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light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor
can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.”
God’s word, rightly understood and applied, is a safeguard against
spiritualism. An eternally burning hell preached from the pulpit, and
kept before the people, does injustice to the benevolent character
of God. It presents Him as the veriest tyrant in the universe. This
widespread dogma has turned thousands to universalism, infidelity,
and atheism. The word of God is plain. It is a straight chain of truth,
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and will prove an anchor to those who are willing to receive it, even if
they have to sacrifice their cherished fables. It will save them from the
terrible delusions of these perilous times. Satan has led the minds of
the ministers of different churches to cling tenaciously to their popular
errors, as he led the Jews in their blindness to cling to their sacrifices,
and crucify Christ. The rejection of light and truth leaves men captives,
the subjects of Satan’s deception. The greater the light they reject, the
greater will be the power of deception and darkness which will come
upon them.
I was shown that God’s true people are the salt of the earth and
the light of the world. God requires of them continual advancement in
the knowledge of the truth, and in the way of holiness. Then will they
understand the coming in of Satan, and in the strength of Jesus will
resist him. Satan will call to his aid legions of his angels to oppose the
advance of even one soul, and, if possible, wrest it from the hand of
Christ.
I saw evil angels contending for souls, and angels of God resisting
them. The conflict was severe. Evil angels were corrupting the atmo-
sphere with their poisonous influence, and crowding about these souls
to stupefy their sensibilities. Holy angels were anxiously watching
and waiting to drive back Satan’s host. But it is not the work of good
angels to control the minds of men against their will. If they yield to
the enemy, and make no effort to resist him, then the angels of God
can do but little more than hold in check the host of Satan, that they
shall not destroy, until further light be given to those in peril, to move
them to arouse and look to heaven for help. Jesus will not commission
holy angels to extricate those who make no effort to help themselves.
If Satan sees that he is in danger of losing one soul, he will exert
himself to the utmost to keep that one. And when the individual is
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aroused to his danger, and, with distress and fervor, looks to Jesus