of glory was there any Esa 43. 25. Esa 43. 25. I saith God am he that blotteth out transgressions for mine own names sake God for his own sake elected them therefore Christ died for them Christ of his own good will powred out his blood for them therefore he gave them power to beleeve and come to him here is all the cause ab extra from without still And is there lesse cause in Christ for thee then there was for them look in his Gospel promises or is there lesse cause in thee then a mere nothing But I shall make this more full in a sixth position which I shall commend to thy consideration which is this Sixtly That God never received any soul because it had a portion to set it off Thou sayest O I cannot beleeve c. why I am not worthy of salvation I am a great sinner I have been an auncient sinner Well then suppose that thou never hadst to thy knowledge committed actuall sins but wert as thou thinkest clean and spotlesse then thou couldst come to Jesus Christ and think he would accept of thee Thy money perish with thee doest thou think that Christ that gift of God can be purchased with the money of thy merits Doth Christ take any souls because they are worthy or doth he therefore take them that he might make them worthy doth Christ therefore take a filthy mired sinner because it is unclean or that he might wash it from it uncleannesse God gives his Son thou mistakest if thou thinkest he can be bought of thee either for love or money canst thou make Christ rich with the coblers ends of thy righteousnesse thinkest thou he that hath the inexhaustible treasury of righteousnesse doest thou think he cares for thy farthings wilt thou bring thy drops to the bottomlesse ocean of his bloody merits Your penny-worths cannot roll about that everlasting wheele of free-grace the decree of election nor bow nor break Christs free-heart to save you more then another The Garden of free-grace Christian hath never a weed of humane merit in it no nor yet is there a space to set it in The Robe of Christs righteousnesse is rich and full enough and needeth not the dunghill patches of thy merits That new-cloth will not endure to be patched with thy old rags Christ is a Noble-Bride-groom that would take a portion with his spouse if she could bring a proportion for him Adam if he could have got it up might have been married to God with a dowry But for as much as now that cannot be perfection is not attainable Christ scorns thou shouldst say Thou hast brought him a farthing The men of the earth shall not make him rich The first marriage-contract God made with man he demanded a portion and proffered the jointure of glory But when man with all his scrapings could not pay it Come saith Christ I will take thee with nothing then Do all or take all is Christs Dilemma to the children of men Lastly Consider That by how much the greater and more abominable sinner thou art by so much shall the Lord Christ attain his ends more fully which he aims at in saving any souls Doest thou ask what that is It is his own glory the glory of his free-grace God when he declares his free-grace to any soul makes a particular Proclamation Come let all the world see the power of my mercy and the good will that is in my bowels that I can wash such a stained soul that is nothing else but sin that I will pardon such an old inveterate sinner Now by how much thy sins are more and greater by so much God more sets out the vertue of his balm in healing such old putrified stinking wounds Secondly God knows such sinners once pardoned and changed will more glorifie him They that have much forgiven will love much Thirdly Luk. 7. 47. God shall have glory from such a sinner in that others by his example shall be kept from despair and quickned to leave their sins and trust in Gods mercy Psal 34. 6. and 51. 13. Come therefore beleeve rest on Christ Let not thy unworthinesse thy great thy many sins keep thee from Christ Eusebius in his third book of Eccles Hist cap. 20. hath a story of Iohn the Apostle who at Ephesus finding a young man of a goodly body gracious face and servent minde commended him to one of the Bishops or Elders to take care of him The Elder accordingly did instruct him and at length baptized him This young man afterwards became very wicked and dissolute seduced by wicked companions First became a companion of their feasts and cups and then of their theeving and robberies at last grew to a very great heigth of disorder and outrage and became a robber on the mountains Eusch Eccles hist l. 3. c. 20. Iohn returning to Ephesus enquiring for the young man of the Elder hears this news Saint Iohn after rebuking the Elder for his negligence rode to the mountain which this young man now grown to be a Captain of robbers kept Saint Iohn being taken of the theevish watch desired to be brought to their Captain and accordingly was when he saw him coming and knew it was Iohn he was stricken with shame and fled away Saint Iohn pursueth after him crying My son why flyest thou from thy father O son tender my case be not afraid as yet there remaineth hope of salvation I will undertake for thee with Christ I will dye for thee if need be as Christ dyed for us I will hazard my soul for thine trust to me Christ hath sent me He hearing this stood still trembled and wept embraced Saint Iohn and wept bitterly The Apostle when he had promised and protested to procure pardon for him of our Saviour prayed upon his knees kissed him and brings him to the Church preacheth to him fasts with him and leaves him not before he had restored him a penitent beleever Is this thy condition Christian hast thou been well principled and hast thou forget all the Sermons and admonitions given or preacht to thee and art thou turnd dissolute disorderly guilty of all wickednesse and now in stead of coming to Christ by Faith doest thou wouldst thou fly from him See thy Christ pursuing thee calling inviting Ah why doest thou fly from me that dyed for thee turn turn beleeve be not afraid as yet there remaineth hope of salvation in my merits I will under-take with my father for thee I have dyed for thee I will hazzard my favour with my father for thine trust to me O now stand still tremble weep pray turn trust in the Lord Iesus Christ Thou art unworthy but Christ is worthy he hath grace sufficient for thee He hath a good will to save thee yea eagerly bent to thy salvation he perswades he swears he pleades he appeals he wishes groaning he professeth he knows not how to destroy thee he weeps over thee he invites thee he
fathers bosome and endear them to my fathers heart Read his Sermons observe his pains thou wilt finde a willing Saviour not excepting Publicans and Harlots from the Kingdom of God 10. Wouldst thou have more tokens of his will yet Mat. 21. 31. See him dying hanging upon the crosse dropping out his last blood breathing out his last breath stretching out his dying arms to encircle sinners should run into him breathing out the breath of free-grace i◠his very last act upon a theefe that had not an hour to live Who shall dispair who shall say Christ is not willing to save him and not blaspheme eternall love speak truth corrupt heart say thou art not willing to be saved 11. Is not this yet enough Observe him setting Ministers in his Church left thou shouldst not reade and none should tell thee the truth of his eternall love to speak out his good will in thine ears All our errand is nothing but this sinners Christ is willing to save you And as Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Why canst thou not beleeve his will Consider in thy Saviours will there is not onely a latitude for but an eagernesse of thy eternall salvation Why therefore doest thou say my sins are so great that God will not pardon me Beleeve O blaspheme not the God of infinite good-will But thirdly Consider That Gods eye of free-grace hath looked fauourably upon and Christs blood hath washed as filthy and polluted creatures as thou art or canst be Christ hath planted in the wildernesse The shittah tree Esa 41. 19. the mirtle and the oil-tree and hath set in the desert the fir-tree and the box and the pine tree He hath made as bad crab-stocks Esa 51. 13. as thy soul is bring forth pleasant and delitious fruits It is a note of Master Rutherfords That the dew of grace hath ordinarily faln upon the most gracelesse souls Possibly thou mayest see and finde presidents of actuall sinners born as black as the Ethiopian and that have made it their work to colly themselves with the soot of sins as much as thou hast and that have dried in sin with as long customary continuance as thou hast done yet Christ took them and washed them milk-white hast thou been an idolater a persecutor so was Manasses hast thou been unclean so was David hast thou crucified Christ so had they that were converted at Peters Sermon Act. 2. hast thou denied Christ so did Peter himself hast thou been a blasphemer so was Paul yea the chiefest of sinners yet received to mercy hast thou had seven devils so had Mary Magdalen yet purged and dispossest hast thou put off all to the last cast so did the theefe upon the crosse Lo here souls all mire and dirt that nothing could be discerned in them but filth and putrefaction their faces were so mired with sin that nothing of goodnesse could be discovered yet these are now in heaven all purified Saints in whom there is no blemish no spot all crowned spotlesse heirs of glory without the least speck of the ink of sin upon them Hast thou sinned beyond these thinkest thou it is hardly credible but suppose that free-grace hath not so far as thou canst finde any where set a stamp of love upon a soul so actually wicked as thou art before God Yet secondly There is never a Saint this day in glory that was not as seminally and habitually wicked as thou art or canst be And free-grace looked upon him in restraining the corruptions of his heart and preventing him otherwise he had run with thee to the same excesse of riot and wickednesse David was as filthy a wretch when he wallowed and tumbled in his naturall blood as thou art or canst be But to passe on to a fourth consideration which will hang upon a chain with this Fourthly If thou couldst suppose that infinite free-grace never yet did so great a work as to wash and save such a sinfull soul as thine is yet this could not in reason be a just hinderance to thy Faith because the depth of infinite love and free-grace was never yet sounded Though thou couldst truely say God never manifested his power and good will in pardoning such a creature of hell as I am yet what would follow Therefore God cannot pardon me or therefore God will nor pardon me Did ever God do his utmost Christian thousands of thirsty filthy creatures since the world began have been bringing their buckets and diving into the infinite depth of eternall love but did ever any Ethiopian soul dive so low as to bring up a stone from the bottome was ever any sinfull soul that was brought to the streams of free mercy such a capacious bucket that it could not be filled without grating upon the bottome of unfadomable love nay did ever any carry away so much for their own wants that they left the living fountain at a low water Paul brought as large a bucket as any and had as much need of a great measure of free-grace Well he plungeth himself in but doth he dive to the bottome or doth he not almost drowned in that depth of eternall sweetnesse turn head and come up again with his belly and throat and mouth full of living waters from the springs of eternall love Rom. 11. 33. And cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches c. mark how he puts all the children of love upon diving into the depth but puts them out of hope of finding the bottome or top of that height and depth and length and breadth of love Eph. 3. 17 18 19 Eph. 3. 17 18 19. which passeth knowledge It is not so much to thee whom God hath pardoned as whom God will pardon is not the fountain of his love dry are the springs yet running nay can he pardon beyond the measure of his former mercies then how can thy sins be too great to be pardoned were there never such sinners pardoned Esa 43. 18 19. Behold saith God I will do a new thing in the earth I will make a way in the wildernesse and rivers in the desert therefore remember not the former things consider not the things of old not to stint the Lord by them What do you tell me saith God what I have done I can do more then ever I yet did I am not tied to presidents I can make them Fifthly There is as much reason on thy part for Iesus Christ to receive thee though thou beest as thou sayest the worst of sinners as ever there was in Noah Daniel or Job for him to receive them This is Master Rutherfords note Rut. triall of Faith p. 20. What internall cause was there thinkest thou in any spotlesse Saints of glory why Jesus Christ gave them Faith here and hath now crowned them with a crown
comes from heaven to call thee he dies for thee he sends messengers to invite thee he hath washed as filthy wretches as thou art If he hath not yet he can he never shewed the utmost of his free-grace he hath as much reason to save thee as ever he had to save any of his Saints for themselves He never took penny-worth of merit with any He shall have the more glory by how much thou art more unworthy Free-grace shall more shew it self Thou if once forgiven wilt love him the more Other great sinners will be ready to trust in him from thy example Come now turn beleeve eschew evill do good Though your sins were as scarlet they shall be as snow Though as crimson they shall be white as wooll SERM. V. LUKE 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith I Am come now to Sathans last block that he ordinarily layes for the beleever to stumble upon in the way of beleeving when he cannot perswade them to despair of their interest in Gods hidden decree nor yet in regard of the hardnesse of their own heart nor yet in respect of their unworthinesse But the poor soul looks above all these to the Lord Jesus Christ then he shoots his last arrow by suggesting to the foul such thoughts as these But what if I have sinned against the Holy-ghost That generall rule Mat. 12. 31. All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven hath a particular exception But whosoever blaspemes the Holy-ghost shall never be forgiven And if I be within that I have nothing to do with the generall promise Now Sathan having here to do with a poor credulous soul that is far easier to beleeve evill then any good of it self hath the fuller blow at it and followes on while the iron is hot he knows if he can but juggle the soul into this perswasion beleeving is at an end And as there are very many whom he either first or last batters with this engine of death so in regard of the weaknesse and ignorance of the most of Christians especially in the beginning of their conversion there are not a few that are wounded with this dart and will hardly be beaten out of that groundlesse conceit that they have really and indeed sinned that unpardonable sin against the Holy-ghost which occasions possibly many a dayes sadnesse and dejection groundlessely Now in regard that this temptation is entertained ordinarily through a defect of knowledge and understanding of what ingredients that compounded wickednesse is made off I shall in speaking to the satisfaction of a poor soul under this complaint Speak something concerning the nature of that sin which if once truely understood will be enough of it self to let such poor souls see how groundlessely they have yielded to that temptation of Sathan Cap. 5. How to satisfie a poor soul that conceives that it hath sinned the sin against the Holy-ghost and therefore ought not may not beleeve ALas saith a poor Christian Why do you tell me of beleeving The Complainant I know sir there is a fulnesse and freenesse of mercy in Iesus Christ for poor sinners yea though their sins have been many and great But I am sure the sin against the Holy-ghost shall never be forgiven and I and confident that very sin have I committed I have sinned against light and knowledge I have had blasphemous thoughts and have in heart denied Christ and been tempted to deny the truth of Iesus Christ c. Now to the satisfaction of a poor soul under this perplexity of spirit let me speak something First By way of premise Secondly By way of consideration First By way of Premise It is a truth that there is such a sin may be committed as is the sin against the Holy-ghost and being committed it is unpardonable That such a sin there is is plain from severall places of Scripture Mat. 12. 31. Mat. 12. 31. But the blasphemy against the Holy-ghost shall never be forgiven men Mark and Luke both make mention of the same passage of truth from our Saviours mouth Mar. 3. 28. Mar. 3. 28. Lu. 12. 10. The Apostle Iohn makes also mention of it Lu. 12. 10. 1 Ioh. 5. 16. There is a sin to the death 1 Ioh. 5. 16. And the Apostle to the Hebrews in two Chapters makes a more full and specifical discovery Heb. 6. 4 5 6. and 10. 26 27. Heb. 6. 4 5 6 7. and 10. 26 27. It is called the sin against the Holy ghost not that it is onely against the third person in the Trinity Vsher who is the Holy-spirit Vrsia for the sin is against the whole Trinity Pareus the three persons making but one divine Essence but because it is a direct opposition and resistance of the light of knowledge with which the Holy-ghost hath enlightned the heart of him that hath committed it 〈◊〉 Trinitatis ad extra lunt indivisa for although the work of enlightning be a work of the God-head without it self and so a work of all the three persons jointly according to the known rule of Divinity yet it is a worke which in the order of working is ordinarily attributed to the third person in Trinity There is such a sin called by Christ Blasphemy against the Holy-ghost he being that Person whose office it is in the order of the God-heads working to enlighten the mindes with knowledge of the truth Eph. 1. 17 18. Eph. 1. 17 18. Heb. 6. 4. Secondly This sin once committed is unpardonable Heb. 6. 4. this is also directly proved from those forementioned places in the Gospel Mat. 12. 31. 1 Ioh. 5. 16. c. Heb. 6. 4. and therefore is called by the Apostle Iohn The sin unto death In respect of the end and punishment of it Secondly It is as true that the elect ones cannot commit this sin Ioh. 10. 28. or ever be guilty of it Christ hath said He hath given unto them eternall life and they shall not perish 2 Tim. 2. 19 The foundation of God standeth sure 2 Tim. 2. 19. They shall be kept through the power of God unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 5. They that fall away were never in nor ever of the number of the elect for if they had been of them they would no doubt have continued with them But in that they go out and fall away it is that they might be made manifest they were not of them 1 Epist of Iohn 2. 19. Who so sin First Can never be saved Christ hath said These shall never perish Secondly They can never repent and beleeve Christ hath ordained that the elect shall repent and beleeve and although they may slip and fall yet he hath ordained they shall rise again and by repentance be recovered These things being premised Let me come in the next place to propound some considerations that being seriously meditated and made use of may serve to stay and comfort and settle the
Master Shepheard Ib. Severall directions given by Doctor Preston in this case Ib. 3. Directions given in this case p. 53 1. Consider the nature of thy sinne in 6 particulars Ib. 2. Consider the mercy of God in 3 particulars Ib. 3. Fly to God by Prayer p. 53 54 SERM. III. CHAP. III. HOw to satisfie such Christians as thinke they ought not to beleeve because they doe not know they are elected The Complaint of the troubled soule p. 56 Something spoken to it by way of promise p. 57 The truth concerning Election premised in 5 Conclusions Papists and Arminians wound truth to heale conscience by lying charmes Ib. 8. Considerations propounded for soules thus troubled p. 58 59 c. 1. Consid Faith is not an apprehension of particular Election but an application of generall promises p. 59 60 61 62 2. Consid That thy faith only can discover to thee thy Election p. 62 The Covenant is only shewed by God to his Saints p. 62 63 3. Consider the phrase of Scripture expounding how our Election may be made knowne to us p. 63 4. Thou hast no ground to conclude against thy Election but thy unbeliefe p. 64 65 5. Cons Those that God elects to the end he elects to the means p. 65 66 We must have a sense of faith before we can have a sense of our Election p. 66 6. By this stumbling as we perplexe our selves so we call Gods wisdome in question a wayes and slander the charters of free grace p. 67 7. If we will beleeve Gods decrees cannot hinder us of heaven p. 68 8. Heaven and glory are worth an adventure whether we be elected or no. p. 68 69 Sâ—RM IV. CHAP. IV. HOw to comfort poore soules that dare not beleeve because of their unworthinesse in respect of their many and great sins 7. Considerations to comfort the soule under this affliction p. 72 73 c. 1. Gods grace is full enough of heighth and length and depth and breadth Christ cannot be brought to pant for breath of free grace p. 72 73 74 75 2. Consid There 's no defect of will in God to save the highest or greatest sinners p. 76 77 78 79 There is not only power but eagernesse in Christs will to save the greatest sinners p. 77 75 Christs eagernesse to save sinners proved by 12 particulars p. 77 78 79 1. He speaks 2. He sweares 3. He pleads 4. He expostulates with us upon denyals 5. He appeales 6. He wishes 7. He professeth he knowes not how to destroy them 8. He weeps 9. He invites 10. He comes from heaven to earth on this errand 11. He dyes for great sinners 12. He sends messengers to treat and parly with great sinners p. 77 78 79 3. Consid God hath pardoned and Christ hath washed as great sinners as thou art that were so either actually or habitually p. 80 4. Consid Infinite mercy never did its utmost yet God can pardon greater sinners then he hath pardoned p. 81 82 5. Consid There is as much reason on thy part why Christ should pardon thee as there was in any of the Saints why he pardoned them p. 83 6. Consid God never married any for a portion nor refused any for want of one p. 84 7. Consid Christ shall attaine his designe in pardoning sinners more fully by how much the greater sinner thou art p. 84 85 Christ gets most glory by pardoning great sinners p. 85 1. He glorifies his power and patience and riches of mercy p. 84 2. He gets glory from them They will love much p. 85 3. Others by their example will be perswaded to turne Ib. The whole case concluded with a story out of Eusebius p. 86 87 SERM. V. CHAP. V. HOw to satisfie a soule doubting that it hath sinned the sinne against the Holy-Ghost The complaint stated 89. Something spoken to it by way of premise 90. 1. There is such a sin 90. Why it is called the sinne against the Holy-Ghost 90. 2. It is unpardonable 91. 3. Elect ones cannot commit it p. 91 This scruple proceeds from ignorance p. 91 92 12. Considerations tending to comfort the soule under this wound and to informe us concerning the nature of this sinne p. 92 93 94 95 c. 1 Consid None could ever tell what this sinne was p. 9â— Various opinions of it 92. The Schoolmen and Papists opinion of it 92 Their 6 species of it disproved p. 92 93 How bsasphemy against the Holy-Ghost may be taken p. 93 How far we may discover what this sinne is p. 94 2. Consid None can be guilty of it but such as have had a great measure of knowledge p. 94 95 3. Consid It must be a setled sinne of our owne continued in without repentance not a transient suggested thought for which we grieve p. 96 97 4. Consid Every sin against knowledge is not this sin p. 97 What manner of sinning against knowledge it must be Ib. 5. Consid A bare deniall of the truth of God with which we are enlightened and the grace of God infused into us is not this unpardonable sin p. 98 What manner of deniall of truth is an ingredient into this sin Ib. 6. Consid Every envy at and hatred of our brethren and their goodnesse is not this sin p. 99 What manner of envy and hatred is an ingredient into this sin p. 100 7. Consid It must be joyned with a totall falling away from the truth Religion and profession of Jesus Christ Ib. 8. Consid Others would complaine of it as well as thy self if thou hadst sinned this sin p. 101 9 Consid Thy complaining and grieving for it is a signe thou art not guilty of it Ib. 10. Consid The sin against the Holy-Ghost is not unpardonable in respect of Gods mercy or its greatnesse p. 102 How and why it is said to be unpardonable Ib. 11. Consid It cannot be a block for thee in the way of beleevingly because though it doth take away from thee the power yet it doth not excuse thee from the duty of believing 103 12. Thou canst not conclude thy selfe to have sinn'd this sin if thou hast sinn'd it before thy dying houre Ib. The conclusion of the Case With a generall description of the sinne against the Holy-Ghost p. 104 105 SERM. VI. CHAP. VI. HOw to satisfie such poore soules as are conceited they doe not believe when they indeed doe 2 Causes of such Complaints 1. A mistake in the nature and Acts of faith p. 108 2. A misjudging of the effects of faith Ib. 2 Things propounded in order to satisfaction to such scruples as arise from the first cause Ib. 1 Thing viz. That there are many acts and degrees of faith and every act is not required to justifying faith Ib. 2 Thing That true faith is of so good a nature that it will consist in a soule with many doubts and weaknesses Ib. Various opinions concerning the justifying act of faith Knowledge is supposed to faith no
sufficieut to constitute this sin it may be a persâ—cution out of ignorance as Pauls was and God pardoned it 1 Tim. 1. 13. It must be first an hatred of and opposition against the truth and godlinesse of such men Not when thou malicest godlinesse because it is in him that hath done thee a personall injury but when thou malicest and hatest a man because he is holy and loves the truth of God and lives before God strictly Secondly It must be with a secret desire to extinguish and spoil the credit of God and his truth When a wretch is mad to see Gods name exalted and to see the truth of God prosper and would fain spoil all its market Thirdly And it must be an opposition to the truth that to the wretch is known and he is convinced that this is a truth of Jesus Christ yet he hateth a person because he entertains it and walks accordingly and seeketh how to cut off him and the truth such manner of malice was the Pharisees malice Mat. 12. 31. Yet alas saith a poor Christian Since I have received the Holy-ghost and tasted his guifts I have sinned thousands of sin renewing them every day c. From what hath been already said That this sin must be an opposition a knowing wilfull open malicious opposition to the truth of Christ were enough to answer this But consider Seventhly It must be a totall falling away from the truth Religion and profession of Iesus Christ Heb. 4. 6. Many are the Saints failings this must be a totall falling from all grace and holinesse When a man clear leaves all manner of profession of holinesse and falls into all manner of wickednesse Now darest thou accuse thy heart of this Christian or doest thou sometimes slip but presently renew thy covenant made with God by a seasonable repentance praying crying bettering thy life and conversation c. Never fear this sin it hath many drâ—ms of the weight of hell in it more then thou complainest of Eighthly It is not probable saith Master Rutherford That thou shouldst be guilty of that sin against the Holy-ghost and none but thy self complain of it It ordinarily breaketh out into prodigious acts of wickednesse it is no chamber closet sin though it be hatcht in thy heart yet it goes into the mouth and defiles that that sinner with that reviles and raves and blasphemes Christ and commonly it shews it self further the sinner with Iulian persecuteth the Saints whom his heart knows are Saints with fire and sword didst thou ever do any of these things Christian mistake not thy self be humbled for thy sins and failings but transgresse not by despairing without a cause Consider further Ninthly If thy sin that thou complainest of so to be the unpardonable sin as thou unwarrantably thinkest be a trouble and a grief of heart to thee thou mast be sure that it is not that sin that thou takest it for Heb. 4. 6. It is impossible saith the Apostle that they that commit it should be renewed again by repentance The meaning of which place is not that if they do repent yet it is impossible that they should be pardoned that were to put a lye upon the promises of the Gospel But it is impossible that ever they should repent to be renewed Aus T. 10. Ep. de Verbis Domini 11. p. 45. This makes Saint Austine determine finall impenitency to be the unpardonable sin when the wretch abusing the mercy of God that should leade him to repentance according to the hardnesse of his heart refuseth repentance and treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath Now though I do not think with Saint Austine that this is the whole formality of that sin nor yet with Aquinas and the Papists that it can be properly called a species of that sin yet I think with almost all sober Divines that it is an undoubted consequent of that sin God after the commission of that sin by any poor wretch giving him over to a blindnesse of minde and a finall hardnesse of heart that he cannot repent But like Esau If he seeks repentance carefully with tears yet he finds it not Now if thy sin be a trouble and grief of heart to thee thou mayst be assured it is not that sin for the undoubted consequent of that is an hardnesse of heart and a reprobacy of minde Tenthly Consider The â—in against the Holy-ghost neither in respect of it self and its own greatnesse nor yet in respect of the power of Gods mercy is unpardonable Be it never so great it is not infinite as the mercies of thy God are It is indeed a scarlet sin But scarlet sins to the returning penitent may be pardoned Isai 1. 16. Isai 1. 16. It is unpardonable say some in respect of Gods will God can but he neither ever did nor will pardon it for it is a sin of malice directly against pardoning mercy Gods mercy would be stained in the pardoning of it Secondly It is unpardonable say others and those the most In regard that it is impossible that the sinner should repent and beleeve without which there is no hope of pardoning mercy from any Gospel promise And this is questionlesse true for God hath said Perditio tua ex te Thy damnation O Israel is of thy self not of me Though a poor wretch be damned for this sin yet he may proximately thank the hardnesse and impenitency and unbeleef of his own heart not Gods will But yet further consider Eleventhly That this can be no sufficient excuse for thee for not beleeving becâ—use though it doth take away from thee the power of beleeving yet it doth not excuse thee from the duty of beleeving Beleeving is a Gospel duty it is a law enjoined to all every one is called to it Ioh. 3. 16. Mat. 11. 29. Isai 55. 1 2 3. Yea salvation is proffered to all those that do beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ doth the Gospel any where say Come you that have not sinned the sin against the Holy-ghost come and beleeve and you shall not perish No surely it calls to all be you what you will let your sins be what they can how many how great soever they can come beleeve and you shall not perish It is unwarrantable then to disobey a Gospel precept upon a beleeving the temptations of thine enemy the Devil or the groundlesse suggestions of thine own spirit Lastly Consider If thou hadst sinned that unpardonable thou couldst not by any infallible demonstration conclude thyself guilty of it before thy dying day and hour How wilt thou demonstrate it from thy hardnesse of heart and going on in unbeleef thou must do it so or no way for though thou beest a malitious persecutor and hater of God and goodnesse yet according to the tenour of the Gospel promises if thou repentest and beleevest thou art forgiven now if this hardnesse of heart joined with thy malice and unbeleef be not finall it is no infallible effect of
twelve Tribes under temptations apply those generall promises of a crowne of life made unto Gods people that endure any afflâ—ctions to their particular sufferings in their afflictions and under their particular temptations And for those promises that are particular they are also to bee generally applyed as for that particular promise made to Moses Exod 4. v. 12. I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say it cannot be literally applyed to every Christian particularly that at all times God will be with him in going into Pharaoh and teach him what to say for he is not call'd to go in but thus it may and ought to be applyed by any particular Christian That when God cals him to a publike service and he finds a warrantable calling and an inability he may by faith particularly rely upon that promise though not by a particular application for assistance just at such a time and in such a manner as the promise was made good to Moses yet in generall for some kind of assistance in the undergoing of his works and such a generall application Christ warrants every particular Apostle to make of that promise as you may see Mark 13. v. 11. And so for that particular promise which was made to Iacob going to Padan-Aram Gen. 28. 15. Behold saith God I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whithersoever thou goest c. A Christian cannot now particularly apply this so as to resolve upon going to Padan-Aram leaning on the staffe of this promise But as there is no warrant for such a particular application so neither ought this to be rejected as a promise of no concernment to a Christian but to be generally applyed and thus far every particular Christian may apply this viz. when he is called to take an hazzardous and dangerous journey he may apply this promise for Gods protection of him in it and this Christ warranted to us Ioh. 15. 11. 20. Praying that God in keeping up their faith would fulfill that Promise which he had made to Peter Luk. 21. 32â— Luke 22. 32. This is one Rule which will help thee to understand the full extent and vertue of the promises and this you see will easily divide it selfe into these particular Branches 1. That those promises which for spirituall mercies God hath made to his people in generall have such vertue in them that we may in times of need particularly apply them to our soules As for example that promise Hosea 14. 4. I will heale their backslidings and love them freely It was made to the people of God in generall Now a Christian that hath been a backslider may rest upon this as his proper and peculiar portion and so for other 2. That those promises which are made for grace and spirituall good things in generall may and ought to be particularly applyed to our soules for any speciall good thing or any particular dispensation of grace which our soules want As suppose I want faith and I am to pray for it praying is but suing a Bond where shall I have a promise to ground my prayer for this dispensation of Grace possibly I cannot finde out or call to mind any particular promise for that dispensation of grace yet I may apply that promise Psal 84. 11. or Zach. 12. 10. where God hath made a promise of all grace to his people if he hath promised to give all then will hee give that 3. That those promises which are made to particular persons and for particular occasions or for particular mercies though I cannot particularly apply them in that latitude and with those particular circumstances with which they were made to them yeâ—â— may apply the substance of them generâ—ly to my selfe in particular and so farre they have particular vertue for me As suppose that I be haled to prison and be to be called before Magistrates and be afraid I shall not be able to carry my selfe so as to credit the cause of God and I cannot remember any promise made to the people of God in that condition I may so farre apply that promise which was particularly made to Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrew Mark 13. 3. 11. as to rely upon God either to keep me from appearing before them or to be with mee when I am before them c. If I be to take a long journey and for the present possibly cannot finde a promise in generall of Gods protection to his people I may rely upon that particular promise made to Iacob Gen. â—8 15. thus far that God will some way or other protect me and provide for me c. A second Rule is this Whatsoever promises thou findest in the Word of God made to any particular people for spirituall and soul-mercies thou mayest apply to the still continuing Church and any member thereof those promises which were made to the Jewes are good to Gentiles those which were made to them and their seed for generall and spirituall mercies are good to us and our seed This the Apostle evidently makes good Act. 2. â—9 where Peter speaking concerning the Promise of salvation sayes The Promise is unto you and unto your children and unto those that are afarre off That is the Gentiles even as many as the Lord our God shall call and the Apostle urgeth this in severall places he speaks of the Corinthians as having and being possessed of the Promises 2 Cor. 7. 1. and Peter writing to scattered strangers saith 2 Pet. 1. 4. To us are given many great and precious promises 1. And this thou mayest be sure of if thou dost but consider 1. That that God that hath promised is an immutable God he is the same God to all the faithfull with him there is no shadow of change 2. If thou dost but consider That the promises made to the Iewes were not made to them under the notion of Iewes but under the notion of beleevers as they were the faithfull people of God Indeed the promises in Genesis are many made to Abraham and his children and seed But as you have lately heard by my reverend Brother in another place upon another subject Abraham had a starry seed and a dusty seed according to Gods twofold promise I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth and again I will make them as the starres of heaven Now the promise is not made to Abrahams dusty seed to the bare children of Abraham according to the flesh but to the starry seed to all the faithfull This was all the Jewes brag O! we are the children of Abraham to us belong the Law and the Promises and the Priviledges c. But our Saviour Christ decideth this question Ioâ— 8. 39. If ye were Abrahams children you would doe the works of Abraham that is if you were the children of Abraham according to the faith his starry children those Beleevers that do the works of Abraham and beleeve with the faith of Abraham they are the