for variety of conjecture. If it could even be proved that the Jews borrowed their notions of demons from the heathens; still this would be no evidence to disprove the facts on which the belief of demoniacal possessions is founded; nor could any difference of opinion as to the former point lessen the validity of substantial testimony to the latter. This, therefore, is rather an extraneous matter of controversy engrafted on the main subject, than essential to it; and appears to have had greater stress laid upon it than it really deserves.

The main point to be considered appears to be this;-whether, on a matter so purely dependent on Divine revelation as our knowledge of the agency of invisible spirits, we are to be determined by human conjectures and theories, or ought to abide by the statements of the inspired writers. It is a question which concerns us only as believers in holy writ; since, if the authority of the sacred writers be set aside, it is no longer a point of religious concern.

Is it, then, to be imagined, that the Apostles, and even our Lord himself, would have given countenance to the popular belief in these cases, if that belief had been altogether erroneous? Nothing can be more unambi

guous than the expressions used by the Evangelists, in describing these cases; nor can any thing more strongly confirm their representations of them, than the conduct of our Lord towards the persons so afflicted, and their demeanour towards Him. In the cure of ordinary maladies, we find the blessed Jesus, for the most part, simply exercising his Divine energy by a word or a touch; or suspending the exertion of it, only until he had exacted from the sufferers themselves, or from others interested in their behalf, some public testimony of faith in his power. But in administering relief to the Demoniacs, he addresses, not the afflicted patient, but the tormenting agent; whom he converses with, rebukes, and commands with authority to quit his possession. Now, what could the multitude infer from this? What could He, who "came into the world that he "should bear witness unto the truth "," intend by such conduct, if, after all, there were no evil spirits to dispossess? Why did he thus distinguish these cases from others? Why did he, purposely, as it should seem, avail himself also of these opportunities to assert his general power over the invisible

d John xviii. 37.

world of spirits? To suppose that on a subject like this (relating, not to a mere philosophical opinion, in which it mattered little what notions the multitude entertained, but to a point of prime magnitude in a religious point of view) our Lord would thus comply with popular errors and prejudices, is surely to forget the sanctity and dignity of his character. Still less ought it to be imagined, that he would not, in his private and more confidential discourses with his disciples, have undeceived them, if they were in error on this point. Instead of which, we find him often conversing with them on this subject in terms precisely of the same import with those which he used in public. And what, more than all, throws the weight of his authority into this scale, is the argument which he raised with the Jews, on the fact of his casting out devils, to prove that his power was Divine, and could not proceed (as they had blasphemously affirmed) from Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. "If Satan," says he, "cast out Satan, how shall his kingdom "stand? but if I with the finger of God cast "out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is

66

come upon you." Throughout the whole

e Matth. xii. 26. Mark iii. 23. Luke xi. 20.

of that memorable conversation with the captious and unbelieving Pharisees, the reality of these demoniacal possessions is evidently assumed as the basis of the argument; and the inference drawn from it is, that they who attributed miracles of so peculiar a description to the work of the evil spirit, were not only, in the most direct manner, blasphemers of the Holy Spirit, but stood self-convicted by the absurdity of their own reasonings, in supposing that the immediate agent in these possessions would be instrumental to his own defeat.

Moreover, the effect produced by the dispossession of these evil spirits, upon the Demoniacs themselves, affords additional evidence to the same purpose. Not only did the symptoms of the bodily disease straightway disappear, but the sanity of the mind was instantly restored. Instead of murmurs and expostulations, instead of rage and terror at the approach of the Son of God, they who were thus recovered, intreated permission to follow Jesus, and to "be with him" for their comfort and protection. The spirits themselves are represented as departing with tokens of fury and disappointment; whilst they whom they had led captive experience the liveliest satisfaction and tranquillity on

being delivered from a tyranny so tormenting and oppressive.

These general observations on the case of the Gospel Demoniacs will help to illustrate the particular miracle to which the words of the text relate.

This miracle, with some slight variations in the account of it, is recorded by three of the Evangelists. St. Mark and St. Luke speak of one Demoniac only: St. Matthew, of two. The former, who relate the matter more circumstantially, appear to have confined their narrative to one Demoniac in particular, who was probably more fierce and violent than the other. St. Matthew, who relates the occurrence in a more general manner, mentions both. Again; St. Matthew states, that the miracle was wrought in the country of the Gergesenes; St. Mark and St. Luke, that it was in the country of the Gadarenes; the cities of Gergesa and Gadara being near to each other, and both situated on the same side of the lake Tiberias; whence, probably, the country around was

f It should be observed, however, that there are manuscripts of high authority, including the Vatican, which in the text of St. Matthew read Gadarenes, conformably with St. Mark and St. Luke. See Wetstein and Griesbach; the former of whom assigns cogent reasons for supposing this to have been the genuine reading.