Open Column.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 32, 18 August 1883, Page 3

Open Column.

THE BIBLE AND ITS ENEMY. {Advertisement.) This is the substance of an Address in the Queen's Theatre; Dunedin, New Zealand, in November, 1882, by Mr Forlong. Hut s>atan has another charater and another class. He is sometimes a cold, sound, religious devil ; pretends to be very orthodox, and very moral, even deep in divinity, lie lays a good religious fire — all the material i 9 there — he lays out men like corpses, '. ho m.-tn is there — a complete man — but he is a coid corpse. The fire is laid, it is all correct, but not one spark, not one match allowed, a bright flame would frighten the whole class — Satan would shout fire and disperse the class. A few born of the spirit would be reckoned g-hosts and discarded. Satan's fourth character is his popular one. He aives out pleasure, sins, excitement. He winds round this class chains of passion aud desire that bind them firmly to sin and excitement. Ah old roue, thou are not the man thou wast, oneo — ah younff man, already the down is off that wing- — the frank, honest words have fled, the noble boyhood of thy life has gone— thou could'st n t now be frank and cand d, and thy face could not now raise its once fine, noble angry look when a vile low sin was mentioned or applauded. Now thou dost joke with sin, thou are polluted and even the outward nobility of thine old nature is gone. But Satan attends good men as well as bad — he was never absent from Christ we may depend upon it — he was at Job's religious meetings even whilst Job was offering for his children How did Christ- meet Satan ? With the only weaoon God has given to meet him— the Sword of the Spirit. He tries to rub the edge off your Bible, does he f Of course he will. He files the edge off your sword — sharpen it — never allow hatan to file the edge off a iudgment or a promise. Your power is the Bible— quote it again and again — grasp a promise and quote it, and stand to it. I will you how Moody says a poor rebel was brought to Christ. God smote with illness a dear little girl, her father's idol. She was the light ot his eyes. She grew worse and worse ; she died, and the strong man's agony was intense, and in his despair heattacked God. " Why not take sonao of my ; neighbour's children ; they have many, 1 had only one. It i$ cruel," he cried. Arid ? in great agony he cast himself down,' upon a bed and wept till he fell asleep. He dreamt he saw a beautiful country and far off he heard the voice of that dear child cryinp, "This way, father! this way. father!" He hurried on and on, and lo ! a broad, angry river stopped him, and he stood arid wondered what he would do Suddenly he heard a voice overhead, " I atn the way, the trmh, and th« life," attcThV awoke . H e knew that voice; 1 It Was God's own voice, and he knelt* and responded to it. He trusted it, and rose up resolved to be Christfs. That man has been an able and devoted worker for Christ ever since.