The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-02-09
THE FIERCE DEM0NIAC.
LESSON VI, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 10.

Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly, nv per
mission Of IL 5. Holman. publisher i'.iila
delpLia.
After speaking the seven parallels which
are fully recorded III Matt xiii, one of which,
as given by Mark, was our lesson q week
ago, He went the same day at evening into a
boat to cross the sea of Geliiee to the other
side, and as they sailed He fell asleep, but T.
great storm arising, they awokc Him, and
with a word, Peace, be still" He rebukeG
the winds and the sea, and there was a great
calm. He also said 10 the disciples, .'Nhy
are We 50 fearful9 How is it that We have no
faiths" Now, if the spirit of Christ is in rs,
why, indeed, is it that are so often fear
full instead of peaceful, and seem to know so
little Of His powerf The question comes to
Us with all the more pertinence since we have
now the Holy Spirit, as they bad not at that
time. Is it due entirely to our lack of faithl
Let each one answer.
l. And they came over unto the other
side Of the sea, into the country of the Cad.
arenes" The ruins of the city of Gadara
are about two miles in circumference; it was
on the east of the sea of Galiee, sixteen miles
from Ilberias, and was captured by Vcspa
sian on the first outbreak of the war with the
Jews, its inhabitants mas3acrcd and the town
reduced to ashes The most interesting re-
mains of Gadara are its tombs, which dot
the ellis for a considerable distance round
the city. tSee Smiths Bible Dictionary
The Saviour certainly knew what He was
crossing the sea for, and inasmuch us this
fierce demoniao seems to have been the only
one directly benefited, He must have gone
there to rescue him as q trophy of his power
over the adversary. We do well to remember
that this great enemy, tho devil, is as active
as ever today in seeking to destroy both souls
and bodies, and that the Son of Man is the
only one who can deliver from him.
?. Immediately there met Him ont Of the
tombs man with unclean spirit" The
prince of the power OF the air had withstood
Him on the sea and now meets Him on the
land, but 1.-THE Lamb shall overcome Mat
thew says there were two possessed with
devils who met Him. it may be that Mark
and Luke speak only OF the worst of the
two. We havercad of the unclean spirit in
the synagogue who knew Jesus and cried
Let us alone" also OF others who when they
saw Him fell down before Him and cried,
saying, Thou art the Son of God" (chaD. i,
"a; iii, lD; but this seems 10 be the worst
case Ct demonisin on record, and yet Jesus
was victor
3-5. Here is a description of the man, his
dwelling place and his conduct.
&. when be saw Jesus afar OFT, he ran
and worshiFped Him" The man in lis ofIlic-
ton seems to know that here is help for him.
and he runs to seek it and not in vain. Many
afflicted ones who are troubled by spirit of
anger, or envy, or unrest, or lust, and are
being consumed and destroyed thereby vet
longing in vain to be delivered, would soon
be healed and delivered if they would only
run to Jesus.
z, S. wv hat have | TO do with Thee, Jesus,
Son OF the Most High God:' The man ran to
Jesus, but the spirit in him cried out against
lin. 1t is often the case, perhaps in some
measure always that when one would come
70 Jesus for salvation, or deliverance from
besetting sin, the EVIL spirit within cries out
against it and still says Il viii not have TO DO
with Jesus"
Il allure Thee by God that Thou torment
me not" Matt. viii, %, says, Art Thou
come hither to torment Us before the timer
They are reserved unto judgment q Pet. ii,
4; Jude vi and they seem TO know it.
8. My name is Legion, for we are many"
legion in the Roman army numbered, at
It's full complement, six thousand; the word
here evidently signifies a very large number
II a legion possessed this one man, how many
must there be altogether? Babylon Of tie
~. IL.
TO- He besougat Him much that He
would not send them away out Of the coun-
try" Like viii, 81 says ''that He wouL not
command them to go out into the deep"
Now, if by the deep they meant the Sea Of
Galilee, theirrequcst and after conduct would
seem strange indeed; but the Revised Yer
sion helps Us by traaslGting abyss instead
of "the deep The word is used seven times
in Revelation CRev TX, l, >, Il; xi, Z XVII, 9;
Xxx, l, 3 and in Lul5ev iii, 81; Rom. x = In
the r. V. it is in all these places translated
"abyss;n in the y. V. it is everywhere in
Revelation ''Dottomless PIT, and in the other
two places ''the deep" The request Of the
demons, then, was that Jesus would not shut
them up IL the abyss or bottonless pit.
II, l.. An the devils besought Him, say
ing, Send US into the swine" They prefer
human residence to a bestial, but bcstial
rather than the abyss.
Il. And forthwith Jesus gave them
leave" Matt. will 81, says that lie said unto
them go" Luke viii, 50, SAYS that He
suffered them" The devil and all his de-
mons are only servants after all; they cannot
move without permission, and must obey
when Jesus speaks.
Ii. "And they that fed the swine fled
and told it." They were now out of a Job,
and went Off to tell how it came about; they
told i as they went along and in the city,
and they seem to have lost no time about it.
When Jesus finally destroys the works of tho
devil, what host there viii be out of en-
ployment; but those who follow the Lamb
shall serve Him day and night forever and
ever.
ILL. "And they went out to Sc what it
was that was done, and they come to
Jesus" Matt. vii, 81 says that tho whole
city came out to meet Jesus What n sight
this is; here is q multitude of men, women
and children who have for the time being
left everything and gathered unto Jesus,
their Greater, ready to tie their Redeemcr,
aud will surely DO their Judge but thcv
know Him not In the midst, at the feet Of
Jesus G.uhe vii, 35l, is the man known and
feared by them all, the terror of the place;
but what a change; he is sitting, and clothed
and III his right mind.
IS. Gle that had been possessed with the
devil prayed Him that he might be with
Him. Only one clinEs to Him, this Door
fellow, now in his right mind, fears 10 leave
his benefactor; lie has found a friend indeed,
the like of whom he never saw and now he
would abide with Him, he would follow Him
anywhere, he would DO Lis faithful and de-
voted servant.
10. ''Iowbeit Jesus suffered him not.r
The demons and the Gadarenes get their re-
guests, but this mans is denied Learn from
this that answers to prayer donot always in
dictate love, nor denials anger To be one
with Him and rest in His will is everything.
20. He departed and began to publish in
Dccapoli5, how great things Jesus had dono
fer him.o We are saved to be his witnesses,
the salt OF the earth, the light Of the world,
cities on n hill, fruit bearing branches, liv-
ing epistles; end TO this end lie gives 10 each
belieTer Lis Spirit.