The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-02-21
MANkATo FREE PRESS
Pastor RuSSell'S Sermon

where Satan and his angels are cast
out OF heaven. The Revelation picture
is purely symbolical. as uli admit. 1t
does not refer to literal Heaven at all.
but in fguratiye way describes mat
tiers which happened Oh earth-matters
which found their fulfi!ment centuries
ago, at the time the Roman Empire
was overthrown. and Papacy set itself
up. claiming earthly and Heavenly
power and authority as the Kingdom
Of Messiah. operating through the
popes as Messiah's vicegercnts.
| Satan's First Lie perpetuated.
! At some length. Pastor Russell show
ed that the very name Satan signifies
opponent NJ Cot. and that this name is
well deserved. because he who was
! formerly known as Luclfer has array
ed himself against God and in OPPOSE
ton to every feature of the Divine
! Plan. The Almighty could have de-
stroyed Satan at any time. but He has
permitted him for the past six thou
sand years to go Oh in his course, in
order to demonstrate the evil character
, Of sin, and To give opportunity. on the
contrary, OF demonstrating the beauty
Of holiness. Eventually. when the les
son shall have been taught to angels
and To men. Satan and all who love sin
will he utterly destroyed in the Second
Death. Revelation u: s.
Note the persistency of Satan. said
Pastor Russell. and his effrontery.
God distinctly told Adam and Eve that
disobedience would bring upon them
the penalty OF death. Satan contra
, dicted the Almighty point-blank. de-
claring. "Ye shall not surely die" And
when our race found the truth of Gods
statement borne in upon them by
death. Satan still sought TO pervert the
Word OF God and the minds of men by
telling humanity that they do not die
really. but in appearance only; that in
reality a dead man is much more alive
than a living one.
This absurdity has been repeated to
our race century after century. until
today mankind. as a whole. believe
Satans lie and entirely discredit the
Word OF God. The way back to God
and to sanity of reasoning is the re-
pudiatiOn Of Satan's falsehoOd and the
acceptance OF Gods Truth. The dead
know net anything. Their sons come
To honor and they know It not; to dis
honor and they perceive it not OF them.
--EccleslasteS 9:5: Job 14:21.
Satan's original lie is the basis Of all
a. q
kind believed God-that the dead are
dedd and that their only hope Of a fu-
ture life is based on the resurrection
1t would clear the world OF a thousand
superStitions. How could the dead
suffer tortures in Protestant hell or
in a Catholic purgatory. If the dead
know not anything. as the Bible de-
clares? If the Truth prevailed. where
would come in prayers and masses for
the dead? And where would come in
the belief Of spiritists and others that
they have communications with their
dead friendsif. as the Bible says.
"The dead knon not anythih9"
Demons Personate the Dead.
On the basis of human credulity-the
suppOsitiOn that the dead become more
alive when they appear TO die-the
demons have advanced their decep-
lions. and sought to enthrall humanity.
Invisible to men, yet fully informed re-
speeding all human affairs, they can
readily persOnate the dead. The fallen
angels. since the Deluge deprived Of
the power TO materialiZe, use as chan
nelS of communication such individ
uals as they can deceive into being
their servants-mediums. Many of
these are noble characters. and many
of them the reverse: but vicious or ig-
norant or good. the demons use such as
they can control. none being too de-
based for their service.
Working on the credulity of their
dupes. they use the lips or the pencil
of the medium to describe the dead
one. who is supposed to be very anx-
ious to communicate with the living.
And the description generally fits we'll
to the dupe's last knowledge of the
parsonage. sex. clothing, all. SO de-
luded do people become that they fail
10 TeIllcuiDet tLdL TIE Suiiule L VI Two
or ten years would ten years later. il
alive, be twelve or twenty years CT
age, and proportionately larger, and
certainly not content to wear in Il
spirit land the same clothing they wore
when last seen by the dupe. The de
mons power to discuss matters known
only to the dupe and the deceased car
ries conviction.
And all the teachings of all the de-
nominations. that the dead are not
dead are helping on with the decep-
ton. The venerable minister. deceived
by the doctrines of the Dark Ages,
tells his hearers at the funeral that
their deceased friend is lowering over
them: and that if he could speak. he
would say. Weep not for me-" The
medium and the clairvoyant announce
that they are under spirit control. and
that the departed one can speak
through them. Is it any wonder that
the deception is powerful one with
many? The hntidOte for all the doc
trines of demons is the Message of the
Word of God:
% That the dead are really dead;
(2) That Christ died on our behalf;
60 That ut His Second Coming and
Kingdom, there shall be resurrec-
ton of the dead, both Of the just and
of the unjust" Acts 24:15.
Demons Cast Out of the Possessed.