But instead of this, and making that good use of our Lord's presence there which he designed they should, they on the contrary (so ready are we to listen to our destroyer rather than our Saviour) made that ill construction of what had happened, which the Devil hoped they would, and had suggested to them; and upon news of the drowning of the swine, as if they had no regard to any thing but their worldly profit, they unanimously came to Jesus from all quarters, and though they saw the man that had been possessed, and was but a little before so raging and mischievous, sitting at his feet, clothed, and in his right mind, they yet besought him, or earnestly called upon him, to depart out of their

coasts".

What strange behaviour was this! See how the god of this world blinds the minds of his vassals, that they should not see the things that make for their best interest, and let slip all happy opportunities of grace and salvation!

The Gadarenes, being so near to Galilee, just over against it, on the other side of a narrow lake, no doubt had often heard of the fame of Jesus, and very likely were so great lovers of novelty and strange sights, as to wish they might see so extraordinary a person, and have their curiosity gratified with a miracle. And yet, when out of tender pity to the deplorable condition their country was in by reason of their heathenish way of life, and those dreadful possessions which were so common there, and which he doubtless had heard much talk of in Galilee, he went to them on purpose to be in all respects their Saviour and deliverer; and gave them

o Matt. viii. ult.

an earnest of it, by working a wondrous cure upon a fierce demoniac, than which nothing could have been more seasonable, nor of greater and more public benefit, and therefore should mightily have endeared him to them, and made them earnestly court his stay among them; they, on the contrary, with unparalleled-What shall I call it? it is a crime that wants a name, and such as one would think people that were not themselves possessed could never be capable of committing, were urgent with him to be gone and leave them, only because he was the occasion of the loss of a herd of swine, for which yet the ridding their country from those diabolical inmates might have been thought a sufficient compensation.

But the text says, they were taken with great fear. Great fear! of what? Of one who made it his business to go about doing good, and as the common benefactor of mankind cured all manner of diseases, without the chargeable and tedious methods of physic, only with his word or his touch, as they could not but have often heard he did! Nay, who could cast out devils too, how numerous and obstinate soever, by his bare command, forcing them to confess that he was the Son of the most high God, as they themselves were satisfied upon their own certain knowledge! Of one, who did all this most willingly and freely, without the least expectation of gratuity or reward, and that in order to an infinitely greater good too, their hearkening to his doctrine, and embracing the faith he taught, which would save their souls for ever!

The presence of so equally great and good a person as this, instead of awakening their fears, in all

reason should have excited in them the highest veneration, and love, and joy. But, as is most probable, the plain truth was this; they thought our Lord, being a prophet, and zealous for the law of Moses, intended totally to destroy those impure creatures, in which consisted a great part of their wealth, and likewise that so holy a person would not let them go on in their vicious courses, but soon oblige them to a way of life which they had no relish for at all, or else exert that power of his in punishing their wickedness which they found they were not able to resist, and that made them so eager to be rid of the greatest treasure in the world.

Now does not our blood rise against such vile ungrateful wretches? And yet, if we consider it, is not the case just thus, nay worse, as we shall see by and by, with too too many amongst ourselves? Do not we love the world better than we do our Saviour, and, that we may enjoy it without control, forget that we are Christians, and give ourselves up to ambition and covetousness and sensuality? Are we not afraid of any thing that would oblige us to a reformation, shy of a faithful friend who would advise us better, angry with our spiritual guides if they press us home upon this point; nay, which is worse, stop the mouths of our own consciences when they cry out against us, and, which is worst of all, resist and grieve and quench the blessed Spirit of God when he whispers this saving counsel to us, Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why, O why will ye die!

Is not this to behave ourselves towards our Saviour much at the rate as those Gadarenes did, and that for a reason not unlike, because our swine

would be in danger, should he continue with us, and our submission to his government would be the ruin of our beloved sins?

Indeed, it is to become perfect swine ourselves, and prefer a dunghill before heaven, when, rather than quit the vile sordid pleasure of feeding upon nastiness, and wallowing in the filth of brutish lusts, we will thrust out from us all that will make us truly good and happy.

May it not be said of us, that we even crucify the Son of God afresh, when we obstinately persist in what we know he hates, and died to save us from? that we put him to an open shame when we value our lusts above him, nay, act our lewdness under the character of his disciples? But let us have a care, lest Jesus be provoked by this base usage to give us our fatal choice, and immediately depart, as we find he did from these Gadarenes, and leave our polluted souls to the full possession of those unclean spirits, and that eternal ruin which they will plunge us into, and which, even in the midst of the torments of it, we shall be forced to confess is no more than we have most justly deserved.

For, as much to blame as these Gadarenes were in driving our Lord from them, the crime of an obstinately wicked Christian is much greater, and no doubt will be more severely punished.

They had the happiness, as far as we can learn from scripture, but once to see him on their coasts, and though he wrought so great and beneficial a miracle there, yet the noise and fright occasioned by the loss of their swine, as they took it, very much lessened the value of it, (though it should have raised it rather, and was designed to do so,)

and gave them a very great though unreasonable prejudice against him, so that without entering into any further discourse with him, which we may well believe would have created in them a much better opinion of him, they too hastily urged him to leave them; and we do not find that he ever returned to them again.

But we are often courted to receive him, though not by himself in person it is true, yet by his ambassadors and representatives, and the inward motions of his divine Spirit, and that without any terrors and affrighting circumstances; and yet, ungrateful wretches as we are, we have as often rejected him, and notwithstanding a full knowledge of the wondrous things he hath done and suffered for us, have harboured a legion of impieties to bar him

out.

So that whatever may be said for them, we are without excuse, and might justly have been long since abandoned to ourselves, and deprived of his presence for ever: especially if we consider that we add hypocrisy to our other guilt, and deal thus by him under the mask of a great deal of love and seeming veneration. For till we are come to the very height of wickedness, we smooth him over with frequent protestations that we desire his presence above all things; intreat him, with an appearance of great earnestness and devotion, to come and take entire possession of our souls, and make them his for ever, and approach his holy table with the profoundest awe and reverence to receive him, and there with great solemnity vow all fidelity and obedience to him; and yet, after all, sell ourselves to work iniquity P, and become a willing prey to his and our P 1 Kings xxi. 25.