Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary - Collated from his Diary by Benjamin Funk by John Kline
page 16 of 647 (02%)
page 16 of 647 (02%)
|
are not ignorant of his devices, for Satan is transformed into an
angel of light." He learns to know every brother's and sister's weak point. To the brother who has been fond of ardent spirits he comes behind the deceitful, covetous smile of the rumseller. In this instance the order of the fable is reversed. There the ass put on the lion's skin; here the lion puts on the skin of the ass. To the brother whose weakness is adultery he comes in the form of a harlot, "jeweled and crowned." To the brother whose special sin has been covetousness he comes as a friend. He takes him by the hand, leads him to the top of some high mountain, there shows him the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and pledges to him the enjoyment of all this glory and power if he will but fall down and worship him. Now, Herod was a type of this devil, and the prison in which Peter was chained is a type of the "horrible pit" into which many a good-meaning Christian has been cast by him. But even for such there is quite as much hope as there was for Peter. The Lord is ever nigh to redeem and to save. But there must be a willing mind. If Peter had said in his half-asleep state, "Just leave me alone--I'll come after awhile--I'm too sleepy to go now"--what then? It would have been impossible for the Lord to rescue him, if he had not been willing to be rescued by the Lord. Some, who have "been taken captive by the devil at his will," keep awake in a certain sense. The pall of darkness and deep sleep has not yet settled down upon them. They are conscious of their situation. They know and feel that they are in the hands of the enemy, but how to escape is the trouble with them. If such would only have the mind and |
|