The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 352

r-rl',st.cr is he who le for them thnn All who Are Against them, an<l that hie cAre ls BO 11,inutc as to extend to the numbering of the hAirs of their hend. A great Being on our side, so minute and CAreful in bis interest, is fit to inspire with dauntless courage every one who renlizee his presence by faith and trusts him. IV. THE IMl'ORTANOE OF CONFESSING CHRIST. (Vers. 8, 9.) Our Lord further ehowa how import.ant it is to confess him; bnt in the other life there is to be ,mother confes- sion-the confession before the angels of the courageous souls who have confessed Christ here. On the other hand, there is to be A denial of the cowards who denied Christ here. Out of the publicity of the future life, therefore, our Lord draws such considen.ttions as are fitted to rally souls Around him in courageous confession. And there can be no doubt that this great publicity which our Lord locates in the future life is a fountain-head of courage for souls struggling with opposition. The highest type of courage can undoubtedly be produced through the doctrine of a future life wit.h its rewards and punishments. V. THE DANGU OF BLASPHEMY AGAINST TRE HOLY GHOST. (Ver. 10.) The intro- duction of the Holy Ghost in connection with the Pharisaic opposition seems to have been suggested in this way : the Pharisees, not content with libelling and defaming Christ, professed to trace his power over demons to its source. This, they asserted, was not the Holy Ghost, but Beelzebub within him. That is to say, they attributed spiritnal results t.o a diabolic origin. In this way they blasphemed the Holy Ghost. Now, our Lord, in his meekness and lowliness of mind, declares that there is forgive- ness for unfair words against him, but warns those who are misinterpreting the Spirit's work, that blasphemy against him if continued cannot be forgiven. Now, this subject of the unpardonable ein has given rise to much discussion, but, perhaps, the best view is that adopted by such men as Stier, Tholuck, Olshausen, Hahn, Julius Muller, and Ho!Jm11D.n-" an internal state of the bighest sinfulness which cannot be changed, and shows itself in speech or action, resisting or deliberately setting the soul against the influences of the Holy Ghost." Its practical value is immense. It should lead every thoughtful soul to guard against all trifling with or grieving of the good Spirit whose agency within us alone secures the victory over evil The Pharisees were treading on the confines of the terrible sin in their denunciation of Christ, and the multitude Christ was addressing and all who have the •offer of spiritual help should guard against all offence offered to the all-important Spirit. VI. THE INSPIRATIONS TO BE EXPECTED FBOH THE GOOD SPIRIT. (Vers. 11, 12.) The calumniated Spirit would sustain the confessors of Christ before their enemies, so that all the tried men had got to do was to rely on his inspirations, and they would never fail them. The Holy Ghost would prompt sncb words and thoughts as would secure on their part a good confession, And a similar aid is to be expected by all Christ's witnesses as they confront the world, If we but rely on hie help, he will never fail us. Of course, this does not encourage idleness and want of preparation for the emergencies of life. The Spirit is more likely to inspire a studious, careful, prayer- ful ruan than a self-reliant idler. But reliance on the Spirit's inspirations must never be rendered needless or doubtful by any prudent forethought we entertain. We are to be organs of the Spirit, and ought to act worthy of our high calling.-R. M. E. Vers.. 13--21.-.A warning against covetousness. Amid the important teaching of our Lord there comes an interlude by reason of a brother, who had been wronged out of bis share of the inheritance, appealing for redress to Christ. Ile wanted our Lord to play the part of a small attorney and get conveyed to him some share. This our Lord deliberately declines to do, indicating that he bas come into the world for higher work than worldly arbitration, This aspect of the subject has been well handled by Robertson of Brighton, and, following him, by Ilersier of Paris.1 But our Lord does far better for the poor brother than if he had become arbitrator for him. He warns him against covetousness, an~ indicates that "a man's life conRisteth not in the abUDdance of the things which he possesseth." To back up the_ lesso~, he rela~es a parable about a cer~ain rich man whose whole concern was to multiply his possese1one, b·1t who is surprised by d,-ath while doing so. He leaves his wealth behind him, and ,:lltcrR the other world utterly poor. If by this timely warning our Lord succeeds in 1 BoberisoD'11 'Sermon11,' blconJ series, p. 1; and Bel'aior's 'Scrmon11,' tome iv. p. 3. m. XIL 1-60.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 367