Notes. Luke. Vni. 37—40.
37. — [Besought him to depart.] It has been remarked by many commentators, that these Gadarenes are an exact type of the men of this world. They saw the miraculous deliverance of a fellow creature from Satan's power, and took no interest in it. But they saw the loss of their swine with deep concern. In a word, they cared more for the loss of swine, than the saving of a soul. There are thousands like them. Tell them of the success of missionaries, and the conversion of souls at home or abroad, they hear it with indifference, if not with a sneer. But if you tell them of the loss of property, or a change in the value of money, they are all anxiety and excitement. Truly the genera- tion of the Gadarenes is not yet extinct !
38. — [Jesus sent him away.] Let us note here, that a literal follow- ing of Christ, and literal forsaking of relations, friends, and homes, are evidently not essential to salvation. It may be necessary for some persons, and at some times, and under some circumstances. But it is plain from the case before us, that it is not necessary for all. Gualter has some useful remarks on this subject, in his Homily on this passage.
39. — [Return to thine own house and show y dtc] It is interesting and instructive to remark how differently our Lord addressed different •people, and bow different are the commands we find Him laying upon them according to their characters. The young ruler, in Mark x. 21, was commanded to *'take up his cross and follow" Christ. — The leper, mentioned in St. Mark i. 43, was strictly charged to "say nothing to any man." — ^The man, who was called in Luke ix. 19, was not allowed even to go home and bury his father/— The man before us, on the contrary, was commanded to retiun home, and show every one what Christ had done for him!
Now how shall we account for this strange diversity ? There is one simple answer. Our Lord dealt with every case according to what He saw it needed. He knew what was in every man's heaxt. He prescribed to every man, like a wise physician, the very course of conduct which his state of soul required.
We should surely learn, from our Lord's conduct, not to treat all cases of persons needing spiritual advice, in precisely the same way. All, of course, need the same great doctrines, repent- ance towards God, faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, and thorough holiness to be pressed upon them. But all ought not to have one precise rule laid down for their particular course of action, and their particular line of duty. We must consider peculiarities of circumstances, characters, and cases, and advise accordingly. Counsel which may be very good for one man, may not be good for another. A parent's path of duty is one thing, and a child's is another. A master's position is one, and