The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-03
BREACHES
 ABOUT THE DEVIL Rev. Dr.. A. ]. Dickinson Sounds
 the Warning
MAKES LOCAL APPLICATION
Devil Seeks to Enter Into Men and to Get a Hold on Society. Concerning Votes and
 Open Town.

The, Rev. Dr. A. J. DICKINSON preaeh- ed at the First Baptist church yesterday morning the first of a series of sermons in exposition of the prophecy Of Hosea At the evening service ne preached on the text: Neither give place to the devil" Ephesians 4H.
 Dr. Dickinson said in part:
 The devil has no right to place In human society. It was never intended that he should pervert the social rela- tions from their happy ends. Eden was the blessed abode Of man in converse With God. but our Mother Eve gave place 10 the devil in that blissful home and brought woe on all mankind.
 Yet the oevl Is described as ever dili- gently seeking a place among men. He Is described as going around In water less places seeking rest but finding none until he -eturns to an empty soul He seeks to enter Into men, as he did Judas. that he might cultivate a crop of traitors. He seeks |, get hold on men, as he did Peter and take them to his threshing- floors to sift them as wheat of all chaff of conceit and pride. He goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
 Place In Society.
 He wants place in society in Birming- ham and ne has large privileges of rent ing in our city. He will intrude him. self and lpen his dens and go into the business of devouring souls in our midst Christians are put on guard to see that the devil gets no place. We are told to stand against the wiles of the devil full armed and panoplied to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
 Peter tells us, out of bitter experience, that as our adversary we must with stand him steadfastly in the faith 1t Is our business to resist the devil until he fees from us Make him move on and give him no place in our society. DO not open your heart. or your home, or your town to him.
 Open Town. A fellow citizen said that In our last election we voted for an "open town and being asked to whom the town was voted open he responded at once, ito the devil" Did we mean at that time to give place to the devil and desisted IT opr nlace to guard against his setting UT his business here?
 If is the Christians duty not to give place to the devil.
 One of our fellow citizens but last weef offered to point out to his honor ana the police service some of the haunts oi this devouring lion very much to the em- barrassment of our guardians Of pup- lie morality. So I infer that he mas been given several places In town anu ,s doing flourishing business. 1T our church members stood on guard this oou,d not happen. But if we have left our post he is free to rent place ana conduct his business of seeking whom ne may devour.
 Rankest Heresy.
 The rankest heresy l ever heard was nreached here among us anC was in SUD stonce the doctrine of the final persever- anoe of the devil That he was here and would always have a place among us and God intended that he should cor tinue in business among us. At the same time. of course, was preached the doc- trine of the saints falling from grace There are but two sides of the vice Hit- uation But the scripture says "resist the devil and he i'll flee from you. He VIII not persevere when resisted. The true doetrine so 1t seems to me- is that the devil cannot stand steadfast perseverance of the saints but will flee. But I fear thu majority of our saints follow the heret ical faith and Lave deserted their pos and have ceased to stand guard agains giving the devil a place.
 He could not have place in town, es tablished to do business. except with tn consent of many church men. So tax if that many have forgotten the inJunc tion of the text, Neither give place t the devil'
 But one will say If we resist the dew and he fees from us 1t Is only to retur again. and the last estate of that ma ia worse than the first. This Is tru' and hence we are told to be ever on ou guard.
 Price of Liberty.
 Eternal vigilance is the price of libert from him. But the only effective wa to keep out the devil Is to have you heart not only garnished and swept evil. but filled unto all the fulness c God" An idle brain is the devil workshop" because an empty heart l : the devils home.
 Let us, therefore. give ourselves 10 LII culture of piety. morality and all goo : and give no place for the devil 1hei may we echo to heaven the prayer on Lord taught us. viz: Lead us not lht' temptation, but deliver us from the eVi one.'
 Let us be careful to be filled unto al the fullness of God and have no place lol the devil. We can best resist the devifi siege by being fully garrisoned with good.
 nEpIIIY KILLS NEGRO.