The news & observer., 1901-05-07
A SERMON OF POWER
Rev. C. A. Jenkins breaches
on "Unpardonable Sin"
He Makes Il so Plain Child May Understand
Il. increasing Shipments Of Berries
and Truck.

worship throughout the city yesterday.
At the First Baptist church, evening hour,
there was an overflow, the Sunday School
annex being used to accommodate the
large congregation. The pastor, Rev.
Chas. A. Jenkins, by request preached
upon THE objectionable Sim" He had
quite recovered from his recent illness
and was himself again and he preached
with power. Mr.. Jenkins said in part:
There is sin that has no forgive
ness; it is blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit. The terrible words of the Son of
Man are. He that shall blaspheme against
the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness.
This sin brings certain DOOM Among the
redeemed multitudes there is not one
That ever committed it. 1t may help us
to consider what the objectionable sin is
not Some timid ones have been dis
couraged by taking q. wrong view of the
Saviors teaching This sin is not re-
sistance to the Holy Spirit We have all
resisted Him, opposed His gentle WOO
ings to better life, and fought against
Ills loving influences. But blasphemy
means TO defame; yet we did not defame
the spirit when we resisted Him. 1t is
not mocking at religion or rejection of
the gospel; for many confirmed scoffers
and blatant infields have renounced their
errors, and have become pillars in the
church. And further, it is not suicide;
for blasphemy is malignant attack on
the Holy Spirit, and the suicide does not
seem to have any reference to the Holy
Spirit whatever.
s4rFo ,,,ho4 A.
sin is, we must study the context Jesus
had cast out a demon. The people said
He casteth out devils by Beelzebub the
prince of devils. Now Jesus wrought
his miracles by the agency of the Holy
Spirit; so, when they declared that he
had an unclean spirit and was in league
with the powers of darkness, they were
assaulting the Deity in the person of the
Holy Spirit. Christ by the Spirit con-
verted men, performed all manner of
miracles, gave hope to the despairing,
and life to the dead Wherever he was
received the community was made better,
the vicious became virtuous, the bad be-
came good, and the worlds darkness gave
way before the light of heaven. Yet the
Pharisees asserted that this holy work
was the performance of satan. In this
seems to consist the blasphemy against
the Holy Spirit. Let me illustrate: An
artist paints a wonderful picture; he puts
his brain, his heart, his genius into it.
He rests on that picture his hope of
Immortal fame. He puts his name down
IN one corner. A ruffian comes along and
rubs out the artists name, and sub
sttutes that of the artists rival. The
rival gets the credit of this great work of
genius, and the author is robbed of his
glory. Now Jesus did wonderful work,
built church, gave matchless gospel to
the world turned earth into a compara-
tive heaven, yet the Pharisees stand off
and say, This is all the work of the
devil They said this in the midst of in
tensest light and in the face of miracul-
GUS proof. A soul that is thus depraved
hath never forgiveness. Perhaps this
sin is committed now, when the light
Of historic Christianity in the presence of
blessings that Christs re-
ligion has brought to men, man says
the church is a fraud, Christians are
the Bible is work of bad
men, and faith is a hurtful superstition.
Thus the work OF the spirit is derided
and His character blasphemed. Is
against the Holy Spirit worse
than against the Father or the Son? No.
not worse. But the difficulty lies just
here. If l blaspheme against God, / have
the Savior to atone for my sin; if
against Christ, have the spirit
to enlighten me and win me to better
views; but if blaspheme against the
spirit, / discard the only agency ap-.
pointed for my conversion. Hence / con-
not be converted, and SO have never
Suppose man is drowning,
Three men undertake. to save him. One
stands on the shore, the second goes into
the water knee-deep, while the third
alone can reach the drowning man. The
first, nor the second man is in direct
touch with the unfortunate man. but only
the third If the third man is refused,
the other two men amy pull with all
their strength, but do not rescue the
man. So il the Holy Spirit is DETAINED
and rejected, heaven has no agency to
save"
The sermon was well received and
made a profound impression.
This beloved man is doing great work
here and readily does he respond to the
cry come over and help us.
he mas just TeIuFueu ITOIu a SSIlco VI
meetings at New Bern and goes today, in
response to telegram, to assist the Rev.
Tuttle in a meeting at Smithfield, at
which point he breaches tonight.
The shipment of peas, asparagus, cab
bages and berries is increasing daily.
Berries are selling at 20 to 35 cents. per
quart and peas $2 to $3.50 per bushel
basket in Northern markets. On the
local market peas sold as high as $3.50
per basket today, cabbage selling $3.50
to $3.50 per crate. A. G. l.. express just
passed with car loads of berries.
w. j. Brother. whose trial at Kin
ston for tampering with the mails was
referred tc yesterday. was bound over
TO the October term of the Federal Court
at New Bern in the sum of $780,
In the court of the Great Dispenser to-
day there We're only two cases. There
was a little scrapping over in the cot
ton factory district Saturday night and
the Dispenser assessed each participant
in the sum of IS and cost
The Emergency Hospital receives as a
result of the engagement here of "A
Scrap of Paper" SIG and from the Rum
mage sale So
Judge w. r. Allen went to Morganton
this morning on professional business.
Lenoir Court convened at Kinston this