The Worst Being In The World.


I BELIEVE I said something to you, children,

in one of my articles about some of my early

impressions on different subjects. I had

some very singular ideas, too, about the Evil

One. I used to think he was a tall, ugly-looking

being, with a pair of great horns, and two feet

 with hoofs on them; that he walked erect, and

 that his arms ended with claws instead of 

fingers. I thought he carried a three-tined 

pitchfork in his hands, and that he was always

 watching to torment people, and when he found 

them alone he would get them and throw them 

into a great lake of fire, somewhere.

Many a night, after spending the evening thinking

about this imaginary monster, have I gone to

bed and dreamed of his chasing me around my

grandfather's barn with his pitchfork, and of my

just making my escape from him into the house.

And so vivid were these impressions on my mind,

that when I awoke in the morning I could hardly

be prevailed on to go to the stable for fear the

 Devil would come out with his great three-tined fork.

Nothing tormented me more through my 

childhood days than this constant fear of the 

Enemy.

I never said anything about it to any one, but it

was a constant source of fear whenever I was

 alone.

These false impressions all came, I find, from

 some pictures I had seen of Satan, and from 

hobgoblin stories I had heard of the Devil's 

taking folks off alive!

I have learned now that the Wicked One is in the

form of a man; that he was once of a noble,

 majestic appearance, perfect in beauty. Were 

we to see him now, we should see traces of that

 beautiful form, but defaced with the haggard 

marks of the fall. He was so beautiful that he got

 proud of it, as the Bible says, and the Lord could

 not let him stay in heaven. He was cast out of

 heaven, and then he went to using those noble

 powers in trying to injure God's government.

I find that it is true that he is seeking to destroy

all that will do right. Not, however, by taking us

off bodily with a pitchfork, but he tries to infuse

bad thoughts into our minds, and to stir up angry

passions in our hearts. The Bible tells us we

 have an adversary, the Devil, that goes about 

seeking whom he may devour, and that we must 

resist him by faith. If we try to do right, and 

believe that God will take care of us, he will not 

let this mortal foe do us harm. He will send, if 

necessary, legions of angels that "excel in 

strength" to take care of us. They are stronger

 than the devils, having never marred their 

powers by falling into sin. You must, dear 

children, watch this great foe and resist his evil

 ways. Keep all wicked thoughts out of your 

heads, and all angry passions out of your hearts,

 that you may not become his prey at last.





J. N. L.