tho.t o. nego.tive attitude is virtually an Rttit·11de of hostility. It is, by so much, a sub- traction of the strength to he utilized against the enemy. It is an occasion of stumbling to others. Mora than this, it withdraws from the attraction of his presence and love, and lays the heart open to alienating influences. Ever to he insisted on is the sentence, "He that le not with me le against me." 'fhere is another saying of Christ, one uttered a Rhort time before (eh. ix. 60), which may seem to be at variance with the tone of this saying, "He that is not against us is for us." But II glance at the context shows the difference between the circumstances la which the words are spoken, and the references which they bear. The case brought before us in the ninth chapter is thi~: John mentions that he and hie brethren had seen a man ca11ting out demons in Christ•~ Name, and that they had forbidden him, because he was not one of their company. 'l'his was the only offence. The man acknowledged the authority of Jesus, was really receiving the power from Jesus. He wanted only in knowledge of the Lord; the affec- tion and will were right. And the charge of the Master is, "Do not forbid such a one; no one can do a miracle in my Name who will lightly speak evil of me; he that is not opposing me is, in such a ministry, on our part.n In the case introduced in the eleventh chapter Christ is alluding to the attitude of the affections and will. The one sentence is a reproof of exclusiveness of spirit; it is virtually-and truly the lesson is most necessary to-day-" Do not baa one who is seeking the same ends as yourself, who is acknowledging me as you do, because his methods are not yours, or his orders seem of doubtful validity, or he stands apart from your fellowship." The other sentence is 11 reproof of indecision, of colourlessness in the religious life, of the absence of vital sympathy with the Lord. Virtually it is, "Let every one take his side, and stnnd by it ; be out and out with me; have his share in my war with the devil: for all purposes, the unsym- pathetic or faint-hearted is my enemy; he whose life by its influence, whose action by its tone and aims, is not gathering with me, is practically scattering." We hear the old cry, sounding ever on, " Who is on the Lord's side? " 2. The picture of moral deterioration in vers. 24-26 is most graphic. Those around Christ had been witnesses to the exodus of an unclean spirit. Let them suppose that such a spirir is impelled by a ceaseless activity; "it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, but find;ag none." It must have some embodiment. It resolves to return to the old home--" the house whence he came out." "How can a devil find rest which the creature can find only in God? He has lost it for ever; he seeks it in vain in all waste places, which otherwise please him; he seeks it especially in vain there where God, the Lord of creation, will have his rest, and where, therefore, the devil, if he can force an entrance, finds himself relatively bes~namely, in man. Therefore the desire soon returns upon him to look after his own more peculiar house" (Stier). He finds the old home "swept and gar- nished." "Empty" is II word added-and an expressive word it is-by Matthew. Good the sweeping would have been, if the house had not been empty. God is not there; it is open to the evil one. The.-e is his opportunity. He come:; to it, resumes possession, but with reinforcements. "Seven other spirits more evil than himself. And the last estate is worse than the first." Verily, a sketch awfully true ! It was applied by the Lord to the generation whom he addressed. Israel had iudeed been swept from the corruption of idolatry; it had been garnished by the tra,litioas of the elders, by the scrupulosities of the Pharisees; but it was empty-a living faith in God had been crushed out. And the attitude of its wise men towards the Truth was the token of an occupation by II spirit of darkness, sevenfold m,re virulent than in the earlier days. But its applications reach to all. "He that bath an ear, let him bear.''
Vera. '.!7, 28.-The voice out of the crowd. The preacher never knows bow far bis words reach, what respons.is they elicit, or what chord:; they cause to vibrate. Here is one" out of the crowd,' 11 witness for the emotion of many hearts which had felt the mighty power of the Prophet. That she had any real insight into the mission of Jesus, or that she was really attracted to the truth uttc-red by him, cannot be affirmed. It was, perhaps, only II passing excitement, "11 most artlessly unintelligent outcry of mere womanly feeling." But the soul had been stirre,d; "while it _had ~used, ~he fire burned, then spake she with her tongue." A. woman s word !-the 1d_ea w1th which it is charged bein" the honour which had been put on her whose rela.twn to the Pro- phet was that of ~other. Sho was the echo of the angel in his s..uutation, the pioueer 314 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [on. xr. 1-!H,