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light that reveals the way to Heaven.
Satan is making the world believe that the Bible is a mere fiction,
or at least a book suited to the infancy of the race, but now to be
lightly regarded, or cast aside as obsolete. And to take the place
of the word of God he holds out spiritual manifestations. Here is
a cha
the world believe what he will. The book that is to judge him
and his followers he puts into the shade, just where he wants it;
the Saviour of the world he makes to be no more than a common
man. And as the Romish guard that watched the tomb of Jesus
spread the lying report which the priests and elders put into their
mouths to disprove his resurrection, so do the believers in spiritual
manifestations try to make it appear that there is nothing miraculous
in the circumstances of our Saviour’s life. After thus seeking to put
Jesus in the background, they call attention to their own miracles,
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declaring that these far exceed the works of Christ.
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Says the prophet Isaiah: “When they shall say unto you, Seek
unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep
and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the
living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony. If they speak
not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
[Isaiah 8:19, 20.] If men had been willing to receive the truth so plainly stated in the Scriptures, that the dead know not anything,
they would see in the claims and manifestations of Spiritualism the
working of Satan with power and signs and lying wonders. But
rather than yield the liberty so agreeable to the carnal heart, and
renounce the sins which they love, the multitudes close their eyes to
the light, and walk straight on, regardless of warnings, while Satan
weaves his snares about them, and they become his prey. “Because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,”
therefore “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie.” [2 Thessalonians 2:10, 11.]
Those who oppose the teachings of Spiritualism are assailing,
not men alone, but Satan and his angels. They have entered upon a
contest against principalities and powers and wicked spirits in high
places. Satan will not yield one inch of ground except as he is driven
back by the power of heavenly messengers. The people of God
should be able to meet him, as did our Saviour, with the words, “It
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is written.” Satan can quote Scripture now as in the days of Christ,
and he will pervert its teachings to sustain his delusions. But the
plain statements of the Bible will furnish weapons powerful in every
conflict.
Those who would stand in this time of peril must understand
the testimony of the Scriptures concerning the nature of man and
the state of the dead; for in the near future many will be confronted
by the spirits of devils personating beloved relatives or friends, and
declaring the most dangerous heresies. These visitants will appeal
to our tenderest sympathies, and will work miracles to sustain their
pretensions. We must be prepared to withstand them with the Bible
truth that the dead know not anything, and that they who thus appear
are the spirits of devils.
Just before us is the “hour of temptation, which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” [Revelation
3:10.] All whose faith is not firmly established upon the word of
Spiritualism
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God will be deceived and overcome. But to those who earnestly
seek a knowledge of the truth, thus doing what they can to prepare
for the conflict, the God of truth will be a sure defense. “Because
thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee,” is the
Saviour’s promise. He would sooner send every angel out of Heaven
to protect his people, than leave one soul that trusts in him to be
overcome by Satan.
The prophet Isaiah brings to view the fearful deception which
will come upon the wicked, causing them to count themselves secure
from the judgments of God: “We have made a covenant with death,
and with hell are we at agreement. When the overflowing scourge
shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made
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lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.” [Isaiah
28:15.] In the class here described are included those who in their stubborn impenitence comfort themselves with the assurance that
there is to be no punishment for the si
matters not how corrupt, are to be exalted to Heaven to become as
the angels of God. But still more emphatically are those making a
covenant with death and an agreement with hell, who renounce the
truths which Heaven has provided as a defense for the righteous in
the day of trouble, and accept the refuge of lies offered by Satan in
its stead,—the delusive pretensions of Spiritualism.
Marvelous beyond expression is the blindness of the people of
this generation. Thousands reject the word of God as unworthy of
belief, and with eager confidence receive the deceptions of Satan.
Skeptics and scoffers with great clamor denounce the bigotry of
those who contend for the faith of prophets and apostles, and they
divert themselves by holding up to ridicule the solemn declarations
of the Scriptures concerning Christ and the plan of salvation, and
the retribution to be visited upon the rejecters of the truth. They
affect great pity for minds so narrow, weak, and superstitious as to
acknowledge the claims of God, and obey the requirements of his
law. They manifest as much assurance as if, indeed, they had made
a covenant with death and an agreement with hell,—as if they had
erected an impassable, impenetrable barrier between themselves and
the vengeance of God. Nothing can arouse their fears. So fully have
they yielded to the tempter, so closely are they united with him, and
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so thoroughly imbued with his spirit, that they have no power and
no inclination to break away from his snare.
Long has Satan been preparing for his final effort to deceive the
world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given
to Eve in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die.” “In the day that ye eat
thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods,
knowing good and evil.” Little by little he has prepared the way for
his master-piece of deception in the development of Spiritualism.
He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but
it will be reached in the last remnant of time, and the world will be
swept into the ranks of this delusion. They are fast being lulled into