[55] There was no preacher in the town that day.
[56] To have a familiar spirit, as expressed in the Old Testament, and, To have a demon, as expressed in the New; seem to be phrases of the same import, and the idea of it was that of criminality. But we find no person in the New Testament justly accused of it.
Demoniacs were of another description. They were esteemed innocent, and pitied, as being afflicted by the demons.
Possibly this in part was the true evil which afflicted part of our land in 1692, and which our pious ancestors unhappily mistook for witchcraft.
[57] The original of verse 11-12, is strictly thus: “And he said, bring me up Samuel. And the woman saw Samuel and cried out.” This strongly intimates that Samuel came unexpectedly and without any previous divination. The word when, in our translation has no responsive in the original.
[58] Not altogether such, why else should the oracles cease at the time of our Saviour’s birth? Legerdemain found no more difficulty afterwards than before. God did in his righteous judgment, choose the delusions which they had chosen for themselves. He sometimes fulfilled their predictions, Deut. 13: 1, 2, 3. Ezek. 21: 22 to 25; and might sometimes, though very seldom, suffer such real miracles as were either vain, or injurious; but never those of benevolence. Compare the magic of Egypt with Rev. 16: 14. The demons drowned the swine, but never gave rain; Isa. For satan must not oppose satan.
[59] Should they appear worthy of such painful notice.
Transcriber’s Note
This book was written in a period when many words had not become standardized in their spelling. Words may have inconsistent hyphenation in the text. Jargon, dialect, obsolete and alternative spellings were not changed. Misspelled words were corrected.
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