SATAN is a mighty deceiver. To deceive and destroy souls is his chief work. He is spoken of in Scripture as the one “which deceiveth the whole world.” He hates God’s people, it is true, and accuses them before God; but he blinds and deceives the unsaved by every artifice in his power. He blinds the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the radiancy of the glad tidings of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine forth for them.
This foul purpose of Satan’s to deceive souls is accomplished either by his directly influencing the heart and mind by injecting false thoughts, thus leading into a false way, hardening the heart and conscience, and the like, or indirectly affecting souls through the medium of human agents. That the latter is common enough we sorrowfully know. Nor are the warnings of Scripture against these ministers of Satan without most solemn significance.
The practice of deceptive ways abounds on every hand. From early youth many children are taught what is directly false, both as regards God and their own souls; and almost as soon as they have knowledge of good and evil, their dearest friends help thus to entangle their simple and unsuspecting hearts in the meshes of Satan’s net. As they grow up, some are taught systematically to deceive, sometimes in a half-jesting way we grant, but not the less deceptive on that account. However the evil heart of fallen man may laugh and make a mock at sin, we know that it is written of the Lord Jesus that “He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” (1 Peter 2:2222Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: (1 Peter 2:22).) But how true is it in the present day that the young, in a thousand forms, and often in the commonest trifles, become familiar with, and often expert in, the practice of deception. So that when the opportunity offers they are fittingly prepared to lay for others the fatal snare of plunging them into a never-ending eternity under the effectual power of Satan’s blindfold.
Nor do we believe such instances to be uncommon. Medical men, nurses, and other false but well-meaning friends, often lend themselves to buoy up with false hopes the lingering sufferer, lest the shock of consciously passing from time into eternity should hasten the dissolution. Deceived as to their own souls, they then propagate their deception under the plea of affection and friendship. But such things ought not to be. If the same person were in health and strength, but in a deep sleep in a house which you saw to be in flames, would you not rush in, and at once rouse by every means in your power the unwary sleeper? To be sure you would; and why? that the body might be preserved from burning, if not from death. Then why not be equally faithful and kind as to people’s souls when you see them on the brink of an eternal gulf?
How little, alas! the moral, the educated, the refined, or even many of the religious, are aware that the vast amount of deception around us, in its varied and multiplied forms, is Satan’s crafty work. He cares not where you look, or what objects occupy your heart, provided it be not the Lord Jesus Christ. You may go anywhere, or be anything you like, provided you do not take the only true place of a lost and guilty sinner, and come to the Lord Jesus Christ as your only Saviour. You may make any amount of profession, hold the most scriptural and orthodox creed, be as indefatigable as you like in works of benevolence, provided you are only a foolish virgin, and have no oil in the lamp. If deception is the masterpiece of Satan’s work now, it is clear that the most perfect counterfeit must be that which comes nearest to the truth; and if he be the deceiver of souls, he will surely do all he can to keep them from taking refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ as the alone way of escape from the wrath to come, the only way to the Father. How imperatively important then it is that all who read these pages should escape Satan’s fatal snares and false artifices by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as their alone Saviour, and then, instead of seeking to deceive others, such will seek to attract them to the loving heart of the Son of God, who, though now in heaven, still, with outstretched arms, says, “Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.”
It is most appalling to think of souls discovering in their last moments that their dearest friends have deceived them. And yet such instances are not simply imaginary, but profound realities, as the following account shows. We subjoin the extract with the view of laying before our readers what we trust will tend to awaken in the hearts of those who read it the importance of manifesting true and faithful love to souls according as we have opportunity.
“A young lady in the town, a beautiful and accomplished girl, was taken ill of consumption. For many months she lingered on, during which time my mother constantly visited her, and seized every opportunity of reading and praying with her, and of speaking to her about her soul, and directing her thoughts to Christ. The invalid was an amiable girl, and well-disposed to listen to my mother’s advice; but, unfortunately, her mother, who was a gay, worldly woman, seized every opportunity of turning all that was said to her into ridicule after each visit, and constantly told her she was in no danger, and thus buoyed her up with false hopes of ultimate recovery. Can there be any greater cruelty than to keep the sick in ignorance of their danger? or to deceive the dying with false hopes of life?... It is the last refinement of inhumanity—Satanic deceit, which a devil might envy. Deceived, however, by her mother’s repeated assurances that she was in no danger, and sure to recover, the poor girl paid little heed to my mother’s advice, and still rained careless about her soul, hoping she had many years of life still before her. Gradually, however, she got weaker, but still paid little attention to her friend’s earnest warnings and prayers, as her mother continued to assure her she would soon be well again. This was a cause of much sorrow to my mother, who saw the poor girl’s life fast ebbing away, and knew how shamefully she was deluded by her cruel parent; and again and again she faithfully warned her of the danger of trifling with the solemn concerns of her soul, but all to no purpose. At length the poor girl died. My mother was not with her at the time, though she had seen her only a few hours previously. Anxious, however, to hear some account of her friend’s last moments, she inquired of the nurse who had attended the poor invalid about the circumstances of her death, and the nurse’s answer was, Oh, Miss Maria, it was the most dreadful sight I ever saw! When Miss — felt she was dying, she tried to raise herself up in bed, and looking at her mother with a countenance wild with terror, she exclaimed, “You’ve deceived me! I am dying, and I shall curse you throughout eternity for not having told me of my danger!” A solemn and fearful warning to friends to avoid the terrible crime of deceiving the dying.