persuasion of his power and faithfulness to support us under our tribulations, and reward us for them, and we shall not fear the face of man. We shall rather glory that we are counted worthy to suffer for his sake, and that we are honoured to be thus conformed to his image.]
Mark ix. 25 — 21. When Jesus saw that the people came run- ning together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf sjyirit, I charge thee, Come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up ; and he arose.
VARIOUS, and extremely opposite, were the states, which our Lord, in the course of his ministry, expe- rienced. He was not wholly a stranger to seasons of exalted joy; but he was chiefly conversant with scenes of sorrow and affliction. He had just come down from the mount on which he had been transfigured, and the splendour of his glory was yet visible in his countenance a; but he descended only to behold the miseries to which sin had reduced us, and to renew his labours among a scoffing and unbelieving people.
To bring into view the various circumstances of the history before us, we shall consider,
I. The wretched state of the youth who was brought to him — Imagination can scarcely point out a more dis- tressing scene than that exhibited in the context :
[Here was a youth afflicted with an epilepsy, or falling- sickness1'. This affliction was greatly increased by his being a lunatic0: to complete his misery, he was possessed by an evil
a This is not absolutely asserted by the Evangelist : but it is the most probable reason for the " great amazement" which the people discovered at the sight of him, ver. 15. This idea is confirmed by the account given us of Moses the Jewish lawgiver, who experienced a similar continuance of glory on his countenance after conversing with God on Mount Sinai, Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30. with 2 Cor. hi. 7.
b Matt. xvii. 15. c Matt. xvii. 15.
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