EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 256, 3 September 1867, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

The "Scotsman" tells a singular story under the heading of "Extraordinary Case of Demoniacal Possession in a free church." The "Case" occurred in the Chalmers Memorial-Church, Grange, on Sunday, June 16. Dr. Bonar, the minister, took for the subject of his afternon discourse the unclean spirits described in the 12th chapter of St. Matthew. The afternoon was very warm, and in the course of the service a number of people became sick and fainted. One girl, in attempting to ( leave the church while the chapter was being lead, fell in a fainting fit, and was carried into the vestry. The occurrence caused some hubbub among the congregation, and seve a! of the members, including Dr. Duucan, Professor of Hebrew, left their seats to wait upon the poor girl. In the course of a few minutes, and while a hymn was being given out, Dr. Duncan, came out from the vestry and asked in a loud voice if there was a medical gentleman present. A gentleman who was understood to be a doctor thereupon rose and proceeded to the vestry. • Certain members of the. congregation afterwards began to«move to and fro in order to make inquiries respecting the sufferer, and not a few left the church altogether. Still the service proceeded in as orderly a manner as was possible amid such uneasiness and excitement, and Dr. Bonar in due course of time began to preach on the devils. When the rev. gentleman was about half-way through his "sermon— he had not reached the " application " — a gentleman seated in the centre of the church became ill, and apparently fainted. Some appearance of confusion ensued, but Dr. Bonar called out to the people to be calm, and a number of them, though in a state of great alarm, at once resumed their seats. ] Still persons continued to pass out of the churck, and the whole of the congregation? were restless and inattentive. Dr. Duncan than stepped up. to the pulpit and had some private conversation with Dr Bonar, who, after a few moments' pause, closed the book before him, and, addressing the congregation, said it would perhaps be better to say. nothing more, but simply engage in prayer. -It was perhaps quite true, he continued, as Dr Duncan had suggested, | that Satan was there tempting them with these interruptions, and that he was anffryat being spoken against.' The rev. gentleman then engaged in prayer, and after he had finished a hymn was given out and sung. While the verses were being read out, Dr Duncan ascended the pulpit- unnoticed by Dr Bonar, and the latter gentleman on raising his head Irom the desk and lookina*^K3cl appeared for the mo--nm^^^^^^K^startled at seeing a

personage so near to him. The objeit of the learned professor in going into the pulpit was to address the congregation, and having obtained leave from Dr Bonar +6 speak, lm rose and ejaculated a few thoughts ou the passage of Scripture respecting the security with which a strong man armed caivkeep his^ house in peace. "* In the middle, of his oration the learned professor had a thought about Satan — or '" Saftan,"' as he called, his 'Satanic majesty, exclaim-, ing with great vehemence, in reference to what had takeu place among the congregation, that • "it was Sattan, brethren, Sattan — Sattui." He also wished to notice something said by the Apostle Paul to the. Gentiles ; but, failing to remember the particular passage, he had to announce that his memory did not serve him to tell what the Apostle said to the Gentiles. The benediction was then . pronounced j'and the congregation dismissed. As the people were about to leave the church, Dr Duncan agaiu rose in the pulpit, and briefly repeated his former assurance, that it was " Sattan, brethren, Sattan— Sattan." A suggestion was made that the enemy should be fought out, in the belief that if resisted he would flee ; but the terror caused" by his warm and unprecedented "manifestation" was too great to be hurriedly shaken off, and the congregation dispersed.