LECTURE XIX.

BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST.

MARK iii. 20-30.

20. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

We learn from St. John that it was long before some of the friends or relations of Jesus understood the purpose for which he came, or believed in him as the Son of God.' Others, perhaps, with more just thoughts concerning him, still conceived that his zeal was transporting him too far, and needed to be restrained; since he gave himself no leisure so much as to eat bread, from the pressure of the multitude upon him. To them he would reply: "I have meat to eat that ye know not of." "I must do the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." 3

The interference of his friends was kindly meant. Others approached him at this time with very different feelings and intentions.

22. And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

1 See John vii. 1—5.

John iv. 32.

Ib. ix. 4.

23. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satun?

24. And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that king dom cannot stand.

25. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

27. No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man ; and then he will spoil his house.

In this condescending manner does our Lord refute the inventions by which his divinity was assailed. The scribes came down into the country where he was at present sojourning, and gave the explanation of his miracles which had been adopted at Jerusalem. He hath Beelzebub on his side, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. What, says the Lord, shall the author of evil bring the remedy of evil? Shall the kingdom of Satan subvert itself? Satan is like a powerful king: he has his captives in hold, and whoever would rescue them from his dominion, must first subdue and bind him, and then he may enter his house and spoil his goods. If, therefore, I do this, if I deliver men from the unclean spirits which enthrall them, ye may be assured that I have an authority independent of that which they obey, and superior to it. And ye have an indisputable proof that "the kingdom of God is come upon you."

He proceeds to warn them of the dreadful danger they incurred, whilst they admitted these thoughts into their hearts. When they said, He hath an unclean spirit he hath Beelzebub, and by the prince

of the devils casteth he out devils, they were blaspheming against the Holy Ghost, "the Lord and Giver of spiritual life."

28. Verily I say unto you, All sin shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damna

tion:

30. Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

3

This awful sentence must be grounded on some peculiar reason. David had been guilty of very heinous transgressions: yet the prophet was instructed to assure him, "The Lord hath put away thy sin." "Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel." But "he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers; and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom." Simon the magician had attempted to make a gain of spiritual gifts, and proved himself to be "in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity."5 Yet Peter said to him, "Repent of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." These were signs, that all sin shall be forgiven unto the sons of men.

But here we are told of a sin, that hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. And

32 Sam. xii. 13.

4 2 Chron. xxxiii. 9-13.

5 Acts viii. 18-22.

for this reason. No sin can be forgiven, without repentance. No repentance can take place in the heart, except through the influence of the Holy Ghost. And he who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost, closes against himself that door which could alone be opened to receive and save him: deprives himself of that influence which alone could bring him to repentance, and therefore to forgiveness.

For a like reason St. Paul pronounces it "impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,-if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance." " 6 The reason is the same. There is but one way of salvation; and if a man having been once brought into that road, deserts it, and takes a different path, he must come to the end to which it carries him he cannot obtain salvation, when he has renounced the only author of salvation; "has crucified the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

Suppose the case of a physician, who possessed a remedy for some fatal disease, and was offering it to all who needed. Some enemy of the physician appears, and says, He is to be avoided, not consulted; he is a deceitful man, and his object is not to cure, but to poison that man could never be healed, because he had put himself out of the way of cure.

And this is what the Scribes and Pharisees were doing. This man's works, they say, proceed from an evil source. He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

The Holy Spirit softened the heart of David, who "acknowledged his transgression, and whose sin was

6 See Heb. vi. 4 - 6.

ever before him." So Manasseh,

So Manasseh, "when he was in affliction," besought the Lord, and prayed unto him, and came to "know that the Lord, he was God:"8 and it was for this that Peter urged Simon to pray, that "none of the things which he dreaded might come upon him." But could a like mercy be exercised towards those who blasphemed the power which was to heal them? Who ascribed to the prince of the devils the works of mercy and pity which God was performing! This was to revile Him on whom repentance depends, and on whom, therefore, forgiveness must depend.

If this unpardonable sin can be committed by any in the present day, it is committed by those who speak against the gospel, misrepresent the religion of Christ, and neither enter into the kingdom of heaven themselves, nor suffer others to enter in. These incur the woe, which the prophet pronounces unto them that "call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter."" There may be scoffers who have so hardened their hearts against the fear of the Lord, and so resisted the Holy Ghost, that repentance is as far romoved from them as it was from Pharaoh, of whom God foresaw, "I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand." 2

But if we find one, who like David, has grace to say, "Against thee, O God, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified