Why Was CHRIST ACCUSED 


OF CASTING OUT DEVILS 


THROUGH BEELZEBUB.



IT seems that our Lord about this time made another tour through Galilee. In the eighth chapter of Luke we read as follows: "And it came to pass afterward that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God; and the twelve were with him, and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others which ministered unto him of their substance."

"And they went into an house. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 

And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him; for they said, He is beside himself."

'' Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb; and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand; and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."

Jesus then continued to show how unreasonable it was to suppose that devils can be cast out through the authority of the prince of devils. He says, ''How can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house.

He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."

"And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven."

"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."

"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. 

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

"Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas [Jonah]. 

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon is here.




SPIRITUAL POWER.



SUPPOSE we saw an army pitching tents before a granite fort, and they told us they intended to battle it down we might ask them how? They point to the cannonball. Well, there is no power in that. It is heavy; but if all the men in the army hurled it against the fort, they would make no impression. They say, "No, but look at the cannon." Well, but there is no power in that; a child may play with it; it is a machine, and nothing more. ''But, look at the powder.'' 

Well, there is no power in that. A child may spill it; a sparrow may pick it. Yet this powerless powder and powerless ball are put into the powerless cannon; one spark of fire enters it, and then, in the twinkling of an eye, that powder is a flash of lightning, and that ball is a thunderbolt, which smites as if it had been sent from heaven. So it is with our church and Sabbath school machinery; we have all the instruments necessary for pulling down the strongholds; but, oh, for the baptism of fire! 




William, Arthur.