The Charmer



AMONG the busy throngs of men who are

hurrying, and bustling, and crowding, along the

way of life, eager for riches and fame, may be

found a class of people who are calm and

happy; and although they love to do good and

be useful, they find time to look about them and

admire the beautiful and curious things that

God has made.

They delight in studying the works of nature,

and in tracing therein the wisdom and

goodness of Him who created all things. In

field and forest, in bud and flower, in the little

streamlet or the mighty river, on the bosom of

the wide ocean, or on the rugged sides of the

lofty mountain, they find something to admire,

something to awaken in the heart deeper

emotions of gratitude, and more fervent love to

the Giver of all good. Such persons are called

naturalists.

Naturalists observe many very curious things,

some of which remind them of the follies and

experiences of men.

One day a naturalist saw a bird fluttering

about a tree in a very unusual manner. Slowly

and carefully he crept nearer and nearer, till

he could see the cause of the strange actions of

the bird. A large serpent was coiled around

one of the branches of the tree, and, with head

raised, jaws distended, and eyes gleaming and

sparkling almost like coals of fire, he was 

making strange and rapid motions with his 

forked tongue.

The bird seemed frightened, and yet so 

completely charmed that it had no power to fly

away, but kept drawing a little closer to the

glaring eyes fixed so intently upon it, until, as

it was about to be pierced by the deadly fangs

of the serpent, the naturalist interfered and

saved its life.

It is said that in some countries serpents

often ascend trees, devour the eggs or young

birds in the nest, and then await the return of

the parent birds to charm and destroy them, as

we have just described.

There is a serpent that has power to charm

and destroy men. You will find his name in

Revelation 12:9.  He first deceived the pure-

minded dwellers in the garden of Eden, and since

 that time thousands upon thousands have fallen

 into his fatal embrace. He tried to charm and

mislead even the Son of God, as you will see

by reading Matthew 4:1-11.

We are all in danger of being misled by

him. He will try to charm us with a prospect

of obtaining riches, fame, worldly pleasures, and

fleshly lusts. Let us all beware of the charmer;

for he charms but to destroy.

It is said that some men have acquired the

art of charming snakes so that they can take

them in their hands and extract their fangs,

without harm; but be that as it may, our only

safety is in securing the help of Him who is

stronger than the strong man armed," and

who will yet lay hold on the dragon, that old

serpent which is the devil and Satan, and cast

him into the lake of fire.


 Revelation 20:2, 10.





 YI