The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 650

;

LOVE

jio

forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall

not be forgiven

;

neither in the present world, neither in the world to

For that sin there is no intercession either in heaven or on earth. Such prayer is even denounced and forbidden as unholy. Indeed, we realize how afflicted souls, tossed with tempest and not comforted, especially when suffering from a weak brain and unsound nerves, can become so morbid as to ask Have I committed that sin? And if so, what is the use of prayers and tears? For then I am lost, hopelessly and forever. And such cruel spiritual distress may not be allowed. It is the result of a defective religious training, and, still more, of the preaching which, culpably ignorant of the deep ways of the soul, prates about many things, but scarcely ever treats the solemn things that pertain to eternity. It must be reiterated to these afflicted souls referred to, clearly and distinctly, that no child of God ever can commit this sin. It does not belong to the broken and contrite heart, but cankers only in the proud spirit that opposes the Lord and His holy ordinances. come."

:

true the apostle declares that the

It is

men

guilty of this sin

"were once enlightened" and "have tasted of the heavenly gijt" and " were made partakers of the Holy Ghost" and " have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come " but they are never said to have had a droken and a contrite heart. On the contrary, they mind high things they rely upon their exalted experiences boast of a certain partiality which the Lord has lately shown them but give no evidence that they ever smote the breast, or fell down as dead before the divine Majesty, or ever found it a consuming ;

;

fire.

It is

a singular fact that the very persons who make us think of

the word of Scripture,

heed

who

lest

he

fall,"

"

Let him that thinketh he standeth take

are never afraid of eternal perdition

are in not the least likely to sin against the

frequently in fear and trembling lest they

fall into

;

while those

Holy Ghost are it.

asylums are familiar with the facts. And there is but one remedy for these afflicted

Physicians

of insane

souls, viz., to

feed them with Scripture before they are afflicted.

Of course, he

that broods and mutters about his sin outside of the

Word

can not

escape being haunted by the Cain-thought of a sin too great to be torgiven, and in the end the loss of his mind.

near the

Word

is

safe

and can not be so

afflicted.

But he who

lives

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