The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-20
ptYMoUTa cHUacH.
The Sin Against the Holy Ghoss-A Prayer
Meeting in HelI--SermOn by Henry Ward

The SIN Against the Holy GhOss-A Prayer
Meeting in Hell-Sermon by Henry Ward
Beecher.
Plymouth church mad not It's usual crowd yester.
day morning. Every seat was occupied but the
crowds who stand around the pews during the
entire service were not there.
The subject Of Mr.. Beecners discourse was ''The
Sin against the Holy Ghost, and How it Maniests
itself To-day" 1t was treated with more than the
usual ability and power invariably shown by this
great and popular preacher.
The sermon was founded on Matthew XIII, 81
32-"Wherelore say unto you, al manner OF sin
and basphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the
blaspnemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be for
given unto men. And whosoever speaketh word
against the son Of Nan shall be forgiven him; but
whatsoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, 1t shall
not be forgiven him. neither In this world, neither
toned In this text Mr. Beecher said there was much
S Soxsgs On. vsy s se sex was
tanned truth that belongs to Scripture from tho
beginning 10 the end. The circumstances under
winch the text was uttered would give the clue to Its
meaning. The controversy Of the Master detailed
In the chapter was not about heresy, but about
miracles.
Mr.. Beecher then summarized the truths taught
In this chapter. The detverance OF the Sabbath
from tue yoke OF bondage, the healing OF the with
cred hand the casting out Of the blind and dumb
deyil-wh hen these Things were seen by the Phan-
sees, ana when the moral truth within these mira
holy spirit they showed 50 entire peryerslon OF
their mora nature as to indicate that they go natur
ally and systematcaiy reylled Gods goodness that
they mad gone beyond all spiritual remedy.
That was tue real sin against the Holy Ghost and
Is was set forth over and over again In the Scrip
lures the 80 bunting and cauterizing the moral
sense that evil shall become good, and good shall
become EVIL. Men so perverting oil that was once
good in them that they shall come TO believe that
Vices were justified ana to call them virtues; and
virtues vicss, and the virtues condemned The
light that was within them had become darkness;
a. afir Ia " n "A vary md flurU
NOW, how was the soul brought into this state
Well, could 60 against the convictions OF hts
own soul, the GUNNER OF truth that vas to be found
there unless he had become or reprobate mind;
and no man would unless he mad become thus re-
probate. Then this was sin that could not be
nitled by accident and without knowing that 1t was
eommitted.
1t w9s true that men got the notion that they had
committed the sin against the Holy Ghost, very
often as the result OF bodily weakness operating
upon the mind. IL assumed then the form OF re.
ligious melancholy or insanity; hut when men had
any anxiety at all about 1t II showed that there
conscience left aud they were not reprobate. Good
CHRISTIAN men sometimes got That notion. One Of
the predecessors in his fathers cnurcn--Dr Cham
pm, OF Ltchtleld, Conn.--had this conviction, and
when be thought that God was about 10 send HIM U
neli; for II ~ was HIS win he said ne would go will
ingly. Wen, ne was very miserable about 1t until
one prght osy me fhon9ht struck him mat when ne
got TO hell ne would open prayer meeting there
Dir. Beecher then proceeded to sketch the charac-
ters most susceptible 70 the condition OF soul that
would bring about the repropate mind referred to.
Among these he iustanced gamblss icentious. dis
sipated debauchecs VINO aiuidgt an their kedness
had KIND OF chapel withln their sonls where Ency
kept conscience, where, II the bot could DO struck,
IL would open up 10 view sensblity that wonld be
surprising. That class OF men, long as they Kept
the chapel, were not Likely to sin against the Hoy
Ghost. IL was the men who knew they had con-
science, who knew they had light VINO anew the
iruth, who did not pretend or assume their ignorance
OF it, but who stunned IN spite VI these There came
time In the spiritual history OF such men when the
soul was In what che physicians gay OF the body
want OF resiliency, In winch the soul discerning
enough but mad no power TO throw or the influences
OF evil that surrounded It,
In few graphic sentences Mr.. Deccher then pic
tured the men who so meditated ABOUT their own
life that they seemed 10 put into the aembic OF
their fnedltatioas all the goodness and moral sense
they had ana II was entirely Dissolved away that
In this process they dissolved the very structure OF ne
principles OF right ana wrong. A porfraiture Of the
sneering cynical sceptlc and passing testimonial
Of respect TO the honest Bceptic and the systenatc