Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century Allegory — John Shaqi
Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century AllegoryHarris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Religion
Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century Allegory
Harris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Christian fiction
“Ah! I have heard of this valley,” she replied. “Whenever I was tempted
or tried on the King’s Highway some one would caution: ‘Be courageous,
for you must go through the Valley of Temptation.’ I am thankful, as I
come to it, that I am on a Broader Way.”
“Many call this valley ‘Entanglement,’” further continued Mr. World,
“because of the large numbers who are here caught by the devices all
along the way.” I saw the whole valley in one view. It was very wide
and more than a thousand experiences long and, from one end to the
other, there were constant scenes of activity. The King’s Highway and
the Broad Highway ran almost parallel throughout the whole length of
the valley.
The entire space between the two paths was occupied by the agents of
Satan, and by numerous rescue bands and missionary organizations of
the King’s Highway Church.
I was informed that no traveler, who knows the experiences of life,
ever escaped this valley. But the King of Glory gives his children
assurance of no harm if they will heed his words and step not from the
path upon any pretence. He has also placed, in plain view, countless
signs of warning to keep his pilgrims from yielding to temptation, as
it presents itself, with or without mask; and they who pass these
testing-places in triumph are counted stable in their ways.
I saw in the first part of the valley some of Satan’s shrewdest agents
at work. They were stationed along the Narrow Path at close intervals,
and were endeavoring, by all kinds of schemes, to attract the attention
of Christians as they journeyed through the valley.
From one point they threw a hook baited with wealth over to the edge
of the King’s Highway way. I saw an ambitious Christian, contrary to
the signs of warning and all advice, eagerly grasp this bait. Then did
the agents of Satan pull gently. The man seeing a clue to wealth in
his hand would not let it go, and so was drawn slowly and unconsciously
over into the territory of the World. He did not see the strand that
drew him, for it was invisible, nor was he conscious of being thus
drawn, having his mind so fixed upon the object of his earnest pursuit.
Thus do these agents ply their nefarious skill without ceasing, and
so have drawn large numbers away from their original faith.
Another agent I saw near-by throwing out a hook baited with fame. An
ambitious youth let go all he had and seized the baited hook with
singular avidity. It inspired him with inward hope, and he became so
engaged in thinking of his golden future that he followed whither the
gentle drawing led him, until he also reached the questionable ground
of the World. There he became still further entangled until he was
utterly under the sway of the tempter.
Close by I saw an agent of the Devil fastening a book to a line and
throwing it to the edge of the King’s Highway. In bold letters it bore
the title, “Forbidden Fruit,” and under this title there was an impure
picture.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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