DEMONS AND TONGUES

BY

ALMA WHITE

1910

Demons and Tongues By Alma White.

This edition was created and published by Global Grey

©GlobalGrey 2020

Get more free ebooks at

globalgreyebooks.com

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 1

DEMON POSSESSION—GREATEST CALAMITY—SPIRITUAL BEARINGS LOST —SATAN’S MIGHTIEST WEAPON—THE LATTER RAIN SPURIOUS LOVE—MIRACLES CLAIMED—RELIGIOUS DEMONS —PERVERT THE TRUTH—A CORRUPT TREE—VIGOROUS WARFARE NECESSARY—THE LONE PROPHET

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14: 12).

THIS SCRIPTURE came to mind as we thought of the condition of backsliders, and others, who have been caught in the Satanic “Tongues” delusion, which, during the past few years, has swept like a pestilence over the globe. A person who has fallen from grace is in a deplorable state and is to be pitied, even when he realizes his condition, but how much more dreadful it is to be possessed with demons and not know it. Of all calamities that could possibly befall a person this side of eternity, this appeals to us as being the worst. When the Holy Spirit is grieved away, the door is open and demons enter as angels of light and take possession of the heart. They do not say, “We are demons and have come to sink your soul into perdition,” but they talk like angels. In other words, they claim to be the Holy Ghost, and thus deceive and destroy the soul.

From a personal knowledge of and actual acquaintance with many who have been swept away by the “Tongues” delusion, we know, that through disobedience or refusal to consecrate themselves to God, they lost their spiritual bearings and have been backslidden, some of them, for years. Of course it was Satan’s opportunity to pick them up and make them dupes of his religion. When the truth is fully known it will be found that the 'Tongues' adherents, with few exceptions, are persons of this character. When people refuse to take the rugged way of the Cross, they are continually looking for something to ease their consciences; Satan sees that they find it. He stands at their right hand and says, “This is the way, walk ye in it,” and without controversy they obey. When they repeatedly go against light, and refuse God’s counsel and reproof, He turns away and leaves them to their fate. God helps those who do His will. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7: 21).

Apostate Gentiles have turned their ears unto fables, ignoring the word of God and walking after the traditions of men, hence the soil of their hearts is ready for the devil’s own planting. The good seed finds no lodging-place. But God is merciful enough not to leave them without warning. He has a few people jn these days of awful peril who are exposing the works of the devil, and faithfully proclaiming His word and truth.

The so-called Apostolic movement, known as the 'Tongues,' is an invention of Satan to shut people’s eyes to the apostate condition of Christendom. Its purpose is to make a great religious display and lull the multitudes to sleep in their cradles of carnal security, just at the close of the Gentile age. Satan knows that his days are few and he must lose no time; that the day is not far distant when the angel will descend from heaven with a chain to bind him and cast him into the bottomless pit, where the key will be turned on him for a thousand years. His mightiest weapon of warfare is a counterfeit religion. He must make people believe that the world is growing better, and he disguises himself and comes as an angel of light, bringing with him this so-called Pentecostal baptism with the sign of tongues. To his satisfaction the great multitudes of professors have cooled off and many are ready for just such a counterfeit or to accept anything under the name of Pentecost he may hand out to them. He tells them that Zechariah’s prophecy (Zech. 14: 7), which says, “At evening time it shall be light,” is being fulfilled in the spread of the “Tongues” movement over the globe, that “THE LATTER RAIN” is falling upon the Gentiles and there is now a world-wide revival and that hundreds and thousands are receiving their Pentecost. The prophecy which says, “At evening time it shall be light,” and those concerning “the latter rain,” have reference to the Jews, and will be fulfilled after they are gathered back to Palestine. All this talk about the latter rain is a misappropriation of Scripture that belongs to the Jews, as is plain to be seen: “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2: 23-25). Gentiles have no claim whatever to the litaral fulfilment of the phrophecies concerning the latter rain. Instead of light coming to them they are being enshrouded in the greatest spiritual darkness that has ever been known in the history of the Gospel age.

Many persons have signed pledges and quit the drink and other habits without ever having been converted, and there may be in the “Tongues” movement those who have reformed, but this they could do and not have a particle of spiritual light. Salvation begins in the heart and works outward. Those who have once had the Spirit of God are not so likely to fall back into the old paths of outward sin; they are more likely to be brought under the power of some delusion, never getting their eyes open until they wake up in perdition. Satan does not care how high a person’s outward standard of morals may be just so his imps can have a lodging place in his heart. He can better accomplish his purpose when one is not outwardly wicked.

There is a spurious love existing among the “Tongues” folk which is extremely revolting. When Satan is trying to deceive a person with false religion he is too shrewd to come as a roaring lion, but brings his counterfeit of Divine love which always appeals to the carnal mind and is readily accepted by those who are caught by his heresies.

The “Tongues” people claim miracle-working power in the healing of diseases just as the Christian Scientists have claimed it for years. At the beginning of each new era in the history of both Jews and Gentiles, there have been great demonstrations of power. The true Church will never lose the gifts of the Spirit nor the power of working miracles. It is not necessary, however, at the close of the Gentile dispensation for miracles to be worked to prove the divinity of Christ. His divinity has already been established.

In fulfilment of prophecy, men have hardened their hearts; the Holy Spirit has been rejected and demons are strongly intrenched in human habitations, and, like a criminal, apostate Christendom is under the Divine sentence and must pay the penalty. God owes no favors to those who have refused His counsel and insulted His Spirit. The gallows for their execution, figuratively speaking, is already prepared. There are a few people, however, who have kept their garments unspotted from the world and are robed and ready to meet their coming Lord when He appears in the clouds of His glory.

When a religious demon enters the heart, he will sing, preach and pray through his victim, and in fact do almost anything that one does who has real salvation. He is usually equipped with plenty of religious paraphernalia. He has a lingo that sounds like the language of Canaan, and the unwary pilgrim will be taken in his net. He even talks about the blood of the atonement and the coming of Christ. If He did not there would be no danger of his deceiving the very elect. He comes with an open Bible and claims that his arguments are based upon the word of God; he can quote scripture and pervert it to perfection. A smooth-tongued hypocrite thus demonized can do more real damage than a host of sinners who make no profession. The fountain of iniquity from within sends forth an unclean stream; the tongue speaks perverse things.

It is a critical time when those who profess to be righteous, neither call for justice nor plead for the truth, and we personally know that many among the “Tongues” people who claim “the baptism” with the sign of tongues, are ever ready to pervert the truth. They will take up and spread an evil report and they always find a hearing among those of their own kind. The love of the truth is not in them. Isaiah says of such, “They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.” No stronger statements than these could be made. There is nothing more deadly than the sting of a viper, and those who listen to falsehoods and repeat them hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and a nest of vipers are turned loose to bite and destroy. When one listens to and accepts a lie he is becoming inoculated with the poison of a viper. Those who have the spirit of Jesus will not do such things; they will not subsist on falsehoods and take up an evil report and carry it to others. The spider weaves a web and captures his prey in its meshes, and so does a tale-bearer weave his stories so as to catch the innocent and unwary. A tale-bearer is an encumberer of the ground and should be looked upon as such by all who love the truth. “Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands” (Isa. 59 : 6). Truth is fallen to the ground and a false standard is lifted up. God will arise, and according to the deeds of the wicked He will repay “fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies.” When John the Baptist told his hearers of Jesus who would baptize them with the Holy Ghost and fire, he said, ‘ ‘And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” (Luke 3: 9). The “Tongues” tree is not only corrupt (doctrinely wrong), but it is lodging all kinds of unclean birds in its branches. The Gospel axe must hew it down, and there are not many who are able to wield the axe. This tree sprang up in a day and bears unmistakably the fruit of corruption. Any person, however profligate he may be, can get the tongues. All he needs to do is to associate with the “Tongues” folk and seek according to their directions. If he has any difficulty they will assist him by their magic devices, even taking hold and working his jaws until satisfactory results are obtained.

A legion of devils were cast out of the Gadarene and seven were cast out of Mary Magdalene. If we could only know how many are hiding underneath a cloak of profession among the “Tongues” people it would be a great revelation to some who are deceived. Many an old spiritualist has attended their meetings and felt himself perfectly at home. He recognizes the same spirits operating in a “Tongues” meeting that he does in the seance. Devil worshipers in India have had the gift of tongues, and Mormon polygamists in our own land claim to speak with the “tongues of angels.” There never was a better time for witchcraft to become rooted in fruitful soil. The leaders of the apostate holiness movements are full of pride and unholy ambition, living to gratify their fleshly appetites. The rugged way of the Cross is shunned and something that appeals to the senses is sought after by leaders and people.

In old times, those who were possessed with strange spirits were taken out and stoned to death that the land might be rid of witches, and it is necessary to wage as vigorous warfare against this evil to-day as it was in olden times. We fully realize our great responsibility, and see more and more the fight we will have to make in the midst of this wicked and perverse generation, where multitudes of professed Christians are so utterly ignorant of the power of the Holy Spirit to save, sanctify and keep free from sin.

Elisha was the only prophet and evangelist in Israel that could bid Naaman’s leprosy depart. “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian’’(Luke 4: 27). For one to be healed of leprosy was an unheard of thing, but there was one man at least whom God honored, who had found such favor with Him that He could use him in the healing of a leper.

God has raised up the Pillar of Fire and placed it in the breach to enlighten the people and to bring them to the knowledge of the truth. It is no small work to expose the devil as he appears in the disguise of the Holy Ghost in this “Tongues” movement. But we are going to make the effort and leave the consequences with God.

The principalities and powers of darkness cannot stand before a prevailing Church; not because its members have any strength or might of their own, but from the fact that the God of the universe hears their cries and co-operates with them. He has all power in heaven and in earth and besides Him there is no God. When man reaches the limit of his strength, he may expect something marvelous to take place, especially when the enemies of righteousness have set themselves to destroy the work that God has called him to do.

The “Tongues” adherents, whether they are aware of it or not, are being used of the devil to destroy, if possible, the last ray of spiritual light in the old holiness movement, but God is raising up a standard against them. The Church moves heaven and heaven moves earth and hell. The Lord delights to honor those who honor Him and tells them to remember that their weapons of warfare are not carnal. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Soon the long night of sin will be brought to a close and the day will break for those who have been faithful. The eye of faith even now beholds the rosy-tinted morning that will herald the coming of our Lord and King to reign in glory upon the earth.

CHAPTER 2

SIGN-SEEKERS—A SIGN OF THE LAST DAYS—SIGNS FROM BENEATH—TONGUEISM IS SPIRITISM—MYSTERY OF INIQUITY— JUDGED BY ITS FRUIT—WANDERING STARS—THE LOVE OF MONEY—A RICH “TONGUES” EDITOR

TN THE 12th chapter of Matthew we find that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who were seeking after a sign. These Pharisees were so dead spiritually that they did not know their Messiah when He came. They claimed that He was an impostor, and utterly rejected Him. They said He cast out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils. When they desired a sign of Him, He replied, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a SIGN; and there shall no SIGN be given unto it, but the SIGN of the prophet Jonas” (Matt. 12: 39). Christ himself is this SIGN, His death and burial being prefigured by the three days and nights that Jonah was in the whale, and His resurrection by the ejection of the prophet onto the dry land. He further said, “The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it." That is, the generation that sought after a SIGN.

When people turn aside from the truth and go to seeking signs, they open their hearts to be deceived by men and demons. These Pharisees had no conviction and no desire to repent of their sins.

They were already condemned. Heathen Nineveh received Jonah’s message and repented in sackcloth and ashes, and mercy was extended unto them; but the hypocritical Pharisees who were seeking after signs refused to repent, and in their rags of self-righteousness were turned over to become the habitations of demons.

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept and garnished. Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation” (Matt. 12: 43-45).

There is no better illustration of this evil generation to which Jesus referred than the present “Tongues” movement, composed, as it is, of hypocritical sign-seekers. They have signs among them, but they are from beneath and not from above. It is the same old spirit of necromancy and witchcraft that has been manifested in all ages. Witchcraft belongs to the works of the flesh; wherever people are given to the over-indulgence of their fleshly appetites, it is an easy matter to become the victims of witchcraft.

Josiah, king of Israel, had the land cleansed of the workers with familiar spirits. 2 Kings 23: 24-25 says, “Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.”

We must wage warfare against this demon-working power if we expect to please God and have our prayers answered. The country is full of witches and wizards presenting themselves as the teachers of righteousness. ‘Tongueism' is spiritism, and so subtle is the enemy that it is deceiving the people in all lands. Multitudes are being brought under the influence and charm of those who claim to have obtained the Holy Ghost baptism with the sign of tongues. Ignorant of the true principles of salvation they are unable to understand the strange spirits that operate in a “Tongues” meeting and are caught by the devil's baits. It is for this class of people more especially that we write, hoping that by some means they may be recovered from the snare of the wicked one and their eyes opened to their peril before they are hopelessly engulfed in the slimepits of 'Tongueism' where all kinds of heresies are bred and fostered.

“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:7-12). When people refuse to be reined up and go through the spiritual discipline that God seeks to give them, He sends them strong delusions which they are unable to get rid of. No amount of arguing or reasoning will cause them to see their lost condition, and they go on deceiving and being deceived. They have forsaken sound doctrines and become the advocates of heresy. Paul, in his second epistle to Timothy (4: 3-4) says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine ; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

We never saw so many with itching ears as are found in the “ Tongues ” movement. They are listening to hear of signs and wonders and they sit fascinated while remarkable stories are being told of how people who, it has been claimed, have been healed of their bodily diseases, etc. A short time ago in London, we heard of a person whom the “Tongues” people claimed was healed on receiving a handkerchief that one of their leaders in Los Angeles, California, had blest and sent to her. We have known this man for years. When we first met him he was a practicing physician and had salvation, but we have every evidence that he has been a backslider for years. We are to judge a tree by its fruit and we know that his ministry is not bringing forth the fruit of righteousness. Like others he is looking for signs and wonders, while those under his ministry are perishing for the bread of life. There is no evidence given among his followers that they have been truly converted. To show the character of the work this man is doing, he told us on one occasion that after a few minutes’ talk in one of his meetings, the power fell and about one hundred persons were converted in their seats.

There was no repentance, no restitution, no crying, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” no confession of sin, no godly sorrow, yet he claimed they were converted. Who ever heard of a Holy Ghost revival under such conditions. This is worse than a card-signing affair. After the three years’ ministry of our Lord on earth there were only 120 persons who waited for the descent of the Holy Ghost in the upper room. In these last days of awful peril and old church apostasy we find a person who is presumptuous enough to claim that one hundred persons were converted under the above conditions in a single meeting. Jude says of such preachers, “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots: Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”

This man, we positively know, has helped to prepare the soil in Los Angeles for the “Tongues” heresy. The Scripture says, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” He told us about some gold mines in which he was interested, and frankly stated that some day he expected to be a very rich man. His own words were sufficient proof that he had fallen from grace. Matthew 19:24 says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” He evidently was not expecting to take the track that Jesus took, who said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” James says, “Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire.” It was clearly manifested that he had an exalted opinion of himself and had the love of money in his heart. The Scripture says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6: 10-12).

There is an editor of a “Tongues” publication in California who, we are told (by the “Tongues” people), is very rich, but she is looked upon by them as being a saint. James says to the rich men, “Go weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” The people of this so-called Apostolic movement are not telling the rich among them to weep and howl, THEY TELL THEM TO SEEK THE TONGUES. Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Men’s hearts are always with their treasures. It cannot be otherwise. The only way to get the affections on things above is to become poor in this world’s goods. “Poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” It is God’s plan to keep His children dependent upon Him for their temporal supplies, and only in this way can they live the life of faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please him.”

Rich men who make a profession of religion, openly defy God’s word and trample His laws under their feet; they have persecuted His prophets and martyred His saints in all ages. Jesus called them a generation of vipers and said, “How can ye escape the damnation of hell?” There are not two roads to heaven; there is only one way— the way of faith—“The just shall live by faith.”

CHAPTER 3

HERESIES—DENYING UNITY OF GODHEAD—THE THIRD BLESSING—STRANGE MEETINGS—THE DEVIL’S FIRE—RENOUNCE FORMER TEACHINGS—QUOTATIONS—SEEKING TONGUES TO EASE CONSCIENCE—GOD’S WARNINGS—EVIL ANGELS—MULTITUDES BEING DECEIVED

WE NOTICE in looking over the “Tongues” publications that their pages are all stamped with heresy. They teach that the baptism with the Holy Ghost and tongues is a distinct work from sanctification. They call sanctification the “baptism with blood,” and claim that the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with this baptism, that the Holy Spirit did not die for humanity. What could be more abominable in the sight of God than this? While like the third blessing heresy so popular among many backsliders a few years ago, this doctrine is much worse. Ephesians 4: 5 says clearly there is but “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” When carnality is destroyed by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit people become one in Christ, having been baptized by one Spirit into one body.

Advocates of the “Tongues” heresy do violence to the unity of the Godhead. They divide up the work of. salvation among the three persons and run into tri-theism, when they deny that the Holy Spirit is our sanctifier. The Word declares that there are not three Gods, but one God in three persons. The Holy Spirit is the third person, the executive of the Godhead. He convicts the sinner, regenerates the penitent and sanctifies the Christian. The Word teaches that we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit applies the blood, cleansing the heart from all spiritual defilement, taking possession of the temple and occupying the throne of the heart.

The disciples, the “Tongues” folk say, were sanctified before Pentecost. It seems strange that any one who has had spiritual light could be swept away by such doctrines. We have every evidence that the disciples had the carnal mind until Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost fell upon them and utterly expurgated the last remains of it. The baptism of the Holy Ghost and sanctification is one and the same work, and any one who teaches differently has either never known Christ or is a backslider under the control of demons. Why should we go back on this standard teaching which God has blest in all past ages? The great work of Pentecost was the destruction of the carnal nature, or the execution of the old man of sin. The plan of salvation has never been changed; it has been the same in all ages. Two works of grace are set forth—regeneration and sanctification. Regeneration is the imparting of life by the Holy Spirit to the dead soul. Sanctification is the removal of the carnal nature, or the body of sin that, like a dead corpse, clings to the soul after it has been regenerated. In the seventh of Romans (verse 24) we read, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The next verse gives hope; through Jesus Christ there is deliverance. The Holy Spirit utterly destroys this body of sin and fits the temple for His own indwelling, and takes possession.

A few years ago an advocate of the third blessing heresy told us that the fact that the disciples were all of one accord in one place when the Holy Spirit descended proves that they were sanctified before Pentecost. He had been in Canada and different parts of the United States gathering a few people together and erroneously teaching them that it is impossible for regenerated people to be of one accord, and used this as his strong argument that the sanctification of the disciples took place before Pentecost. He almost succeeded in making some of our own converts believe he was right and tried to convince us that we had been teaching them wrong. While he stood with his Bible in hand delivering his message to us in our own home we opened a revised version and showed him that the “one accord” was missing; that the scripture simply reads, “When the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place”(Acts 2 :1, R. V.). When he saw the complete absence of “With one accord,” on which he was basing his argument, he was utterly confused and began to whirl around in the floor and shout out, “Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God!” This ended his work in the West. A short time afterwards we learned that he had died.

The “Tongues” people believe in laying aside doctrines like a person would lay off a garment, then they say, “Become passive—cease to strive— and tongues will come.” This is hypnotism—the same spirits at work that are found in the spiritualistic meetings.

Paul repeatedly warns Timothy about the doctrines. 1 Tim. 4: 16 says, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them : for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” The 13th verse says, “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” The fact is, we cannot get along without doctrine, but God forbid that we should endorse the doctrines of devils.

There is no way for the devil to proceed with his work in a “Tongues” meeting until he has induced people to give up sound doctrines, then he can operate upon their mental and spiritual organisms, and after they have accepted the false he has them completely under the control of his imps, and most any kind of outburst of demon power is likely to follow. It may be speaking in tongues which no one can understand or even in language that some are familiar with. Seekers of the tongues often become unconscious and remain in that state for hours.

In the “Tongues” meetings it is a fact that under strange spells people have been known to writhe like serpents, bark like dogs, mew like cats, and mimic perfectly other animals. Satan understands languages and in some instances may speak through those who yield themselves to be used as his instrumentalities.

As the Gentile age draws to a close, there will be greater manifestations of demon power than have ever been known in the history of the world. One Bible commentator has said the devil’s fire will fall and many will be deceived. “Man has fox fire, and the devil has hell-fire, and God has heavenly fire. The Holy Ghost is God. If you seek a baptism separate from sanctification you open the door for men and devils to deceive you with their strange fire, for which Nadab and Abihu fell dead when they offered it unto the Lord.”

It hardly seems possible that so many people could be deceived by the false doctrines current in the present “Tongues” movement. Those who have refused spiritual discipline are unable to tell the difference between the Holy Spirit, and imps of perdition when they come as angels of light. Professing to know God they failed to keep the rugged track and gave way to the works of the flesh in some form. The devil saw his opportunity to deceive them and took advantage of it.

We find that many persons who have become the victims of the “Tongues” delusion have claimed the baptism of the Holy Ghost for years. Of course they were backslidden when they came in contact with this demon worship and they concluded that they had never had their Pentecost, and threw open the doors of their hearts and invited the “Tongues” demon to come in, which he did, only too glad to get the chance. If a legion of devils begged Jesus to let them go into the swine they would have no hesitation in entering the heart of a human being who persistently entreats them to come in. The fact is these demon seducers are taking possession of those whose hearts were once the temple of the Holy Spirit without being resisted. In accepting the “Tongues” heresy people virtually say that all previous claims they have made to salvation are false, and that for the first time in their lives they are being enlightened. They make God out a liar. If they had any salvation they would hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering, but, according to instructions, they renounce their former teachings and spiritual light as not being of God. The testimonies of such people amount to this, “We have been hypocrites during all the years of our Christian profession, we have been deceived by the devil, and we are just now getting our eyes open to the truth.” In order to worm their way out of their entanglements they go to tinkering with the doctrines. First, the candidate must be immersed in water, then follow the various works which they divide up between the different persons of the Godhead, the ultimate end of which must be muttering or jabbering in tongues.

We quote the following from a “Tongues” paper published in Chicago: “Let it be settled once and for all, that the Holy Spirit cannot save any one, and that it is no part of His work to do so.” This is simply blasphemy. What could please the devil more than to have men blaspheme the Holy Ghost? “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation” (Mark 8:28-29). There is no greater blasphemy against the Holy Ghost than is found in this “Tongues” movement! It certainly climaxes the works of the devil in all ages.

The following is also a quotation from this publication:

“What a mistake it is to give the Holy Spirit credit for all the work the blessed Christ does for us, thus robbing Him of His glory.” What else can this be but blasphemy? The Word says, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word(Jesus), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5 : 7). When a person says that the Holy Spirit has not power of execution he virtually says that neither God nor His Son have this power, and if the truth were only known, these blasphemers are taking all the power from God and giving it to the devil, who, with his imps, is operating through them. It certainly is time for the lovers of truth and righteousness to rise up in arms against this “Tongues” movement and contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.

Again we quote, from the same paper: “Large numbers who know that it is Christ that is received in conversion, and who believe in sanctification as a subsequent work of grace, declare that while they did not receive the Spirit in conversion, they certainly did in sanctification. Again we say, ‘No,’ Jesus Christ is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Then if the Spirit reveals unto us after we are saved that the Christ we received as our Savior in conversion is also made unto us sanctification and faith appropriates it, it is not the Holy Spirit we receive, it is sactification in Jesus Christ. Further, the Holy Spirit will witness clearly to our sanctification and will bring great blessing and joy to the heart of the person who is separated unto God through the precious blood of Christ. But all this is not receiving the Holy Ghost.” A few years ago, we met people who had gone into the third blessing heresy. They went from one extreme to another. After they had claimed to receive the Holy Ghost, as a third work, they sought a blessing of dynamite. After having received it, they sought the blessing of lyddite, which, they said, was even stronger than dynamite. At this juncture those who had at first advocated the third blessing made a protest declaring that they would not go any further. Then their meetings broke up in a row. This was God’s way of answering our prayers in behalf of those who were being swept away by the false doctrines.

The persistency shown by some of the adherents of the present “Tongues” heresies in trying to get others under the same demon-working power is shocking, but thank God, there are a few persons yet who cannot be brought under the control of demons. There is a saying that we have often heard, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” We can say with St. Paul, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1: 12). The next verse says, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” Paul had reference here to sound doctrine. He says also that all that were in Asia turned away from him and mentions Phygellus and Hermogenes. These persons who turned away may have kept up their profession, but they embraced false doctrines, or in other words, the doctrines of devils.

He mentioned Onesiphorus who had often refreshed Him and was not ashamed of his chain. By this we know that those who left him were ashamed of his chain. There was too much reproach in connection with it for them. They wanted a popular religion, and of course the devil had it for them. Paul declared that he was not ashamed of the Gospel, that it is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth. The “Tongues” people laid down the Cross before they embraced the doctrines of devils. There is no reproach of the Cross connected with getting the modern tongues, from the fact they originated in perdition. There are some persons among them who claim they are being persecuted. This may be true, but it is not for righteousness’ sake. No doubt some of them in their deceived and deluded condition actually suffer. There are all kinds of divisions and dissensions among those who are given up to demon worship. There are carnal professors who have not yielded themselves to these spirits who will oppose those who have. It is the same old carnal warfare that has been manifested in churches and political parties all down the ages. All classes of people are found seeking the tongues without repenting of their sins or meeting the conditions of the Scriptures in any sense. Those who have been rebelling against God for years will go to a “Tongues” meeting and seek tongues to ease their consciences. Isaiah describes their spiritual condition: “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” Such persons ought to read the tenth and eleventh verses (chapter 1), and profit by them: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?” The “Tongues” movement is of the flesh and of the devil, and as truly can God call the leaders, “Rulers of Sodom,” as He did backslidden Israel in the days of old. He will unsheath His sword and uncover this mess of carnality. The day is not far distant when all those who have been found taking part in their meetings would gladly go into the holes and caves of the earth if they could hide from the presence of the Lord. The ghastly works of the devil in “Tongueism” must and will be exposed.

For years God has been warning people that His judgments were about to fall upon the earth, and those who have had spiritual understanding of the Word have stood in the pulpit and drawn vivid pictures of the power of demons that will be manifest in the latter days. Many books have been written against spiritualism and witchcraft, but alas for preachers, writers and others, demon power is manifesting itself in a different way from what they expected. While they have been at ease in Zion, Satan has marshalled his hosts and dressed up his imps like angels from heaven and sent them out to make one grand onslaught with his deceptive arts. His chief end is to blaspheme the Holy Ghost and sweep true religion off the face of the earth. Stories that are being circulated in regard to the healing of diseases, are his strongest bait. Many go to the 4‘Tongues” meetings and seek to be healed of their diseases, and have no thought of restraining their appetites or otherwise disciplining their bodies, or of glorifying God in their lives as cross bearers. They want to see signs and wonders,but God will have nothing to do with them, and of course it is the devil’s opportunity to build up his own kingdom by promising them health.

When Israel murmured and gave way to their fleshly lusts the Psalmist says that God “cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending EVIL ANGELS among them.” We see here that one of God’s ways of punishing people is by sending evil angels among them. He is punishing the backslidden holiness organizations to-day by letting these vultures from the pit swoop down upon them and prey on their carnal members. He is the same yesterday, to-day and forever. His ways are past finding out. When people cling to the Cross and walk in His precepts He will not allow them to be deceived, but if they give way to fleshly lusts, refuse and rebel, He will give them over to seducing spirits. Of all the abominations that have been known in the past centuries on the earth, this abomination of “Tongues” we believe is the worst.

But God has been merciful enough not to leave those who are being deluded without sufficient warning. The multitudes are being deceived through hypocritical preachers and professors. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns,or figs of thistles?” (Matt. 7:15-16). We fail to see any good fruit from the world-wide revival that the “Tongues” people claim is in progress. They actually have the audacity to tell us that four hundred people in a certain locality have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. They say most of those who are receiving this baptism are young women, and that young women more readily receive the tongues than others. They should read Acts 16:16-18 and find out where their so-called baptism originated: “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.” Paul permitted this unclean spirit to cry out many days before he rebuked him, and no sooner was it done than the masters of the young woman, seeing that their gains were lost, drew Paul and Silas before the rulers and had them beaten and cast into prison.

The devil was certainly enraged when he had these two saints cast into prison and their feet put into stocks. Demons in that locality would not consent to vacate their strongholds without a protest, and no doubt a conference of arch-fiends* was held in pandemonium to devise plans by which the work of Paul and Silas might be stopped, but we find them at midnight singing praises unto God. After the demons were routed, God had to work a miracle to deliver His servants. And so it is to-day, when a person dares in the name of Jesus Christ to rebuke the devil and tear the mask off those who are deceiving others, he will have the combined forces of perdition to meet, but the same God who sent an earthquake to shake the jail at Philippi is on hands to take a part in this kind of battle. He can send angels, pestilences, earthquakes, cyclones, or other forces to thwart the work of demons and establish His kingdom in the hearts of believers. Praise His name!

“I’d rather be the least of them,

Who are the Lord’s alone,

Than wear a royal diadem,

And sit upon a throne.”

CHAPTER 4

PERILOUS TIMES—GREAT REVIVAL PREDICTED —SINS OF THE FLESH—SEDUCING SPIRITS—RAPID GROWTH—THE GREAT APOSTASY—DISSENSIONS—REVIVAL AT EPHESUS—SCEVA’S SEVEN SONS—THE CLASHING OF SWORDS—SUFFICIENT WARNING.

THE “Tongues” leaders claim that organized Christianity is on the eve of a profound and universal reformation; also that there has been a world-wide outpouring of the Holy Spirit as an earnest of what is to follow. It is claimed that the apostate church will gradually return to its first works. Nothing could be more unscriptural than this. No church once fallen has ever been reclaimed. When an organization fails to lift up the Gospel standard, and to honor the doctrines of the New Testament, God turns away from it and raises up another body to represent Him. It is useless to try to reform a fallen church, but it is possible to awaken a few to its condition, and get them to a place of safety.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:1-4). The modern churches are full of people of this character ; they have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, and the commandment is, “from such turn away.” God will give people a chance to make their escape if they wish to do so. It is useless to stay with a fallen church expecting it to reform. For as it was in the days of Noah and Lot, so shall it be in the winding up of this dispensation. The flood came and swept the ante-diluvians away, and fire and brimstone were rained upon Sodom after the angels had hurried Lot and some of the members of his family out. The apostate church is ripe for the tribulation judgments, and it can not escape the wrath of God.

“For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts”(2Tim. 3: 6). This is a true picture of the fallen church. Preachers and people are living self-indulgent lives, led away with divers lusts. Scarcely a daily newspaper can be picked up without an account of out-breaking sins among prominent church members in which ministers are involved. The sins of the flesh were the curse of the ante-diluvians, the sons of God intermarrying with the daughters of men and producing a race of giants, proud, haughty, self-indulgent and God-defying. The iniquity became so great that the flood was sent as the Almighty’s protest. If you will take notice to the description given of the ante-diluvians, by the inspired writers you will find that the same sins which destroyed them are the curse of the nations to-day—they are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, thus showing that the flesh life predominates. The sins of the flesh, like the dreaded disease of leprosy, have eaten away the vitals of religious organizations which have fallen to the very depths and can never be recovered.

Of all the cunning craftiness that Satan has ever displayed as an angel of light, we believe the climax has been reached in this latter day sorcery of the “Tongues” movement, but we are not surprised, as it is in direct fulfilment of Scripture. 1 Tim. 4:1 says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving head to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” Paul in this epistle to Timothy has no reference to people at large, but is showing the backslidden condition of the Gentile church in the last days. Multitudes who are giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils will never humble themselves enough to admit it. They are unwilling to believe that the enemy has been crafty enough to deceive them, but the fact is he has done so, and they might as well find it out first as last. In every land and clime the backslidden holiness movement has furnished fruitful soil for the “Tongues,” just as the old church has for Christian Science. This accounts for the rapidity with which the “Tongues” movement has spread over the globe. It has gone like wild-fire, sweeping almost everything in its course.

We quote the following from a “Tongues” paper:

“It will soon be four years since the present outpouring of the Spirit became so general. Nothing we have ever seen spread so rapidly. Nothing on earth seemed to promise so much to the people of the earth. We saw from the first that if it was of God it would ultimately carry everything before it. We were soon convinced that it was from God, and just as fully convinced that it would practically revolutionize the theories and teachings of men so far as they relate to the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It was so manifestly from God that it seemed to us all who really knew the voice of God would gladly accept it. In all essentials it so closely resembles the samples given in the word of God that it seemed to us all the world would give it a glad welcome. The ememies denounced it fiercely as being of the devil. They seemed to think it a gigantic stroke of Satan to swallow up all the real spiritual life of the world. * * On the other hand many who had received the Holy Spirit failed to see the plan of God and thus the work suffered at their hands. It was sadly misrepresented both by its enemies and its friends.”

No one with a knowledge of the Word and spiritual understanding can fail to see from the foregoing statements that the “Tongues” movement came from below and not from above. That the great apostasy of the latter days is upon us no one can doubt and the very fact that this movement could have such a rapid spread under these conditions is proof that it is not of God. After Pentecost the early church had to meet all kinds of opposition in the spread of the Gospel. The resistance on the part of the Jews, heathen and all classes was so great that none of the apostles died a natural death, with perhaps one exception. The world was not evangelized then in a few months or years. Down through the centuries it has taken the blood of hundreds and thousands of martys to establish New Testament doctrines and lift up the cross of Jesus Christ. In the history of every true religious organization the greatest heroism has been manifested. Privations and sufferings and persecutions of every kind have always characterized the true Church. But what has this “Tongues” movement all amounted to? With one broad stroke Satan has swept the globe and left nothing behind but devastation and death. The means has been furnished for scores and hundreds to go to foreign lands to preach in what they supposed was the native tongue of the Hindus, Chinese and every other nationality. But to their surprise they find that their “tongues” are of no use to them, that they cannot be understood at all. Why did not the Holy Spirit reveal this to them before they started?

John 16: IB says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” Those whom the “Tongues” people have sent to foreign lands, if they have not had the means to return, had to settle down and learn the language of the natives. Their great schemes of evangelizing the heathen proved to be air-castles or floating bubbles that burst when they reached their destination. The Holy Spirit is God, and we certainly credit Him with having intelligence superior to this. You will notice in the above quotation the writer says, “Many who had received the Holy Spirit failed to see the plan of God, and thus the work suffered at their hands.” Reader, imagine a person baptized with the Holy Ghost and yet unable to see God’s plans and the work suffering at his hands. What kind of person is the Holy Ghost? Is He not the third person of the Trinity? “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one”(l John 5: 7-8). What God knows the Holy Spirit knows, and the Holy Spirit will not direct any one contrary to the Father and the Son. Is it the third person of the Trinity that these people are receiving who claim to have the Holy Ghost with the sign of tongues? Verily, they have received an archfiend who has come in the disguise of an angel.

The same writer says, “It is more than sad to see some trying to establish their claims as originators and founders of the work/’ We might add, that so far as its origin is concerned there can be no doubt as to that, for the work unmistakably bears the marks of its father, the devil. The persons here referred to, who are trying to establish their claims as the originators of the “Tongues” movement of course claim they have received the baptism with the sign of tongues. If they have received the Holy Ghost why should they be making false claims or trying to organize something that God does not want organized? Why do they want to be called the “projectors” or “field directors,” if this is contrary to the Holy Spirit whom they claim to have received?

This writer also says, “Others have worked to get committees appointed or councils and have worked to get to be the chairman of such councils or committees.” He also says, “Only a few of these men are ambitious schemers; most of them simply failed to see the plan of God.” You see it is claimed here they have their Pentecost and are really friends to the work, but do not understand God's plan, yet they are accused of being ambitious for leadership and to be called the “projectors” and “directors” of the work. Are not these the manifestations of carnality? A person could not even be saved and have such unholy ambitions and desires.

Thank God, we are not ignorant of the devil’s devices and are ready to expose his works anywhere they are found. With few exceptions, he has swallowed up nearly every religious publication in the land and stamped it with “Tongues,” and on every page the trail of the serpent can be found. If St. Paul were present to-day to help us fight in this battle against principalities and powers, and against unclean spirits he would expose the black arts of these hypocrites and compel them to make a bonfire of their papers and books as he did in the days of old.

At Ephesus the mighty power of God was made manifest in the revival that followed Paul’s preaching, who entered the synagogue and spoke boldly the things concerning the kingdom of God. In this revival “divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of the way before the multitude.” Then Paul departed from them and went to the school of Tyrannus where he continued to teach and preach for the space of two years. All that dwelt in Asia had the privilege of hearing the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. God never turns people over to be ravaged by evil spirits until they have hardened their hearts against His truths. No man can go to perdition until the Holy Spirit has first given him up; neither can a person become the victim of a strong delusion until He has turned away from him. When He ceases to strive with him then evil spirits take possession. In Paul’s revival, sinners were converted and believers sanctified; the sick were healed, and demons had to leave their human habitations.

Among the Jews there were those who had hardened their hearts against the Gospel, but when they saw the sick healed and lunatics restored to their right minds they wanted to do some wonderful works also.

Sceva’s seven sons were among the vagabond Jews who worked in curious arts. They took it upon themselves to call over those who had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.” An evil spirit in a man said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” These Jews did not want to meet the conditions that Paul laid down for their obtaining salvation, but they wanted to work miracles. This is exactly the condition among the “Tongues” people today—they will not repent of their sins and straighten up their lives, but they want to do great things. God has said that no flesh should glory in His presence. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” The “Tongues” movement is a movement of the flesh. It is corrupt to the very core. Among its adherents we have heard of the most outbreaking and flagrant sins. Free-loveism, like the coils of a serpent, has wrapped itself around some of the “Tongues” victims and sunk them into the lowest depths of immorality and degradation. These persons have invariably professed the Pentecostal baptism with tongues, some of them speaking, as they have claimed, in many different languages.

In the wake of a Holy Ghost revival the devil always stirs up the forces of darkness and does his most ghastly work. When evil spirits are cast out they seek for other habitations and usually find an entrance to the hearts of those who have refused to walk in the light. When Jesus cast a legion of devils out of the Gadarene they entered into the swine and the whole herd plunged over the precipice into the sea. They much prefer to live in human beings and will take possession of them when the opportunity is given them to do so.

The swine is an unclean beast and is a type of carnality. Wherever the carnal nature is found in hearts evil spirits seek a lodging place. Jesus said, “The prince of this world cometh and findeth nothing in me.” When carnality is destroyed Satan has no more claim on the human heart; there is nothing in it that belongs to him, hence it behooves every regenerated person to get sanctified as soon as possible after his conversion. May the Lord not only deliver people from eating swine flesh, but save them from the old corruptible nature of which it is a type. Demons and swine are closely associated.

We have known persons at the beginning of some of our revival meetings who could scarcely hold out against the pleadings of the Spirit, but after resisting for a time they grew hard and indifferent to the strongest appeals that were made to them; they became critical and could scarcely see any good in anything or anybody. Then they turned away altogether and sought the company of those who were of a reprobate mind. Such persons have found congenial affiliations among the “Tongues” people.

The seven sons of Sceva had heard the Gospel at Ephesus and were given the opportunity to repent and get right with God,but they failed to do so, and were found fleeing naked before their demoniacal pursuer. Any person who has been caught in the “Tongues” delusion, if he ever had the habiliments of righteousness, has lost them, and in his shame has no cloak with which to cover his spiritual nakedness. What a deplorable condition one is in who has turned away from God and has gone to consulting witches and wizards! The lust of the flesh and the lust of the ej^7es and the pride of life will bring him to this. In the meantime he is utterly helpless and unable to see himself. No person can go through a Holy Ghost revival without being made better or worse. He must either yield to God and walk in the light that is falling upon his pathway or be brought under the control of evil spirits. When he refuses the counsel of the righteous he does so at the peril of his own soul.

Like the sons of Sceva and the man possessed with demons, there is often a clashing of swords among the “Tongues” people. Evil spirits are unwilling to be routed by their own kind without a protest. Some are stronger than others and refuse to vacate their tenements at the command of those who are presumptuous enough to attempt to rout them.

In a Western city there were four different bands of “Tongues” all fighting one another and professing to have the Holy Spirit. They were so at loggerheads, some of them would tell those of other factions that they had devils in them. This continued until a prominent leader among them commanded the demons to come out of a young woman who was not of his band. It was a critical time for these modern sorcerers, for the young woman had been recognized by various “Tongues” leaders as having the real Pentecostal baptism, speaking fluently, they said, seven or more languages. When she fell to the floor in one of her spells she was approached by this honored advocate of “Tongues” who took it upon himself to command the evil spirits to come out of her.

One can imagine the consternation of many who were present. The news of this young woman’s ability to speak in tongues had been heralded from city to city. She was just entering into womanhood and no one believed it was possible for demons to get possession of one so young and innocent. If it had been some one who was hardened in sin it would have appealed to them as being more reasonable, but for a young, beautiful girl brought up under the roof of parents who professed to know God to be possessed with so many demons was more than they could comprehend. The father of the young woman, who was at first an enthusiastic “Tongueist,” was completely at his wit’s end; he took his daughter away from the meetings and had nothing more to do with them. The leader who commanded the evil spirits to come out is an advocate of the “Tongues” heresy and is widely known as a writer and publisher. Another leader of one of these bands frankly admitted that some of his people had the devil’s tongues and that their lives were crooked.

We quote the following from a “Tongues” paper published by A. A. Boddy of England. This article written by the wife of the publisher, whether so intended or not, is a repudiation of the “Tongues” doctrine. We know of no editor that has been more widely quoted among the “Tongues” people than A. A. Boddy, and no doubt the appearance of this article has created consternation among those in the “Tongues” movement who have considered him authority in the past.

“The baptism is to be filled with God, and tongues will follow; but to speak in tongues only, is not, as I can see, a sufficient sign of the baptism.

“I am more and more convinced of this, that as soon as a person is truly born of God and has Christ in his life, then the Holy Ghost will fall and he will speak in tongues, if he expects to do so, but I do believe that merely speaking in tongues is not necessarily a convincing sign that a person has got God in him.

“Of course the deep spiritual work may be done after a person has spoken in tongues, if he goes on, but in the meantime, in many cases, much dishonor and damage is done to God’s work.

“The trouble is so few know what the baptism really means. It means to be filled with God.” —Mrs. Mary Boddy.

Undoubtedly this editor and wife have had experience with those who spoke in tongues that manifested demon power in some way, which they were not able to reconcile with the “baptism in the Holy Ghost,” therefore they were forced to come to the conclusion that tongues was not always a sign of the “baptism.” But most any one can get the tongues “if he expects to do so,” whether he has God or not.

Are not these things sufficient warning to all who look with favor upon this movement of latter day sorcery and witchcraft? When once brought under the spell of witchcraft it is hard for one ever to be recovered. We have had persons who were caught in these Satanic traps, after they had gotten their eyes open to the whole thing as being the work of the devil, to come and tell us that they were physical wrecks and that it seemed impossible for them to ever recover from the awful effects of this demon*working power. They would sit in our services under the most powerful preaching, apparently unable to yield to the pleadings of the Spirit, yet realizing that they were in a lost condition. One young woman who had become the victim of “Tongues” told us that she had suffered such losses through it that her mother had died of a broken heart, and that she herself was unable to rally from the awful effects of it. In our work of evangelism from coast to coast, and across the sea, this is only one instance in many that we have encountered. While people are under the spell of demon power they find a strange pleasure in it which they imagine is the joy of the Holy Spirit. But think of their sorrowful condition when they awaken to the fact that their joy was not real, but only that which was imparted by demons. If there were not some kind of joy in connection with the “Tongues” experience the devil would not be able to deceive so many people.

CHAPTER 5

STRANGE APPEARANCE OF A LEADER—PENTECOST REPORTED AT LOS ANGELES—GOSPEL MEETINGS—PEOPLE WARNED—DELIVERED THROUGH READING PILLAR OF FIRE—IN GERMANY—REPULSIVE ALTAR SCENES—A “TONGUES” MEETING —CALLED EACH OTHER LIARS

In the spring of 1906, a colored man, introducing himself as Seymour, called at our Bible School at Denver. He was on his way to Los Angeles, California, and took the opportunity of visiting our School while passing through the city. We did not know he was in the building until he walked into the dining room. Some one had shown him through the building and brought him into the dining room.

He had a strange appearance which somewhat aroused our curiosity, and as he claimed to be a preacher of the Gospel we called on him to pray. He responded with a good deal of fervor, but oh the feeling that came over us! We thought of demons, snakes and other slimy creatures before he had finished praying. After he had left the room a number of the students told that they felt that he was possessed with evil spirits.

He was very untidy in his appearance; he wore no collar and had a greenish looking brass button exposed in the band of his shirt. In our evangelistic and missionary tours we have met all kinds of religious fakirs and tramps, but we felt that he excelled them all. There was a cause for our feeling this way; the Lord wanted us to see this man and learn something of him, knowing that Satan was going to use him in the outbreaking of the “Tongues” on the Pacific Coast.

It was only a short time after his arrival at Los Angeles that the news was being heralded around that there was a great revival breaking out in that city. It was said that God had raised up a colored man to bring Pentecost back to the earth again, and that people through his ministry were receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues. A few weeks before, we had been at Los Angeles preaching and knew well the deplorable spiritual condition of the professed holiness people there. Most of them, while they made a profession, were backslidden in heart, and time and again under our ministry the Lord tried to get them to repent and confess their backslidings, but they absolutely refused to do so. A more self-righteous, self-sufficient people we never met. Week after week we preached to them and urged them to repent and do their first works over.

Two years previous to this we had a large Gospel tent erected in the very heart of the city, and preached for several weeks and truly the Lord gave us a harvest of souls. We preached in halls for weeks before and after the meetings in the tent, and the Lord did not fail to honor the messages in the salvation of souls. But the conditions were similar to those at Ephesus; divers were hardened and turned away from the truth. Night after night as the messages went forth under the unction of the Spirit the forces of darkness strongly resisted us, but God gave the victory. Hundreds and even thousands attended the services during our labors at Los Angeles. Preachers from high-steepled churches were frequently seen in the congregations, and one very prominent preacher who is now a bishop attended regularly, and, we understand, told his people that we were preaching the truth.

Before the gales of perdition began to blow, God let the holiness professors of Los Angeles see their fireless condition and gave them a chance to repent and get right with Him, but this, with few exceptions, they refused to do. The devil was even then preparing a net to catch their feet, and after they hardened their hearts and resisted the pleadings of the Spirit, they were taken into his net and carried away in the most hellish outburst of demoniacal power that has probably ever been known under the name of religion.

We had a presentiment of God’s judgments coming on the city, simply from the fact that many, like the Sons of Sceva, had hardened their hearts against the truth and turned away. We frankly told them in the public services that something out of the ordinary was coming to Los Angeles, and there were at least a score of persons present who had the same impression and testified to the fact. We did not know Just how God was going to visit them, but knew a scourge of some kind was near at hand, and of all the calamities that could have fallen upon a people, we verily believe that this demoniacal outbreaking of tongues is the worst. It is bad enough to be possessed with demons, but when they get control of the vocal organs and talk about the blood of the atonement, the coming of Christ, etc., it is more than most people have ever thought they were capable of doing.

Many reliable persons, some of whom are with us to-day, have told us of things they saw in the so-called Azusa Street Mission. Some of our own missionaries, who were laboring in Los Angeles, went to see for themselves, and they declared that what they saw and heard from those who were under the spell of demons far exceeded anything they could have imagined or that ever had been told them.

While dictating these lines Sister N-, who is writing for us, stopped and told us the following story. “When I visited the Azusa Street Mission the first person that attracted my attention was a woman with a thin, white silk waist on who stood shaking from head to foot. She had a sad, far away look in her eyes. There were several rows of chairs in front of her that were filled with seekers. The colored man, Mr. Seymour, was preaching, but my attention was attracted to the woman who continued to shake until a man sitting in front of her slid down out of his chair and went under a spell.

“I then lost sight of the woman. The man who fell in the vision was pale and thin, and continued in his position on the floor until after a number of seekers had gathered around the altar. Then he arose and staggered to them and began to shake his hands in front of their faces and wave his arms over their heads and moan. He was apparently unconscious while he was doing this. Then he put his hands on the heads of the women and began to shake their hair. Some of them lost control of themselves and went under a spell. He rubbed a man’s jaws until the victim tumbled over and remained apparently in an unconscious state for half an hour, when suddenly he began to stutter and jabber. Those who claimed to have the tongues cried out, ‘He has the baptism, he has the baptism!’

‘A young colored woman was doing her best to get the tongues; she went through all kinds of muscular contortions in her efforts to get her tongue to work.

“While work at the altar was going on a colored woman had her arms around a white man’s neck praying for him. One man of mature years leaped out of his chair and began to stutter. He did not utter a distinct syllable, but as fast as he could make his tongue work he said tut- tut- tut- tut- tut-tut- tut. This, of course, they claimed was evidence that he had the baptism. The woman with the silk waist on appeared again, this time singing a far-away tune that sounded very unnatural and repulsive. There were others who mingled their voices with hers in the production of these strange notes.

“While the altar call was being made a woman walked up to the front and kissed a man. It was evident that the man, who was one of the prominent workers in the mission,was not her husband or even a relative. Kissing between the sexes is a common occurrence in the “Tongues” meetings.”

The following in part is from the pen of one of our preachers, who in company with another brother attended a “Tongues” meeting. “We arrived about eight o’clock. We took seats and sat quietly until 9 :30. The brother who was with me had met one of the leaders in L-, and as the work around the altar had begun, we thought it would be all right for him to speak to this man and hand him some of our tracts. He then spoke to the preacher who was in charge, and asked him if we might have the privilege of giving out some of our literature. He gave his consent so all could hear him. He said, ‘Take their tracts; they will do you no harm.’ Of course we were glad to have the opportunity, and went through the audience and gave them out.

“Some of the people became very much excited and began to mutter in tongues. They asked God to strike us down with His judgments right there. This was said in plain English. One of the leaders, whom our brother had previously met, called him a liar, a blasphemer, dishonest, etc. Then followed a controversy between this man and the preacher in charge; one telling the other he did not believe the half he had said. The people in the audience observing the discord saw that if one had the Lord the other did not. Of course these persons had the tongues.

“As a natural consequence the work at the altar was broken up, and the preacher in charge told the people to bring the papers and tracts we had handed to them to the platform. He wanted to make a bonfire out of them. A few responded to his request. He then called for a bucket and put the papers and tracts into it and burned them. During the meeting he acknowledged that some of their people had the devil’s tongues. ‘But of course,’ he said, ‘some have the genuine tongues.’

“There was one person at the altar who appeared to be an honest seeker, but the controversy between the leaders, and other things he heard evidently caused him to seriously consider the situation. He told of the good experience he once had, but for some time he had been dissatisfied and was struggling to get free. Scores like this man go to the “Tongues” meetings expecting to get something to satisfy their souls. They hear great reports in regard to the things that are going on under the name of Pentecost, and go,having no idea that it is the devil’s counterfeit. 1 Cor. 10: 20*21 says, ‘But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and the table of devils.’

“One of the great arguments of the “Tonguists” to prove that they have sought and obtained the Pentecostal baptism is the fact that the Lord will not give a person a stone when he asks bread, neither will He give him a serpent when he asks for a fish (Matt. 7: 9-10). See how cunning the devil is! He knows the Lord will not give stones and serpents for bread and fish, and uses this argument to beguile those who are ignorant of his devices. It is true the Lord never deceives people, but when they sit down to the devil’s table they have to take his bill of fare. He will turn the hearts of those who were once under the melting influence of the Holy Spirit into stone, and poison them with the venom of these “Tongues” like the bite of a serpent. One who puts his hand into a nest of vipers is running a terrible risk even though he is reaching for bread.”

We know of those who have become so hardened under the influence of this demon power they are entirely unlike what they were once. They will turn away with a cold indifference from those who are suffering on their account and manifest no sympathy whatever. In the meantime they will threaten them with the judgments of God because they refuse to sit down to the table of devils with them, and they imagine they are pleasing God when they make it hard for those who cannot be brought under the power of seducing spirits. John 16:2 says, “Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service."

We quote the following from a letter received from a man who, through reading the Pillar of Fire, was delivered from the devil’s tongues in a city in Pennsylvania: “I attended the “Tongues” meeting at H-. Here I found men and women lying on the floor in all shapes, and the workers would put big blankets over them. These people on the floor would be jabbering all at once in what they called unknown tongues. While I was praying one of the workers got hold of me and said, Holy Ghost, we command Thee to go into this soul. The workers were jabbering and shaking their hands over me, and a hypnotic demon power (as I know now) took possession of me, and I fell among the people on the floor and knew nothing for ten hours. When I came to my senses I was weak and my jaws were so tired they ached. I believed then that this power was of God. They said I was wonderfully blest, and Rev. W- sent me from one place to another so that I could jabber in tongues. I was told that while I was speaking in tongues the people would fall on their faces and say, ‘Yes, Lord,’ ‘We will, Lord,’ thinking that it was God who was speaking through me. I am now jumping and praising God for delivering me from the devil’s tongues. When we get the real power of God we can see that this “Tongues” movement is of the devil. Your paper, the Pillar of Fire, is stirring up things here.

The meetings in McK- and H-have been broken up. I am now going to towns where I spoke in tongues and telling them it is of the devil. I know if it had not been for the PILLAR OF Fire I would have gone to hell. I am so glad that God has some of His own in the world yet. Keep praying for me.”

In “Der Evangelist” we read the following about the “Tongues.”

THE PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT

N. Gropmann, Berlin-Rudorf, Germany, gives an account of one of his own experiences with the people of the above named movement in regard to speaking in “unknown tongues.”

He says, “At Brother H—’s home in Beek, Germany, I had the opportunity to get personally acquainted with a spirit of this kind. A sister belonging to the M. E. Church visited the annual conference at Muehlheim a. d. Ruhr, and on this occasion through laying on of hands by Mr. G- of the same city received the gift of tongues. However, she soon found that instead of receiving her Pentecost she had let a demon take possession of her. She called for us to pray with her that she might be delivered from it and its influence. We responded and prayed with her for hours. Previous to this time the spirit had been talking about the things of God, such as Calvary, the blood, glory, revivals, etc. But now he begin to talk in a fearful, profane manner and call us all sorts of names. In the name of Jesus we commanded the unclean spirit to depart from her, but he, stoutly refusing, told us we better not waste our time, but go home, for he intended to stay. Therefore he began to torment the sister by accusing her of disloyalty to God and pronounced curse upon curse upon her, predicting her destruction and death in the near future. He began to tear and pull her around the room in a terrible way. The more we prayed the more furious he became—cursing and swearing at us. I am not nervous, but I felt a cold shiver running down my back and felt as if the room was filled with demons. The climax was reached when we laid hands on her in the name of Jesus. We could not possibly be mistaken concerning the reality of things, for we heard him curse, swear and call us names. The language was so shocking that I could not very well mention any of it here. Often I was able to understand without the sister interpreting—a mixture of Latin, Italian and French.

Now and then I was able to catch a word, for the spirit spoke very rapidly. I shiver to think that these cursing and swearing demons found and are finding entrance to the hearts of people. Where are people getting to when they give place to such devils? Is it not a sign of the times? Is this the beginning of ‘strong delusions’ which God will send upon the earth and into which people that refuse to walk in the light will be ensnared?”—From “Der Evangelist,” Bremen, Germany, Vol. 60, Dec. 11, 1909.

Some professors of Christianity would not like to be found in dark rooms where spiritual seances are carried on, but they have no hesitation in congregating with those who give themselves over to strange workings of demon power under the name of religion. May God open their eyes to their deceived and lost condition before the doors of heaven are everlastingly closed against them.

Among the “Tongues” people there are those who claim to be prophets and prophetesses. From time to time the things that they prophesied have been published in their papers. Among those was a prophecy concerning Pike’s Peak. This peak, they said, within four months would have a volcanic eruption, and the people of Cripple Creek and surrounding towns were warned to flee for their lives. Nearly four years have passed and there has been no burning crater with floods of lava to make its appearance. Prophecies were also made among them after the earthquake on the Pacific Coast of dreadful things that would soon come to pass which of course have never been fulfilled.

When the “Tongues” first broke out there were two divisions, one led by Seymour and the other led by Parham. Parham’s crowd said Seymour’s people had the devil in them, and vice versa. At the various “Tongues” meetings there was strife among the workers as to who should be the first to lay their hands on the seekers. When the jaws of the seeker began to work and he commenced to mutter in strange gibberish the worker who had his hands on him at the time would get the glory. Then they would slander one another behind their backs and say they were possessed with evil spirits, which of course was the truth. It was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Our workers have been stationed in Los Angeles during the whole history of the “Tongues” movement and have watched it closely from the very first outbreaking of demon power in Seymour’s meetings. The conditions have been such that it would be impossible to publish the things that have occurred there, things that they have actually seen and heard. The familiarity between the sexes in the public meetings has been shocking. Hell has certainly reaped an awful harvest and infidelity has become more strongly rooted than ever before on the Pacific Coast. The city of the angels, as it is called, is an infirmary for people of all manner of diseases and physical ailments. They have gone there from every land and clime in search of health, and all kinds of extravagances have been taught on the subject of divine healing by carnal, professors and leaders, some of whom were anxious to gain a following and thus become famous, and of course the soil was well prepared for the spreading of the “Tongues.” The ministry of healing has been so perverted in Los Angeles that it is almost impossible to deal with the subject as it should be and place the gift of healing where it belongs. For years the devil has had the full length of rope there on this subject, and of course he has made good use of it. Many persons of wealth have wanted to be healed of their diseases, but they have had no use for salvation. The way of the Cross is despised, and the flesh life has had the pre-eminence.

CHAPTER 6

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT—DO ALL SPEAK IN TONGUES—THE AUTHOR’S CONVERSION—COMMAND OF LANGUAGE—THE JEWS AFTER THE RESTORATION—MIRACLE IN HEARING—MOSES' ROD—THE “GIFT” A FAILURE—GOOD MEMORIES.

The 12th chapter of First Corinthians sets forth nine different gifts of the Spirit, one of these being the gift of tongues. “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. * * For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” We notice that “divers” is in italics and is not in the original. The right reading would be, “to another kinds of tongues.” The gift of tongues and the interpreting are the last in the list.

The question is asked in the 30th verse, “Do all speak in tongues?” This verse accords with the 11th showing that they do not. Neither is there any great stress put upon the gift of tongues, as will be seen in the first verse of the next chapter: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” Paul says in chapter 14, verse 19, “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” These scriptures are sufficient to show the estimate that Paul put on the gift of tongues. The Corinthian church was born of the Holy Ghost under Paul’s ministry and naturally we would expect the gifts of the Spirit to be made manifest and to be placed where they belong, but how about this latter-day movement which unmistakably bears every evidence of being born from beneath and not from above. The fruit of the Spirit is not in it. Neither are the gifts of the Spirit made manifest which the Corinthian church possessed. Their woeful lack of spiritual discernment is appalling. People who are converted often possess the gifts of the Spirit to a marvelous degree, but the “Tongues” people show that their lights have been totally eclipsed.

We know the fruit of the Spirit when we see it. We have been too long in the Christian warfare to be deceived by the witchcraft and sorcery in this movement.

At the age of 16 the writer experienced the new birth, and after years of faithful cross-bearing was sanctified wholly, or in other words baptized with the Holy Spirit. There was no manifestation of strange tongues in this baptism, but as truly as ever the disciples received the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost we were baptized by the same Spirit. The power of God rested upon us from day to day and marvelous results followed from our ministry in the conviction and conversion of sinners and the sanctification of believers. It would take volumes to give our readers even a partial account of the results which followed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us.

Our natural timidity, which had hindered our service for the Master for so long, was swept away. Our tongue was touched with a live coal from the altar. There was no difficulty to command language in our own tongue. We were enabled to express our thoughts in words that we had never used before and scarcely knew the meaning of. They would come to our mind and fit into the right place when we were standing before an audience. At times the pressure of the Spirit was so great upon us it seemed the earthen vessel would almost break.

Just before delivering a message where there were vital issues involved there were times when we were unable to stand on our feet for half or three-quarters of an hour, but when the moment came to deliver the message strength was given us. We have never lost the power of the Holy Ghost. We still have the Spirit that discerns between the false and the true.

The question is often asked, will the Gentile church in the last days again possess the gift of tongues. Our answer is, all things are possible with God. If His name can be glorified through the gift in these last days we certainly should be on the lookout for it, but it will take some time for the people to recover from the effects of this counterfeit “Tongues” movement before God could get glory out of the real gift of tongues.

When the Jews are gathered back to Palestine and the nations of the earth go up to Jerusalem to hear the Gospel preached, undoubtedly God will enable the sons of Abraham to speak in languages so they can be understood. The occasion will demand it. If nations are to be converted in a day, it will be necessary for them to understand the language of those who are ministering unto them. The gifts of the Spirit will be imparted, the dead will be raised and wonderful things be accomplished as it was in the days of old.

We have never seen a person who was actually raised from the dead, but we know the time is coming in the history of the Hebrews when the dead will be raised. We have seen a number of persons during the years of our ministry who we knew were dying, who in answer to the prayer of faith were brought back to life and health, but the breath had not entirely left their bodies.

We have had persons come to us who could understand but little English, and tell us that while we were preaching they understood every word we said. We remember a German woman especially who was converted in one of our first revival meetings. She grasped our hand and gave us to understand, in German and broken English, that she had understood every word we had said. She was asked if she understood other preachers who had preached in the same meeting, and she affirmed that she did not. This is only one incident out of many of a similar character.

Acts 2: 8 says, “And how hear we every man in his own tongue, wherein we were born?” We believe there is as much in hearing as in speaking. When the Holy Spirit speaks through a person it is possible for Him to make people to understand, even though they are not acquainted with the language in which the message is given. If we were called to foreign fields we would not expect to put in years learning the language of the people to whom we went to minister. We would have faith for divine illumination and help to acquire the language of the natives in a short time.

If all the people who were present on the day of Pentecost heard Peter’s message in their own language this was a greater miracle than the gift of tongues. Most any old clairvoyant can mutter and speak words that no one can understand, but there is a limit to the power of demons, there are things in the spiritual realm that they are unable to comprehend.

When Moses and Aaron cast their rod down before Pharaoh it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh called up the sorcerers and the magicians, and with their enchantments they did the same thing; they cast down their rods and they became serpents, but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. Pharaoh saw this, yet he continued to harden his heart and refused to let Israel go.

The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to take their rod and stretch it out over the waters of Egypt that they might become blood. The fish in the rivers died, and the water became so unwholesome that no one could drink of it. The magicians continued to work with their enchantments and succeeded in turning some water to blood. The famine of water was upon them, and the Egyptians were everywhere digging around the river beds to find a pure stream, but for all this Pharaoh would not relent, he hardened his heart and went into his house.

When the plague of frogs was on the land and they came up into his bed-chamber and dough-troughs he had the magicians trying to bring up frogs with their enchantments, and they did so. But when the plague of lice came they could go no further. They repeatedly tried and failed. Then they acknowledged to Pharaoh that the finger of God was upon them, but still the king’s heart was hardened.

God continued His plagues until the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, “for the boils were upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians”(Exodus 9:11).

The claims that the “Tongues” people have made of being able to speak the languages of the heathen have been proved false time and again. They found that their so-called tongues were a complete failure in foreign lands. Oftentimes when they thought they were speaking in the tongues of angels they were using the vilest language that could possibly fall from the lips of a human being. We will give one instance with which we are familiar. A person who had received the tongues thought he was talking about the coming of Jesus, to a Chinaman, who listened for a while and then started after him with a knife, threatening his life. When the Chinaman was asked what caused him to become so angry, he said the person with the tongues was cursing him and his gods and using other language too shameful to repeat.

We have known persons who were reared in homes where several languages were spoken, and while they were unable to speak in more than one language, under the hypnotic spell of demons in the “Tongues” meetings they have been able to speak, in a measure, in these foreign tongues that they were familiar with when they were children. Of course they would come out of a spell claiming to have the “Tongues,” when the fact is,under a prolonged nervous strain, through some kind of strange phenomena that we are unable to explain, they were enabled to recall things that had been forgotten for years. We note the fact that those who claim to have received the tongues are of extremely nervous temperament, many of whom, at some time in their lives, have suffered from nervous prostration. The writer is personally acquainted with a number of persons of this kind who now are identified with the “Tongues” movement.

It must be remembered that some people have good memories and as they go from place to place coming in contact with the “Tongues” people they learn a sort of lingo that makes it appear that they have received what they call their “Pentecost.” All they need is to utter a few sentences in some foreign tongue and they are fellowshiped as having the baptism of the Holy Ghost. In this country there are multiplied thousands of people whose parents were foreigners, whose native tongue they never learned, but are more or less familiar with, and when seeking the tongues it is easy to recall the language they heard in their childhood days. We remember certain phrases in the German language that we learned from a neighbor when we were a child. And this is no doubt true of many of the “Tongues” people. Most of them, we understand, can utter only a few sentences at best.

We asked one of our missionaries if she could speak German. She said she could not, but we found that she could understand her parents when they were conversing in the German language. We suppose that in a “Tongues” meeting they would call such a person an interpreter. We have heard persons in the Western states mimic Chinamen perfectly, so that it was impossible to tell the difference. And when “Tongueism” is sifted down it will be found that the cunning craftiness of depraved humanity figures in it more prominently than any one has any idea of.

CHAPTER 7

THE OLD RED DRAGON—SATAN’S AMBITION—WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN—WORKS OF THE FLESH—“AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF NOE”— SODOM—AN OBJECT LESSON—LOT’S PLEA —CUP OF INIQUITY FULL—FALLEN ANGELS—SATAN’S EFFORTS FOILED—NATURE OF DEMONS.

When Satan lost his first estate as an archangel and fell from heaven, his tail drew the third part of the stars with him. These stars, or angels, were cast to the earth, where they have ever since been engaged in the service of the king of darkness. What an innumerable liost there must be! Isaiah 14: 1214 says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations. For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God : I will sit also upon the mount of the congre-tion in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” A further account of Lucifer says that he made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners; but notwithstanding all this, God said, ‘ ‘Thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” It was Satan’s ambition to become mightier than God, and while he knows now that this he can never accomplish, he is still trying to hold the world and its inhabitants, and with the hosts that co-operate with him he is waging vigorous warfare against the Son of God. This earth is the purchased possession of Jesus Christ, who, Revelation says, was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The devil knows this, but will not relinquish his claims until he is forced to do so. But thank God, the time is short. A mighty angel will descend from heaven with a chain and cast him into the pit and lock him up, but until this has been accomplished his work of devastation and ruin will continue.

In the 12th chapter of Revelation we have an account of the war in heaven, and how Michael and his angels fought against Satan and prevailed over him. Here he is called a Great Red Dragon.

4 ‘There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his head. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” This woman represents the Church at the beginning of the Gospel age, who brought forth a man child who was to rule the nations with a rod of iron. “And her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” This child was none other than God’s immaculate Son who was crucified on Calvary and caught up to heaven. The Dragon succeeded in having Him put to death, but before He was caught up to heaven His Church was established on the earth, against which He said the gates of hell should not prevail.

The woman (Church) had to flee to the wilderness where God had a place prepared for her. The Old Red Dragon, that symbolizes the flesh, has always pursued the Church, and stood ready to devour her offspring. Through the centuries past her place has been one of obscurity, she has had to hide away from the Dragon and those who are in league with Him.

Paul gives, in the fifth chapter of Galatians, a graphic account of the works of the flesh. “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. * * Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, HERESIES, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in times past, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” It was the Old Red Dragon working through fleshly lusts that caused the antediluvians to be destroyed by the flood.

Luke 17: 27 corroborates this, “They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.” It is plain to be seen that these antediluvians were making provisions for the flesh until God in judgment sent the flood to sweep them away. The sins of the flesh have destroyed nations and drowned the multitudes of all ages in perdition. God rained fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah because of their abominable fleshly lusts and practices. When Lot separated from Abraham he pitched his tent toward Sodom, symbolizing the life of the flesh which some people cleave to even after they have been born of the Spirit. The Red Dragon stands ever ready to devour the spiritual child, and without the strictest discipline no one who has been given up to the fleshly lusts and indulgences will be able to stand, even after he has been born of the Spirit. The tendency of people is to relapse into the old habits and to cling to the environments that will eventually result in their complete overthrow and destruction.

It is this old red flesh dragon back of the “Tongues” movement that has caused it to spread with such rapidity around the globe. The soil of fleshly lusts has been so well prepared among backsliders that there has been no difficulty for heresy and witchcraft, the works of the flesh, to become strongly rooted.

The colored race are the descendants of Ham, and all, perhaps, are familar with the conditions which caused God to send a curse upon Ham, one of the sons of Noah. “Cursed be Canaan (Ham); a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

* * Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his servant” (Gen. 9:25-£7). The reason that blessings were pronounced upon Shem and Japheth was because they took a garment and walked backwards and covered their father’s nakedness. Ham, who had the first opportunity, failed to do so. There was no blush on his cheek when he saw the sorrowful plight that his father was in. He was a man who, no doubt, was given to fleshly lusts, and as the curse fell upon Adam and Eve in the Garden for disobedience,so God in like manner, sent a curse upon Ham for his lack of modesty and respect for his father.

With due consideration for the colored people, and with a heart interest in thsir spiritual uplifting, we must say it was very fitting that the devil should choose a colored man to launch out the “Tongues” movement in which the works of the flesh are so plainly manifest in these last days when the Old Red Dragon has well-nigh swallowed up every religious movement on the globe. There is no other race through which the Dragon could work more effectually than through the colored race.

The colored people to-day are not responsible for the sin of Ham, and can receive salvation through the atonement like all other nationalities that have come under the curse of the sin of our first parents. But that does not alter the fact that the curse of fleshly lusts did especially fall upon Ham and his descendants, and every colored person should be enlightened on this subject so that he may make vigorous warfare on this the besetting sin of his race. It is our duty to deal with every individual in such a manner as to be helpful to him in making the fight against the world, the flesh and the devil, and when we discover the weak places in people’s characters we should deal with them honestly and with a spirit of divine love, warning them against the traps the enemy has set for them, and help to build them up rather than let them go on in ignorance and lose their souls.

The conditions were so dreadful in Sodom, where the people were cursed with the sins of the flesh that the men would have done violence to the angels who came to warn Lot if they had not been restrained. No wonder the wrath of God burned against them and rained fire down upon them. The contaminating influence of Sodom was so great that Lot, with the assistance of the angels, could not deliver all the members of his family. While his wife was being hastened from the city she looked back with longing eyes upon Sodom and the lightning of God struck her and turned her to a pillar of salt.

What an awful lesson for those who are fondly twining their affections around things that pertain to the flesh! Men and women pamper the flesh and indulge the appetites until they become so weak in mind, body and soul that they are almost beyond recovery. The Red Dragon, through the flesh, has cut human life down until people are old and feeble when they ought to be in their prime God had to smite the men in Sodom with blindness to keep them from seeking to carry out their evil designs with the angels. Think of these depraved human beings, the last night in Sodom, with the persistency of demons trying to force open the door of Lot’s house bent on accomplishing their nefarious purposes. The Almighty let these things go down on record for an object lesson to the world. He raised the curtain for a short time and exposed their shame and debauchery before he let it fall, never to rise again. The Old Red Dragon had swallowed the whole city and with wide open mouth was ready to devour the angels from heaven.

Lot’s plea to stop at Zoar was a plea for the indulgence of the flesh. He was not ready, like Elijah, to gird up his loins and run for his life. His muscles had become soft and his will power so weakened by the life in Sodom that it seemed a great undertaking to him to go any great distance from the city. The angel, seeing his weakness, granted his request to stop at Zoar until, perhaps, he could recuperate and make another effort, but before he was in a place of safety he had to reach the mountains. There are some persons who are unused to the rugged way of the Cross whom the Lord will bear with for a time, but sooner or later they must reach the mountain top, where the flesh, with the affections and lusts, must be crucified.

When Joshua entered Canaan God commanded him to utterly exterminate the Canaanites. He was to make no covenants with them nor show any mercy. The Canaanites, descendants of Ham, like the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, had become so corrupt they were unfit to encumber the ground and God determined to destroy them. Their cup of iniquity was full, and while they were giants, Joshua was told to fear not their faces. At one time God sent hailstones upon the armies that fought against Joshua and killed more of them than were killed by the sword. He caused the sun and the moon to stand still for a whole day when he was being avenged upon these workers of iniquity. God will fight for any one who will make war on the flesh. The unseen armies of heaven are at the command of those who wage vigorous warfare against all the sins of the flesh. He says of his spiritual priesthood, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 1:6).

When the Syrians warred against Israel the Lord opened the eyes of Elijah’s servant that he might see the innumerable host of heaven that was ready to take part in the battle. The mountains were full of chariots and horses. Elisha said, “Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” This shows how the angels of God are engaged with us in battle against the Red Dragon and his legions. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Great ignorance is shown by the professed followers of Christ on the subject of fallen angels. Some even doubt that there is a personal devil. The Scriptures plainly show that there are myriads of these fallen spirits that throng the atmosphere surrounding the globe seeking a place of habitation. There are all kinds of demons making up the organized forces of darkness. There are some with greater strength than others, and of superior intelligence, and of course capable of occupying more responsible places in their Majesty’s service. Demons are trained and fitted for the special work they have to do. Some of them are princes, and for this reason Paul says, “For we wrestle against principalities and powers.” No doubt there are myriads of demons who are not allowed to leave the confines of perdition because of their incapabilities. They would do great damage to the kingdom of darkness if they were let have their course.

We have often heard it said, “The devil overshot his mark.” We believe in a case of this kind that an inexperienced demon who was not equal to the occasion, brought defeat to his master’s cause. Many of them are ambitious to become great leaders, as is clearly manifested by the way they work through human beings who try to obtain honors and distinction in this world. If Satan’s ambition was to excel the Almighty God, of course many of those who co-operate with him are of a similar character. There are other demons, however, who are not aspiring to become great, they are satisfied to enter human beings, through the lust of the flesh, and drag them down to the lowest depths where they live lives lower than the animals.

When Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness he approadftied Him through the flesh. Knowing that He had been many days without food he tried to induce Him to turn stones into bread. But Jesus said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Then he tried to get him to commit the sin of presumption, which so many who are giving way to the flesh are doing. The sin of presumption is much more prevalent in this age than it has ever been in the history of the world, from the fact that the old red flesh dragon is filling the whole earth. Peter says, “But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed.” He further states that such persons “have eyes full of adultery and cannot cease from sin.” We see here that God’s curse is pronounced upon those who are guilty of presumptuous sins. Presumption is the counterfeit of faith and is strongly rooted in the soil of fleshly lusts.

When Satan failed in the first and second attempts to overthrow the Son of God he took Him into a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and said, “All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me,’’ He did not send one of hte arch-demons out to meet Jesus: the emergency was great and he went himself, but he lost all his ammunition and saw the utter futility of his efforts. The written Word was used in defense against him and furnished an armour that he could not pierce.

With an open Bible before us it is not difficult to understand the nature of demons. We can know their occupations and thoughts. They live in an unrestful state running to and fro seeking an entrance into the hearts of those they can bring under their control. There are proud demons, stingy demons, lying and thieving demons. In the panoplied armies of hell there are great demons of lust that are greater in strength and power than all other demons combined; they should be met with the sword of the Spirit and driven from their strong holds. Then will the kingdom of righteousness flourish in the earth and the witchcraft in which the “Tongues” movement is figuring so prominently get a blow that will bring the hidden things of darkness to light.

A quick note: Hi! I'm Julie, the woman who runs Global Grey - the website where this ebook was published for free. These are my own editions, and I hope you enjoyed reading this particular one. To support the site, and to allow me to continue offering these quality (and completely free) ebooks, please think about donating a small amount (if you already have - thank you!). It helps with the site costs, and any amount is appreciated.

Thanks for reading this and I really hope you visit Global Grey again - new books are added regularly so you'll always find something of interest :)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7