Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	life_n	sin_n	spirit_n	19,754	5	5.4357	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57943	Russel's sermon on the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost, or, The sin unto death Wherein is declared, a plain description of it, both negatively what it is not, and also positively what it is; and a plain reason why it is unpardonable. With a word of comfort, and also of counsel, how to avoid it. By R. Russel, in Sussex. Licensed according to order.	Russel, Robert, fl. 1692.	1692 (1692)	Wing R2347L; ESTC R218546	11,034	27

RVSSEL'S Sermon Of the Unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost Or The Sin unto Death Wherein is declared a plain Description of it both Negatively what it is not and also Positively what it is and a plain Reason why it is Unpardonable With a Word of Comfort and also of Counsel how to avoid it By R. Russel in Sussex Hebr. 10.26 If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin Licensed according to Order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HINC LVCEM ALMA MATER 〈◊〉 Printed for the Author and Sold by I. Blare at the Looking-Glass on London-Bridge 1692. The Preface to the READER THE Reason of this following Treatise is because some People have desired satisfaction from me what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is but I could not make a full discription of it in short Therefore it came in my mind to inlarge upon it in a Small Book wherein they may receive full satisfaction about it And this I have done not from the Opinions of others but from the true and written word of God This Sin can be committed but by few and yet sometimes steals into the hearts of them that commit it when they discern it not But the Lord of his Mercy keep us all both from that Sin and also from the reign and dominion of every Sin Which that we may do is the Prayer of Your dear Friend R. RUSSEL ADVERTISEMENT These four Books lately Written by Robert Russel are sold by J. Blare Book-seller at the Looking-Glass on London-bridge 1. THe accepted Time and Day of Salvation shewing the goodness of God towards Mankind in putting an opportunity of Grace into our hands 2. The end of Time and beginning of Eternity shewing that this golden opportunity of Grace will soon have an end and then will follow a long Eternity With Exhortations to Redeem Time 3. The Glory of the Saints in Heaven with Jesus Christ and the Eternal Torments of the Damned in Hell 4. A little Book for Children and Youth exhorting them to resist the temptations of the Devil whilst young With Nine Lessons of Directions how they shall merit Eternal Life 5. The Wedding Garment or The Honourable state of Matrimony Deliver'd in a Wedding-Sermon OF THE Unpardonable SIN Against the Holy Ghost 1. John 5. part of Ver. 16. There is a Sin unto Death THis Sin which St. John calls here the Sin unto Death is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost described by our blessed Saviour Matth. 12.32 ●hat whosoever commits it hath no forgiveness neither in this World nor in the World to come for All manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto Men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto Men And ●e that speaketh a word against the Son it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven neither in this World nor in the World to come This Sin against the Holy Ghost this is that sin which St. John calls here the Sin unto Death Not because that sin deserves Death for so does all sin deserve Death both Temporal and Eternal for the wages of Sin even all is Death Rom. 6. But this sin against the Holy Ghost is called The Sin unto Death because it binds a man over to Eternal Death without any possibility of recovery Now some there are that go on from one degree of sin to another they heighten and aggravate their sins more and more until they are brought to that height at last as to commit that sin for which there is no forgiveness There is no meer Man since the fall that can live without sin for all are sinners but yet there are degrees of sin some sins in their own nature are small others are more great and hainous Many sins there are that are great yet pardonable and one sin there is unpardonable and whosoever commits that one sin shall have no forgiveness but must for ever bear the weight and punishment both of that and all of his other sins There is such a sin as St. John speaks of here in my Text that is a Sin unto Death And now I come to the Explication of the words from whence I shall raise this point of Doctrine Doct. That amongst other Sins committed by fallen Mankind there is only one Sin that is a Sin unto Death and whosoever committeth that he hath no forgiveness neither in this World nor in the World to come Now for my further proceeding on the Subject I shall lay open to you First What the Sin unto Death is Secondly That all other Sins how great and hainous soever may be forgiven Thirdly That this Sin alone shall never be forgiven Fourthly The reason why that Sin alone is Unpardonable And then Lastly I shall conclude all with a few words of Application I shall begin first with the Discription of this unpardonable sin where I shall endeavour to make as plain a Discription of it as possible I can and in doing of it I shall First shew you Negatively what is not this Sin Secondly I shall shew you Positively what it is First I shall shew you Negatively what is not this Sin unto Death or in what degree a man may sin and yet not commit that unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost First It is not every quenching of the motions of the Spirit that is that Sin It is true when the Holy Ghost comes with a still voice and knocks at the doors of sinners hearts for entrance he often comes and strives with them and secretly wooes and beseeches them to leave their Sins and be Converted yet they quench and stifle all his motions and bare up their hearts against him and will not be obedient to his Heavenly Calls now such sin grievously against the Holy Ghost But yet this alone is not the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost for many who have stood it out a long time and have often quenched and grieved the Holy Spirit yet at last they have been wrought upon unto sincere Conversion Secondly A man may commit many hainous and crying Sins and yet not be guilty of the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost A man may be an Idolator a Whoremonger a Fornicator a Murderer and work Witch-craft and Sin with a very high hand nay he may live in all manner of filthiness and lewdness and yet not be under the guilt of the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost Thus we read 2 Chron. 33. that Manasses sinned with a very high hand he was an Idolator an Inchanter and worked Witch-craft and dealt with Familiar Spirits and wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord And Mary Magdalen had seven Devils cast out of her Luke 8.2 and yet both were pardoned Thirdly A man may Sin presumptuously against great Light and Knowledge and yet not commit this Sin unto Death for Peter when he denyed Christ he did it against great knowledge

of Christ he knew Christ to be his Lord and Saviour he was one of Christs beloved Disciples and for all that how strongly he denyed Christ and that with an Cath too and yet for all that Christ looked upon him with a merciful eye and he Repented and was forgiven Fourthly It is not every malicious Sin that is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost for St. Paul certainly had great malice in his heart when he went on so furiously to persecute the Church of God and yet he was Converted and became a Preacher of the Gospel of Christ which before he persecuted Fifthly and Lastly It is not final Unbelief nor final Impenitence that is the unpardoable Sin against the Holy Ghost though some be of opinion that it is because that Sin is Unpardonable and Christ himself hath said Matth. Chap. 12. Ver. 32. That all manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto Man except it be the Sin against the Holy Ghost But you are to take the words of our Saviour in their true sence and meaning it is all manner of Sin and Blasphemy committed within the compass of a Mans life that shall be forgiven except the Sin against the Holy Ghost for the Sin of final Impenitency and final Unbelief is not compleated until the very moment of a Mans Death and then you all know that there is no Repentance and consequently no Pardon after Death for Christ saith He that Sins against the Holy Ghost hath no forgiveness neither in this World nor in the World to come Now why should Christ say in this World if there be no space to be forgiven in this World but a Man may commit the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost even many years before his death Besides there are many Thousands that dye in Impenitency and Unbelief and are Damned and yet never committed the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost Thus I have shewed you Negatively what is not this unpardonable Sin none of these Sins in particular is that Sin Secondly I come now to shew you Positively what this Sin unto Death is and wherein this unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost doth consist Now there are several Opinions in the World about it some hold one thing some another but I have not time nor room to dispute concerning others Opinions about it but I will endeavour through Gods help to lead you to the plain sight of it by the light of the Holy Scripture Now in the first place you must know that there are two sorts of People that cannot commit this Unpardonable Sin First the True Believers cannot commit it though many times for their Tryal God suffers them to fall fouly into many grievous Sins yet they being Rooted in Christ they are upheld by free Grace and Mercy that they cannot fall into this Unpardonable Sin Secondly the grosly ignorant cannot commit it because it is a Sin against great Light and Knowledge Indeed the greatest part of the World shall be Damned yet among that greatest part there is but few of them that can commit that Unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost Some have both Light and Grace these shall not commit this Unpardonable Sin Again Some have neither Light nor Grace these cannot commit it But there are some again that have Light and no Grace these are they that are liable to commit the Unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost Now there must be two Ingredients to make up this Unpardonable Sin that is Light in the Head and Malice in the Heart without these two the Sin against the Holy Ghost cannot be committed For to Sin against great Light and Knowledge is not that Sin alone nor yet to Sin Ignorantly out of that Malice is not that Sin but they must joyn both together to make up this Unpardonable Sin This we see plain by the Example of St. Peter and St. Paul Peter he denyed Christ and forswore himself too and that grievously against great Light and Knowledge for he knew Christ to be the only begotten Son of God and he knew God in him he was one of Christs Disciples and one of his beloved Disciples too he was taught of Christ and had experimental knowledge of his love and favour and yet he wickedly with an Oath denyed him Now if Peter had done this out of Malice and Spight then he had committed that Sin unto Death for which there is no forgiveness But Peter had no Malice in his heart all this while even at that time when he denyed Christ as you may see Matth. 29. when Christ told him Before the Cock Crow thou shalt deny me thrice He answered If I should dye with thee I will not deny thee And then denying him through infirmity and weakness of the flesh when he had considered what he had done he went out and wept bitterly ver 75. And Paul he had great Malice and Spight against the ways and People of God as you may see Acts 9.1 Paul breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord and desired of them Letters to Damascus to the Synagogues that if he found any of this way whether Men or Women that he should bring them bound to Jerusalem Now here was great Rage and Malice in Saul against the ways and People of God but doing it Ignorantly he at last hearing of a voice saying Saul Saul why Persecutest thou me and receiving of a Light from Heaven that it was Jesus that he Persecuted he was pricked at the heart and trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Now by these two places of Scripture you may plainly see that Peter Sinned against great Light and Paul out of great Malice yet none of them both committed the Unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost But whensoever Light and Malice meets together in one Man then there is the Sin against the Holy Ghost Now as all other Sins so this Sin against the Holy Ghost may be committed in Thought Word or Action First In Thought that is when a wicked Man against his clear light and knowledge doth but conceive a malicious Thought or Purpose towards persecuting the Gospel of Christ or of the Saints of Christ to hinder the work of the Holy Ghost in them This Sin is to be thought was the Sin of the lost Angels for which cause they were lost without all hopes of Pardon Now some dispute whether their Sin was a Sin of the Thought but I say with all likelihood it was for the Angels being only Spirits without Bodies and so have no use of bodily Tongues it could not be committed in Word nor yet could they commit it in Action because they were cast out of Heaven before they could bring it into practice therefore it must be a Sin of the Thought Now their Sin was this their habitation being in the highest Heavens next under God himself they had exceeding great Light and Knowledge they had more Knowledge than all the