other vnruly Ghests which were in that house before this good Ghest came thither the lusts and affections of the flesh I meane to beare rule and to keepe a stirre in that house to commit many shamefull and vngodly prankes by meanes whereof the good Ghest the good Spirit of God is not onely disquieted and troubled but letted and hindred from doing that good which he came to doe being woarie as it ware to tanie any longer in that House or Iune and therefore sometimes doth hide himselfe close in some corner of that House like fire couered in the Embers or ashes not making any comfortable meale with his Oast in many dayes and weekes together â— Sam. 11.12 And if the disorders be verie great such as the Adulterie and Murther of Dauid were he will hardly be found out in a whole yeere together so greatly is this good Ghest this holy Spirit of God offended and displeased with sinne or at least so odious and offensiue is sinne in his sight Nay which more is many times he will not be found out at all before euery corner of our hearts soules and consciences bee cleane washed with bitter teares of Repentance and these vnruly affections which made all the former disorders be in some sort tamed and subdued yea and vntill the Oast himselfe who suffered these parts to be played be seuerely punished in the House of GODS correction Psal 6.6 Luke 7.38 where hee must daily wash his wounds with the water of contrition As Dauid washed his Couch with teares as Mary Magdalene washed the feet of Christ Mat. 26.75 What it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God and as Peter went out and wept bitterly By this similitude so opened and explayned the verie simpliest I suppose may soone perceiue what it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God namely after that by the preaching of Gods Word wee haue receiued Faith and in some measure the sanctifying Spirit of God and haue entertained him with ioy and gladnesse yet notwithstanding many times and often through to too much securitie carelesnesse and negligence and sometimes through bold presumption and wilfull wickednesse we suffer the vnruly lusts of the flesh to sway and to beare rule in vs so long till as length we breake out into grosse sinnes and enormities whereby wee doe euen grieue the holy Spirit of God or as our Apostle seemes to expound himselfe in another place 1. Thes 5. â—â— Wee doe quench the Spirit of God and as much as in vs lyeth labour to extinguish and cleane put one the fire of Gods Grace with the cold water of sinne and vngodlinesse which water of wickednesse if it bee not in time dryed vp againe by Faith and true Repentance as it is euermore in the elect Children of God it would needs drowne our soules in that bottomlesse pit of destruction The vse then that we should make hereof is this Vse That learning hereby the detestation that God hath against sinne we should alwaies feare to commit it and therefore should make a conscience of euery sinne such sinnes as we account common sinnes and the Papists call veniall sinnes neuer weighing sinne in the ballance of our sinfull conceit but with the true waights of the Lords Sanctuarie and according to the account that God makes of it assuring our selues that euery sinne in its owne nature though neuer so small in our sense being committed against an infinite God doth iustly deserue an infinite punishment the ignorance whereof causeth so little conscience of sinning and so great prophanenesse to be in common Christians as is now to bee seene euery-where by meanes whereof they doe as our Apostle saith Constritare spiritum Grieue the holy Spirit and as one well noteth vpon that place quasi ex suo hospitio eum eijcimus euen cast him out of his owne habitation Contrariwise wee are here taught Vse how sweete and pleasing a thing it is to the holy Spirit of God that dwelleth in vs and to his holy Angels that watch and ward round about vs to liue and leade a holy life and godly conuersation For if sinne and vngodlinesse doe so grieue and offend the Spirit of God as surely it doth though we cannot conceiue the manner how then doubtlesse vertuous and holy liuing are most pleasing to the same Spirit And as the holy Spirit of God will not dwell in a soule subiected to sin so hee dwelleth with great delight and content in that soule which is sanctified by grace Therefore it is well said of one Oportet nos operam dare vt spiritus sanctus libenter in nobis habitet vt in domicilio laeto ac iucundo nec vlla tristitiae materia illi detur That it behooueth all Christians to giue all diligence so to liue as the holy Spirit of God may take delight for to dwell and remaine in vs as in a most pleasant Pauilion and that no cause of griefe be giuen vnto him through our carelesnesse and continuall custome of sinning So should it come to passe that as God takes delight in vs so should we haue comfort in him he through our holy obedience and wee through peace of conscience to our endlesse ioy and consolation Thus we see what it is to grieue the holy Spirit of God in our selues or to quench the good gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit within vs which sinne I take to bee proper to Gods Saints and Children and therefore thinke it good to distinguish the three sinnes before named that is Grieuing Resisting and Blaspheming of God Spirit in this manner First I say to grieue the holy Spirit of God or to quench the Spirit is a sinne of Gods Children who by the preaching of Gods Word and inward working of Gods Grace haue receiued Faith and in some measure the sanctifying Spirit of God before which Spirit of Sanctification is giuen to none in that manner or measure but only to Gods Elect nor neuer taken vtterly from any to whom it is once giuen For those whom God once loueth to the end he loueth them Iohn 13.1 Rom. 11.29 And the gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Therefore it is obserued in King Dauid after his fearefull falls That he prayes to haue this holy spirit renewed within him Psal 51.10 hauing layen still as it were a while without any comfortable motion but was neuer vtterly taken from him And this note I giue by the way the rather lest any of Gods Children that are to too much cast downe alreadie with the feeling of their sinnes shoul be ouer-whelmed with too much heauinesse as also to teach that they may bee daily renewed by Repentance for their daily relictions contrarie to that old Heresie of the Nouatians The Nouatian Heresie which held the contrarie For though to grieue the Spirit of God by sinning bee a great aggrauating of sinne yet being many times the sinne of Gods Elect Children it is pardoned and forgiuen in
GRIEVING OF GODS SPIRIT Contayning the summe of a Sermon preached at Saint MARIES in OXFORD The chiefe points intreated on are Viz. I. Of grieuing of Gods Spirit II. Of resisting of Gods Spirit III. Of blaspheming of Gods Spirit in the highest degree commonly called The sinne against the Holy Ghost By Radford Mauericke Minister in DEVON Reade iudiciously but iudge charitably MATTH 7.2 For with what Iudgement ye iudge ye shall be iudged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againe LONDON Printed by William Stansby 1620. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitane And one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Councell All sauing graces wished in this life and all during Glorie in the life to come MOST REVEREND HOw much the Ministers of the Gospell within your Graces Prouince haue and doe continually reioyce of your preferment to this place and how many zealous Prayers are made vnto God for your Graces long and happie continuance therein I the least and one of the lowest among them can partly report But my purpose is not to prayse but in all humilitie to pray your Grace so farre to bee pleased as to permit with your accustomed fauour This poore Mite of a Ministers good meaning to be cast into the rich Treasurie of our English Church And with more speciall regard to suffer these two first Sermons preached long sithence in your Graces presence to passe vnder the wings of your fauourable protection being not onely imboldned hereunto by your Graces late remembrance of them but euen incouraged to publish them in print which the importunitie of some this long time could hardly gaine at my hands But now old age hauing taken hold on mee and my selfe hauing no children by naturall generation I haue thought it meet to collect together into one Countrey or Continent my little Babes or Bookes which yet wander abroad in the wide World single by themselues with such other as my little leisure and lesse learning could bring forth to keepe them companie hoping they may yeeld me some comfort in the shutting up of my dayes aswell as profit others if please God so long as this day of saluation lasteth Thus commending my poore endeuours to Gods rich blessing and your worthy Grace to Gods gracious protection with bended knees I most humbly take my leaue and euer remaine Your Graces in all humble dutie at command RAFFORD MAVERICKE THE GRIEVING OF GODS SPIRIT EPHES. 4.30 Grieue not the holy Spirit of God FOr as much Men Exordium Brethren and Fathers as this sentence is allowed off Verbum sapienti sat est I should much forget my selfe If I did not well consider as before whom I speake the supremest Maiestie so vnto whom as graue learned and iudcious Auditorie as England or all Europe yeeldeth The consideration whereof I thanke God doth much comfort but not discourage me at all for speaking before God his diuine Grace being implored shall I trust guide and direct mee to speake as of the Word of God And speaking vnto iudicious but charitable hearers they will rather conceiue what I meane if desire of breuitie cause any obscuritie in my speech rather then rashly condemne any thing that shall be spoken so that it be not against the grounds of Learning or Religion Leauing therefore to hinder your attention from the matter intended we will God-willing proceed on with our Text Contayning a very graue dehortation of a matter of some great consequence or importance which may be dilated on without any diuision at all Consisting as it were but of one particular branch or member howbeit for orders sake and for the better helpe of memorie for Confusio est intelligeutiae Three parts of this Sermon memoriae inimica I haue purposed to pursue this Text in this manner First by shewing what is meant by grieuing of Gods Spirit and who they are that properly may bee sayd to grieue the holy Spirit of God Secondly seeing resisting of Gods Spirit is a greater sinne then grieuing of Gods Spirit we will God assisting speake of that point in the next place Thirdly for as much as blaspheming of Gods Spirit is a sinne reuealed vnto vs in the Scripture farre greater then either of the two former we will endeuour by Gods grace and with your learned patience to speake thereof in the third place Grieue not the holy Spirit of God TO grieue the Spirit of God The first part What is meant by grieuing of Gods Spirit is a figuratiue phrase or speech humanitus dictum spoken for mans capacity for truly and indeed the Spirit of God as God himselfe can be no more grieued then hee can be either wounded or killed but this phrase of speech is here vsed by our Apostle to aggrauate the greatnesse of sinne seeing by sinning we doe as much as in vs lyeth euen grieue the holy Spirit of God that is grieuously offend Gods Spirit whose speciall office is to worke sanctification in the harts of Gods Children This speech therefore is not vsed as one very well obserueth Quod vllam perturbationem sentiat diuinitas sed vt indignitatem prophana vitae magis intelligamus It is not spoken I say to make vs imagine That the diuine Essence is or can bee subiect to any perturbation but to make vs the more and more to conceiue the indignitie and vilenesse of sinne and how odious sinne is in the sight of God The similitude of this speech A Simile may seeme to bee borrowed from a honest Oast that hath receiued a good Chest into his house to whome for a while he hath giuen very good entertainment but soone after forgetting both his owne credit and his Chests comfort suffereth wittingly and willingly many disorders to be committed in his house to the great griefe and discontent of that Chest which at the first was so courteously intertained by meanes whereof the good Ghest doth seeme to make offer that he will forsake his lodge and seeke a new Oast sauing that his gentle nature is such that hee euery day hopeth and expecteth as he is oftentimes promised reformation and amendment of all that is amisse Right so it falleth out betweene Gods Spirit and a Christian man 1. Cor. 6.19 who in the Scripture is called The Temple of the Holy Ghost This holy and blessed Spirit as the good Ghest doth with the Hammer of Gods Word knock at the doore of our hearts to seeke entertainment Behold I stand saith the Spirit at the doore and knock Renel 3.20 If any man heare my voyce and open the doore for there be many that heare his voice who will not open the doore I will come into him and sup with him Now when any faithfull Christian hath thus receiued this good Ghest and giuen him entertainment to his content soone after forgetting both himselfe and this his Chest he suffers
is not without great cause that Saint Paul who was once a Blasphemer 1. Tim. 1.13 but ignorantly distinguisheth that his sinne from wilfull Blasphemic which sin whosoeuer doth wittingly and willingly commit shall cuermore bee barred from Repentance because hee despiseth that Spirit of Grace which should worke Repentance in his heart turning the Gifts and Graces of God reuealed vnto him for the setting forth of Gods Glorie euen to the hinderance and slander of the same and therefore for this his so great obstinacie and wilfull Blasphemie shall be punished with most wofull and endlesse miserie For he is past all hope of recouerie that turneth the onely medicine of his sauing health into deadly Poyson and being once fallen into this gulfe of Perdition can neuer be renewed againe by Repentance Heb. 6.5.6 as the Holy Ghost in the Epistle to the Hebrewes saith It is impossible that they which were once inlightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gifts and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good Word of God making mention of tasting still no eating or good digesting and of the power of the World to come If they fall away saith the Text meaning by falling finall Apostasie not falls of infirmitie it is impossible they should bee renewed by Repentance seeing they crucifie againe to themselues the Sonne of God and make a make of him And after in the tenth Chapter of that Epistle the Holy Ghost saith If any sinne willingly meaning no doubt this sinne against the Holy Ghost Heb. 10.26 for euery one of vs commit other finnes willingly and wittingly If any so sinne there remayneth no more sacrifice for such a sinne but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall denoure the Aduersarie And forth with the reason is yeelded drawne a minore ad maius applyed by way of comparison He that despiseth Moses Law dyeth without mercy of how much sorer punishment Suppose ye shall hee be worthy off which treadeth vnder foote the Sonne of God and counteth the blond of the Testament an vnholy thing where with he was sanctified and doth despight the Spirit of Grace So then to resolue our selues drawing to conclusion touching this point This sinne against the Holy Ghost must bee a generall voluntarie totall and finall Apostasie or falling from God and all goodnesse not through any infirmitie or weakenesse but of meere malice and boldnesse It is in a word for I desire to be vnderstood of the meanest a froward and wilfull Rebellion striuing and spurning against the knowne truth and euen against the knowledge and conscience of him that doth it Howbeit all this in a sort may bee compared but to the roote and stemme of this sinne the sap and naturall fruit that it yeeldeth forth is oftentimes fearefull swearing voluntarie periurie wilfull blasphemie both in word and writing poysoned Hypocrisie withall sinfull pollution of the flesh coupled with most tyrannicall crneltie if there be power ioyned to the will and finally a hellish kind of furie pointing out as it were with the finger from whence this sinne ascendeth and whether such finners must descend euen to the bottome of Hell to their cursed Captaine the Deuill whom in this point they haue precisely imitated and followed Therefore some draw an example of this sinne from the Deuill himselfe who albeit hee knew well enough that Iesus was that Christ yet neuer ceased with all his might and power to impugne the sacred Maiestie of God together with the Kingdome of Iesus Christ and as farre forth as he could sought vtterly to supplant the same Whose steps and traces these Pharisies which blasphemed Christ did directly tread on vpon the sent or sauour thereof our Popish Pharisies and Pharisaicall Papists haue most kindly hunted not onely to the vtter perdition of their owne soules but also by their sinfull perswasions and tyrannous compulsions they haue and still doe labour with all their might to draw thousands of soules with them vnto Hell For how many multitudes of people since Poperie first began and fithence that Mysterie of Iniquitie was first hatched they haue caused by tyrannie to abiure and renounce the knowne truth contrarie to their knowledge and consciences is most apparantly to bee prooued and more lamentable to bee read in the seuerall Historâ—es of many particular Nations Of whome I meane of such as haue abiured through Popish tyrannie we ought to hope well seeing they fell backe of feare not of malice and therefore there sinne was not the sinne against the Holy Ghost Yet notwithstanding the malicious crueltie of so cursed a crue is neuerthelesse to bee detested because they doe as much as in them lyeth indeuour not onely to draw such silly soules into that sinke of siâ—ne wherein themselues are plunged but also into the same damnation wherin they shall be for euermore tormented or punished Neither is their Deuillish dealing euen in one point which I will briefly touch to bee passed ouer in silence namely that when these Popish Persecutors either through perswasion and faire promises either through rigor and threatnings they had caused O cursed causers many poore soules to denie with their tongues the Truth of their Sauiour and being thereupon escaped their hands haue confessed Christ againe according to the intent and meaning of their mindes These greedie Woolues haue soone caught againe those simple Lambs and after they haue compelled them by a new kind of tyranny the second time to abiure haue presently they being in such lamentable case condemned them for relapse as they call it to bee most cruelly burned meaning therby for what other meaning could they haue to send them through the fierie torments of this life to the flaming fire that burneth for euer in Hell But the tender Mercies of our good God through the rich Merits of their Sauiour in whom they might beleeue and for their sinnes repent did pardon I hope the greatnesse of their sin committed no doubt through feare and humane infirmitie and the same God I feare hath or will double requite their punishment vpon the heads of those pestilent pesecutors who sought not outly the shedding of their bloud but the vtter damnation of their soules and bodies for euermore So that now to conclude with the time with heartie thankes also vnto God for inabling me thus farre and to you reuerend and worthy Auditorie for your patience in hearing mee hitherunto It is I trust very apparant with what Hellish Furies they are possessed which are the persecutors of Gods Church and Children who if they haue once tasted and confessed Gods Truth and be after Persecutors of the same Truth and the Professors thereof as Iulian the Apostata and many other haue beene they shall neuer be able to acquit themselues of this sinue against the Holy Ghost nor shall euer be forgiuen thereof but eternally shall be punished in the flames of Hell And so much for that sinne and the punishment thereof Now let vs all prayse God for that which hath beene spoken at this time and pray wee his diuine Maiestie for Iesus Christ his sake to giue vs a true feeling of the same and grace to auoyd those sinnes we haue spoken off That we his Children may not henceforth as heretofore grieue the holy Spirit of God by our sinfull and carelesse liuing That the wicked also who are not yet effectually called may now at the last yeeld obedieÌ„ce vnto Gods mercifull calling and no longer to resist the holy Spirit of God which daily together with the preaching his Word calleth them vnto Repentance And finally that none may euer bee giuen ouer into so reprobate a fense as to fall into small Apostasie and so to commit that great finne against the Holy Ghost neuer to be forginen Now to God our heauenly Father who in his Wisedome hath created vs. To God the Sonne who in great Mercie redeemed vs. To God the Holy Ghost who laboureth continually to sanctifie vs. To God I say immort all inuisible and onely wise bee rendred of vs and all Saints and Angels in Heauen Earth all Honour Glorie Prayse Power and Maiestie through Christ Iesus from age to age and in all Eternitie Amen FINIS
because who so committeth this sinne against the Holy Ghost shall hardly acquit himselfe of any sinne whereunto finall impenitencie must be added before this sinne can be iudged by man to bee at the highest Now what this peculiar and proper sinne against the Holy Ghost is shall best be discussed and defined Mat. 12.31 out of the Gospell where our Sauiour Christ speaketh of the Sonne if wee duly and thorowly confider it as we should And first we must note and well obserue who and what manner of persons they were to whome our Sauiour obiecteth this sinne which is easily to bee collected out of the Historie it selfe For there it appeareth that they were of the worser sort of the Pharisies to whome Christ obiecteth this sin for when Christ Iesus by his diuine Power had dispossessed a Deuill out of the dumbe man these worser I meane more malicious sort of the Pharisies being present prying into his actions and being by no meanes able to reprehend him yet to the end the people should not beleeue in Christ they coyne a Blasphemie in the highest degree of meere malice and enuie and contrarie to their owne knowledge and conscience they spew out the same euen in despight of Gods Spirit saying and affirming with brazen browes that Christ had cast out that Deuil Mat. 12.24 through Beelâ—zebub the chiefe of Deuils which cursed calumnie and most slanderous Blasphemie after that our Sauiour had fully confuted for the godlies sake which stood by heard him hee presently turneth his speech to those Blasphemers And with sterne countenance no doubt as in such a cause was meete he reprooueth them with a propter hoc for this I say vnto you Euery sinne and Blasphemie shall bee forgiuen vnto men but the Blasphemie against the Holy Ghost shall not bee forgiuen vnto men and with all more sharply reprooues them calling them a generation of Vipers as doubtlesse they were of the vilest kind And Saint Marke in his discourse setteth out their sinne more plainly and fully Marke 3.36 saying For they said Hee that is Christ had an vncleane or impure spirit whereby that Euangelist would intimate vnto vs that it was they Pharisies that had blasphemed and so sinned against the Holy Ghost Howbeit wee must obserue that our Sauiour Christ doth not say openly and plainly though he gaue them so much to vnderstand closly by the conclusion of his speech that these Pharisies were sinners against the Holy Ghost By whose example we are admonished as before I haue noted not rashly rather not at all to iudge of such sinners howsoeuer the sinne doe appeare vnto vs what it is but our Sauiour like a sound Teacher and skilfull Logitian plainly putteth downe the maior Proposition What the sin of the Holy Ghost is The minor they themselues knew being conuicted in their own consciences that they had committed the same sinne The conclusion therefore followed of course such a sinne or blasphemie saith Christ is sinne against the Holy Chost Such a sinne or blasphemy saith their consciences haue we commited Therefore surely wee haue sinned against the Holy Ghost Moreouer we may not forget to note that these filthy Pharisies were before this time inlightned with some externall beames of Gods Spirit yea conuicted in their owne consciences by former Prophesies and by the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ concerning the Truth which he taught yet notwithstanding willingly maliciously and of purpose they did hate the knowne truth fearing or rather knowing and sometimes confessing so much that if Christ his Truth and Doctrine should be once publikely receiued then their Errours and Traditions like our Popish Traditions now should bee reprooued their couetousnesse and Hipocrisie discouered their credit and gaine diminished and finally all their worldly pompe and glorie should vtterly be extinguished and cleane put out Rather then this should come to passe they will euen oppose themselues Gigantum more to fight against God and therefore with indurate obstinacie renounce they the manifest truth and withall their might and malice oppose themselues against it by blasphemous and sophisticall cauilling and that not seruing their turne by most cruell threatnings excommunicating and persecuting vnto death euen Christ himselfe after him his Apostles as the Prophets before with many other of Gods deare Saints and Children professing Gods Truth How neere the practice of the Church of Rome hath and doth agree with the Synagogue of these high Priests Scribes and Pharisies euen a blind man may well see and perceiue Vpon all this that hath beene said and collected out of the Text and course of Scripture where Christ intreateth of this sinne ioyned with the practice of these proud Pharisies It shall not be ouer-hard to define what the sinne against the Holy Ghost is Peccatum in Spiritum sanctum saith a learned Diuine est veluntaria veritatis euidenter cognitae The fin against the Holy Ghost defined renunciatio rebellio ex odio veritatis nata coniuncta cum tyrannica sophistica hypocritica oppugnatione Sinne against the Holy Ghost is a voluntarie or wilfull renouncing and rebelling against the euident and knowne truth proceeding from hatred of the same truth ioyned with tyrannicall sophisticall and hypocriticall fighting and striuing against the same and against the true Professors and Confessors thereof This briefe definition haue I chosen among many other both for the persipicuity and plainenesse thereof as also for the congruitie and agreement that it hath with that which hath beene before spoken of this sinae They which sinne against the holy Ghost may be known by foure marks From which definition wee may obserue that they which commit this sin against the Holy Ghost haue foure speciall markes to be knowne by First they haue some knowledge of the Truth Secondly for some sinister respect or other they conceiue a deadly hatred against the same Truth Thirdly they willingly renounce and fall from the knowne Truth Lastly they striue and fight against it and against the constant Confessors thereof both with tongue pen heart and hand spuing and belching out all Blasphemies to depraue the Truth vsing all Hypocrisie and Sophistrie to colour their falshood with executing all rigor and tyrannie against the true Professors thereof and this they doe with all the despight they can against that Spirit of grace which did first illumine their mindes with some knowledge of the Truth which they had once receiued If any doe thinke that no mortall man would oner oppose himself with such despight against God his Creator we must yeeld that none will or dare so to doe but onely such gracelesse Cast-awayes as through long custome of presumptuous sinnings ioyned with double Hypocrisies haue their hearts hardned their consciences seared and themselues altogether giuen vp into a reprobate sense For that their so greut boldnesse cannot but proceed from a â—râ—â—â—ike blindnesse where in malice and poysonfull furie hath gotten the victorie Therefore we may see that it