ALONE WITH GOD     

  Satan (speaking to Doubting Soul)—You are progressing so slowly of late, it must be that you are deceived in your Christian experience.

  Feelings—Yes, you have been feeling so downcast for several days, and one who has the victory should feel like shouting and praising God.

  Reason—This is the devil; you had better dismiss him at once, or he will deceive you.

  Fears (coming up hastily)—Many people have been led astray by Reason, and supposing they were right, have lost their souls. So very many people are deceived, you had better examine yourself.

  Doubts—You know you did not get a clear witness of your sanctification, and even if you are justified, you are not sanctified.

  Feelings—Yes; we all believe that Doubts is right about this; for at the time of your consecration you did not feel like Brother A, who felt the fire and really knew that he had received the Holy Spirit.

  Faith—Pay no attention to Feelings, but believe in God.

  Doubts—But those who are saved should feel better than you do.

  Truth—"By grace are ye saved through faith" (Eph. 2 :8); so heed the admonition of Faith and dismiss these—

  Fears (interrupting)—You had better be careful; you are likely to turn the Lord away.

  Trust—"Trust in the Lord and do right," and these enemies shall not harm you.

  Satan—Yes, but as Doubts has stated, this soul was not sanctified in the beginning.

  Doubts—You had better give up your sanctification and

  Fears (interrupting again)—Yes, you had better be sure of it, for it is an awful thing to be lost.

  Feelings—These awful feelings are surely the fruits of depravity or inherited sin. You do not feel right toward your brethren, and you feel so tried.

  Doubts, Fears, Feelings, and Satan (all in unison)— Give up! give up! give up! you know you are not sanctified now, for you have listened to Doubts.

  At this Doubting Soul concludes to give up and seek sanctification to be sure of heaven.

  Satan—Although you have given it up now, you know that you were sanctified in the first place; and you could not fall from sanctification without committing sin, and if you have sinned, you are no longer justified.

  Doubts—Yes, you have doubted, and doubting is sin.

  Feelings—Yes, you feel just like a lost sinner; so you will surely have to repent.

  At this Doubting Soul begins to weep and concludes to begin over again and seek pardon. About this time Feelings comes in, and his two friends—Despondency and Discouragement—come along for company. It now being late, Doubting Soul, weary with the struggles of the day, concludes to retire for a little rest. But Feelings and his two friends keep up such a chatter talking over the day's victory that Doubting Soul is unable to sleep, and arising concludes to pass the night in prayer. After Doubting Soul prays for a short time, Reason and Truth come in and persuade him to dismiss Feelings and his two friends and to invite Trust and Faith to come in. After some persuasion Doubting Soul concludes to invite Trust to come in, which he does, and concludes to rest for a while, as the night is now far spent. But soon after he retires, Doubts and his friend Worry rap at the door and ask to be admitted. Despite the earnest pleadings of Trust, Doubting Soul finally opens the door just a little and Doubts and Worry quickly press their way in; and as they come in at the door Trust is compelled to hasten out at the window, and Doubting Soul is again left in the hands of his enemies.

  After a long struggle with Doubts and his troublesome comrade, Doubting Soul concludes to call for Reason to come in again. On entering, Reason at once sets to work to encourage Doubting Soul and offset the work of Doubts and Worry. After a few encouraging words from Reason, Doubting Soul concludes to have Trust and Truth to come in and help. At the entrance of Trust and Truth, Doubts at once calls for Satan and Fears to come in and to bring Feelings along. On their entering, Doubting Soul feels somewhat alarmed; but as Reason and Trust take their stand one on each side of him and Truth at his back, he feels quite secure. After a short conflict Satan, Doubts. and Fears are compelled to retreat to one corner; but Feelings, seeming to be more fearless, lingers near for a while, but finally recedes to the corner with his friends, where all make considerable noise by way of lamentation, as Reason, Truth, and Trust encourage Doubting Soul.

  Finally Doubting Soul is advised to permit Faith to enter. At this the crowd in the corner are greatly angered, and Feelings begins to weep. But Doubting Soul is strengthened by Truth and still exhorted to invite Faith to come in. Acting on the request of Doubting Soul, Reason goes to the door and admits Faith. At the sight of Faith, even before he is fairly in the room, Satan, Doubts, and Fears all make a wild rush for the window and clamber out almost treading upon one another; while Feelings crouches himself in the corner and keeps very still for a while. At the entrance of Faith, Doubting Soul seems much revived, and Truth says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Faith replies, "The victory is won," and Feelings is compelled to go out, but lingers near the door. Doubting Soul now retires for the remainder of the night while Trust stands guard.

  Satan, Doubts, Fears, and Feelings all appear at the door early in the morning and agree that Feelings shall take the lead in gaining an entrance.

  Feelings (rapping at the door)—Let me in just for a while.

  Truth (speaking to Doubting Soul)—Beware, this is one of those enemies that caused you so much trouble last night.

  Fear (trying to assist Feelings)—You were too worried last night to make an intelligent consecration. It is a terrible thing to be lost.

  Doubts—You would do much better to give up trying to believe and make another consecration this morning.

  Truth—The Bible does not say you are saved by your emotions, but "through grace are ye saved." You had better not listen to these treacherous fellows who are trying to deceive you. You are now safe in our hands if you will but remain in our company; but should you allow these enemies of right to come in, we shall have to go out, for we will not keep such company.

  Doubting Soul—I love you, my friend, and want you to stay with me, but I fear that in shutting out Feelings I may be deceived and shut out a dear friend. He is such an innocent fellow and longs so to be in my presence. I can hardly refrain from letting him in just for a little while.

  Faith—The joy that you will obtain by remaining in our company will far surpass the friendship of Feelings, and

  Satan (interrupting in a boisterous tone from the outside)—Doubting Soul, you know that God is angry with you. The best thing you can do is to turn over a new leaf. Make a new resolution this morning and start at the foundation to build up a Christian character.

  Fears (speaking in a trembling voice)—Oh! it would be a terrible thing to be shut out of heaven; to be lost in eternal darkness and sable gloom forever.

  Satan—He that fails in one point is guilty of all, and there must be some point in which you have failed.

  Fears—Doubting Soul, you have been on your knees so much and your nerves are in such a strain you will ruin your health. You had better resolve to quit praying.

  Doubts—The Bible says, "Pray without ceasing." You have ceased to pray, therefore you are a sinner.

  Satan (throwing his voice like a ventriloquist and representing himself as the Lord)—"My Spirit shall not always strive with man." "For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned." Hebrews 6:7, 8.

  Truth—This is the voice of Satan trying to deceive you. He stopped quoting the Scripture just before coming to this encouraging clause—"beloved we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation."

  Feelings (fearing, since Satan is exposed that Doubting Soul may take courage)—You feel so depressed even much worse than last night. You feel that God is angry with you. Even the bright sunshine of the morning does not cheer you, and if you look out at the window, you will see that even the trees and the flowers seem to droop in sadness. Surely, surely these are not the feelings of a redeemed soul.

  Feelings pleads so sympathetically that Doubting Soul at once lets him in.

  Feelings (after gaining an entrance)—Now you feel just as bad as you did before and you did not receive a definite witness.

  Doubts (from the outside)—Yes, let us in, and we will help you to settle this matter.

  Satan (from the outside)—"In the multitude of counsel there is safety"; so let us in. Now, you want to be sure this time, so don't go too fast. You had better let us in while we consider. With a few sympathetic words from Feelings, Doubting Soul opens the door against the warnings of Reason and Truth; and Faith, Trust, Reason, and Truth all retire disappointed at Doubting Soul's conduct, though not in any wise discouraged. Doubts and Feelings soon convince Doubting Soul that he is not justified, much to the satisfaction of Satan, while Fears walks the floor and casts an occasional glance at the haggard face of poor Doubting Soul.

  After the continuance of this for some time, Doubting Soul becomes very much discouraged, and Satan says to him, "You have committed the unpardonable sin."

  Feelings—Yes, you feel just as if there were no mercy for you.

  Fears—I, too, think that this case is hopeless. Doubting Soul, you will never get out of this deplorable condition.

  Doubts—I have seen several cases like this one, and none of them ever found peace. Doubting Soul, you have now been in my company so long that you can never again look upon the countenance of Faith; for he is my bitter enemy, and I will not permit him to see you.

  Satan—You are a burden to your friends, and God no longer cares for you, and you are so miserable that the best thing you can do is to end your life and—

  Reason (coming quickly and entering the room without ceremony)—This is Satan, and if you do not resist him he will drive you insane.

  Satan and Fears (both speaking at once)—Insane! insane! you are almost insane now.

  Doubts—Yes, see how forgetful you are. You will never recover from this. Your mind is affected now.

  Truth (stepping in with an air of assurance)—"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."

  Doubts—You are too weak to resist, so Truth must go out.

  Faith (speaking from the door)—"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

  Fears—You have doubted too long now. You are too great a sinner to be forgiven.

  Truth—This is false, you have not sinned, and even though your sins were as scarlet, they should be as white as snow, though they were red like crimson they should be as wool.

  Satan—But you have no confidence in yourself, even if God is not displeased with you. Through long doubting you have cast away your confidence.

  Faith—Your self-confidence will be restored to you if you will "have faith in God."

  Feelings—You have doubted so long now and you feel so weak that You cannot believe

  Faith—Trust me, and I will drive Satan, Doubts, and Fears to the "four winds," and will conquer Feelings and make him your servant.

  Reason—Feelings is always deceptive; trust him not. Many people feel right who are only deceived, and Feelings causes many an honest soul to listen to Satan and Doubts, who are both enemies of God.

  At this Doubting Soul is almost ready to dismiss Satan and his troublesome companions and to invite Faith to come in.

  Satan—But don't be in a hurry; there is plenty of time.

  Truth—"Today is the day of salvation; now is the accepted time." You had better invite Faith in at once.

  Doubts—You are too weak to have Faith to come in.

  Trust—Let me enter and sustain you, and you will soon be strong enough to entertain Faith.

  Reason—I will assist you.

  Truth—Whosoever will may be saved.

  Doubting Soul is now much encouraged and invites Trust to come in immediately, and Satan, Doubts, and Fears again recede to a corner, while Feelings stands back at quite a distance. Soon Faith is allowed to come in again, and all the enemies of Doubting Soul are again cast out, and Truth says, "Your name shall no longer be called Doubting, but Faithful; and so long as you will trust us we will protect you from Satan, Doubts, and Fears, and will cause Feelings to be your friend." On this Faithful takes courage, dismisses all his troublesome foes, and settles down to enjoy the constant friendship of Faith, Truth, and Trust.

  Many times after this did Satan come as an angel of light and try to gain an entrance, but Truth invariably exposed Satan, and Faithful was not deceived by him. Doubts often clothed himself in pitiful robes and sought to excite the sympathy of Faithful and to gain admittance. And many times when Faithful would turn Doubts away, it seemed very hard—almost like turning away his best friend. Fears often tried to intimidate Faithful and make him dismiss Faith; but Faith, Truth, and Trust would sing a trio, which would always stimulate and encourage Faithful.

  At first Trust would not allow Faithful to look out at the door when Satan, Doubts, and Fears were trying to get in, lest he should not be able to withstand them; but finally Faithful forgot all his former troubles, and when his old enemies would come around, he would take Faith with him and boldly open the door and rebuke Satan and his fellows and cause them to flee.

  Feelings was rather treacherous for awhile and often came near deceiving Faithful; but Trust finally enabled him to ignore the foolish whims and sympathetic stories of Feelings, and to look to Faith and Truth for guidance.

  Faithful soon aspired to greater victories and remembered his former troubles "as waters that pass away," and instead of spending his time in struggling with his enemies, he had time to praise God and worship Him with joy. And Faith "appointed unto him beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness." Isa. 61:3.