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gdom, were diipoled, and had once atpted, to take him by force, and make a king. Perfons of such a temper e not prepared to receive the fpiritual rines of the Gofpel; and their folng Chrift in large crouds, in order to nce him to the throne of David, must given umbrage to the Roman goment, or at least afforded the Jewish s, filled with envy and hatred and hatred against

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an opportunity of accufing him of ion and treafon. Now, the fame bition which Chrift gave to his own oles, (and also to many others*,) it was

ammond on Mat, viii. 4. Where no inconvecould arise from it, Chrift required the publiof his miracles, as in the cafe of the Gadarene ac, Mark v. 19.

ohn vi.

■hn iv. 1, 3. ix. 22.

he ftrict charge given to demons, or demonot to make him known, taken notice of iii. 11. 12. was at the fame time given to ltitudes that followed him, in order to be (as appears from Mat, xii. 15, 16.) and y therefore, for the fame general reafon, the

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Meffiah, and warm gratitude to him for the benefit of their miraculous cure, would prompt them to proclaim their exalted opinion of him.

If Christ had any peculiar reafon for checking the zeal of the demoniacs, it probably was the defire of leaving no room for the fpecious pretence, that there was a fecret agreement between him and those evil spirits, who were judged to be so eager in applauding him. Chrift's refusal of (what was deemed to be) their teftimony, is a full proof that they were not conftrained by God to bear it: and at the fame time ferves to condemn the conduct

of thofe impoftors that afterwards swarmed in the Chriftian church, who laid fo great a ftrefs upon the pretended confeffion 'made by demons, and even claimed a power of extorting it against their inclination and

defire of preventing all tumult and difturbance, Mat. xii, 18, 19, 20.

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to these confeffions, which the Famake, do them no credit, and were out doubt, received with contempt en of understanding. For, if demons icked and lying fpirits, as they are ally fuppofed to be, they are much likely to speak falfhood than truth.

Some have faid, that demoniacs not be mere madmen, because rgue with Chrift in a very rational r, and speak to better purpose than the f those who were in their fenfes.

is affertion being chiefly founded the behaviour of the Gadarene deac, let us inquire how far it agrees

at. viii. 28. Mark v. 2. Luke viii. 27. Matpeaks of two demoniacs; Mark and Luke otice only of one, who was probably the of the two, and had laboured under his diflonger time, or on fome other âccount was t remarkable. He belonged to the neighcity, (Luke viii. 27. and Wetítenius in loc.) as probably a man of note and substance as Dr. Lardner conjectures in his Remarks with

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1. When the demo

that he faid and did. niac faw Jefus afar off, he ran to meet him. Was not this conduct abfurd on the common hypothefis? The unclean fpirit dreaded nothing fo much as being expelled and tormented by Jefus; and yet haftens into his immediate prefence, instead of flying from it. 2. In the next place, the demoniac fell down before Jefus, and worShipped him. Did the devil, under whose influence he is fuppofed to act, hope, by this external homage, to deceive the Son of God into a good opinion of him, or to bend him to a compliance with his propofals? 3. When Chrift faid, What is thy name? how ridiculous is the answer, in cafe it was returned by the unclean spirit, My name is legion; for we are many? Sup

on Dr. Ward's Differtations, p. 3. Cafe of the Demoniacs, p. 4, 5, 10.

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hat in a large army, either a private r, or one of the officers, being asked his own name was, fhould reply, My is army; for we are many; what n would you have of his underg? or how would this name difh either the foldier or the officer all the other foldiers and officers in ny"? 4. More abfurd still was the our of the devil, (if he was the de

Es very aftonishing to find writers of found at in other matters, inferring from this an the demoniac, or (as they fuppofe) of the hat the madman was really poffeffed by a altitude, if not exactly by a legion, of des any credit due to the father of lies? Can a better reafon for difbelieving any thing, affirming it to be true? Could Chrift deoring mankind to give him credit, and to octrines upon his testimony? If one dene can, as it is fuppofed he can, deprive a is fight, and fpeech, and hearing, and of too, and do all this in a moment, why legion of demons be employed, and lose which they might have fpent in doing elsewhere?

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