LECTURE XCIV. A LUNATIC RESTORED.-NEED OF PRAYER AND MARK ix. 14-29. 14. And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great Matt. xvii. multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 15. And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly umazed, and running to him saluted him. 16. And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? 17. And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit ; 18. And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not. 19. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you ?1 bring him unto me. 20. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into This is spoken, from a knowledge that the failure, the want of success in the disciples, was owing to the weakness of their faith. 14-21. Luke ix. 37-42. the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, 1 believe; help thou mine unbelief. This man was supplicating for a favour. That he might receive it, there must be on his part a qualification. If thou canst believe. He must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he might be partaker of his benefits. And his belief was at present very imperfect. His prayer shows it; if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Certainly there was much to hinder this belief. So is it hinted in the expression, If thou canst believe. Jesus was in humble condition, and had nothing of external dignity to make it appear that he was the Son of God: "no beauty that man should desire him." And by all who were in highest authority among the people he was rejected and opposed. On the other hand, to one who could lay aside preconceived and worldly notions, there were sufficient grounds of faith. His character, his miracles, his doctrines proclaimed him to be the expected Saviour. The state of mind occasioned by such conflicting circumstances is singularly described. Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. I believe; I see and hear that which commands my belief. thou knowest the weakness of our frame. But That the Son of God should become man; that he should appear in a low, despised, condition, so contrary to human expectations, and to the expectation of our country! Help thou mine unbelief! It is good for us to put this question to ourselves : Can We believe? We do not deny that Jesus is the Son of God: but do we practically apply the truth? If called to loss of favour, or of credit, or of fortune, "for righteousness' sake," could we risk or suffer all for Him? If lying on the bed of sickness, or brought to the hour of death, could we venCould we say, "I know in whom I have believed, and that He is able to keep what I have committed to him?" ture all upon Him? Could we say, It ought to be so; it must be so, that our sin may be forgiven, and we may be enabled to fulfil all righteousness. If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth. 66 We have need then of the prayer, Help thou mine unbelief. Every good and perfect gift cometh down from above." And of all gifts, faith is the first and best. The Spirit knoweth our weakness, and "helpeth our infirmities ;" and will in the end "establish, strength, settle" us in the more perfect "knowledge of the Father, and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent." 25. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26. 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. 27. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. 28. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 29. And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. Whatever was out of the course of nature, or beyond human power, was alike impossible to the disciples; and we cannot discern a difference between one miracle and another, one evil spirit and another. In a subject confessedly mysterious, there may be something which we do not apprehend. Probably, however, they were allowed to fail in this instance, that they might perceive the necessity of depending entirely on him from whom their power proceeded. And the mode in which this dependence is shown and exercised, is left as a general lesson to Christians, in the words, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. Only an habitual course of prayer and selfdenial can lead to that state of heart, that true and lively faith, to which every thing gives way; to which God denies nothing. And what we practically learn from the example, is to this purpose. The disciples could not change the course of nature, but through the power of that faith, of which prayer and self-denial are inseparable attendants. Christians can only change their moral nature by the same means. As of evil spirits, some are represented in Scripture as more pernicious than others; so of moral habits, some are worse than others; are more deeply rooted in the constitution, or more strength ened than others by the habits of life. We may justly say, where a vice has been long indulged, has come upon a man from a child, this kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting. We are also led to conclude, that though all Christians must "watch unto prayer," must "pray without ceasing;" there are some occasions when more urgent, continual, and particular prayer is needed. And though all Christians must be temperate in all things, there may be some by whom more special and careful abstinence is required. Where the faith is such as leads to the persevering use of these means, we have reason to hope that all things are possible; that there is no kind of evil which does not come forth by prayer and fasting. St. Paul lived in this course of self-denial. He describes it, when he says, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient." "I will not be brought within the power of any." "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection." Those Christians have approached, those Christians will approach nearest to St. Paul in personal religion, and in spiritual usefulness, who have most closely followed his example; who have most truly been able to say, "The world is crucified to me, and I unto the world." |