The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 532

their maiignt'.ty. (1) He confounded their logic, reasoning first from the general to the particul1u, Factions will ruin any kingdom. Are devils so foolish as by promoting factions to ruin their kingdom? Note: If devils are more wioked than men they are not so foolish. (2) He proceeds to use the argumentum ad hominem, retorting, "II I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges." They will at least convict you of partial and unjust judg- ment. (a) Some of the disciples of the Pharisees pretended to exorcise devils. Whether they did so in reality is open to question. Josephus (see • Ant. ' vii. 6. 3 • viii. 2. 5), Justin Martyr, lrenreus, Origen, Tertullian, and other early Fathers ar~ quoted to show that such exorcisms were successfully practised. The sons of Sceva attempted it to their cost (see Acts xix. 16). If they only pretended to do it, then our Lord's words here are ircm:ical, but the argument is equally good. (b) The disciples of the Pharisees professed not to cast out devils by the aid of devils. They did it1 or at.tempted to do it, by the invocation of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (3) He applies the reasoning to the confusion of the unbeliever. "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of G?~• then the ~ingdom ~f God is come unto you." It were blasphemy to charge the Spmt of God with workmg to confirm a falsehood. The disciples of the Phansees did not claim to be the Messiah. (4) He emphasizes the pro6f of his Messiahship in that superiority to devils which he had evinced in the miracle. The strong man's house can only be entered by the stronger than he; and who but Messiah is stronger than Satan ? (5) In this war between Christ and Belial there is no neuter. We obstruct if we do not promote the kingdom of God (see Luke ix. 49, 50). "He tha.t gathereth not with me scattereth." The sense is, says Stier, "He that gathereth, but not with me. his gathering is itself e. scattering." (6) Then he mo.rks the dreadful character of their blo.sphemy, "Wherefore I say unto you," etc. Il THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE SUBJECT MAY NOW BE CONSIDERED, 1. Is not tlte blasphemy against the Holy Ghost the final ,-ejection of Jesus as the Christ, (1) "Not a particular act of sin, but e. state of wilful, determined opposition to the Holy Spirit, is meant (1 John v. 16; 2 Tim, iii. 8; Jude 4, 12, 13; Heb. x. 26-31; vi. 4--8)" (.Alford). (2) That there is no forgiveness for such e. state, viz. while the sinner remains in it, is obvious. The one sin to which damnation is appended is persevering unbelief. (3) To speak against the Son of man is to resist the testimony of Christ coming without the demonstration of miracles. To speak against the Holy Ghost is to resist that testimony when confirmed by miracles (cf. Exod. viii. 19; Luke xi. 20; John x. 47, 48). (4) "The sin denounced is, probably, the rejection of the lo.st o.nd greatest evidence of the Messiahship of Christ-the dispenaation of the Spirit" (Hanis). In this view, with respect to the Pho.risees, our Lord's words are admonitory, "If you persist in this temper you will place yourselves beyond the reach of mercy." The nation of Israel was not destroyed until o.fter the evidence of the Spirit proved unavail- ing. (5) There is absolutely no sin that may not be repenteu and forgiven through the mercy of the gospel. Impenitence-wilful unbelief-is the one unpardonable crime. 2. Yet are there degrus of difficulty in ,-espect to f"epentance. (1) Sins of ignorance could be readily expiated by sacrifice under the Lo.w (see Numb. xv. 28), And so still are they more easily forgiven under the gospel (see 1 Tim. i. 13). (2) For presump- tuous or high-handed si.ns there were under the Law no sacrifices (see Lev. xx. 10; Numb. xv. 30, 31; x.xxv. 31; 1 Sam. ii. 25). (3) Yet for presumptuous sins there was forgiveness from the Lord upon repentance in anticipation of the mercy of the gospel. The pardon of high-handed sins belongs properly to the age of Messio.h (of. Ps. li; .Acts ii. 36, 38; iii. 17; v. 31). The converting grace of Christ masters the strong man in the heart. Once the devil could make the sinner sweo.r, get drunk, neglect his soul; but now things are changed, o.nd he has no such power. (4) When sin becomes desperately malignant, as in the case of these Pharisees, repentance becomes extremely difficult. The spirit of the words of Christ is that all manner of sin and blasphemy ill more easily forgiven than the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. 'l'bus when our Lord so.ys, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not po.ss a.way" (Mark xiii. 31), the meaning is that heo.ven and eo.rth will more easily pass awo.y than that his words should fuil of accomplishment. For so it is expressed in Luke (xvi.17). 3. Is there here any countenance to the doctrine of purgatory t (1) The words "world to come" (t-t::in c~1p) "age to come,'' are commonly used in Jewish writers OH, xn. 1-60.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 629