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had taught them to whom they might apply, and where they might find assistance in their dangers. Why should they be fearful? He might seem to be asleep whilst they were suffering. But he was really wakeful to all their wants, and watching over all their trials.

25. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

There are times when the people of God are sorely tried, by opposition, by enmity, or by sorrows and temporal distresses. In their perplexity they may be inclined to say, after the example of the Psalmist, 7

How long wilt thou forget me, Lord,

Must I for ever mourn?

How long wilt thou depart from me,
Ah! never to return?

St. Paul may have felt something of this kind, when harassed by what he terms "a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet him." Like the disciples here, he "besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from him:" as if saying, "Master, why sleepest thou? Carest thou not that I perish!"

But "he that keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep." "God will avenge his own elect," though he may "bear long with them." 1 The persecutions or the afflictions which they labour under, have their appointed work to do,

7 Ps. xiii, 1.

9 Ps. cxxi. 4.

when the afflicted

8 2 Cor. xii. 7.

Luke xviii. 7.

or the persecuted are true followers of their God and Saviour; and shall no more go beyond the proper limit, than the tempest which arose in the sea could exceed the bounds assigned by Him who at the right moment would restrain it, and say, "Hitherto shalt thou go, and no further, and here shall thy waves be stayed."2

26. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

27. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him.

The apostles had seen what might have prevented their alarm. They had seen proofs of power which might have made them sure that even the winds and the sea would obey him. But it is not always in the season of danger, perplexity, or affliction that those truths occur to us which might strengthen the heart, and keep it from fainting. All have not the stedfast faith of the prophet, so as to say, "Although the figtree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flesh shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." "

We have a compassionate Lord, who "can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;" and "in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." He 3 Habakkuk. iii. 17, 18.

2 Job xxxvii. 11.

Heb. iv. 15, and ii. 18.

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will rather pity, than rebuke the fears which arise from the frailty of nature, and not from the unfaithfulness of the heart. Perhaps it may not seem fit, in his infinite wisdom, to rebuke the winds and the sea, that there may be a calm. Perhaps he may not see it best to remove the affliction, or cause "a man's enemies to be at peace with him." But whether the sea which we are crossing be rough or smooth, "all things shall work together for good to them that love God." He is ever nigh to them that trust in him, and "where he is nigh, no ill can come." "Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be "moved, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea: though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Prov. xvi. 7.

7 Ps. xlvi. 1-3.

6 Rom. viii. 38.

LECTURE XXXVIII.

UNCLEAN SPIRITS CAST INTO A HERD OF SWINE.

MATT. viii. 28-34.

$ 28. And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes,' there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

29. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

This history, more fully than any other, acquaints us with the power of those evil spirits which Christ Jesus came to subdue. It is a subject upon which we can proceed no further than Scripture leads us by the hand. Scripture, however, speaks not only of the great enemy of mankind, "the prince of darkness," "the prince of this world;" but likewise of other evil spirits who are permitted to exercise power over men. Jesus had begun his ministry by overcoming Satan; he proceeds to show that the Son of God was come, and for what purpose he was come, by subduing those inferior spirits, who at this period seem especially to have exerted their male

I

This was the region of Gadara, chiefly inhabited by Jews, but surrounded by Gentiles.

2

volence. They knew, it appears, who was appointed to restrain them and break their dominion. They cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Thou art light, and we are darkness: what have we to do with thee? Happily for the world, for this purpose he came; "for this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." And an awful subject of thought is opened to us in the words that follow, Art thou come hither to torment us before the time? This shows a fearful expectation of wrath to come; of the judgment awaiting them, of which St. Peter speaks, "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." "

3

For them, then, "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." To us they leave a warning, “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation."

66

30. And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine, feeding.

31. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

32. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went out into the herd of swine; and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

21 John iii. 8.

32 Pet. ii. 4.

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