I would unmask the devil!

(Talmage, "The Abominations of Modern Society", 1872)  LISTEN to audio! Download audio

"Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light!" 2 Corinthians 11:14

Sin, crawling out of the ditch of poverty and shame, has but few temptations.

Poets and painters have portrayed Satan as a hideous creature, with horns and hoofs.

If I were a poet, I would describe him with . . .
  manners polished to the last perfection,
  hair flowing in graceful ringlets,
  eye glistening with splendor,
  hands soft and diamonded
  step light and graceful,
  voice mellow as a flute,
  conversation articulate and eloquent,
  breath perfumed until it would seem that nothing had ever touched his lips but balm and myrrh.

But his heart I would encase with the scales of a monster, then filled . . .
  with pride,
  with beastliness of lust,
  with recklessness,
  with hypocrisy,
  with death,
  with damnation!

In my next portrait, I would unmask the devil, until . . .
  his two eyes would become the cold orbs of the adder,
  and on his lip would come the foam of raging intoxication,
  and to his feet, the spring of the panther,
  and his soft hand would become the clammy hand of a wasted skeleton,
  and in the smooth lisp of his tongue, would come the hiss of the worm which never dies,
  while suddenly from his heart would burst in all-devouring fury, the unquenchable flames of Hell!

But, until unmasked, I would describe him as nothing but myrrh, and balm, and ringlet, and diamond, and flute-like voice—with pleasant and mirthful conversation.

"So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes." 2 Corinthians 2:11