The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-14

tn4t rother than admit fh4f ne hA0
done anything wonderful they dared
himsef. Ho did It, bus he dia Il BY
the aid Of Beclsebub! In. other words
they declared that the work sCe the
Spirit OF God waa the work -cf eN<Ar.-
When O mani oous eeoma to oay---
moved by hatred, deliberately attrib-
utes that which - done BY the Spirit
OF God to Satan. that man etna against
the Holy Ghost. For such man
there ID no pardon. for tho reason that
seif on from God, squaring himself
against God a. his avowed enemy.
thus putting himself In q position IN
which repentance 10 practically Inn
possible.
So much seems clear. But when
one goes further and Inquiries In what
wey or wAyw such pin may BE- COM
mitted In our day ono may not speak
with certainty. ] have known two or
q -Hs,Ai p4as4A -eEAssset -E5e& and nhc had.
apparcntly settled into that frame q
mind In which good appears A. evil
and evil NJ good, but would not oAre
to say that there men had coMmtf-
ted the unpaYdonabie sin. l have
known men to curse God. but would
not dare to say that thay were eisAfiy
responsibie when the curse was ut-
tered. One thing h certain: II . man
l. troubled feEt he should have com
-f1lAtel &Ae-stn- axaiuxt Liza -AQlX-
Spirit, he has not conmittsd u. fcr
the simple reason that II ne hAo
driven tbs Holy Spirit out OF his hsart
he would not care whether he had
committed II or not.
The Heart Of the Issson.
The pharisees did not like Jesus
from the first. Now they hate HIM
hate him with a deadly hatred; and
rage against him--raEe against him
with q demcniAca1 fury, They nate
him % intensely that they absolutely
refuse 10 recognise amp good IN him.
In their honest moments no doubt
these men could see sorne good In the
worst OF men. ~ you and ] can; but
they will not admit there 10 anything
good in Jesus. with a GOODNESS that
makes ono shivcr even mt this dis
lance they unhesitatinbiy credit his
deeds Of mercy to the devil himself.
That 10 the last degree OF hate. There
In nothing beyond.
What led these men 10 hate Jesus?
Geiflshness: greed: nothing more.
Their hearts were set On their selfish
interests as the heart Of q mother -
set or her only child. They would
rather die than lose their hold on the
people, and Jcels Was loosening their
hold. Welded IN they were to their
seifiah interests, they felt that II was
a case or life and death, ard their
rage kinaled against hin, ~ II would
have kindled against . man who sought
their very lives. They would have
spYusg at him like tigers IL they had
net been AFRAID that the people would
sprfnk at thsm like tigers That 10
what seifisEness run to seed DOES for
man. IT makes murderer OF him.
1t makes him hate his beet friends
who are seeking TO save him. II
makes htn hate the Christ who died
to save him. He never stops to think
that hts selfish interests may not be
his best interests. and that the Christ
who ID against bis selfish interests
has given his very life for his hest
interests. Greed doesn't let . man
think. That In why 20 many men
hate the church: they are welded 70 n
business that the church n against.
That is why 80 many men turn from
the Bible: they ara welded to some
thing that the Bible 10 against. That
II why 10 many men stif1e their con-
sciences; they are welded TO some
thing that their condolences are crying
out against. And their greed viii not
let them think.
X the Fharisess had not been 20
blinded By greed TREY would not have
gotten into . rage against Jesus. but
would have listened to him. And II
they had listened TO him they weaid
have found that while he was against
their selfish interests he was rot
against thsia but for them; that he had
come To help them: that he was even
ready to die for them And II they
had Lat him help them they would have
lost nothing--not even tbs influence
which they prised no highly. Az
preachers Of tho new gospel. they
would have gone on exsrting an Unfit
enee over the people In q right way
just ne they had been excrtih6 an I'M
fiuepee over them In = wrong way.
So IL might be with every man who 10
hating Jesus to-day because Jesus
stands in the way Of his selfish inter
ests. II he would only come to hts
senses he would find that white Jeans
Is asainst the thing to which be 10
welded, he II not against him but for
him, and that IL he Will iet Jesus have
HIS way. he viii lose nothing. For
Jesus gives IN bread In the place Of the
worthless stones we cling to. and fish
in the place Of the serpenta we hug to
uur h0scTns.