCES the chain that
will drag the soul to hell II the power OF
God is not invoked TO break 1t. 1t has
been said that every home has Its skele-
ton. But however true or false that may
be. Il is true that sin and Satan are the
partners that have articulated every
bone in its hideous body. Certain 1t Is
that God has no part in building the
dark closet and placing therein the hide
Gus sorrow that blights the Nome. 1t is
the DEVILS work. He blighted that Gall
leean home He got such hold upon
that man that he was made blind and
dumb. And the Devil Is busy at his
wicked work to-day. He makes people
blind to everything that Is good and true
and beautiful. He makes their lips
dumb so that no kindly word is ever
spoken. From the testimony OF the
Scriptures 1t would appear that there
was special manifestation of the Dew
lis work at the time when God was so
wonderfully manifesting the light Of His
Son to the world. II may be that we have
no such aggravated cases of the demon
possessed as those with which Jesus
came In contact. But be that as II may.
1t Is certain that the work of the Devil
remains to this day. But there are homes
where sin has wrought its terrible work;
where the Devil has taken possession OF
some member of the home to such an ex-
tent as to bring the dark shadow. And
when We speak Of the Devil as taking
possession we do not roll upon him the
burden of responsibility and let the one
possessed go fee of blame. Scripture
says OF Judas, the betrayer: After the
SOP, then entered Satan into him.
But Judas was responsible for permit
ting Satan to get into his heart. And
so 1t Is with people to-day. The Devil
does take possession, but It Is only be-
cause sin, sin. sin, has paved the way
over which he rides into full possession.
DLIND and dumb! Devilish blind
- ness! Devilish dumbness! This
case was peculiar for that very rea.
son. There we're other blind per-
sons brought to Jesus for healing
There were those who were deal
and dumb who we're made to hear
and speak. But the blindness. the un'
responsive ear and the palsied tongu,
were not the direct and special work
of the Devil as In this case before US
This man was blind and dumb because
the Devil was In full possession. Il
was condition for which the mar
himself was undoubtedly responsible
And for this reason there was seeming
ly the least right to expect compass
sion AID Divine mercy. AT least 81
might the friends and relatives of TIL.
Ux0 hare reasoned They might hav'