The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-02
In The Religious World
80 Is s. s.

IN IS there anything in the breast
" man more malignant than relig-
ntoiefdnce This seems the
haroest OF all the evil spirits 10 drive
OUT. To our own day. despite the
dtnoliclty OF the gospel Of Christ. il
persists IN malign power. Ecclesias-
~ nave always been the quickest 10
.urn 10 the torch for vindication. The
tendency to Call in the '.tempora.
arm has been marked in all religious
history. NO bitterness equals thar 81
a church quarrel.
The Nervousness Of the sin Of these
Jerusalem scribes in refusing to see
any merit in this new Teacher who
was not of their party is set forth
with startling seriousness. h grave
evil or speaking i'll Of the good called
forth some Of the n.vst solemn words
ever uttered by Jesus. In their li+ht
We are summoned to sit in Judgment
upon our own narrowness and praju-
dlce ana tendency to misjudcment
especially in these lays of political
heat.
Famous Logic.
The emlsSaries from Jerusalem
cruelty declared hat Jesus Himself
was possessed Of a devil, n that He
cast out devils by Beelzebub. the
heather prince of devils. This was d
horrible charge. Jesus viewed it with
iiic lOuSiltSS. ana DdSe0 upon 1t
His teaching concerning the unpar-
dOnable sin.
Yet with amazing self-restraint he
answered quietly. in those terse pro-
positions Of logic which have re-
manned in the familiar speech Of our
time. demonstrating the unsoundness
or this accusation: And if a king
dom be divided against itself. that
KINGDOM cannot stand.
'AnN If 4 hDHSa hn GjIi1aH ayaipct
itself. that hOuse cannot stand.
And if Satan hath risen against
himself and is divided, he cannot
stand, but hath an end"
In another sentence Jesus proves
His hostility to Satan by pointing
out that he had broken into the
strong mans (Satan's) house and
spoiled his goods. He was the master
and eternal foe of the evil one.
The objectionable Sin.
The FASCINATING and fearsofne sub
jet Of "the unn2rdonable sin" was
raised by Jesus in this connection.
Note that the teaching was delivered
had charged Christ's good with being
evil. Says Or. G.. r. Maelear, The
sin against which these words are a
terrible but merciful warming. is not
so much an act. as q state OF sin on
the part Of one. who in defiance OF
light and knowledge. Of set urpos
rejects. and not only rejects but per
: severes in rejecting. the warnings OF
conscience. and the Grace Of the Holy
Spirit: who. blinded by religious
bigotry. rather than ascribe a good
work to the Spirit OF God prefer tc
ascribe it to the Spirit Of Evil, ano
nus wilfully put bitter for sweet
T and sweet for bitter darkness 70
light and light for darkness"
/ The Expositor's Bible makes the
: interesting point Eat the warnins
5 is against blasphemy. which is a pub
! lie. open revolt against good. |
!. quotes Lange's words. "TheOloS,
| would have been spared much trouol,
8 concerning this passage. and anxious
. timid souls u~nsceakable anguish. i
I men had adhered strictly to Christ
own expression. For it Is not y 81
against the Holy Ghost which is her
spoken of. but blasphemY against TIL
Holy Ghost
= Here is nothing to alarm an.
= mourner whose contrition proves tha
II it has actually been possible to r"
3 new him unto repentance. No penn
u tent has ever yet been rejected TO
this guilt. for no penitent has eve
8 been thus guilty"
Q The Real Socialism.
d The discourse of the Teacher wa
q interrupted by the claims of
8 Of His family to special considera
ton. Perhaps they wanted recogni
ton: relatives commonly do NOR
z boasting about a mans achievement
II than does the nan himself. This IN
10 cident does not show Jesus as dis
q loyal to His family-We remembe
Il that His dying word was one of sot
= citude for His mother-but it prove
e His larger kinship, His devotion t
8 the whole firmly Of Gods children
e of which we can claim a part. lest
% was more than the son of Mary. II
r was the Son Of Man.
% This occasion gave opportunity ft
rs Jesus to express the teaching that wa
'e inwrought in His messiahship. II
III looked upon the people round abou
er 80 or;,d ..Pahold NV mother an
lie nv brother" Spiritual kinship ma
be a closer tie than blood RELATIONSHIP
rH :z-L 80 Chr;-t ora rooant to I