The Dolores star., 1910-04-08
d There Z
Personal Devil?
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have been asked 70 speak 70 you
upon the theme. ''Is There . Per
sonal Devflf'' but assume that The IL.
terrogativs form was ussd - Q mat
ter Of convenience and not - Q sug.
gestion Of doubt. do not assume that
Christian men learned 10 the Bible,
and who accept Il mot % the word
Of mon but % II 10 In truth. the word
Of God have any doubt about tho
personality Of the devil.
The dictionary tells 10 that persoa.
atty 10 synonymous with selfcon.
sciousness, or the power to Identify
ones self. That which can contrive
or design must be . person, Dr.. Paley
tells us, for such capacities imply con-
sciousness Of thought But that the
devil possesses these capacities just
as man does. or indeed just - God
himself does. ID very evident from the
inspired record.
That record In this case In progress.
sive. At first the devil 10 presented
only a. . serpent, although the whole
narrative OF Genesis H.. but especially
the spiritual nature OF the temptation
-'Ye shall be a. God'-suggests more
than a mere animal agency At work.
30 clearly indeed 10 this suggested
that we are quite prepared for the
Identification Of the serpent with the
devil and Satan which We fnd In
Revelation xii., ..
But when we come to the new res-
lament the veil Is lifted. and his real
and awful character 10 portrayed In
vivid colors.
II II to the old Testament, however.
that We are indebted for the word
Satan which. - you know. means
an 'adversary'-but one possessing
hate. great hostility and . purposs
to injure. Gesenius II authority for
the statement that when this word
is preceded BY the article 10 assumes
the nature Of proper name.
Reaching the new Testament. We
find the personality Of Satan sug-
gested in several ways. a.. for sx-
ample:
1. BY the titles given him. He 10
called the accuser Of the brethren
the angel OF the bottomless pit
'Apollyon, or he that exterminates:'
the father Of lies.' the man murderer
the prince of the devils.' the spirit
that now worketh in the children Of
disobedience.' the God Of this world
the unclean SPIRIT the wicked one
and the evil one
:. BY the characteristics ascribed to
him. He 10 called presumptuous.
proud. powerful. malignant. deceitful.
cruel. always active in doing and pro
noting evil and yet cowardly. He 10
compared to Q fowler setting snares
for unwary souls. . sower scattering
tares BY night. . wolf ravaging the
flock and q lion restlessly wandering
about for prey.
II ts astonishing In the light Of such
testimony that Christians Of intelll.
gence should be found doubling. much
less denying. the personality Of the
devil. II personality means the essen
tial Characteristic OF . person as dis.
tinguished from . thing. II not Satan
rather more than thing!
But n II he astonishing that men
should deny his personality In the
face OF testimony like this. what shall
We say Of their folly who. accepting
II In . sense, treat the subject Of the
devil In the spirit Of levity and crack
Jokes At his expense and make merry
with his prociivities-as even minis
ters have been known to do. How
such conduct testifies At once 10 tho
ignorance OF the natural heart and
the power which the archdecclver has
obtained over Il!
Let us continue the proof Of his per
sonaiity by considering the elements
Of his power. DR.. Ormiston. In his
valuable work on the subject, classi.
fies II In four kinds.
There 10 frst the physical element.
He II an angel. although q fallen one.
and II II said Of such they excel In
strength Take the history Of Job a.
an Illustration Of this. In his case q
great are fell and burned up his sheep
and oxen. Then . wind from the vii
derness smote the four corners of HE
house. killing the young men Who
were within. and then at last Job him.
self 10 smitten with sore boils from
the sole OF his foot to the crown a
his head.
There 10. secondly. satan's intellsc.
tual power. He has . mind and will
10 think. contrivs and devise. His
knowledge. too. In very great. for the
reason. among others that he 10 very
old-'old but not innrm.'
He was In existence before Adam.
and has had the advantage Of this
long period Of observation TO add 10
his original stock Of information.
with unrsmittins attention he has
studied the evidences of time. and