News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-02-07
THE |. S. s. LESSON.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
FEBRUARY 10.

INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
FEBRUARY TO-
Lesson Text: "The Fierce Demon
lac" Mark. W, 100 Golden Text:
| Mark 3, 19-Commentary.
| are fully recorded in Matt. xiii, one of
| which, as given by Mark was our lesson a
| week ago, He went the same day at evening
| into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee to the
| other siGe and as they sailed He fell asleep
| but great storm arising, they awoke II m,
| and with a word: Peace, be STILL He re-
| buked the winds and the sea- and there was
| great calm. He also said to the disciples:
why are We so fearful? How is it that We
| have no faithF' Now if the spirit of Christ
is in us why, indeed, is it that we are so often
fearful instead lof peaceful, AMI seem to
| know SO little of His power.
| !. And thy came over unto the other
side of the sea, into the country of the Cad
arenes.n 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 its tombs which dot
the cliffs for a considerable distance round
| the city. The Saviour certainly knew what
He was crossing the sea for, and inaSmuch
| a. this fierce demoniac seems to have been
the only one directly benefited, He must have
! gone there to rescue him as a trophy of His
| power over the adversary. We do well to
| remember that this great enemy, the devil,
| is as active as ever to-day in Seeking to des-
| troy both soul, and bodies, and that the Son
| of Man is the only one who can deliver from
| him.
| =. "Immediately there met Him out of the
tombs man with an uncean spirit The
| prince of the power of the air had withstoot
1 Him on the sea and now meets Him on the
land, but THE Lamb shall overcome This
seems to be the worst case of demonsm on
| record, and yet Jesus was victor.
| s.. Here is a description of the mSn, his
dwelling place and his conduct. Matt. viii,
| 2S, says that he was SO fierce that no one
could pass by that way. He must have been
| growing worse, for some men had approached
| him and again and again bound him with
| letters and chains, but he had broken them
all and his case seemed utterly hopeless;
none could tame him, and his days and nights
were spent in crying and cutting himself
with stones. The denon-possessed of our day
prefer to live in houses and destroy property,
and cut and kill others rather than them
selves
q. when he saw Jesus afar off. he ran
and worshiped Him" The man in his atflc
ton seems to know that here is help fog him
afflicted ones who ara troubled by spirit of
anger or envy, or unrest, or lust AMI ara
being consumed AMI destroyed thereby yet
longing in vain to be delivered, would so0l
be healed and delivered if th9y would oaly
run to Jesus.
rs. "What have l to do with thee Jesus,
Son OF the Most Hi yh God!" 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
fA for. oil Aalf
from besetting sin, the evil spirit within cries
out against it and still says: Il will not have
to do with Jesus"
II adjure Thee by God that Thou torment
me not" The reason of their cry was that
Jesus had said: Come out of the man, thou
unclean spirit" and nothing can withstand
His word.
D. "My name is Legion, for we are MANY"
A legion in the Roman army numbered. at
its full complement, six thousand; the word
legion evidently signifies very large number.
If legion possessed this one man, how many
must there be altogether.
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 comm and them to 60 out into the deep"
Now, if by the deep they meant the Sea of
Galilee their request and after conduct
would seem strange indeed; out thu Revised
Version helps US by translating abyss in
stead of 1.-The deep" The word is used seven
times in Revelation REV. tx. l, 2, IL; XII, Z;
c,
Rom. K, Z. In the r. V. it is in all these
places translated abyss" in the A. V. it is
everywhere in Revelation "bottomless pit,
and in the other two plac g 1.-THE deep" Toe
request of the demons, then, was that Jesus
would not shut them up in the abyss or bot
tomless pit.
Zip. "All the devils besought Him, say
ing, Send us into the swine" They prefer a
human residence to bestial, bat bestial
rather than thu abyss. What union there is
among them, they all besought Him; and no.
tee the up and my of verses Z, 8; al
though legion they speak and act as one
demon. What would not such union among
Christians accomplish!
Is. .'And forthw with Jesus gave them
leave" Matt. viii, 81, says that He said
unto them 60" Luke viii, 81, says that
HE suffered them" The devil and all His
demons are only servants after all; they can
not move without permiss on, an must obey
when Jesus speaks. All the mystery of His
first entrance into this world, with His power
in it ever since, will soma day be mads plain,
and meanwhile we will rejoice in the Lamb
who shall overcome him and obey Him with
all our hearts promptly.
H. And they that fed the swins fled al |
told it. They were now out of II JOB, an |
went off to tell how it came about; they toll
it as they went along and in the city. ant
they seem to have lost no time about it Whom
Jesus finally destroys the works of the devil.
wnaJ a most there will be out of emp oymenr,
but those who follow the Lamb shall serve
Him day and night forever and ever.
l4-lG. 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 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 the
Judge, but they know Him not In the midst,
at the feet of Jesus luke vii, 30, 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 mini.
earnestly telling how it all happened,
for they had seen it all; they tell how
they saw the wild man run to Jesus as soon
as He stepped ashore from the oat, how
there seemed to bs a few words IaSs between
them, when all at on G the man is GU esed AMI
well; but at the ne instant all their swins
became uncomfortable and rushed into the
sea and were drowned. What will these
GadareneS now do! Here in their midst is
the Healer AMI the healel; their eyes sac
them both-it is all real-the man is well; ara
there no more sick ones in Gadara are til ere
none who need this Great Physician! What
IS 1t they are saying to Him. Are they ask
ing Him to come into their city, or to wait
until they can bring to Him all their sick:
No, they are all beseechiny Him to depars
from them, for they are full of fear They
have met with a great loss, two THOUSAND
swine; what matters it if this poor maniac is
healed4 Who cares about his health or sal.
walton when so much valuable property is
destroyed: Jesus had overcome the storm,
He had cast out the legion OF devils who OBJ
posed HIN, but the will of man turns Him
away.
Is. HE that had been poss ,ssel with the
devil prayed Him that He might be with
Him. Only one cngs to Him, this poor
fellow, now in his right mind, fears to lsave
his benefactor.
~. ''howbeit Jesus suffered him not.n
The demons and the Gadaren got their re-
quests but this mans is denied. Learn from
this that answers to prayer do not always in
dictate love, nor denials anger. To be one
with Him and rest i'll His will is everything.
20. He departed and began to publish in
Decapolis, how great things Jesus had dons
for him" We are saved to be his witnesses,
ths salt of the earth, the light of the world,
cities on hill. fruit bearing branchai liv-
ing epistl s; AMI to this en- He gives to each
believer His Spirit that He in them ny boar
witness to the truth, that is Jesus.
"All men did marvel" They might do
that till doomSday an | not BE- saved: it is
only receiving, believing, that saves, So be-
lieve and keep right on believing. Lesson
Helper.
HENRY NJ. STANLEY's real name is
John HowIands. He was born in