Door of Mercy is shut against them And that now they had e'en as good let all run against the Rocks and let alone the Soul and take no more Care about it But take their fill of Sensuality and Wickedness and lie down in a State of Inconsideration and Prophaneness And for the Sake of these also will I plainly truly and clearly shew what this Sin is That so the one Sort may see infinite Cause to return to their offended Father quickly And tho' it be with Fear and Trembling yet may do it also with a holy Hope great Encouragements and a Religious Chearfulness too provided it be with a Present Vniversal and Permanent Change And the other Sort Namely the Person of a sincere Probity and Sanctity of Life may go on in a Course of Faith and Devotion Piety and Charity Divine Love and Obedience with a Holy Joy and a Religious Peace SECT II. What the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is THat I may make the present Discourse as Satisfactory as I can to every Reader and as Vseful as I can for the Designs and Purposes and Needs and Desires of every Christian That the Sinner may be encouraged and invited to return to his God and his own truest Interest by a Speedy a Sincere and a Persevering Repentance and all may be encouraged and endeared to go on chearfully in a Religious Course in the Ways of Pleasantness and the Paths of Peace Prov. 3.17 I will plainly insist on these three Things I. First Shew what this Sin is II. Secondly Give a Rule how any Person may assuredly know whether he has been Guilty of it or not III. Thirdly Shew the very great Likelihood that you Christian Reader have not yet been Guilty of this Sin From all which three Particulars I shall draw three Practical Inferences or Instances of Application 1. Shew What this Sin is The Sin or Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was as appears in this Chapter St. Matth. 12. the Sin of the Pharisees and in short 't was this They Blasphem'd the Holy Ghost in affirming That those Miracles which the Holy Jesus wrought by the Power of the Holy Ghost were done by the Power of the Devil And consequently deny'd him who did them to be the Christ. And the Heinousness of it consisted in This By these Miracles which he wrought by the Power of the Holy Ghost he design'd to convince them that he was the Messias And would by this Light manifest to them plainly that he acted by the Power of the Holy Spirit of God He charitably designed those very Miracles which they reproachfully imputed to the Devil to be a convincing Testimony from God that he must be the Messias the Christ the Saviour of the World No they would not be perswaded would not come in to his Faith and his Love and his Obedience but would wilfully resist and oppose the Power of his Doctrine and his Miracles The convincing Light of which plainly and clearly manifested that he acted by the Power of God And rather than they would acknowledge them to be done by the Power of the Holy Ghost they affirm'd That he did them by the Power of the Devil v. 24. Upon this Christ to convince them is pleased to tell them That the Miracle of Casting out Devils which he had wrought just before could not be done by the Power of the Devil For a Kingdom divided against its self could not stand v. 25. And therefore 't was not likely that Satan should cast out Satan And if Satan could not or would not cast out Satan then surely it must be by the Power of the Holy Spirit of God that he cast out Devils and wrought Miracles And if so how could they choose when they saw the Miracles that he did but be convinc'd that he acted by the Power of God And consequently how could they Resist and Oppose Deny and Disown him to be the Christ the Messias the Saviour of the World 'T was all as one They would not be convinced by the holy Doctrines which he Taught by the Miracles that he wrought and Wonders that he did And rather than believe on him and become Wise and Happy they obstinately affirm'd That what he did by the Finger of God and the Power of the Holy Ghost was done by the Power of the accursed Spirits of Darkness Now this was not only a Great Blasphemy indeed against the Holy Ghost But 't was a wilfull shutting their Eyes against the Light Against the Light I say it again of that Doctrine and those Miracles which were done on Purpose to Convince them that he was the Christ whom notwithstanding they Deny'd and Disown'd Resisted and Oppos'd Upon this Christ tells them That if they continued in this Blasphemy and would obstinately go on to impute those Miracles to the Devil which were done by the Power of the Holy Ghost and would not be Convinced and come in and Receive and Believe on the Lord of Glory but deny and oppose him and maliciously and with a wilful Blindness hold out against the visible Work of God That this must needs be to them that continue in it unpardonable And well indeed might it be unpardonable when the Apostle says Act. 4.12 There is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved That his Name and Person His Revelation and his Love His Message and his Designs His Doctrine and his Miracles should be Denied and Disowned Opposed and Rejected and their Eyes obstinately shut against all the convincing Arguments of his Doctrine and his Miracles that he was the Saviour of the World But here may be one Material and Important Question ask'd How comes it to pass that 't is said in the Text Whosoever speaketh against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven How comes it to pass that the Speaking against Christ should be more Pardonable than the Speaking against the Holy Ghost To this I Answer To speak against the Son of Man i. e. against Christ only before he was manifested to be the Messias by the holy Spirit of God and the convincing Miracles which he did This might be a Sin of Ignorance and therefore Pardonable upon a general Repentance But to speak against the Holy Ghost i. e. to resist the holy Spirit of God which manifestly appear'd in the Miracles which Christ wrought on Purpose to convince them this could be no excusable Ignorance but must be a willful Blindness Nay to impute them to the Devil on Purpose because they would not be convinc'd by them to come in to Christ and receive and own him Surely such an Opposition and Resistance such a contradicting and crossing his gracious Ends and merciful Designations to them could be no other than an obstinate willful Blindness and a shutting their Eyes against the Light And therefore if continu'd in could not but be Vnpardonable And that 's the
your Self And if so Then as I said you cannot chuse but with Tears of Hopes and Joys and Grief and Love Return to him quickly by Repentance and Persevere and Hold on in a New and a Better Obedience Seeing there is upon These Terms Hopes for Thee even Thee too To Examine a little further Hast thou been guilty of an Vtter Willful and Spiteful rejecting of the Gospel of Salvation by the Holy Jesus Hast thou been guilty of This notwithstanding that in thy Conscience thou wert convinced that Jesus is the Christ and that Faith and Holiness is the Way to be Saved Hast thou been guilty of an advised and absolute falling away from the Profession of the Faith of Christ so far that against former Knowledge and Conscience thou dost maliciously Oppose and Blaspheme the Holy Spirit of God in the Word and in the Ordinances of the Gospel Hast thou so far rejected resisted and utterly quenched all the Perswasions and Motions of the Spirit of God working formerly upon your Heart and Affections as out of hatred to Christ to Oppose and Deny and Disown him and his Doctrines Or so far as thus to Crucifie to your self afresh the Son of God and by disowning him to put him to open Shame Heb. 6.6 Treading under foot the Son of God and counting the Blood of the Covenant wherewith you were sanctified an unholy Thing or Thus done despite to the Spirit of Grace Then indeed hadst thou also totally and finally continued in this State and liv'd and dy'd in it hadst thou been Guilty of this Vnpardonable Sin Which Sin by the way is also called the Sin against the Holy Ghost and becomes Unpardonable because 't is against the Office of the Holy Ghost and against the Gracious Operations of the Holy Spirit whose Business and Office 't is to perswade us to receive Christ crucified and the Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel Well Though thou hast then been a Sinner and unkindly Grieved the Holy Spirit of Love yet thou hast been no Apostate That is Thou hast yet been Guilty of no Willing Malicious Total Falling off from Christ and the Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel tendred to thee by the Holy Ghost and against the Light and Convictions of That Sacred Spirit thou hast not yet denied him and by a willful Blindness oppos'd him too If things are thus with Thee Sinner as I verily believe they are Come be so far Comforted as chearfully but yet Quickly and Sincerely to return to thy offended God and Saviour and do not stay in the Confines of Desperation any longer than you Dwell in your Sin Nay for thy Consolation and Encouragement in thy Speedy Return to thy offended Father in the Faith and Name of Jesus I have This further to add concerning the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost That the Sin it self is only upon this Account Vnpardonable because it hath a finally Impenitent Temper joyn'd with it For otherwise were it possible that such a Sinner should Repent by a Sincere and Persevering Repentance there would be no doubt of his Pardon Even the Blasphemer of the Holy Spirit himself Repenting Returning Believing Laying hold on the Mercies of God in the Lord Jesus and Coming in to his Faith and Love and Obedience shall have Mercy Here stop a little Dear Christian and be perswaded to Consider the great Cause you have to Resolve presently and intirely to cast off the Sin that does so easily beset you and to choose Wiser and Better and to Return to the Ways of your Master with Speed and Care and Consolation too Do it Quickly and Sincerely and I do assure you your Case is not yet Desperate Oh that This Consideration might melt thee once more into Tears of Grief and Love and Joy too Tears of Hope and Penitential Tears And how can it choose but do so That there should be Balm in Gilead for thee even Thee too And that for Thee there should be a Physician there Let this make it an evil and a Bitter Thing to thee as the Prophet speaks Jer. 2.19 That thou hast forsaken the Lord. Evil and Bitter let it appear to thee That thou hast held out in any Known Sin against so much Tenderness and Compassion Love and Pity Long-suffering and Forbearance which St. Paul says an Ingenuous Temper would have made another use of Rom. 2.4 Evil and Bitter let it appear to thee That thou hast held out in any Darling Vice so long against so many Gracious Calls and Invitations and Wooings of Thee to be Wise and Happy Evil and Bitter let it appear to thee That thou hast held out so long and taken little or no Notice of the Dying Words of a crucified Master but hast dis-regarded what he left thee in Charge when he went away Evil and Bitter it must needs appear to thee to have Held out so Long against the Calls and Invitations of Agonizing Love Speaking to thee meltingly and Saying If ye Love me keep my Commandments Come Dear Christian after such a Thought as This Try if thou can'st find it in thy Heart to Return to Affront him again as bad as ever by any Known Sin Try if in this Thought you can go on and still find it in your Heart to Affront him as much as ever by the voluntary Omission of any Known necessary Duty And then presently in a Holy Meditation look up to him with Reverential Love where he is now Preparing a Place for you if you will and say to him with an affectionate Humility Blessed Jesu Long hast thou staid for me and not given me up to a Reprobate Spirit but thou shalt stay no longer Thou hast long look'd for me and not given me up to a Spirit of Desperation but thou shalt look for me no longer I can hold out no longer I will hold out no longer against so much Love and Mercy So much Patience and Forbearance So much Long-suffering and Goodness I will I can hold out no longer Let the Sin promise what it will I will Hold out no longer against thee Let the Duty cost what it will I can hold out no longer against the endearing Calls and Intreaties of Bleeding Groaning Agonizing Dying Love No I cannot But seeing I have this Comfort that I have not Blasphemed thy Spirit or denied Thee and have so great Cause to Hope That I have not Committed the Vnpardonable Sin I am infinitely encouraged to come and to come joyfully to do Thy Will And I will come Quickly for I know the Night comes when none can work 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 great Encouragement for the Faithful Penitent to go on very Comfortably but yet very Sincerely in his Repentances HAving thus finish'd my Three first Heads of Discourse and shewn plainly what this Sin is and How we may assuredly know whether we
with him to Sing Hallelujahs to him that Sits on the Throne and the Lamb for ever and ever SECT IX The CLOSE Two Things necessary to the Holding out in a Christian Course which you Christian Reader that are now assured you have not committed the Vnpardonable Sin should by all Means Presently resolve upon which if you did you would be very Safe and Happy AND now why will not you Christian above all Things labour to be one of these Happy Persons Especially seeing there is so great a Probability that your Labour will not be in vain Come then Dear Christian whenever a Sin or a Strong Temptation shall present it self to you for the Future seeing you have not yet been guilty of the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Or whenever you shall find your self tempted and willing to omit a necessary Duty Do these two Things 1. Whenever a Sin shall present it self Resolve never to venture so much for so Little Seeing your Condition is yet so Hopeful 2. Whenever you are tempted to omit a Duty because 't will cost you something Resolve to venture something here that you may win something in the other World Blessed Jesu Fix these two Things upon the Hearts the Affections and the Resolutions of every one that says he Loves Thee First Whenever a Sin shall present it self Resolve never to venture so much for so Little Never to venture the Loss of the Favour of God The sweet Illapses of his Love The Religious Joys and the Unknown Peace of a Good Conscience The Sweets and Delicacies of a Devout Life All your Future Hopes and Expectations beyond the Grave All these Things which so many Wise Men have liv'd and dy'd for never to venture all This for the vain Delights or the vain Advantages of Sin for a Season But beat off the Temptation by Considering that you venture all This and more than This by a Compliance And if you would be but content to hold out against it a little 't is not long till your Day would be over and your Combat would be ended and you would be put away to the Joys of Peace and Victory That 's the First of the two Things which I would leave upon the Affections of him that says he Loves till he expires into the Element of Love and be ordered there to Live and Love and Reign for ever Secondly The other Thing that would now incline and help you to hold out a Little longer in a Life of Faith and Love and Sanctity is This Whenever you are Tempted to Omit a Duty because 't will cost you something Then resolve to venture something here that you may win something in the other World Come my Soul say with a generous and a Christian Resolution and with an Heroick Bravery of Mind Let others do what they Please I am resolv'd to venture some Pains and Cares and Difficulties and Self-denials And some Watchfulness and Diligence some Labours and Mortifications some Scorns and Reproaches some Losses and Disadvantages now seeing my Condition is so Hopeful for these Hopes and Expectations of Futurity which so many Wise and Good Men have liv'd and dy'd for Tell him whom thy Soul Loves That you think it all Reason in the World That That which cost him an Agony and a Bloody Sweat Wounds and Stripes and a Crucifixion and Death it self should cost you one short Life of Probity and Sanctity Purity and Devotion Faith and Repentance Zeal and Love and a great Obedience Look up to him in a Holy Meditation and tell him with a Humble Love That you think the Rewards of Heaven are so Great and Glorious and his Yoke so Easie His Burden so Light and withall will be so short too that you think it a great Shame to expect so great Glories at a lower and a cheaper Rate than a holy Life Tell him Affectionately and Humbly too That if a Life Eternal be not worth this 't is worth Nothing 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 ASPIRATION I. O Thou whom my Soul Loves WHat should I have done if thy Mercies had not been Infinite And what should I do if my Saviour's Merits were not Infinite What should I do if thou didst not pity and Love poor Penitents And if you were not Gracious and Merciful slow to Anger and of Great Kindness O my Love What should I do if my Mediator my Advocate my Intercessor were not in a merciful Sense thy Self and Me Partaker I mean both of Thy Nature and my Nature God and Man What should I have done had He not been Low as I Poor as I Weak as I in all Things Sin excepted and tempted as I and yet equal all this while to thee in his Divinity and Majesty and Power and Glory and Holiness Dread yet Dear Father Thou art God and I am Man For his sake who is God and Man united in one Person Let not me a Man be separated from Thee my God by any Thing I have Thought or Spoken or Done or by any Thing which I shall ever Speak or Think or Do in my whole Passage through the World I am griev'd that I have ever done any Thing to unfit me for thy Love I am Griev'd that I have ever done any Thing to displease a Tender Father Griev'd I am that I have done any one Thing contrary to his Commands who said If ye Love me Keep them And I am grieved that I have grieved the Holy Spirit of God by whom I was sealed to the Day of Redemption And as I am griev'd that I have ever Unkindly and Ungratefully affronted him whom my Soul Loves So I grieve because I Love I could Wish to Die before I ever Knowingly and Willingly and Deliberately with open Eyes and a full Consent of my Will do so any More till I come up to thee Particularly Here you may mention any Sin to which you are Tempted as to what I am most afraid of The Sin of Let Nothing O my Love Let Nothing that is Past Let Nothing that shall ever befall me in it Divorce and Separate me from his Favour and his Love whom my Soul Loves and to whom I yet Hope to Sing Hymns and Hallelujahs among them that Love in the Regions of Holiness and Peace and Love for all Ages Dread Majesty and Dearest Lord I bow the Head and beg I may be fitted to be called by thee Thy Affectionate Glorifier Lover and Obeyer ASPIRATION II. O Thou whom my Soul Loves I Desire Nothing in this World with any great Passion but to be Loved by him whom my Soul Loves But if my Sins and Disobediences have lessened or abated thy Love to me O Give me above all Things a Repentance True enough and Acceptable enough to restore me intirely to thy Love and a Reformation great enough
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
have committed it or not and shown withall the great Likelihood That no Christian Reader has I now come to a few Inferences or Uses Inferences which I would leave not only upon the Understandings but upon the Memory And not only upon the Memory but upon the Heart and Affections the Life and Actions of Every Reader That the Great Sinner may not Despair of the Divine Mercy That the faithful Penitent may be encouraged to go on and with Comfort perfect his Repentances That no Man may Presume to continue in any Known Sin And That the Poor Humble Doubting but Devout Christian may be encouraged to go on with a Holy Joy in a Life of Faith and Devotion Piety and Charity Watchfulness and Care Probity and Sanctity Self-denial and Purity Love and Obedience a little longer till his short Day be over and all be well with him and he finds himself admitted ot the New Glories of a better World 1. Practical Inference From the Consideration of what has been said of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Here first Results Matter of Encouragement for the Faithful Penitent to go on very Comfortably but yet very Sincerely too in his Repentances Thou hast faln perhaps from thy Baptismal Innocence and Affronted and Disobey'd a Tender Father ungratefully and unkindly abus'd all the Endearments of a Compassionate Redeemer who was pleased to Die for you before you knew you needed him and have griev'd the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were seal'd to the Day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 That you have done This may be a sad and a dismal Truth But perhaps too you are extreamly Sensible that you have chosen amiss and Resolve to return and to choose Better and Wiser and with the Prodigal St. Luke 13. to arise and go to your Father and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee and am no more worthy to be call'd thy Son make me as one of thy Servants It may be you find it to be a great Truth what the Wise King tells you Prov. 3.17 That the ways of Religious Wisdom are ways of Pleasantness and all her Paths are Peace And it may be too you have sound what the Prophet says to be as great a Truth A Truth Isai 57. last There is no Peace to the Wicked And finding all this to be true by your own Experience you have been often thinking and are now Resolv'd to return to the Ways of God and a vertuous Course and to be Wise and Happy Why if this be so Speedy and Sincere and Persevering as that you find your self to be in Good earnest with God and your Soul here is then Matter of infinite Incouragement for you to go on with a holy Joy and a very Great Chearfulness That your Labour is not like to be in vain in as much as the Vnpardonable Sin has yet been none of yours The Arms of your Saviour that were once stretcht out upon the Cross to the very Posture of Imbracing are open to receive you too even you Only be sure of This That your Return and your Change be Present Permanent and Vniversal And then the very Blasphemer himself is not excepted He also if he thus go may cause Joy in Heaven among the Beatified Spirits of the Upper World You even you in particular Dear Christian that but lately were afraid you had committed the Vnpardonable Sin may Cause Joy too among the Blessed Inhabitants of these Lovely Regions And if you may oh how should This Thought encourage melt and endear your panting sighing languishing Heart into intire Resolutions of Doing so And indeed tell me truly Christian Is it not infinitely better to Cause Joy in Heaven among the Beatified Spirits of the upper Lovely Regions than Joy only to the Accursed Spirits of Darkness Methinks to a Wise Man it should be infinitely more desirable and chusable to have a good Report of him among the Beautiful Inhabitants of the Upper World than only among a few wicked and mistaken People Here. Methinks it should be much more chusable to Cause Joy to him you have Griev'd even the Holy Spirit of God than to Cause Joy to him who only Rejoices in Hopes of your being made a Partner with him in the Sorrows of Eternity And if you will presently resolve to be so Wise and Happy for if you will you may and these Blessed Spirits desire it and look for it as to Cause Joy among these Blessed and sweet and lovely and glorious Inhabitants the Joy will be your own The Peace and Joy will be your own first and last too Yours here and yours Hereafter You 'll find a present Joy and Peace in the Change far beyond whatever you found in the Ways of Wickedness and in the Paths of Unrighteousness You 'll find upon the Change a far Greater Pleasantness and Ease and Satisfaction in a Religious Course than ever you could find in a Debauch'd an Irregular and a Prophane Life Infinitely more Substantial and lasting Tranquility and Sedateness and Serenity of Mind more lightsomness and chearfulness of Heart in the one than ever you did in the other And besides your own Joys and Peace on Earth you 'll cause Joy among those Kind and Good and Blessed Spirits to whom you Hope to be admitted and with whom you Hope to pass away a Rapturous and a pleasurable Eternity And if you may cause these Joys to your self and them tell me Dear Christian why will you not why should not you be earnest to do so Considering the very Comfortable Hopes you have that the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost has been none of your Sin And methinks Christian if you would but rationally compare and weigh things and see them as they truly are all the little uneasie Joys and vain Delights of a Sinful Course of any sort should appear very inconsiderable compar'd with the Joys Present and Future which you would bring to your self as well as to the upper Lovely Spirits by your Reformation For if there be no Peace to the wicked no true Joy and if there be Joy in Heaven at the Conversion of a Sinner and Joy to himself too on Earth Joys above and Joys below some Joys in Hand and some in Reversion some Present and some Future can there be a greater Madness than to deny your Self these True Joys for any Iniquity whatever in which there can be neither Peace nor Joy no long Peace or lasting Joy Why will you any longer permit your Self to be thus cheated and abused by the World or the Devil or your own corrupt Affections that would lead you to a Sin and then fain perswade you there is more Peace and Joy in it than in a Life of Purity and Vertue Probity and Sanctity when all this is False And we are assured 't is False both from the Voice of Scripture and the Information of Experience There is no Peace to the Wicked but the Ways of Vertue are Ways of Pleasantness
this Vnpardonable Sin or not Now That no Man may mistake or be at a loss in This and dwell in the uncomfortable State of Irresolution and uncertainty take This Rule 'T is certain no Man commits a Sin against the Holy Ghost if he be afraid he hath and desires he had not And the Reason of it is this Because such Penitential Passions Desires and Affections are against the very Definition or Nature of this Sin For where-ever these are found These Humble Holy Fears to offend God and Desires to Please him these Penitential Passions and Affections There has not yet and cannot have been a Witting a Willing a Malicious and total Apostasie or falling off from the Faith of Christ and the Gospel And yet such an Apostacy or Falling off 't is such an Opposition and Denial of our Saviour 't is that makes it the Vnpardonable Sin to one that is or has been a Believer 1. It must be Knowingly and not of Ignorance 2. It must be a Willing Apostacy or Denial and not of Force or Compulsion 3. It must be Malicious and not of Infirmity 4. It must be a total Falling of and not some particular Sin It must be all These to make up the full Measure of the Vnpardonable Sin So that as I before said all Penitential Passions and Affections All your Doubts and Fears lest you should have been guilty of it and your Desires that you had not are against the very Nature of this Sin These Things as I shall hereafter shew are infinite Incouragements to the Poor Humble Faithful Penitent to go on earnestly and chearfully and with Great Resolutions in his Repentances And in all his Faithful and Affectionate Desires to fit himself for the Merits and Satisfaction of his Saviour And with all they are an infinite incouragement to the Devout yet humble Christian to go on with a great joy even in the midst of his Fears and Tremblings To persevere a little longer till his Day of Probation be once over in all the Parts and Instances and Duties of a holy Life In the Conscientious Performance of These few Commands which our Ascended Saviour was pleased to leave us in Charge when he went away Come then Dear Christian Arise and go on Quickly and Perseveringly in thy Penitential Resolutions and in thy Faithful Desires and Purposes to cleanse thy polluted Soul by the Waters of Repentance and to fit it for the Healing Blood of thy Saviour Perhaps Thou hast faln from thy Baptismal Innocence by some Known Sin and with Grief and Love you do easily remember some dismal Instances of Ingratitude and Disobedience to your Master But yet whilst you own there is Salvation in none other and can allow your self in no one Instance of that Disobedience but desire nothing more than to reconcile him to you by the Ways and Methods of his own Appointment Why Consider though you have been a Sinner you have been no Apostate you have neither faln off from him nor disowned or oppos'd the Faith of your Saviour and his holy Religion And till this be done Till thou Knowingly Willingly Maliciously and Totally fallest off from him opposest and deniest him thou hast not filled up the Full Measure of This Vnpardonable Blasphemy How true and how great an Incouragement this should be to the Quickness the Sincerity and the Permanency of thy Repentance and thy Return to him and the Peace and Ease and Serenity and Delicacies of a Holy Life you 'll see presently SECT V. 3. The great Likelihood that you Christian Reader have not yet been Guilty of this Sin BY the Tryal of your Self Dear Christian by the foregoing Rule you 'll be able to make a Right Judgment of your State in this Particular and will find great Likes that you have not yet drawn upon your Self the Guilt of the Vnpardonable Blasphemy And if not what Infinite Encouragement have you even you in Particular whatever others intend to do to go on in a Chearful Probity and Sanctity of Life a chearful Love and Obedience to your dearest Master And what infinite Encouragement has the Sinner to become a Penitent Provided he do it Seasonably and Quickly Sincerely and with Perseverance What infinite Encouragement has the Poor Humble Trembling Doubting Christian to take chearfully upon him henceforward the Easie Yoke and Light Burden of his Saviour In the Faithful Discharge of these few Commands and Duties to our God our Selves and Neighbours which he was pleas'd to Leave with us And for him who has sincerely begun for Heaven and Immortality for a blessed and a joyful Resurrection How great an Incouragement is it to continue to be all that 's Holy Just and Good a little longer till his day be over and he be called to lay aside his Business here and come away to a New and a Better World To think and to be assured that you have not yet been guilty of the Vnpardonable Sin But may yet if you persevere through the Merits of your Saviour fill one of the vacant Seats of the faln Angels That you even you too may yet if you persevere be one of those Beatified Spirits that shall pass away with him in a rapturous and a pleasurable Eternity That you even you too are not yet so far gone but may if you please through the Divine Grace always ready for those that beg and those that use it be one of those Souls that may Cause joy in Heaven by a quick and a persevering and a sincere Return to the Commands and Laws the Faith and Love of your Crucify'd Master For do but give me Leave to Examine your Case as to this Sin a little further Perhaps you have been a Sinner in some dismal Degrees and Instances And this even This has been infinitely unkind and ungrateful to have been so towards a Tender Father and a Compassionate Redeemer This even This has been dismal to Affront and Abuse so much Goodness and to hazard thy own Future Hopes and Expectations by any known Actual Sin and much more by any Habitual one But come Christian Though this be sad and dismal can you have a better Encouragement quickly to Return than This That you have not been guilty of the Vnpardonable Sin Oh come let this melt Thee into Love and endear Thee to Obedience Let This melt Thee into Penitential Tears Tears of Grief as well as Tears of Love Tears of Hope and Tears of Joy too as well as Tears of Repentance That this Sin and Blasphemy is not chargeable upon Thee For do but Examine Hast thou Blasphem'd the Holy Ghost in Saying ever That the Miracles which thy Saviour did by the Power of the Holy Ghost were done by the Devil Didst thou ever make Vse of This as an Argument against the Believing Jesus and his Gospel Didst thou ever Resist and Deny him and his Holy Laws and Doctrines and make Vse of This as an Argument to Resist and Deny him No This you cannot charge upon