Any one who spoke in this manner nowadays would be thought very
reasonable and very kind. Why did not our Lord speak so to this
man, for there was no outward difference between this man's conduct
and that of many violent mad people whom we see continually in
England? We read, that this man possessed with devils would wear no
clothes; that he had extraordinary strength; that he would not keep
company with other men, but abode day and night in the tombs,
exceeding fierce, crying and cutting himself with stones, trying in
blind rage, which he could not explain to himself, to hurt himself
and all who came near him. And, above all, he had this notion, that
evil spirits had got possession of him. Now every one of these
habits and fancies you may see in many raging maniacs at this day.

But did our Lord treat this man as we treat such maniacs in these
days? He took the man at his word, and more; the man could not
distinguish clearly between himself and the evil spirits, but our
Lord did. When the devils besought Him, saying, "If thou cast us
out, suffer us to go into the herd of swine," our Lord answers "Go;"
and "when they were cast out, they went into the herd of swine; and,
behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place
into the sea, and perished in the waters."

It was as if our Lord had meant to say to the bystanders,--ay and to
us, and to all people in all times and in all countries, 'This poor
possessed maniac's notion was a true one. There were other persons
in him besides himself, tormenting him, body and soul: and, behold,
I can drive these out of him and send them into something else, and
leave the man uninjured, HIMSELF, and only himself, again in an
instant, without any need of long education to cure him of his bad