that this argument is off of our subject, and that what he wishes to know is, why the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost may not be forgiven, or why it could not be forgiven as soon as other sins, he may be told, that the argument proposed is thought to be necessary in order to settle the question whether the sin against the Holy Ghost is ever to be forgiven according to the scriptures. If we find that this sin will eventually be washed away by the blood of Christ, then our main question will be to ascertain why it could not be forgiven "neither in this world, neither in the world to come."

St. Paul in his 1st Epistle to Timothy lays it down as an important fact in the great truths of the gospel, that Jesus, the Mediator between God and men, had given himself a ransom for all men, to be testified in due time. To the Ephesians he lays it down as an important fact, that Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. By these two passages we have it proved that all men constitute the church of Christ which he hath purchased with his own blood. This agrees also with this Apostle's declaration to the Corinthians; "I would have you to know, that the head of every man is Christ." To the Hebrews he says, that Jesus, by the grace of God tasted death for every man; and the belov, ed John said, that he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Now it is certain, that if we can prove any thing from the scriptures, wę have proved, by the quotations made, that the blessed Saviour of the world gave himself a ransom for those Pharisees who spoke this blaspheiny against the Holy Ghost, that he tasted death for them, and that he was the propitiation for their sins. All this is undeniably proved. We ask in the next place, why Jesus gave himself for the church? The Apostle answers in the place quoted from Ephesians as follows; "That he might sanc

tify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and withbut blemish." The argument amounts to this. Jesus gave himself for his church, he gave himself a ransom for those pharisees who spake blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; they therefore belong to his church. Jesus gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the word. He therefore gave himself a ransom for these blasphemous pharisees, that he might sanctify and cleanse them.

To the Romans St. Paul says; "As by the of fence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Then surely by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, the free gift had came on those Pharisees who spake against the Holy Ghost, unto justification of life. In this same Epistle he says; "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Then it is evident that all who have sinned and come short of the glory of God are freely justified, through the redemption of which the Apostle here spake; and if so, then those Pharisees, who sinned by blaspheming against the Holy Ghost were freely justified, &c.

What must be done in this case? Will the objector say, that the testimony of Christ, that those who blasphemed against the Holy Ghost should not be forgiven "neither in this world, neither in the world to come," plainly disproves all which St. Paul has said on the subject? But why have we not equal authority to say, that what has been quoted from St. Paul disproves what Jesus said to

the Pharisees? What we have quoted from the Apostle is much more than what Jesus said concerning this blasphemy's not being forgiven. Pardon this form of expression; it is designed to bring the hearer to consider how the testimony of both Jesus and Paul may be allowed to stand good as the faithful word of divine truth.

We may now endeavor to give the direct reason why this blasphemy could not be forgiven as soon as other sins. If we confine ourselves to the sense of scripture on this subject we shall find that not only these Pharisees had a design to answer by speaking against the spirit by which Jesus cast out devils, but God himself had also a design to answer by it, and therefore this sin must remain unwashed away until the design of our heavenly Father shall be fully answered. Perhaps some will say, that the supposition that the divine Being had any purpose to answer by means of this blasphemy is blasphemy itself. But the speaker feels fully satisfied on this point of doctrine, (viz.) that no sin can exist a moment longer than it answers some divine purpose. We may here recollect what was seen when we treated in our last lecture on the subject of Joseph and his brethren. Was it not evidently seen that the partiality of Jacob in favor of the son of his old age was controlled by divine wisdom to answer a good purpose? Was it not seen that the envy of the sons of Jacob towards Joseph was overruled for good? Was it not seen that the avarice of those wicked men was made use of by divine Providence to check the power of anger and to promote a wise, benevolent object?

But what object, what purpose of God could possibly be promoted by such abominable blasphemies as this of which we read in our text? Answer, the blindness of the house of Israel, the fulfilling of the prophecies concerning Jesus, and

the establishment of the gospel in the world on principles consistant with prophetic testimony. If the religious Jews had believed that Jesus wrought all his miracles by the spirit of God they of course would have received him as the Messiah. If they had thus received him they would not have rejected him, dispised him, nor would they have put him to death. Then surely the testimony of the prophets would have proved false, and the scriptures written by holy men of God moved by the Holy Ghost could never have gained credit among the Gentiles.

As the astonishing miracles wrought by the hand of Jesus were designed by heaven as proper evidence of his Messiahship, the blasphemy of imputing these miracles to the power of an evil agent was the only sin that could prevent the religious Jews from believing in Christ. That this unbelief of the Jews was necessary for the fullfilment of the prophecies we are certified by the following scriptures. St. John, 12. "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, he hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." Romans, 11. "For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." In the pas sage quoted from St. John we find it plainly stated that the unbelief of the Jews was necessary for the fulfillment of the prophecy of Esaias; and furthermore it is stated that in consequence of what

God had done, "they could not believe." By the passage quoted from Romans we learn the special utility of the Jews' unbelief; it was that through it the Gentiles might obtain mercy. As the Jews' unbelief led them to fulfil the prophcies, concerning the Messiah, so their unbelief presented to the Gentiles the proper evidence of the divinity of the scriptures of the prophets, and of the mission of Jesus. Here then we may say, we have proved that our heavenly Father has plainly revealed in his word, that he had a divine purpose to answer by means of the Jews' unbelief, which was to communicate his grace to the Gentiles. This being granted, or rather proved, it must follow of course that when this unbelief or blasphemy has effected all which God designed by it, the merciful Father of our spirits will use means to remove it from the house of Israel; and therefore it is said, as quoted from Romans, 11;"Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." As the unbelief of the Jews was the means of communicating mercy to the Gentiles, so in return the mercy which the Gentiles have by such means obtained will finally be communicated to the Jews. We read again in this chapter the following: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." When the fulness of the Gentiles shall be converted to Christ, then the blasphemy of the Jews will have answered the purpose for which God designed it, and then the deliverer of Israel will be sent out of Sion and will turn away this ungodliness from Jacob.

The hearer can scarcely avoid seeing that all these things are made plain by the testimony of