28

By which words, our LORD went on to shew that He must needs, on the contrary, have already overcome Satan. The Devil must have been first bound by Him who now casts him out. See the argument as St. Luke magnificently states it,chap. xi. 21, 22: and take notice, that Satan is 'the Strong Man' here spoken of: whose 'House' or 'Palace,' was this lower World ;-and especially the bodies of the rational creatures who inhabit it 8. CHRIST is the Stronger than the Strong, who first bound the Tempter, when He rejected all his Temptations. See the long note at the beginning of St. Matthew iv.-The Reader is also referred to the notes on St. Luke iv. 6.

"Then He will spoil his house:"-what wonders of the invisible world seem to be here hinted at! See the note on St. Luke xi. 22: also on St. Matthew xiii. 29.

....

Our LORD proceeds to caution His assailants against the danger which they incurred by calling Him Beelzebub. See St. Matthew x. 25.

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

A most gracious and merciful assurance truly: for it is more than a declaration that Almighty GOD "desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather

Compare St. Matth. xii. 44.

that he may turn from his wickedness and liveh." It is a promise also, that free Pardon shall follow upon sincere Repentance: that the Gate of Mercy shall be never closed against him who knocketh.

St. Matthew adds here, "And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven himi." After which, both Evangelists proceed to describe the unpardonable sin.

but he that shall blaspheme against the 29 HOLY GHOST hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: (because 30 they said, He hath an unclean spirit.)

What then is the nature of that unpardonable offence, concerning which our LORD says such awful things? We are rather disposed to pray that we may never incur it, than to set about explaining it. It is clearly much more than wilful sin.

It seems rather to be the terrible act of one like Judas, who, in defiance of Light and Knowledge, rejects of set purpose,-opposes, after due deliberation, the Grace of the HOLY SPIRIT. It is Blindness, not only chosen, but persevered in to the end: denial, not only hazarded, but maintained to the very last, against the strong cry of conscience. Well may such a state exclude from Pardon! There is no room left for it. Prayer is put away. Repentance is refused. It is the "sin

h

Compare the Daily Absolution, with Ezekiel xxxiii. 11: xviii. 23, 31, 32.

i St. Matthew xii. 32.

unto death" spoken of by the beloved disciple. See the note on the last half of St. Luke xi. 26. See also the notes on St. Matthew xii. 32. Observe however that while there is life, none may be judged in this matter: for who are we to despair of those whom the Patience and the Goodness of God leads to Repentance1?

One of the ancients thus interprets the place:"Whoso speaketh a word against the Son of Man, as stumbling at My flesh, and thinking of Me as no more than man, may yet find pardon. But whoso, plainly perceiving the Works of GOD, and unable to deny the Power of GOD, yet speaks falsely against those works, prompted by jealousy; calling CHRIST, (who is the WORD of GOD), and the works of the HOLY GHOST,-Beelzebub; he shall have no forgiveness, neither in this World, nor in the World to come."

31 There came then His Brethren and His Mother, and, standing without, sent unto Him, calling Him.

The 'Brethren' of our LORD,-whose names, (James, Joses, Simon, Judas,) are given in St. Matthew xiii. 55, and St. Mark vi. 3,-were the sons of Cleophas, and Mary, the sister and namesake of the Blessed Virgin. See the note on St. Matthew xiii. 55: also on St. Matthew xii. 47.

k1 St. John v. 16.

1 Compare Romans ii. 4 and 2 St. Peter iii. 9

The Reader is referred back to the conclusion of the note on verse 21.

And the multitude sat about Him; and 32 they said unto Him, Behold, Thy Mother and Thy Brethren without seek for Thee. And He answered them, saying, Who is My 33 Mother, or My Brethren? And He looked 34 round about on them which sat about Him, and said, Behold My Mother, and My Brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of 35 GOD, the same is My Brother, and My Sister, and Mother.

Three ancient Bishops,-one Eastern, the other two, of the West,-concur in the remark that he who preaches the SAVIOUR is, in a manner, His Parent; for he produces Him in the heart of his hearers. Both, perhaps, derived the idea from the same place of Scripture: namely Galatians iv. 19, -with which compare 1 Cor. iv. 15, and Philemon 10.-Consider 1 St. Peter i. 23: ii. 2.

Our LORD repeated the saying here recorded on another occasion,-St. Luke viii. 21; where see the note. See also the concluding note on St. Matthew xii. "Verily, spiritual Regeneration bringeth man into a more honourable relation to CHRIST, than natural generation ever did."

The Prayer.

ALMIGHTY GOD, who hast given us Thy

only-begotten SoN to take our nature upon Him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; grant that we being regenerate, and made Thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by Thy HOLY SPIRIT; through the same our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the same SPIRIT, ever one GOD, world without end.

Amen.