have done any More or done any worse than This Than to exclude thee from the Favour of thy God the Lovely Mansions of the Upper World and Bind thee over to eternal Infelicities Let this therefore be a just Reproof and Terrour to all that continue in any one Known willful Sin Though they have not been Guilty of the Vnpardonable Blasphemy For if they will make any other Falls any other Sins Vnpardonable to themselves by Impenitently continuing in them and going on in them with open Eyes and a full Consent of the Will it can avail them but little to say they have not committed the Sin against the Holy Ghost And let it prevail with you Christian even you in particular to Turn from Sin to God to cast off your former Evils and instead thereof constantly to set about all those Christian Duties which our Lord was pleased to leave you in Charge when he went away And more particularly to Throw off that Iniquity of yours to which you have most indulg'd and by which you have most frequently faln And to labour to obtain the Contrary Virtue and Live in it For let me most seriously and affectionately ask you as I would a rational Expecter of a Bless'd Resurrection You say you have not been Guilty of the Sin and Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and 't is like you have not Well and will you Christian make any other Known Sin or Fall Vnpardonable to you by your impenitently going on and continuing in it Is it not infinite Imprudence and infinite Pity you should delay your Return to God one Day when your Condition might be so Hopefull Or that you should make your Sin become the Vnpardoned Sin by your Impenitent Living and Dying in it By your being found in it at the Hour of Death and the Resurrection For do but Consider again The Covenant of Grace is not only a Covenant of Faith but of Repentance and Obedience too And that 't is so is not only the plain Language of the Scripture but even of Common Reason that it should be so For what think you Christian Can the Murtherers of Fathers and the Murtherers of Mothers as the Apostle speaks Can the Prophane and the Impenitent the Atheistical and Debauch'd Person expect to be put away to the Society of the Humble Holy Mortify'd and Devout Souls of all Ages Can the Vnjust Person impenitently so continuing expect to be put away to Just Zachaeus and to the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect Is it likely he should be qualified to pass away with them a pleasurable Eternity Can the Prophane Swearer so Living and Dying expect to have his Tongue tun'd in an Instant to the different Notes of Hymns and Hallelujahs and Hosanna's to him that sits on the Throne and the Lamb for ever and ever Can the Impure Adulterer till the polluted Temple of the Holy Ghost be cleansed by the bitter Waters of Repentance expect to be put away to the Chast and Holy Virgin-Mother and to the Chast Souls of all Ages Or is it likely he should otherwise be qualify'd to pass away with them a Lovely Immortality Can the Vncharitable the Bitter and the Implacable Person so continuing expect to be put away to and be qualified to spend a Rapturous Eternity with Charitable St. Stephen Can the Intemperate Person The Drunkard and the Glutton expect to be lodg'd for ever with the Abstemious and the Temperate and be like to be fitted to pass away an Immortality with them Can the Vnmortified the Contentious and the Unpeaceful expect to be put away to the Prince of Peace to the Meek Moses and the Meeker Jesus Can the Wretched Non-Communicant expect the same Lot and Portion with the Frequent and the Devout Communicant and be like to be qualified to pass away a Rapturous Eternity with them Can they who will have such an easie Religion as shall Cost them Nothing expect to be put away to those Devout Worthies who for the Divine Obedience and Love were content to be Destitute Afflicted Tormented not accepting a Deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection Can the Impenitent Person that takes No Care to shew the Truth of his Repentance by his Reformation expect to be admitted to Penitent St. Peter and with him to pass away a pleasurable Eternity Say Christian are these Things probable or likely even to Common Reason Though there were no such Thing as Scripture and Divine Revelation No surely Come then take this Second Inference home to thy Self Enter into a close and strict Meditation Shew it to thy Peculiar Sin any Iniquity continued in and then See how it Appears to Thee I 'll mention a Few And among them do you bring in your own and see How that appears to You. You my Horrid Oaths and Imprecations Why shall I venture the Wrath of my God and the Loss of an Immortality for you Why the Sin against the Holy Ghost could have done but This Why then shall I continue in you which if I Impenitently do you will do as much as That You my Injustices by which I make no Scruple to defraud my Brother and when I know that I have done so Refuse to make Restitution You my Lusts and Impurities by which I have defiled the Temple of the Holy Ghost You my Uncharitablenesses my Bitterness and Implacableness of Spirit You my any other known Sin whether of Omission or Commission Why shall I venture the Wrath of my God and the loss of an Immortality for you Why the Sin against the Holy Ghost could have done but This Why then shall I continue in you which if I Impenitently do you will do as much as That See now in this Meditation how thy Peculiar thy darling Sin and Vice appears to thee If it appear Amiable and Lovely and Safe and Desirable you may then e'en return to it again upon the next Temptation But if it appear evil and bitter Infinitely Vnsafe and Dangerous get Instantly out of it and That whatever Self-denial or Mortification or Loss or Disadvantage or Shame or Reproach or Care or Diligence or Watchfulness it cost thee For what Good can it do Thee if thou shouldest be consign'd to the Sorrows of Eternity to remember that thou didst not Perish by the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost but by some other Sin from which Thou wouldest not be perswaded to be divorc'd Come then Christian Cast off the darling Sin as thou wouldst a Coal of Fire out of thy Bosom Let not a Sting so Evil and Bitter so Unsafe and Dangerous so Treacherous and Betraying be imprudently entertain'd and cherish'd a Day longer And seeing the Night comes in which none can work and comes apace comes quickly Remember This There can be no such Wisdom as to make a few Minutes or Days more minister to the Safeties of a Blest Eternity And there can be no such Folly in the World as the venturing so much as Eternity for so little as the small
Printed for H. Bonwick at the Red Lion in St. P. Ch. yard I. Savage sculp A Practical DISCOURSE OF THE SIN against the Holy Ghost Shewing Plainly I. What it is II. How any Person may certainly know whether he has been Guilty of it DESIGNED To bring Incouragement to the Faithful Penitent Tranquility of Mind to the Obedient Joys to them that Love and the Returning Sinner from Desperation Nihil ardet in Inferno nisi propria Voluntas S. Bernard LONDON Printed by J. L. for Henry Bonwicke at the Red-Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCV THE Author's DEDICATION AND PRAYER Blessed TRINITY FRom an Affectionate and willing Spirit from a Heart desiring to please Thee and to be in all things right toward Thee I humbly Dedicate this Discourse to the Uses of thy Glory Love and Obedience begging this only for my self That I may not Preach to others and be my self a Cast-away For thy Faithful People begging Pardon and Peace That they may be cleansed from all their Sins and serve Thee with a quiet Mind through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen St. MATTH xij 31 32. Wherefore I say unto you 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 whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him THE CONTENTS Sect I. THE Occasion of this Discourse Sect. II. What the Sin or Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is Sect. III. The Blasphemy of the Pharisees unpardonable no longer than willfully and impenitently continued in Sect. IV. How any Person may assuredly know whether he has been guilty of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Sect. V. The great Likelihood that the Christian Reader has not yet been Guilty of this Sin 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 Incouragement for the faithful Penitent to go on chearfully but yet very sincerely in his Repentance Sect. VII The Second Practical Inference from the Consideration of the Nature and Meaning of this Sin viz. That 't is just Matter of Reproof and Terrour to the Careless and the Prophane Person that goes on any known Sin and takes no Care to come in and Return to God by Repentance and to labour for the Vertue that is contrary to his Sin and live in it Sect. VIII The Third Practical Inference from the Consideration of the Nature and Meaning of this Sin It is Matter of Consolation to all Sincerely Humble Holy Devout and Obedient Persons to incourage them to persevere and go on a little longer with a Holy Joy and with a Religious Peace The CLOSE Sect IX Two Things necessary to the Holding out in a Christian Course which you Christian Reader that are assured you have not yet committed the unpardonable Sin should by all Means presently resolve upon which if you did you would be very safe and happy Sect. X. Three Aspirations or Emotions of the Soul that being joyfully Apprehensive it has not Committed this Sin is desirous henceforward to please God in a Life of faithful Obedience and Penitential Love A Practical Discourse OF THE Sin against the Holy Ghost SECT I. The Occasion of this Discourse BEfore I come to the more particular Enquiries in shewing what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is and the several Uses which I would draw from the Consideration of the Nature and the Meaning of this Vnpardonable Blasphemy and leave them upon the Affectionate Thoughts of those who have not yet quitted all their future Hopes and Expectations nor desire to do so I will stop a little to mention some of the Reasons and charitable Designations and Intentions of my Publishing a Discourse on this Subject I am perswaded and perhaps I have observ'd That there are some devout Christians who for want of a Right and True Account and a full Knowledge of what this Sin is have been discouraged from a Christian Course or else have gone on heavily in their Devotions and Obedience and in accomplishing with Sincerity those few Duties to God and Man which our Ascended Saviour was pleas'd to leave us in Charge when he went away Fearing that They have been Guilty of this Sin And therefore that all that they do or suffer is to no Purpose And tho' they truly aim at Immortality at a Blest and Joyful Resurrection and at the Divine Glory Love and Obedience and from an affectionate and a willing Spirit and a Heart right towards God Desire nothing so much as to please him and to be train'd up and fitted and trimm'd and disciplin'd for an Admittance to a New World of Blessed Spirits and to come away and spend a Rapturous Eternity at the Feet of Jesus yet all this while are afraid they may have committed this Sin And this cools their Love of God Hinders the Liveliness and the Chearfulness of their Duties and keeps them off from a Religious Peace and from the Prosecution of some Christian Actions which they would otherwise chearfully Perform For their Sake therefore in the first Place and to invite them to persevere with a Holy Constancy and Joy in the Commands of their Ascended Saviour I will shew plainly and truly what this Sin is A Second Sort of Men there are That by the Prevalency and Power of a Strong Temptation have made some dismal Recessions from their Baptismal Innocence and are Sensible that they have faln into a Sin and have displeas'd their God But they would quickly and humbly return to their offended Father with the Penitent Prodigal were they not afraid they had been guilty of the Vnpardonable Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost And for this Reason they are discourag'd in their Repentances and their Return to the Ways of God or at least go on very heavily in them with no Joy or Chearfulness or holy Purposes and Resolutions Which they say they would Quickly and Thankfully and Sincerely do were they sure they had not been Guilty of this Sin For their sakes also will I plainly shew what ' t is A Third Sort I find there are that have been very great Sinners Have long liv'd in a State of great Inconsideration and Carelesness Prophaneness and Neglect of the Soul and Immortality And they conclude That among so great a Heap and Conjugation of Sins which they have committed 't is ten to one but they have been guilty of this too And therefore That 't is to no manner of Purpose to return and seek a Reconciliation with their God For their day they think is over And if they should return to the Ways of God and choose better and live the Holy Life which is much the easier and the sweeter Life of the two yet they suppose all 's in Vain They have committed this Sin and the
Difference between speaking barely against the Son of Man before he was manifested to be so by Miracles and by the Power of the Holy Ghost and the Speaking against him after he was manifested to be so by Miracles and by the Power of the Holy Ghost The one as I said might be a pardonable Ignorance But the other must be an inexcusable willful Blindness SECT III. The Blasphemy of the Pharisees Vnpardonable no longer than wilfully and Impenitently continued in BUT now consider Christian neither was the Blasphemy of the Pharisees an unpardonable Sin any longer than 't was wilfully and impenitently continued in This I prove from their very Case here who were guilty of this Sin None could deny our Lord more or oppose him more than his very Crucifiers yet even of them his very words are to God Father forgive them That is Deny them not the means of Forgiveness which is Repentance and deny them not Forgiveness if they shall Return and Repent And no doubt Christ was heard in all that he pray'd for So that even they that at first resisted and opposed Christ if afterwards they receiv'd and acknowledg'd him by the convincing Considerations of his Doctrine and his Miracles and with a sincere and humble Conformity of Heart and Life to his Faith and Doctrine laid hold on God's Mercy in Christ even to these Pardon and Remission is not deny'd by the Gospel Something of an Example of this we have in St. Peter in that shameful and wretched and dismal fall of his in denying our Saviour Here was no Ignorance for he knew him and own'd him to be the Messias or the Christ But yet being prevail'd upon by a sudden Fear He deny'd him and not only deny'd the Lord that bought him three Times but swore him away too St. Matt. 26.74 Here was a disowning and denying of him indeed and That too after he had been convinced that he was the Messias by the Power and Influence of the Holy Ghost and had upon That receiv'd him and acknowledg'd him and own'd him A Denial of them therefore against his own Light Knowledge and Conviction And what you 'll say was not this a Sin against the Holy Ghost To this I Answer Had he obstinately persisted in it wilfully continued in it and liv'd and dy'd in it it had been the Sin against the Holy Ghost But in St. Peter's Case there are always three Things very Considerable First 'T was by a sudden Fear a sudden Surprize of That Passion that he fell Secondly The Quickness and Bitterness of his Repentance His Master look'd about upon him and He considered what he had done and recall'd himself and went out and wept Bitterly Thirdly What was most considerable The truth of his Repentance appear'd by the Truth and Perseverance of his Reformation For no Fears could afterward any more prevail upon him For he had the Courage to die for him whom he had before deny'd These were three Things that were infinitely Considerable And here Dear Christian give me leave to stop a little to bring them home to your own Case even yours in particular Perhaps with St. Peter thou hast faln and faln too Knowingly and Wittingly against Knowledge Light and Conviction If so Consider what he did and go do thou likewise and like him do it Quickly Sincerely and Perseveringly and you shall not fail of Mercy Perhaps a sudden Fear or a sudden Passion or a sudden Surprize has betray'd thee to a Sin Nay perhaps 'thas not only been sudden but deliberate with open Eyes and a full Consent of the Will However do thou as he did Return to thy offended Saviour with Penitential Sorrows By Faith lay hold on God's Mercies in him Shew him the Truth of thy Repentance by the Sincerity of thy Reformation Crown 〈◊〉 Perfect thy Repentance by 〈◊〉 to obtain the Contrary Virtue 〈◊〉 Living in it But withall do it 〈◊〉 as he did and persevere sincereâ—â— too and doubt not of the Mercies of Eternity He did it Quickly He did not stay till his Death-bed fill'd him with variety of Distractions Pains and Agonies and unfitted him for it He did not stay till the worst of his days those which lay upon his hands and were good for Nothing He did not keep those for God which he knew not what to do with himself but He did it Quickly He did it Sincerely next As appeared by the Shower of Penitential Tears which could not have dropt so soon had he not been in good Earnest with his dearest Lord and had they not proceeded from a heart swollen equally with Grief and Love And Last of all he did it Perseveringly And in this Respect go and do thou likewise Shew him thy Love in the sincere Permanency of thy Reformation as he did who having thrice following deny'd him did in a little time after say to him thrice following these Affectionate words and made them good too Lord thou knowest that I love thee St. Joh. 21.15 16 17. Hast thou faln Why oh why wilt thou for any Hopes or Expectations Any Fears or Desires any Delights or Advantanges continue a day longer in thy Sin Do but look yonder in a holy Meditation to that Lovely Futurity which so many wise Men have been content to live and content to die for and then see if you can be the Person that can think fit to venture so much for so little Look in a quick and a piercing Thought Look yonder to what eye has not seen nor ear heard nor the Heart of man conceiv'd and think then whether a wise Man should be able to find it in his Heart to venture all this for some unsatisfactory and dishonourable Iniquity Once more do but raise your Meditations Dear Christian to the lovely Regions of beatified Spirits Regions which cost thy Saviour an Agony and a Bloody Sweat a Crucifixion and Death it's self to purchace you the Hopeful Possibility of them and then see in That Thought if you can alway be content they should cost you Nothing Nothing of Penitential Sorrows Nothing of the Pains of Subduing a Temptation Nothing of the Self-denial of being without the Pleasures of a Sin Nothing of the Diligence and Watchfulness and Care of a Reformed State Come then O come my Soul say Seeing our Case is yet Hopeful at least not Desperate let us from this moment be content that one short Life should cost us as much as 〈…〉 to till all be over and ended 〈◊〉 we are consign'd to our Nâ—w 〈◊〉 unknown and eternal State and Condition SECT IV. How any Person may assuredly know whether he has been Guilty of the Sin against the Holy Ghost HAving seen what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is That is what it was in the Pharisees I shall Presently shew what it is in them who have been baptized and have been Believers But before I come to That I will stop a little to shew how any Person may assuredly Judge whether he have committed