The record-union., 1891-08-01
SOCIAL REFORMS.
Cast Out the Demons, But Spare
Our Swine."
An Interesting Address Delivered by
the Rev. w. c. Merrill on
Sunday Last.

Inc heV. w. e. Merrill, for SIX years
pastor of the Congregational Church of
this city, preached a sermon in his old
pulpit last Sunday evening. and its pub
ncation has been widely sought. The
sermon was upon the miracle OF the
demons and the swine, and the speaker
disclaimed any originality in the applica-
ton of the text. We give the sermon in
full below The text was: And behold,
the whole city came out to meet Jesus;
and when they saw him they besought
him that he would depart out of their
coasts" Matt. viii, 34.) Mr.. Merrill
said:
Men have been accustomed to point to
the miracles to prove Christ. lpoint to
Christ to prove the miracles. When you
introduce me to a great man, | shall be
disappointed if he do not utter great
things. When you present to me the
Christ as the nineteenth century reveals
him, shall utterly reject him if he do
not only say great things, but also do
mighty deeds. AS no man ever spoke,
he must speak; as no man ever wrought,
he must work or that wonderful charac
ter will be a contradiction my reason will
not tolerate.
Talk as you will of the Integrity of
reason" German scholarship would have
human reason been able to retain the
character Of Jesus and reject his wonder
works. There is one sentence in that
book Robert Elsmere' that is tower of
strength. By that strange fatality that
has always woven at least one golden
thread into the fabric of all skepticisn,
the author puts into the mouth OF the
marrow minded" wife of Elsmere after
his eulogy upon the merely human
Christ, these words: 80, but you do not
explain him - It is voluminous book,
but those seven words outweigh it all.
They make of that fascinating volume u
grinning skull from whose forehead as
glowing, living eye, those seven words
gleam with celestial light.
CHRIST MORE THAN MAN.
The mere man of thought may conjure
away the Christ; but the man of thought
and deed, rising to Napoleonic hight,
will declare: Il know men, and / KNOW
that Jesus Christ is more than a man ~
Your Napoleon viii see at glance that
all thought is perishable that is not en-
bodied in imperishable deeds, and that, if
the words aro more than human, the deeds
viii surpass the power of man. So moved
our Savior among the sons of men. Be-
meath His kindly touch, eyes that had
never seen the light of day looked out
upon world Of beauty. Obedient To His
calm command the paraiytic raised his
withered arms, the cripple took his bed
and walked exulting to his home. Poor,
sick humanity hailed Him as the one
friend who welded power sufficient for
their need and at His feet laid all their
burden down.
But the theme tonight does not call for
argument tits practical in the extreme.
have read the story of 1.-The Miracle' in
your hearing. What was subjective
what was objective in the awful malady
OF the man we need not question. We
assume the fact as true that the man was
possessed of demons, according to the un-
derstanding of the times, and that Christ
had cured him of the dread disease. 1t is
simply the clear. bold outline of the
story that l wish to use tonight.
Jesus was just come ashore in the early
dawn from stOrm-tossed Gallilee, where,
you remember, he had been so worn and
weary that he slept when the practical
sailors deSpalred of safety and woke him
in alarm. On the rocky shore. backed by
precipitous cliffs, full of caves for the
dead and dens for the worse than dead,
they landed.
Upon the table-land above them was a
herd Of swine feeding. From one of the
dens below, raving maniac leaps forth
il all the fury of his untamed spirit
Christ commands the demons to go forth
from the man, and the maniac speaking
the language of the disOrdered powers
that bind him asks that they be permitted
10 90 into the herd OF swine
We cannot affirm from the meager
record the details that followed; it is
enough to say that the herd OF swine
stampeded, rushed over the cliff and were
lost in the sea. And a great many casu-
lists even to this day are more earnest in
criticising Christ for the loss of so much
good pork than in rejoicing over the
mani2c's salvation.
IT COST TOO MUCH.
Not so on that cliff-bound shore. When
the clear morning dawned the creature so
feared of man and beast was sitting at the
feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right
mind. He who had just stilled the waves
of Gallilee had spoken peace to his
troubled soul, and Immediately there was
a great calm. But there was not calm in
the city where dwelt the owners of the
swine. Coincident with the story of the
healed maniac was the report of the
financial loss. The benefit was at once
set over against the cost. And this man
is coming to our city. What will he do
next? lie has God-like power, and there
are demons plenty of every order, but he
seems to have the genuine Mosaic antipa-
thy to pork. If he cast out all our de-
mons will he leave US any swine? 1t
was fine stroke to clear the road of that
fierce madman, for it was at the risk of
life and limb one went that way; but can
we afford the price2 That was the ques-
ton the excited Oriental throng put to
each other, while that ransomed soul
talked with his Savior and master of the
things that pertain to the kingdom of
God. And their answer was not long
ia coming. "And, behold, all the city
came out 10 meet Jesus, and when they
saw him, they besought him that he
would depart out of their coasts
And that is just what some of you are
saying here tonight, and you have been
saying 1t for many, many years. $50
thy way for this time, when l have
moro convenient season / will call for
thee" 1t would be fine thing TO be rid
of these demon-driven souls; still better
to have them restored to competent citi-
zenShip; but how great will be the strain
upon our purse-strings? That was the
question they asked; it is the question we
are asking. Human nature Is much the
same in all ages. Our lives have little
larger diameter, but we move often in the
same circles, and always about the same
center. There was wretchedness and
suffering abroad; pity and fear and dan
ger at home. They would be glad to ex-
ercise their pity and relieve the distress
We're not the cost too great. VIII it pay?
Ihat was the question then; il is the ques-
tion to-day. A human soul is put into
the scales over against gold and silver;
ana human soul is such an impalpable,
lmmaterial, invisible thing, you know!
Gold IS such palpable, material, visible
reality The sight of it feasts the eye.
Ihe cnlnk OF It tickles the ear. How
much it viii buy That is the way we
argue. Pity for the poor unfortunate.
but gold for us. Cast out our demons.
but spare our swine!
OH, FOR A CHANGE.
Is it not so? Our town is cursed with
all manner of immortality: crime holds
high carnival, and vice grows fat in its
long day Of festive pleasures hearts are
wrung, hopes slain, good promises