St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-05-21

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IlH EN'\ NJ age to Satan was
AD there, and to, thai
IN place the great De.
Il DE3Ns liverer came an(
i@ performed His
mighty work. His
szzezzes coming trans
formed life. 1t made dark and af-
nicted home one of brightness and Joy. IT
brought gladness to the mans circle OF
friends and it exerted it's influ-
eIce upon the multitude that saw
and heard of the miracle. 1t is not
aard 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 40 not know how long he had been
IN that condition. We do not know
whether it was the son of aged par
ents or the father of the home. But
we do know that it was darkened by
black shadow. All, how many such
homes there are! The fair-haired boy
mas 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
MIN until at last he has become pos
sessed of wicked and dissolute spirit.
Or 1t may be the husband and father
OF the home has forgotten his sacred
marriage vows, he has stifed 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 sen-e of security and pro-
lection in his strong embrace, and as
result of his hayward course, the in
diligence of his baser nature, the light
has gone out of his wife's 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 hear 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 or 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.
oh, WHAT a bondage Satan is able
~ to lead into! Strand by strand he
forms the rope Of habit until it is too
strong for any human will to break.
Link by link he FORCES the chain that
will drag the soul to hell If the power Of
God is not invoked TO break it. 1t has
been said that every home has its skele-
ton. But however true or false that may
be, il is true that sin and Satan are the
partners that have articulated every
bone in its hideous body. Certain it is
that God has no part in building the
dark closet and placing therein the hide
GUS sorrow that blights the home. 1t is
the DEVILS work. He blighted that Cali
leean home. He got such hold upon
that man that he was made blind and
dumb. And the Devil is busy at his
wicked work to-day. He makes people
blind to everything that is good and true
and beautiful. He makes their lips
dumb SO that no kindly word is ever
spoken. From the testimony of the
Scriptures 1t would appear that there
was a special manifestation of the Dew
ils work at the time when God was SO
wonderfully manifesting the light OF His
Son to the world. It may be that we have
no such aggravated cases Of the demon
nossessed as those with which Jesus
came in contact. But be that as 1t may.
It is certain that the work of the Devil
remains to 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 to bring the dark shadow. And |
Uhen we speak Of the Devil as taking
possession we do not roll upon him the
burden of responsibility and let the one
possessed go free Of blame. Scripture
says of Judas, the betrayer: after the
son. then entered Satan into him."
hut Judas was responsible for permit
ting satan to get into his heart. And
"a It is with people to-day. The Devil
does take possession, but it Is only be-
cause sin. sin, sin. has paved the way
rver which he rides into full possession.
nLIND and dumb! Deyilish blind
Is ness! Devilish dumbness! This
case was peculiar for that very rea-
son There were other blind per-
.ons brought to Jesus for healing.
There we're those who were deaf
md dumb who were made to hear
- sneak. But the blindness, the un-
-esnonsiye ear and the palsied tongue
.,aro not the direct and special work
= the Devil as in this case before US.
rbis man was blind and dumb because
~ Devil was In full possession. IL
.s.s condition for which the man
..,so,f4 was undoubtedly responsible.
. - for this reason there was seeming
- !, tha least right to expect compass
:. -:.n and Divine mercy. AT least SO
- '.-,,+ the friends and relatives OF this
.,an have reasoned. They might nave
' AT that 1t was easy to enlist the IN
le.st and sympathy Of Jesus in such
100 80. &c Jairus' daughter, whose death
!, 80 = brought such sorrow to that Jew
uau ..,ar,s home, or the blind beggars
lsn 80 wayside, or the outcast lepers,
" .hs multitudes Of Others who were
q 80 - aflicted, but this man VITA
s s.. deyilish blindness and dumoness,
-. right had he to come; VIVA. ,isut
Wna' - expect the Lord to deliver
a. srom that for which he was olrect-
y q And how many, many