Ministration of Angels

I ONCE heard of a notorious robber who, when he intended to commit some great depredation, would hire men to give out that he was dead. This allayed the fears of the people and threw them off their guard. They would then leave their barns unlocked, and their property exposed, thinking there was no danger. Then the robber would come upon them unawares and plunder their goods. He must have learned this trick of Satan himself, as it is his masterpiece of deception to decoy men into his snares.

Satan has so far succeeded with this plan that few still believe in the existence of a real, living, personal devil; but millions are loudly proclaiming that there can be no such personage. Thus, men are led to lay down their watch, and fall an easy prey to the wiles of Satan, who, they are fondly dreaming, does not exist. Says that pious woman, Charlotte Elizabeth, "Of all the errors into which the world has fallen, none is more fatally mischievous than the habit of overlooking the personality, the energy, the power, the watchfulness, and the deep cunning, of the devil.

"By a conventional system, no doubt of his own suggesting, he is never to be named but in the act of worshiping God, or that of spiritual instruction. Any other robber or murderer who was known to be on the watch to attack our houses, would be the subject of free discourse; his habits, his haunts, his usual plans, his successful and his baffled assaults in former cases, would be talked over, and thus a salutary fear would be kept alive, influencing us to bolt, and bar, and watch, and ward, with unflinching vigilance, to avert a surprise.

"But Satan seems to be a privileged person; we learn in the nursery to fancy him a hideous caricature of human nature, with horns, hoofs, and a tail, inspiring disgust and childish fear, that wears off as we advance into youth, leaving an impression rather ludicrous than alarming, of the ugly phantom that, nevertheless, continues identified with him of whom we read in the Bible...We do not realize his existence, his presence, his devices; and so we often do his work from sheer ignorance or inexcusable thoughtlessness about it...

"It seems to be regarded a manifest impropriety to name him, except with the most studied circumlocution, as though we were afraid of treating him irreverently; and he who is seldom named will not be often thought of. Assuredly it is a great help to him in his countless devices, to be so kept out of sight. We are prone to speak, to think, to act, as though we had only our own evil natures to contend with, including, perhaps, a sort of general admission that something is at work to aid the cause of rebellion."

All this we most firmly believe. It has been the studied plan of Satan to create a disbelief in his existence; and where he could not do this, to so distort our ideas of him as to make them utterly false, and thus keep his real character out of sight. It is a prominent feature of Spiritualism to deny the existence of a devil. They say that it is inconsistent with the power and goodness of God that there should be a devil. Thousands, from a lack of proper information on this point, are thus taken in this last great deception of Satan. If it can be proved from revelation and reason that there is a living, personal devil, Spiritualism will be disarmed of its strongest weapon, and its deception will be exposed.

DEVILS ARE REAL BEINGS.

Those who deny the existence of a personal devil, and yet receive the Bible, are compelled to give some explanation of the terms "devil," "Satan," etc., as they are frequently found in that book; so they tell us that these terms simply mean an evil principle in man. The absurdity of this position may be seen by reading James 2:19: "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble." Now we would ask our no-devil friends to tell us how an evil principle can believe? After they have done this, will they please explain how an evil principle can tremble!! This demolishes that theory, so another must be invented to suit the emergency. And what is it? Why, devil now means a bad person. In proof of this, John 6:70, is quoted: "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" Here, they say, Judas is called a devil; therefore, a devil is simply a bad man.

That the term devil is applied to a bad man, is true; but that this is its primary signification, is not true. Judas, in his deeds resembling the devil, has the appellation of "devil" given to him, just as men are sometimes called dogs and beasts because they resemble them in their actions. See Isa. 56:10,11; 2 Pet. 2:12.

To explain away the terms devil, Satan, etc., men reason thus; A wicked man is called a devil; therefore the devil is simply a wicked man. Profound logic! Let us try it again: A wicked man is called a dog; therefore a dog is simply a wicked man! That which proves too much, proves nothing at all. Hence, this kind of reasoning will not stand. That the devil, or Satan, is neither an evil principle in man, nor a wicked person, is evident from Rev. 20:10. First, the wicked are all destroyed; then it says, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone."

We see that after all the wicked are destroyed, the devil still exists therefore he is a personage distinct from wicked men. That the devil is not an evil principle, is further demonstrated by the fact that he is tormented in fire and brimstone. It would be absurd to talk of tormenting a principle in fire and brimstone.

The following is from A. Hall, of Ohio, on the personality of the devil:

"Universalists deny, in toto that there is now, or ever was, such a spiritual being as the devil, either real or personal; and contend that all the idea intended to be conveyed by that word, is a personification of the principle of evil, in its various forms. It is applied in a metaphorical sense, they tell us, to various objects, such as human nature, the Roman government, wicked men, such as Judas; the lusts of the flesh, etc., Sic.; but in every case it is to be understood as a figure of speech, and nothing more. This figure was known in days of old, and distinguished by many titles, expressing his character, attributes, and offices. He was called 'Abaddon', 'Appolyon,' 'Belial', 'Accuser,' 'The Beast,' 'Angel of the Bottomless Pit,' 'Great Dragon,' 'Beelzebub,' 'Deceiver,' 'Evil One,' 'The god of this world,' 'A Murderer,' 'A Liar,' 'The Prince of this world,' 'The Prince of the power of the air,' 'The Old Serpent,' 'The Devil,' 'The Father of lies,' `The Tempter,' 'Satan,' and 'The Prince of devils'!

"He must truly have been an extraordinary metaphor, possessed of doubly as many names as the Almighty himself! And I will disprove the existence of God, as a real, personal being, upon the same principle, precisely, that Universalists make out the devil nothing but a figure of speech—a personification of a mere principle of evil! If, because Judas was called a devil; John 6:70 and Peter, 'Satan;' Matt. 16:23; there is, therefore, no other devil except Judas and Peter; then, according to the same logic, because Moses was called a 'god,' Ex. 7:1; and Abraham, 'lord,' Gen. 18:12; there is, therefore, no other Lord God except Abraham and Moses!

"If, because God is said to perform many wonderful and mighty works, he is, therefore, a real being, and not a personification of a good principle; then, according to the same logic, the devil is a real being, and not a mere personification of an evil principle; for many wonderful works, in the Scriptures, are ascribed to him. He appeared in the presence of God, and they held a conversation together concerning Job. Mark the fact: they both conversed together; and, if it be consistent to say that one was a mere principle of evil, the other was nothing but a mere principle of good!

"Again: He caused a wind to blow down the house upon Job's children and kill them; brought the Sabeans upon Job's oxen, who took them all away; caused the fire of God to fall from heaven, and burn up all of Job's sheep and, finally, he smote Job with sore boils from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. If this was all done by a figure of speech, they must have had a rather savage sort of metaphors in Job's time!

"This same figure of speech conveyed the Saviour around from place to place; conversed with him; quoted Scripture; fell from Heaven like lightning; broke chains and fetters; had power to cast men into prison; to walk about as a roaring lion; to work miracles; to overcome seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew; to bind a woman eighteen years; to possess a herd of two thousand swine and drive them down into the sea and drown them; is in possession of a kingdom; is to be judged at the last day; was conscious that there was a time coming when he would have to be punished; confessed Jesus Christ to be the Son of God; is finally to be tormented in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death; and, strange to tell, all this is spoken with reference to an Eastern metaphor, a figure of speech, and not any real being, visible or invisible, neither in Heaven above, earth beneath, or the waters under the earth! Job, 1st and 2nd chapters.

"If the devil, possessing all the foregoing characteristics, and performing all these wonderful exploits, be nothing but a mere metaphor, a principle of evil, then I defy a Universalist to prove that God is anything more than a mere principle of good, the opposite of evil; and that the Bible is anything more than a mere principle of humbuggery!

"But let us try some of the real significations of the devil, according to Universalism, such as the wicked Jews, the Roman government, Judas, Peter, human nature, the lusts of the flesh, the carnal mind, etc. The best plan of testing a doctrine, is to substitute the definition for the word itself, and see what kind of sense it makes. We shall thus give the Universalist theory of no-devil logic a fair trial. 'And his fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with Roman Governments, and he healed them.' Matt. 4:24. 'Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Roman Government and his angels.' Matt. 25:41. 'And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon; and after the sop, Peter entered into him.' John 13:26,27.

Or perhaps Judas entered into himself, since he was as much of a devil as Peter was! and of course before that he was out of himself! 'Resist Peter, and he will flee from you.' James 4:7. 'Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, Peter, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Pet. 5:8. 'And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Peter hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.' Luke 22:31. 'And the God of peace shall bruise Judas under your feet shortly.' Rom. 16:20. 'There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Judas to buffet me.' 2 Cor. 12:7. 'And he was casting out a Judas, and it was dumb; and it came to pass, when Judas was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.'

'But some of them said, He casteth out Judas through Peter, the chief of Judas.' Luke 11:14,15. 'Ye are of your father Peter, and the lusts of Peter ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.' John 8:44. 'And he asked him, what is thy name? And the human nature answered, saying, my name is Legion; for we are many.' 'And all the human natures besought him, saying, send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave; and the human natures went out, and entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and were choked.' Mark 5:9-13. 'As they went out, behold, they brought unto him a dumb man possessed of a human nature. And when the human nature was cast out, the dumb spake; and the multitude marveled, saying, it was never so seen in Israel.' Matt. 9:32,33.

"No wonder the people would marvel that man could speak after his human nature was cast out of him! 'Now when Jesus was risen early, the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven human natures.' Mark 16:9. I wonder how many she had left? 'And the Lord God said unto the carnal mind, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.' Gen. 3:14. The carnal mind must surely have a singular mode of traveling, and live upon extraordinary diet! 'And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand; and he laid hold on the lusts of the flesh, that old carnal mind, which is Judas and Peter, and bound them a thousand years.' Rev. 20:1,2.

" 'Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the lusts of the flesh; and when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered; and when the lusts of the flesh came to him, they said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered the lusts of the flesh, and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the lusts of the flesh taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.'

" 'Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the lusts of the flesh taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, thou lusts of the flesh; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the lusts of the flesh leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.' Matt. 4:1-11.

"Had Christ no lusts of the flesh before the devil came to him? And after the devil left him, had he no more lusts of the flesh? If his own lusts, or his own carnal mind, was the devil that tempted him, was he not sinful? He certainly was. 'Because the carnal mind is enmity against God.' Rom. 8:7. His lusts were most unquestionably sinful, if they were the devil that tempted him; for that which is holy will not try to tempt any one into sin!"—Universalism, Against Itself, pp. 252-7.

This is sufficient to illustrate the absurdity of applying the term devil to any evil principle, the lusts of the flesh, etc. (Continued.)