The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-02-08
TIE FIERCE DEMoNlAC.
LESSON VI, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 10.

Text Of the Lesson, Mark v. l-eO-Commit
Verses 1920 = Golden Text, Mark "
10 Commentary by the Rev. ID. M,
Stearns.
compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by per
mission Of H. S. Hoffman, publisher Phila
delphia
After speaking the seven parallels which
are fully recorded in Matt. xiii, one Of which,
as given by Mark, was our lesson week
ago, He went the same day at evening into a
boat to cross the sea of Galiiee to the other
side, and as they sailed He fell asleep, but a
great storm arising, they awoke Him, and
with word, "Peace, be STILL" He rebuked
the winds and the sea, and there was great
calm. He also said to the disciples, "Why
are We so fearful3 How is it that We have no
faith" Now, If the spirit of Christ is in us,
why, indeed, is it that we are SO often fear
full instead of peaceful, and seem to know SO
little of His power7 The question comes to
us with all the more pertinence since we have
now the Holy Spirit, as they had 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 Galilee, sixteen miles
from Liberals, and was captured by Vespa-
sian on the first outbreak of the war with the
Jews, its inhabitants massacred and the town
reduced to ashes. The most interesting re-
mains of Gadara are it's tombs, which dot
the cliffs for considerable distance round
the city. (See Smiths Bible Dictionary
The Saviour certainly knew what He was
crossing the sea for, and inasmuch as this
fierce demoniac seems to have been the only
one directly benefited, He must have gone
there to rescue him as trophy of his power
over the adversary We do well to remember
that this great enemy, the 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.
q Immediately there met Him out of the
tombs man with an unclean spirit" The
prince of the power of the air had withstood
Him on the sea and now meets Him on the
land, but "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 have read 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" Chap. i,
"a; iii, 1D; but this seems to be the worst
case of demonism on record, and yet Jesus
was victor
3-5. Here is description of the man, his
dwelling place and his conduct.
6. "When he saw Jesus afar off, he ran
and worshipped Him." The man in his Attic
tion 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 yet
longing in vain to be delivered, would soon
be healed and delivered if they would only
run to Jesus.
rs. ''What have to do with Thee, Jesus,
Son of the Most High Godg' The man ran to
Jesus, but the spirit in him cried out against
Him. 1t is often the case, perhaps in some
measure always, that when one would come
to Jesus for salvation, or deliverance from
besetting sin, the evil spirit within cries out
against it and still says 81 will not have to do
with yJetus-" -- .,.l-t..+s-4s
II allure Thee by God that Thou torment
me not.a Matt. viii, 20, says, cart Thou
come hither to torment us before the timer
They are reserved unto Judgment III Pet. ii,
4; Jude viz and they seem to know it,
O. 'sMy name is Legion, for we are many"
A legion in the Roman army numbered, at
its full complement, six thousand; the word
here evidently signifies very large number.
II legion possessed this one man, how many
must there be altogethers Babylon of the
last days will be full of them. REV. xviii, ~
10. HE besought Him much that He
would not send them away out of the coun-
try" Luke viii, 81, says "that He would not
them to go out into the deep"
Now, if by the deep they meant the Sea of
seem strange indeed; but the Revised Yer
sion helps us by translating ''abyss' instead
of ''the deep" The word is used seven times
in Revelation REV. tx l, 2, IL; XII, z; xvii, s;
Xxx, 1, 81 and in Lukev iii, 81; Rom. K, In
the r. V. it is in all these places translated
"abyss;' in the A. V. it is everywhere in
Revelation ''bottomless pitt" and in the other
two places ''the deep" The request of the
demons, then, was that Jesus would not shut
them up in the abyss or bottomless pit
IL, H. 'sAIl the devils besought Him, say
ing. Send us into the swine" They prefer
human residence to a bestial, but bestial
rather than the abyss.
Is. "And forthwith Jesus gave them
leave" Matt viii, 80, says that He said unto
them 60" Luke viii, 80, 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.
IA. "And they that fed the swine fed
and told it." They were now out of job,
and went off to tell how it came about; they
told it 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 the
devil, what host there will be out of en-
ployment; but those who follow the Lamb
shall serve Him day and night forever and
ever.
14-17. "And they went out to see what it
was that was done, and they come to
Jesus" Matt. vii, "a says that the whole
city came out to meet Jesus. What sight
this is; here is a multitude Of men, women
and children who have for the time being
left everything and gathered unto Jesus.
their Creator, ready to be their Redeemer,
and will surely be their Judge, but they
know Him not. In the midst, at the feet of
Jesus luke vii, 35), is the man known and
feared by them all, the terror of the place;
but what change; he is sitting, and clothed
and in his right mind