Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	ghost_n	son_n	36,902	5	6.3305	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

to doe despite to the Spirit of Grace Crucifying afresh the Son of God and putting him to open shame Now a Man having gone thus far he comes in the last place to be an Apostate for thus to oppose thus willfully and maliciously to oppose the known truth is always joyned with final and total Apostacy for he that is so far enlightned as to see the evil of sin and the excellency of Christ and Holiness and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost of his Graces and Comforts and tasteth of Gods love and favour in Jesus Christ and has some fore-taste of the Joys of the World to come now for such a one Willfully Spitefully and Maliciously to fall away he so falls as never to rise more It is true the Children of God fall and that often and yet rise again but when they fall through weakness of infirmity and not willfully and maliciously but these wicked wretches fall willfully and maliciously and so fall finally Against such the door of mercy is for ever shut concerning such St. Peter saith It had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness then after they have known to turn from the Holy Commandement delivered unto them But it happened unto them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire 2. Pet. 2.21 22. There is such another dreadful place of Scripture against these kind of Apostates that is Heb. 10.26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a fearful looking for of Judgement and fiery Indignation Thus I have given you five steps as so many links in a Chain all which makes up the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost It is a Willful and Malicious oppoling of the known truth joyned with final Apostacy Thus I have shewed you as Plain as I can what this sin unto death is Now to proceed Secondly The next thing to be considered is that all other Sins or Blasphemies whatsoever may be forgiven be our sins never so great and many tho' we be the vilest wretches that ever lived yet there is hopes of pardon upon Repentance Manasses was the vilest Sinner that ever we read of yet he Repented and was pardoned also Mary Magdalen was the Chief of sinners for out of her came seven Devils yet because she loved much much was forgiven her A Man may be a Whoremonger an Adulterer and work Witch-craft and deal with Familiar Spirits and yet at last he may Repent and be saved and yet I have heard talk of some that are so foolish as to take the sin of Fornication to be a sin Unpardonable for from Gods own words in the fourth Commandment I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the Sins of the Fathers unto the third and fourth generation From whence they say that Children that are base born are not saved unto the third and fourth generation But this is a most erronious Interpretation of Gods Word it is them that hate him and continue hating of him that he will visit their Iniquities upon for Fornicators and Adulterers themselves may repent and be saved much more the Children who knew nothing nor could help nothing For Christ with his own Mouth tells the Scribes and Pharises Matt. 21.13 that the Publicans and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdom of God before them for there is no Sin but is pardonable except the sin against the Holy Ghost But Thirdly The sin against the Holy Ghost is alone the sin unto Death that is a sin Unpardonable never to be forgiven neither in this World nor in the World to come Not because the Merits of Christ is not sufficient to pardon it for this sin as well as for all other sins are but Finite whereas the Merits of Christ are Infinite Object But what is the reason then that this sin cannot be forgiven Answer This Question brings me to the fourth thing considerable do but mind me a little and I will as plain and as clear as I can tell you what the Reason is The Reason arises from the Nature of this sin for this sin by whomsoever it is committed burdens the heart and sears the Conscience so that there is no place for Repentance to be wrought neither for that nor for any other sin This Sin is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost not because it is a Sin against the Person of the Holy Ghost for so is all Sin against his Person but it is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost because it is against the Office and Work of the Holy Ghost Now every one of the three Persons have their particular Work the Work of the Father is to Create the Work of the Son is to Redeem lost Sinners and the work of the Holy Ghost is to enlighten Convince Sanctifie and Convert them Now a Man committing this Unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost Rejects all this work of the Spirit Now for a Man to be throughly enlightnell by the Holy Ghost that he comes to know the evil of sin and of his lost and undone condition without Christ and that none but the Merits of Christ can save him then for him willfully and maliciously to oppose him and the work of his Spirit and will not be beholding to him for Salvation now for such a one to be forgiven is utterly impossible Object But why is it Impossible nothing is Impossible with God Answer Nothing is Impossible with God that does not imploy a Contradiction but for God to Forgive the sin committed against the Holy Ghost imploys a Contradiction for how can he have Pardon given him that utterly rejects it As for instance A Man through Ignorance may deny Christ and maliciously fall from the profession of the truth into all kind of wickedness as did Saint Paul and the Jews that Crucified Christ and yet not falling against Light and Knowledge there is room for the Holy Ghost to work upon him to enlighten him and to convince him of his Folly and so makes way for Conversion And besides a Man after he hath been enlightned and ●et falls back through infirmity and the weakness of the flesh as Peter did and doth not fall willfully and maliciously then the Holy Ghost may work upon him and renew him again and work in him a deep sorrow for abusing so much love and mercy and so carry on his good work unto Salvation But for a Man when he is once enlightned by the Holy Ghost and has had some taste of Gods Love and Favour and some foretaste of the joys of Heaven and then at last utterly opposing this illuminating work of the Spirit and willfully and maliciously to fall away and so to reject the Spirits renewing work Alas then the Holy Ghost has done he has nothing more that he can work in him for this wretched creature has utterly rejected him his enlightning work his convincing work his Sanctifing work he has utterly rejected Christs pardon Heaven and all Now this poor wretch is past all hopes of Mercy all hopes of Pardon nay for such a one we are forbidden to Pray as you see in the verse whereof my Text is a part Now Christ prayed for them that maliciously Crucified him Luke 23.34 saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do Alas they knew not what they were doing for had they knew it they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory 1. Corinth 2.8 But if they had known and yet Crucified him Christ would not have spent his breath to pray for them for it would have been utterly in vain for when a Man has committed this Unpardonable sin all the prayers of Heaven nor Earth can do him no good for as the Text saith There is a Sin unto Death I shall conclude all with a few words of Application and I will be as short as possible because this Discourse will be to large for so small a Book Here is first a word of Comfort Secondly a word of Counsel First A word of Comfort It may be with reading and hearing of this terrible Discourse your hearts begin to ake with fear that you have committed this Unpardonable sin But I think I have sufficiently proved to you what it is and I tell you again that there are but few that can commit it nay there are millions that are tormented in Hell yet never committed this Sin Nay further an ignorant Protestant may through weakeness and out of a slavish fear turn Papist and renounce his profession and yet not commit this Unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost for doing it out of ignorance and infirmity there may be matter left for the Holy Ghost to work upon whereby he may yet be Converted and Saved Consider this also● if you are afraid that you have committed 〈…〉 with that you had not committed it if it were to do again 〈…〉 is a ●●de sig●●hat you have not committed ●● Secondly I must conclude also with a word of Counsel First watch very deligently against all sin but above all take especial heed of those sins that come near to the sin against the Holy Ghost and they are these Hypocrisie taking only the outward profession of Religion and so dissembling and mocking of God sinning willfully against Conviction of Conscience and against great Light and Knowledge sinning presumptuously and with an high hand these sins tho' none of them are the direct sin against the Holy Ghost yet they will come very near to it therefore take especial need of them least they in time should bring you to the committing of that Uunpardonable Sin And Lastly Labour to be Sincere in Religion and by a true Faith ingraft your selves into Christ for they that be with Christ can never commit this Unpardonable Sin For know this that amongst all the Sins committed by fallen Mankind there is one Sin that is a Sin unto Death which is the Unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost which whosoever commits it hath no forgiveness neither in this World nor in the World to come Consider what has been said and the Lord give you Understanding FINIS

Men in the World ever had and were happy above all other Creatures but then not being contented with this Estate they thought to be as high as God himself therefore maliciously sought to make War against the Son of God and put him out of his Throne for which cause they were immediately thrust out of Heaven never more to see the face of Mercy and thus from the beginning they have been counted malicious and revengeful a raging Beast and a roaring Lyon thus their Sin being of the same nature with the Sin against the Holy Ghost they were excluded all hopes of pardon But the Sin of our first Parents was not the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost is clear for tho' they sinned against great light yet they obeyed and complyed with the will of God even when the Tempter came until at last they were inticed and overcome but they did not fall maliciously and so were not excluded a possibility of mercy Secondly This Sin may be committed in Word too that is when a man speaks blasphemously and maliciously of Christ and his holy way this was the Sin of the Scribes and Pharisees Mark 3.22 There were certain Scribes came and said this Fellow hath Beelzebub and casleth out Devils by the Prince of the Devils Therefore saith Christ to them ver 28.29 Verily I say unto you all Sins shall be forgiven unto the Sons of men and Blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness but is in danger of eternal Damnation Now the reason of this speech of our blessed Saviour is shewed in verse 20. because they said he hath an unclean Spirit which plainly shews that these Scribes had spoken Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost These Scribes were great Learned Men they could know no other but that Christ was the Son of God and they knew that he cast out Devils by the Spirit of God and yet they out of spite to Christ maliciously and blasphemously said that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub the chief of Devils Thus these Scribes committed the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost and that in Word Thirdly This Sin may be committed in Action too that is when a man being once throughly enlightned and entered upon a holy course of Life and tasted the comforts of Gods Spirit and had some foretaste of the joys of Heaven and not only makes profession of the Gospel but teaches it to others he at last takes a dislike of these holy courses and through spite and malice utterly forsakes opposes and persecutes those good ways of God which he before profest and taught But to sum up this point this unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost is fully described by the Apostle to the Hebrews Chap. 10.26 27 28. For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctify'd an unholy thing and have done despite to the Spirit of Grace Likewise Heb. 6.4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who when once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the World to come if they fall away to renew them again to Repentance seeing they Crucifie afresh to themselves the Son of God and put him to open shame Now the Sin against the Holy Ghost is briefly this It is a wilful and malicious opposing of the known truth joyned with final Apostacy I shall a little explain these words and then proceed First This Sin unto Death is an opposing Sin now to oppose a thing is to contradict it or gainsay it when a man says a thing is so and so he denies it and says it is not so when a man says a thing must be done he says again it must not nor shall not be done such an opposition is in the heart of him that commits this unpardonable Sin but a man may be an opposing man and yet cannot commit this Sin therefore Secondly It is the Truth that he must oppose that is he must utterly oppose and reject Christ who said I am the Truth Joh. 14.6 He opposeth all his threatnings and will not believe his promises and counts him to be a Seducer of the people and counts the blood of the Covenant to be any unholy thing nay he also opposes the Spirit of Christ who is the Spirit of Truth so that he will not obey his motions and will not be led nor guided by him but a man may oppose the Truth and yet do it ignorant therefore Thirdly It must be the known truth that he opposeth he must be once enlightned But you must know that it is not only a notional knowledge for a man may have great knowledge and humane Learning he may know much of God and of his will in the Letter of the word and yet not be capable of committing this unpardonable Sin But he must be so far enlightned as to see the evil that is in Sin and the excellency of Christ he must taste of the Heavenly gift and be made partaker of the Holy Ghost and taste of the good word of God and the powers of the World to come and by the blood of the Covenant which he counts as an unholy thing he is in part sanctified and cleansed from many Sins he must have sweet communion with God in his word and Sacraments he must have some taste of the love and favour of God and comforts of his Spirit and be refreshed by it and taste of the joys of Heaven and have some fore-taste of the happiness of the World to come This is that light and knowledge that lays a Man open to the committing of that Unpardonable sin But yet a Man may sin against all this light and experiamental knowledge and yet do it through the weakness of the flesh or through some violent temptation as Peter did when he denyed Christ therefore Fourthly He must oppose the known truth willfully he must willfully fall away after he hath received the knowledge of the truth other sins are commited through infirmity but this sin is willful the will is the chief actor in it and to compleat and make up this Unpardonable sin there is Fifthly Malice in the heart without this this sin cannot be committed it must be a malicious opposing of the known truth that is when a Man being once enlightned and tasted of the Heavenly gift and the good word of God and have been made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have had some sweet relish and foretaste of Heaven he come at last to take a dislike and to hate the Holy ways of God and maliciously oppose and persecute them and