Why? "_Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh_." That
is, they have reached the same state of mind the Pharisees had who
_crucified him the first time_. Men can commit that same act to-day, but
when they do it they lose all concern regarding the consequences. As
long as one has concern, he may rest assured that he has not blasphemed
the Holy Spirit.

_The Fruits of the Spirit_. I have not treated this passage hitherto,
because I do not understand the apostle to be referring to the Holy
Spirit, but to man's spirit. In this fifth chapter of Galatians the
apostle divides man into two domains, one of the flesh and another of
the spirit. He says: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh: for these are contrary the one to the other:
that ye _may not do the things that ye would_" (Gal. 5:17). It is
impossible to imagine "the flesh" preventing the Holy Spirit from doing
"the things he would." It is also impossible to conceive that the Holy
Spirit is lusting against man's flesh. But we all recognize that there
is a terrible conflict between man's flesh and _his spirit_. These are
contrary the one to the other and lust against each other. When man's
flesh triumphs over his spirit, certain works are inevitable which Paul
enumerates. When the Spirit (in man) dominates the flesh, then certain
"fruits of the Spirit" appear. They are the fruits of man's spiritual
nature triumphing over his fleshly nature. The same contrast is set
forth in Galatians, chapter 6, where it speaks of sowing to the flesh
and to the Spirit. How can any man sow to the Holy Spirit? Paul
describes the same conflict in the seventh chapter of Romans. I think
that the spirit (of man) can be aided by the Holy Spirit in its battle
against the flesh, but the "fruits" mentioned are of man's spirit and
not the Holy Spirit.