Satan is now doing a great work and is preparing to do a greater and more astonishing work than he has ever done. He is moving and leading the great masses of the human family. In order to carry on his work successfully, he employs every agent within his reach. He is old, cunning, and well posted, and is using his powers to his best advantage. He is preparing all under his control for destruction. It is truly an astonishing sign of the times to see and realize the extent of his work, and the success with which he is carrying it on.
There is the press, which all admit is the mightiest engine for the dissemination of religious light; and that more good is now being effected through its use than through any other means. Satan, well aware of its power, seizes it, and wields in an opposite direction, to the effecting of ten-fold more evil than all the good that results from its use. The sentiments of infidelity, atheism, skepticism, Spiritualism, Mormanism, immortal-soulism, and a host of other isms, all of which are at deadly hostility with the word of God, are being30published in all popular periodicals of the day, and are read and believed by the millions, while, on the other hand, the true doctrine of the Bible is rejected as heresy, and its believers as unworthy heretics.
Satan controls the greater part of the presses of the whole world, and is editor-in-chief of all the publications which continually teem from them. The Edinburg Review says:
"The total annual issue of immoral publications has been stated at 29,000,000; being more than the total issues of the Society for promoting Christian knowledge, the Religious Tract Society, the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Trinitarian Bible Society, the Scottish Bible Society, and some seventy religious Magazines."
It affirms that in the year A. D. 1851 the purely infidel press in London issued publications to the amount of more than twelve millions. The issues of avowed atheism during the same period exceeded six hundred and forty thousand; and in addition to these were issued upward of seventeen millions and a half of a negative or corrupting character. All this is exclusive of what are properly called newspapers.
With such a torrent of corruption as the above, and with millions of souls thirsting for it, what an immense amount of wickedness Satan can effect! Truly he has "come down with great wrath, knowing that his time is short." He is stirring up the nations to anger, and is fanning the blaze that will envelop the wicked in the conflagration of the last day. All, save the elect or chosen of God, will fall a prey to his deceptions and fury.
While the great enemy is thus busily engaged, let the people of God awake.
"''Tis time we all awake
'Tis surely death to sleep."
We must arouse and gird us for the conflict. Let us gird on the armor. Hold up the banner—The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, embracing the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy. Let this be our covering, and we need not fear the attacks of the enemy. But if he can but influence some poor, trembling, faint-hearted soul to doubt the testimony or spirit of prophecy, he feels to rejoice that his prey is sure.
Dear brethren, to the tempter's voice, close heart, and eye, and ear. He will persuade you to disbelieve the commandments if he can. But if he fails in this, he will try to terrify you to reject the visions. He will say that you can keep the commandments and be saved without the visions. But do not listen. Resist him with the word of the Lord—"Despise not prophesyings," &c., and he will flee every time. He hates the visions, and those who believe and love them; but he loves them who disbelieve and reject them. He loves to smell their tobacco smoke, their polluted breath, and is delighted to see their large hoops, &c. He is much pleased with their meetings, their dry, formal prayers, and powerless testimonies. He rejoices over these, because he knows they are an abomination to the Lord. In short, he loves such a people. They are his people.
But the people of God must prepare for war. It is coming. The dragon is angry, and has sworn in his wrath that he will overthrow the remnant if he can. We must hedge up his way, close up his inroads, shut out his doubts; for if he can make you entertain his doubts, you will soon give heed to an evil heart of unbelief, and you will next depart from the living God.
The truths of the third angel's message have been tested and tried. Let us therefore believe with all the heart, and do with all our might, and we will be strengthened to stand against all the enemy's power. May the Lord be with us, and help us to be faithful to the end.
B. F. SNOOK.