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not what they once were, and so they flatter themselves, they are what they ought to be. They are no longer sabbathbreaking, daring sinners, and so they dream that they are Christians. They see not that they have only changed one kind of devil for another. They are governed by a decent, Pharisaic devil, instead of an audacious, riotous, unclean devil.-But the tenant within is the devil still. And their last end will be worse than their first. From such an end may we pray to be delivered! Whatever we are in religion, let us be thorough. Let us not be houses swept and garnished, but uninhabited by the Spirit. Let us not be potsherds covered with silver, fair without, but worthless within. Let our daily prayer be, "Search me, O God;-and see whether there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm cxxxix. 24.)

NOTES. LUKE. XI. 21-26.

21.-[A strong man.] The Greek expression so translated, would be more literally rendered "the strong one." The word " man is not in the Greek. The same remark applies to Matt. xii. 29, and Mark iii. 27. The literal translation brings out the character of the devil, and the applicability of the whole passage to him with much force.

[His goods.] The literal meaning of the Greek expression so translated is," the things that are his,—that belong to him." 22.-A stronger than he.] This expression again would be more literally rendered, "the One stronger than he." It evidently refers to our Lord, the great conqueror of Satan. There is a probable reference to Isaiah liii. 12. John the Baptist calls our Lord "the mightier one," in Mark i. 7., and Luke iii. 16. In both these places the Greek is the same as it is here.

[Divideth his spoils.] It admits of a question whether our Lord did not mean us to put a literal sense on these words, and to interpret them of that new application of man's faculties and powers which He makes when He converts a soul. He takes possession of the affections and intellectual capacities, over which the devil once exercised dominion, and uses them for His own

glory. Ford quotes a saying of Bishop Reynolds; "God maketh use of that art, wealth, power, learning, wisdom, intellect, which Satan used against Christ's kingdom, as instruments and ornaments unto the Gospel; as, when a magazine in war is taken, the General makes use of those arms, which were provided against him, for his own service."

23. [He that is not with me is against me.] The application of this expression is differently interpreted by different commentators. Some think that it should be confined strictly to the subject of which our Lord is speaking, that is, the utter division which exists between His kingdom and that of the devil. They think our Lord is enforcing the absurdity of the idea that He cast out devils by Beelzebub, and that His argument is "There can be no alliance between me and Satan. He is not with me, and so he is against me. He is not gathering with me, and so he scatters."-Others think that the expression is of much wider. application, and that it is a general truth concerning all waverers, and doubters, and half-hearted, and excuse-making people, of whom no doubt there were many among our Lord's hearers. They argue that our Lord is exposing the awful danger of many of His Jewish hearers, who had been a little roused by John the Baptist, and seemed likely to receive Christ when He appeared. And yet, when He did appear, they hung back and affected to be troubled with doubts, and so continued neutral and undecided. This last opinion appears to me by far the most probable, and is confirmed by the passage which immediately follows. The sentence is directed against undecided Jews, who were like the man from whom the unclean spirit had gone forth. Their hesitating neutrality was a most dangerous position. Their last end was likely to be worse than their first.

At first sight, it seems difficult to reconcile our Lord's words in this verse with His words in another place. We find Him saying of one who cast out devils in His name, but did not follow His disciples, "Forbid him not; for he that is not against us, is for us." (Luke ix. 50.) Here, however, we find Him saying, “He that is not with us, is against us.”

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The reconciliation of the two sentences in reality is not difficult. They were spoken of two entirely different classes of persons. In the former case, our Lord was speaking of one who was really working for Christ, and against the devil, and was doing good, though perhaps not in the wisest way. Of him He says, He that is not against us, is for us." He works against the same enemy that we work against, and therefore he is on our side.-In the case before us, our Lord is speaking of men who refused to join Him and become His disciples, who held aloof from Him, and were afraid or ashamed of His service. Of them He says, "He

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that is not with us is against us.' He does not avow himself our friend, and so he becomes practically one of our foes. 24.-[He walketh through dry places.] The expression translated "walketh," is more frequently rendered, "passeth, or goeth through." Let it be noted, that it is the "spirit," and not the man, of whom this is said.—The expression, "dry places," is a difficult one. The literal signification of the Greek words would be,-"places without water." According to some, it means "uninhabited or wilderness-places," where the devil finds no rest, finding no one to injure.-According to others it signifies the Gentiles, over whom Satan exercised special power before the Gospel was preached to them, and the heathen, over whom Satan specially reigns now. Our inability to make out clearly the meaning of the expression, arises, in a great measure, from our ignorance of what is going on in the unseen world of spirits, both evil and good. To an immaterial creature, like a devil, the expression would probably be quite plain.

[Seeking rest.] This is an awful expression! It shows the restless unwearied craving to do mischief, and inflict injury on God's creatures, which seems at present a special attribute of the devil, during the period that he is permitted to do evil.

[He saith, I will return unto my house.] This is another most awful expression. How many men and women are being daily watched by the devil, and mischief planned against them, while they, in their folly, never dream of what Satan is doing!

25.-[And when he cometh, he findeth.] Let it be carefully noted both here and in the following verse, that it is the evil spirit, and not the man, of whom these things are said. Literally translated, the Greek words should be, "When it cometh, it findeth, &c."

[Swept and garnished.] These expressions must of course be regarded as figurative. They are borrowed from the condition of a house, and applied to the state of a reformed, but unconverted, people or heart.

Let it be remembered that there may be much moral cleanliness, and even much "garnishing," about one who is unsanctified. There may be much that is fair to the eye, and yet no grace. 26-Seven other Spirits.] The number seven is often used in Scripture proverbially, to denote great increase in number, or size, or quantity, or intensity. Thus, Psalm cxix. 164: Prov. xxiv. 16: Matt. xviii. 21; Daniel iii. 19.

[Worse than himself.] This expression seems to denote that even among devils there are degrees of wickedness and malice. Just so there are degrees of glory in heaven, grace on earth, and punishment in hell.

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[Last state...worse than the first.] The Greek expressions so rendered mean literally "the last things," and the 'first things."

The tendency of a backslider, or a man who has at one time professed religion, but afterwards turned back to the world, to become worse than he ever was before, is a painful fact, but a notorious one. The possession of clear knowledge of the Gospel combined with deliberate choice of sin and the world, seems the parent of the most hardened state of soul to which mortal man can attain. Ford quotes a striking sentence from Cowper's Letters on this subject: "I have observed that when a man who once seemed a Christian has put off that character, and resumed his old one, he loses, together with the grace which he seemed to possess, the most amiable parts of the character that he resumes. The best features of his natural face seem to be struck out, that after having worn religion only as a mask, he may make a more disgusting appearance than he did before he assumed it."

The story of the unclean spirit in this passage admits of a threefold application. 1.-It describes the history of the Jewish nation before Christ came upon earth. For a time after the giving of the law they seemed better than the Gentiles, and like a house swept and garnished. But when they became proud, self-righteous, and unholy, the evil spirit returned to them. They were cast off by God, and given over to be oppressed and scattered by the Babylonians, Syrians, and the Romans. And forty years after our Lord was upon earth, their last state was worse than their first. 2.-It describes the history of the Gentile churches since the time when Christ was on earth. For many centuries they seemed like a house swept and garnished. The evil spirit seemed cast out. But in the vast majority of cases they have departed from their first things. The Spirit of God has left them. The evil spirit has returned. Their end seems likely to be worse than their beginning. 3.-Above all, the passage describes the state of individuals who are content with reformation without conversion. This is a sense which ought never to be lost sight of. Historical and prophetical interpretations are useful, but they must not be allowed to overlay and bury the lessons that concern each one of ourselves.

LUKE XI. 27-32.

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek

a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts

of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

A WOMAN is brought before us in this passage of Scripture of whose name and history we know nothing. We read that, as our Lord spake, "A certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee." At once our Lord founds on her remark a great lesson. His perfect wisdom turned every incident within His reach to profit.

We should observe in these verses how great are the privileges of those who hear and keep God's word. They are regarded by Christ with as much honour as if they were His nearest relatives. It is more blessed to be a believer in the Lord Jesus than it would have been to have been one of the family in which He was born after the flesh. It was a greater honour to the Virgin Mary herself to have Christ dwelling in her heart by faith, than to have been the mother of Christ, and to have nursed Him on her bosom.

Truths like these we are generally very slow to receive. We are apt to fancy that to have seen Christ, and heard Christ, and lived near Christ, and been a relative of Christ according to the flesh, would have had some mighty effect upon our souls. We are all naturally inclined to attach great importance to a religion of sight, and sense, and touch, and eye, and ear. We love a sensuous, tangible, material Christianity, far better than one of faith. And

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