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that is not with another, is against him. If Jesus were not gathering for Satan, he was scattering and lessening his harvest. And they could not but see that thus he was really taking from him, and not adding to his power. "For this was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 3

31. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

82. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Our Lord here warns the Pharisees of the danger they were incurring. These miracles were done by the Holy Spirit. To attribute them to Satan, was blasphemy; and such blasphemy as must lead to eternal condemnation. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. We plainly see why this is declared. Without repentance, no sin can be forgiven. But the Holy Spirit alone can lead to repentance. And the Holy Spirit will not convert one who denies his power. Therefore blasphemy against the Holy Ghost takes away all hope of repentance and pardon, because it closes up that channel through which alone repentance and pardon can be conveyed.

On the other hand, it is mercifully said, Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him. There might be errors and unbelief relating to Christ, which might afterwards

3 1 John iii. 8.

be repented of and pardoned. As in the ensuing chapter, some ask, "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren, James and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him." Others cavilled at our Lord's manner of conversation: "Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." These errors might be cleared up, these hard speeches repented of, and then, like every sin repented of, forgiven. And no doubt many then, and many since, who had once been offended in Christ Jesus, have afterwards laid aside their prejudices, and partaken of his mercy.

Concerning blasphemy against the Holy Ghost we may justly observe, that there have been instances of repentance and conversion, even in such as might otherwise have been supposed guilty of that sin. We might have supposed this, for instance, of Paul himself, had he died whilst he was "a blasphemer and a persecutor, and injurious," "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of our Lord." There is reason, therefore, to believe, that the unpardonable blasphemy alluded to must have been confined to that age, and to the particular offence which gave occasion to our Lord's words— the ascribing to Satan the miracles of mercy which he was daily performing.

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Scoffers and infidels, however, have need to beware and tremble. Scoffers and infidels do what the Pharisees were doing: they mock at the grace of

1 Tim. i. 13. Acts ix. 1.

God, and reject the remedy for sin which he has prepared. But let no meek and contrite heart be dismayed at this sentence. It cannot possibly apply to them. Theirs is the very state which God has promised to receive: "To this man will I look, saith the Lord, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." 5 The very fears of the humble and meek are a proof that the Holy Ghost has not forsaken them, but is striving with them. They have rather a title to derive comfort from the merciful assurance; All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, through that blood which God has vouchsafed to accept as "a full, perfect, and sufficient satisfaction." "If we confess our sins, he is just and faithful to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 6 "If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die." For "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." 8

s Is. lxvi. 2.

7 Ezek. xviii. 21.

6 1 John i. 9.

8 1 John i. 7.

LECTURE LVI.

DANGER OF EVIL SPEAKING.

MATT. xii. 33-37.

33. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

The Pharisees had been saying evil things: such evil things, as to have drawn down upon themselves the severest sentence which we read in Scripture: to be in danger of eternal condemnation. Our Lord now remarks upon the state of heart from which such words proceed. The waters were bitter; the source must be impure. The fruit was poisonous; the fault must be in the tree: for the tree is known by its fruit. And so the words of the Pharisees proved the corruption of their hearts. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

It would have been no proof of a corrupt heart to inquire whether there was reason to believe in Jesus as sent from God. On the contrary, we are

See the preceding verses, 31, 32.

cautioned not to "believe every spirit, but to try the spirits whether they be of God."2 And Jesus

3

himself always courted such inquiry. But it was evidence of a corrupt heart, when they saw the miracles, to ascribe them to Beelzebub. A candid, honest heart would both perceive and acknowledge the truth which the works manifested. When the Pharisees tried to persuade the blind man whose sight had been restored, that Jesus had no claim to honour; when they said, "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner:" he justly replied; "We know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God, him he heareth." Only a heart in which some bad passion was seated, could have resisted this argument; or denied the just conclusion, "How can a man that is a sinner, do such miracles?" +

5

Again, it was proof of a corrupt heart to say of Jesus, "Behold a gluttonous man and a wine bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." An honest and good heart might have inquired why he did converse with such persons; but when it was seen that through his teaching the publican abandoned his unjust dealings, and restored four-fold which he had taken wrongfully: 6 when it appeared that the sinner left his evil ways, and did the works of repentance: a good heart would have glorified God, that "a soul was saved from death," and "a multitude of sins forgiven."7

The Pharisees, therefore, who cavilled against Jesus, and found even in his mercy and goodness an

2 John iv. 1.

4 Ib. 16.

6 See Luke xix. 5-8.

3 John ix. 24-31.

5 Ch. xi. 19.

7 See James v. 20.

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