Jesus Drives Out An Evil Spirit

Church History: Jesus Drives Out An Evil Spirit; Jesus heals Mary; Luke 4:31-44; Matthew 8:14-16; Mark 1: 30-31
Christ, being driven out of Nazareth by the fury of his countrymen, departed for Capernaum, where he entered their synagogues, and taught. We cannot conceive the pains that our Savior took, and the hazards which he ran, in preaching the everlasting gospel to lost sinners? The people were astonished, but did not believe. His doctrine produced admiration, but not faith; his auditors were admirers, but not believers. They were astonished at his doctrine: the reason of which astonishment is added, For his word was with power; that is, there were majesty in his person, spirituality in his preaching, and powerful miracles accompanying both, and confirming both, of which the evangelist here gives us as account, namely, the casting out of a devil in one possessed. There was a man who had a Spirit of an unclean devil, and he cried out; that is, the devil, that unclean spirit, did enter into him, and bodily possess him. Amongst other many calamities, which sin has brought upon our
bodies, this is one, to be bodily possessed by Satan. The devil has inveterate malice against mankind, seeking to ruin our souls by his suggestions and temptations, and to destroy our bodies by some means or other.
O how much is it to our interest, as well as our duty, by prayer to put ourselves morning and evening under the divine care and protection, that we may be preserved from the power and malice of evil spirits!
The title here given to the devil: he is called the unclean spirit. The devils, those wicked spirits of hell, are most impure and filthy creatures; impure by reason of their original apostasy, impure by means of their actual and daily sins, such as murder and malice, lying and the like, by which they continually pollute themselves; and impure, by means of their continual desire and endeavors to pollute mankind with the contagion of their own sins.
The substance of the devil's outcry: Let us alone, what have we to do with thee? Art thou come to destroy us? That is, to restrain us from the exercise of our power. The devil thinks himself destroyed, when he is restrained from doing mischief.
The title given by the devil to our Savior; he styles him, The Holy One of God. Why this acknowledgment out of the devil's mouth? Could an apostle make a profession beyond this? What becomes Satan to make it? For no good end, and with no good intention, we may be sure; for the devil never speaks truth for truth's sake, but for advantage sake.
He might make this profession, that so he might bring the truth into question; hoping that the truth, which received testimony from the father of lies, would be suspected. Or, It might perhaps be done to make the people believe that our Savior had some familiarity with Satan, and did work miracles by his help, because he did confess him, and seem to put honor upon him.
We may learn from this, that it is possible for a person to know and acknowledge Christ to be the true and only Savior, and yet to miss out on salvation. If a speculative knowledge, and a verbal profession, of Christ were sufficient for salvation, the devil himself would not miss out on happiness.
How our Savior rebukes the devil for his confession, and commands him silence. Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace; but why was this rebuke given the devil, and his mouth stopped when he spoke the truth?