Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1904-04-20

felt that il was easy TO enlist the in
terest and sympathy Of Jesus in sucn
cases as Jairus' daughter. whose death
had brought such sorrow to that Jew
ish rulers home. or the blind beggars
By the wayside. or the outcast lepers.
or the multitudes of others who were
sick or afflicted. but this man with
the devilish blindness and dumbness.
what right had he TO come; what right
had he to expect the Lord 10 deliver
him from that for which he was direct
~ responsible? And how many. many
desperately needy ones such reasoning
keeps away from Jesus today-men
and women who have sunk To the very
lowest depths OF the DEVILS dominion.
Step by step the downward path has
been travelled until the Devil has gained
complete and awful control over every
passion and desire of the body. Warm
ings have been unheeded. Pleadings
have eXerted but a momentary influ-
epce. Down. down. down. until
wrecked manhood or womanhood re-
veals the DEVILS mark of complete
servitude. The case seems hopeless
Man can do nothing. and il 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 drunkard's
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 obhis wife and
children. to get drink Anything. il
only the desires and appetites can be
gratified And deliverance seems hope
less.
GO 1T might have seemed TO the friends
~ OF this man about whom our text
tells. But few days before this, Jesus
had delivered 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
uxnI &C. NJ
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 wns 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 herei With
the Devil conquered and his power lin
! tied by the Almighty arm of Jesus. what
wonder is IL 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-
envy overcome is never feared. remem-
beT hearing my father tell OF dog he
owned in his boyhood days which was in
mortal fear Of a neighbours dog He
(the dog would 20 far out Of MS 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 10 his
home and dismissed him with final
and warning nip. and ever after that my
fathers dog. with seeming delight and
pride. stalked ny the house of his old enc
my. Not afraid 10 meet him now be
cause he had completely overcome him.
And my father who before had feared
the savaHe brute OF the neifhbor never
felt afraid when his own dog was with
him. Satan Is n whipped eur. Tie Is an
arrant coward. II ne can catch his poor
human victims alone he is brave and
viCtorious. But when Jesus -who has so
splendidiy anG gioriously defeated him
and destroyed his power-eomes. efees
before Him. He dare not meet Him. We
must leave his human victims at the
command Of Jesus.
A Nd IL was 80 this unfailing Conqueror
n this great DeIiverer that they
brought this demon possessed man.
Doubtless he would not have come him
self. Perhaps ne not only did not want TO
meet Jesus. but he feared TO do so. But
his friends brought him. They real
ized his condition. even though he did
NOT They ~aufad him cot freo T.o,,,