THE CAVERN. REESE LIB. NIV UN OF THE learned that the general impression was that Lucifer, had reappeared; that this council had been sum-SIT moned by his authority, and that his presence among Stood like a tower." Profound silence pervaded the entire multitude, while he cast his eyes around, and for several seconds surveyed this vast host of collected confederates. At length he spake. "Friends and allies, you have doubtless been perplexed and amazed at my long and unexplained absence; and although beforehand I judged it important to lock up the design in my own breast, yet, now that the enterprise is over, it will gratify me frankly to tell you all." Here, as if the well-remembered voice of their renowned chief waked up emotions that could not be controlled, the whole assembly burst forth into the most tumultuous cheering. Hall and cavern rang again. It seemed the very mountain shook, and the earth itself, for leagues around, shared in the strong agitation. Often, as the deafening shout began to subside, it was renewed, reiterated, and prolonged with the most extravagant demonstrations of fiendish ecstasy. Lucifer at length waved his hand, and immediately the multitude was calmed and reduced to order. CHAPTER II. LUCIFER'S NARRATIVE. "MORE than thirty years ago I marked in the Christian church the waking up of a spirit which at once I recognized as that of the apostolic age — mighty efforts to send the Bible abroad in all the languages of the earth; religious truth by means of printed tracts, diffused through every nook and corner of society; children by tens and by hundreds of thousands collected into Sabbath schools, and taught to lisp hosannas to Him who died on Calvary; while the living missionary in the north and in the south, in the east and in the west, was scaling the walls that for long ages have surrounded my heathen dominions, and sounding the trumpet of the gospel jubilee. "Signs of the times, like the budding of the trees when summer is nigh, were appearing all abroad. A spirit of inquiry seemed to be stirring up the nations. Idols that had stood firm for three thousand years, were beginning to totter, and a strange, portentous trembling penetrated the heart of the empire of darkness. "But what increased my alarm was this: I found that the attention and interest of heaven was now directed with uncommon intensity towards earth. Ministering angels in unusual numbers were clustering around the heirs of salvation. And while they roused their immortal energies to forward every gospel enterprise, there was an air of animated, confident expectation in their visages and in their movements, such as I had not witnessed before. Their whisperings were of 'conquest, victory, nations disinthralled, and a renovated world.' It was evident that throughout all their ranks there was strong assurance that the great harvest foretold by ancient seers is at hand, when the sceptre of sin shall be broken, and earth shall be transformed into the garden of the Lord. "In my attempts to oppose them, I found, from month to month, the work becoming more and more difficult. In stratagems against the church, success was slow and hard to be won. Many favorite and deep-laid devices were wholly baffled, or so crippled in their results as to afford little triumph in the review; while the river of life seemed to be continually swelling in its channel, and rolling onward with a bolder and a broader tide, threatening ere long to overflow all its banks, and extend its wonderful influence to the thirsty and perishing nations. "After an arduous struggle, continued through many years, I became fully convinced that the modern movements of the gospel cannot be overcome or arrested by direct resistance. An invisible power from above has come down, as though the 'set time to favor Sion' had arrived. "No army that I could muster could vanquish in the open field the armies marshalled by Him who rideth on the white horse, with his crown, his sword, and his bow. "I saw the necessity of attempting some important change in the circumstances of the war between heaven and hell. I had known earthly warriors, when discouragements and disasters thickened around, and success at a given point was impracticable, to change entirely the field of contest, and thus secure the most decided triumph. Thus imperial Rome, when Hannibal, for sixteen successive years on the plains of Italy, overmatched her generals, cut to pieces her armies, and shattered her strength, and it became perfectly conclusive that no force she could bring into the field could stand before the terrible invader-the crafty mistress of the world despatched Scipio with a strong Roman army to Africa, kindled there the flames of destructive war, laid siege to Carthage itself, and thus effected the recall of Hannibal and the ruin of Carthage. By this artful device, Victory, which so long had seemed to hesitate, was induced finally to perch on the standard of Rome. "I resolved to attempt a similar stratagem, though on a somewhat larger scale. I was persuaded that many portions of the creation, distant from earth, must be ignorant of its history, and that if rebellion against the Creator could be excited there, it would powerfully draw off the attention of heaven from earth, to quell the newly-excited insurrection, which might, perhaps, be extended far and wide." At this declaration of Lucifer, a strange commotion was visible throughout the entire throng of rebel angels. Troubled looks were exchanged, and here and there some mighty leader rose to his feet, as if anxious to make an inquiry. Lucifer paused, and the following question was propounded by several voices at once: "Would your majesty, then, think of abandoning your possessions on earth, and allowing the gospel to achieve its triumphs among men, without resistance? Is it your plan to found your empire permanently in some different and distant world?" "Never! never!" vociferated Lucifer, with much vehemence, "Never! never!" There was a pause, during which the huge frame of the fallen angel underwent an involuntary shudder. It was the trembling of the enormous forest tree that has felt the glance of the lightning. Again he spoke: "I say never, never surrender my possessions on earth. On earth I set up the standard of hell six thousand years ago. On earth I have battled long with patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, and emissaries from the world above. It was to earth Messiah came, boasting that he would destroy the works of the Devil. Yes, and through my management, earth rejected him, and shed his blood. I am resolved firmly and forever to maintain my kingdom on earth, if devilish ingenuity and devilish energy can do it. The design of which I spoke was simply this to excite insurrection in some distant province of the Creator's kingdom, draw off the armies of heaven to quell the troubles there, and thus gain ample respite to recover much that has been lost on earth, and fortify my kingdom here, that it may be more strong and unassailable than ever." At the utterance of these words, a smile of ineffable satisfaction spread over the whole assembly, and the deep murmur of applause was heard from all parts of the crowded hall. |