The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-26
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.


mortal Hall was again crowded to hear
Pastor Russell. The discourse, on
1.-THE Overthrow of Satan's Empire"
was in the nature of religious lec-
ture. 1t was marked throughout by
deepest reverence for the Bible, many
of the passages of which shone out
with a new meaning under the search
light of his message. He asserted, and
seemed to prove, the personality of Sa-
tan. But according to his showing it
is a great mistake to suppose the Arch
enemy of mankind to be afar off stok-
ing furnaces and torturing the dead
Instead, he is the cunning Deceiver
who for centuries has been hoodwink-
ing humanity, including the Church
putting darkness for light and light for
darkness. God did not create him a
devil. He became such by self-perver-
sion through ambition. Originally his
name was Lucifer-Morning Star. He
their power to produce race in their
own likeness and coveted an empire
with them as his subjects.
For six thousand years God has per-
mitted Satan to exercise a measure of
deceptive power over the race and to
display to both angels and men the ter
rible results of sin. as exemplified in
what the Apostle terms the reign Of
sin and DEATH" and the mental, moral
and physical degradation resulting.
Satan has not been alone. Not only
is he 1.-THE Prince of this world" or
age, but additionally he is the prince
Of devils"-demons. The speaker show
ed from the Scriptures Genesis VII;
Jude g. how these subordinate de-
mons had once been holy angels, too
and when and where they sinned, and
how.
1.-THE Apostle Peter gives the key to
the real solution Of the matter when,
in reciting the events connected with
the flood, he tells us of the fall Of the
angels at that time, who in the days
of Noah kept not their first estate
q Peter ill, 10, 20). Those angels who
were permitted to have a measure of
control of the fallen race, with view
to helping them as much as they
might be able. and who, for the pur-
pose of rendering such assistance to
mankind. were permitted to appear in
human form, became enamored of the
human female, and preferred the hui
| man form to their own state as spirit
beings. They thus left their original
| estate, as Jude also explains Jude
| g.. These angels are the ones de-
nominated the sons of Cod none OF
the human family being given that
name after the fall. The angels who
fell from their noble work and condi
ton, and became groveling and sen
| sual, manifested clearly in their OWL
course the downward tendency Of al
transgressions of the divine law.
1.-The Apostles Peter and Jude clear
upon those sons of Cod who thus be
trayed their trust and fell into sin
leaving their own habitation.' thei
own nature, and affiliating with tn,
human nature. Their punishment hal
been their deprivation of all such lib
and from the holy angels: and this re
straint is called, by the Apostle
chains of Darkness while The re
strained ones themselves, instead O
being recognized as sons of Cod O
angels Of light, were thencefortl
known as angels of darkness de
MONS wicked spirits Incidental.
we remark that these are the spirit
in prison mentioned by Peter Il Pete
iii, 10Y, and that although restricted a
respects their powers of FELLOWSHIP
with the holy angels, and with man
kind, being no longer privileged to aI
pear as men, they still seek huma
fellowship. endeavoring to gain posses
sion of human beings who yield u
their wills, and who are then said t
be possessed of devils or 'obsessed.'
is but preliminary step toward thu
getting possession of the individua
that these wicked spirits appeal to hu
mainly to become their mediums (spir
1t mediums). through whom they t
some extent communicate. And the
personate dead human beings, becaus
they know well that humanity woul
shun them and fear them If their rea
identity were discovered.
"Satan and his subordinates hav
maintained system Of human decep
tion," the speaker declared, and
must be confessed that he gave Bib
lical proofs for his every claim. III
asserted that the communications be
lieved by Spiritualists-Dr. Funk. Prof
Hyslop. Editor Stead and others-to b
communications from the dead, ar
really deceptive communications iron
these fallen angels. So far from claim
ing that these professors and medi
ums practice deception, his claim i
that they themselves are deceived an,
are unintentionally leading others on
ward into terrible Spiritualisti
maelstrom, which, he declares, we ar
nearing, according to the Bible. III
warned against hypnotism, mind cures
etc, practiced by well-meaning but de
ceived physicians, ministers and 9th
ers. He declared that all these tended
to break down the human will, tn,
God-given barrier and defense of man
kind against the Entertainments O.
these fallen angels, who seek contin
ualy to iptrude themselves into tn,
ununM