(1 Cor. ix. 22.) To draw such nice distinctions requires no small practical wisdom. But such wisdom is to be had for the asking. " If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God." (James i. 6.) When Christians keep up needless divisions they show themselves more fooUsh than Satan himself.
Notes. Luke XI. 14—20.
14. — lit was dumb.] The expression here used should be noted and compared with the one which follows in the same verse, " the dumb spake." — ^It was the devU which was dumb. It was the man who spake. — The words would have been more clearly rendered, " The dumb man spake." The action of the evil spirit making the possessed man dumb, and the action of the man released from his power, should be carefully distinguished.
15. — [Beelzebub.'] — The meaning of this name is said to be the " Lord of flies." Beelzebub is mentioned as " the God of Ekron," in 2 Kings i. 8. For what reason so peculiar a name was given to the chief of the devils is a question which has never been fully settled. How great the plague of flies is in a hot country those who have travelled there have always men- tioned.
16. — [Sought of Him a sign.] Let it be noted that it is always oue mark of a thoroughly unbelieving heart, to pretend to want more evidence of the truth of religion. *
17. — [Bvery kingdom divided,.. desolation.'] It may be doubted whether our Lord's words in this place are not meant to refer to the many intestine divisions and dissensions which prevailed among the Jews, even to the very day when Titus took Jerusa- lem. In this light the verse contained a solemn prophecy. It is notorious that the divisions of the Jews were one cause of the success of the Eoman army.
19. — [Your sons east them out.] It is not agreed among commenta- tors to whom our Lord refers in this expression. Bishop Jewel thinks that He refers to His own disciples, John, James, Peter, Andrew, and the rest, and calls them *' sons of the Jews." Others, however, think that He refers to certain persons among the Jews who had power to cast out devils, though they were not disciples of Christ. That there were such persons seems likely from Acts xix. 8.
[Shall they be your judges.] The meaning of this expression is, " They shall condemn your supposition that I cast out devils
22 EXPOsrroRT thoughts.
by Beelzebub, as unreasonable and absurd. They shall be witnesses that devils are not cast out by devils, but by the power of God."
20. — [Hie kingdom of God is come upon you.] The argument here appears to be this, — " If these miracles which I work are really worked by the finger of God, and I am clearly proved by them to be one sent from God, then, whether you will allow it or not, the times of Messiah have evidently arrived. The kingdom of God has come down upon you unawares, and these miracles are signs that it is so." — This argument reduced the enemies of oiu: Lord to a dilemma. Either they must deny that our Lord cast out devils, — this they could not do ; — or else they must admit that their own sons cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub ; — ^this they would not do. — The nature of the argu- ment appears to show that when our Lord spake of " your sons casting out devils," He could not have meant His own disciples.
21 When a strong man armed keep- eth his palace, his goods are in peace :
22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and oyercome him, he taketn from him all his arm- our wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
23 He that is not with me is against me : and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
24 When the unclean spirit is gone