August 27

Mark v.—1. And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gada-renes.

2. And, when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.

3. Who had his dwelling among the tombs: and no man could bind him; no, not with chains:

4. Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

5. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

6. But, when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him.

7. And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

8. (For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.)

9. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion; for we are many.

10. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

11. Now, there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

12. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.

13. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea (they were about two thousand), and were choked in the sea.

14. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.

15. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

16. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.

17. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.

18. And, when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

19. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

20. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him. And all men did marvel.

The scene of this miracle was on the eastern side of the Lake of Galilee, — probably at Kherza (Gergesa), on the left bank of Wady Semash. Along the shore are tombs, some excavated from the rock, others built above the ground. The wretched maniac was not simply the victim of a physical disease. The Gospels make a plain distinction between disease and demoniacal possession; and to suppose that Jesus took advantage of a popular belief in devils to enhance his power, and thus encouraged superstition, "is wholly at variance with any Christian idea of the perfection of truthfulness in Him who was truth itself." There seems to have been an unusual activity of the spirits of darkness during the life of Christ; and he manifested his supreme power in de-

stroying the works of the Devil. He had power over inanimate nature, power over the bodies and spirits of men, and power over the invisible world of spirits. This destruction of the swine was no more contrary to the benevolence of God than if they had been swallowed up by an earthquake, or swept away by a pestilence: it made manifest the extreme violence of the possession in the man, the fact of the expulsion, and the power of Jesus to save or to destroy. It placed human life and reason above any valuation in property; and yet the mercenary people showed more concern for their worldly goods than for deliverance from Satan, of which this miracle was a type and a promise. How often do even the meanest things of earth displace Christ and his grace!

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 129, 133.

O Lord, our heavenly Father! we have nothing to bring to thee but our wants, and such poor return of love and gratitude and praise as these hearts can render for thy goodness. As thou dost cause our lives to overflow with thy mercies, so do thou fill our hearts to overflowing with thy Spirit, that we may thank thee and praise thee as we ought. The morning calls us again to praise thee for thy loving-kindness in the night-season. Every good gift cometh down from thee, the Father of lights; and though we are so changeful in our love, so inconstant in our service, with thee there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Bind us

to thyself, O our Father! by the mighty attraction of thy love. May the love of Christ, who died that we might live, constrain us to live unto thee! We pray, O Lord! that thy kingdom may come; that thy Church may increase; that missions may prosper; that thy Word may be given to all people, and the knowledge of the Lord may fill the earth as the waters fill the sea. We thank thee for our home, and pray thee to bless us with all things that we need as a family. Bless the absent who are dear to us; and bring them, together with us, we beseech thee, unto thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.