not what they once were, and so theyflatter themselves, they are what they ought to be. They are no longer sabbath- breaking, daring sinners, and so they dream that they are Christians. They see not that they have only changed one kind of devil for another. They are governed by a decent, Pharisaic devil, instead of an audacious, riotous, un- clean devil. — ^But the tenant within is the devil still. And their last end will be worse than their first. From such an end may we pray to be delivered ! Whatever we are in religion, let us be thorough. Let us not be houses swept and garnished, but uninhabited by the Spirit. Let us not be potsherds covered with silver, fair without, but worthless within. Let our daily prayer be, " Search me, 0 God; — and see whether there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm exxxix. 24.)
Notes. Luke. XI. 21—26.
21. — [A strong man.} The Greek expression so translated, would be more literally rendered " the strong one." The word " man " is not in the 6reek. The same remark applies to Matt. xii. 29, and Mark iii. 27. The literal translation brings out the character of the devil, and the applicability of the whole passage to him with much force.
[Hi8 goods.] The literal meaning of the Greek expression so translated is, '* the things that are his, — that belong to him."
22. — [A stronger than he.'] This expression again would be more literally rendered, " the One stronger than he." It evidently refers to our Lord, the great conqueror of Satan. There is a probable reference to Isaiah liii. 12. John the Baptist calls our I^rd " the mightier one," in Mark i. 7., and Luke iii. 16. In both these places the Greek is the same as it is here.
[Divifleth his spoils.] It admits of a question whether our Lord did not mean us to put a literal sense on these words, and to Interpret them of that new application of man's faculties and powers which He makes when He converts a soul. He takes possession of the affections and intellectual capacities, over which the devil once exercised dominion, and uses them for His own
28 EXPosrroKT thotjohts.
glory. Ford quotes a saying of Bishop Beynolds ; " God maketh use of that art, wealth, power, leamiDg, wisdom, intellect, which Satan used against Christ's kingdom, as instruments and orna- ments unto the Gospel ; as, when a magazine in war is taken, the General makes use of those arms, which were provided against him, for his own service."
23. — [He that is not with me is against me.'] The applicatiou of this expression is differently interpreted hy different commen- tators. Some think that it should he coufined strictly to the suhject of which our Lord is speaking, — that is, the utter division which exists between His kingdom and that of the devil. They think our Lord is enforcing the absurdity of the idea that He cast out devils by Beelzebub, and that His argument is " There can be no alliance between me and Satan. He is not with me, and so he is against me. He is not gathering with me, and so he scatters." — Others think that the expression is of much wider, application, and that it is a general truth concerning all waverers, and doubters, and half-hearted, and excuse-making people, of whom no doubt there were many amoug our Lord's hearers. They argue that our Lord is exposing the awful danger of many of His Jewish hearers, who had been a little roused by John the Baptist, and seemed likely to receive Christ when He appeared. And yet, when He did appear, they hung back and affected to be troubled with doubts, and so continued neutral and undecided. — This last opinion appears to me by far the most probable, ^and is confirmed by the passage which im- mediately follows. The sentence is directed against undecided Jews, who were like the man from whom the unclean spirit had gone forth. Their hesitating neutrality was a most dan- gerous position. Their last end was likely to be worse than their first.
At first sight, it seems difficult to reconcile our Lord's words in this verse with His words in another place. We find Him saying of one who cast out devils in His name, but did not follow His disciples, " Forbid him not ; for he that is not against us, is for us." (Luke ix. 50.) Here, however, we find Him saying, " He that is not with us, is against us."
The reconciliation of the two sentences in reality is not difficult. They were spoken of two entirely different classes of persons. In the former case, our Lord was speaking of one who was really work- ing for Christ, and against the devil, and was doing good, though perhaps not in the wisest way. Of him He says, *' He that is not against us, is for us." He works against the same enemy that we work against, and therefore he is on our side. — In the case before us, our Lord is speaking of men who refused to join Him and become His disciples, who held aloof from Him, and were afiraid or ashamed of His service. Of them He says, " He