The devil's bride

Front matter

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Dedication

To those ”who believe the prophets” and ”who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality,” and particularly to those who have given these great subjects of prophecy no thought, this book is affectionately dedicated.

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Introduction

Vll and tj-pes of the final whirlwinds that shall roll all human wretchedness into the peace of extinction. According to this view, death is the redeemer of mankind. ^ ’

The author of these pages believes both the record of profane and sacred history. He believes that the former describes marvelous changes, slow progress, but progress still, toward an ultimate goal, a golden age to come. He believes for example, that because of the brief regency of Oliver Cromwell, the conceptions of human freedom among the English people and consequently throughout the race, have been nobler; and that these conceptions because of the work of Cromwell have been easier of attainment. So too, freedom of thought and speech, and the purer worship of God, because of the life and work of Luther, have become the heritage of the age in which we are now living. We maintain that however determiningly the arm of oppression and wrong may strike in the future, it will be impossible to undo what these and hundreds of others have done for humanity.

But whilst we believe the record of profane history and assertions of those who reason from these records, that the victories of truth are permanent, we also believe the record of sacred history and the lessons it teaches, namely that in the history of the race, God has again and again visited the world in judgment. In one or two of these great visitations He utterly destroyed the human race

INTRODUCTION viii

with the exception of eight persons ; on the other occasion He confounded their speech and scattered the race. This He did, too, at a time of the highest scientific development, as both the ark of Noah and the tower of Babel prove.

We believe the statement in Holy Writ, that when Sodom and Gk)morrah were destroyed, ‘ ^ the Lord rained upon them brimstone and fire out of heaven,’’ and that when Israel was delivered from the bondage of the Egyptians, God, at the command of Moses, permitted the powers of evil to multiply until blessings became plagues, and ordinary annoyances became malignant and deathdealing. Because we believe that God himself punished unbelief and disobedience in the past, regardless of scientific development and the spread of knowledge, therefore we believe He will punish unbelief and sin in the future. We believe that God who once punished idolatry and other sins will also punish idolatry and sin in the future. He will punish the individual who perpetrates the sin and the nations who permit the perpetration. Sun worship and image worship and the consulting of familiar spirits are just as obnoxious now as they were ages ago when they did not have attached to them the boasted culture and refinement that they have to-day. In this belief and because of the assurance that, ‘^not one jot or tittle shall in any wise pass from the law and the prophets until all be fulfilled,” this volume was written.

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Nor can we believe that the judgments spoken of in the prophets as yet to be visited upon the children of disobedience are far in the future. There is no more reason for maintaining this than there is reason to believe that when these judgments begin to come the world at large will be looking for them, and believe that they are sent from God.

In the hope that this little volume may cause the evil-doer to stop and think upon his evil ways, and that it may stimulate the doer of righteousness in the course he has taken, this book is sent upon its tnission.

The writer of ‘^Dr. Knowit or the End of the Age/^ means that the book of Eevelation, and the Epistles, especially PauEs first Epistle to Timothy, depict events and the -state of society at the close of the age in which we are now living. He believes with many orthodox interpreters, that the book of Eevelation delineates real occurrences and that its language is not ‘^highly figurative,’’ as is so often asserted by those who try t® explain away the solemn warnings and events of the book. We have no reason to believe that the word, “Earthquake,” when used by St. John in Eevelation does not mean the same that it means when used by the scientist or in the newspaper; and that, “As it were a great mountain burning with fire,” (Eev. 8:8) is “As it were a great mountain burning with fire, ’ ’ a great meteor, falling into the sea and causing just what St. John says.

In other words, the events recorded in Dr. Knowit are copied from the book of ‘ ^ Eevelation. ’ ’ The characters of the book give us an idea of the (x)

EXPLANATION.

XI condition of human society in those awful days which will mark the close of this present age. Some of the scenes and characters of this book are intended to correct the almost universal error; namely, that education, culture, eradicate the evils of society. In Dr. Knowit himself we have an example of what will then be the popular preacher. We see how utterly powerless he is in the hour of trial, whether in his own life or those who are led by his doctrine.

The book follows closely the sixth, eighth and ninth chapters of Eevelation, first Timothy, 4:1, etc. The author does not however believe that the saints pass through the tribulation. He believes according to the analogy of Scripture and the expressed statements in the New Testament that the saints escape the Great Tribulation.^^ The book was written to warn and enlighten men and women in the church and outside of it, in the hope that it may be the means of enlightening, convincing and convicting souls ^^Dead in trespass and Sin,’’ in these closing years of the Church Militant.

Contents

CHAPTER L

^‘The Sun Was Daekened.’’

The beginning of stupendous occurrences — The speculation of Scientists — ^The heat and its effects — Sudden darkness which continues for more than 24 hours — This is followed by a rain of meteors — Contrasted with other meteoric showers — Description of the conflagration started by the meteors — The terror inspired 37

Chapter II

The church in the days of which we are speaking — The Rev. Dr. Knowit — A typical and popular pastor — ^His Creed and practice — Miss Dolent, one of his members ; but not of his Creed' — Her pious father — An important conversation. 48

CHAPTER III. ^^Some Shall Depart From the Faith.”

A view of the state of society at the time of these events — The repeal of Sabbath laws — The neglect of the Sanctuary — Formality and Doubt in the Pulpit and the Pew — Boasted Gloodness 55

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CHAPTEE IV.

“Eveky Mountain and Island Weke Moved Out OF Their Place.

Dr. Knowit in a brown study — He visits Talitha Cumi — His conversation with Grace Dolent — The return home, and the strange phenomena witnessed on the way — A great earthquake 65

CHAPTER V. ‘‘The Love of Money is a Root of Evil.”

A meeting of men of importance in the Commercial World — What the Oil Ttust accomplished — Far-eighted Capitalists — The Marked Company — Some dire effects of the Trusts 75

Chapter VI

Spiritism — A Man must be his own Saviour — Who “the Spirits’’ really are — Is it possible to communicate with Spirits — Spiritism is idolatry — “Most delightful conversation with a Spirit” — A man’s spirit can leave the body before death and the body not die.” 83

CHAPTER VII. “Rest a While.”

A resume of the effetcs of the earthquaike — The effects on Hospitals — The weather during the following Sum- — Grace Dolent takes a vacation — Two ways in which to rest — Grace’s way — Something more about Dr. Know-

CHAPTER VIII. “Hail and Fire Mingled With Blood.”

The contrast between the pious and consecrated Grace Dolent and the preacher of the hour— Evolution, Material-

XV istic and Christian — Speculations of Science and the Statements of the Bible with regard to the future — Developments in the Orient — The new Babylon — A Center of World Commerce — A Great Catastrophe 106

CHAPTER IX. ^‘The Marriage Supper and the Prodigal

A wedding in high life — The feast — The strange visitor — The excitement incident to his appearance and his hastened departure — A forlorn woman and her child — Only a rose — ^Picked up 124

CHAPTER X. Divine Unto Me by the Familiar Spirit.’^

A messenger — A great sorrow — The Gregories* disappear — Dr. Knowit visits Mrs. DeLisle — A medium — A seance — The sprit-head and what it reveals — Mrs. DeLisle swoons — Dr. Knowit is convinced 132

Chapter XI

The mission receives a new inmate — A dead child — ^A life history — A new life in the midst of sinful surroundings — ^A friend. 141

Chapter XII

What brings crises in the lives of nations and of individuals — A detective — His advice — An anxious father and his more anxious daughter — Starting for home — Lost on the way — Great sorrow 147

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CHAPTER XIII. Doeth Great Wonders.^’

DeLisle’s rheumatism and bow it was cured — DeLisle is persuaded to see a Christian Science practitioner — A stormy interview — Fire and Smoke — ^Agility — Keconciliation and Salvation 155

CHAPTER XIV. ‘‘Many Shall Come in My Name and Shall Deceive Many. ’ ^

The Christian Scientist visits Mrs. DeLisle — He thinks he has made a convert — Why he did not convert Grace Dolent — Christian Science denies that God made man of the dust of the earth — That Christ is the Divine person — That be ransomed men — That the Holy Spirit is a person — That men sin — It denies petitioning a personal deity 162

Chapter XV

A new calamity — A great chasm in the earth — What came out of it — A pall covers the earth — A demon-locust — Universality of the plague — When most active — Methods adopted to escape them — Many victims — Worlds of darkness and beings of diabolical }x)wer not far away 171

Chapter XVI

Another visit to the medium — A supernatural visitor — A tragedy — The end of the Madam 179

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CHAPTER XVIL

^ ^ Let Us Love One Anotheb : For Love is of God.’’

Affinity — The controlling purpose of a regenerate life — 'The basis of an abiding affinity — How demon-locusts became possible — ^Love and friendship — The relation of prayer to Creed — How a young life was wrecked — The wages of sin 184

CHAPTER XVIII. Knowledge Shall be Increased.”

^^The blue-eyed three” — ‘^The haven of rest” — A great invention — An astonished inmate — ^What he saw about him — His life a partial blank — An educated villain. . . 194

CHAPTER XIX. ^‘It is Sport to a Fool to do Mischief.”

On the way — Shadowed — In the power of a stranger — Carried whither she would not go — In new surroundings — Oblivious to all — ^Scientific progress not a guarantee to moral progress 204

Chapter XX

There is a Way Which Seemeth Right Unto a Man But the Ends Thereof Are the Ways OF Death.”

Betrothed and bereaved — How a noble charity was bom — Who became its guardians — Dr. Knowit and Talitha Cumi — His opinion of Grace Dolent — Something more

about demon-locusts — A distinguished victim 210 xviii

Chapter XXI

Dr. Knowit a sufferer — Tears and sleep — A miessenger — A skeptical doctor — His experience — A horrid shape and what it did 218

CHAPTER XXII. ‘‘A Foolish Son is the Heaviness of His Mother. ’ ’

A history of the DeLisle family — Gold and guilt — Expelled from home — The devil a discriminating master — A coachman’s distinguished guests — In the home but not of it — Tears, Eden’s spray 225

CHAPTER XXIII. ‘‘A Fugitive anb a Vagabond.'^

A resume of some events and their impression on De- Lisle — ‘^Tramp must leave” — A painful meeting — A heavy burden for a mother’s heart — How the world heard of Mrs. DeLisle’s loss — Mr. DeLisle ^Taken.” 235

CHAPTER XXIV. ‘^The Mark of the Beast.”

Man’s inhumanity to man — Xot created to turn to stone — Hardening processes of lust and greed — The veneer worn away — &>asts of science — Fruite of philosophy which explain away Revelation — How a union of religion and business are brought about — Fabulous wealth and damnation — Hellish skill in ferretting out the business of others — An awful situation 242

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CHAPTER XXV. ‘^The Teeasurers of Wickedness Profit Nothing.^’

Order and taste in the “haven of rest” — How scientific knowledge helped evil-doers — 'Mrs. Gregory “awake” — A surprise and a joy — Notes compared — The paradoxes of money — Watched — The manager and what he proposed — Mr. Gregory signs — An awful threat 253

CHAPTER XXVI. ‘Wain is the Help of Man.'^

The strange power of Dr. Knowit — The “over-pious” Grace — The influence of Grace over Mrs. DeLisle — How the presence of woman charmed Mr. DeLisle — ^When the demon of his agony left him he jested and scoffed as before — The sympathy of Grace for Dr. Knowit and his strange conduct — The effect of the demon-locusts on church going 261

CHAPTER XXVII. ‘ ‘ The Snare is Broken and we are Escaped. ^ ’

A fruitless search — ^Their fatal mistake — A careful search — The search in detail and what it revealed — A telegram and what it brought — Caution characteristic of policeman — W aiting 267

CHAPTER XXVIII. “Persecuted for Righteousness Sake.^^

Peace in nature brings confidence to man; but not repentance toward God — ^A brave man’s arraignment of the cults and isms of his day — The reward he received.. .276

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Chapter XXIX

^^Thb Path of the Just is as the Shining Lioht That Shineth More and More Unto the Perfect Day.^^

Something more about Grace Dolent’e work — Mrs. De- Lisle becomes champion and helper — The end of George DeLisle — ^Dr. Knowit resigns and disappears — The Gregoriee quit the ^‘haven of rest^’ — How the blue-eyed three escaped 283

Chapter XXX

Gregory and DeLisle — Mrs. Gregory captured by a worse foe — A great plague — The failure of science — The last interview between husband and wife — The valiant knight and his bride — ‘Tn the moment in the twinkle of an eye.'^ 292