the opinion of the Jewish people, as will be shown presently. However, it was fit to be mentioned here; and it appears from the texts of St. Paul just cited. He desires, that the Ephesians might be " able to stand against the wiles of the devil" and then adds, "For we wrestle against principalities, and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places." They therefore were under him. And in the other place he speaks expressly of" the prince of the of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" undoubtedly meaning Satan, even him, who is the evil one by way of distinction, and the great tempter and seducer of mankind.

power

6. These evil spirits, or dæmons, (whether fallen angels or souls of bad men,) were supposed to be, under Satan their head, the instruments of many afflictions and inconveniences to men in this mortal frame.

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This is evident from many places in the gospels, where those unhappy persons are mentioned, who are said to have an unclean spirit," or to be "possessed of devils," as we sometimes render the word, but who would be more properly said to be dæmoniacs,' that is, affected by one or more dæmons. I shall remind you of several instances.

Madness, or distraction, is one evil often ascribed to them. This was the case of the two men at the tombs, who were exceeding fierce, and one of them at least had been thus afflicted for a long season, and when confined and chained, had broken his bands. This was one of the opprobrious reflections cast upon our Saviour. John x. 20, 21,'" Many P of them said, He has a dæmon, and is mad. Why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of a dæmoniac. Can a dæmon open the eyes of the blind?"

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There are several other indispositions which are ascribed to them, Matt. ix. 32, 33, " And as they went out, they brought unto him a dumb man possessed with a devil:" literally, a dumb man, a dæmoniac;' aveрwπov кwpov daipoviCoμevov." And when the dæmon was gone out, the μονιζομενον. dumb man spake, and the multitude marvelled."

In the xiith chapter of the same gospel, ver. 22, and therefore certainly another case: " Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, or a dæmoniac," dapovičoμevos, "blind and dumb. And he healed him : insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw." In St. Luke xi. 14, the same miracle is thus related: "And he was casting out a dæmon. And it came to pass, when the dæmon was gone out, the dumb spake, and the people wondered."

• Ελεγον δε πολλοι εξ αυτων Δαιμονιον έχει, και μαίνεται, κ. λ.

Mark ix. 25, "When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him." That is the young man who was brought to the disciples when our Lord was on the mount, and they could not cure him: he was plainly epileptical; and besides, either constantly, or at least under the paroxysms of his distemper, was deaf and dumb.

Mark i. 23, 26, "And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, Let us alone, what have we to do with thee thou Jesus of Nazareth? And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit bad torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him." This person, as I suppose every one may allow, had the epilepsy, or falling sickness, and it is ascribed to an unclean spirit. The same history is in Luke iv. 33-35.

Once more, Luke xiii. 11-16, "And behold, there was a woman, which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed down, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thy infirmity." The ruler of the synagogue pretending to take offence, because it was the sabbath-day, our Lord, beside other things, said: "Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?"

Here Satan himself is considered as the cause of this infirmity; though very frequently these cases are spoken of as effects of the malicious influences of dæmons. The reason is, that Satan is their prince and ruler, and what is done by instruments, or subjects, with the approbation of a ruler, or principal agent, is fitly ascribed to him.

And, not to mention any more particular instances, it seems, that the Jewish people supposed Satan and his instruments, that is, dæmons, evil spirits, to be capable of inflicting almost all sorts of diseases. St. Peter therefore, at the house of Cornelius, as his discourse is summarily rehearsed, Acts x. 38, says: "You know, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil. For God was with him."

7. I must proceed to observe farther, for showing the sentiment of the Jewish people in our Saviour's time, that they supposed the distempers or torments inflicted by evil spirits might be removed or cured.

So Josephus said in a passage cited above, that these evils were mortal, unless speedy relief was obtained.

Doubtless the Jews believed, that these inconveniences might be removed by the divine disposal, and by a prophet, speaking in the name of God, who had power of working miracles. Therefore many, who believed Jesus to be a prophet, and the Messiah, brought such cases to him for cure.

They likewise supposed, that dæmons might be exorcised or adjured out of the bodies of men, of which they had taken possession. St. Luke informs us, that at Ephesus, "certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them that had evil spirits in the name of the Lord Jesus, saying: We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preachetl," Acts xix. 13.

It is likely, that from the miracles which they had seen wrought by Paul, those exorcists hoped for better success by making use of the name of Jesus, than by their common forms and methods of exorcism.

That exorcisms were used by the Jews, we are expressly assured by Josephus. He speaks as if Solomon had left some prescriptions for these cases, and directed to the use of herbs and roots, that would be of great advantage.

I have now shown, what were the Jewish sentiments upon this head in the time of our Saviour and his apostles, and when the books of the New Testament were written.

8. It is fit I should add, that there were dæmoniacs likewise among the heathens about the same time; that is, there were many among them who had indispositions, which were reputed to be owing to the influence of dæmons.

Some learned men have denied, or overlooked this: they have gone upon a supposition, that such cases were to be found among the Jews only, and in their own country; but that is manifestly a mistake, as may be shown from the New Testament itself. Matt. xv. 21, 22, "Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with a dæmon:” St. Mark has the same history, ch. vii. 24-26, "Aud thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. And a certain woman, whose daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came, and fell at his feet: [the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation :] and she besought him, that he would cast forth the dæmon out of her daughter." And ver. 29, 30, "And he said unto her, The ◄ Antiq. Jud. 1. viii. cap. 2. section 5.

dæmon is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the dæmon was gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed."

The affair at Ephesus, just taken notice of, is another proof. The young maiden at Philippi, who had a "spirit of divination," is a third instance, Acts xvi. 16, 18.

Many proofs of this might be alleged from heathen ' writers. But I forbear to take notice of them.

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Undoubtedly there was a difference between the Jews and them in some respects. The Jews thought all dæmons in general to be evil and unclean: but the heathens esteemed many dæmons to be good, for they were among their deities: and therefore in some cases they might the more respect some people for having a dæmon, though the patient himself was unhappy. However, it is certain, that there were among the heathens at this time many people, who had indispositions which are ascribed to dæmons.

We have now made good progress in this argument. The next thing to be inquired into is, what is the most reasonable opinion concerning these cases. But that must be reserved for another season.

In the mean time we may hence take occasion, as some of old did who were witnesses of our Saviour's miracles, "to praise God, who had given such power unto men.' Matt. ix. 8, says the evangelist: "When the even was come, they brought unto him many dæmoniacs: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses," Matt. viii. 16, 17.

The like gift did Jesus confer upon his disciples." He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease," Matt. x. 1. Which power they displayed in the most honourable manner after his ascension; and it was a great benefit to the men of that age to have their diseases so cured. But the principal use, and the greatest benefit of these wonderful works, both to the men of that time and to us, is, that they ascertained and confirmed the excellent and important doctrine of the gospel; which is so suited to improve and exalt our minds, and cure evil affections, and deliver us from the malignant influence of all the snares and temptations of Satan, and this evil world. Which if we overcome, we

See an Enquiry, and a Farther Enquiry, into the meaning of Dæmoniacs in the New Testament. See likewise Mr. W. Weston's Enquiry into the Rejection of the Christian Miracles by the Heathens, p. 231, 233, and elsewhere.

shall in the end attain to a world, where there are no sicknesses nor sorrows: where no evil men nor evil spirits shall enter where good men of all ages shall be united in one happy and glorious society, and shall be for ever with the Lord.

DISCOURSE III.

MARK V. 19.

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on

thee.

WE now proceed to the third head of discourse, under which we are to consider what is really the truth, or what idea we ought to form of those unhappy persons, who in the New Testament are spoken of as having" an unclean spirit."

Here I certainly intend to speak my mind freely, and to show plainly what appears to me to be the truth. Nevertheless, I am under little or no apprehension of giving offence; partly, because I think I can rely upon the candour of those who hear me; partly, because I do not desire to impose a particular sentiment upon any. All are at liberty to judge for themselves, when they have heard and considered what may be said on one side or another. For no one opinion concerning these cases is like those articles of faith: that Jesus is the Christ, that he lived and died in Judea, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, and will come again to judge men according to their works: or, that he and his apostles wrought many wonderful works of an extraordinary

nature.

Whether the indispositions that these persons laboured under were owing to the influence of evil spirits or not, the cure of them was miraculous. Nor is the miracle at all lessened, by supposing them to be only grievous and long continued bodily distempers. The rectifying the human

Now which is an instance of the greatest power, to command an inferior 'to depart one's presence, which if he refuses to do, one can turn him out, whether he will or not? or to correct the juices and solids of a disordered