Let us commence our service this afternoon by singing together hymn number 515. The tune is German Chapel Royal, 466. Holy Ghost, we look to thee. Raise the dead, the captive free. From the mighty take the prey. Teach the weak to watch and pray. Hymn 515. tune german chapel royal 466 Take the sweet love to Thee, Raise the dead, and let them reign.

Come the nightingale, take the flame, ♪ Eternally devotional praise ♪ ♪ Earth, heaven, and earth again ♪ ♪ Make some noise ♪ Christ the Lord is born in Bethlehem. Live with me, thy holy will, Thou thy gracious, powerful will. Quicken souls, and make them bright, Jesus save thee, O my God. ♪ Oh, by morning changed for day ♪ ♪ Christ begun to share with me ♪ ♪ Day may make us come to Christ ♪ ♪ That our love may feed and raise you ♪ ♪ For it is a choice to pass ♪ ♪ And to come through failure ♪ Heav'n and earth, as in sojourn bright, Shed their tears to this world their sight.

♪ Girls of Stanton, teach us faith ♪ ♪ For anew, teach us faith ♪ ♪ Bride of Stanton, give them faith ♪ Vanished from the hills and plains, To the heavens and on the night, Lay with me to death his light, And with heav'n it rose once more. let us read together from the holy word of god in the gospel according to mark and chapter three the third chapter in the Gospel according to Mark.

And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there which had a withered hand, and they watched him whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil, to save life or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And the Pharisees went forth and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea and from beyond Jordan. And they about Tar and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. And he spake to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. For he had healed many, insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues and unclean spirits.

When they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he straightly charged them that they should not make him known. And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would, and they came unto him and he ordained twelve that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils and Simon surnamed Peter and James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James and he surnamed him Benojis which is the sons of thunder, and Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James, the son of Alpheus and Thaddeus and Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him. And they went into an house, and the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him, for they said, he is beside himself. And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, he hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

And if the kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. no man can enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods except he will first bind the strong man and then he will spoil his house.

Verily I say unto you all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men and blasphemies wheresoever they shall blaspheme but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation, because, they said, he had an unclean spirit.

Then there came then his brethren and his mother, and standing without, sent unto him calling him, and the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seat for thee. And he answered them saying, who is my mother or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him and said, behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and my mother.

May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word and grant unto us the spirit of real prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal God of heaven, we do desire to bow again before thy great majesty, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the glorious and the eternal God, We think of those wonderful words of the dear Apostle concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. Now unto the King eternal, immortal and invisible, the only true God, be honour and glory everlasting. We pray for grace then to serve thee, to follow thee in our day and in our generation. We pray for grace to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto thee, which is our reasonable service. We pray for grace to lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us, and that we might run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame thereof, and is now set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

We do thank thee for the wonderful glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for the incarnation of the Son of God. We thank thee that he was made of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them that are under the law. We thank Thee that He has fulfilled and honoured and magnified Thy holy law and thereby bringing in everlasting righteousness for His people. Gracious God, we do thank Thee that He lay down His life for His friends.

We thank Thee for those wonderful words of Jesus Christ. I have power to lay my life down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. O Lord, we do thank Thee for Jehovah Jesus. We thank Thee for that precious sacrifice, for by one offering He hath perfected forever all them that are sanctified. We thank Thee that He died for our sins and rose again for our justification. We thank thee that he has bodily ascended into heaven and sitteth at thy right hand, and that we indeed have a great high priest and advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous. We thank thee that he is coming again to receive his people unto himself, gracious God. Oh, we do thank thee that in him we know the love of our heavenly Father, and through him we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

So, Lord, we would seek to enter into thy gates with praise and with the voice of thanksgiving for all thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses. We pray, most gracious God, that thou would remember us as a church and congregation. Remember us with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people. and visit us with thy great salvation. O Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst remember our deacons and give grace, wisdom and help in all their responsibilities. We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst remember this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets and towns and gather precious souls to gather in the sanctuary with us and grant that the Lord Jesus may be exalted as a Prince and as a Saviour, for to give faith and repentance and remission of sins. Lord, we do thank Thee for the wonderful Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We pray that Thou would remember the little ones and the children that thou hast put the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, into their hearts, and teach them thy ways. Remember each one of our young friends. Graciously bless them with living faith in Jesus Christ, that they may become followers of thee and of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Be with them in all their relationships, and guide and direct them in that right way. O Lord, we do beseech thee.

We pray, most gracious Lord, to remember the prodigals that have wandered away and graciously cause them to return. Remember all in the midst of the journey of life and graciously bless them. Deliver us from the wicked one, from his power, from his influence. Deliver us from the allurements of this vain, bewitching world that has to death and thousands hold. Remember parents and give wisdom and help to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

We do humbly pray thee. Lord, we do pray that graciously revive us and renew us and replenish us. And that graciously Remember those of us that are now in the evening time of life journey. And we pray to be graciously prepared for that great change that must come to each one of us. The young may die, the old will die. Prepare me, gracious God, to stand before thy face.

Thy spirit must the work perform, for it is all of grace. in Christ's obedience clothed, and wash me in his blood, so shall I lift my head with joy among the sons of God. Lord, do hear us, we humbly beseech thee. Remember all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion, and graciously grant that they may dip their foot in oil, and be made acceptable unto thee, brethren, and that there may be signs that shall follow the preaching of the word. Remember those of thy servants at this time are serving a probationary period with a view to the pastorate.

Do graciously draw those people together in the bonds of love, union, and communion. Hear us, O Lord, we pray thee. We pray that thou, the great Lord of the harvest, would send true labourers into the harvest. We thank thee that thou art yet still working. Go on, most mighty God, thy wonders to make known. Put forth thy spirit with the word and cause the dead to hear.

Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously send out the light and truth of the gospel in the length and breadth of the land, and be with all thy servants as they labour in the gospel. Lord, we pray that there may be a reviving, a renewing, a replenishing. We see so much, O Lord, in the nation of the spirit and power of Antichrist, and immorality and unrighteousness, or we pray to be delivered from it.

Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously meet with us now. We thank thee for every mercy of thy kind providence. Truly, Lord, thy mercies to us are new every morning and great is thy faithfulness. We confess before thee our sins and our unworthiness of the least of thy tender mercies. We leave undone things that we ought to do, and we do things that we ought not to do, and we find a law within our members that when I would do good, then evil is present with me, and that we prove, O Lord, daily the truth of those solemn words, the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

We pray for those of thy people that live in those nations of the earth that where the name of Christ is hated and where thy people are persecuted and imprisoned even unto death for the name and witness of Jesus Christ, we pray that thou would send them help from the sanctuary and strengthen them out of Zion and bring liberty and peace to where they live. O Lord, we pray thee. Hear us, O Lord. Do beseech thee as we turn to thy holy word, and open thy word to our heart and to our understanding, and make up in giving where we do so fail in asking, and come and touch one's lips with a live coal from of the heavenly altar.

We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn number 316 and the tune is Waver Tree 433. Oh for a glance of heavenly day to take this stubborn stone away and thaw with beams of love divine this heart, this frozen heart of mine. Hymn 316 Tune wavetree 433.

O come all ye faithful joyful and triumphant O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave This world, this world shall go on ♪ The street I roam ♪ ♪ Never has it changed ♪ ♪ I find it in you ♪ ♪ In gentle sight ♪ ♪ The vision in you ♪ ♪ O night divine ♪ ♪ O night divine ♪ O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, ♪ And I shall stand by thee, by thee ♪ ♪ And I shall stand by thee, by thee ♪ ♪ No one I can share this joy with but God alone ♪ ♪ With purple shining beams ♪ ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ Through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? ♪ Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, I direct your attention to the chapter that we read, the third chapter in the Gospel according to Mark. And we'll read verses 28, 29, and 30 for our text. Gospel of Mark, chapter three, verses 28, 29, and 30.

Verily, I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies, wherewithsoever they shall blaspheme. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation, because they said, he hath an unclean spirit.

Very solemn admonition the Lord Jesus Christ gives us here. The sin against the Holy Ghost. Firstly, we should probably speak about the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the third person in the Blessed Trinity. We have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And as it says in the first epistle of John, chapter five, these three are one.

The scriptures maintain very clearly, right the way from Genesis to Revelation, that there is one God. The Muslims, they usually accuse us of having three gods because we believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. But we do not have three gods. It's a profound mystery. Because in our reasoning, we say, how can one be three and three be one? But that is the profound mystery that is revealed to us in Holy Scripture.

The first reference is in the Genesis chapter one to the doctrine of the Trinity. And it says, and God said, let us make man in our image. And in the image of God created he man, let us. That's the first intimation we have in Holy Scripture that there is a plurality of persons within the Godhead.

Not three gods, one God in an undivided essence of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. And yet three distinct divine persons. You know that is emphasized in the several places in Holy Scripture. where it says, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Now, correct English would say, in the names, but it doesn't. It says in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. This one, blessed, almighty, and eternal God.

Three divine persons subsisting in the Godhead are Father, Son and Holy Ghost. They each, we speak and the word speaks of the person of the Son and the person of the Father and the person of the Holy Ghost. They are distinct one from another, but they're one. They have one mind, they have one will, they have one purpose.

And we read in the Gospels, the father loved the son and put all things in his hand. And the Lord Jesus, he speaks of his love to the father. And then we read in scripture of the love of the Holy Ghost. This glorious person, co-equal and co-eternal with the father, and the Son.

The Lord Jesus Christ in his holy human nature was anointed with the Holy Ghost without measure. In Isaiah chapter 61 it records the Spirit of God The Lord Jesus Christ, he read that scripture, the spirit of the Lord God is upon me, for he hath anointed me to preach the gospel. Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach the gospel.

Obviously, as the eternal son of God, he himself did not need anointing. But when he assumed human nature, When he became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, he was anointed with the Holy Ghost. And in one place, the Lord Jesus said, if I, by the finger of God, cast out devils, and when he says the finger of God, he's actually referring to the Holy Ghost. If I, by the finger of God, cast out devils.

The Lord Jesus Christ, when he preached here upon earth, he preached under the power influence of the Holy Ghost. When he when he wrought miracles it was by the power of the Holy Ghost. I think sometimes we we tend to ignore a lot of what it says about the Holy Ghost in Holy Scripture.

It says in the Gospels in that valedictory discourse of John 14, 15 and 16, the Lord Jesus said he shall not speak of himself. He's referring to the Holy Ghost. He shall not speak of himself. But I shall never forget reading that great theologian John Owen and he said he shall not speak of himself but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't speak of him.

We should speak of the divine person of the Spirit. And the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that abound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that morn in Zion. How was he to do this? By the power of the Holy Ghost. By the power of the Holy Ghost, to give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. And when the Lord Jesus, it was right at the beginning of his earthly ministry, when he read that in the synagogue at Nazareth and he closed the book and he said this day this scripture is fulfilled in thine ears the holy ghost anointed him to preach the gospel now every one of the lord's servants the true servants of god are anointed with the spirit of god it is a specific office in the Christian church, the office of a minister. There are various names given, a minister, a pastor, etc. But one that is truly sent of God has been anointed by the Spirit of God and that person, the Word of God is open to them by the Spirit of God. and they preach under the power of the Holy Ghost.

What a wonderful blessing it is, my beloved friends, to have this divine spirit of the living God.

Speaking of the Holy Ghost and the Lord Jesus Christ, it's recorded in the 11th chapter of Isaiah, and it's regarding our Lord Jesus Christ, and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch, that's a capital B. Obviously the stem of Jesse is David's father, Jesse. And he's speaking because Christ was born of the seed of David. So there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots. It says in one of the minor prophets, my servant is called the branch capital b is speaking of our lord jesus christ but just listen to what it says here in isaiah 11 and concerning jesus christ and the spirit of the lord that is lord in capital letters which means jehovah and the spirit of the lord shall rest upon him and the spirit of wisdom and understanding and the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, and shall make him of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears, but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity the meek of the earth, and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked, and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid and the calf and the young lion and the fattening together and a little child shall lead them.

This is speaking of the spirit of the Lord resting on the person of our Lord Jesus Christ on his holy human nature and Really, we need to highlight these things concerning the Spirit of God. Even in Genesis chapter 1, the second verse, and it says, in the beginning God made the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the face of the waters. That's the Holy Ghost. And the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the face of the waters. brought order out of chaos. Matter was created and then the Spirit of God moved on that matter and brought order out of chaos. So we see that the Holy Ghost had part in creation. Jesus the Son of God had part in creation. The Father created the world but it's attributed to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Now these three are co-equal and co-eternal together. from everlasting they always have been they always will be some have run into that error concerning the person of our Lord Jesus Christ to say that he didn't have any existence until he was born into this world but my beloved friends it's very clear from holy scripture that he's the eternal son of God that he was from everlasting That's very beautiful and it was made especially special to me in the book of Proverbs in chapter 8 concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. It wasn't long after that I had been baptized and I was very tempted by Satan that Jesus was not the Son of God. and I was reading into the early hours of one morning so troubled about this point and I came to Proverbs 8 and I realized as I was reading that it's Christ that is speaking in Proverbs chapter 8. He says that I may cause those, this is verse 21, that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. This is what delivered me from that temptation. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, wherever the earth was. Christ was set up from everlasting. Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of the eternal God. In Holy Scripture, the Father is called Jehovah. The Son is called Jehovah. The Spirit of God is called Jehovah. It says in Corinthians, now the Lord is that Spirit. Jehovah is that Spirit.

He is a divine person. Now here, of course, it's by the agency of the Spirit of God that a poor sinner is brought from spiritual death into spiritual life. It's when the Spirit of God enters the heart of a poor sinner. A poor, dead sinner. And he quickens them. He gives them life. In Romans 8, he's called the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. It's the Holy Ghost. He's the Spirit of Life.

He not only gives life when he enters the heart of a poor sinner, he brings that poor sinner from death into life. In Revelation chapter 20, blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, upon such the second death hath no power. The first resurrection, It is when a person is brought from spiritual death into spiritual life. As we often remind you, you must be born again. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. This glorious person of God, the Holy Ghost, is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son.

Now in this context here, the Lord Jesus was doing wonderful miracles that the people beheld. It says here in verse 14, and he ordained 12, that's obviously the 12 apostles, that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach. and to have power to heal sicknesses and that power comes from the Holy Ghost and to cast out devils and then he gives us the name of the apostles that he had and the multitude cometh together again so that they could not so much as eat bread and when his friends heard of it they went out to lay hold on him for they said he is beside himself Now the scribes which was a sect of the Pharisees which came down from Jerusalem said he hath Beelzebub which means the prince of devils and by the prince of devils casteth he out devils and he called them unto him and said unto them in parables how can satan cast out satan And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself and be divided, he cannot stand, but have an end. Then he gives this solemn warning. You see what the scribes were doing, was attributing the power of Jesus Christ to the devil.

And he gives us this solemn admonition here, that this is an unpardonable sin, to attribute the work of the Holy Ghost to the devil. It should make us very careful, my beloved friends, I've heard some people sometimes and they speak of another religion or another group of people another denomination and they say oh well they're no good they're no good at all the spirit of God doesn't work there and you know friends we need to be exceedingly careful what we say the spirit of God may work there and we come pretty close to the unpardonable sin If we say, well the spirit of God doesn't work there, not among that people. You see, my beloved friends, but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, severely, verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men. And blasphemous were with soever they shall blaspheme. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation, because, they said, he hath an unclean spirit. Oh, that these solemn words may make us very careful the way that we judge others. And like the Lord Jesus said, a house divided against itself shall not stand. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. And the devil divided against itself cannot stand. It will come to nothing. So this blasphemy, this attributing the works of the Holy Ghost to the devil is a deeply solemn thing. and it should make us exceedingly careful the way we judge others.

In the first epistle of John he speaks there in the fifth chapter concerning this sin and it says in chapter 5 verse 16 any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that are sin not unto death there is a sin unto death I do not say that he shall pray for it all unrighteousness is sin and there is a sin not unto death We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness, and we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. May the Lord preserve us and keep us and deliver us from this solemn sin that is spoken of here of attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the devil. As we've already read together, he hath Beelzebub And by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And the Lord Jesus then warns them against this solemn sin, against the Holy Ghost. It says in another place that even if we speak against Jesus Christ, that will be forgiven. Even if we speak against the Father, that will be forgiven. if we attribute the work of the Holy Ghost to the devil that will never be forgiven.

May the Lord grant that it will make us careful in the way that we stand in judgment on others and be careful not to, as it were, attribute what is being done to the devil when it's being done by the Lord and by the Spirit of the Living God. As we speak of the Spirit of God, we read in Romans chapter 8, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. It's one of the marks and evidences that a person who is possessed of the Holy Spirit is being led by the Spirit of God. we need to be clear on this because I've heard people say well the Spirit has led me to do this or the Spirit has led me to do that but when you look at what they're doing it's contrary to God's Word and the Scriptures are very clear you know the Spirit of God will never lead you to do something or to go in a certain pathway which is contrary to Holy Scripture it says in the prophecy of Isaiah. To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to my word, it is because there is no light in them. The Spirit of God leads us consistently with God's word. That's why we need to continually read God's word. And as the Spirit of God opens God's word onto your heart and to your understanding, gives you wisdom and understanding, guidance and direction, and brings the Word of God into your heart.

I remember hearing of a minister many years ago now, and he said from the pulpit, whatever the Spirit has given you to do, just go and do it. You know, friends, that needs to be qualified. Not just throwing it out, just go and do it. I remember hearing Mr Ransbottom preach on one occasion and he was speaking of using the Bible like a lucky dip instead of consistently reading the Bible and particularly some people that's opened the Bible and whatever they see that is what the Lord is leading them to do and that needs to be very careful he spoke of a man that was tempted to commit suicide And he did the same. He opened the Bible and he put his finger and he said to the Lord, wherever my finger goes, that is what I've got to do. That is what the Spirit is leading me to do. And he put his finger there and it was on and he went out and hung himself. So he thought, well, better be careful there. So he moved to another page and he put his finger on the page. Go and do thou likewise.

You see my beloved friends the Bible isn't a lucky dip. What Mr. Ramsbottom was warning against was using it like a lucky dip. You see we need to be we need to be seeked in Scripture. We need to understand the doctrine of Scripture. We need to constantly read it, we need to ask the Holy Ghost to open the sacred truths of Holy Scripture.

I think it's Joseph Hart in one of his hymns, he says, join prayer with each inspection. Every time you come to the Word of God, you ask the Holy Spirit to give you light and understanding. And he will, the Spirit of God does that. He gives you light and understanding, guide you, he'll direct you.

But we need to read, it's said of John Bunyan, you read John Bunyan's works. And one man, he said of John Bunyan, prick him anywhere and he bleeds scripture. You read the pilgrim's progress. And everywhere, when Bunyan makes a statement, he'll put a scripture reference to that statement.

You see, the Bible is our guide. But like I say, be careful not to use it like a lucky dip. But to seek to understand the truth and the doctrine of Holy Scripture. And to seek to understand the mind of the Lord in your own pathway. Now the Lord does speak to his people. He does, he takes the word of God and he seals it into their heart. And they know it's the Lord that has spoken to them. They feel it. They know the power of the Holy Spirit. It's a wonderful thing to know that power of the Holy Spirit and to know divine guidance and direction in the right way, in the right way.

Verily I say unto you, well that word verily it actually in the original Greek it comes from the word amen which means so be it or certainly or truly That's the meaning of the word verily. The Lord Jesus, he often says it twice, verily, verily, I say unto you. Verily, I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men.

And blasphemy is wherewith, so ever they shall blaspheme. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. We don't very often read that in the word, do we? It is in several places, but eternal damnation. It's a very solemn thought, isn't it?

It says in Ecclesiastes, as the tree falleth, so shall it be. If it falls to the south, that's where it will be. If it falls to the north, that's where it will be. But what does it mean, as the tree falleth? As you die. Whatever state you're in when you die, if you die a true Christian believer, you'll die in Christ. If you die having never been born again of the Spirit, you must go to eternal damnation.

I often think of those words in the end of the holy scriptures of truth, where it says, and he said unto me these sayings this is the last chapter of the revelation and he said unto me these sayings are faithful and true and the lord god of the holy prophet sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done behold i come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book And I, John, saw these things and heard them.

And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book. Worship God. And he saith unto me, See thou not the sayings of the prophecy of this book? The time is at hand. Now you just listen carefully to this verse. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still. He that is righteous, let him be righteous still. He that is holy, let him be holy still. Behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, that's the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

But you just think of that, he that is unjust, that is when he dies. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. That's how he'll remain, as the tree falleth, that's exactly where he'll remain, forever, forever. And if we die out of Christ, we're forever out of Christ. We're forever under eternal damnation.

The Lord Jesus in the Gospels here, he speaks of the rich man and Lazarus in that parable. And the rich man he fed sumptuously every day. He had everything could need more than he ever needed and Lazarus the poor man he sat at his gates full of sores the dog licking his paws and he ate the crumbs from the master's table and then we read the rich man died and Lazarus the poor man died the rich man was in hell mean all rich men go to hell but it was it's the illustration in the parable the rich man was in hell Lazarus was in the bosom of Abraham Abraham is the father of the covenant and what that means is he was in the covenant he was secure the rich man in hell he was in great thirst and he said to send Lazarus to tell my brethren for I I'm coming to this place torment And the Lord Jesus he says in that parable that there is no way to go from hell to heaven And there is no way to go from heaven to hell And as we are eternally said there is a great gulf fixed between heaven and hell and you cannot go from hell from hell to heaven, and you cannot go from heaven to hell. It's eternally fixed. And there's a great gulf that is fixed between those two things.

And if we go to hell, my beloved friends, we're there eternally. The Lord Jesus in his teachings says we're concerning hell. He says where the fire is not quenched, and the flame never ceases. The solemn thing about hell, now, With a fire, and if you and I were to fall into a fire, a burning fierce fire, it would cause absolutely awful agony and pain, but then you'd die. And the agony and pain is finished when you die. But hell isn't like that. It says the fire is not quenched.

It's a burning fire but it never consumes it never destroys that's an awful terrifying thought isn't it a burning fire that never consumes that never destroys a never-ending eternity in damnation eternal damnation this is what the word says in our text doesn't it eternal Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemy is wheresoever they shall blaspheme. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation, because they said, he hath an unclean spirit.

These things, my beloved friends, it's necessary for me to warn. An integral part of the gospel ministry is to warn. To warn what the scriptures say. To warn that there is a heaven and that there is a hell. To warn that there is a place of eternal glory and that there is a place of eternal damnation.

It's only the true Christian who's been born again of the Spirit and brought to living faith in Jesus Christ shall go to heaven, shall be delivered from eternal damnation.

You see, we read of the Lord Jesus when he comes to judgment in the 19th chapter of the book of the Revelation. And we read of him says bless in verse 9 it says blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the lamb and he saith unto me these are the true sayings of god and i fell at his feet to worship him and he said unto me see thou do it not i am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of jesus worship god for the testimony of jesus is the spirit of prophecy and i saw heaven opened behold a white horse and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he that judge and make war this is the glorious person of christ his eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and his name is called the word of god that's that's the name given in scripture to christ the word of god The armies of heaven, which were in heaven, followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, as the saints of God, as those that have gone to eternal glory. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he turneth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice saying, to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, come and gather yourselves, gather you together unto the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captains and the flesh of mighty men. See, this is the time of eternal judgment. I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his army and the beast was taken with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that received the mark of the beast and then that worshipped him in his these boats were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone and the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the fowls were filled with flesh. See, these both were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone.

The great thing, my beloved friends, have you, have I, been born again. Have you and I been raised to a hope in the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ? Does the Spirit of God dwell in our heart? Do we have evidence that the Spirit of God dwells in our hearts? Do we have evidence of spiritual life, spiritual light, spiritual understanding?

That first resurrection, upon such the second death, The second death is when Christ condemns those at the throne of judgment to eternal damnation. Those that have part in the first resurrection, upon such a second death have no power. Why? Because they have eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Well, friends, may it please the Lord to graciously grant his blessing. upon his word and grant that we may take these things home and that it may exercise our hearts and minds. Am I made a real Christian washed in the Redeemer's blood? May the Lord add his blessings. Let us now sing together hymn number 24. The tune is Welsh's 260. Why should the children of a king go mourning all their days? Great comfort to descend and bring some tokens of thy grace. Hymn 24, tune Welsh's 260. ♪ When all is calm ♪ ♪ When all is bright ♪ each heaven and earth bring. Some tokens of my praise.

But thou art ready for all thy slain, Until death takes away. When you felt the heat of the cold day, Did you ever think of me? ♪ And to her I did proclaim ♪ ♪ That shall my conscience ever know ♪ In love with Thee much more, And have I with Thee And I am one of you. ♪ The hope eternal of His love ♪ ♪ The pledge of joy to come ♪ And thy taught me still as to die. As to die. You can hear me now. Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each both now and for evermore. Amen.