CHAPTER VIII.

REBELLION AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT A SERMON.

THE following pungent discourse exhibits Mr. Caughey's method of addressing the impenitent. Ministers may gain some hints from it with respect to the kind of preaching which is most likely to reach the conscience in revival seasons; while it cannot be read by an unconverted man without good effect.

"He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear."— Rev. 3: 6.

The Lord God said of the people before the flood, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man."- Gen. 6: 3.

Let that "observer and hater of heterodoxy" mark well what I am going to say, and then judge for himself. Let "A hater of cant and hypocrisy" hearken and judge. I neither speak whiningly nor affectedly, but right out, from the heart, the TRUTH, levelled point-blank at the hearts of my hearers. Nor do I use words or phrases unauthorized by Scripture, by the nature of my theme, or by good, plain Neither do I feign, conceal or dissemble, nor act a double character, but am single of heart and motive to glorify God and save souls; the power of godliness within, the form of godliness without; nothing assumed, unreal or fictitious, God knoweth, outward appearance harmonizing with inward reality. This is my ministry

common sense.

before God and man. Forbid, Lord Jesus, it should be otherwise!

You are both "haters; " well, let me be one, too, in the innocent sense, and so have a trio,- for I am sure I love heterodoxy, cant and hypocrisy, as little as yourselves.

With the Bible in your hands, how can you doubt the effects of my preaching? That some are softened, and others are hardened, we deny not. If it be death to some, it is life to others; put this and that together. You have sight for the death, but are blind to the life. Is that fair, or candid, or impartial? Why so? Look at both, and then judge. Cannot you account for the spiritual death which has happened to some, perhaps to yourselves, on other principles?

Did not St. Paul say, speaking of the different effects of his preaching upon his hearers, "To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other, the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?" -2 Cor. 2: 16. Are not such contrasts to be expected now? Or is the ministry of the present day more sanctified than in the apostolic? Take care! that supposition would be heterodoxy.

The Gospel is the same now as then. The Holy Spirit the same also. As to the great elements of human depravity, they differ little. Why, then, should not similar results occur? -death unto death to some, life unto life to others. Is the preacher accountable? Is he worthy of blame? Beware! lest you slur the character of St. Paul whom you "venerate;" that would not be orthodoxy.

The Spirit's presence is glorious and life-giving; nor can there be life without him, so tremendous is the spirit of evil in the human heart. By his aid it can be subdued. But observe, if the Spirit of God be driven away from the

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soul of a sinner, he leaves a "sad farewell" behind; certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."- Heb. 10: 27. If you wish to read the whole passage you may, for it is much to the point. "And hath done despite to the Spirit of grace." There, that tells the story! It was doing "despite to the Spirit of grace" that brought about this "fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation.” Observe, further, twenty-sixth verse, this thing is done "WILFULLY," after the knowledge of the truth has been received; sinning wilfully against the Holy Ghost,— the rebellion of the will under superior illumination; for "knowledge" is LIGHT,-the will renouncing its allegiance to the Spirit of God, at the instigation of a corrupt, envenomed and revolting heart. At a certain point it is "THE SIN UNTO DEATH," for which we are not to pray.— 1 John 5: 16, 17. And why? Because it is a SIN never followed by repentance, or contrition, or faith in the blood of the Lamb, or desire for repentance, faith, pardon; no pardon can reach a sinner, without these; with them there is PARDON for every sin in the whole catalogue of human transgressions; it is never denied to the vilest, when they repent and believe. Read over the passage again,— Heb. 10: 26-31,- and you will plainly see that the finishing act, that damns a man above ground, is a despiteful siuning against the Spirit of grace; there is malice, angry hatred, malignity, irritation, defiance, contempt, in the word " DESPITE, to vex, to offend, to tease. What are the consequences of such conduct? Hear the word of the Lord, Isa. 63: 10,-"But they REBELLED, and VEXED his Holy Spirit; therefore he was turned to be their ENEMY, and he fought against them." Ah, yes! and his retributions are TERRIBLE!

Observe, again: This is done by the self-same Spirit that creates anew the believing penitent, and which refreshes and supports the adult believer.

Nature has something to say here; "the same element which sweeps away the harvest from the soil is the source of all fertility. The furrow torn by the thunderbolt differs little in appearance from the tillage of the plough." The WIND in one place may be fanning the cheek of labor, or of poverty, or of fever, or wafting the strong vessel towards her destined port, or helping another ship to wrestle with the waves victoriously; while in another place it may lull suddenly to a zephyr, that would not stir the down upon the sea-bird's breast, but to let the fated vessel drift upon the rocks on tack; while yet in another it may be the strong hurricane, driving the doomed ship among the breakers of an ironbound coast. But it is the same element, differing only in administration.

The rain may be "coming down like music," as the poet speaks, giving life to everything capable of it; while in unother place it may be rotting the harvest, or hastening the decayed tree to its fall, or the leaky house to its ruin; and yet in a third region it may be descending in torrents, raising the mighty inundation, destroying, in a fatal hour, all the hopes of the farmer. It is the same element, the administration being different.

The sun in one region of the earth may be causing spring to appear, with its blooms and its blossoms, while he is leaving another region to all the rigors of winter. In one place he proves himself the prince of life, sending a tide of life through everything that loves his beams, causing heaven and earth to rejoice in each other's smiles; but elsewhere he is scorching all vegetation to the verge of destruction. His warm rays may convey life, and animation, and pleas

ure, to thousands in a city, while here and there, on the streets of the same, those rays are death-blows to some,sun-struck is the word. But it is the same sun, only dif fering in the mode of his administration.

The thunder is rolling over heaven in grand harmony, and the lightnings "flashing gloriously," shaking the rainclouds, and blessing all that breathe with a purified atmosphere; not for all,—there are death-flashes, too, which send mourning, lamentation and woe, into some families. It is the same element, differing fearfully in its administration. It is thus with the Spirit's operations; not arbitrarily, as if by decree, irrespective of character. It is because the sinner vexes the Holy Spirit, and rebels against him, that he turns to be his ENEMY, and fights against him.Isa. 63: 10.

There is a wide compass of meaning in those expressive hints of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 12: 4-7.-"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." Ay, "to PROFIT withal," and "every man "receives "the manifestation of the Spirit" for this very purpose. But if those manifestations are abused, then commence the "differences of administrations" toward the sinner. 1st, He vexes his own conscience. 2d, He dismisses his own peace. 3d, He bars the gates with his own wicked hand, and thereby constitutes himself a prisoner of wrath. Thus far the sinner. 4th, The Holy Spirit sets out to grieve him grievously.

Now, all this may occur without having his day of grace turned into eternal night. It is just a change of adminis