Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 12:45

45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in, and dwell there, and the last state of that man, is worse then the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

The Speech appeareth Parabolical; the Persons concerned in it are expressed in the last Words. The Men of that wick [illegible: 1 letter]d Generation. The Text is thought to be well expounded by Peter, 2 Pet. 2.20. If after they have escaped the Pollution of the World, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ, they are entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. Our Lord here compare[illegible: 1 letter]h the Jews to a Man out of whom the unclean Spirit was gone. The Devil is called the unclean Spirit, both in regard of his own impure Nature and because his Work is to tempt Men to Sin, (which is Spiritual filthiness.) The Jews were a People holy to the Lord, a people distinguished from Pagans, by a visible Profession. So as the Devil in a great Measure had left them. Now saith he, the Devil is an unquiet Spirit, and findeth no rest, if he cannot be doing Mischief to Men. For the Phrase, He walketh through dry places, looking for rest, we must know, That in Parabolical Speeches, we must not Scrue, or make a severe Scrutiny upon every Phrase. Dry places are for the most part places least inhabited, for want of the Conveniencies of Water. The Devil cannot be at rest, where he hath no Mischief to do to Men. Then he saith, I will return to my House, from which I came out. The Devil so leaveth none, but he will be attempting to come into them again, and he ordinarily succeedeth where Christ hath not prepossest the Soul, all other Reformation proves but a Sweeping and a Garnishing, while the Soul is empty of Christ. It may be swept from the filth of Flagitious Sins, and Garnished with the Paint of Religion, or some Habits of Moral Vertue. But none of these will keep out the Devil. He goeth and taketh with himself, seven Spirits more wicked than himself, and enters in and dwelleth there. Seven, that is, many. The meaning is, he makes that Man much worse than before. So (saith he) it shall be to these Iews. God gave them his Laws, and so delivered them from such a Dominion, as the Devil doth exercise over Pagans. In Force of this Law, the Scribes and Pharisees, amended many things, so as they were like an House swept and garnished. God sent his Son to dwell amongst them, but him they rejected, so the House was empty, tho swept and garnished. The Devil will come again, and they will be ten times worse.

Marginal references: Heb. 6.4. & 10.26.