A Sermon Delivered by J. WALTER MALONE, Location and Date Unknown.
The Evangelical Friend, Vol. I, No. 2 (June 8, 1905,) pages 19-20; No. 3 (June 15, 1905,) pages 35-36; No. 4 (June 22, 1905,) pages 51-52.
This is The Quaker Homiletics Online Anthology, Part 4: The 20th Century.
You can easily see that these words are addressed to an outwardly unseen person, a potentate
called the "King of Tyre," for those things could not have been spoken of a person who was
simply a man for no man could have been in the Garden of God "with every stone a covering,"
"the anointed cherub,'' "walking in the midst of the stones of fire;" but the solution of it is the
person addressed here is "Lucifer, the Morning Star," as Isaiah calls him, when addressing him in
one of his prophecies (chapter 14), in a manner very similar to this prophecy, and calls him by a
name well known as referring to [20] Satan,--Lucifer. Jesus did the same thing once in Matthew
XVI, when He was revealing to the disciples: "That he must suffer many things of the elders and
chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up the third day, Peter took Him and began
to rebuke Him, saying: "Be it far from Thee, Lord," or, as the margin puts it: "Pity Thyself, Lord,"
Jesus turned and said,--apparently to Peter, "Get thee behind Me, Satan," but unquestionably He
spoke to Satan as the person inspiring these words which Peter spoke, and standing, as it were, at
his back; and pushing forward this suggestion of temptation to the Master through Peter. And,
does not this give us a clue as to who it is that inspires us to ease, instead of a life of self-denial
and sacrifices? Also, that it is not always the person who is speaking to us, who is really the
responsible party for the suggestion that is being given; but Satan, who, through his impressions
upon the minds of others, is tempting us, or provoking us, or leading us.
So in the Psalms we see the Prophet apparently speaking to us of David, and saying: "Thou wilt
not leave his soul in hell," and "Not a bone shall be broken ;" and again: "They also gave me gaul
for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Psalm LXIX, 21.) And many like
passages, where they appear to be referring to David, but we believe and know, they were spoken
of David's Greater Son Jesus standing behind the prophet and inspiring His words. So here in
Ezekiel we can very easily see, that this description in Ezekiel, although a poetic one, is still a true
one of "the Prince of this World."
Follow me in a few points which this Scripture reveals of Satan, and which are fully corroborated
in other Scriptures, as we shall show as we proceed.
Satan, A Created Being. Satan is not a self-existent being,--he is a created creature; and, of
course, if created, he must have been created by God Himself, for there is no other Creator in all
the universe, "For without Him was not anything created that was created," and, although Satan
was "from the beginning," he was not "In the beginning;" and yet God never created any person
inherently evil; He never created Satan a devil, nor just to be a devil; but, as verses thirteen,
fourteen, and fifteen show, this being once perfect in all his ways, ("the day thou wast revealed")
walked in sweet fellowship with God, and was the anointed cherub,--doubtless next to God, and
possibly prince over all His creation.
That brings us to our second point found in this lesson, that he is
A Fallen Being. "Perfect in all his ways from the day that he was created, till iniquity was found in
him."
This agrees again with the Scriptural hints which Jesus gives us, when He said of him: "He abode
not in the Truth." So he must have been in the Truth once to have fallen from it. And again, it was
Jesus, Who, "Before Abraham was, I am," said: "I saw Satan fall from heaven;" and 2 Peter ii. 14;
adds: "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell."
This reveals to us another fact, that Satan in his fall took a host of angels with him,--he their
leader, and they the rebels in collusion, with him. Jude, in the sixth verse, gives a further word,
which adds yet more to our knowledge of these fallen beings: "The angels kept not their first
estate," or principality, as the Revised Version puts it, or sovereignty, as Dr. Campbell Morgan
calls it. So they must have had a sovereignty to have left one,--a principality under The Sovereign,
of course.
Their Sin Was Pride. Another point which we glean from this lesson read from Ezekiel that the
sin of Satan was pride: "Thy heart was lifted up." Isaiah also speaks of this as being the Sin of
Satan; in chapter XIV, 12-14 he pictures him as desiring independence of God, when he quotes
him as saying "I will exalt my throne" (the sovereignty spoken of by Jude) "above the stars of
God; I will be like the Most High."
He thought, as he has tempted so many of his followers and dupes to believe, that he could be
independent of God, and so rebelled against the government of Jehovah. And must he not have
been the highest of the hierarchy of heaven to have led this host of the angels of God into
rebellion? Is not this the story of the first sin of the universe of God? "An angel once said 'I will,'
and became a devil."
[35] This Arch-fiend has more than one mask in which he travels, two of which are mentioned in
the New Testament,--one "A roaring lion," and the other "an angel of light." He considers his
prey, and to one he comes in one way and to another in the other way. He is wise in his manner of
adaptation.
Some men picture to themselves a devil with horns and hoofs,--a hideous and awful monster,
which they think haunts the slums and dens of vice in our great cities and succeeds in influencing
depraved men to commit most atrocious acts of crime and shame. This is what Peter terms
"coming as a roaring lion ;" but it is the same devil in another mask that comes to other men as
"an angel of light." He comes into our churches, tempts our most beautiful Christians and seeks to
lead them into Universalism, Unitarianism, Spiritualism or some other "ism" of the day.
Note the different ways in which he appeals to different men. Peter, and men of his temperament,
seem to know most of his attacks as he comes in the form of a roaring lion wanting something
done and done now. To men of such a temperament he comes this way, for that is the only way to
get some men. But Satan knows that there is no use of tempting others in that way, and for them
he uses another tactic entirely. He knows that it is of no use to tempt them with lust and beastly
passions; such things are too low for them. But, believe me, Satan makes a study of us all and he
suits his temptation to our nature, our inclination, natural temperament and heredity. To this sort
of men,--and I am not sure but that Paul is one of the best samples of this class,--Satan comes as
"an angel of [36] light;" he, the man of learning, the scholar, a graduate doubtless of the highest
Jewish school at Jerusalem and also of the highest Greek school of Tarsus, the scholar of much
culture,--to him Satan would come, as he does to the learned and scholarly men of this day, as an
angel of light,--new light. And is it not suggestive also that the people whom Satan captures along
these lines are ever ringing the changes on having received "new light" and "more light" than other
folks?
We hear it on every side from some scholars that they have more light than common folks and
they pity the poor ignorant people who cannot see as they do. But is it not suggestive that the
Holy Spirit says in 2 John 9 "Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the doctrine of Jesus
Christ, hath not God?" So the "new light" and new theology that "goeth onward" in religion and
abideth not in the old doctrine is from this "angel of light" and not from the "True Light."
If those people are shown that their "light" is not scriptural, when tested by the Word of God,
they sooner or later elevate their light above the written word of God, and are led into fanaticism.
The infidelity of today is embraced by scholars as "new light." John Wesley wrote: "If we are
seeking anything but more love, we are wide of the mark."
But I would drop one word further, for I am not sure but that to a certain class today Satan is
coming as "an angel of love." To this class the temptation to the sensual appetites would not
appeal, if brought direct; so he comes in the guise of "an angel of love," knowing that such men
and women generally are ruled more by affection and passion than by reason and judgment. O! he
is a skillful general, he finds the weakest point for his attack. Today he is riding into the citadel of
the soul of very many, we believe, on the chariot of love. Was not this the way he so weakened
Samson that he was "weak as other men," when he might have been a giant for God? Was it not
the same seducing spirit that caused the downfall of David? And Solomon, the wise, succumbed
to the same artful temptation and fell?
O! men and women, we must have a double-care these days. The first touch, perhaps, may be
love, possibly religious and innocent, but natural, then sensual, then devilish. And I want to say
here that Holiness is the only sure break-water these days against the incoming tide of this sin into
the life, the home, the church.
I want to praise God that there is perfect and complete victory for the children of God over the
devil and over his attacks. We shall never, while in the flesh, be free from the assaults and
temptations of Satan; very often we hear the expression; "Since I have given up to be a Christian;"
or, "Since I have been filled With the spirit, I have been tempted more than ever." That is very
likely. It is just like it was in Egypt, when Israel began to make preparations to leave, how
Pharoah, who is a clear type of Satan, began to make it harder and harder for them, and he even
followed their steps until they had crossed the Red Sea.
How is it that some people seem to have no temptations? That can be illustrated by an old story of
a Christian slave, who often spoke of his terrible temptations and his master spoke lightly of it and
said: "Why! Sambo, I never have any temptations, why should you? Your God is a queer God."
One day they went out hunting and the master shot into a flock of ducks as they arose from the
marsh, killing two or three of them and crippling another, which was trying to fly; so he called to
Sambo to leave the others and to go after the crippled one quick; which he did, and upon
returning with it he said; "Massah, why did yo send me so fas' af'er de wounded duck, an' not after
de dead ones?" "O! it was getting away, boy." "Well, Massah, I kin ass'er yo question ob de
mornin' why de debil is always gettin' af'er me an' not af'er yo, for de same reason yo wanted me
to go af'er de lame duck. I'se getting away from him, but yo he's got."
Beloved, Holiness is a great help in this fight against the devil. The unsaved or unconverted have
a trinity of foes to fight,--the world, the flesh, and devil, and they are led captive by any or all of
them; the world attracts them and they go; the flesh calls and they respond; the devil suggests and
his slaves do his bidding. After we are converted born of God--the Scripture says that we have
overcome the world. But the converted man has two ways of temptation still left--the flesh and
the carnal nature and the devil. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the
flesh." But when the child of God gets the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the old sinful nature is
taken out, there is only one left, and that is the devil.
[51] It will be but a little while until the sons of God will be forever beyond the temptation range and the destiny of all will be settled; every man will go to "his own place." Those who have accepted the "grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men, shall go with their King, and those who have refused, or neglected, this salvation, shall go with their King.
Satan is doing his best now-adays to capture every soul. "He is come down, having great wrath, because he knoweth he has but a short time." It is no secret to the devil and his demons that they are shortly going into torment; they know there is a bell; they believe it and tremble.
You remember when Christ, after his victory over Satan in the forty days hand-to-hand conflict in the wilderness, had bidden the demons to come out of a man, they cried out: "Jesus, thou Son of God, art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?" They here confessed that they knew that, at a time, possibly not far distant, they were going to a place of torment, and they feared that after the victories over their prince in the wilderness, their time of liberty was going to be cut short, and that they would have to go immediately.
Satan is soon to be bound and cast into the [52] bottomless abyss, that "he should deceive the nations no more for a thousand years;" during the millennium, the church is to be free from Satan and his temptations, but after that he will be loosed for a little season, and will go on with his diabolical work: he will still be the Devil after a thousand years of confinement, showing that hell is not a reformatory. But finally he will be taken and judged, and will be "cast into the lake of fire where he shall be tormented day and night forever and ever, with all his followers," "whosoever shall not be found written in the Book of Life."
Listen, beloved! Where will you spend eternity? Eternity! where? Oh, eternity! where? With the redeemed ones in glory or with the fiends in despair? With one or the other--eternity where?
But, says someone, I don't believe there is such a place as hell. Oh yes, you do; I'm sure you do. As I answered a man who said that to me the other day, "I'm sure you do; you believe in your city and county having a jail, don't you, for law-breaking characters? "Oh, yes," he quickly answered, he did. "Well," he added, "you believe in the state having a penitentiary for criminals, don't you?" Oh yes," he said, "what would our lives or property be worth without a place of confinement for those thieves and murderers, an anarchists and the like? Oh yes, I believe in that." "Well," said I, "what about eternity? Will not God have a place in which to put all those rebels against His government?"
And He has. And there is nothing in death to change people, and if Jesus don't do it, who or what will? Now, When time and opportunity is offered, is the time; if not now, when? If not Jesus Christ, who?
Oh! says another, God is too good to send a soul which He created there. And I say at once: Yes sir: I agree with you there. He never sent, and never will send anybody to hell, and He never prepared it for people, but He says definitely that He "prepared it for the devil and his angels;" and if anybody goes there it will be because they WILL [to] go. God has done, and He is doing, His best to keep all this race from going there.
But many are going there apparently, regardless of God's efforts, and Jesus Christ's coming and
the Holy Spirit's power to work for us and in us.
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PART 2: J. WALTER MALONE'S BIBLE REFERENCES
(COMPILED BY THE EDITOR)
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Ezekiel 28:11-19
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 12 Son of man, take up a lamentation
upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full
of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious
stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the Beryl, the onyx, and the jasper,
the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy
pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub
that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked
up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day
that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise
they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as
profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of
the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy
wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings,
that they may behold thee. 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine
iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it
shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold
thee. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a
terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
Isaiah 14:12-25
12. 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! 13. 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
congregation, in the sides of the north: 14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be
like the most High. 15. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16. They
that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made
the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17. That made the world as a wilderness, and
destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 18. All the kings of the
nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 19. But thou art cast out of thy
grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a
sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. 20. Thou shalt not
be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed
of evildoers shall never be renowned. 21. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of
their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
22. For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name,
and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord. 23. I will also make it a possession for the
bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the Besom of destruction, saith the Lord of
hosts. 24. The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to
pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: 25. That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and
upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden
depart from off their shoulders.
1 John 1:7
7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Hebrews 9:13-14
13. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 10:29
29. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden
under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was
sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Revelation 12:11
11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and
they loved not their lives unto the death.
Matthew 16:21-24
21. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto
Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be
raised again the third day. 22. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far
from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee
behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God,
but those that be of men. 24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Psalms 69:21
21. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
2 Peter 2:14
14. Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart
they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
Ezekiel 14:12-14
12. The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, 13. Son of man, when the land sinneth
against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the
staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: 14.
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own
souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.
2 John 1:9
9. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that
abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.