The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1906-04-25
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fTHE KING OF DEVILS
BY Rev. S. C. Todd, Macao, China.

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The scenes within the house woui,
perhaps have been of greater interest.
to you than the funeral procession
True to the Chinese custom the cere
monies there were both elaborate ant
~protracted, extending through forty
nine days, sever periods Of seven day.
each. AS the house was near and on
of the sons-in-law quite frequently at,
tended our services we decided to take
advantage of our opportunity and get q
closer view.
One cannot easily forget the impress
sions received amidst such n and
could you too have seen these your
heart would have been moved as well
as ours.
We entered Immediately from the
street a long outer room and the sights
there at C riveted our attention. To
our left was a gigantic figure of paper,
and we could but wonder what monster
that could be. Seated on a raised pedestal,
with a body of no small dimensions,
with o~utstretched arms and with a face
by no means very peaceful and with
glaring eyes he was a sight to make
one shudder. Before him incense was
burning and wine and food were dis
played.
But who is he? "The King of De-
wis.," some n replied. "But that in
cense, that food placed before him,
what do they meant" you say. All,
there you have touched the heart of
h~eathenism, you have laid bare the
core of her sin. What do they mean?
The worship of Satan-that is the re-
ligion of the heather. Paul says: ''The
things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they
sacrifice to devils and not to God"
Mind you this is not in a home of pow
erty and ignorance, but where wealth
is counted by the tens of thousands.
Do you wonder that with the worship
of Satan as the religion of the heather
that missionary work is a battle and at
times a battle royal. eve contend not
against flesh and blood but against the
municipalities and powers"
The Chinese believe that the atmos-
phere is infested with many evil spirits,
who dog ones steps to bring disaster,
affection and suffering. These are es-
pecially connected with deaths and fun
erals, and Turk very near at such times.
They are hungry spirits, they have
need of clothing, and consequently pa
per garments and food are offered in
worship, which are supposed in some
way to be transferred to the spirit
world, and lest there be contention
amongst the spirits by some failing to
receive, and the angry ones be led to
send punishment upon the family these
offerings are committed to the King of
Devils, who divided them out amongst
all the demons that none may have a
grievance.
You will notice in the picture two
women standing on either side of the
King. These do not properly belong
there, but as / only had permission to
photograph the outer room the son-in-
law brought these from the inner room
and placed them where l could get a
picture of the three at once.
LINZ IiiS Ming tilSoC II 10 are Illduc VI
paper, and they represent servants.
One carries a parcel for her mistress,
while the other, the one to your left,
has in her hand a water-pipe and paper
taper. Notice her costume, please, the
hair is coiled to the right of her head in
a favorite way with Chinese girls, her
shoes have knobs underneath them like
those frequently worn in well-to-do
homes. These figures are burned and
thus transferred to the other world
where they will serve the departed wo-
man.
Turning to the other side of the room
the walls are covered with scrolls, re-
presenting the Buddhist conception of
hell, while near these are affairs and
mats where the priests or nuns go
through their lamentations. These de-
ceased having died in childbirth she is
supposed to be in a hell of blood. For
forty MIN days nuns chanted their
monotones endeavoring to transport
her spirit from her place Of suffering
and absolve her punishment. On the
thirty-fifth day they break hell open
and send a light to direct the spirit of
the sufferer into the presence of the
king of He'll, then all the malicious
spirits are arrested and the soul-saving
Buddha is petitioned to open the golden
bridge leading to happiness.
Across a narrow court we come to an
other room, where is resting the coffin
and all the paraphernalia of the inner
and most sacred worship. The woman's
picture hangs upon the wall, while be.
side it, underneath it and before it are
ancestral tablets, burning incense anc
an altar laden with food, wine ant
other marks of worship.
Do not think for a moment that these
are used simply in reverence and out O.
respect for the dead, as we would plac,
flowers on a grave. No, no! Here is
system of worship, a scheme of saliva
ton. You and | commit our souls t,
Christ and trust Him to supply ever,
need beyond the grave, but these Sc,
the departed still in need, hungry an,
naked, writing under their suffering
on account of sins committed in tn
flesh, and they seek to extricate them
Our religion leaves all to Chrjst, their