contends against that will. infested with wild beasts.

The spot was a desart,
He was not, however,

left alone in this desart: angels ministered unto him. So, though his disciples have a wilderness to pass through, which exposes them to many enemies of their faith and piety, they are not left alone. Elijah was not left alone, when he fled from the violence of Jezebel. "As he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, an angel touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee."1 St. Paul was not left alone, in what was to him a wilderness, in the court of judgment, where he was accused before Cæsar. He has recorded his testimony; "The Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." 2 So, all the true servants of God may depend on finding, that the time of their trial, if it comes on them whilst they are in the way of duty, will also be the time when they will experience the divine support, and experience it most abundantly.

14. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came Matt. iv. into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.

17-22. Luke v.

15. And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom 1—11. of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

16. Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

17. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

This, though a casual expression, taken from the circumstances in which Jesus found Simon and 11 Kings xix. 5, &c.

* 2 Tim. iv. 17.

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Andrew, yet, aptly describes the nature of the employment which he intended for them. When they afterwards went out into the world, and preached what their Master was now preaching, repent, and believe the gospel: "repent, and be lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins:" they cast as it were their nets into the sea, that they might take those who "were or dained unto eternal life." Sometimes their own success astonished them. As when this same Simon addressed his countrymen on the day of Pentecost, and they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." And sometimes " 'they toiled all night, and took nothing." As when on the preaching of Paul thirty years afterwards, at Jerusalem, the Jews who heard him "cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, and lifted up their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live." 4 When "the Lord opens the heart" of those who hear, the success is great and sure. His Spirit attended his words on this occasion. Simon and Andrew were moved by them.

3

18. And straightway they forsook their nets, and fol lowed him.

19. And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw | James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also ¦ were in the ship mending their nets.

20. And straightway he called them: and they left their

3 Acts ii. 41.

4 Acts xxii. 22, 23.

5 See Acts xvi. 14

father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

21. And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

22. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

23. And there was in their synagogue a man with an Luke iv. unclean spirit; and he cried out,

24. Saying, Let us alone, what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the holy One of God.

Scripture tells us thus much of the world of spirits that there are angels interested in the salvation of man, and others in his ruin. Some rejoice in the penitence of a sinner: and "desire to look into the things" concerning his redemption. These, on the other hand, are grieved at the appearance of our Lord. They express a consciousness of our Lord's power, and of the design with which he came into the world. As in Matt. viii. 29, they exclaim, "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" So here the unclean spirit cried out, saying, Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the holy One of God.

He was indeed come to destroy them. "For this was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

which he exercised over these

And the power evil spirits, was

the first indication of that great purpose of his

33-37.

coming.

E E

25. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

26. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

27. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they ques tioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he ever the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

28. And immediately his fame spread abroad, throughout all the region round about Galilee.

This then must be our comfort, when we reflect upon a subject so awful and mysterious as the power of the evil spirit in the world. The same Scripture which reveals the extent of that power to us, also reveals to us one who came to break and subdue it There is the power of Satan'; there is the power of those who belong to his company but there is one greater than these, more ready to bless than they to injure, more able to save than they to destroy. With authority commandeth he the unclean spirits, and they obey him. All those who have united themselves to him, and by a true and living faith have entrusted themselves to his care, may read without alarm what in this and other parts of Scripture is related of the power of evil spirits. "Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" For "greater is He that is with us: than he that is in the world." Only let us remem ber, that as there is one adversary, Satan, the author of sin so there is one preserver, he who cam to "save his people from their sins." Those wh witnessed his power, and were also sensible of the misery which it would relieve, took advantage of

it;

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they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were We, our children, and our been brought unto him.

possessed with devils."
families, have already
By baptism we were

enrolled among his people. Let us remain with him, "not faithless, but believing," to be healed of present sin, and to be delivered from future danger. Save, Lord, or we perish."

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LECTURE LXXVI.

MANY SICK PERSONS HEALED.-A LEPER

RECEIVES A CURE.

MARK. i. 29-45.

29. And forthwith, when they were come out of the syna- Matt. viii. gogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, 14-23 with James and John.

30. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

31. And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

Gladly would this woman minister to him, who had restored her health, and to those who had told

Luke iv. 38-44.