And Jesus said, Forbid him not.
1.IN the preceding verses we read, that after the twelve had been disputing, which of them should be the greatest, Jesus took a little child, and set him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of these little children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me (only) but him that sent me. Then John answered (that is, said with reference to what our Lord had spoken just before) Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. As if he had said, “Ought we to have received him? In receiving him, should we have received thee? Ought we not rather to have forbidden him? Did not we do well therein?” But Jesus said, Forbid him not.
2. The same passage is recited by St. Luke, and almost in the same words. But it may be asked, What is this to us? Seeing no man now casts out devils. Has not the power of doing this been withdrawn from the church, for twelve or fourteen hundred years? How then are we concerned in the case here proposed, or in our Lord’s decision of it?
3. Perhaps more nearly than is commonly imagined, the case proposed being no uncommon case. That we may reap our full advantage from it I design to shew, first, In what sense men may and do now cast out devils: secondly, What we may understand by, He followeth not us. I shall, thirdly, explain our Lord’s direction, Forbid him not, and conclude with an inference from the whole.
I. 1. I am, in the first place to shew, in what sense men may, and do now cast out devils.
In order to have the clearest view of this, we should remember, that (according to the scriptural account) as God dwells and works in the children of light, so the devil dwells and works in the children of darkness. As the holy Spirit possesses the souls of good men, so the evil spirit possesses the souls of the wicked. Hence it is that the apostle terms him, The God of this world: from the uncontrolled power he has over worldly men. Hence our blessed Lord stiles him the prince of this world: so absolute is his dominion over it. And hence St. John, We know that we are of God, and all who are not of God, the whole world, ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται· Not, lieth in wickedness: but lieth in the wicked one; lives and moves in him, as they who are not of the world, do in God.
2. For the devil is not to be considered only as a roaring lion, going about seeking whom he may devour: nor barely as a subtle enemy, who cometh unawares upon poor souls, and leads them captive at his will: but as he who dwelleth in them and walketh in them; who ruleth the darkness or wickedness of this world, of worldly men and all their dark designs and actions, by keeping possession of their hearts, setting up his throne there, and bringing every thought into obedience to himself. Thus the strong one armed keepeth his house; and if this unclean spirit sometime go out of a man, yet he often returns with seven spirits worse than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. Nor can he be idle in his dwelling. He is continually working in these children of disobedience. He works in them with power, with mighty energy, transforming them into his own likeness, effacing all the remains of the image of God, and preparing them for every evil word and work.
3. It is therefore an unquestionable truth, that the God and prince of this world, still possesses all who know not God. Only the manner wherein he possesses them now, differs from that wherein he did it of old time. Then he frequently tormented their bodies, as well as souls, and that openly, without any disguise. Now he torments their souls only, (unless in some rare cases) and that as covertly as possible. The reason of this difference is plain. It was then his aim to drive mankind into superstition. Therefore he wrought as openly as he could. But ’tis his aim to drive us into infidelity. Therefore he works as privately as he can: for the more secret he is, the more he prevails.
4. Yet, if we may credit Historians, there are countries even now, where he works as openly as aforetime. “But why in savage and barbarous countries only? Why not in Italy, France or England?” For a very plain reason: he knows his men. And he knows what he hath to do with each. To Laplanders, he appears barefaced: because he is to fix them in superstition and gross idolatry. But with you he is pursuing a different point. He is to make you idolize yourselves: to make you wiser in your own eyes than God himself, than all the oracles of God. Now in order to this, he must not appear in his own shape: that would frustrate his design. No: he uses all his art, to make you deny his being, till he has you safe in his own place.
5. *He reigns therefore, altho’ in a different way, yet as absolute in one land as in the other. He has the gay Italian infidel in his teeth, as sure as the wild Tartar. But he is fast asleep in the mouth of the lion, who is too wise to wake him out of sleep. So he only plays with him for the present, and when he pleases swallows him up.