devils he casteth out devils." We endeavoured to shew the reality of possessions, and the reality of that class of our Lord's miracles. We considered at the same time his refutation of the cavil of the Pharisees, and the meaning and justice of the other and only tenable inference from those miracles, "If I by the finger of God cast out demons, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you." That remark was followed by the solemu declaration respecting the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, some brief notice of which is required by the subject of our present Lecture.

I. "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. 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;" or as St. Mark records it, "hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation "."

I almost fear to enter on a subject at once so awful and difficult as this, more particularly as

a Matt. xii. 31, &c. Mark iii. 28, &c.

b Mark iii. 30.

I shall be unable to enter on an enlarged discussion respecting it, because several other topics must be adverted to in this concluding Lecture. Three questions, however, obviously suggest themselves; first, Whether those, whom our Lord addressed, were then guilty of this irremissible sin; secondly, What reference his declaration had to the period which followed his personal ministry; and thirdly, Whether we are liable to incur the guilt by him stated to be unpardonable.

1. With respect to the first of these questions it may be observed, that many suppose that the Pharisees were at the time guilty of this sin, and also contend that it was almost peculiar to them. They ground this supposition on the connexion of this declaration with the cavil of the Pharisees,—on the words ascribed by St. Matthew to our Lord himself, that he "cast out demons by the Spirit of God;"-and on the remark immediately subjoined by St. Mark, after he has repeated the denunciation itself, "Because they said, He hath an unclean Spirit." But this observation of St. Mark seems more properly referable to the whole answer of our Lord to the cavil of the Pharisees, than to the last clause of it only. And with regard to the expression, "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God," it may

Matt. xii. 24-31.

d Matt. xii. 28.

e Mark iii. 30.

be observed that from the absence of the article in the original, it cannot with certainty be understood of the Holy Spirit as personally referred to, but that it would with more probability be rendered, "If I cast out demons by divine cooperation;" a translation which is rendered still more probable by the parallel expression of St. Luke, "If I by the finger of God cast out demons"." And certainly when our Lord speaks of his miracles, he seems to ascribe them to the Father, rather than to the Holy Spirit. "My Father which dwelleth in me, he doeth the works b."

But the question still recurs, whether it does not follow, from considering the occasion on which these words were spoken, that our Lord meant to imply that the Pharisees had incurred this extremity of guilt. I must confess, though I do it with diffidence, that I conceive that he is not so to be understood. This was the very first cavil which had been advanced against the evidences of his mission; and it was probably on the second occasion on which it was brought forward, that our Lord entered upon these statements respecting it. But it should be remembered that the words will equally bear to be understood, as if spoken

* Εἰ δὲ ἐγὼ ἐν πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια,—Matt. xii. 28.-Εἰ δὲ ἐν δακτύλω Θεοῦ, κ. τ. λ.

John xiv. 10.

only by way of caution. Such a caution was needful; because, in consequence of the same disposition which induced them then to circulate such an insinuation, they would be likely both to remain in the same obduracy with regard to the evidence afforded during his personal ministry,' and also to reject the future and still greater demonstration of his resurrection, and of the gifts of the Holy Ghost. We know that in several forms, and on many occasions, he spoke of the evidence of his mission as not yet actually completed. He specified the time which followed "the lifting up of the Son of man," as being that in which they "should know that he was the Messiah ;" and he told them that then, "if they believed not, they would die in their sins," Hence, although their cavil was not directed personally against the Son of man, so much as against the evidences of his authority, yet it seems probable that it did not amount to the "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost."

2. Again, our Lord evidently spoke of the blasphemy as directed personally against the Holy Ghost. Yet the personal operations, and, as it were, the distinct dispensation of the Holy Ghost,

· Ἡ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος βλασφημία-Matt. xii. 51. ὃς δ ̓ ἂν εἴπη κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου.—ver. 32, τῷ δὲ εἰς τὸ αγιον πνεῦμα βλασφημήσαντι.--Luke xii. 10.

by his divers gifts and influences did not commence until after the ascension of our Lord. We must therefore understand our Lord as speaking by anticipation of that future dispensation, and of the increased responsibility which it would bring, and of the heinous guilt which they would incur, if, when more abundant proof was offered, their malignant and calumniating propensities should continue to gather strength, and confirm them in infidelity, instead of yielding to the force of that evidence which demanded their assent. The evidences of the Gospel would then be more numerous, more perceptible, and complete. To those which had already been exhibited, would be added many others. Of all these "the disciples would bear witness;" and "not they only, but also the Holy Spirit, which God would give to them that should obey Jesus." For as "the Advocate of Jesus," and as "the Spirit of truth," he would "testify of Jesus," and "reprove the world of sin, because they believed not in him."-The principal and original causes of disbelief, both at the time at which our Lord spoke, and afterwards, were virtually the same. But some of those, who remained

.

a The Holy Spirit was not yet (given), because Jesus was not yet glorified. John vii. 39. The word given is supplementary, and somewhat obscures the sense of the passage. Οὔπω γὰρ ἦν πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ὅτι, κ. τ. λ.—Compare Acts xίχ. 2.