called possession; yet surely it was not necessary to assert, that the dæmons spake, that they exhibited fears of being tormented, and that they asked permission to pass from one animal body into another.

With design to remove the difficulty, which we are now considering, it has been said, that Christ and his apostles received no commission to instruct men in the nature of diseases. They found men under the influence of various disorders, either of body or mind. Some of these disorders were attributed to evil spirits. Whether the disorders did thus originate, or not, was a question which neither Christ nor his apostles were commissioned to determine.

I answer, that our only way of knowing, what Christ was commissioned to teach, is to consider what he did in fact teach. If then Christ did not teach any thing, as to the cause of those disorders, denominated possessions, it is indeed certain, that he had no commission to do it. But that you perceive is the very point at issue. The respondent, then, endeavors to remove an objection, by assuming the truth of that, against which the objection is made.

Besides, I have endeavored to show, that our Saviour and the evangelists used such language, as was calculated, if the doctrine of dæmoniacal possession be false, to confirm the the Jews, in an important error. Is it a sufficient answer to say, that they were not commissioned to do otherwise? Is a special commission requisite to authorize men not to use, such language, as can hardly fail of confirming or producing false opinions? I should apprehend, that whatever scruples were entertained in the case, would be against the use, and not against the omission of such language.

As a further proof of the common opinion, we may mention those passages in sacred history, which assert, that the dæmons knew Christ. Luke iv. 34. "And in the synagogue, there was a man, who had a spirit of an unclean dæmon, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, let us alone. What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth."-Mark 1.34. "And he healed many, that were sick

of diverse diseases, and cast out many dæmons; and suffered not the dæmons to speak because they knew him." Now, what reason can be imagined, why persons, under the influence of natural insanity, should have more knowledge of Christ, than others, in quiet exercise of their ra tional powers?

I ask your attention to the following passage in the evangelical history. When Jesus had rebuked the evil spirit, who had uttered his name, it is said, that "he came out of him, and hurt him not." How extraordinary is this remark, if nothing is here meant, but a natural disorder! Does it usually hurt men to be free from diseases? Is it strange, that a man should be no worse for being restored to health? Is it probable, that a writer, under the influence of inspiration or of common sense, should suppose, that any reader stood in need of such information? But, if we adopt the common opinion, as to possessions, this is perfectly intelligible. For, on another occasion, when our Lord had commanded a dumb and deaf spirit to come out of an afflicted person, "the spirit cried and rent him sore, and came out of him; and he was as one dead, insomuch, that many said, he is dead." Now, if evil spirits, on leaving the bod ies of those, whom they had afflicted, sometimes exercised their malignity in augmenting the sufferer's pains, it was perfectly natural, that the evangelist should notice an instance, in which nothing of this was suffered to take place,

But the passage is much to our purpose, if viewed in another light. It is said, that the "spirit cried out, and rent him sore, and came out of him." If the term spirit is not here to be taken literally, it must mean either the disorder or the man himself. But taking either of these, as the meaning, there will be no sense in the passage. In one case it will be, the disease cried out; in the other, the man came out of himself!

Again, the words of our Saviour to his apostles, when returned from their mission, well deserve our notice. “And the seventy returned with joy saying, Lord, even the dar

mons are subject to us, through thy name. And he said, I beheld satan as lightning fall from heaven." This answer of our Saviour, taken in connexion with the address of the disciples, seems clearly to suggest this idea, that there is an important relation between the cure of demoniacs and the falling of satan; that the former implied the diminution of infernal influence.

I have now laid before you the most obvious arguments in favor of the doctrine of demoniacal possessions; together with most of the objections, which are made to it. There is one, however, which has been intentionally reserved for this place.

The common opinion, it is said, has an ill influence on the success of christianity, which may, in some instances, be disbelieved on this account.

I answer, that if the opinion is not supported by scripture, it is doubtless to be rejected. If it is thus supported, we have no right to expunge or conceal it, for the purpose of conciliating infidels or sceptics. Those, who reject christianity, must abide the result. That the doctrine contains nothing abhorrent from reason, and nothing of course, which ought to produce scepticism as to christianity, I endeavored to show in the first lecture. To reduce christianity to the taste of mankind, has often been assayed; but with too little success to encourage a repetition of the experiment.

The present attempt, I apprehend, however, is really calculated to produce that scepticism, which it aims at preventing.

Suppose, for instance, you meet a deist, who informs you, that one important reason, why he disbelieves the gospel, is, the extraordinary accounts, there given of the influence of dæmons on human bodies. You offer to remove the difficulty, by telling him, that you believe as little of that as he does; informing him, at the same time, that, though much is said of dæmons in the New Testament, our Loid and the evangelists, prudently accommodating them

selves to the prejudices, which then prevailed, meant nothing more than natural disorders. He refers you to particular places, showing, that these dæmons are treated, as liv ing agents, that they are said to speak, to tell who Jesus was, to ask permission to go from one animal body into another, and to speak of a time, when they shall be tormented.

You acknowledge, that all this is true; but endeavor to convince him, that it implies nothing inconsistent with the most perfect integrity and virtue. Of this, I think, you would not easily convince him. But, if you should, and he should feel himself pressed with those abundant and various proofs, which support the gospel, he would find much relief in the very idea, which you had conveyed; he would say, If the New Testament writers use language with such extraordinary freedom,-if they make such amazing concessions to the prejudices and errors of men, no person can have any distinct view of what was in fact their meaning; no one can be certain, when they relate things, as they were in truth, and when they relate them, as they appeared to vulgar and prejudiced minds. Such would unquestionably be the success of your experiment.

I am far from asserting, that christianity could not be proved, if the opinion in question were assented to. Its evidences are so numerous, strong and various, that if something were taken away, there would still be enough to ensure assent from the upright and impartial. But it cannot be de nied, that the opinion, under consideration, if proved, (as it never can be,) would envelop revealed religion in so dense a mist, as to take much from that distinctness, with which its various objects are otherwise viewed. Nor have I any doubt, that the number of infidels and indifferent belivers would be rendered somewhat greater, than it is at present. The lecture will be closed with some remarks of a practical nature.

I. It ought to excite our gratitude, that all vicious and malignant spirits are under the control of a benevolent, wiser and powerful being.

The state of human society would be most unhappy, were no restraints imposed on the passions of men. Even now, deeds of the greatest brutality, malice, and ferocity are sometimes witnessed. Yet, the restraints, imposed by morality and civil government, are almost without number. What then would be the condition of man, if these were uni* versally removed! Hence we learn to appreciate the blessings of good government. But, those spirits, whose existence the scriptures so clearly assert, are superior to man. They far exceed him, both in power and malignity; and, but for the gracious and unremitting providence of God, would render this earth a scene of universal and indescribable desolation and horror.

II. Though we have no evidence, that natural evils are how produced by the agency of malignant spirits, we are told, that the minds of men are yet subject to the corrupting influence of that being, whom the inspired writers denominate the god of this world. Our Saviour directed his disciples to pray, Lead us not into temptation: and, considering the mention, which he frequently made of this designing and malevolent being, it cannot be doubted, that his devices constitute a great part of that temptation, against which we are to pray for security. St. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had no idea, that the danger, hence resulting, was imaginary. "Be sober; be vigilant; for your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour."

It becomes us, then, to maintain sobriety and caution, and to cultivate a sense of our dependence on him, whose attri butes are engaged for the salvation of all, who obey him.

IIL Though our present connexion with incorporeal spirits is neither visible nor intimate, it will in both these respects be different in a future life. The two great communities, which constitute God's moral kingdom, will then be clearly distinguished. Similar characters, to whatever order of beings they once belonged, will then be united. Virtuous men will resemble angels, and be united with them.