The Tupelo journal., 1904-04-29

veals the Devils mark of complete
servitude. The case seems hopeless,
Man can do nothing, and it does not
seem that God is able to do anything.
or willing to do anything, either. Drink
and gambling and lust have been the
bait which the Devil has used to lure
to ruin. Devil possession, to-day!
Yes. How else can you explain the
awful wretchedness of the drunkards
home? Wife and children are nothing
when the appetite for drink is to be
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 a be
gratified. And deliverance seems hope
less.
100 1T might have seemed to thefrlends
~ of this man about whom our text
tells. But a 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 lemons 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 a 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. hi
I wonder is it that the demons should flee
from before Him? Why should we
marvel that Jesus was able to deliver
from the power of the Devil? The en-
emy overcome is never feared. 1remem-
Der hearing my father tell of a dog he
3 owned in his boyhoOd days which was in
mortal fear of a reighbor's dog. He
1.-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 a 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 nv father who before had feared
the savage brute of the neighbor never
felt afraid when his own dog was with
him. Satan is a whipped cur. He is an
arrant coward. If he can catch his poor
human victims alone he is brave and
victorious. But when Jesus-who has so
splendidly and gloriously defeated him
and destroyed his power-comes, hefees
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,
~ 49,: ~,oa Do1;rcrar tho thpv
brought this demon-possesseo man.
Doubtless he would not have come him
self. Perhaps he not only did not want to
meet Jesus, but he feared to do so. But
his friends brought him. They real
lied his condition, even though he did
not. They wanted him set free from
the Devil, even though he was re-
signed to the servitude. And so they
brought him. This was the first step
in the right direction. 1t was a blessed
thing for that man that he had friends
who were enough interested in him to
bring him. They had not cast him on
utterly. Perhaps they remembered
what he had been before the Devil had
gained such power over him. The wife
had chung faithfully to him. She would
MOI leave him. Perhaps her devotion
and her faith had encouraged the
friends to take up his case and lead
him to Jesus. All, how often the love
and f~aithfulness of a wife have fol-
lowed the Devil-driven husband until
at last he has been brought to Jesus
and delivered! How often the way
ward and wicked son has been chung
to by the broken-hearted mother when
every other friend and relative has
turned away in disgust and discour-
aged hopelessness! How her prayers
have followed him as he sunk lower
and lower in the DEVILS power, until
at last he was brought to Jesus! Oh,
sorrowing one, whoever you may be,
despair not! Hope on! Pray on! 1t
is not the Lords will that any should
perish. Jesus, the great Deliverer, is
able to set free from the Devils do
minion and power. That loved one,
that friend who is %unsaved, who is liv-
ing in sin, who is almost yielded to
Satan, may be brought to Jesus who is
able to deliver. Cease not in your eff
forts to bring that needy one into Je-
sus' presence, where He may speak the
words that will give glorious and
blessed freedom.