Latine tongue and expressed such heavenly expressions that no Reprobate could expresse the like heavenly expressions ☞ If you doe but looke into the book called The Relation of Francis Spyra therein you may see more fuller of him then my tongue shal expresse at this time my conscience bidding me keep within the compasse of Christian charitie judging him to be a glorified Saint in heaven using in I say the time of his distresse such unexpressable words which I in all the dayes of my life never heard nor read of could be in any dying or living Reprobate I doe also bring in S. Peter who with him denyed the truth forswore that he never knew him whom formerly he professed yea wittingly though not willingly he denyed the Lord Jesus who by his most precious blood bought him yet he for all that found and obtained pardon For it is said that the Lord Jesus after he had denyed him looked back upon him Then saith the Text Peter remembred the words of Christ who said unto him Before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice Then he remembred the words of Christ and went out and wept bitterly I say Christ told him that Satan had a desire for to winnow him as wheat was sifted But Christ told him that he had prayed him that his faith should not fayle Luk. 22. 31. intimating thereby that this fall of blessed Peter was but a permission of Satans temptation and tryall of his faith rather then eternall rejection to shew unto after-posterities that Satan may sometime by permission have power given him to batter the faith of the strongest Saint and to make him sometime lye downe in sorrow as the holy Ghost useth the phrase in Esaiah 50. 10 11. This Peter after his Conversion or after the manifestations of pardon he was more couragious then before And the reason why blessed Peter fell so grievously was as I conceive only to let him know that the strength he had was not his owne neither could he stand by that strength but onely in and by the strength of a stronger then himselfe was and afterward to make and to cause him to wait on the Lord that so he in the time of want might renew his strength as the holy Ghost doth use the phrase in Isaiah 40. 31 32. The sinne of unbeliefe which some maintaine to be the sinne against the holy Ghost is not this sinne If it had bin this sinne then had there some of Gods Worthies committed this sinne As for instance Moses although a beleever and faithfull in his place Heb. 3. 2. 5. yet in the very time of tryall was found unbeleeving Numb. 20. 11. And to shew that he was found unbeleeving the Lord told him that he should not bring the people into the Land of Canaan as the 12 vers. tells you Zachariah though a just man as the word testifieth Luk. 1. 6. yet he was found unbeleeving vers. 20. and to shew unto all posteritie this that it was a sinne God did inflict a temporall judgement upon his body Also blessed Thomas although a beleever yet he was found unbeleeving Joh. 20. 25. And to confirme that which I have spoken reade to the 26. vers. In which vers the Lord Jesus stoops unto the act of Thomas his unbeliefe and and confirming his faith with his willingnesse to cure his unbeliefe I will but give you one instance more to confirme what I have hitherto spoken concerning this sinne of unbeliefe which is also supposed of some to be the sinne against the holy Ghost I will bring in these places which they unskilfully name to prove this sinne of unbeliefe to be the sinne against the holy Ghost I say the Disciples of Christ were in the maine poynt of Faith found unbeleeving questioning the truth which Christ did formerly and at that time discover unto them Mark 9. 10. Luk. 24. 21. And to shew that it was a sinne not to beleeve he gently reproves their unbeleeving spirits v. 25. 26. and afterwards labours by the expposition of those Prophets which had before prophesied of him was now since his resurection manifested to be a cleare truth which they before beleeved not vers. 27. And thus I have proved ☜ that the sinne of unbeliefe which some maintaine to be the sinne against the holy Ghost is not this sinne I come now to handle their proofes which they produce for their consequences Ioh. 8. 24. If you beleeve not that I am he yee shall dye in your sinnes Upon these words I thus paraphrase The Lord Jesus convinces the Jewes of their unbeliefe because that they beleeved not that he was the Christ And the reason of their unbeliefe was because they beleeved not that it was he that was to come even the Messias but they looked on him with a carnall eye being I say more carnall then spirituall looking onely for a King whose Kingdome and Reigne shall be altogether temporall And so I say dreaming to Reigne with him in this world they looked that he should have established and restored that their Kingdome But then they seeing the personall presence of Christ so contemptible as the Prophet Jeremiah saith and also the Prophet Isaiah His presence shall be by us not desirable or contemptible When we see him he shall have neither forme nor beauty Therefore these Jewes when they saw Christ with their naturall eyes onely they did not beleeve that he was he which was to com And in the 18. vers. There the Lord Jesus tells the Jewes That he was one that did beare witnesse of himselfe and that the Father did also beare witnesse of him And in the 19. vers. They had a â—esire that he would shew them his Faâ—her Whereupon he tells them That if â—hey had knowne the Father they would also have known him And from hence did 〈◊〉 second cause of their unbeliefe arise And â—ur Saviour Christ tells them plainly That â—f they did not beleeve he was that Christ â—hey should dye in their sinnes Another place is the 1 of Judges 5 vers. How that the Lord having saved the people out of the Land of Aegypt afterwards destroyed them that beleeved not Also Mark 16. 16. He that beleeveth not shall be damned Joh. 3. 18. He that beleeveth not is condemned already because he beleveth not in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Unto this place I doe thus reply That our Lord Jesus doth not absolutely speake of an eternall condemnation if it were spoken of an eternall estate of condemnation then must the Elect themselves be in that estate for their is no difference Rom. 3. 23. The Elect themselves before they be in the estate of faith are first in the estate of unbeleeving 2 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but now ye are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are justified in tâ—â— Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spâ—â—â— of our God In these words you may see the condâ—tion of beleevers set forth
workes were good and Cains evill Sinne against Knowledge is this as when a man or woman is informed of divers Truths and by the judgement of their understanding give an approbation unto those Truths discovered unto them and yet notwithstanding will sinne this is called by me sinnes against Knowledge Sinne against Conscience is when a mans Conscience is enlightened with Knowledge concerning the acting this thing or that thing which is evill and yet is resolved to doe it this is called sinne against Conscience I say all that be damned sinne not against Knowledge openly discovered unto them as the Heathen who knew God no farther but onely by the instinct of Nature having the Law written in their hearts Rom. 2. 15. Which Law shall not leave them without excuse at the last day for they know so much of God as shall be a meanes for to condemne them their Consciences bearing witnesse against them and so leaving their Consciences void of all excuse telling them that there is a God before whose Judgement-Seat they must one day appeare I am perswaded that the Consciences of the Heathen cannot chuse but sometimes cast forth some light of terror unto them and so cause an amazement unto them although they as Heathen be without the knowledge of Conscience towards God and man I say sinnes committed wittingly and willingly are the originall cause of sorrow both in the Saints and Reprobates The sorrow of the Saints for sinne comes from an apprehension of Gods love in the Lord Jesus looking upon the love of God and his holinesse and then casting back his eye upon his owne sinfulnesse which produceth a mourning in them whereby from an apprehension of Gods abundant goodnesse towards him hee is inforced with blessed Paul to crie out saying O wretched man that I am O how unlike unto God am I in holinesse O that God would once lift up upon me the light of his countenance and smile graciously upon my soule in the face of the Lord Jesus O that God would but goe into my soule and discover Christ there unto me and goe out againe by the manifestation of his holy Spirit that so my soule may be acquainted with the Commings in of the Lord Jesus The sense of a Reprobate is onely from an apprehension of Gods wrath for sinne and so out of a slavish feare confesses hiâ— sinne because he sees the wrath of God appearing readie to be poured out upon him for those sinnes which he hath committed against God and so cryes out as being void of all hope of mercie like Cain Saul and Iudas concluding that their sinnes are unpardonable I say againe the persons that commit this sinne against the holy Ghost must be such persons as in some measure knew the maine fundamentall grounds of Religion and withall they must have some soule-taste of heaven yea of heavenly things as blessed Paul speaketh in Heb. 6. 4. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gifts and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted of the Word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away to renew them againe vnto repentance seeing they crucifie unto themselves the Sonne of God afresh and put him to open shame In these words you see that those that commit this sinne must be knowing persons they may have a taste seemingly of the holy Ghost I say the holy Ghost may seemingly discover Truths unto them yet they shall never taste of them savingly yet they shall taste of them so fully as to their thinking they shall be as it were elevated into heaven and ravished with a kind of sweetnesse so farre as that they shall conceit themselves to be in a heavenly condition Iudas tasted of the heavenly gifts seemingly and was endued with great light yea with such a measure of gifts that he was inabled by them to walke so warily that he was not found out to be an hypocrite untill he made a discovery of himselfe he had the same power given unto him as the rest of the Disciples had Mat. 10. 2 He had a legall faith but not a saving faith he possessed a common enjoyment from the holy Ghost in regard of gifts I say a common taste he enjoyed not such a taste as the Saints doe taste it is impossible for wicked men to enjoy that true inward taste and sweet saving enjoyment of the holy Ghost as the Saints doe Yet the common enjoyment of the Spirit of God they doe possesse which shall leave them without excuse Sometimes a wicked man may goe in some things beyond the Child of God and may find more comfort in the way of Ordinances then the true child of God doth for a time Yea he may also walke more warily then those who have more truer relation unto God even as the Scribes and Pharisees did who in hypocrisie lived more precisely then the true Children of God for that none could tax them of any thing but onely Christ who knew their hypocrisie and corruption of their hearts as also the vanitie of their Traditionall workes The Disciples of Christ knew not Iudas to be an hypocrite untill he discovered himselfe And as I said before the persons that commit this sinne against the holy Ghost must be knowing persons such as Iudas was and the Scribes and Pharisees I told you that the heathen could not commit this sinne against the holy Ghost nor can any infant commit this sinne although God may justly damne infants for the originall sinne of their first parents It followes now that I must according to my power shew unto you the Reason why this sinne against the holy Ghost is an unpardonable sinne It is called the sinne against the holy Ghost because he discovers and reveales truth And it is unpardonable so long as those do commit sinne against him who is called the third Person and is the representative power of the whole Deitie when they sinne against the holy Spirit they sin against the whole Trinitie as it is said They grieved the Spirit of God even him whose office is to seale the Saints unto the day of redemption Men I say by sinning against this Person confirme their guilt upon their owne soules To give you a bigger Reason then I have yet done why this sinne against the holy Ghost is unpardonable I say the full Reason is Because it is his place to reconcile or worke reconciliation betweene the other two Persons and the sinner which before were unreconciled By this meanes the sinner comes to stand before the other two Persons the Father and the Sonne and thus finds acceptance And on the contrary when this Person will not reconcile the sinner unto God the Father not he himselfe pleased to be reconciled unto the sinner I say it is then a very sad and heavy time with that soule It cannot be but that soule must remaine in a state of guilt and that
THE VVORLDS PROSPECT OR A Commentarie upon the 33 of ISAIAH and the 14 vers. In these words The sinners in Sion are afraid In which words are declared how farre the Saints may sinne against Knowledge and Conscience and yet not sinne the sin against the holy Ghost Delivered And set forth by JOHN EMERSONE sometime pastr Dispencer of the word in private LONDON Printed by E. P. for Nicholas Gamage and are to be sold at his shop on London-Bridge neere the Gate 1646. The Contents THe poynt from the Text is this That sinnes against Knowledge and Conscience are sinnes of a high nature and when God doth once set them upon the Conscience they cause horror and vexation both in the Saints and Reprobates From the poynts there be these nine particulars derived 1. All sinnes committed against Knowledge and Conscience are not the sinnes against the holy Ghost for sinnes against Faith are not this sinne 2. All sinnes done wittingly and contrivingly and willingly are not this sinne 3. The sinne of unbeliefe which some maintaine to be the sinne against the holy Ghost is not that sinne 4. Every for swearing and denying of the truth of Christ is not this sinne 5. What sinnes of Knowledge be and how they come to be the sinnes against the holy Ghost 6. A Declaration of this sinne against the holy Ghost 7. A reason given why it is a sinne unpardonable 8. Who the persons be that commit this sinne 9. With what knowledge they must be endued that commit this sinne against the holy Ghost In this ensuing Treatise Every one of these particulars are fully proved As also with a word of comfort spoken in due season to troubled Consciences shewing that they need not feare the assurance of their eternall wel-being With many other poynts which are not named in this preamble THE Worlds Prospect ISAIAH 33. 14. vers. The sinners in Sion are afraid IN these words there be these three things considerable 1. The persons who they are in these words Sinners 2. The place they dwelt which was in Sion 3. The effect of sins in these Sinners In the last part of my Text in these word They are afraid From whence I observe by the way this observation That sinne is the originall cause of wicked mens feare In the word sinners I note onely these two sorts of sinners The first sort of sinners that have the guilt of sinne lying upon their soules which guilt of theirs shall never be washed off with the blood of Christ for these two Reasons First Because Divine Wisedome did never set love and mercy on worke for the satisfying of Divine Justice in their behalf Secondly God the Father did never appoynt the blood of his Sonne to wash off the guilt that is upon their soules and therefore they must dye in their guilt which lyeth upon their soules The second sort of sinners which have the guilt of sinne lying upon their soules yet shall not dye in that guilt for these two Reasons First Because God the Father did wisely contrive wayes to satisfie Divine Justice in their behalf Secondly God the Father loved them and did freely wash them in the fountaine of his Sons blood therefore though they were in guilt yet they shall not dye in their guilt Now in the handling of my Text in the fore-named particulars I shall shew from whence sinners were first derived viz. Adam was the first man that ever sinned and thus The first sinne that ever was in man was first found in our first Parents Adam And so I say by that meanes the sinne of our first Parents Adam was imputed unto Rom. 5. 12. and so called our sin Rom. 4. 25. Sinne was the onely cause of Adams feare Gen. 3. 9. So in like manner sinne is an originall of our feare who are the posteritie of sinfull Adam I come now to speake of the place where these sinners dwelt and that place I told you was in Sion a place I say which God did choose above all other places there onely of purpose to put or place his Name in This place Sion is a place unmoveable and therefore in the Scriptures called Mount Sion of old called Salem being the Mount on which Davids house and Castle was placed being in the City of Jerusalem to the East part of the same 1 King 11. 36. Deut. 11. 7 11. Psal. 132. 14. Psal. 125. 1. Rev. 14. 1. Sion a place where the meanes of grace was out of which place came also Perfection of Beauty Psal. 52. 2. Jehovah there was found in the puritie of Ordinances Sion was the Saints inquiring place in the old time I say it was their place of Residence ☞ there was their hopes in times past in an ordinance-way and there is still their hopes to enjoy Christ in a visible and glorious way for ever Though all the earth be mine yet Sion have I chosen to be the place of my habitation for ever and there will I dwell amongst my people and will goe in and out before them for ever leading them forth even as a Shepheard doth his flock Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God for it is the place and City of the great King even Christ Jesus And I heard him say unto me Sonne of Man this is the place of my Throne and the place of the soales of my feet where I will dwell in the middest of the Children of Israel for ever and then my holy name shall the house of Israel no more defile neither they nor their Kings These sinners which my Text speakes of had their names given unto them from the hainousnesse of their sinnes I say as they were sinners so they had the names of sinners given unto them And because they sinned against the gift of grace in Sion so they were called sinners of Sion and in the place where they dwelt They were afraid Sinnes committed against Knowledge be sinnes of a high nature and cause feare from these three particulars which were considerable in my Text From them I â—ay are these poynts derived which are these That sinne committed against Conscience and Knowledge be sins of a high naâ—ure and when God doth charge them upon the Conscience they cause terror and vexâ—tion both in the Saints and also in the Reprobates In the opening of the poynt I shall shew unto you how that all sinnes committed against Conscience and Knowledge is not the sinne against the holy Ghost 1. All sinnes committed against Knowledge and Conscience are not this sinne 2 Sam. 12. 9. 1 King 15. 5. sinne against faith is not this sinne 2. Sinnes done wittingly and contriâ—ingly against Knowledge and Conscience are not this sinne 3. All sinnes against gifts and graces are â—ot this sinne 1 Cor. 1. 7 11 12. 2 Sam. 11. â— 25. 2 Sam. 12. 9. The sinne of unbeliefe which some maintaine to be the sinne against the holy Ghost is not that sinne if it had bin this