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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	ghost_n	sin_n	sin_v	2,468	5	10.3762	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69196	Foure sermons viz. 1. The blessednesse of peace-makers. 2. The aduancement of Gods children. Preached before the King. 3. The sinne against the holy Ghost. Preached at Pauls Crosse. 4. The Christian petitioner. Preached at Oxford on the Act Sunday. By Iohn Denison Doctor of Diuinity, and one of his Maiesties Chaplaynes.	Denison, John, d. 1629.; Denison, John, d. 1629. Beati pacifici.; Denison, John, d. 1629. Sinne against the holy ghost plainly described.; Denison, John, d. 1629. Christian petitioner. Shewing how we must sue for reward and remission.	1620 (1620)	STC 6587; ESTC S120377	95,129	308

remains small hope of receiuing comfort by Christs eternall sacrifice but rather extreame terrour in the expectation of his dreadfull sentence small probability of being cleansed in his precious blood but rather a sore possibility of being deuoured by a violent fire Peccata sunt animae vulnera sins are the soules wounds according to the sacred Scriptures and the ancient Fathers phrase of speech And as the wounds of the body doe differ some being dangerous some more mortall some altogether incurable so fares it with the wounds of the soule some are cured more easily as the Maid was raised from death by Christ Mark 9. Some with lesse facilitie like the Widdowes Sonne Luk. 7. Some yet with greater difficultie like Lazarus Iohn 11. The cure will cost many a groane and many a sigh some are altogether vncurable the sinne cleauing to the sinner like the Leprosie of Gehazi for h 2 Kin. 5.27 euer Loe such a wound and such a sinne we haue in hand at this present euen the sinne against the holy Ghost For the subiect of this Scripture is a deadly wound euen a wound and death a wound going before and death following after it The wound is expressed in these words For if we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth The death and danger in these words There remaines no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and a violent fire which shall deuoure the aduersaries Behold here is the most hainous sinne of all sinnes and the most grieuous iudgement of all iudgements here is a fearefull transgression and a dolefull affliction in the one behold the tower of Babel in the other the valley of Benhinnom in the one the extreamest degree of iniquitie in the other the vttermost measure of miserie in the one a sinners execrable condition in this life in the other his lamentable confusion in the life to come But now I purpose God willing onely to speak of the wound In the handling whereof I intend to take these courses 1. I will open it 2. I will search it 3. I will binde it vp againe by Application In the opening of the wound I finde it in the generall to be an Apostasie from the Gospell For it is a forsaking the communion we haue among our selues So saith the Apostle ver 25. And in the particular view thereof I note foure bad humours which feede it for mali humores sunt praui mores as Bernard h Bern. super Cant. ser 36. saith Vers 26 The first is an aduised sinfulnesse After we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth The second a resolute wilfulnesse If we sinne willingly Vers 29 The third is obstinate malice For here is an aduersary that despights the spirit of grace The fourth is a generall corruption of Religion For it is a treading vnderfoote the Sonne of God and counting the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing and both these points are expressed in the 29. Verse So that in a word I finde and consequently doe define this sinne to be A Witting Willing Malicious Totall Apostasie First for the matter of this sinne It is an Apostasie either from the publike profession or priuate acknowledgement of the Gospell For the manner of it It must be witting and not of ignorance It must be willing and not of co-action It must be malicious and not of infirmitie It will be totall and not some particular impietie In the handling of which points let mee say to you in i Chris var. loc in Mat. hom 9. Chrysostomes words Excutite pigritiam non est res leuis quam audituri estis rouse vp your spirits and raise vp your attention the matter you are to heare is of no small moment The first part The opening of the WOVND The first bad Humour VVHen almightie God had laid the foundation of the world his first worke was fiat lux let there be light and this light being dispersed and confused he afterwards placed in the Globe of the Sunne which he made vehiculum lucis So in the creation of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a modell of that greater world hee placed the light of vnderstanding in the firmament of his Soule to guide him in the way of holinesse and to bring him to the place of eternall happinesse But Sathan whose kingdome is the kingdome of darkenesse in enuie towards man and malice to God obscured that light with the clowdes of errour that so hee might lead wretched sinners blinde-fold to hell like the Syrians into the midst of k 2. Reg. 6.20 Samaria Yet God in mercy beholding this miserie into which man was cast gathering together as it were the scattered beames of knowledge doth by the spirit of illumination vnite them in the Globe of the vnderstanding and where hee affords this fauour the abuse thereof is very dangerous This is that knowledge of the truth which is here spoken of for it is cognitio accepta non acquisita knowledge receiued from the illuminating spirit of God not acquired or obtained by the light or industry of nature They who offend in this kinde must be such as Saint Paul speakes of you were once darkenes but now you are light in the l Lord. So that Turkes and infidels who neuer yet receiued the knowledge of the truth cannot commit this sinne Neither is this to be taken for some superficiall conceite swimming in the braine onely but such a knowledge as taking some place in the heart hath affected the same with a certaine comfort and delight therein and bringeth with it a glimpse of that glory which is reuealed in that truth and shall be receiued in the kingdome of heauen And therefore the Apostle attributes to those who commit this sinne not onely that they be lightned but that they haue tasted of the heauenly gift and beene made pertakers of the holy-Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to m Heb. 6.4 come Now when a man shall finde the taste of Gods word sweeter then the honie and the n Psal 19.10 honie-combe as it was to Dauid and shall afterward distaste and happily detest it as the Israelites did o Numb 11.6 Manna When he shall reioyce in the meditation of eternall life and yet reiect the consolation thereof like the yong man who ranne to our blessed Sauiour kneeled to him and cryed out good master what shall I doe that I may possesse eternall life yet went away like a p Mark 10.17 flincher When hee shall haue relished and euen beene rauished with the comfortable taste of the powers of the world to come like Balaam who passionately wished O let me die the death of the righteous and let my latter end be like q Num. 23.10 his Yet shall like a gracelesse man abandon the meanes and banish the care and cogitation thereof what probability nay what possibility is there that hee

a sinner giues way to his owne corruptions and Sathans temptations hee becomes like the Image in Daniel i Dan. 2.45 whose head was gold his brest of siluer his belly of brasse his legs of iron his feete of clay thus doth he waxe worse and worse till at last as a stone cut out of a mountaine without hands smote the image and brake it in peeces So the iudgements of God not created in the beginning by the hand of God but cut out of the mountaine of mans transgressions doth beate him in peeces like a potters vessell For if our sinnes doe increase and come one in the necke of another like the messengers of Iob our punishments must needes follow like the plagues of Aegypt Therefore Woe be to them saith the Prophet that k Esa 5.18 draw iniquity in the cords of vanity and sinne as with cart-ropes Cordes are twisted of many small threds which seuerally haue very small force but vnited are very strong and so it commeth to passe that the threds of smaller sinnes being twisted by oft committing and drawne out by long continuance doe at last make this great gable of the sinne against the holy-Ghost wherewith the sinners hands and feete being bound He is cast into vtter darkenesse where is nothing l Mat. 22.13 but wayling and weeping and gnashing of teeth Be carefull to auoide the least sinne lest the same be an introduction to greater For as the Philistims came vpon Sampson and ouercame him by diuers insinuations first bound his hands then platted his hayre and at last shaued off his locks So doe sinne and Sathan winde themselues in by diuers inferiour temptations still proceeding and augmenting the same till the locks of grace be quite shaued off As it is said of Ninus Victores m Iustin 1. lib. 1 Quaeque sequentis victoriae causa fuit euery victory was the means of another conquest So euery smaller suggestion of Sathan becomes an instrument of a greater temptation Had king Dauid at the first beene perswaded to murder Vriah hee would haue said what murder Vriah my loyall subiect my faithfull seruant God forbid not for the one halfe of my kingdome Yet after that hee had sinned with Bathsheba adultry made way to cruelty Sinnes are like the sores of the body which at first are but vitious humours then tumours after that impostumate and at last become vncurable So the sores of sinne waxe greater and greater Mortem parit immortalem Chrys in Psal 6. Bern. de aduent Ser. 6. Et in Cant. Serm. 15. till they breede and bring eternall death And therefore Bernard doth very fitly call sinne morbum animae and mortem animae The soules sicknesse and the soules death Thus as robbers put some little villaine into the house which sets open the dores to all the theeues And as warriors by a smaller breach doe get into the besieged City and then doe rob and kill and burne and vtterly spoile it So doth the diuell get entrance and aduantage of men by some smaller sinne and preuaileth more and more till hee hath battered the foundation of their faith dispoyled them of the rich ornaments of grace and become euen Lord of the Soule If at any time you be cast downe by the temptations of the diuell as alas who can alwaies stand let him not keepe you downe That is good counsell of our Sauiour o Reu. 2.4 Remember whence thou art fallen repent and amend The prodigall childe is set forth a patterne to this purpose who p Luke 15 Ver. 18.21 said and did what he said that hee would rise and goe to his father confesse his sinnes and craue pardon for the same Redeat homo per quotidiana lamenta vnde corruit per vana delectamenta q Aug. de temp Ser. 182. saith Saint Austin Let a man returne by daily lamentations to that from whence hee is fallen by vaine delectations Repentance is the onely stay that holds vs from falling into hell Repent therefore and proportion your Repentance according to your sinnes like Manasses who hauing caused the streetes of Ierusalem to flow with blood made the prison in Babylon to runne with teares r Cyprian de Laps Ser. 5. Alto vulnere diligens medicina non desit saith Cyprian a deepe wound must haue a diligent cure Thus let euery sinner rayse vp himselfe by true and vnfayned Repentance lest his slippes of infirmity become the fall of Apostasie Take heede of backsliding reciduation in sinne is no lesse dangerous then a relapse in sicknesse The bone oft broken will hardly be set The tree that 's oft transplanted will scarcely prosper Hath Christ washed Å¿ Reuel 1.6 thee in his blood Cured thee with his stripes Esa 53.5 and healed thee with his wounds hath he paid thy debts cancelled the bond vpon the crosse and set thee vp being a t Col. 2.13 bankrupt in grace Returne not with the swine to wallow in thy filthy sinnes let not the diuell wound thee againe by fresh bleeding iniquities runne not into debt hy new transgressions Yea sinne no more lest a worse thing happen v Ioh. 5.14 to thee Thus all sinnes are carefully to be auoided yet some are more especially to be shunned as hauing a spice of this dangerous disease the sinne against the holy Ghost and some duties likewise are more especially to be practised as meanes and mithridates against that wofull euill Amongst many I will obserue some in both kindes It is dangerous to sinne against knowledge and more dangerous yet to sinne against the checks of conscience but most dangerous to sinne against the motions of Gods blessed spirit It is dangerous madnesse for the pilot to shut his eyes against the starres that should guide him And such is the case of all those who wilfully put out the light of knowledge and regard not the checks of conscience The Lord tels Israel in the second of Hosea I will stop thy way with thornes and so doth hee set the stings of conscience to stay the sinner if it be possible from his wicked courses and fearefull is the neglect thereof For he that regards not the cry of his sinnes to his conscience shall surely haue them crying to heauen against him for vengeance Take heede of scorning or vilifying the blessed word of God especially the Gospell of Peace When men shall be angry with the word 1 Reg. 22.8 as Ahab was with Michaiah because it reproues their corruptions it is with them as our Sauiour saith y Ioh. 3.19.20 They hate the light because their workes are euill and it argues their deformities that they cannot abide to looke into the glasse z Iam. 1.23 which discouers them When men doe thus disesteeme and shunne the Gospell of Christ it is a shrewd signe that the same is no pardon of theirs but rather their inditement There are some who haue scarce three sentences of Scripture yet of those they

should be renewed by repentance Albeit affected ignorance is very lyable to the curse of God according to our Sauiours words Woe be to thee Corazin woe be to thee r Mat. 11.21 Bethsaida yet inflicted ignorance obtaines his conniuence as it is Act. 17. ſ Acts 17.30 The time of this ignorance God regarded not This circumstance doth much extenuate a sinne when a man may say for himselfe as the Lord said of Niniueh there are sixe score thousand persons that cannot discerne betwixt their right hand and t Ion. 4.11 their left And when a man can pleade for himselfe with Abimelech Lord wilt thou slea euen the righteous u Gen. 20.4 Nation as if he should say had wee knowne her to be his wife wee would neuer haue offered violence to him nor villanie to her And contrarily it doth much aggrauate the sinne when one can admire acknowledge and commend the graces of God in others yet be gracelesse himselfe When he is like the Athenians who knew what was good but would not doe x Athenienses scire quae c. Tul. de senect it and like the Scribes and Pharisees who had the key of heauen yet would not enter therein For as Saint Iames saith y Iam. 4.17 to him that knoweth to doe well and doth it not to him it is sinne that is sinne with a witnesse it is a sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a more eminent extraordinary manner then others As Bernard saith z Bern. in Cant. Serm. 36. Ac si diceret sumenti cibum at non digerenti perniciosum est As meate that is eaten and not digested so is knowledge receaued and not practised as the one breedes diseases in the body so the other brings destruction to the soule It was Adams great perfection that made his ruine so lamentable and the transcendent excellency of the Angels which made their sinne so damnable and their fall so vnrecouerable And no meruaile for it is absolute Iustice a Luke 12.47 that the seruant which knowes his Masters will and doth it not should be beaten with many stripes Saint Paul b Rom. 9. 10 speakes of the errours of the Iewes his Country-men with great compassion because they had the zeale of God but not according to knowledge But our Sauiour checks the wilfull blindnesse of the Pharisees with as great indignation telling them that if they were blinde they should haue no c Ioh. 9.39.41 sinne meaning not so haynous sinne but because they said they did see therefore their sinne remained that is it stuck close by them So that as Saloman saith d Eccles 1.18 Hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow So may I say hee that increaseth knowledge and doth not vse it increaseth danger Men had need to consider what end they propound to their knowledge Some saith Bernard get knowledge Bern. sup Cant. Ser. 36. Et turpis quaestus est vt vendant that they may make merchandize of it and that is filthy gayne Some vt aedificent that they may edifie others and that is charitie Et charitas est Some vt aedificentur that themselues may be builded vp in grace Et prudentia est and that is wisedome And indeede it is great wisedome for a man to reape to himselfe the fruite of his owne knowledge and as great folly when he can teach another and not teach himselfe Rom. 2.21 Therefore Salomons counsell is good in this case e Pro. 5.15 Drinke thy water of thy Cisterne Hast thou a fountaine of knowledge to refresh others with the streames thereof yet thy selfe hast a thirsty soule and a barren life What an absurdity is this before men and danger in the sight of God O water and refresh thine owne soule make vse of the knowledge of the truth which thou hast receaued least after many gracious showers of instruction thy soule remaining bad and barren thou be exposed to the curse of God f Heb. 6.8 It had beene better for some not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse as Saint Peter saith then g 2 Pet. 2.21 after they had knowne it to turne from the holy Commandements giuen vnto them Had they not knowne then had their Audit beene more easie For behold where the Lord deliuers forth large talents of knowledge there he expects great reckonings of obedience to be brought in not looking for the like at their hands towards whom hee hath not beene such a bountifull Creditour This caused Peter when he taxed the people in the Temple for betraying and denying Christ in the presence of Pilate h Acts 3.17 not to leaue them comfortlesse in so hainous a crime but to giue them hope that they should obtaine remission and haue their sinnes put away at the time of the refreshing because they did it through ignorance This also was a staffe of comfort to Saint Paul whose cruelty towards the Saints and seruants of God was most extreame For hee was a blasphemer a persecutor and an oppressor yea those outrages were prosecuted with violent fury and madnesse as himselfe ingenuously confesseth i Act 26.10.11 Yet these his mercilesse persecuting sinnes found mercy at Gods hands vpon his serious repentance as hee comfortably witnesseth k 1. Tim. 1.13 In a word this was the ground of our Sauiours prayer at the time of his passion l Luke 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe As though hee should say If they knew indeede that I am the Sonne of God and would offer me this indignity the Messiah and Sauiour of the world and yet would shew mee this cruelty the Lord of glorie and yet would crucifie mee I would neuer vouchsafe to open my mouth for them but now O Father for as much as these things haue not beene reuealed to the eye of their vnderstanding nor made euident to the view of their conscience vouchsafe them pardon and lay not this sinne to their charge The second bad Humour THE second bad Humour that feedes this mortall wound is willingnesse If we sinne willingly If the Pilote be not skilfull or carefull those that goe by Sea must needes sayle dangerously but if they also carry full sayle in the midst of a tempest they cannot choose but be ouerset Euen so it fareth with vs while wee flote in the sea of this present world If our vnderstanding which is our Pilote doe fayle vs after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth our case is dāgerous but if withall we giue our wills full sayle euery blast of Sathans temptations will be ready to sinke vs and this is the Apostles word here in this place If we sinne willingly which word implieth somewhat more then a simple and single will and importeth rather a resolute wilfulnesse So that this is not a mixt action wherein the sinner is partly willing partly vnwilling but an absolute resigning of that faculty for the performance

euery man sicke So hypocrisie lets in this sinne readily but sinceritie keepes it out as carefully The Apostle therefore admonisheth fitly in the third to the Hebrewes Heb. 12.13 Take heede that there be not in you an euill and vnfaithfull heart to depart from the liuing God And in the twelfth to the Hebrewes Heb. 3.12 he exhorts Make straight steps to your feet least that which is halting be turned out of the way shewing that a false heart voide of sincerity drawes away from God and halting hypocrisie leads vs out of the way of life Therefore whatsoeuer we professe let it be in sinceritie for commonly where religion begins in hypocrisie it ends in apostasie Cherish the feare of God An awfull and humble spirit is a singular blessing Saint Cyprian saith well Timor innocentiae custos Cyprian Epist 2. Feare is a good keeper of innocencie And Salomon saith Prou. 14.27 The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to auoide the snares of death This deadly sinne cannot haue accesse to that heart where the feare of God resideth For as the vaines that haue narrow passages doe hardly receiue poison So where the passages of your soules are straightned with a reuerend awe of the maiestie of God you can neuer be infected with the poison of this blasphemy which is euer accompanied with haughty pride Therefore I may say with Salomon Prou. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill Be carefull to entertaine the motions of Gods blessed spirit For how can you with hope and comfort knocke at the doore of mercy if you will not heare the spirit of God knocking at the doore of your hearts What true ioy can your hearts haue when you grieue the spirit of God by sending him away and what know you if you send him away whether he will euer returne to you againe When you haue entertained the good motions of Gods spirit be carefull to cherish them Behold how our Sauiour rowseth vp the Church of Sardis in the third of the Reuelation Reuel 3.2 Be awake and strengthen the things which remaine that are ready to dye The Lord cannot abide any losse in these rich Iewels And therefore Saint Paul exhorts 1 Thes 5.19 quench not the spirit as the holy fire which came from heauen was carefully preserued in the Temple So must you see that in your soules the temples of the holy Ghost his heauenly graces be carefully cherished Yea the Lord lookes for an improuement of his graces according to the Apostles exhortation Grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Lastly Ephes 6. get the spirit of prayer and supplication which is the speciall part of the Apostles compleat armour Magnum oratio propugnaculum Chrys Idem de orando Deum lib. 2. This is a mighty fortresse against the assaults of Sathan yea it is saith Chrysostome the life and sinewes of our soules Prayer is an especiall meanes to inlighten the vnderstanding with knowledge and to water the heart with grace Eusebius Euseb hist Eccles 5.5 shewes that the Christians by Prayer obtained fulmen aduersus hostis imbrem ad refocillandum exercitum lightning against the enemie and raine to refresh the armie So be carefull daily and duely to power forth your prayers to God and you shall be fortified against this and other sinnes you shall be furnished with grace and established with the Lords free spirit for euer 3. Here is matter of consolation for euery penitent heart because Repentance is a most certaine supersedeas and euidence of freedome from this fearefull sinne which if you haue obtained though you haue wounded spirits as Salomon e Prou. 18.14 speakes though your soules were subiect to a thousand Vlcers as Chrysostome f Paulus eos curauit qui sexcenta vlcera habebant Chrys in Philip. Hom. 4. saith yet may I say of your sinnes as our Sauiour said of Lazarus sicknesse g Iohn 11. they are not vnto death For if they were your hearts would be like the Anuile in beating backe the hammer of repentance Onely this sinne doth distinguish betweene the sinnes of the elect and the reprobate There is no other into which the childe of God may not fall but into this hee cannot As the Lord said to Abimelech h Gen. 20.6 I kept thee that thou shouldest not sinne So may I say truely The Lord keepes all his seruants that they cannot fall into this sinne Their spirituall building may by diuers temptations be sore shaken and battered but the same can neuer be vtterly demolished because they haue laid their foundation vpon the vnmoueable rocke Are there any here that would gladly be assured in their soules that they are free from this sinne as I know by ample experience that tender hearts are apt to entertaine troublesome feares hearken then vnto me and I will giue you in a few words a most infallible direction for your assurance Examine your selues and search your hearts if you haue faith to beleeue Gods promises Repentance to bewaile your sinnes assure your selues you are free you are farre from the committing of this sinne against the holy Ghost The force of faith our Sauiour shewes in the fift of Iohn with a double asseueration for confirmation thereof i Iohn 5.25 Verily verily I say vnto you He that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation k August in Psal 205. Oppugnat diabolus non expugnat He that gets the fort of faith shall be safe as Saint Augustine saith Sathan may assault him he can neuer subdue him The woman with the bloudy issue may be a comfortable instance in this respect l Mark 5.33 She came trembling and said If I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be safe It is good when the heart speaks rather then the tongue But what said she If I may but touch a weake action the hemme of his garment the remotest part with a trembling hand a feeble apprehension yet saies shee If I may doe this I shall be whole So be you assured that if you can lay hold vpon Christ Iesus with the hand of a true faith though it be feeble vertue shall come forth of his wounds to cure the wounds of your soules and the bloudy issue of your sinnes When the man in the Gospell m Marke 9. brought vnto Christ his sonne possessed with a dumbe spirit whom the Disciples could not cast out he besought him thus If thou canst doe any thing Vers 22. helpe vs and haue compassion vpon vs. To whom our Sauiour answered If thou canst beleeue Vers 23. all things are possible to him that beleeueth If thou canst saith the poore man nay if thou canst saith our blessed Sauiour If the man haue beliefe in