With these words the bright messenger disappeared, and Miss
Church-Member endeavored again to know more about his identity, but
Mr. World did not altogether satisfy her curiosity.
Then, as they sped onward in their well-devised vehicle down the gravity
road to Hell, Miss Church-Member continued reading her Bible quietly.
"How changed the teachings of this book appear," she soliloquized. "I
can now see how foolish I once was in taking so narrow a view of its
truths."
I took a passing glance at the King's Highway, and saw a virtuous and
holy woman on her knees in prayer, with a Bible opened before her.
She read from the Book, doubting not its words, and was pleading
earnestly with God for a better understanding of them, until flash
after flash of heavenly light filled her soul, making her face shine
with more than human glory.
To her the Devil, robed as an angel of light, made no appearance so
long as I looked.
Then I asked Blackana, and he told me that Satan feared that which was
sharper than a two-edged sword more than a large number of professing
Christians not filled with the word of God.
"And what think you of Miss Church-Member?" I continued.
"She is a fine character," spoke Blackana as a hideous grin spread
over his face.
Then I was moved with indignation, and I spoke with fire in my voice:
"Give me no more deceptive words of Hell! Tell the naked truth. What
is the estimate that Satan places on one who acts like Miss
Church-Member?"
Blackana moved not a feature at my changed attitude, but spoke calmly
within the bounds of truth: "Satan considers such a one as a valuable
ally to his cause, for she is now working against Jesus Christ on her
imaginary road to Heaven. Nothing is more helpful to Satan than when
members of the church believe that parts of the Bible are untrue. It
is indeed gratifying to us," continued Blackana with a fiendish smile,
"to see the twentieth century of the so-called Christian era opening
with the church wrangling over her Bible more desperately than ever,
and some of the learned leaders, and those of lesser light, laying the
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