---

I. That the honest efforts of God's servants MAY SOMETIMES END IN FAILURE. As Christian workers, we often think we succeed when we in reality fail, and the reverse. But in this case there could be no mistake.

1. It was a conscious failure — "Could not."

2. It was a failure without a redeeming feature. In the pulpit we sometimes partially atone for failure in the end by the good impression we made at the beginning, and the reverse. The demon was only exasperated to ten-fold fury, till the "lad" was flung " to the ground, and wallowed foaming."

3. It was a public failure. It was witnessed by the multitude, and among them the vindictive, sarcastic scribes.

4. It was a humiliating failure. This devil in the "lad" was too much for nine men, who were the divinely-credentialed ambassadors of Christ.

II. That the failure of Christian workers MAY SOMETIMES BE A MYSTERY TO THEMSELVES — "Why could not we?" They had honestly tried; had no doubt done the like before; certainly they did it afterward; why not now? Everything appeared to justify them in looking for success.

1. They were Christ's chosen disciples.

2. They were His recognized ambassadors. He had confirmed their call by giving them the Divine gift of miracles.

3. They had not put their hands to a work which God designed for others. The very terms of their commission specified the work which they had tried to do and failed — "raise the dead, cast out devils."

4. No reason to believe they used their own names instead of Christ's on this occasion. No wonder they were humiliated and thunder-struck at such a failure. There is comfort here for all disappointed workers. The feeling of disappointment which prompted this question was a hopeful feature in their case. What we should be most concerned about is, not success, but downright honesty in our work.

III. THE FAILURE OF MANY MEN IN THE PULPIT AND OUT OF IT .NEED BE NO MYSTERY EVEN TO THEMSELVES. Many of us fail because we forget to take aim. Have you tried to " cast out devils," and failed? Tell Jesus about it.

(T. Kelly.)

---

---

KJV: And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

WEB: When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him, saying,