could　devise　were　made　to　convince　him　of　his　error。　The　spirit　of
  discontent　had　never　before　been　known　in　heaven。　Lucifer　himself　did　not　at
  first　see　whither　he　was　drifting；　he　did　not　understand　the　real　nature　of
  his　feelings。　But　as　his　dissatisfaction　was　proved　to　be　without　cause；
  Lucifer　was　convinced　that　he　was　in　the　wrong；　that　the　divine　claims　were
  just；　and　that　he　ought　to　acknowledge　them　as　such　before　all　heaven。　Had
  he　done　this；　he　might　have　saved　himself　and　many　angels。　He　had　not　at
  this　time　fully　cast　off　his　allegiance　to　God。　Though　he　had　forsaken　his
  position　as　covering　cherub；　yet　if　he　had　been　willing　to　return　to　God；
  acknowledging　the　Creator's　wisdom；　and　satisfied　to　fill　the　place
  appointed　him　in　God's　great　plan；　he　would　have　been　reinstated　in　his
  office。　But　pride　forbade　him　to　submit。　He　persistently　defended　his　own
  course；　maintained　that　he　had　no　need　of　repentance；　and　fully　committed
  himself；　in　the　great　controversy；　against　his　Maker。
  All　the　powers　of　his　master　mind　were　now　bent　to　the　work　of　deception；　to
  secure　the　sympathy　of　the　angels　that　had　been　under　his　command。　Even　the
  fact　that　Christ　had　warned　and　counseled　him　was　perverted　to　serve　his
  traitorous　designs。　To　those　whose　loving　trust　bound　them　most　closely　to
  him；　Satan　had　represented　that　he　was　wrongly　judged；　that　his　position　was
  not　respected；　and　that　his　liberty　was　to　be　abridged。　From
  misrepresentation　of　the　words　of　Christ　he　passed　to　prevarication　and
  direct　falsehood；　accusing　the　Son　of　God　of　a　design　to　humiliate　him
  before　the　inhabitants　of　heaven。　He　sought　also　to　make　a　false　issue
  between　himself　and　the　loyal　angels。　All　whom　he　could　not　subvert　and
  bring　fully　to　his　side　he　accused　of　indifference　to　the　interests　of
  heavenly　beings。　The　very　work　which　he　himself　was　doing　he　charged　upon
  those
  497
  who　remained　true　to　God。　And　to　sustain　his　charge　of　God's　injustice
  toward　him；　he　resorted　to　misrepresentation　of　the　words　and　acts　of　the
  Creator。　It　was　his　policy　to　perplex　the　angels　with　subtle　arguments
  concerning　the　purposes　of　God。　Everything　that　was　simple　he　shrouded　in
  mystery；　and　by　artful　perversion　cast　doubt　upon　the　plainest　statements　of
  Jehovah。　His　high　position；　in　such　close　connection　with　the　divine
  administration；　gave　greater　force　to　his　representations；　and　many　were
  induced　to　unite　with　him　in　rebellion　against　Heaven's　authority。
  God　in　His　wisdom　permitted　Satan　to　carry　forward　his　work；　until　the
  spirit　of　disaffection　ripened　into　active　revolt。　It　was　necessary　for　his
  plans　to　be　fully　developed；　that　their　true　nature　and　tendency　might　be
  seen　by　all。　Lucifer；　as　the　anointed　cherub；　had　been　highly　exalted；　he
  was　greatly　loved　by　the　heavenly　beings；　and　his　influence　over　them　was
  strong。　God's　government　included　not　only　the　inhabitants　of　heaven；　but　of
  all　the　worlds　that　He　had　created；　and　Satan　thought　that　if　he　could　carry
  the　angels　of　heaven　with　him　in　rebellion；　he　could　carry　also　the　other
  worlds。　He　had　artfully　presented　his　side　of　the　question；　employing
  sophistry　and　fraud　to　secure　his　objects。　His　power　to　deceive　was　very
  great；　and　by　disguising　himself　in　a　cloak　of　falsehood　he　had　gained　an
  advantage。　Even　the　loyal　angels　could　not　fully　discern　his　character　or
  see　to　what　his　work　was　leading。
  Satan　had　been　so　highly　honored；　and　all　his　acts　were　so　clothed　with
  mystery；　that　it　was　difficult　to　disclose　to　the　angels　the　true　nature　of
  his　work。　Until　fully　developed；　sin　would　not　appear　the　evil　thing　it　was。
  Heretofore　it　had　had　no　place　in　the　universe　of　God；　and　holy　beings　had
  no　conception　of　its　nature　and　malignity。　They　could　not　discern　the
  terrible　consequences　that　would　result　from　setting　aside　the　divine　law。
  Satan　had；　at　first；　concealed　his　work　under　a　specious　profession　of
  loyalty　to　God。　He　claimed　to　be　seeking　to　promote　the　honor　of　God；　the
  stability　of　His　government；　and　the　good　of　all　the　inhabitants　of
  498
  heaven。　While　instilling　discontent　into　the　minds　of　the　angels　under　him；
  he　had　artfully　made　it　appear　that　he　was　seeking　to　remove
  dissatisfaction。　When　he　urged　that　changes　be　made　in　the　order　and　laws　of
  God's　government；　it　was　under　the　pretense　that　these　were　necessary　in
  order　to　preserve　harmony　in　heaven。
  In　His　dealing　with　sin；　God　could　employ　only　righteousness　and　truth。
  Satan　could　use　what　God　could　not　flattery　and　deceit。　He　had　sought　to
  falsify　the　word　of　God　and　had　misrepresented　His　plan　of　government　before
  the　angels；　claiming　that　God　was　not　just　in　laying　laws　and　rules　upon　the
  inhabitants　of　heaven；　that　in　requiring　submission　and　obedience　from　His
  creatures；　He　was　seeking　merely　the　exaltation　of　Himself。　Therefore　it
  must　be　demonstrated　before　the　inhabitants　of　heaven；　as　well　as　of　all　the
  worlds；　that　God's　government　was　just；　His　law　perfect。　Satan　had　made　it
  appear　that　he　himself　was　seeking　to　promote　the　good　of　the　universe。　The
  true　character　of　the　usurper；　and　his　real　object；　must　be　understood　by
  all。　He　must　have　time　to　manifest　himself　by　his　wicked　works。
  The　discord　which　his　own　course　had　caused　in　heaven；　Satan　charged　upon
  the　law　and　government　of　God。　All　evil　he　declared　to　be　the　result　of　the
  divine　administration。　He　claimed　that　it　was　his　own　object　to　improve　upon
  the　statutes　of　Jehovah。　Therefore　it　was　necessary　that　he　should
  demonstrate　the　nature　of　his　claims；　and　show　the　working　out　of　his
  proposed　changes　in　the　divine　law。　His　own　work　must　condemn　him。　Satan　had
  claimed　from　the　first　that　he　was　not　in　rebellion。　The　whole　universe　must
  see　the　deceiver　unmasked。
  Even　when　it　was　decided　that　he　could　no　longer　remain　in　heaven；　Infinite
  Wisdom　did　not　destroy　Satan。　Since　the　service　of　love　can　alone　be
  acceptable　to　God；　the　allegiance　of　His　creatures　must　rest　upon　a
  conviction　of　His　justice　and　benevolence。　The　inhabitants　of　heaven　and　of
  other　worlds；　being　unprepared　to　comprehend　the　nature　or　consequences　of
  sin；　could　not　then　have　seen　the　justice　and
  499
  mercy　of　God　in　the　destruction　of　Satan。　Had　he　been　immediately　blotted
  from　existence；　they　would　have　served　God　from　fear　rather　than　from　love。
  The　influence　of　the　deceiver　would　not　have　been　fully　destroyed；　nor　would
  the　spirit　of　rebellion　have　been　utterly　eradicated。　Evil　must　be　permitted
  to　come　to　maturity。　For　the　good　of　the　entire　universe　through　ceaseless
  ages　Satan　must　more　fully　develop　his　principles；　that　his　charges　against
  the　divine　government　might　be　seen　in　their　true　light　by　all　created
  beings；　that　the　justice　and　mercy　of　God　and　the　immutability　of　His　law
  might　forever　be　placed　beyond　all　question。
  Satan's　rebellion　was　to　be　a　lesson　to　the　universe　through　all　coming
  ages；　a　perpetual　testimony　to　the　nature　and　terrible　results　of　sin。　The
  working　out　of　Satan's　rule；　its　effects　upon　both　men　and　angels；　would
  show　what　must　be　the　fruit　of　setting　aside　the　divine　authority。　It　would
  testify　that　with　the　existence　of　God's　government　and　His　law　is　bound　up
  the　well…being　of　all　the　creatures　He　has　made。　Thus　the　history　of　this
  terrible　experiment　of　rebellion　was　to　be　perpetual　safeguard　to　all　holy
  intelligences；　to　prevent　them　from　being　deceived　as　to　the　nature　of
  transgression；　to　save　them　from　committing　sin　and　suffering　its
  punishments。
  To　the　very　close　of　the　controversy　in　heaven　the　great　usurper　continued
  to　justify　himself。　When　it　was　announced　that　with　all　his　sympathizers　he
  must　be　expelled　from　the　abodes　of　bliss；　then　the　rebel　leader　boldly
  avowed　his　contempt　for　the　Creator's　law。　He　reiterated　his　claim　that
  angels　needed　no　control；　but　should　be　left　to　follow　their　own　will；　which
  would　ever　guide　them　right。　He　denounced　the　divine　statutes　as　a
  restriction　of　their　liberty　and　declared　that　it　was　his　purpose　to　secure
  the　abolition　of　law；　that；　freed　from　this　restraint；　the　hosts　of　heaven
  might　enter　upon　a　more　exalted；　more　glorious　state　of　existence。
  With　one　accord；　Satan　and　his　host　threw　the　blame　of　their　rebellion
  wholly　upon　Christ；　declaring　that　if　they
  500
  had　not　been　reproved；　they　would　never　have　rebelled。　Thus　stubborn　and
  defiant　in　their　disloyalty；　seeking　vainly　to　overthrow　the　government　of
  God；　yet　blasphemously　claiming　to　be　themselves　the　innocent　victims　of
  oppressive　power；　the　archrebel　and　all　his　sympathizers　were　at　last
  banished　from　heaven。
  The　same　spirit　that　prompted　rebellion　in　heaven　still　inspires　rebellion
  on　earth。　Satan　has　continued　with　men　the　same　policy　which　he　pursued　with
  the　angels。　His　spirit　now　reigns　in　the　children　of　disobedience。　Like　him
  they　seek　to　break　down　the　restraints　of　the　law　of　God　and　promise　men
  liberty　through　transgression　of　its　precepts。　Reproof　of　sin　still　arouses
  the　spirit　of　hatred　and　resistance。　When　God's　messages　of　warning　are
  brought　hom