enemies more powerful " than flesh and blood;" even with invisible and formidable principalities and powers, who are the rulers and cause of that darkness and ignorance which is so predominant in the world. And such is the power and malignity of those enemies, that they even enter into our public and private places of devotion, in order, if pos-sible, to obstruct our worship, and draw our attention from God. Hence, the Apostle styles them, "wicked spirits in heavenly places." That this is the proper meaning of this passage, will be still more evident, when it is considered, that the Apostle points out these enemies, in order to prove to the Ephesians the necessity of putting on the whole armour of God, that they might be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.* May God grant that both the author and reader of this essay, may comply with the injunction of the Apostle, and put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand firm in the Lord, and in the power of his might; and, at last, when our warfare is accomplished, we may be translated to the realms of eternal bliss.

* Eph. vi. 13.

CHAP. IV.

Demoniacal Possessions; or, Reasons to prove their Reality according to the New Testament.

IT has been a subject of dispute for many centuries, whether the demoniacs, mentioned in the gospel, were really possessed with infernal spirits, or demons, or whether they were only persons afflicted with natural distempers. Those who contend for the latter opinion, suppose that the expressions-possessed with the Devil-casting out Devils, are only an accommodation to vulgar opinion, and that the persons said to be possessed, were only mad, or lunatic, or persons subject to epilepsy. Thus they have explained away the account given in the gospel concerning these demoniacs. I have never had the opportunity of examining one complete treatise against the opinion of real possessions, except one written by Hugh Farmer, which was put into my hands by a kind friend. And I candidly confess,

that it is a learned and ingenious production; and the more I read it, the more I am convinced of the truth of the two following lines:

I know the learned can, with ease,

"Twist words and meanings as they please."

Neither have I had the pleasure to read one single work in favour of real possessions; consequently, my mind is not biassed by the specious rea soning of any individual. I have met with various remarks on the subject in the course of my reading, and probably some of them may appear in this chapter. The plain, unadulterated language of the Scripture, or the account which is given of possessions in the gospel, are more convincing to me, that the demoniacs were really possessed with evil supernatural demons, than all the learning and sophistry which have been summoned into action, in order to disprove and evade the simple and unvarnished narration given of possessions in the evangelic history. I am firmly persuaded, that the representation of the demoniacs in the gospel history, together with their condition, cannot be fairly accounted for, but upon the principle of real possessions. And I would ask the opposers of this scriptural doctrine, what language would they use, in order to express real possessions? Can any doctrine be better attested? Are not the expressions of the Evangelist as plain and forcible as language will admit? Why, then, should any man endeavour to expunge from the Scriptures a doctrine so clearly and positively contained in them? The modes of reasoning made use of by these men to evade the truth of the gospel history, are not only dangerous in the extreme, but superlatively absurd;

they tend to destroy the certainty of all language, and the unlearned, or uninformed reader, is at once carried into boundless regions of mere allegory and figure, and, like a pilot without anchor and without compass, founders upon a dismal ocean of uncertainty and confusion. And not only so, but upon the same principle, we may easily explain away every other doctrine contained in the Bible; and thus, in an alembic of mental chemistry, transmute all these heart-cheering doctrines of Christianity into mere shadows, and thereby deprive the humble, sin-sick soul, of all his hope, leaving him to perish in despair.

I shall, in the first place, point out a few of those reasons which induce me to believe in real possessions.

First. Casting out Devils is frequently spoken of as a thing different from the healing of diseases. Hence, it is said of Jesus, that "his fame went throughout all Syria, and they brought unto him all such people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with Devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy, and he healed them."* "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with Devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were SICK." And it appears still more evident, from

the commission which Christ gave to his Apostles, that the demoniacs were literally possessed with infernal and invisible demons. For, says he "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out Devils, freely ye have received, freely give."* Now, how absurd is it to suppose, that Jesus Christ would say to his Apostles, cast out Devils, if there were no such beings in existence, or such a thing as real possessions. If the opinions of our opponents be correct, we must look upon Jesus Christ as an ignorant novice, or else a downright impostor. “But let God be true,

and every man a liar," who attempts to pervert the plain declarations of his word. "And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with Devils."+ "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all Devils, and to cure diseases." From hence it is evident, that our Lord and his Apostles considered casting out Devils as distinct and separate from the healing of diseases; and that casting out demons was one prominent feature in the Apostles' mission, when they went forth to unfurl the banners of the cross, and to proclaim to a ruined world the redemption of Christ.

Secondly. The sacred writers express themselves

* Matt. x.

8.

+ Mark i. 32.

Luke ix. 1.