CONTEMPLATION XIX.-THE STUBBORN DEVIL EJECTED.

How different, how contrary are our conditions here upon earth! while our Saviour is transfigured on the mount, his disciples are perplexed in the valley. Three of his choice followers were with him above, ravished with the miraculous proofs of his Godhead; nine other were troubled with the business of a stubborn devil below.

Much people met to attend Christ, and there they will stay till he come down from Tabor. Their zeal and devotion brought them thither, their patient perseverance held them there. We are not worthy the name of his clients, if we cannot painfully seek him, and submissively wait his leisure.

He that was now awhile retired into the mount to confer with his Father, and to receive the attendance of Moses and Elias, returns into the valley to the multitude. He was singled out a while for prayer and contemplation, now he was joined with the multitude for their miraculous cure and heavenly instruction. We that are his spiritual agents, must be either preparing in the mount, or exercising in the valley; one while in the mount of meditation, in the valley of action: another, alone to study, in the assembly to preach; here is much variety, but all is work.

Moses, when he came down from the hill, heard music in the valley; Christ, when he came down from the hill, heard discord. The scribes, it seems, were setting hard upon the disciples: they saw Christ absent, nine of his train left in the valley, those they fly upon. As the devil, so his imps watch close for all advantages. No subtile enemy but will be sure to attempt that part where is likelihood of least defence, most weakness. When the spouse misses him whom her soul loveth, every watchman hath a buffet for her. O Saviour, if thou be never so little stepped aside, we are sure to be assaulted with powerful temptations.

They that durst say nothing to the Master, so soon as his back is turned, fall foul upon his weakest disciples. Even at the first hatching, the serpent was thus crafty to begin at the weaker vessel: experience and time hath not abated his wit. If he still work upon "silly women laden with divers lusts," upon rude and ungrounded ignorants, it is no other than his old wont.

Our Saviour, upon the skirts of the hill, knew well what was done in the plain, and therefore hastes down to the rescue of his disciples. The clouds and vapours do not sooner scatter upon the sun's breaking forth, than these cavils vanish at the presence of Christ; instead of opposition, they are straight upon their knees; here are now no quarrels, but humble salutations, and if Christ's question did not force theirs, the scribes had found no tongue.

Doubtless, there were many eager patients in this throng; none made so much noise as the father of the demoniac. Belike upon this occasion it was that the scribes held contestation with the disciples. If they wrangled, he sues, and that from his knees. Whom will not need make both humble and eloquent? The case was woeful and accordingly expressed. A son is a dear name, but this was his only son. Were his grief ordinary, yet the sorrow were the less; but he is a fearful spectacle of judgment, for he is lunatic. Were this lunacy yet merely from a

V

natural distemper, it were more tolerable; but this is aggravated by the possession of a cruel spirit, that handles him in a most grievous manner, Yet were he but in the rank of other demoniacs, the discomfort were more easy; but lo, this spirit is worse than all other his fellows; others are usually dispossessed by the disciples, this is beyond their power. "I besought thy disciples to cast him out, but they could not; therefore, Lord, have thou mercy on my son." The despair of all other helps sends us importunately to the God of power. Here was his refuge; the strong man had gotten possession, it was only the stronger than he that could eject him. O God, spiritual wickednesses have naturally seized upon our souls: all human helps are too weak; only thy mercy shall improve thy power to our deliverance.

66

What bowels could choose but yearn at the distress of this poor young man? Phrensy had taken his brain; that disease was but health, in comparison of the tyrannical possession of that evil spirit, wherewith it was seconded. Out of hell there could not be a greater misery: his senses are either bereft, or else left to torment him; he is torn and racked so as he foams and gnashes, he pines and languishes, he is cast sometimes into the fire, sometimes into the water. How that malicious tyrant rejoices in the mischief done to the creature of God! Had earth had any thing more pernicious than fire and water, thither had he been thrown, though rather for torture than despatch. It was too much favour to die at once. O God, with how deadly enemies hast thou matched us! Abate thou their power, since their malice will not be abated.

How many think of this case with pity and horror, and, in the meantime, are insensible of their own fearfuller condition!

It is but oftentimes that the devil would cast this young man into a temporary fire: he would cast the sinner into an eternal fire, whose everlasting burnings have no intermissions. No fire comes amiss to him; the fire of affliction, the fire of lust, the fire of hell. O God, make us apprehensive of the danger of our sin, and secure from the fearful issue of sin.

All these very same effects follow his spiritual possession. How doth he tear and rack them whom he vexes and distracts with inordinate cares and sorrows! How do they foam and gnash whom he hath drawn to an impatient repining at God's afflictive hand! how do they pine away, who hourly decay and languish in grace!

O the lamentable condition of sinful souls, so much more dangerous, by how much less felt!

But all this while, what part hath the moon in this man's misery? How comes the name of that goodly planet in question? Certainly these diseases of the brain follow much the course of this queen of moisture. That power which she hath in humours is drawn to the advantage of the malicious spirit, her predominancy is abused to his despite. Whether it were for the better opportunity of his vexation, or whether for the drawing of envy and discredit upon so noble a creature, it is no news with that subtile enemy, to fasten his effects upon these secondary causes, which he usurps to his own purposes. Whatever be the means, he is the tormentor. Much wisdom needs to distinguish betwixt the evil spirit abusing the good creature, and the good creature abused by the evil spirit.

He that knew all things asks questions: "How long hath he been so?" not to inform himself, (that devil could have done nothing without the knowledge, without the leave of the God of spirits,) but that, by the confession of the parent, he might lay forth the woeful condition of the child, that the thank and glory of the cure might be so much greater, as the complaint was more grievous; "He answered, from a child.”

O God, how I adore the depth of thy wise, and just, and powerful dispensation! Thou that couldst say, "I have loved Jacob, and Esau have I hated, ere the children had done good or evil," thoughtst also good, ere this child could be capable of good or evil, to yield him over to the power of that evil one. What need I ask for any other reason than that which is the rule of all justice-thy will? yet even these weak eyes can see the just grounds of thine actions. That child, though an Israelite, was conceived and born in that sin, which both could, and did give Satan an interest in him; besides, the actual sins of the parents deserved this revenge upon that piece of themselves. Rather, O God, let me magnify this mercy, that we and ours escape this judgment, than question thy justice, that some escape not. How just might it have been with thee, that we, who have given way to Satan in our sins, should have way and scope given to Satan over us in our punishments! it is thy praise, that any of us are free; it is no quarrel that some suffer.

Do I wonder to see Satan's bodily possession of this young man from a child, when I see his spiritual possession of every son of Adam from a longer date; not from a child, but from the womb, yea, in it? Why should not Satan possess his own? We are all by nature the sons of wrath. It is time for us to renounce him in baptism, whose we are till we be regenerate. He hath right to us in our first birth; our new birth acquits us from him, and cuts off all his claim. How miserable are they that have nothing but nature! better it had been to have been unborn, v than not to be born again.

And if this poor soul, from an infant, were thus miserably handled, having done none actual evil, how just cause have we to fear the like judgments, who, by many foul offences, have deserved to draw this execationer upon us! O my soul, thou hast not room enough for thankfulness to that good God, who hath not delivered thee up to that malignant spirit.

The distressed father sits not still, neglects not means; "I brought him to thy disciples." Doubtless, the man came first to seek for Christ himself; finding him absent, he makes suit to the disciples. To whom should we have recourse, in all our spiritual complaints, but to the agents and messengers of God? The noise of the like cures had surely brought this man, with much confidence, to crave their succour; and now, how cold was he at the heart, when he found that his hopes were frustrated! "They could not cast him out." No doubt the disciples tried their best; they laid their wonted charge upon this dumb spirit, but all in vain. They that could come with joy and triumph to their Master, and say, "The devils are subject to us," find now themselves matched with a stubborn and refractory spirit. Their way was hitherto smooth and fair; they met with no rub till now: and now, surely, the father of the demoniac was not more troubled at this event than themselves. How could they choose but fear, lest their Master had, with himself, with

drawn that spiritual power which they had formerly exercised? needs must their heart fail them with their success.

The man complained not of their impotence; it were fondly injurious to accuse them for that which they could not do. Had the want been in their will, they had well deserved a querulous language; it was no fault to want power: only he complains of the stubbornness, and laments the invincibleness of that evil spirit.

I should wrong you, O ye blessed followers of Christ, if I should say, that as Israel, when Moses was gone up into the mount, lost their belief with their guide, so that ye, missing your Master, who was now ascended up to his Tabor, were to seek for your faith. Rather the wisdom of God saw reason to check your over-assured forwardness, and both to pull down your hearts by a just humiliation, in the sense of your own weakness, and to raise up your hearts to new acts of dependence upon that sovereign power from which your limited virtue was derived.

What was more familiar to the disciples than ejecting of devils? in this only it is denied them. Our good God sometimes finds it requisite to hold us short in those abilities whereof we make least doubt, that we may feel whence we had them. God will be no less glorified in what we I cannot do, than in what we can do. If his graces were always at our command, and ever alike, they would seem natural, and soon run into contempt now, we are justly held in an awful dependence upon that gracious hand, which so gives as not to cloy us, and so denies as not to discourage us.

:

Who could now but expect, that our Saviour should have pitied and bemoaned the condition of this sad father and miserable son, and have let fall some words of comfort upon them? Instead whereof, I hear him chiding and complaining, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?" complaining, not of that woeful father and more woeful son: it was not his fashion to add affliction to the distressed, to break such bruised reeds; but of those Scribes, who, upon the failing of the success of this suit, had insulted upon the disability of the followers of Christ, and depraved his power; although, perhaps, this impatient father, seduced by their suggestion, might slip into some thoughts of distrust.

There could not be a greater crimination than "faithless and perverse:" faithless in not believing; perverse in being obstinately set in their unbelief. Doubtless, these men were not free from other notorious crimes; all were drowned in their infidelity. Moral uncleannesses or violences may seem more heinous to men, none are so odious to God as these intellectual wickednesses.

What a happy change is here in one breath of Christ ! "How long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me:" the one is a word of anger, the other of favour. His just indignation doth not exceed or impeach his goodness. What a sweet mixture there is in the perfect simplicity of the divine nature! "In the midst of judgment he remembers mercy," yea, he acts it: his sun shines in the midst of this storm. Whether he frown, or whether he smile, it is all to one purpose, that he may win the incredulous and disobedient. Whether should the rigour of all our censures tend, but to edification, and not to destruction? We are physicians, we are not executioners; we give purges to cure, and not poisons

66

to kill. It is for the just Judge to say one day to reprobate souls, Depart from me;" in the meantime, it is for us to invite that all are spiritually possessed to the participation of mercy," Bring him hither to me."

O Saviour, distance was no hinderance to thy work; why should the demoniac be brought to thee? was it, that this deliverance might be the better evicted, and that the beholders might see it was not for nothing that the disciples were reposed with so refractory a spirit? or was it, that the scribes might be witnesses of that strong hostility that was betwixt thee and that foul spirit, and be ashamed of their blasphemous slander? or was it, that the father of the demoniac might be quickened in that faith, which now, through the suggestion of the scribes, began to droop; when he should hear and see Christ so cheerfully to undertake and perform that whereof they had bidden him despair?

The possessed is brought, the devil is rebuked and ejected. That stiff spirit which stood out boldly against the commands of the disciples, cannot but stoop to the voice of the Master: that power which did at first cast him out of heaven, easily dispossesses him of a house of clay. "The Lord rebuke thee, Satan," and then thou canst not but flee.

The disciples, who were not used to these affronts, cannot but be troubled at their mis-success; "Master, why could not we cast him out ?" Had they been conscious of any defect in themselves, they had never asked the question; little did they think to hear of their unbelief. Had they not had great faith, they could not have cast out any devils; had they not had some want of faith, they had cast out this. It is possible for us to be defective in some graces, and not to feel it.

Although not so much their weakness is guilty of this unprevailing, as the strength of that evil spirit; "This kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting." Weaker spirits were wont to be ejected by a command; this devil was more sturdy and boisterous. As there are degrees of statures in men, so there are degrees of strength and rebellion in spiritual wickednesses. Here, bidding will not serve; they must pray, and praying will not serve without fasting. They must pray to God that they may prevail; they must fast to make their prayer more fervent, more effectual: we cannot now command, we can fast and pray. How good is our God to us, that while he hath not thought fit to continue to us those means which are less powerful for the dispossessing of the powers of darkness, yet hath he given us the greater! while we can fast and pray, God will com- ✓ mand for us, Satan cannot prevail against us.

CONTEMPLATION XX.-THE WIDOW'S MITES.

THE sacred wealth of the temple was either in stuff or in coin; for the one the Jews had a house, for the other, a chest. At the concourse of all the males to the temple thrice a-year, upon occasion of the solemn feasts, the oblations of both kinds were liberal. Our Saviour, as taking pleasure in the prospect, sets himself to view those offerings, whether for holy uses or charitable.

Those things we delight in, we love to behold; the eye and the heart will go together. And can we think, O Saviour, that thy glory hath