Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-02-26
Pastor RusselE's Sermon

the power or dlVlnatlOn, ana cOmmahu-
ed the evil spirits to come out Of her.
Acts 16;16-1S) Let them explain why
her soothsaying representations were
at an end when once the evil spirit
was gone forth. Let us also remember
that there Is not suggestion any.
where in the Bible that these evil spir-
Its were ever human beings In any sense
Of the word, or at any time. Let us
all remember that these are the same
evil spirits dealt with at the time of
the Deluge.
Immediately after the Flood, they
began their attack upon humanity,
their attack upon the Truth, their en-
deavor to make humanity believe the
lie-that the dead are not dead. To
whatever extent they succeeded in so
decelving humanity they prepared man
kind proportionately to be their dupes.
The goal OF their ambition is posses
sion, and everything else Is accessory.
Spirit mediums recognize the demon
character Of the spirits communicating
through them; and they dread them
and warn each other against the dan.
ger Of allowing their wills to come
completely under spirit influence,
knowing that surely the result will be
possession, denomination. And this In
our day is called insanity, although
many physicians realize the difference,
and candldly say that not one-half the
cases in an insane asylum are due to
functional disorder. The majority are
cases of possession by evil spirits.
Suggestion, Diversion, Impression, Pos.
session.
These are the four steps along which
those who do not put themselves under
the guidance Of the Lord are in danger
Of being led by the demons. And ev'
cry step of the way should be fought
with determination Of the will, II
the "wiles Of the Adversary" would be
escaped. The vacant, unoccupied,
mind is the more open to suggestions
OF the demons. The purposeful, ear
nest, energetic, have protection In
their activity.
But II suggestions, or lmaginatiOns,
have been entertained, the second step
may soon follow diversions. The mind
will be diverted from the lines Of
thought-study, prayer, or what not.
The power of suggestion becomes so
strong as to interfere with proper
thinking and reasoning
This leads on to the third step-lm-
preston. Some are naturally more i'm
questionable than are others, and can
receive prOmptlngs, or suggestions,
from the evil spirits with so little diff
flculty that they do not realize the
source Of the impression, but rather
wonder II 1t Is a power Of their own.
Really 1t is the outside power Impress
ing them, and more and more bringing
them under occult influence.
Finally comes the last stage-posses'
sion-when the evil spirit gets full
power and control of the will, and lg.
nores the human will entirely. This Is
not always accomplished without more
or less Of n truggle-sometimes cover
Ing years. In the struggle, sometimes
by clalraudlent powers, sometimes
through mediums, the spirits will seek
more and more the confidence Of the
dupe. II he be inclined toward evil,
the leadlngs will be that way. II he
have n religious tendency, he will be
counseled to pray or reNd the Bible,
then be chlded, the object always be.
Ing to bring him into full submission
OF his mind, in a manner that none
should yield himself, except to the Al.
mighty; whom the evil spirits some.
times personate In their speech.
Witches, Wizards and NooromanosrS,
Many today laugh at the stories Of
wtChcraft handed down from the past
Quite probably some executed as
witches may have been good people,
misunderstood by their neighbors, This
does not, however, alter the fact that
witches, wizards and necromancers are
not mere myths. The Bible tells US Of
them as realities, and explains the
demon power operating through them.
In Olden times, the Divine Law for.
badc any witch, wizard or NEGRO.
manccr lone claiming to have commu-
nlcatlons from the dead) to live In the
land Of Israel, or to practise their
black arts, deuteronomy 1S:0-l4O
Through the Prophet the Lord asks the
people why the living should seek unto
those who peep and mutter and claim
TO have communication with the dead
for wisdom, knowledge, guidance,
etc,l, and not unto the living God?
"Should not people seek unto their
God2"-Isalah $40, 20
We all remember the story Of the
Witch Of Endor, and how King Saul,
when he could not have cOmmunlca-
tlou with the Lord, sought communlca-
tlon with Samuel the Prophet who
was dead Saul saw nothing and
heard nothing, The witch described to
him an old man with mantle, and
Saul recognized the description as cor.
responding with that Of the Prophet
Samuel She witch was guided by the
demons, however much she might have
supposed that the visions she saw aud
the words she heard were from the
dcOd Prophet. The prophecies were
all from the evil spirits, the demons
Il Samuel 2S7-l0; Chronicles 1913,
H. So In all heather lands, the de.
mons have had to do with the people.