There is, however, a certain kind of knowledge, without which the unpardonable sin cannot be committed; I mean the knowledge of the Holy Ghost and of his peculiar operations. In the economy of redemption, it is the peculiar office of the Holy Spirit, to bestow spiritual gifts, and to produce holiness or gracious affections in the human heart. Accordingly we read, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness." And again we are told, "To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kind of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and self same Spirit, dividing to every man severally, as he will." Now, a person must know these peculiar operations of the Holy Ghost, in order to be capable of committing the unpardonable sin. For the unpardonable sin consists in ascribing any of these peculiar effects of the divine Spirit, to the power and operation of the devil. The Scribes and Pharisees committed the sin unto death, by ascribing the supernatural effect of the Holy Ghost to an unclean spirit contrary to the knowledge and conviction of their own minds. And it seems as though nothing but ignorance prevented Paul from committing the sin unto death. He was actually guilty of blasphemy. This he freely acknowledges; but he says, "I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief." Had he, contrary to his own knowledge, called Christ an impostor, and ascribed his miracles, or the miracles of his Apostles, to the power and influence of Satan, he would have blasphemed the Holy Ghost, and put himself beyond the reach of pardoning mercy. No person can ignorantly com

mit the unpardonable sin. He must have the knowledge of the Holy Ghost and of his peculiar operations, in order to be capable of committing the sin, which shall never be forgiven. I may add,

5. The sin unto death always springs from sensible enmity against the truth and spirit of christianity. The external sin of blasphemy has its origin in a corrupt and malignant heart. Hence our Lord declares, that "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." We cannot conceive, that any person should knowingly blaspheme the Holy Ghost, by ascribing his peculiar operations to the agency of the devil, unless he felt sensible enmity of heart against the Holy Ghost and his holy operations. But we can easily conceive, that sinners should feel such enmity of heart against the truth and spirit of christianity, as knowingly and maliciously to blaspheme the Holy Ghost. Elymas the sorcerer, whilst he withstood the Apostles, and endeavored to turn away the Deputy from the faith, felt a malignant opposition to the truth and spirit of the gospel. This appears from his own conduct, and from that severe and pointed reproof, which was given him by Paul. "Then Saul (who is also called Paul) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes upon him, and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness; wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" Since we have no account of what Elymas did or said, we cannot determine, whether he did, or did not, commit the unpardonable sin; but this we may certainly conclude, that his heart was malignant enough, to blaspheme the Holy Ghost. Though mere malignity of heart does not amount to the unpardonable sin; yet nothing but malignity of

heart, can ever prompt any person knowingly and maliciously to blaspheme the Holy Ghost, by ascribing his holy and supernatural operations to the agency of Satan.

Having described the sin unto death, I proceed to inquire,

II. Why it is unpardonable.

That the sin we have described is unpardonable, there is not the least reason to doubt; since the Apostle calls it the sin unto death; and since our Savior says, it shall not be forgiven, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. We have only to inquire, therefore, why this sin in particular shall never be forgiven.

Here it is natural to observe, in the first place, that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost cannot be unpardonable, on account of any deficiency in the atonement of Christ. The Scripture represents Christ as a complete and all-sufficient Savior. He is said to "taste death for every man." He is said to be "the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." He is said to be "the propitiation for the sins of the whole world." And it is said, that "his blood cleanseth from all sin." By dying the just for the unjust, he made a complete atonement for all mankind, and rendered it consistent with the character and government of God, to forgive the greatest as well as the smallest sinners. Though one sin may be greater than another, and though blasphemy against the Holy Ghost may be the greatest of all sins; yet the blood of Christ is as sufficient to cleanse from this, as from any other sin. This sin, therefore, cannot be unpardonable, on account of any deficiency in the atonement of Christ. And it is no less evident, in the next place, that it can not be unpardonable, on account of any insurmount

able difficulty in the way, of bringing the guilty person to repentance. It is true, some sinners are more hardened than others, and, perhaps, blasphemers are, of all sinners the most hardened and obstinate; yet there is no reason to imagine, that God is unable to conquer the stoutest human heart. He subdued the malignant heart of Manasseh. He softened the hard heart of the murmuring Jews in Babylon. He cleansed the foul heart of Mary Magdalene. And, what is still more striking, he awakened, convinced, and converted Paul, who had been an injurious persecutor, and a profane blasphemer. God is able, in the day of his power, to make any sinner willing to repent. If he saw fit to pardon blasphemers against the Holy Ghost, he could and would bring them to unfeigned repentance. It is not, therefore, in the least degree owing to any peculiar or insurmountable difficulty in the way of God's bringing blasphemers to repentance, that the sin against the Holy Ghost is unpardonable.

But if the atonement of Christ be sufficient for the pardon of the greatest sins, and if God be able to bring the greatest sinners to repentance, why is the particular sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost unpardonable? I answer, Because it hath pleased God, by a positive determination, to make it so. And though we may not be able to comprehend all the reasons, which moved him to make this determination; yet there appears to be one plain and sufficient reason, for his absolutely refusing to pardon any person, who blasphemeth the Holy Ghost. It is the natural tendency of ascribing the peculiar operations of the Holy Ghost, to the power and agency of Satan, to prevent the spread of the Gospel, and the conversion of sinners. Το say, that Christ, who had the Spirit without measure, wrought all his miracles by the influence of Satan,

had a direct tendency to destroy his religion, and to make him appear, in the eye of the world, as a vile and odious impostor. To say, that the Apostles, who went forth, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, to preach the gospel and to work miracles, were instigated and assisted, by the power of the Devil, had the same tendency to defeat their whole design; for they had no higher credentials of their divine mission, than the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, and the efficacy of the Gospel upon the hearts of men. To say at this day, when there is a great effusion of the Spirit, and a great revival of religion, that these effects are owing to the power and delusion of Satan, is directly calculated to prevent the spread of christianity and the salvation of sinners. And to ascribe the peculiar operations of the Spirit to the influence of the Devil, in any future period, must equally tend to subvert the evidence and design of the Gospel. Therefore, to keep the world in awe, God has set a dreadful mark of distinction upon blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, and made it DEATH, without reprieve!

IMPROVEMENT.

1. It appears from the description, which has been given of the unpardonable sin, that the two noted passages, in the sixth and tenth of Hebrews, have no reference to it. To make this appear, it is necessary to recite these texts at large, and consider them distinctly. The first is this, "For it is impossible for those that were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify unto themselves the son of God afresh, and put him to an