صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

66

joined to his arguments this terrible monition," 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."

[ocr errors]

The sin specified in these declarations, is obviously singled out as being alone in the list of human crimes, and as plainly standing far aloof from every other. "All manner of sin and "of blasphemy," says the Judge of the quick and the dead, "shall be forgiven unto men; but whosoever speaketh against "the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this "world, neither in the world to come." All other sins are pardonable; this lies beyond the reach even of infinite mercy.

It is the peculiar office of the Holy Ghost to sanctify men, or, in other words, to awaken, convince, and renew the soul, that is, to communicate to it the religion of the Gospel. To resist the commencement and the progress of religion in our fellow-men, is therefore to resist the agency of the Holy Ghost in his peculiar office. To speak evil of the commencement and progress of religion in the soul is to speak evil of the Holy Ghost, of his peculiar agency, of his appropriate character, of the great purpose for which he came into the world. Of all purposes this is the most benevolent, the most glorious, the most god-like. It is no other than to rescue an immense multitude of the human race from endless sin and death, and to raise them to immortal life and holiness. Compared with it, the creation of the whole material system is nothing. God here is seen in his most honourable and most amiable character, and is eminently jealous for his glory, and regards all opposition made to him, while engaged in this most benevolent employment, with peculiar abhorrence.

I will not say, I do not feel that it can warrantably be said, neither do I believe that every degree of opposition to this workof the divine Spirit amounts to the unpardonable sin; but

that this sin is found somewhere in the progress of such resistance, and in some degree or other of this evil speaking, I see no reason to doubt. What is there which can be called speaking against the Holy Ghost, if speaking against his peculiar, appropriate, official agency is not of this nature? The reason why this crime cannot be forgiven seems to be, that it is attacking and insulting God when coming out to man on the kindest of all designs, with forgiveness, sanctification, and eternal life in his hands; presenting himself in a character singularly amiable and glorious, and demanding of mankind their highest adoration, gratitude, and praise.

At the same time it is doing the greatest injury in our power, nay, the greatest of all possible injuries to our fellow-men. It is to fix them in obstinate and hopeless sin. It is to help them onward to perdition. It is to preclude them from the attainment of holiness. It is to rob them of an interest in the mercy of God. It is to shut them out of heaven. Compared with these things, what is it to plunder them of their estates by fraud, or of their lives by murder?

Let every person, then, who finds in himself the least disposition to enter upon this employment, tremble, lest he be found fighting against God. Let him shudder, lest he should even now be advancing, lest he should already have far advanced, towards the perpetration of that sin for which there is no forgiveness. Let him remember that his progress in this dreadful course may be real, rapid, and yet imperceptible to himself. Sinners are rarely sensible of the growth of their evil habits, and never of the rapidity with which they grow, nor of the guilt which they themselves incur by indulging them, nor of the danger to which they are exposed. But neither the guilt, nor the danger are on this account the less real, or the less to be dreaded. How would the most stout-hearted person in this assembly tremble, if assured that the sentence of final condemnation was already passed upon him, and that his perdition was sealed on this side of the grave.

At the same time, let those who are awakened to solemn consideration concerning the things which belong to their peace, and have begun to remember that they have souls which must

either be saved or lost, beware how they resist the merciful influence of the same divine agent in rousing them to just thoughts about their condition and a rational concern for their eternal well-being. It is a fearful thing to oppose the Spirit of God, thus graciously employed to bring us to salvation. God is not mocked. If you forsake him, he will forsake you; and you have no right to believe that he will ever return to you again. Keep before your eyes the parable of the unclean spirit, who, after he had gone out of the man, and had wandered for a season in desert places, seeking rest and finding none, said to himself, “I will return to my house, whence I came "out." Accordingly he went, and found it empty, swept, and garnished. Then he took seven other spirits, worse than himself, and entered with them into the soul of the miserable wretch from whom he had been once cast out. Well might our Saviour add this melancholy reflection, "The last state of "that man is worse than the first."

SERMON XIV.

ON REVIVALS OF RELIGION.

ISAIAH LX. 8.

"Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?"

THESE words are a part of the most splendid prophecy concerning the future glory of the Church, contained in the Scriptures. In the preceding chapter the Prophet describes, in the most affecting terms, the miserable state of the Jewish nation immediately before the coming of Christ, and the general corruption of the world immediately before the Millennium. In the last mentioned period of declension, God is exhibited as inflicting exemplary vengeance upon the apostates especially concerned in it, and then as gloriously exerting his power, wisdom, and mercy, to save the world from absolute ruin. As a consequence of this united display of vengeance and mercy, it is declared, that they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. The enemy will indeed come in like a flood; but his exertions, however furious and formidable they may seem will be in vain; for the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. The Redeemer also will come to Zion, and unto them that turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Christ will appear in a peculiar manner to his Church and to his ministers, for their protection,

encouragement, and success. The covenant, mentioned in the last verse of the chapter, will then be carried into complete execution. The Spirit of God and the Word of God will no more depart from his children, nor from their children, throughout all succeeding generations.

Enraptured with the prospect of these wonderful events, the Prophet hastens through the intervening ages on the wings of inspiration; and stationing himself in the midst of the glorious scenes which he had anticipated with wonder and delight, calls upon the Church to arise and shine; her light being come, and the glory of the Lord being risen upon her. Darkness, he informs her, will indeed, at the moment of her approaching prosperity, cover the earth, and thick darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon her, and his glory shall be seen upon her. As an immediate effect of this peculiar manifestation of Christ to his Church, he informs her that the Gentiles, the innumerable inhabitants of this great world, shall come to her light, and their kings to the brightness of her sun-rising. The Prophet then directs her to lift up her eyes round about, i. e. cast them over the whole horizon, and to see. "All they," he exclaims,

66

are now gathering themselves together; they come unto "thee." This is the end, for which they assemble by one great and universal impulse, moving at once the whole family of Adam. Strangers as they have heretofore been, they have now become sons and daughters; and shall be nursed or carried as children at her side.

Full of this astonishing event, so sudden so momentous, the Prophet, continuing his strain of rapture, and addressing the Church in the name of God, subjoins,-"Thou shalt fear ❝and overflow with joy, and thy heart shall be ruffled and "dilated; and the riches of the sea shall be poured in upon "thee, when the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee: "an inundation of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of "Median and Epha. All of them from Saba shall come; gold ❝ and frankincense shall they bear. And the praise of JehoAll the flocks of Kedar

"vah shall they joyfully proclaim.

❝ shall be gathered unto them; unto thee shall the rams of

« السابقةمتابعة »