The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 342

the noise of the storm; 1-.e heard the cry for help. He hears his people always when they call upon him out of the depths, in the hour of darkness, in terror or in agony. The cry, "Lord, save us I" never goes up in vain when it is uttered in earnest supplication, He is with his chosen when they pass through the waters of nffiiction, when they are in the fires of anguish, his presence bringeth calm. He gently reproved.· the disciples, "Why are ye fearful, 0 ye of little faith?" They should uot fear who ha,·e the grace of Christ's presence; they should ha\'e faith in his power antl love. He rebuked the winds _and the s~ He stills th~ tempest now; he brings us safe through the storm o!" adversity; be stills the tempest ID our hearts. "Peace, be still I" be says; and th:~e 1s a _great calm, where once there ~ere . harrowing _doubts, distracting perplex1t1es, anxious cares. "What manner of man 1s this?" All things obey him: the storms of nature and the storms of the restless heart. "What manner of man is this?,,. The Man of sorrows; the Word made flesh; the Son oC God, "who loved me, and gave himself for me." LESSONS. 1. Christ's servants must not seek popularity; it is a snare and e,. temptation. 2. Christ was poor; his servants must be contented. 3. Those whom he calls must follow him; no earthly ties must separate them from him. 4. Trust him in danger and distress. He heareth his people's cry ; he giveth peace. Vers. 28-34.-The 00'/1,11,try of the Gergesenes. I. THE DEMONIACS. 1. TheiT description. There were two--one fiercer, more violent, than the other. Satan's power has been broken ; the incarnation of the Son of God, the atonement made upon the cross, has weakened his hold upon men. "I beheld Satan like lightning fall from heaven." The times were very evil when the Saviour came. Satan was the prince of this world, the ruler of this world's darkness. His power is still very terrible, but it is not what it was; he has not now the dominion which he once exercised over human spirits. Probably there are cases of demoniac possession still, but they are compara- tively few. The characteristic of this possession, as distinguished from that wickedness which is another form of the devil's power over souls, seems to be a divided will. 'l'he unhappy demoniac felt that there was another will, a will not his own, ruling over him, driving him into frenzy. 2. Their conduct. The one demoniac mentioned by St. Mark and St. Luke came running to Christ. He fell down before him and worshipped him, Ee came as the sorrowing and affiicted came to Christ. They sought relief from their troubles; he longed to be delivered from the awful beings which tyrannized over his soul, Ee was not wholly evil-not like those who hate the light, neither come to the light. There were men more wicked than he, men possessed with devils in another sense, who had yielded up their wills to the evil one, who would not come to Christ that they might have life. This man came, drawn to Christ by the sense of bis own misery, by the attraction of the Saviour's love. But there was a strange power that ruled over him; there was another voice, not bis own, but no strangely blended with bis being that it seemed his voice. And that voice cried, "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" There were two conflicting wills in him; the one sought Christ, the other was separated from Christ by an impassable barrier; the one hoped. for mercy, the other looked only for torrn~nt. 'l'he devils had no part in Christ, nothing in common with him ; there was an intense antagonism between them and the holy Son of God. The poor man, amid all the horrors of his miserable condition, felt that his one hope was in Christ. Christ might save hiID, only Christ could save him, from the horrible tyranny that oppressed his soul. The power of the devil is broken, but he sUII goeth about like a roaring lion ; still there iB a conflict in the heart of man ; " the flesh lusteth aJ!;ainst the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other." Tho devil tempts us through the lUBts of the flesh. He is strong and we are weak; but Christ is stronger than he. If we come to Christ in earnest prayer, he will cast out the devil ; God giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The devils recognized the power of Christ ; they knew theil' own impending doom: " Art thou come to torment us before the time?" Christ must reign; all things must be put under him, Satan must be cast into the abyss, the bottomless pit; the kingdom of darkness must give way to the kingdom of light. "The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.." OH, vm. 1-34.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 337