not clone at the first. It only means that he should be cast out of a large portion of the dominion, and power, and undisturbed authority he had hitherto exercised over men's souls. — The result of the change which took place in this respect, when Christ died, is perhaps not enough considered by Christians. We probably have a very inadequate idea of the awful extent to which Satan carried his dominion over men's souls before the " kingdom of heaven " was set up. Bodily possession, familiar spirits, wizards, heathen oracles, heathen mysteries, — all these are things which before the crucifixion of Christ were much more real and powerful than we suppose. — And why ? Because the " prince of this world " had not yet been cast out. He had a power over men's bodies and minds far greater than he has now. When Christ came to the cross He did battle with Satan, won a victory over him, stripped him of a large portion of his authority, and cast him out of a large portion of his do- minion. Does not the whole of the vision in Rev. xii. 7—17, point to this ? This view is supported by Lightfoot.
This sentence shows clearly the reality and power of the devil. How any one can say there is no devil, in the face of 6uch expressions as " the prince of this world," is strange. How any one can scoff and think lightly of a being of such mighty power, is stranger still. The true Christian, however, may always take comfort in the thought that Satan is a van- quished enemy. He was stripped of a large part of his domin- ion at Christ's first advent. He is still "going to and fro,'- seeking whom he may devour; but he shall be completely bound at the second advent. (1 Pet. v. 8 ; Rom. xxvi. 20; Rev. xx. 2.)
The whole verse appears to me inexplicable, unless we receive aud hold the doctrine of Christ's death being an atonement and satisfaction for man's sin, and a payment of man's debt to God. That thought underlies the deep statement here made of the mighty work about to be done by our Lord, in the week of His crucifixion, against the prince of this world. Once adopt the modern notion that Christ's death was only a beautiful example of self-sacrifice and martyrdom for truth, like that of Socrates, and you can make nothing of this verse. Hold, on the other hand, the old doctrine that Christ's death was the payment of man's debt, and the redemption of man's soul from the power of sin aud the devil, and the whole verse is lighted up and made comparatively clear.
Augustine observes: "The Lord in this verse was foretelling that which He knew, — that after His passion aud glorifying, throughout the whole world many a people would believe, within whose hearts the devil once was. whom wheu by faith they renounce, then is he cast out." He also says that what formerly took place in a few hea:.*ts, like those of the patriarchs and prophets, or very few individuals, is now foretold as about to take place in many a great people.
Euthymius remarks, that as the first Adam by eating of the