The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-05-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MAY l3.
suhject; Fierce Demonisc Healed,
Mark W. leo Golden Text, Mark v.
10-Memory Verse, 15-Topic Grea,
Facts Respecting Salvation

Facts Respecting salvation.
I. The fierce demoniac Tvs. 1-5). I.
"They" Jesus and the disciples. THE
other side" They crossed the SEA- Of
Galilee from Capernaum to the Eastern
shore. "Gadarenes" This name in
Matthew is Gergesenes. and In the Re-
yised Version is Gerasenes.
? THE tombs" These tombs were
either natural caves or recesses hewn
out of the rock. with cells upon their
sides for the reception of tie dead.
"A man" Matthew mentions two men.
Mark and Luke speak only of one,
probably the iiercer of the two. with
out denying that two were healed.
"Unclean spirit" Called uuclean be.
cause the spirit deliled both body and
soul, the outward filth being a type of
the inward defllement.
>. "Could bind him" Attempts had
been made to bind him because he was
exceedingly fierce (Matt. S:28. Luke
tells us that he was naked q. "Fet-
ters and chains Fetters were for the
feet; chains for any other part of the
body. Tame him" II was impossi-
bic to bring his wild. savage nature nm
der restraint.
.. Night ana day" He was de-
prived Of sleep. "MOuntainS-tombs."
Here the demonac had his home. for
all maniacs We're outcast as soon as
they became violent. for that age had
no provision for taking care OF them.
Institutions of pity for the unfortunate
are among the cifts OF Christ; an.
tiquity knew nothing of them. or Of
the spirit that would produce them.
Crying" Probably with hideous wells.
Cutting himself" Here is an impress
sive picture of what all men would
become under the absolute dominion of
Satan.
H. The demoniac goes to Christ and
is delivered US GLIB 6. Ran and
worshiped" As a man he is attracted
toward Christ. but when under the
influence Of the demons he desires to
withdraw from Christ I. And
cried etc. 1t is impossible 10 account
for his strange consciousness Of 4
wonderful power in Jesus, or for the
utterance of language which comes. as
it were, from a being within the man
on any other hypothesis than the ey-
i-tence of beings superinduced upon
men. "To do With Thee" Literally,
What Is there between Thee and me?
What have we in common? Why in
terfercst Thou with us? The devils
at once recognize their great enemy
with divine power. Torment ne not"
EPrein the true devllSh spirit speaks
cut. which counts it n torment not 20
be suffered 10 torment others, and an
injury done 10 itself when it is 10 more
permitted * be injurious 60 others.
D. "Wh0t is thy nnme?' Christ asked
the man mot the demon) his name in
order to get his attention and bring
him TO a consciousness of his own per-
SOnality. Legion" The demon an
swered, speaking through the man.
The Roman legion consisted of about
six thousand men. The word has come
10 mean any large number--a host.
10. "Besought.' The demon knew
who was in authority over him. "Out
of the country" This is explained in
Luke S:31. They did not wish TO be
sent into the deep that is, the abyss
Of hell. into the bottomless pit Rey.
20:3). Send us anywhere. anywhere
but to perdition. Send us to the most
shattered man; send us TO the lowest
creature, into man or beast. bird or
reptile; anywhere but into he'll. II.
Great herd Though the Jews did
not eat pork the Roman soldiers did
and the swine may have been kept to
supply their wants. -. Unto the
swine" How could demons enter
swine? We do not know. But we see
many things quite as difficult to under
stand. The connection of mind and
body in US is an equally great mystery.
IS. Gave them leave" The devil
cannot so much as trouble swine with
out leave from God. "Were choked."
Cayllers have charged our Lord with
wrong doing in sending" the demons
into the swine and thus causing such n
great loss to the owners; but it should
he noted that what Jesus did was to
drive them out of the man and then
permit them TO 80 where they wished.
III. The effect of the cure Tvs. 14-1O.
II. Fled" Their occupation was
gone. in the city" Gergesa. near
the sea. Went OUT The quickness
with which intelligence flies in the
East Matthew says. Behold the
whole city came out to meet Jesus"
10. 'See him-sitting." There IS 4
marvellous contrast between the mans
former and his present condition. In
stead Of wandering among tombs. in
nakedness, and tllling the people with
terror by his wild. maniacal rawlings,
lie is now sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed and in his right mind. Those
who come to Christ and take Him as
their Savior always come into their
right mind Were afraid" They
knew they We're in the presence of one
who had great power and perhaps
they feared Jesus might send upon
them the punishment they knew they
deserved on account Of their sins.
When Christ comes into 4 place there
Is either deadly fear or great rejoicing.
1G. They saw IT," Those who fed
the swine and others who may have
been there when Jesus landed. Then,
too, the disciples may have told the
story. II "To depart" They no
doubt feared greater losses. They pre-
ferred swine to Christ
~. The saved man at work for
Christ Tvs, 1920 IS BE with Hin. -
How different is this grateful man
from what he was before he met the
Savior He loved Jesus now and de-
sired 20 join himself 10 Christ.
10 "Go home-tell" We owe our
first duty to our home and friends. 20.
"Decapolis." From deka-ten, and
polls-city, meaning ten cities