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

LIT ~ place the great De
II DEF liverer came and
performed II is
1{ mighty work. His
s coming trans
formed a life 1t made dark ana al
ficted home one of brightness and JOY. Al
brought gladness to the mans circle OF
friends and IL eXerted its inhu-
ence upon the multitude that saw
and heard of the miracle. IL 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 ii was the son of aged par
ents or the father of the home. But
We do know that IL was darkened by
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 IL may be the husband and father
marriage vows. he has stified the finer.
nobler. manlier feelings which came
when the first baby nestled in his arms
and seemed to crow with delight be-
cause of its 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 wifes 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 near 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 OF son. and the
black shadow OF sin has driven out all
the Joy and gladness. Somewhere in
Galilee there was such home. And
there are still such homes to-day
thousands and thousands, scattered
through city. town, village and ham
let
III
" 10 lead into! Strand by strand he
forms the rope of habit until il is too
strong for any human will TO break.
Link by link he FORCES the chain that
will drag the soul to he'll II the power OF
God is not invoked TO break It, II has
been said that every hcme has its skele-
ton. But however true CIR false that may
be. il is true that sin and Satan nre the
partners that have aTtjGulated every
bone in its hiheous body Certain il is
that God has no part i'm building the
dark closet and placing therein the hide
Gus sorTow that blights the home II is
the Devils work. He hlighted that Cali
leean home. He got fuch a hold mpssr
that man that he was made blind and
dumb. And the Devil is busy MT his
wicked work to-day. He makes people
blind 10 everything that is good and true
and beautiful. He makes their lips
dumb SD that no kindly word is ever
spoken. From the testimony OF the
Scriptures il would appear that there
was special manifestation Of the Dpy-
lis work at the time when God WAS SO
wonderfully manifesting the light Of His
Son 10 the world. II may be that We have
no such aggravated eases of the demon
possessed as those with which Jesus
came in contact. But be that as IL may
IL IL certain that the work Of the Devil
remains 10 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 10 bring the dark shadow. And
"hen we speak Of the Devil as taking
possession we 90 not roll upon him the
burden Of responsibility and lei the one
possessed go free OF blame. Scripture
says of Judas. the betrayer: After the
sop. then entered Satan into him
But Judas was responsible for hermit
ting Satan to get into his heart. And
so il is with people to-day. The Devil
Goes take possession. but IL is only he
cause sin. sin. sin. has paved the way
over which he rides into full possession.
ID LIND and dumb Devilish blind
~ ness! Devilish dumbness! This
ease was peculiar for that very rea-
son. There were other blind per
Fons brought to Jesus for healing.
There were those who we're deaf
and dumb who were made TO hear
and speak. But the blinGpess. the IN
responsive ear and the paisied tongue
were not the direct and special work
Of tae Devil as in this case before us
This man was blind Nd dumb because
she Devil was in full possession. 1t
was condition for which the man
himself was undoubtedly responsible
And for this reason there was seeming
ly the least right TO expect compass
zion and Divine mercy. 1T least so
might the friends and relatives Of this I
man nave reasoned. They might have