christian institution. They owe their original to that benevolence, which cbristian principles inspire men with toward their fellow-creatures. In those houses where there is constant attendance, the security must be much greater than in other places. Supposing there was, for some short season, a want of attention to this person, the bands with which he was fastened, whether of metal or cord, with his continual and violent motion would fret and wear, and then break and burst asunder: and when he felt himself at liberty, his melancholic apprehensions would carry him to the desolate and solitary place where our Lord found him. (4.) The loss of the swine is reckoned unaccountable, but upon the supposition of a real possession, and the interposition of many evil spirits.

It may be remembered, that b formerly we mentioned three several ways of accounting for that event. One, supposing that the distraction which the man had laboured under, was transferred by our Lord from him to the swine. Another, that the dæmons, leaving the man at Christ's order, did with his permission take possession of the swine, and hurry them down the precipice: the third, that the lunatic man, or men, drove the swine into the lake.

Several reasons were then offered against the first of those opinions. There remain therefore the other two only to be now considered.

Every one should judge for himself. But to me it appears most probable, that this was done by the man himself, called Legion, either alone, or with the joint assistance of the other, his companion in affliction. For this miracle, as was observed before, was performed by our Lord with great deliberation. Some time passed between our Lord's signifying his will and pleasure, that the evil spirits should depart, or that the man should be cured, and his perfect recovery. Some things may be reasonably supposed by us, which are not inserted in such a relation as this. When the people of the neighbouring city had been informed of the cure of this unhappy person, as St. Mark assures us," they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with a dæmon, and had the Legion, sitting, aud clothed, and in his right mind." Clothing therefore had been brought to him: but the evangelist does not say how it was procured; because indeed it is needless to relate particularly what may be easily supposed.

See the Bishop of Oxford's Sermon preached before the Governors of the London Hospital, in the year 1754, p. 8-11. b See before, p. 456, 457.

C

The distraction under which this man laboured, was very grievous and outrageous; he was a hideous form, and his action was very violent. When be had conceived the thought of gratifying the evil spirits, by which he imagined himself to be possessed, with the destruction of the swine, he would without much difficulty drive them off the precipice. If some few of them were put in motion, the whole herd would follow. Nor is it unlikely, that the other person, his companion in affliction, joined his assistance; for St. Matthew speaks of two. They invested the herd then on each side, and thus drove them before them.

This appears to me a much more reasonable way of accounting for the loss of the swine, than to suppose, that c our blessed Lord accepted and granted the petition of evil spirits.

(5.) The case of Mary Magdalene may create a difficulty in the minds of some: and it may be inquired, what notion we ought to have of it, since it is said, that "out of her went seven dæmons?" Is not this an evident proof of the reality of possessions? See Mark xvi. 9; Luke viii. 2.

To which I answer, that many of late time have supposed Mary Magdalene to be the woman mentioned by St. Luke in the seventh chapter of his gospel, who is there spoken of as a sinner,' who, when our Lord was in the house of Simon the pharisee, came to him, and gave proof of repentance. For which reason Mary Magdalene is often set forth as a remarkable example of repentance.

But that opinion, so far as I am able to judge, is entirely without foundation in the gospels. There is no reason at all to think, that Mary Magdalene and that woman are one and the same.

What was Mary's case appears in general by St. Luke's account, chap. viii. 1, 2, "He went through every city and village, preaching the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits, and infirmities; Mary, called Magdalene, out of whom went seven dæmons, and others." Here Mary is reckoned among those whom our Lord had healed of infirmities,' and such infirmities as were ascribed to evil spirits.

But I do not think we can with certainty conclude from those words, what was her particular affliction; because the Jews in those times imputed a great variety of distempers to the influence of dæmons. But though we dare not say positively what was her case, whether a discomposed See before, p. 457, 458. and note.

frame of mind, or epilepsy, or somewhat else; it appears to me very evident, that some natural, not moral distemper, is thereby intended; and that by seven dæmons' is meant many, a certain number being put for an uncertain. It was supposed, as in the case of the man who called himself Legion, that more than one dæmon, or unclean spirit, was concerned in inflicting, or aggravating the infirmity, which she had been afflicted with, and which our blessed Lord graciously removed.

(6.) The next thing which I shall take notice of, is the history of an affair at Ephesus, Acts xix. 10-17, " And this continued by the space of two years, so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs and aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them that had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered, and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them and overcame them, and prevailed against them so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews, and Greeks also, dwelling at Ephesus. And fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified."

This history might afford occasion for many remarks; as that dæmoniacs were common among Gentiles, and in heathen countries, as well as among the Jews in Judea: that the Jews practised exorcisms at home and abroad: and that some, who took upon them the office of exorcists, were men of indifferent characters, and were impostors.

But what I allege this passage for, and which we are chiefly to attend to, is the argument which it affords for real possessions, or the influence of malignant powerful spirits. For this man speaks as if he were actuated by some such beings; moreover he shows great force and activity; he alone overcomes several men at once.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, here is far from being any sufficient evidence of the presence or power of invisible beings. The knowledge which the man shows, is common and ordinary. St. Paul had before this time wrought many miracles at Ephesus, in the name of Jesus, in curing all

kinds of diseases: and the man before us was convinced of the truth and greatness of divers of the works which he had either seen or heard of.

When therefore these Jewish exorcists came to him, and made an attempt to give him relief under the indisposition with which he was afflicted, and he found no benefit from all their exorcisms; he was enraged, and treats them as hateful deceivers, and says, " Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye ?" No evil spirit, under the direction of Satan, the prince of evil spirits, would bear such a testimony to Jesus and his apostles. But it is the honest, understanding man, who expresses the sense of his own mind.

66

Says St. Luke," And the man, in whom the evil spirit was," that is, in whom there was supposed to be an evil spirit, leapt on them, and overcame them, and prevailed:" which is not at all hard to conceive, considering his just indignation, and that this assault was unexpected. The exorcists were unprovided for defence, and at the same time were dispirited by fear and shame, at the disappointment which they had met with, and the detection of their imposture, and the inefficacy of their boasted skill.

As St. Luke says, " fear fell on all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified." And very justly, after so many miracles wrought by Paul, and the manifest proof now afforded of the insufficiency of those methods of cure, which were most depended upon.

(7.) There is one thing more to be taken notice of by us, before we leave this head. We must go back for it to the xvith chapter of the Acts. But I have reserved it for this place, it seeming to some, one of the strongest proofs in the New Testament in behalf of real possessions. It was at Philippi in Macedonia. Says St. Luke: "And it came to pass, as we went to prayer. It might as well be rendered, "As we went to the oratory," or the Jewish synagogue, a little way out of the city, by the river side. "As we went to the oratory, a certain damsel, possessed with a spirit of divination, met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this she did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned, and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And

when her masters saw, that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace, unto the rulers. And brought them to the magis

VOL. I.

2 K

trates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city. And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans," Acts xvi. 16-21. And the magistrates being exasperated by the clamour of these men, they ordered Paul and Silas to be beaten, and shut up in prison.

"A certain damsel, possessed with a spirit of divination," literally, having a spirit of Python.' St. Luke, undoubtedly, makes use of the common heathen appellation. And the phrase seems to denote, that this woman was supposed to have the same spirit of Python, or Apollo, that delivered oracles in the name of Apollo in the Pythian temple. In short, by the help of this maid-servant, her masters were supposed to be able to deliver out oracles, and to answer all manner of questions, and foretell future events concerning those who consulted them; hereby her owners had much gain.

And many there are in our time, who still think, this woman had in her a spirit of divination, and that she was able to foretell futurities.

They who are of this opinion, express themselves after this manner. The ancient Greeks and Romans possessed 'slaves of all professions, philosophers, rhetoricians, grammarians, physicians, as well as persons bred up to every 'sort of mechanic trade. Among the rest, they sometimes happened to have slaves that were astrologers, or magicians, 6 or diviners. Eyyaoтpiμvooi, or those who had the spirit of Python, were doubtless, very rare, and the purchase of 'such an one must have been exceeding high. The maid'servant, here mentioned, is represented as having more than 'one owner. Her price, it is likely, was too great to be advanced by a single person. At least no one cared to risk so large a sum upon the uncertainty of a life. For though she brought much gain, how soon might it be cut off by her 'decease?' It is farther said, that the reputation of this ' woman was established. There was a general belief, that 'she did foretell things, and there was a great concourse of people after her, to make inquiry into their future for'tunes.' So say those persons who are of that opinion. d Biscoe upon the Acts, p. 342, 343.

6

6

• The same, p. 296.

The plain truth therefore is, St. Paul prevented her future prophesying. He cast out the spirit which spake within her, so that she was no more heard 'to speak as from her belly or breast. Her masters soon perceived that she 'was no longer inspired or possessed, that she could now utter no more divi'nations or prophecies; and therefore all hope of their gains from her, whether in Philippi, or any other city, was wholly gone.' The same, p. 297, 298. See also Dr. Jortin's Remarks upon Ecclesiastical History, Vol. i. p. 123, 124.