On one occasion, the particular demons in this account even instructed a person who wanted to make a formal covenant with them (and ultimately, Satan) to wait especially for Christmas day to transact this great wickedness. This example is at about 8:50 to 9:50 on this MP3.
A second historic example, where the demons desired to keep Christmas with one they oppressed, can be heard in the free MP3 at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=6706155859, titled "Demon Possession (2 of 3) in Early America." This second example is at about 20:20 to 21:20 on this MP3.
"Sect. XXX. After this, we had no more such entertainments. The Demons it may be would once or twice in a Week trouble her for a few minutes with perhaps a twisting and a twinkling of her eyes, or a certain Cough which did seem to be more than ordinary. Moreover, Both she at my house, and her Sister at home, at the time which they call Christmas, were by the Demons made very drunk, though they had no strong Drink (as we are fully sure) to make them so. When she began to feel her self thus drunk, she complained, "O they say they will have me to keep Christmas with them! They will disgrace me when they can do nothing else!" And immediately the Ridiculous Behaviours of one drunk were with a wonderful exactness represented in her Speaking, and Reeling, and Spewing, and anon Sleeping, till she was well again. But the Vexations of the Children otherwise abated continually. They first came to be always Quiet, unless upon Provocations. Then they got Liberty to work, but not to read: then further on, to read, but not aloud, at last they were wholly delivered; and for many Weeks remained so" (Cotton Mather, Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions (1689).
Satan loves his demon-inspired, man-made holy days (which violate the first, second and fourth commandments, especially the regulative principle/second commandment!), and the Christ-mass is a clear example of one of the ways in which devils come as "angels of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14), feigning unscriptural religiosity to deceive the ignorant and scandalous. When the church has been at her strongest these Papist/Pagan/demonic holy-days (Christmass, Easter, etc.) have been matters of discipline, as noted in the free online quotes at http://www.puritandownloads.com/christmas-is-a-roman-catholic-missions-strategy/ and at http://www.swrb.com/newslett/freebook/holyday.htm. These quotes also demonstrate that civil sanctions, in accord with Scripture, have at times also been enacted. For example,
"It was for this very reason that in Calvin's Geneva you could have been fined or imprisoned for celebrating Christmas. It was at the request of the Westminster Assembly that the English Parliament in 1644 passed an act forbidding the observance of Christmas, calling it a heathen holiday. In an appendix to their 'Directory for the Public Worship of God' the Westminster divines said: 'There is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's day, which is the Christian Sabbath. Festival days, vulgarly called 'Holy-days', having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued.' (See also, James Bannerman, The Church of Christ, Vol. I, pages 406-420). When the Puritans came to America they passed similar laws. The early New Englanders worked steadily through December 25, 1620, in studied neglect of the day. About 40 years later the General Court of Massachusetts decreed punishment for those who kept the season: '...anyone who is found observing, by abstinence from labor, feasting, or any other way, any such days as Christmas Day, shall pay for every such offense five shillings'" (Is Christmas Christian? and here).
Still Waters Revival Books Discount Puritan and Reformed Christian book distributors serving Christians worldwide (in over 100 countries) for 28+ years.
Older
Top
