Luke 11
EdwardsLuke 11:24-26
Luke 11:24-26. “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” By comparing these verses with what goes before, it is confirmed that apostasy is one great ingredient or constituent of the unpardonable sin. For it is manifest Christ says this of those same Pharisees spoken of before, that said He cast out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. It is more manifest still by comparing what is said in this place with Matthew 12:42-45. There, speaking of the unclean spirit being gone out of a man, and returning again, etc., He adds, “Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” It seems there was a time when these Pharisees had much of the common influences of the Spirit of God, and the unclean spirit for a season seemed to be gone out of them; and this, probably, was a consequence of the awakening they were the subjects of by John the Baptist’s preaching; but, after the illuminations they then had, it seems that their religion greatly degenerated (though they were still very religious in their way).
They were exceedingly lifted up with spiritual pride, and fell into the condemnation of the devil, and at last into the unpardonable sin. Hence it is manifest that we nowhere in Scripture have any description of the unpardonable sin, but that apostasy is one thing that constitutes it.
Luke 11:44
Luke 11:44. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,” etc. The Jewish church was now in its apostatized state, being become a hypocritical, superstitious, corrupt, haughty, persecuting church, very much as the apostatized Christian church under antichrist, only in a far less degree, but their crimes were exactly of the same nature. It is called a generation of vipers; like as the church of Rome is called the dragon, the beast. Here it was that our Lord was crucified; and the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world, was required of this generation, Luke 11:50. So the church of Rome is said to be the city where our Lord was crucified, Revelation 18:24, “And that in her was found the blood of prophets, of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth;” and in innumerable things did this apostatized church agree with the church of Rome. Now the scribes and Pharisees were the teachers of the nation, and as their clergy, and were the haughtiest, most hypocritical, most covetous, deceitful, and malicious, persecuting sort of men in the whole nation; their enormities that are mentioned here and elsewhere, exactly to a wonder corresponding with those of the Romish clergy, and the high church; their temper and behaviour was just as this is.