St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-05-21

wrecked manhood or WOmanhood re
veals the Devils mark of complet,
servitude. The case seems hopeless
Man can do nothing, and it does no
| seem that God is able to do anything
or willing to do anything, either. Drinl
and gambling and lust have been tn.
bait which the Devil has used to lurs
to ruin. Devil possession, to-day
Yes! How else can you explain tn.
awful wretchedness of the drunkard's
home? Wife and children are nothing
when the appetite for drink is to BIZ
satisfied. The demon-possessed man
will take the bread from the helpless
babes mouth; he will take the very
clothes from the backs of his wife and
children, to get drink Anything, il
only the desires and appetites can be
gratified. And deliverance seems hope
less.
60 1T might have seemed to the friends
~ of this man about whom our text
tells. But few days before this, Jesus
had delivered a demon-possessed man.
and perhaps they heard of the case and
were encouraged to believe that what
Jesus had done for another He could
do for this man. That Jesus did cast out
demons there can be no doubt. That He
is able to deliver from such possession
to-day is equally certain, as many living
witnesses are able to testify. The enc
mics of Jesus who were not able to dis
pute the fact that demons were cast out
charged that He obtained this power
from the Devil himself. But Jesus went
on to show them in the verses which fol-
low our text how very ridiculous their
claim was, giving us the figure of the
strong man shut within the house with
his treasures, and the spoiler coming
and first binding the strong man and
then at his leisure taking of all that
which he desired. The Devil was the
strong man, so strong that no human
power could escape him. Jesus was the
Deliverer who came and first met and
Overcame and then bound the strong
man, and then spoiled him of his human
victims. All, what picture Of Jesus as
the great Deliverer we have here! With
the Devil conquered and his power lin
tied by the Almighty arm of Jesus. what
is it that the demons should fee
from before Him? Why should we
marvel that Jesus was able to deliver
from the power Of the Devil? The en-
envy overcome is never feared. Iremem-
Der hearing my father tell of dog he
owned in his boyhood days which was in
mortal fear of reighbor's dog. He
(the dog would go far out of his way to
escape meeting his enemy. But one
eventful day chance brought the two
dogs together, and before the fight ended
the dog of my father vas complete VIC
tor. With canine pride the conqueror
led the whipped cur by the ear to his
home and dismissed him with final
and warning nip. and ever after that my
fathers dog, with seeming delight and
pride, stalked by the house of his old enc
my. Not afraid to meet him now be-
cause he had completely overcome him.
And my father who before had feared
he savage brute of the neighbor never
'elt afraid when his own dog was with
lim. Satan is whipped cur. He is an
arrant coward. If he can catch his poor
human victims alone he is brave and
But when Jesus-who has so
'plendidly and gloriously defeated him
md destroyed his power-comes. he fees
before Him. He dare not meet Him. He
must leave his human victims at the
command of Jesus.
A ND it was to this unfailing ConQueror,
n this great Deliverer, that they
brought this demon-possessed man.
Doubtless he would not have come him
elf. Perhaps he not only did not want to
meet Jesus, but he feared to do so. But
lis friends brought him. They real
zed his condition, even though he did |
lot. They wanted him set free from
he Devil, even though he was re- |
igned to the servitude. And SO they
brought him. This was the first step |
n the right direction. It was blessed
hing for that man that he had friends |
Who were enough interested in him to
ring him. They had not cast him of
Utterly. Perhaps they remembered
What he had been before the Devil had
aimed such power over him. The wife
ad chung faithfully to him. She would
ot leave him. Perhaps her devotion
nd her faith had encouraged the
riends to take up his case and lead
i'm to Jesus. All, how often the love
= eos& f,,1v of Wifi ~
owed the Devil-driven husband until
t last he has been brought to Jesus
nd delivered! How often the way
,ard and wicked son has been chung
. by the broken-hearted mother when
very other friend and relative has
urned away in disgust and discour-
ged hopelessness! How ner prayers
ave followed him as he sunk lower
nd lower in the DEVILS power, until
t last he was brought to Jesus! Oh,
proving one, whoever you may be,
espair not! Hope on! Pray on! It
not the Lords will that any should
erish. Jesus, the great Deliverer is
BILE to set free from the Devils do
Union and power That loved one,
lat friend who is unsaved, who is liv-
lg in sin, who Is almost yielded to
atan. may be brought to Jesus who is
BILE to deliver. Cease not in your eff
,rts to bring that needy one into Je-
is presence, where He may speak the
ords that will give glorious and
|essed freedom.
ME friends in our text brought this
poor demon-possessed man just as
e was. If they had waited to put the
ian on his feet" as they say to-day, so
lat he would be presentable to Jesus,
ley would have missed the Saviour and ]