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


terest and sympathy Of Jesus In sucn
cases as Jairus' daughter. whose death
had brought such sorrow to that JewS
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 to deliver
him from that for which he was direct
ly 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. Warn
ings have been unheeded. Pleadings
have exerted but momcntary infiu-
ence. 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 1t 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 of his wife and
children, TO get drink. Anything. II
only the desires and apDetites can be
gratifed. And deliverance seems hope
less.
COIT might have seemed to the friends
- of this man about whom our text
tells. But a 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
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
oyercame 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 lim'
tied by the Almighty arm Of Jesus. what
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-
envy overcome is never feared. 1remem-
Der hearing my father tell OF a dog ne
owned In his boyhood days which was In
mortal fear OF a neighbours 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 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
NV. 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. II he can catch his poor
human victims alone he Is brave and
victorious. But when Jesus-who has sc
splendidly and gloriously defeated him
ard destroyed his power-comes. he hees
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 the,
brought this demon-possessed man
Doubtless he would not have come him
self. Perhaps he not only did not want tt
meet Jesus, but he feared to do so. Blu
his friends brought him. They real
lsed his condition, even though he dit
not. They wanted him set free from
the Devil, even though he was re
signed to the servitude. And SO the!
brought him. This was the first stel
In the right direction. It was blessed
thing for that man that he had friend
who were CROUCH interested in him t
bring him. They had not cast him OF
utterly. Perhaps they remembers
what he had been before the Devil ha,
gained such power over him. The wifi
had chung faithfully to him. She woul
not leave him, Perhaps her devotion
| and her faith had encouraged tn
friends to take up his case and lea
htr, ~ Teens All how often the low