The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 541

which cannot be forgiven, hae been so mnch misunderstood, because its immediate relations have not been sufficiently noticed. It has been treated e.s a general form of sin, of which any one may be guilty, rather than as a specific sin, of which a particular class of persons in a particular age were guilty. Our Lord was replying to certain Pharisaic objectors. He claimed to work miracles in the power of the Spirit of God, They declared that he worked the miracles in the power of the chief of the evil spirits. To say that was to offer open insult to the Holy Spirit in Jesus. .And that is a hope- less kind of sin, because only in the power of the Spirit can men be saved. He who calls the Spirit Beelzebub will never seek his saving help, and so he never will be forgiven or regenerated. Forgiveness only comes to the penitent and humble. It is quite clear that they are neither penitent nor humble who think the Holy Spirit in Jes11S is Beelzebub. , L Two POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS OF OUR LORD'S CASTING OUT DEVILS. 1. He may do it with the help of the prince of the devils. Is that a reasonable explanation? If it were merely directing the movements of devils from one sphere of work to another, it might be reasonable; but the case before us is distinctly one of stopping the devils' work. Jesus "cast out" the devils. It is not reasonable to think of princes of devils stopping their subordinates' work. Then see that these Pharisees were shut up to, and obliged to accept, the other possible explanation. Jesus cast out devils by the Spirit of God; that is every way reasonable, according to their own showing, for the good God must be opposed to the work of evil spirits.· II. THE OONSEQUENCES OF ADMITTING THE ONLY REASONABLE EXPLANATION. These Pharisees came under the gravest responsibility. If Jesus wrought in the power of the Spirit, they were bound to believe him, and come into discipleship with him. This they woold not do. Then Christ presses home the consequences of their wilfulness. They sinned against light; they resisted inward convictions; they grieved the Spirit; they blasphemed the Spirit; they put themselves into such moral attitudes that they could not be forgiven; forgiveness is of no value to those who are not humble.-R. T. Ver, 84.-'l'he law of good speech. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth epeaketh." It is in our Lord's mind here to account for the bad speech of the Phari- sees. It was the natural expression of bad minds, minds full of prejudice and malice. How could they," being evi1, speak good things"? But a great principle is involved in our Lord's appeal. I. Wonns MAY BE MERE WORDS, Our Lord calls them "idle words." Much that we say we have not really thought. We often speak first and think last. And such idle words, though they do not express our real selves, often make sad mischief. Words glibly pass our tongues, and we forget them the moment after they are uttered, but they a.re as scorpion-stings to those who hear; they light up fires like the fires of bell. Therefore Christ warns so severely against words that have no thought and no heart behind them, and yet do their fatal work, saying, "For every idle word that man shall speak, he shall give account in the day of judgment." The first law of good speech is-think before you spealc. • II. WoBDB MAY UTTER A BAD HEART. The skill of life is keeping bad thoughts from gaining utterance, At the most, they only injure one person if they are kept from utterance. There is no knowing how many they may injure if they get expl'l!l!sed. These Pharisees had bad enough thoughts concerning Christ. If they had kept them to themselves, they would only have ruined themselves. Speaking their thought out, they started evil in other minds; words were agencies for communicating thought to thought; so the mischief ran, other souls were blocked against Obrist, and his redeeming work was hindered in men. III. WoRDS MAY UTTER A GOOD HEART. Think pure things, and ycu need not restrain utterance; you will find pure words. Think kind things, trustful things, God- honouring things, and then, out of the abundance of the heart, the lips may freely speak. What you say will not be "idle things" with nothing behind them; nor will they be evil things with ma.lice behind them. Let God make the soul-fountains of thought and heart fresh and sweet by his Holy Spirit's regenerating and sanctifying, and there need be no fear-our speech will be good speech," seasoned with 111tlt,"- R. T, 688 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [cu. xn. 1-60,