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 as a man  obstinately  resists  grace,  it  is  obvious  that  he  cannot  receive pardon, for  the  simple  reason  that  he  refuses  to  have  anything  to  do with  the  grace  which  would  move  him  to  contrition  and  penance. Such an one  is  like  a drowning  man  who  refuses  to  take  hold  of  the  helping hand which  is  held  out  to  him. Because, however,  the  human  will  can be converted  as  long  as  a man  remains  on  earth,  God  can  give  a sinner  such  an  extraordinary  measure  of  grace,  that  his  resistance  is broken  down,  and  he  is  saved. We ought,  therefore,  never  to  despair of the  conversion  of  a sinner,  however  obstinate  in  sin  he  may  appear to be;  and  the  more  impenitent  he  is,  the  harder  we  ought  to  pray for him. In chapter  LXXXVI  we  shall  see  that,  though  St.  Stephen said to  his  persecutors:  “You  resist  the  Holy  Ghost!”  he,  nevertheless, prayed for  them  when  he  was  dying.

Calumny. The  Pharisees  calumniated  our  Lord  most  shamefully by saying  that  He  was  in  league  with  the  prince  of  devils.

The weapons  of  unbelief.  Lies  and  calumny  were  the  weapons used by  the  unbelieving  Pharisees  against  our  Lord. They are  to  this day the  weapons  with  which  unbelief  and  heresy  attack  the  doctrine and Church  of  Jesus  Christ.

Hell. If  there  are  sins  which  can  be  forgiven  “neither  in  this world nor  in  the  world  to  come”,  there  must  be  a state  of  everlasting punishment. Therefore it  is  said  in  Mark  3,  29:  “He  that  shall  blaspheme against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  never  have  forgiveness,  but  shall be guilty  of  an  everlasting  sin.”

Purgatory. From  our  Lord’s  words  that  the  sins  against  the  Holy Ghost shall  be  forgiven  “neither  in  this  world,  nor  in  the  world  to come”,  the  Fathers  of  the  Church  rightly  conclude  that  certain  sins  will be forgiven  in  the  world  to  come. Now, there  can  be  no  forgiveness of sin  in  heaven,  for  nothing  sinful  can  enter  there  at  all. Neither in hell  is  forgiveness  of  sins  possible,  because  the  damned  are  incapable of amendment:  therefore  there  must  be  a middle  state  between  heaven and hell. This middle  state  is  Purgatory,  where  the  soul  is  cleansed from venial  sins,  and  where  satisfaction  is  made  for  sins  already  forgiven.

The General  Judgment.  Our  Lord’s  words  in  this  chapter  indicate that all  men  of  all  ages  will  be  gathered  together  for  judgment  at  the Last Day. “The men  of  Ninive. . . the queen  of  Saba  shall  rise  in judgment  with  this  generation  and  shall  condemn  it!”

The Resurrection  of  our  Lord  is  the  miracle  of  miracles,  and  the decisive sign  which  vouches  for  the  divinity  of  all  His  other  miracles. It was  the  final  test  by  which  the  unbelieving  Jews  were  called  on  to believe  and  be  saved.

Our Lord's  prophecy.  By  referring  the  Jews  to  “the  sign  of  Jonas the prophet”,  our  Lord  most  distinctly  foretold  His  Burial  and  Resurrection.