your Self And if so Then as I said you cannot chuse but with Tears of Hopes and Joys and Grief and Love Return to him quickly by Repentance and Persevere and Hold on in a New and a Better Obedience Seeing there is upon These Terms Hopes for Thee even Thee too To Examine a little further Hast thou been guilty of an Vtter Willful and Spiteful rejecting of the Gospel of Salvation by the Holy Jesus Hast thou been guilty of This notwithstanding that in thy Conscience thou wert convinced that Jesus is the Christ and that Faith and Holiness is the Way to be Saved Hast thou been guilty of an advised and absolute falling away from the Profession of the Faith of Christ so far that against former Knowledge and Conscience thou dost maliciously Oppose and Blaspheme the Holy Spirit of God in the Word and in the Ordinances of the Gospel Hast thou so far rejected resisted and utterly quenched all the Perswasions and Motions of the Spirit of God working formerly upon your Heart and Affections as out of hatred to Christ to Oppose and Deny and Disown him and his Doctrines Or so far as thus to Crucifie to your self afresh the Son of God and by disowning him to put him to open Shame Heb. 6.6 Treading under foot the Son of God and counting the Blood of the Covenant wherewith you were sanctified an unholy Thing or Thus done despite to the Spirit of Grace Then indeed hadst thou also totally and finally continued in this State and liv'd and dy'd in it hadst thou been Guilty of this Vnpardonable Sin Which Sin by the way is also called the Sin against the Holy Ghost and becomes Unpardonable because 't is against the Office of the Holy Ghost and against the Gracious Operations of the Holy Spirit whose Business and Office 't is to perswade us to receive Christ crucified and the Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel Well Though thou hast then been a Sinner and unkindly Grieved the Holy Spirit of Love yet thou hast been no Apostate That is Thou hast yet been Guilty of no Willing Malicious Total Falling off from Christ and the Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel tendred to thee by the Holy Ghost and against the Light and Convictions of That Sacred Spirit thou hast not yet denied him and by a willful Blindness oppos'd him too If things are thus with Thee Sinner as I verily believe they are Come be so far Comforted as chearfully but yet Quickly and Sincerely to return to thy offended God and Saviour and do not stay in the Confines of Desperation any longer than you Dwell in your Sin Nay for thy Consolation and Encouragement in thy Speedy Return to thy offended Father in the Faith and Name of Jesus I have This further to add concerning the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost That the Sin it self is only upon this Account Vnpardonable because it hath a finally Impenitent Temper joyn'd with it For otherwise were it possible that such a Sinner should Repent by a Sincere and Persevering Repentance there would be no doubt of his Pardon Even the Blasphemer of the Holy Spirit himself Repenting Returning Believing Laying hold on the Mercies of God in the Lord Jesus and Coming in to his Faith and Love and Obedience shall have Mercy Here stop a little Dear Christian and be perswaded to Consider the great Cause you have to Resolve presently and intirely to cast off the Sin that does so easily beset you and to choose Wiser and Better and to Return to the Ways of your Master with Speed and Care and Consolation too Do it Quickly and Sincerely and I do assure you your Case is not yet Desperate Oh that This Consideration might melt thee once more into Tears of Grief and Love and Joy too Tears of Hope and Penitential Tears And how can it choose but do so That there should be Balm in Gilead for thee even Thee too And that for Thee there should be a Physician there Let this make it an evil and a Bitter Thing to thee as the Prophet speaks Jer. 2.19 That thou hast forsaken the Lord. Evil and Bitter let it appear to thee That thou hast held out in any Known Sin against so much Tenderness and Compassion Love and Pity Long-suffering and Forbearance which St. Paul says an Ingenuous Temper would have made another use of Rom. 2.4 Evil and Bitter let it appear to thee That thou hast held out in any Darling Vice so long against so many Gracious Calls and Invitations and Wooings of Thee to be Wise and Happy Evil and Bitter let it appear to thee That thou hast held out so long and taken little or no Notice of the Dying Words of a crucified Master but hast dis-regarded what he left thee in Charge when he went away Evil and Bitter it must needs appear to thee to have Held out so Long against the Calls and Invitations of Agonizing Love Speaking to thee meltingly and Saying If ye Love me keep my Commandments Come Dear Christian after such a Thought as This Try if thou can'st find it in thy Heart to Return to Affront him again as bad as ever by any Known Sin Try if in this Thought you can go on and still find it in your Heart to Affront him as much as ever by the voluntary Omission of any Known necessary Duty And then presently in a Holy Meditation look up to him with Reverential Love where he is now Preparing a Place for you if you will and say to him with an affectionate Humility Blessed Jesu Long hast thou staid for me and not given me up to a Reprobate Spirit but thou shalt stay no longer Thou hast long look'd for me and not given me up to a Spirit of Desperation but thou shalt look for me no longer I can hold out no longer I will hold out no longer against so much Love and Mercy So much Patience and Forbearance So much Long-suffering and Goodness I will I can hold out no longer Let the Sin promise what it will I will Hold out no longer against thee Let the Duty cost what it will I can hold out no longer against the endearing Calls and Intreaties of Bleeding Groaning Agonizing Dying Love No I cannot But seeing I have this Comfort that I have not Blasphemed thy Spirit or denied Thee and have so great Cause to Hope That I have not Committed the Vnpardonable Sin I am infinitely encouraged to come and to come joyfully to do Thy Will And I will come Quickly for I know the Night comes when none can work SECT VI. The first Practical Inference or Instance of Application from the Consideration of the Nature and Meaning of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Viz. That 't is Matter of great Encouragement for the Faithful Penitent to go on very Comfortably but yet very Sincerely in his Repentances HAving thus finish'd my Three first Heads of Discourse and shewn plainly what this Sin is and How we may assuredly know whether we
Door of Mercy is shut against them And that now they had e'en as good let all run against the Rocks and let alone the Soul and take no more Care about it But take their fill of Sensuality and Wickedness and lie down in a State of Inconsideration and Prophaneness And for the Sake of these also will I plainly truly and clearly shew what this Sin is That so the one Sort may see infinite Cause to return to their offended Father quickly And tho' it be with Fear and Trembling yet may do it also with a holy Hope great Encouragements and a Religious Chearfulness too provided it be with a Present Vniversal and Permanent Change And the other Sort Namely the Person of a sincere Probity and Sanctity of Life may go on in a Course of Faith and Devotion Piety and Charity Divine Love and Obedience with a Holy Joy and a Religious Peace SECT II. What the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is THat I may make the present Discourse as Satisfactory as I can to every Reader and as Vseful as I can for the Designs and Purposes and Needs and Desires of every Christian That the Sinner may be encouraged and invited to return to his God and his own truest Interest by a Speedy a Sincere and a Persevering Repentance and all may be encouraged and endeared to go on chearfully in a Religious Course in the Ways of Pleasantness and the Paths of Peace Prov. 3.17 I will plainly insist on these three Things I. First Shew what this Sin is II. Secondly Give a Rule how any Person may assuredly know whether he has been Guilty of it or not III. Thirdly Shew the very great Likelihood that you Christian Reader have not yet been Guilty of this Sin From all which three Particulars I shall draw three Practical Inferences or Instances of Application 1. Shew What this Sin is The Sin or Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was as appears in this Chapter St. Matth. 12. the Sin of the Pharisees and in short 't was this They Blasphem'd the Holy Ghost in affirming That those Miracles which the Holy Jesus wrought by the Power of the Holy Ghost were done by the Power of the Devil And consequently deny'd him who did them to be the Christ. And the Heinousness of it consisted in This By these Miracles which he wrought by the Power of the Holy Ghost he design'd to convince them that he was the Messias And would by this Light manifest to them plainly that he acted by the Power of the Holy Spirit of God He charitably designed those very Miracles which they reproachfully imputed to the Devil to be a convincing Testimony from God that he must be the Messias the Christ the Saviour of the World No they would not be perswaded would not come in to his Faith and his Love and his Obedience but would wilfully resist and oppose the Power of his Doctrine and his Miracles The convincing Light of which plainly and clearly manifested that he acted by the Power of God And rather than they would acknowledge them to be done by the Power of the Holy Ghost they affirm'd That he did them by the Power of the Devil v. 24. Upon this Christ to convince them is pleased to tell them That the Miracle of Casting out Devils which he had wrought just before could not be done by the Power of the Devil For a Kingdom divided against its self could not stand v. 25. And therefore 't was not likely that Satan should cast out Satan And if Satan could not or would not cast out Satan then surely it must be by the Power of the Holy Spirit of God that he cast out Devils and wrought Miracles And if so how could they choose when they saw the Miracles that he did but be convinc'd that he acted by the Power of God And consequently how could they Resist and Oppose Deny and Disown him to be the Christ the Messias the Saviour of the World 'T was all as one They would not be convinced by the holy Doctrines which he Taught by the Miracles that he wrought and Wonders that he did And rather than believe on him and become Wise and Happy they obstinately affirm'd That what he did by the Finger of God and the Power of the Holy Ghost was done by the Power of the accursed Spirits of Darkness Now this was not only a Great Blasphemy indeed against the Holy Ghost But 't was a wilfull shutting their Eyes against the Light Against the Light I say it again of that Doctrine and those Miracles which were done on Purpose to Convince them that he was the Christ whom notwithstanding they Deny'd and Disown'd Resisted and Oppos'd Upon this Christ tells them That if they continued in this Blasphemy and would obstinately go on to impute those Miracles to the Devil which were done by the Power of the Holy Ghost and would not be Convinced and come in and Receive and Believe on the Lord of Glory but deny and oppose him and maliciously and with a wilful Blindness hold out against the visible Work of God That this must needs be to them that continue in it unpardonable And well indeed might it be unpardonable when the Apostle says Act. 4.12 There is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved That his Name and Person His Revelation and his Love His Message and his Designs His Doctrine and his Miracles should be Denied and Disowned Opposed and Rejected and their Eyes obstinately shut against all the convincing Arguments of his Doctrine and his Miracles that he was the Saviour of the World But here may be one Material and Important Question ask'd How comes it to pass that 't is said in the Text Whosoever speaketh against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven How comes it to pass that the Speaking against Christ should be more Pardonable than the Speaking against the Holy Ghost To this I Answer To speak against the Son of Man i. e. against Christ only before he was manifested to be the Messias by the holy Spirit of God and the convincing Miracles which he did This might be a Sin of Ignorance and therefore Pardonable upon a general Repentance But to speak against the Holy Ghost i. e. to resist the holy Spirit of God which manifestly appear'd in the Miracles which Christ wrought on Purpose to convince them this could be no excusable Ignorance but must be a willful Blindness Nay to impute them to the Devil on Purpose because they would not be convinc'd by them to come in to Christ and receive and own him Surely such an Opposition and Resistance such a contradicting and crossing his gracious Ends and merciful Designations to them could be no other than an obstinate willful Blindness and a shutting their Eyes against the Light And therefore if continu'd in could not but be Vnpardonable And that 's the
have committed it or not and shown withall the great Likelihood That no Christian Reader has I now come to a few Inferences or Uses Inferences which I would leave not only upon the Understandings but upon the Memory And not only upon the Memory but upon the Heart and Affections the Life and Actions of Every Reader That the Great Sinner may not Despair of the Divine Mercy That the faithful Penitent may be encouraged to go on and with Comfort perfect his Repentances That no Man may Presume to continue in any Known Sin And That the Poor Humble Doubting but Devout Christian may be encouraged to go on with a Holy Joy in a Life of Faith and Devotion Piety and Charity Watchfulness and Care Probity and Sanctity Self-denial and Purity Love and Obedience a little longer till his short Day be over and all be well with him and he finds himself admitted ot the New Glories of a better World 1. Practical Inference From the Consideration of what has been said of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Here first Results Matter of Encouragement for the Faithful Penitent to go on very Comfortably but yet very Sincerely too in his Repentances Thou hast faln perhaps from thy Baptismal Innocence and Affronted and Disobey'd a Tender Father ungratefully and unkindly abus'd all the Endearments of a Compassionate Redeemer who was pleased to Die for you before you knew you needed him and have griev'd the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were seal'd to the Day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 That you have done This may be a sad and a dismal Truth But perhaps too you are extreamly Sensible that you have chosen amiss and Resolve to return and to choose Better and Wiser and with the Prodigal St. Luke 13. to arise and go to your Father and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee and am no more worthy to be call'd thy Son make me as one of thy Servants It may be you find it to be a great Truth what the Wise King tells you Prov. 3.17 That the ways of Religious Wisdom are ways of Pleasantness and all her Paths are Peace And it may be too you have sound what the Prophet says to be as great a Truth A Truth Isai 57. last There is no Peace to the Wicked And finding all this to be true by your own Experience you have been often thinking and are now Resolv'd to return to the Ways of God and a vertuous Course and to be Wise and Happy Why if this be so Speedy and Sincere and Persevering as that you find your self to be in Good earnest with God and your Soul here is then Matter of infinite Incouragement for you to go on with a holy Joy and a very Great Chearfulness That your Labour is not like to be in vain in as much as the Vnpardonable Sin has yet been none of yours The Arms of your Saviour that were once stretcht out upon the Cross to the very Posture of Imbracing are open to receive you too even you Only be sure of This That your Return and your Change be Present Permanent and Vniversal And then the very Blasphemer himself is not excepted He also if he thus go may cause Joy in Heaven among the Beatified Spirits of the Upper World You even you in particular Dear Christian that but lately were afraid you had committed the Vnpardonable Sin may Cause Joy too among the Blessed Inhabitants of these Lovely Regions And if you may oh how should This Thought encourage melt and endear your panting sighing languishing Heart into intire Resolutions of Doing so And indeed tell me truly Christian Is it not infinitely better to Cause Joy in Heaven among the Beatified Spirits of the upper Lovely Regions than Joy only to the Accursed Spirits of Darkness Methinks to a Wise Man it should be infinitely more desirable and chusable to have a good Report of him among the Beautiful Inhabitants of the Upper World than only among a few wicked and mistaken People Here. Methinks it should be much more chusable to Cause Joy to him you have Griev'd even the Holy Spirit of God than to Cause Joy to him who only Rejoices in Hopes of your being made a Partner with him in the Sorrows of Eternity And if you will presently resolve to be so Wise and Happy for if you will you may and these Blessed Spirits desire it and look for it as to Cause Joy among these Blessed and sweet and lovely and glorious Inhabitants the Joy will be your own The Peace and Joy will be your own first and last too Yours here and yours Hereafter You 'll find a present Joy and Peace in the Change far beyond whatever you found in the Ways of Wickedness and in the Paths of Unrighteousness You 'll find upon the Change a far Greater Pleasantness and Ease and Satisfaction in a Religious Course than ever you could find in a Debauch'd an Irregular and a Prophane Life Infinitely more Substantial and lasting Tranquility and Sedateness and Serenity of Mind more lightsomness and chearfulness of Heart in the one than ever you did in the other And besides your own Joys and Peace on Earth you 'll cause Joy among those Kind and Good and Blessed Spirits to whom you Hope to be admitted and with whom you Hope to pass away a Rapturous and a pleasurable Eternity And if you may cause these Joys to your self and them tell me Dear Christian why will you not why should not you be earnest to do so Considering the very Comfortable Hopes you have that the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost has been none of your Sin And methinks Christian if you would but rationally compare and weigh things and see them as they truly are all the little uneasie Joys and vain Delights of a Sinful Course of any sort should appear very inconsiderable compar'd with the Joys Present and Future which you would bring to your self as well as to the upper Lovely Spirits by your Reformation For if there be no Peace to the wicked no true Joy and if there be Joy in Heaven at the Conversion of a Sinner and Joy to himself too on Earth Joys above and Joys below some Joys in Hand and some in Reversion some Present and some Future can there be a greater Madness than to deny your Self these True Joys for any Iniquity whatever in which there can be neither Peace nor Joy no long Peace or lasting Joy Why will you any longer permit your Self to be thus cheated and abused by the World or the Devil or your own corrupt Affections that would lead you to a Sin and then fain perswade you there is more Peace and Joy in it than in a Life of Purity and Vertue Probity and Sanctity when all this is False And we are assured 't is False both from the Voice of Scripture and the Information of Experience There is no Peace to the Wicked but the Ways of Vertue are Ways of Pleasantness