(18) And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with (19) Howbeit, Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy. friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. (20) And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him and all men did marvel.
There is somewhat very affecting in this request of the poor man; and our LORD's refusal of his request merits our notice. What a wonderful change, grace had wrought upon him. He who but a few minutes before, was a terror to everybody, is now so heavenly com posed, that he desires never to leave JESUS. And is not this the case with every child of GOD, when savingly called from darkness to light; and from the power of sin and Satan to the living GOD? Surely, having once tasted that the LORD is gracious, we cannot but long to be absent from the body, and present with the LORD. But yet JESUS saith, this must not immediately be. Awakened sinners are to go home to their unawakened friends, and speak forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light. They are to constitute a part of the LORD's Church upon earth, until the LORD's time shall come which he hath appointed to take them home to his Church above. JESUS must have a Church upon earth, as well as in heaven, as long as the earth remains. Neither can a redeemed soul live upon earth too long, while the LORD employs him to his glory and the Church's welfare. Reader! let this serve not merely to reconcile, but to make us happy in waiting all the days of our appointed time, until our change come. In the mean season, doing as JESUS commanded this poor man to do, if so be, like him, the LORD hath wrought a work of grace upon our hearts; tell our friends, yea tell all around, what great things the LORD hath done for us, and hath had compassion on us.