Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/171

Rh by an evil spirit, that dictated ambiguous answers to those who consulted her, which served to gratify their vain desire of knowing things to come, but often deceived them. In those times of ignorance, infidelity, and idolatry, the devil, by the divine permission, thus led men captive at his will; and he could not have gained such adoration from them as he had, if he had not pretended to give oracles to them; for by both his usurpation is maintained as the god of this world. This damsel brought her masters much gain by soothsaying; many came to consult this witch for the discovery of robberies, the finding of things lost, and especially to be told their fortune; and none came but with the rewards of divination in their hands, according to the quality of the person, and the importance of the case. Probably, there were many that were thus kept for fortune-tellers, but, it should seem, this was more in repute than any of them; for while others brought some gain, this brought much gain to her masters, being consulted more than any other.

2. The testimony which this, damsel gave to Paul and his companions; she met them in the street, as they were going to prayer, to the house of prayer, or rather to the work of prayer there, v. 16. They went thither publicly, every body knew whither they were going, and what they were going to do. If what she did was likely to be any distraction to them, or a hinderance in their work, it is observable how subtle Satan is, that great tempter, to give us diversion then when we are going about any religious exercises, to ruffle us, and to put us out of temper then when we need to be most composed. When she met with them, she followed them, crying, "These men, how contemptible soever they look and are looked upon, are great men, for they are the servants of the most high God, and men that should be very welcome to us, for they shew unto us the way of salvation, both the salvation that will be our happiness, and the way to it, that will be our holiness."

Now, (1.) This witness is true; it is a comprehensive encomium on the faithful preachers of the gospel, and makes their feet beautiful, Rom. 10. 15. Though they are men subject to like passions as we are, and earthen vessels; yet, [1.] "They are the servants of the most high God, they attend on him, are employed by him, and are devoted to his honour, as servants; they come to us on his errands, the message they bring is from him, and they serve the purposes and interests of his kingdom. The gods we Gentiles worship, are inferior beings, therefore not gods, but they belong to the supreme Numen, to the most high God, who is over all men, over all gods, who made us all, and to whom we are all accountable. They are his servants, and therefore it is our duty to respect them, and hearken to them for their Master's sake, and it is at our peril if we affront them." [2.] "They shew unto us the way of salvation." Even the heathen had some notion of the miserable, deplorable state of mankind, and their need of salvation, and it was what they made some inquiries after. "Now," (saith she) "these are the men that shew us what we have in vain sought for in our superstitious, profitless application to our priests and oracles." Note, God has, in the gospel of his Son, plainly shewed us the way of salvation; has told us what we must do, that we may be delivered from the misery to which by sin we have exposed ourselves.

But, (2.) How came this testimony from the mouth of one that had a spirit of divination? Is Satan divided against himself? Will he cry up those whose business it is to pull him down ? We may take it either,

[1.] As extorted from this spirit of divination for the honour of the gospel by the power of God; as the devil was forced to say of Christ, (Mark 1. 24.) I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. The truth is sometimes magnified by the confession of its adversaries, in which they are witnesses against themselves. Christ would have this testimony of the damsel to rise up in judgment against those at Philippi, who slighted and persecuted the apostles; though the gospel needed no such testimony, yet it shall serve to add to their condemnation, that the damsel whom they looked upon as an oracle in other things, proclaimed the apostles God's servants. Or,

[2.] As designed by the evil spirit, that subtle serpent, to the dishonour of the gospel; some think she designed hereby to gain credit to herself and her prophecies, and so to increase her master's profit by pretending to be in the interest of the apostles, who, she thought, had a growing reputation, or to speak Paul fair, not to part between her and her familiar. Others think, Satan, who can transform himself into an angel of light, and can say any thing to serve a turn, designed hereby to disgrace the apostles; as if these divines were of the same fraternity with their diviners, because they were witnessed to by them; and then the people might as well adhere to those they had been used to. Those that were most likely to receive the apostles' doctrine, were such as were prejudiced against these spirits of divination, and therefore would, by this testimony, be prejudiced against the gospel; and as for those who regarded these diviners, the devil thought himself sure of them.

II. Christ made them to be taken notice of, by giving them power to cast the devil out of this damsel. She continued many days clamouring thus; (v. 18.) and, it should seem, Paul took no notice of her, not knowing but it might be ordered of God for the service of his cause, that she should thus witness concerning his ministers; but finding perhaps that it did them a prejudice, rather than any service, he soon silenced her, by casting the devil out of her.

1. He was grieved. It troubled him to see the damsel made an instrument of Satan to deceive people, and to see the people imposed upon by her divinations. It was a disturbance to him to hear a sacred truth so profaned, and good words come out of such an ill mouth with such an ill design. Perhaps they were spoken in an ironical bantering way, as ridiculing the apostles' pretensions, and mocking them; as when Christ's persecutors complimented him with Hail, king of the Jews; and then justly might Paul be grieved, as any good man's heart would be, to hear any good truth of God bawled out in the streets in a canting jeering way.

2. He ''commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. He turned with a holy indignation, angry both at the flatteries, and at the reproaches, of the unclean spirit, and said, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her; and by this he will shew that those men are the servants of the living God'', and are able to prove themselves so, without her testimony; her silence shall demonstrate it more than her speaking could do. Thus Paul shews the way of salvation indeed, that it is by breaking the power of Satan, and chaining him up, that he may not deceive the world, (Rev. 20. 3.) and that this salvation is to be obtained in the name of Jesus Christ only, as in his name the devil was now cast out, and by no other. It was a great blessing to the country when Christ by a word cast the devil out of those in whom he frightened people and molested them, so that no man might pass by that way, (Matt. 8. 28.) but it was a much greater kindness to the country when Paul now, in Christ's name, cast the devil out of one who deceived people, and imposed upon their credulity. Power went along with the word of Christ, which Satan could not stand before, but was