not spent al my mercy upon David or upon Abraham or upon Paul or upon Peter but I keep mercy for thousands O! but yet my sins do recoyl I am the greatest Sinner in the world for I have sinned al kinds of sin I have sinned al sorts of sins and therefore I fear there 〈◊〉 no hope for me Yet saith the Lord be not discouraged for I keep mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin even all sorts and al kinds of sins the Sin of Nature and the Sin of Life the Sin of Weakness and the Sin of Presumption the Sin of Ignorance and the Sin against Knowledg these saith the Lord I forgive even al sorts and al kinds of Sins and this is my Name for ever O! but I am afraid to lay hold upon this Promise for I think this is a Doctrine of Liberty Say not so saith the Lord at the next verse I will by no means cleer the guilty But if there be ever a poor drooping fearing trembling soul that desires to know my Name Lo saith the Lord here is my Name whereby I wil be known for ever The Lord Jehovah that gives a Being to things that are not The Mighty God The Merciful God The Gracious God Abundant in Goodness and in Truth Reserving Mercy for thousands Forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and this is my Name for ever Now Faith comes and closeth with this Name of God leading the Soul into this rich Wardrop and so doth quiet the heart against all Discouragements Answ 3 Thirdly Faith doth put the Soul under Gods Commandement and leaveth God to Answer unto al such Objections and Inconveniences as may come thereby which if a man can do he may be very quiet Now true saving Faith wil enable him to do this for ye know how it was with the three Children Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they put themselves under Gods Commandement The Lord commanded and said Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image Well but the King commands them to fal down before his Image No say they we wil not stir we wil not bow but saith the King I wil make you bow or I wil heat the Furnace seven times hotter for you Well be it so say they as for that we are not solicitous we wil do the work that God hath set us to do we wil put our selves under Gods Command we know that our God is able to deliver us and whether he wil deliver us or no we wil leave that to him let him answer to the inconveniencies and mischiefs that follow upon his Work for saith the Text They trusted in the Lord. And so you know it was with Noah Noah was commanded to build an Ark for saith the Lord yet an hundred twenty yeers and the whol world shal be destroyed and therefore Noah build thou an Ark for thy self and thy family which Noah did and put himself under this Command But now the world the old world might speak thus as certainly the language of their Conversation was Noah Dost thou think that thou art the only man in al the world that God loves Dost thou think Noah that God loves thee one man more than al the men or the world and thy one Family more than al the Families in the world beside And if thou dost beleeve what thou preachest That the World shal be destroyed by Water in an hundred and twenty yeers why dost thou marry and begeâ— Châ—ldren as thou hast done since thou hast preached this Doctrine And Noah if thou dost make an Ark or a Ship who shal be the Pilate who shal be the Mâ—â—riner the Sâ—â—ler As for thy self thou hast been a Preacher and dost thou think that thou and thy few Sons are able to guide and gâ—vern so great a Vessel If it be as thou preacheâ—t That the â—easts the wild Beasts of the Field shal come unto this Ark the Lyon and the Bear and the Tyger wil they not tear thee to pieces And if all the Beasts of the field two by two shal come into the Ark Noah wil there not be such a stench in the Ark with their dung as wil poyson thee shalt thou be ever able to live thinkest thou Wel for al this Noah goes on and he built the Ark and leaves God that â—et him on work to answer to al these Objections and to all those Inconveniences that might come by the doing the thing which God commands And so doth Faith alwaies Faith puts a man under the Commandement of God and leaves God to answer to those Oâ—jections and inconveniences that may come thereby Now when a man can do thus must he not needs be quiet It is to speak more briefly the proper wâ—rk of Faith to resign and give up our wils unto God for by the resignation of the wil unto God we do trust God with our selves and Conditions It is the proper work of Faith to fal with a suitable Promise and to apply the same if that Plaister of the Promise be noâ— laid on the Soul with a warm hand it wil not stick And what is the reason that the Promise sticks not upon many souls but because it is laid on with the cold and chil hand of Unbelief Now the hand of Faith is a warm hand It 's the proper work of Faith to trade with the Call of God for true saving Faith is a venturing Grace but without a Call it wil not venture It is the proper work of Faith to see the hand of God in every Dispensation The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith It 's the proper work of Faiâ—h to look on both sides of Gods Dispensation and of our own Condition there is a dark side of a Dispensation and there is a light side thereof Sence and Reason looks on the dark side alone Faith seeth both sides Come my beloved Brethren said Laâ—imer to his fellow Prisoners when he went to the Stake though we pass through he fire to day yet we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out again He saw both sides of the Dispensation why but because he beleeved It is the proper work of Faith to see one Contrary in another for it speaks and concludes as the Word of Faith doth Now the word oâ— Faith speaketh on this wise I will give you a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor And the Lord shall judg his People and repent towards his Servants when he seeth that their power is gone and none shut up or left Deut. 32.36 It is the proper work of Faith to engage God to succor Psal 37.40 For the Lord shall save them because they trust in him So Esai 26.3 Thou will keep them in perfect peace because they trust in thee Now when a man can do al these things wil he not be quiet and free from Discouragements Surely he wil.
〈…〉 â—nointed by Samuel yet a darkness presently rose upon him buâ— it was the darkness of a cloud only and not of the 〈◊〉 Why Because it was such a darkness as arose immediately aâ—ter he â—hinings forth of a Promise And I pray you shew me any â—cripture where you find that ever any darkness arose presently aâ—ter the breaking shining forth of a Promise which was more than the darkness of a cloud which vanished away Or whe e do you find in all the Scripture that ever any poor soul came into the dark immediately after the giving out of a Promise but that soul did come to the light again Now as for the darkness that covers the Saints it is usually a darkness that comes after the giving and shining out of a Promise and therefore that darkness is but the darkness of a cloud and they may say a cloud a cloud and it will pass away Answ 2 Secondly If a man be so in the dark as yet he can see to work and dig up pits it argues that the darkness is but the darkness of a cloud a man cannot see to work artificially in the night but though there be much darkness by reason of a cloud yet he may see to work and to dig up pits because it is day Now in Psalm 84. the Psalmist faith at verse 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee and in whose hearts are the waies of them who passing through the Valley of Baca dig up pits the rain also filleth the pits they go from strength to strength till they appear before God in Zion It is an alluâ—ion to the practice of the Jews when some of them went up to Jerusalem their way lay through the Valley of Baca which was a very dry Valley where no houses were where no Water was for their relief and refreshment whereupon they digged up pits and to the rain fell and they were refreshed got strength and went on to Jerusalem where they saw the Lord in his Ordinances So saith the Psalmist Blessed are they in whose heart the Law of God is There are a Generation of men in the world that have the Law of God in their hearts though they cannot act and work towards God as they would these somtimes are in a dry and barren condition where no Water or Comfort is yet if in this condition they dig up pits go to prayer wait upon God in Duty though they find no Comfort springing up in their Duty for the present yet in due time the rain of Gods Blessing will fill those dry pits and empty duties whereby their Life shall be like unto a Pool of Water and they shall go from strength of Grace to strength of Grace till they see the Lord. Know ye therefore any man that is in this Valley of Baca where no Water is yet if he can find in his heart to dig up pits to pray read hear meditate confer and perform Duties though those duties be empty of Comfort for the present yet the rain of Grace and Mercy shall fall upon those Pits and he shall go from strength to strength till he appears before the Lord in Glory Now thus it is with the Saints though darkness and a great darkness be upon them yet in that dark condition they are still digging up pits and therefore this darkness is not the darkness of the night but the darkness of a cloud and they may say this is a cloudy darkness and it wil over ere long Answ 3 Thirdly If the darkness which a man is under be such as there are some openings of Light withal then it is the darkness of a cloud and not of the night though the cloud may cause much darkness yet ever and anon it opens and there are some interims of light withal but the night opens not there are no interims of light then Now interims and intermissions of Light are sure and certain pledges of a greater light which is yet to come You know that when David fled from Absolon he was in a dark condition for the Text saith He went and he wept and he went bare-foot his own son persecutes him drives him from his Throne a great consederacy was raised against him by wicked men with the child of his own bowels here was darkness upon darkness matter of great discouragement but it was a cloud and no more You wil say How should David have known that it was but the darkness of a cloud David prayed The Lord turn the Counsels of Ahithophel into folly and before David had overcome Absolon and was restored to his Kingdom Ahithophel did hang himself David singled out Ahithophel to pray against and the Lord heard his prayer that Judgment of Ahithophel was the return of Davids Prayer here the cloud opened and this Answer of his Prayer in the interim was a Seal to David of the full deliverance that came afterwards Deus uno Sigillo Sigillat diversas materias for God seals divers matters with the same Seal So when a man is in the dark by reason of some temptation affliction or desertion which he cannot see the end of if in this interim before the full deliverance comes he hath some lesser deliverance that lesser deliverance in the interim is a Seal unto him of the future deliverance and he may say here is a pledg of my full deliverance for here is the opening of the cloud Now thus it is alwaies with the People of God they never are in any affliction temptation or desertion but before their great deliverance comes they have some special Providence some reviving in the midst of their trouble some interim of light some openings of the cloud and therefore in the midst of all they may say surely this my darkness is not the darkness of a night but of a cloud I say there is no discouragement doth befall the Saints but the matter thereof is a cloud and they may say it is but a cloud it will pass over and therefore why should they be discouraged Surely there is no reason for their discouragements whatever their condition be If these things be so Applic. How heavily doth this Doctrine fall in reproof upon some I wish I might not say some of the Servants and People of God A godly man hath no true reason for his discouragements whatever his condition is although it be never so sad and some are alwaies discouraged whatever their condition be although it be never so good whatever falls out the Saints should not be discouraged no not at any thing and yet many are discouraged at every thing and upon every occasion O! what unworthy walking is this how contrary do you walk to God And do you know what it is to walk contrary to him Hath he not said If you walk contrary to me I will walk contrary to you Object But I have reason to be discouraged for I have no sence and feeling of Gods Love Answ 1 We do not live
humble and what they do want at the first they have it afterwards by degrees soaking into their souls Have they then any reason to be discouraged in these respects surely no. Quest But should not a Godly Gracious man be fully grieved and humbled for his sin Answ Grieved humbled for his sin yes surely though the Lord through the over-ruling hand of his Grace do work never so much good out of my sin unto me yet I am to be humbled for it and the rather to be humbled for it because he works good out of it I have read indeed of the Mother of those three Learned men Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor the three great pillars of the Roman Church for Lumbard wrote the sentences and Gratian the Popish Decretals and Comaestor Historiam Scholasticam that when she lay on her death bed and the Priest came unto her and called upon her for repentance of her whoredomes Hos tres Gratianum viz. Pet. Lumbardum et Pet. Comaestorem fuisse Germanos ex adulterio natos quorum mater cum in extremis peccatum suum confiteretur et confessor redargueret crimen perpetrati aduâ—terii quia valde grave esset et ideo multum deberet dolore et penitentiam agere respondet illa Pater scio quod adulterium peccatum magnum est sed considerans quantum bonum secutum est cum isti silii mei sint lumina magna in Ecclesia Ego non valeo paenitere Cui confessor hoc ex dono Dei est ex te autem adulterium crimen magnum et de hoc doleas c. Decret fol. 1. Gratiani vita for these three Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor were her bastards as the very popish writers do record it he telling her that she must be greatly afflicted grieved and humbled for her uncleanness or else she could not be saved why said she I confess indeed that whoredom and uncleanness is a great sin but considering what a great deal of good hath come to the Church of God by my sin that three such great lights have been brought forth into the world by my sin Non valeo paenitentiam agere I cannot I wil not repent thus it is with many poor ignorant souls when they see how the Lord by his over-ruling hand doth work good unto them out of their sin as some outward blessings mercys they do not repent of their sin but rather justify themselves in their sins but now take a Godly man a gracious soul and the more that he sees the Lord working good out of his sin the more he is humbled for it and upon that very ground because God works good of it therefore he is humbled the more Yet further it is observed that though the Lord did ordinarily cal David his servant yet when David had sinned that great sin he sent the prophet to him saying Go say to David he had lost the title of servant now bare David now single David now David without the title my servant And so though God ordinarily called the people of Israel his people yet when they had committed that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calfe the Lord doth not cal them his people but he saith to Moses The people not My people but The people and Thy people Moses now they had lost their old title Thus I say the sins of Gods own people do deprive them and divest them of their spiritual priviledges and can a gracious heart look upon this and consider how he is divested and disrobed of his spiritual priviledges and not mourn under it Can one friend grieve another friend and not be grieved himself The Saints by their sins they grieve God who is their best friend and therefore certainly they must needs be grieved they must needs be humbled or there is no Grace not grieved not humbled not Gracious But now because they are grieved and humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged I say because they are grieved and because they are humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged for discouragement is a hinderance to humiliation and the more truly a man is humbled for sin committed the less he is discouraged and the more a man is discouraged the less he is truly humbled Quest You wil say then but what is the difference between these a man is to be humbled and not discouraged not discouraged and yet to be humbled what is the difference between these two being humbled and being discouraged Answ It is a profitable question and worth our time by way of answer therefore thus First When a man is humbled truly humbled the object of his grief sorrow or trouble is sin it self as a dishonor done unto God the object of discouragement is a mans own condition or sin in order to his own condition the ultimate object of discouragement being a mans own condition when a man is discouraged you shal find stil that his trouble runs al out upon his own condition O! saith a discouraged person I have sinned I have thus sinned and therefore my condition is naught and if my condition be naught now it wil never be better Lord what wil become of my soul Stil his trouble is about his own condition But when a man is grieved and truly humbled for sin his trouble is about sin it self as a dishonor done unto God To clear this by scripture you know Cain was discouraged but Cain was not humbled how may that appear Cain was troubled about his condition Ah! saith he My punishment is greater than I can bear on the other side the poor prodigal was humbled but not discouraged how may that appear his trouble was about his sin and not about his condition I wil return unto my Father saith he and I wil say unto him I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and I am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants David sometimes was both discouraged and humbled and then you find his repentance and humiliation to be very brackish but if you look into the Psal 51. you shal find David humbled but not discouraged for it is a penitential Psalm therefore humbled and not discouraged for stil he did keep his Assurance vers 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation But what was his repentance his trouble about It was about his sin and not about his condition read vers 23. and so on Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sin for I acknowledg my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me stil ye see his eye is upon his sin and not upon his condition only So that I say when a man is truly humbled and grieved for sin the object of his grief is sin as a dishonor
SOmtimes the discouragements of the Saints and people of God are drawn From their Duties the failings and successlessness of their Duties For they reason thus Through the Lords Grace and Mercy I have been kept from great and gross sins yet if the Lord loved me indeed he would draw my heart neer unto himself but when I come to prayer or duty I find so much deadness dulness and awkness of heart and spirit that I fear the Lord wil never accept such a one as I am nor such duties as mine are when I go to prayer either prayer is altogether absent from me or I have no life therein if I go to hear the word I am not attentive but filled with distractions and whatever duty I perform I want life and love in it O! my heart is like a rock or stone and therefore I fear the Lord wil not accept my duty and the rather because I find that I have been long at prayer and I am never the better the Lord hears me not the Lord regards me not and have I not just Reason and Cause to be discouraged now Answ No Here is reason indeed why you should be afflicted but no reason yet why you should be discouraged I confess indeed here is cause and reason of grief and of affliction for take Prayer to instance only in that and it is That act and work of the soul whereby a man doth converse with God God conversing with man and man with God And is it not a sore affliction for a poor creature to be shut out of Gods door such a freind as God is O! saith Chrisostome it is more bitter than death to be spoiled of Prayer and hereupon as he observes Daniel chose rather to run the hazard of his life than to lose his Prayer Prayer is the souls Weapon and is it not a grief to want a Weapon in our spiritual warfare Prayer is the souls Ornament the excellent Garment of a Christian and is it not an affliction to be without this Garment and to be found naked Prayer is the Christians Element And as the fish lives in the water as in its Element and dyes when it is out so a Christian lives in prayer as in his Element and his heart dies when he is out of it Prayer is the souls Provisioner fetcheth in Provision for the soul and for al its Graces The old bird the Dam goes abroad and fetcheth in meat for the young ones and they lye in the nest gaping to receive the meat upon its return and if the old one be kild abroad the young ones wil die presently at home So here Prayer goes abroad and fetcheth in provision for al our Graces and they al lye gaping to receive this provision from the mouth of Prayer if this be killed how can those other Graces live The truth is The more sweetness a Christian finds in any work the greater is his affliction if he want that work now what abundance of sweetness doth a Gracious soul find in Prayer therefore when a man is narrowed or shut up in Prayer it cannot but be a great affliction to him But though it be a matter of great affliction yet a good man hath no reason to be quite discouraged yea though he meet with many failings therein and cannot pray as he would nor perform duty as he should Quest How may that appear Thus. Answ First Every Godly Gracious man is in Covenant with God by Jesus Christ and that Covenant is a Covenant of Grace which is the great Charter the Magna-Charta of al his spiritual Privilidges and Immunities Now in this great Charter the Lord doth proclaim this That sincerity shal go for perfection That a little done for God in the time of temptation shal be counted much In this great Charter the Lord doth proclaim unto al his people That he doth rather regard the bent of the heart than the inlargment of the heart That he dorh rather regard the wil to do than the doing In this great Charter the Covenant of free Grace the Lord proclaims unto al his people That if they do fail in prayer and other duties for I speak not of prayer only though I instance in that He wil not cast them off but he wil rather be moved to pity them for the Covenant that the Lord makes with his people is as the Covenant that a man makes with his wife I wil betroth thee unto me for ever saith the Lord. Hos 2 Now a man wil not put away his wife for every failing neither wil the Lord put a way his people nor cast them off because he is betrothed to them though they do fail in duties Again in this great Charter and Covenant of Grace the Lord doth proclaim unto al his Children That what they want in performance he wil make up in indulgence He proclaims this unto them That he wil require no more than he gives he wil give what he requires and he wil accept what he gives Now therefore am I in that Covenant of Grace and are there many failings in al my duties yet if this be true That the Lord is more moved by my failings to pity me than to cast me off then I have no reason for to be discouraged And thus it is with every child of God he is in this Covenant of Grace and so the Priviledges and Immunities of al this great Charter belongs unto him Secondly Though there be many failings in a Godly mans duty yet so long as it is a duty there is som-what of Christ therein there is som-what of God therein Now God wil not cast away his own becauâ—e it is mixt with ours but he wil rather pardon ours and accept ours because it is mixt with his The Husband-man doth not cast away his wheat because it is mixt with chaff he brings it into his barn and there is a time when he wil seperate the chaff from the wheat but he doth not cast away the corn because it is mixt with chaff yet this grain of wheat hath nothing of the Image of the Husband-man upon it but there is never a duty of a Godly man but hath somwhat of the Image of Christ upon it and therefore I say he wil not cast away His because it is mixt with Ours but he wil rather pardon and accept of ours quamvis odibilis detestabilis et execrabilis sit causa mea in ore meo nihilominus in ore tuo benedicto in ore tuo sacratissimo et in labiis tuis quibus tanta gratia diffusa est est favorabilis Parisiens de Rhetor. Div. cap. 21. Est et alia firmitas et confirmatio meae partis quod tu ipse advocatus es et propitiatio qui es et Judex meus et propter hâ—c non est possibile ut patiaris causam meam periclitari in manibus meis Apud homines enim non est possibile ut advocatus fidelis et justus permittat
But now when Faith comes it opens a mans Eyes to see things that are invisible it is the Evidence of things not seen By Faith Moses saw him that was invisible And therefore when the Apostle Peter doth direct his People for to see things past present and to come he exhorts them to a work of Faith Epist 1. ver 9. He that lâ—cks these things is blind one of those things is Faith as you read in verse 5. Give all diligence â—ad to your Faith c. then He that lacketh these things is blind at verse 9. But suppose a man do want Faith wherein is he blind Why saith the Apostle He cannot see things afar off he cannot see into the other world he cannot see unto the end of a Temptation or Affliction or to the end of a Desertion Well but though he cannot see things that are to come yet he may see things that are past Nay saith he if a man wants the Assurance of Gods Love and that is an Act of Faith he haâ—h forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather saith he at verâ—e 10. Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Eleâ—tion sure If you would see things past present and to come then grow in Faith and Assurance of Gods Love and so saith he shal you be able to see things that are afar off Couâ—d a man but see what would be the end and issue of his Affliction he would be quiet under it It is in regard of our Affliction as it is in regard of your Salt or Sea Water Take the Water as it is in the Sea and so it is salt and brackish but drawn up by the Sun into the Clouds it becomes sweet and fals down into sweet Rain So take an Afflâ—ction in it self and it is salt and brackish but drawn up by Divine Love then it is sweet and if a soul can but tast the Love of God in it and see what a loving end the Lord wil make he wil then find it is very sweet and say I could not have been without this Affliction I do not know how any one twig of this rod could have been spared Now it 's only Faith that shews a man the end and the issue of all his troubles It stands upon the high Tower of the Threatening and Promise seeing over al Mountains and Difficulties it seeth into the other World it sees through Death and beyond Death it sees through Affliction and beyond Affliction it seeth through Temptation and beyond Temptation it seeth through Desertion and beyond Desertion it seeth through Gods Anger and beyond his Anger I say it seeth things past present and to come Now if a man had such a power as he were able to fetch in al his former experiences to see things present as they are and to see all the events and issues of things to come would he not be quiet notwithstanding all that might arise for the present Thus Faith is able to shew a man things past present and to come and to shew him greater matter of comfort than the matter of his troubles is and in so doing it must needs quiet the soul Answ 2 Secondly Faith true saving Faith doth see that in God and in Christ which answers unto all our fears wants and miseries For Faith closeth with the Name of God Let him stay himself upon the Name of God Isa 50. Now there is that in Gods Name that doth Answer unto all our Fears and wants For Example Exod. 34. the Lord descended in the Clouds at verse 5. and stood with Moses there and proclaimed the Name of the Lord ver 6. The Lord the Lord Jehovah Jehovah that is one that gives a being unto things that are not Will you say O! that it were thus or thus with me but as Rachel mourned for her Children and could not be comforted because they were not so do I mourn after Prayers because they are not and after Duties because they are not and afâ—er Humiliations because they are not Well saith the Lord be of good comfort for my Name is Jehovah who do give a Being to things that are not and this he repeateth The Lord the Lord or Jehovah Jehovah Well but though the Lord do give a Being to things that are not this doth not comfort me for though I praise the Lord I can say my Prayers are and my Duties are yet the Lord knows they are very weak and my Temptations are very strong and my Lusts mighty and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord my Name is EL that is the strong or the mighty God and therefore though thou beest never so weak and thy Duties weak yet I wil carry on the work of my Grace in thee and though thy Temptations be never so strong and thy Lusts strong yet I am stronger for my Name is EL thâ— mighty God O! but though God be strong and able to help me yet I fear that God is not willing to help me I know God is able and that God is strong enough but I fear the Lord is not willing and therefore I am thus discouraged yet be of good comfort saith the Lord for my Name is Merciful that is the next word The Lord the Lord the Mighty God and as my Name is the Mighty God and therefore am able to help thee so my Name is Merciful and therefore am willing to help thee But though the Lord be willing to help me yet I am a poor unworthy Creature and I have nothing at al to move God to help me Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord then my Name is Gracious I do not shew Mercy because you are good but because I am good nor do I stand upon your desert but I shew mercy out of free Love my Name is Gracious O! but I have been sinning I have been sinning a long time ten twenty thirty forty fifty yeers had I come in at sâ—â—â—â— I might have had mercy but I have been sinning long and therefore I fear there is no mercy for me Yet saith the Lord be 〈◊〉 good comfort for my Name is Long-suffering that is the noâ—â— Gracious and Long-suffering slow to Anger or Long-suffering O! but I have sinned exceedingly I have sinned abundantly so many Sins as I am never able to reckon up and to humble my self for I have broken al my Promises with God and al the Vows that I have made unto him and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet saith he be of good Comfort for I am abundant in Goodness and Truth Art thou abundant in sin I am abundant in Goodness And hast thou broken Faith with me yet I am abundant in Goodness and in Truth also O! but though the Lord be thus unto his own chosen Ones such as David Abraham or Moses yet I fear the Lord wil not be so to me Yes saith the Lord at verse 7. Keeping mercy for thousands I have
we see nothing of the Mercy promised it 's no presumption then to hold and keep fast the Promise Quest But suppose the Lord hath given me a Promise and now after the Promise given I see nothing of the mercy promised and that all my Comforts are out of sight how shal I be able to bear up my heart against all Discouragements notwithstanding I see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised and to the mercy desired Answ Either thou hast assurance of Gods Love or else thou hast not If thou hast assurance of the Love of God then put thy self often to this disjunction O my soul either it is thy Duty to beleeve or it is not If it be not thy Duty to beleeve why dost thou beleeve at al If it be not thy Duty to beleeve and rest on Christ why dost thou rest upon Christ at al And if it be thy Duty to rest on Christ and beleeve why then should st thou not beleeve at al times and trust perfectly unto the Lord And if you have Assurance then actuate your Assurance mind your self of your Priviledges and your Interest in Christ then you wil say unto your self what though I have nothing but bad tidings from this world yet notwithstanding I have nothing but good tidings from the other world and from my Father above and if Christ be mine then al is mine Life is mine and Death is mine and what though al my Comforts be dead and are gone and are al out of sight yet Christ is a living Christ Christ is a living Savior and therefore be of good Comfort O my soul But if you do want assurance of the Love of God then yet you must and may look on Christ who is the Brazen Serpent the only Brazen Serpent and your very looking upon him in the time of your Discouragement shal go for Faith Look unto me â—aith he from all the ends of the Earth and be saved Again If you want Assurance you may and must turn your eye and your thoughts from those Objections that do invade your Faith 'T is said of Abraham That he considered not the weakness of his own Body and this was imputed unto him for beleeving that he considered not what might invade his Faith And so this shal be imputed unto you for Faith if when these Objâ—ctions shal come in upon you you turn your Eye from them unto Jesus Christ and do not consider them And if you do want Assurance then set your selves to beleeve that you do beleeve Faith is the Evidence of thâ—n â—s not seen and therefore if your Faith be not seen you must beleeve that you do beleeve thou â—ust beleeve somtimes that thou hast Faith As there is a feeling in Prayer so Faith haâ—h it's feeling too and therefore iâ— you cannot see your Faith you must beleeve that you do beleeve And whether you have Assurance or have not Assurance consider these few things as some Helps to your Faith in this case First That God doth never lead his People unto any great Mercy but first he doth put the Sentence of Dâ—ath upon al the means that do rend unto it Thus it was with Abraham so with Joseph so with David and many others Secondly That it iâ— a great sin to liâ—â—t â—ods Mercy as wel as to limit his Power You say it is a great sin to limit the Power of God the Children of â—â—rael are condeâ—â—ed for this they limited the Holy One of Iâ—rael they tempted the Lord and limited the Holy One of Israel Now dâ—â—h not a man limit God when he limits his Mercy as wel as when he limits his Power And when you say you shal never have such a mercy granted because I now see the contrary is not this to limit his Mercy Thirdly That when the Lord hath given out a Promise to his People he doth then somtimes try whether they wil trust to his naked Word or no. Christ hath his times to try men and when he gives out a Promise and bringeth the soul into a quite contrary condition this is his trying time And therefore hath the Lord now given out a Promise unto you and do you see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Say unto thine own soul O my soul it may be Christ is now trying of me it may be this is my trying time and therefore now wil I wait on God Fourthly That God doth oftentimes fulfil one Promise by denying another Hath the Lord therefore given thee a Promise and doest thou see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Now know and remember That we have by not having God doth give by denying and fulfils some Promises by not fulfilling others Fiftly That when we see nothing but what is contrary unto our help then is Christs time to help I read as I remember but twice in the new Testament that mention is made of Christs Hour once in John 13. And he knowing that his hour was coming and that was the hour of darkness Once in John 2.4 when his Mother came unto him for Wine he said Woman my hour is not yet come But afterwards when their own Wine was done and their pots were fill'd with Water then he turns their Water into Wine then Christs hour was come So now when al our Bottles are dry when there is no Wine of Comfort in our own Bottles then is Christs hour and when the hour of darkness is upon our Condition then is Christs hour And if thou would'st but say so unto thine own soul Soul Christs time and hour is an hour of darkness Christs time is a time when there is no Wine in our own Bottles Now thus it is with me I have no Wine left in my own Bottles my Bottles are al dry and empty and there is an hour of darkness upon my Condition therefore this time is the time for Christ to help me This would cause you to wait on God and exercise Faith in the lowest Condition even when you see nothing but the contrary unto your desires and the Lords Promises Sixtly That either you are under an extraordinary Affliction or an ordinary Either you are under an ordinary Temptation or an extraordinary Either you are under an extraordinary Desertion or an ordinary Either thy streit or stress and trouble is ordinary or else it is extraordinary If it be an ordinary trouble why then are you troubled more thâ—n ordinary why are you discouraged extraordinarily If your Affliction or Misery be extraordinary then either God hath brought you into this condition and hath led you heretofore in a way of extraordinary deliverance or of ordinary deliverance if God have led you heretofore in a way of ordinary deliverance what means those wonderful incomes of Love and supporting Grace that you have had when your soul have been ready to sink and to die within you And if the Lord hath heretofore led you in a way of extraordinary deliverance and
hath now brought you into this extraordinary condition then know from the Lord that it is as great a sin for you now not to trust in God for extraordinary mercy as it would have been for you not to have trusted in the Lord for ordinary deliverance in an ordinary case You know how it was with the Children of Israel they sinned greatly in the Wilderness so much that the Lord kept them out of the Land of Canaan and many of their Carkasses fel in the Wilderness what was the reason the Text tels us they did not beleeve Wherein was their Unbelief They did not trust God for meat in the Wilderness why but that had been a miracle to have Meat in the Wilderness true yet this was their Unbelief That they did not trust God for Meat in the Wilderness Again they sinned and did not trust God for Water why but it was a miracle for them to have Water in that place where no Water was naturally true yet because the Lord had led them in a way of miracles before they sinned now in that they did not trust God for miracles and it was as great a sin that they did not trust God for Miracles being led in a way of Miracles as that they did not trust God for ordinary mercies when the Lord led them in waies of ordinary mercies So I say to you If God lead you in a way of ordinaries then must you trust God for ordinaries but if ordinary means cannot be had and God have led you in a way of extraordinaries it is then a sin in you to tie God to ordinaries Are you therefore in an extraordinary case and streit know that it is no sin now to trust God for extraordinary mercy help and relief Seventhly And if after al these things your hearts fail you and you would so trust in God as that you may not be discouraged whatever your condition be then ask thine own soul these Questions First Whether there be any gain by doubting whether there is any Spiritual gain to be made by doubting Faith purifies the heart but doth doubting purifie the heart Secondly Whether there is any thing in all the World more pleasing to God than to trust the Lord in and by Jesus Christ when all Comforts are out of view and when you see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Thirdly Whether you must not venture upon Christ at the last and if you must venture upon Christ at the last why not now as wel as at the last When a man comes to go over a River though he ride once and again into the Water and comes out saying I fear it is too deep for me yet considering that there is no other way for him he resolves to venture for saith he the longer I stay the higher the Waters wil rise and there is no other way for me and I must through at the last as good at the first as at the last and so he doth venture through and is safe Thus it is here You must venture upon Christ at the last there is no other way but venturing upon Jesus Christ thou must do it at the last and were it not as good for you to do it at the first as at the last Surely the longer you stay the harder you wil find it to venture and the more difficulties wil arise upon the work of Beleeving You say now O! but my heart is not humbled O! but I am a great sinner and should I venture upon Jesus Christ But wil thy heart be more humbled by keeping from Christ and shalt thou be a less sinner by keeping from him No certainly but the longer you stay from Christ the harder work it wil be to venture upon Christ at the last Wherefore if there be ever a poor drooping doubting fearing trembling heart in al this Congregation know That I do here in the Name of the Lord call out to you and say O soul man or woman Venture venture venture upon Christ now for you must come to this venturing Work at the last and if ever it is true here better at the first than at the last Must you not venture upon Christ at the last and if at last why not now Thus ply and follow your own souls with these three Questions And Eighthly If you would so trust in God as that you may not be discouraged whatever your condition be Then consider frequently and seriously what a blessed thing it is for to wait on God and for God yea what a reasonable thing it is that you should wait for him and on him For He hath waited on you and for your Repentance He waited in the daies of Noah for the Repentance of the old World and he waited long 1 Pet. 3.20 a long while also hath he waited for your repentance if he had not waited long what had become of you Yea and he hath not only waited but he doth stil and wil wait to shew Mercy Esai 30.18 he waiteth to shew mercy on them that wait for his Mercy Now shal God wait for us and for our Repentance and shal not we wait for him and his Grace Ye have waited on others and do stil wait on others who is there in al the World that you deal with but you do wait upon Will ye instance in great men must you not wait long to speak with them yea though it be for their own good It 's recorded of Henry the Emperor of Germany That when he came to speak with the Pope the Pope made him and his Wife and eldest Son stand waiting three daies in the cold Winter season at his Pallace Gates before he would speak with the Emperor Wil ye instance in your Inferiors and such as are beneath you must you not wait even for them that do wait on you your Servants if you bid them do a thing you must wait til it be done and if you bid them come you must wait til they come Or wil ye instance in other Creatures Do you not wait on the Sun for Light on the Water for Coolness on the Fire for heat Now if we wait on the Creatures al the Creatures is it not reasonable that we wait on the Creator Yet further Do ye not somtimes wait on the Lusts of men yea ye have somtimes waited on your own Lusts The Adulterer waiteth for the twy-light saith Job And hâ—w often have you waited for an opportunity of sinning Now wil ye wait on Men your Inferiors other Creatures yea on the Wils and Lusts of Men and wil you not wait on the Grace of God Look when you give over waiting then may deliverance come and if it come then how wil you be filled with shame and confusion 2 Kingâ— 6. last the King said It is a vain thing to wait on God any longer And if ye look into the next Chapter at verse 1. ye shal find that deliverance came in the next words No sooner had the
them is wrought by the Spirit and Finger of God in order to mans Salvation yet out of malice do blaspheme the same But why is this Sin above all other Sins Unpardonable Quest 2 Answ Not in regard of Difficulty only or because it is hardly pardoned as some would for many Sins are hardly pardoned and yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost Peccatum dicitur irremissibile septem de causis vide Altissiâ—dorens Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sent. for Zanchy doth wel observe if this Sin were only impardon because it is hardly pardoned then a mâ—n might pray for thoâ—â—â—at in this Sin but the Apostle saith There is a Sin unto 〈◊〉 I do not say that ye shall pray for it 1 John 5.16 Theâ—â—ore the impardonableness of it doth not lie here 2. Neither is it impardonable only in regard of event Because in event it shal never be pardoned for thâ—re are many Sins which in event shal never be pardoned which yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost There is many a wicked man that goes to Hel whose Sins in event are not pardoned and yet he did never sin against the Holy Ghost So that this Sin is not impardonable only in regard of event 3. Neither is it impardonable because it is so great as doth exceed the Power and Mercy of God for Gods Mercy and Power in forgiving sins is like himself Infinite If that be a good Argument that David useth Forgive my sin for it is wondrous great then the greatness of the Sin cannot be the only reason of the impardonableness of it There is nothing greater than that which is infinite Nunquam remittetur quod intellige regulatiter nam nec Divina potentia nec Divina miserecordia alligata est ad non remittendum spiritua blasphemiam sed secundum regâ—larem cursum eveniet non remissio quod comitem semper habet obstinationem Cajetan in Matth. 12. Dupliciter dicitur peccatum irremissibile dicitur uno quod nunquam remittetur alio dicitur irremissibile quod remitti non potest et sic non sequitur iste est similiter impenitens ergo habet peccatum irremissibile Holcot de imputabilitate peccati but Gods Mercy is Infinite 4. Neither is it impardonable because it is against the means of Pardon for then the Sin against the free Love of the Father and the Sin against the Son should be impardonable 5. Neither is it impardonable because a man doth not repent thereof for then al Sins unrepented of should be Sins against the Holy Ghost It is true That those who commit this Sin cannot repent as the Apostle speaks It is impossible that they should be renewed to repentance Heb. 6. because God doth give them up to impenitency but we do not find in Scripture that their not repenting is made the reason of the impardonableness of this Sin But the Sin is impardonable because there is no Sacrifice laid out by Gods Appointment for it If any man sin wilfully there remaineth no more Sacrifice Heb. 10. and without blood and Sacrifice there is no remission He that sinned ignorantly Numb 15. was pardoned Why Because there was a Sacrifice laid out for him but if any man sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an high hand he was to bear his own sin Why Because there was no Sacrifice laid out for him But why was there no Sacrifice for that Sin Not because the man did not repent after it but because that in the committing of that Sin he did despise the Commandement of God So now God hath declared That every Sin and Blasphemy against the Father and Son may be forgiven but if men come to that height of Sin as maliciously to oppose and blaspheme that very way and work of Gods Spirit which they have been convinced of by the Spirit then there shal be no Sacrifice for that and so no remission and pardon And thus now ye have seen what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is in what respects it is not and in what respects it is unpardonable and so the Doctrine cleered and proved That the Sin against the Holy Ghost is the impardonable Sin which shal never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come The Application follows Applic. 1 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the Impardonable Sin Then surely the Holy Ghost is God very God true God as the Father is For can it be a greater evil or more dangerous to sin against a Creature than against God the Father It is God that is sin'd against now the Holy Ghost is sin'd against yea the Impardonable Sin is against the Holy Ghost The Socianians say That if he be a Person he must needs be God true God but ye see by this Scripture that he is joyned with the other Person of the Son so also he is joyned with the Father and the Son in Matth. 28. In whose Name we are to baptize he who hath a Name and in whose Name somthing is to be done must needs be a Person And I pray you what is proper and peculiar to a Person is not Understanding Willing and Speaking these are al given to the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 1 Cor. 12.11 and Rom. 8.26.27 Acts 13.2 Acts 20.23 But I need go no further than this Text here the Spirit is joyned with the Son and the Sin against the Holy Spirit is made the impardonable Sin surely therefore he is verily and truly God as the Father is Applic. 2 If this Doctrine be true then what a necessity is there upon us al to know and understand what this Sin against the Holy Ghost is for if a man have sinned this Sin we are to forbear praying for him 1 John 5.16 therefore we may know what this Sin is and we may know that another hath committed the same for how can we forbear prayer for him if we do not know and understand what this Sin is the not knowing what this Sin is makes many men fal into it before they are aware When the Laws of a Nation are written in an unknown Tongue the People break them before they are aware because they do not know them So the not knowing what this Sin is makes many a poor soul to fal into it yea the not knowing what this Sin is breeds many scruples doubts and fears in new Converts O! saith one I have sinned that great Sin against the Holy Ghost and I saith another have sinned the impardonable Sin and why but because the man doth not know what this Sin is O! what a necessity therefore is thereupon us al to know and understand what this Sin is and wherein it doth consist Applic. 3 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the unpardonable Sin what Mercy and what Grace is it that the Lord hath kept us from this great Sin that though ye have fallen into great and hainous sins and the Lord hath suffered you to fall into such sins
that you may be humbled yet that the Lord should keep you from this Sin this unpardonable Sin for which there is no Sacrifice nor no remission O! what Mercy and what Grace is this Object 1 But I am afraid I have sinned this Sin and the truth is I have often feared it and my reason was and is Because my sins are so great so exceeding great Answ Great say ye How great man I have sinned against my Light I have sinned against my Knowledg I have sinned against my Conviction and therefore I fear I have sinned the unpardonable Sin But I pray for Answer did not Adam sin against Light when he eat the forbidden Fruit Did he not sin against his Knowledg against Conscience yet he sin'd not against the Holy Ghost though he brought al the World under Condemnation by his Sin for the Lord himself came and preached mercy to him The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head And I pray did not Jonah when he run away from God sin against his Light and did he not sin against his Conviction and against his Knowledg yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned him and wonderfully delivered him Possibly this therefore may be and yet not a Sin against the Holy Ghost It is true indeed that those who sin against the Holy Ghost do sin against their Light Knowledg and Conscience but whoever sins against Light and Knowledg though he sins greatly doth not sin against the Holy Ghost Object 2 O! But I fear that I have sinned this Sin for I have fallen foully into gross sins Answ That is ill But I pray did not David sin so were they not great gross and foul sins that David fel into such as one of your civil moral men would abhor yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned him and Nathan said from the Lord The Lord hath forgiven thee Object 3 O! But yet I fear that I have sinned this great Sin for I am much declined I have lost my former acquaintance and communion with God I have lost my former heat and affections to good and in Duty and I fear upon this account that I have sinned this great Sin Answ Be it so yet did not the Church of Ephesus lose her first Love yet this Church of Ephesus did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Why For the Lord saith unto her Repent and do thy first Works she could not have repented thus if she had sinned this Sin Object 4 O! but yet I fear that I have sinned this great Sin because that I have sinned directly against the Spirit I have quenched I have grieved I have resisted the Spirit the Spirit of the Lord hath come and fallen upon my heart in preaching and I resisted and grieved it the Spirit of the Lord hath fallen upon my heart in Prayer and I have grieved that therefore I fear I have sinned this great Sin that shall never be pardoned Answ This is ill too But those that you read of in Acts 7. resisted the Holy Ghost yet they did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost for then Stephen would not have prayed for them And indeed Beloved if every resisting of the breathings of the Spirit and grieving of the Holy Ghost were the unpardonable Sin what godly man would be free A godly man is more properly said to grieve the Spirit than a wicked man If an Enemy strike you you are angry if your Friend strike you ye are grieved If a wicked man strike at God he is angry with him if a godly man strike at God God is angry and his Spirit is grieved because he is a Friend Grieve not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption So that thus far possibly a man may go and yet not sin this Unpardonable Sin Object 5 But I am afraid that I have sinned this great Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost because I have not owned but denied the Truth the Work of the Spirit is to enlighten and to lead into Truth and I have not owned but denied the Truth rather therfore I fear that I have sinned this great Sin against the Holy Ghost Answ This is evil very evil I remember a Speech of Godteschalchus worthy to be written in Letters of Gold Timeo veritatem negare quia metuo à veritate negari I am afraid said he to deny the Truth lest I should be for ever denied by the Truth that is Christ But I pray did not Peter deny the Truth when he denied Christ and did he not do it again and again and did he not do it openly with Scandal and did he not do it after Admonition and did he not do it with Cursing and Swearing and yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned and took him into his bosom and made him a blessed Instrument in the Church Thus far yet a man may go possibly and yet not sin this Sin Object 6 O! But I am afraid yet that I have sinned it for I have been an Opposer of Goodness I have been an Opposer of the People of God and I have been a blasphemer therefore I fear I have sinned this Sin Answ This is ill indeed But I pray tel me Was not Paul an Opposer and Blasphemer of the Saints and Waies of God and yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for I did it ignorantly saith he I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor but I obtained mercy for I did it ignorantly Object 7 O! But I have sinned and I have done it maliciously and therefore I fear I have sinned this same dreadful Sin Answ This is yet worser But what mean you by that word Maliciously Peccatum ex malitia quandoque dicitur peccatum ex habitu puta quando ex malo habitu quis est intemperatus vel gulosus et sic non loquimur in proposito alio modo dicitur quod procedit ex passione tamen deliberate et scienter puta si quis invideat c. nec sic loquimu◠in proposito sed vocatur peccatum ex malitia proprie quando movetur quis non ex habitu nec passione nec ignorantia sed ex mera libertate voluntatis Sc. quod sic placet et hoc modo dicitur peccatum in spiritum sanctum Aureol in Lib. 2. Sent. Dist 43. Art 1. A man may be said to sin ex malitia or maliciously three waies saith Aureolus Either because he sins from some evil habit and so al wicked men sin yet they do not al sin against the Holy Ghost Or because a man sins out of anger passion or evil wil against another so Paul sin'd when he persecuted the Church of God he was carried out with a malicious spirit against the Saints and People of God yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost Or else because a man is moved to sin not
out of any evil habit passion or ignorance but meerly from the liberty of his own wil because it pleaseth him and because he doth hate that which his own Conviction tels him is right and good Now have you sin'd thus Surely no for then you would not be troubled about it but be wel pleased with it Obj. 8. O! But yet I fear I have sinned this great Sin for I have forsaken God and God hath forsaken me God is gone Christ is gone and Mercy is gone O! what freedom once I had but now God is departed from me God hath forsaken me and I fear it is upon this account Because I have sinned this great Sin Ans But doth not David say How long O Lord wilt thou forget me forsake me And our Savior himself saith My God my God why hast thou forsaken me There is a gradual forsaking and there is a total As with a man that goes from his house possibly he goâ—s a Voyage or is from home a quarter half a yeer or a yeer but he doth not leave his House for his Wiâ—e his Children and Goods are there stil But another man goes awâ—y from his House the House is let and he carries away al his Goods this is a total departure the other gradual So now it is with the Lord he doth somtimes forsake his own Childrâ—n for a time but he doth not pul down his Hangings or carry away his Goods he doth not go away but returns again this is gradual But there is a total forsaking of a man and then he givâ—s him up to his Sin Now this is not the burden that you lie under for if God had thus forsaken you you would be given up to your Sins and you would give up your selves unto â—l Uncleanness Object 9 O! But I am afraid yet that I am under the worst forsaking and that therefore I have sinned this great Sin for I do lie despairing saying God is gone and Mercy gone I am in the dark O! I despair I despair and upon this account I fear I have sinned this great Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Answ For Answer You know what Heman said I remember God and am troubled O Lord saith he all thy waves are gone over my head the waves of thy wrath are gone over my head and yet a Pen-man of Scripture Aretius tels us of a certain man in his time It is no feigned story saith he but I saw the man with my own Eyes one that had been a most vile and desperate Sinner a Drunkard a Swearer a Wanton a Gamester and so he continued to his gray hairs but at the last it pleased God to set his Sins in order before him and the man was so troubled in Conscience that he threw himself down upon the ground calling unto Satan to take him away provoking Satan to take him away Devil take thy own I am thy own take thy own whereupon saith Aretius prayer was made for him Christians prayed they fasted and prayed they prayed night and day and it pleased God at last this poor man revived converted to God lived a godly life and died comfortably So that it is not an easy thing saith he to pronounce what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is But now whosoever you are that have labored under this fear as indeed this fear I know hath oppressed many give me leave to ask you four or five short Questions The First is Whether canst thou not find in thy heart to forgive men that do trespass against thee Do not you find a disposition in your own heart to forgive others Yes I praise the Lord that I do Now if you can find in your heart to forgive others I am sure God can find in his heart to forgive you and therefore you have not sinned this great sin which is unpardonable Secondly Whether I or no have you ever opposed the waies of God the People of God and that out of malice No I confess I have opposed them but the Lord knows I did it ignorantly it was not out of malice then remember the description of this Sin Thirdly VVhether I or no do not you desire to be humbled for every Sin though it be never so smal Yes for though I know that my greatest Humiliation cannot placare Deum make an attonement for my Sin yet I know that the least Humiliation in truth doth placere Deo please God and it is my Duty to be humbled for every sin for the least sin is a great evil and he that commands Humiliation for the one commands it for the other also and through Grace I desire to be humbled for every sin why then you cannot have sin'd against the Holy Ghost for it is impossible that they that sin this Sin should be renewed to Repentance Fourthly Whether I or no do not you desire above all things the breathings of the Spirit of God upon your heart Yes O! that God would come and breath upon my poor soul in Duty But those that sin against the Holy Ghost do despight to the Spirit of Grace Hebrews 10. Fiftly Where do you find in al the Bible That those that sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost are afraid that they have sinned it those that sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost This alone satisfied Mistriss Drake a Woman much troubled in Conscience she was afraid she had sinned against the Holy Ghost Mr. Dod of blessed Memory came to her and told her That therefore she had not sinned the Sin against the Holy Ghost Because she feared she had sinned it for those that sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned it and she acknowledged it did satisfie her and she was thereupon comforted Now therefore where is the man or woman that hath labored under such a fear as this O! I have sinned this unpardonable Sin Art thou one that fearest thou hast sinned it I tel thee from the Lord thou art free from it and thou maist go home and say thus Though I have sinned much for which the Lord humble me yet I bless God I am kept from this great Sin And O! my beloved what a mercy is it That among all the sins that we have committed That yet we should be kept from this great Sin The greater the evil is the greater is the mercy to be kept from it Now I pray What is the misery of this Sin Is it not a great misery to be past Prayer to be thrown out of the Prayers of the Saints For such a one pray not saith the Apostle Is it not a great misery for a man to be beyond the line of Mercy a man that hath sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost is worser Spiritually than a man that is sick of the Plague outwardly for if a man be sick of the Plague ye pray for him and say Lord have mercy upon him but if a
man have sinned this Sin he is past Prayer and past Pardon he is past Sacrifice the truth is this man is in the Devils case The Devil you know is reserved in Chains unto the great Day and he cannot get out So if a man hath sinned this Sin though he live ten yeers twenty yeers or thirty yeers he is reserved in Chains and he shal never be pardoned he is upon the Devils ground O! what a misery is it to commit this Sin O! what a mercy is it then to be kept from it Now here is Hope for the greatest Sinner in the Congregation upon this account saith our Savior All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Hast thou therefore been a great Sinner Hast thou been a Drunkard Hast thou been a Wanton Hast thou been a Swearer Hast thou been an Opposer of the People of the Lord and hath the Lord kept thee from this great transgression Man or Woman here is Hope yet Who would not then turn to God Come Drunkard Swearer Wanton here is yet hope for thy soul who would not come in to Christ And O! What Comfort is here for Beleevers that are in Christ If thou beest in Christ and a Beleever thou canst not sin this Sin that look as it is with a man that hath sinned this Sin he cannot be pardoned so if a man be the Child of God a Beleever in Christ he cannot sin this Sin for he that is born of God sinneth not neither can he for the Seed of God abides in him O! you that are Beleevers comfort your selves with this Truth Here is Comfort for all the People of the Lord from this Doctrine Applic. 4 But in the fourth place If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be indeed the unpardonable Sin what cause have we al to look to our steps to our words to our actions Beloved this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the Professors Sin a man less than a Professor cannot sin this Sin against the holy Ghost this Sin against the holy Ghost is the knowing mans sin a man less than a knowing man cannot sin the Sin against the holy Ghost And as I said before a man may possibly go very far in sin and yet not commit this great unpardonable Sin So now on the other side I say Possibly a man may go very far in Religion and yet he may sin this Sin These Pharisees that committed it had the Key of Knowledg knowing they were and very knowing in the Scriptures as for Zeal they travelled Sea and Land to make a Proselyte for their Practice they fasted twice a week exceeding strict in observing the Sabboth day the Lights of the Church and the Eyes of all the People were upon them for their Guides and yet these men sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost O! what care should there be in al our souls how had we al need to look to our waies The more Truth revealed the more danger of sinning this Sin the more great Works of God are done by the very Spirit and Finger of God if men do oppose and blaspheme the more danger of sinning this great Sin Now I wil appeal to you When was there ever more Light revealed than in these daies of ours yet when more opposing and blaspheming of it When were there ever such great Works done by the very Spirit and Finger of God and yet when more opposing and blaspheming Are there not some that have been convinced that the Spirit of God breathed upon their hearts in such and such Ordinances and such and such Waies and yet now oppose and blaspheme those very waies of God wherein they said heretofore they had the Spirit of God Are there not some that are convinced that in these Times great things are done by the very Finger by the Power and Arm of God among us and that in order to our salvation and yet how do men speak against them and blaspheme I wil not say that these men do it out of malice and therefore I do not charge this Sin against the Holy Ghost upon them But beloved in the Lord this is certain That in knowing Times Times when God is doing great things by his own Finger then is this Sin stirring most The Times of Christ and of the Apostles were Times of great Light when God wrought by his own Finger then was this Sin committed Now in these Times there is much breaking forth of Light and great things done by the very Finger of God therefore I say there is great danger if men do now blaspheme wherefore I say again take heed to your souls you that are Professors look to your steps in these daies of ours Quest But you wil say We grant indeed that this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the unpardonable Sin and wo be to them that do fal into it and it cannot be committed but by a knowing man but what shall we do that we may be kept from this great Transgression that whatsoever sin we do fall into yet we may be kept from this great Evil and this unpardonable Sin Answ I would that you would mind and consider the Description which you have heard and think of it But I wil tel you what David did saith David O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression It seems then that presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression When is a man said to sin presumptuously When a man sins upon this score That God wil shew mercy to him saying I know indeed it is not good for me to go to such a wicked Company it is a sin so to do but I wil venture and repent afterwards for God wil shew mercy To venture upon a sin presuming that God wil shew mercy and that a man shal repent afterwards is presumption and presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression therefore would you be kept from this great Transgression go to God with David and say O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression Again Be alwaies humbled for lesser sins He shal never fal into the greatest that is alwaies humbled for the least he shal never fall into the worst that is alwaies humbled for the smallest Besides Fear is the Keeper of Innocency Timor innocentiae custos Fear is the Guard of Innocency If you alwaies fear to commit it you shal never commit the same In case that you do at any time fal into sin say Well but through the Grace of God though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good by the Grace of God I wil carry this Rule along with me Though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good In case any great Work be done before you that lies beyond your reach and beyond your fatham say Though I do not understand
Ages and from Generations And saith the Psal He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them He doth not say they have not known them as Israel but he saith The Lord hath not dealt so with other Nations as for his Judgments they have not known them neither can it be said that God was ready to have made known this Truth unto al the World but did not because of their sin for then it should have been declared to them that such Truths of the Gospel should be made known to them if they did not sin but that hath not been declared to al the particular men of the World and therefore Christ did not die for al men thus conditionally Seventhly If Christ did die and merit thus conditionally for al men then al the particular men in the world are under a Covenant of Grace for those that he died for are to receive the Blessings of the new covenant upon the performance of the Condition saith this Objection But al the particular men of the World are not under the Covenant of Grace for the Apostle saith of the Ephesians before their Conversion that they were strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the World Ephes 2.12 And God wil write his Laws in the hearts of all those that are under the Covenant of Grace Heb. 8. But al the particular men in the World shal not have the Laws of God written in their hearts therefore the Covenant of Grace is not made with them and therefore Christ hath not merited that the Blessings of the Covenant shal be given out unto al the World upon Conditions Eightly If al the Benefits of Christs Death and Blessings of the new Covenant should be given out upon some Condition to be performed by us as Faith and Repentance then our Faith should give us a Right and Title unto al those Blessings and Benefits As if I sel a thing upon Condition that a man pay me so much Money his payment of the Money being the performance of the Condition gives him a Right and Title to the thing Or if I promise to give a man an hundred pound upon condition that he go of such an Errand for me if he go his very going gives him a Right and Title to the hundred pound because he performs the Condition But though Faith be our hand whereby we receive the Benefits of Christs Death and Blessings of the Covenant yet it doth not give us any Right or Title to them al our Right and Title is in Christs Blood his Death his Satisfaction and his Obedience and in that alone Ninthly This Objection doth suppose the Covenant of Grace to be Conditional but the Covenant of Grace is free absolute and without al Conditions to be performed by us For The Lord hath delivered it without al such Conditions We read of the Covenant of Grace in Jer. 31. in Ezek. 36. in Heb. 8. but where do we find any Condition annexed to it And if God make no Conditions why should we Shal I hang my Pad-lock upon Gods Door of Mercy This Covenant saish the Lord is as the Covenant which he made with Noah Did he promise Noah that the World should be drowned no more upon Conditions of our Faith or Obedience No but saith the Lord I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake although the Imaginations of mans heart be evil Gen. 8.21 It may be you wil translate the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because but it comes al to one In the Covenant of Grace the Lord saith He wil write his Laws in our hearts there is Converting mercy promised and that we shal al know him there is enlightening Mercy promised both the Habit and the Act of Grace promised and he gives this reason For I will be merciful to your unrighteousness and your sin and iniquity I will remember no more Heb. 8.11 12. Now if forgiving mercy be the reason of sanctifying Mercy if our forgiveneâ—s be the cause of our holiness then no act of our Grace or Holiness can be the Condition of our forgiveness or of the Covenant The Spirit of God is promised in the Covenant I wil put my Spirit into you saith God but Faith and Repentance are not before the In being or Gift of the Spirit Surely therefore all the Blessings of the Covenant are not given out upon these Conditions If the Covenant of Grace should be thus Conditional then the Covenant of Grace should be harder than the Covenant of Works made with Adam in Paradice for then the Condition was to be performed by our common Person who was strong and free from al sin but now we are weak and ful of al sin and therefore if the performance of the Condition lie upon our hands the terms of this Covenant wil be worse and harder for us than the terms of that Covenant of Works neither can it be said that if al men have a sufficiency of Grace and power to beleeve that the performance of the Condition of this Covenant wil be easier than of that for who doth not know that it is an harder thing for one of us sinful Creatures to beleeve than for Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden Fruit But surely the Covenant of Grace is easier and sweeter than the Covenant of Works and therefore the Condition thereof was performed by Christ our Second Adam and there is now no Condition of the Covenant to be performed by us Yet it is our Duty to beleeve and repent and obey which we are commanded to do by the Gospel but al our Repentance Faith and Obedience is a Fruit of that Covenant not the Condition of it As in case Adam had stood his Seed should have obeyed yet their Obedience should not have been the Condition but the Fruit of the Covenant and as his Posterity could not have had Life unless they had obeyed yet that their Obedience was not the Condition of that Covenant So though we cannot be justified unless we beleeve nor be saved unless we repent and obey yet our Repentance Faith and Obedience is not the Condition but the Fruit of the Covenant Christ and Christ alone our Second Adam did perform the Condition as to us the Covenant of Grace is free absolute and without al Conditions Obj. But all Divines say That Faith and Repentance are the Condition of the Covenants Ans Not all not so Luther Duplices sunt promissiones Dei legales quae nituntur deorsum in nostris operibus sicut illae si feceritis bona terrae comedetis aliae sunt promissiones gratiae sicut Jer 31. scribam legem meam in cordibus eorum hae promissiones non nituntur deorsumsed simpliciter bonitate et gratia Dei quid ipse velit facere Luther in Gen. 4. cap p. 88. Hos 2. Desponsabo
Because and it may be so translated Although the Imagination of mans heart is evil c. Yet the Chaldee Paraphrase â—eptuagint Hierom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. and Montanus render it Because But though it be so translated yet that is enough to make good the Truth and Doctrine which I urge from this Scripture Qaia cogitatio Montanus The Covenant that the Lord makes with his People is such a Covenant as the Lord made with Noah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldee Par. so saith â—he Prophet Isaiah What then Therefore if God be in Covenant with a man he shall never lie under wrath again for though the World sin the World shall never be drowned again and so though he do sin he shall never lie under wrath again Now as for the People of God they are all in Covenant with God they are under this gracious Covenant and therefore though the Mountains may be removed Gods Mercy shal never be removed from them and though the great Hills may be thrown into the Sea the People of God once in Covenant with God shal never be thrown into Hell and tell me then Have you that are the People of God any just cause or reason to be cast down or to be discouraged Answ 3 Thirdly If the very sins of Gods People through the over-ruling hand of Grace shall be an occasion of more Grace and Comfort to them than ever they had in all their lives before then surely they have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Now mark it and you shall find That God doth never suffer his People to fall into any sin but he intends to make that sin an in-let unto further Grace and Comfort to them This ye see in the first great Sin that ever was committed by the Children of Men the Fall of Adam the Lord himself came and preached the Gospel preached Christ unto fallen Man and surely when God himself preached the Gospel we are to think the man was converted Now the greatest Blessing that ever the World saw was the Righteousness of Jesus Christ but how came that about God suffers man to fall and mans Unrighteousness must usher in Christs Righteousness The Scripture tells us that the Lord suffered Hezekiah to fall that Hezekiah might know all that was in his heart he did not know his own heart before and therefore the Lord let him fall that he might know his own heart But if you look into the Romans Chap. 11. you shall find in so many words what I am now speaking verse 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbeleef Why That he might have mercy upon all O! what a blessed design upon Unbeleef is here Therefore God concludes all under Unbeleef that he might have mercy upon all Sin gets not but is a loser by every fall of the Godly And if ye look into the Scripture ye shall observe That when the People of God fall usually they fail in that Grace wherein they do most excel and wherein they did most excel therein they did most miscarry Abraham did most excel in Faith and therein he did most miscarry Moses did most excel in Meekness and therein he did most miscarry we read of no other sin concerning Moses but his Anger Job did most excel in Patience and therein he did most miscarry Peter did most excel in Zeal and Resolution for Christ Though all the World for sake thee yet will not I and therein he did most miscarry denying Christ at the voyce of a Damzel I say ye shall observe this That the Saints fell and failed in that Grace wherein they did most excel and they did most excel wherein they did most miscarry what 's the Reason of this but because the Lord by the over-ruling hand of his Grace did make their very miscarriages in-lets and occasions to their further Grace and Holiness God hath a great Revenue from the very infirmities of his People He doth never suffer any of his People to fall into any sin but he hath a design by that fall to break the back of that sin they do fall into Now then have the Saints and People of God any reason to be discouraged in this respect By their sin they may be and are often times suspended from their Comforts and use of their Priviledges but by their sin they do not lose their right thereunto Ye know how it was with the Leper in the times of the Old Testament among the Jews when he was carried out of the City or Town from his own House by reason of his uncleanness Or now if a man that hath the Plague and be carried from his own House by reason thereof the Leper then and the man that hath the Plague or the Pest now may say Though I be removed from mine own House and have not the use of my House yet I have a right to my House still and though I cannot come to the use of my Land yet I have a Right to my Land still So a Godly man may say as concerning his sin This sin of mine indeed it is a Pest and the Plague of my Soul and a Leprosy but though by this Leprosy of mine I am now suspended from the use of my Comforts yea from the full use of my Interest in Jesus Christ yet notwithstanding I have an Interest in Christ still I have not lost my Interest still I have Right to Christ although I cannot come to the use of him as I did before yet I have right unto Jesus Christ now as I had before And if all these things be so Why should a godly man be cast down or discouraged in this respect Surely he ought not to be so Object But suppose a mans sins be such as never were pardoned before and truly that is my case for I have sinned a great sin and I do not read in all the Word of God any example that ever such a sin as mine was pardoned Have I not reason now to be quite discouraged and cast down Answ No For I pray what do you think of Adam Adam sinned a great sin in our first Fall the Lord himself came and preached the Gospel to him The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Should Adam have said O! but there is no hope for me for I have no example or precedent of pardon Adam could have no Example of any that was pardoned before him because he was the first man and the first that sinned Should he have sate down and been discouraged because he could not find any Example for the pardon of the like sin that he had committed You know what our Savior Christ said Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unless it be the sin against the Holy Ghost every sin though it be boyled up to blasphemy You say you have no example for the pardon of such a sin as yours is but doth not your sin come within the compass of these words Every Sin
free love of God more possibly your affections might be higher at the first but is not conviction more cleer and ful as affections dry up so we grow more setled in our judgment and if your judgment be more setled you are not declined though your affections be somewhat abated And whereas you say That you have returned to your sin again and again and have continued under your revolt for many yeers I shal only tel you what Mr. Bilney a blessed Martyr once said hearing a Minister preach very terribly against sin and saying thus Behold thou old sinner thou hast layn rotting in the grave of thy sin this threescore years and dost thou now think to go to heaven in one yeer dost thou think to go forward to heaven more in one yeer than thou hast gone backward to hel these threescore yeers Ah! said Mr. Bilney here is goodly preaching of repentance in the name of Christ Had I heard such doctrine preached heretofore my poor soul had despaired for ever but saith he the Lord Christ dyed for sinners young sinners and old sinners for one as wel as the other such as have layn long in sin aswel as those that have layn but a little while in sin if they wil come home unto Christ And you know what our Savior saith if thy Brother transgress against thee forgive him But Lord he hath transgressed against me once and I have forgiven him yet saith our Savior forgive him again O! but Lord I have forgiven him again and again and yet he returns to his fault again then forgive him again saith Christ But Lord how often shal I forgive my Brother Saith our Savior if he sin against thee Seaventy seven times and saies that he doth repent do thou forgive so oft And now shal the Lord Jesus Christ injoyn us to forgive our Brother if he sin against us seventy seaven times and wil not the Lord Christ forgive much more if a poor soul do turn unto him and say Lord I repent me that I have sinned against thee Wil the Lord Christ command me a poor sinner to forgive so many times how often wil the great God forgive what seaventy seven times nay seaven hundred times seaven hundred And have ye any reason then to be discouraged in this respect surely you have not Object But suppose that a man have sinned fowly greatly and he cannot repent or be humbled enough for that is my case I have sinned I have sinned greatly and now after al my heart is hard and I cannot be humbled enough O! I cannot repent enough hath he not just cause and reason for his discouragement now yea now to be quite discouraged Answ No not yet For what if the Lord wil have your humiliation from you by degrees should you be so or so mucâ— humbled for the present it may be it would be with you as it hâ—â—h been with others you would never think of your sins afterward but may be the Lord wil have this work of humiliation to stay long upon thy soul and he wil not give it you al at once Some there are that when they come into a house they pay a great in-come and little rent others pay a little in-come and a great rent so it is with souls that come to Christ some at the first lay down a great humiliation and they have lesser of it afterward some have less at the first and have more afterwards by continuance in it and what now if the Lord wil lead thy soul in this latter way this latter way may be the better way if the Lord think fit Sepe negatur cum quaeâ—itur et conceditur cuâ— non expectatur ut ex eo constet esse ò pus divinae graciae Bonavent Again It may be that if you had so much or so much humiliation now at the first you would think that in and by and for your humiliation you should have acceptance with God and the remiâ—sion of your sin if you be kept off from this rock danger by your want of that degree of humiliation which you would have and so be trayned up to prize the Lords free Grace in giving you humiliation have you any cause to complayn Again If you had so much or so much humiliation for the present iâ— may be then you would have the less humility a little humility is as good as a great deal of humiliation as good being humble as being humbled Now because thou art not humbled therefore thy soul is kept humble hadst thou many tears and abundance of tears may be then thou wouldest be proud but the Lord doth deny thee tears and thou art not humbled to the degrees of thy own desires and so the Lord keeps thee humble by the want of thy humiliation Again It may be that if you were humbled so or so much at the present or at the first you would have the less fear of your own heart The more humbled it may be the less after-fear and the less humbled the more after-fear the less humbled sometimes the more a man fears his own heart and his own condition Gracious fear is as good as humiliation and if that which you want in humilâ—ation you have it made up in fear have you any reason to be discouraged I know it is usual with Satan to say unto the people of God at their first coming on to Christ that they are not humbled enough and so keeps them off from Mercy and Grace But I pray tell me Can ye ever be humbled enough Can there be any proportion between your sins and your humiliation The Truth is we should labor that our Humiliation be answerable to our sin but God is not pleased with grief for grief God is not pleased with sorrow for sorrow the end of all our sorrow and grief is to imbitter our sin to us to make us to prize Jesus Christ to wean us from the delights and pleasures of the Creature to discover the deceitfulness and naughtiness of our own hearts In scripture phrase and language or the new Testament Repentance is called an after-wisdom an after-mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bethinking of ones self it is called a conviction now though you be not humbled unto the degree which you do desire yet notwithstanding do you not bethink your self are you not convinced of the evil of your former way hath not the Lord now given you an after-wisdom and do not you say concerning your sin O! if it were to do again I would not do it for al the world Thus it is with the Servants and people of God though they cannot be humbled so much as they would be yet notwithstanding they are thus far humbled thus far grieved that their sins are imbittered and themselves thereby weaned from the delights and pleasures of the world convinced of the evil of their sin and what they want in humiliation they have it in humility the less humbled the more they are kept
your own condition and pitch upon sin as a breach of Gods Law a transgression of the Law of God a dishonor done to God and as a breach of the Law of Love between Christ and you Thus I say if you would be humbled and not discouraged rather mourn over your Condition in order to your Sin than for your Sin in order to your Condition Answ 4 Fourthly In your Humiliation take heed that you do not meddle too much with Gods Prerogative and with Gods Peculiar In Humiliation a man is to meddle with that which belongs to man Some things there are that are peculiar to God and are his Prerogative You see how it is with the Birds of the Air so long as the Birds fly up and down here in the Air they do live comfortably but if the Birds do fly up to the Element of Fire it wil burn their Wings and they will fall down head-long So here so long as a man in his Humiliation keeps within his own Compass and Element he may walk comfortably there but if a man in Humiliation will soar up unto Gods Prerogative certainly his Soul wil fal down upon the Earth and be much discouraged Now I pray what is more the Prerogative and Peculiar of God than this To know who is a Reprobate and who is not When a man is humbled and grieved about his Sin and he finds that he hath sinned much against God and thereupon he concludes himself to be a Reprobate is not this â—o come upon Gods Prerogative The Scripture tels a man indeed what he is for the present That a man for the present is a Drunkard or a Swearer or a Sabbath-breaker or an Adulterer and therefore the Scripture tels him for the present that he is in the state of Nature and under the wrath of God but doth the Scripture tel him that he is a Reprobate that he can never be converted and turned to God Surely this is Gods great Prerogative to know his Secret which he reserves to himself and therefore when a man goes to be humbled before God and concludes O! I am a Reprobate and there is no hope for me and I shal never be converted this is to soar too high into Gods Prerogative and he wil burn his wings and he wil fal down into great Discouragement Therefore in al your Humiliation take heed that you do not fal upon any thing that is the Peculiar and Prerogative of God for then you wil not be humbled but discouraged Answ 5 Fifthly The more you are humbled and grieved by the Sight of Gods free Love and Grace the more you wil be humbled and the less discouraged When you come to Humiliation you are humbled because you have sinned against God but how do you present this God to your own soul Do you present him as a Judg only or as a Father also Do you present the Lord unto your soul only under the Notion or Attribute of his Greatness or under the Notion and Attribute of his Goodness also Luther said thus When my heart is brisk and jolly I present God unto my self under the notion of his Greatness but when my heart is low and fearing then I present God to me under the notion of his Goodness One while I consider Christ as my Example another while as my Gift when my heart is too high then I consider Christ as my Example when my spirit is too low I consider Christ as my Gift So do you also I know you wil say I cannot somtimes present the Lord unto my soul under the notion of a Father because I have no assurance of his Love Yet you may consider the Lord as gracious in himself as good in himself and loving in himself and say I have thus and thus Sinned against a gracious God and although thou hast not assurance of Gods Love to thee in Particular yet if you can present God to your soul under the Notion of his general Goodness as good in himself you will never be discouraged but be humbled Answ 6 Sixtly and lastly If you would be truly humbled and not be discouraged not discouraged and yet humbled then beat and drive up all your sins to your unbeleef and lay the stress and weight of all your sorrow upon that Sin As in matter of thankfulness if a man do run up every Mercy unto the Fountain Mercy the Blood of Jesus Christ he wil be most thankful So in the matter of Humiliation If a man do run up every Sin unto the Fountain the Head Sin he wil be most humbled Now what is the great Sin the Fountain Sin the Head Sin of al your Sins but Unbelief and beleeve it he is never far from Faith that is humbled for his Unbeleef and he wil never be discouraged that is not far from Faith Now therefore if at any time you find your soul in any Sin then say This hath my Unbeleef done I did not think that I had had such an unbeleeving heart O! what an unbeleeving heart have I This even all this Sin hath my Unbeleef brought forth Now the Lord heal my unbeleeving heart A soul grieved for unbeleef wil never be discouraged too much nor be humbled too little he wil be humbled in truth for sin because he is humbled for his unbeleef which is the mother Sin yet he wil not be discouraged because he is humbled for that which doth cause al discouragements Lay therefore the weight of your sorrow upon this Sin and you shal be truly humbled without unjust discouragement And thus I have dispatched the first particular by al which you see That a Gracious Godly man though he hath just cause for humiliation yet he hath no just and scripture reason to be discouraged for his Sin though he have Sinned and Sinned greatly yet no discouragement is to grow upon this condition And thus I have done with the First Instance A LIFTING UP In case of WEAK GRACE Serm. V PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 2 SOmtimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise from the weakness of their Graces O! saies one I am a poor feeble and a weak Creature some are strong in the Lord and in the power of his Might who do a great deal of Service for God in their day but as for me I am a poor Babe in Christ if a Babe and so am able to do little or nothing for God Therefore I am thus discouraged and cast down have I not just cause and reason for it Answ No For God is able to make all Grace to abound towards you that ye alwaies having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good Work 2 Cor. 9.8 And if God have recompenced your weakness with Wisdom then surely you have no cause to complain of your weakness Admonemur nullam creaturam propter parvitatem contemnendam esse quando qui dem quod illis in
to her Verse 13. Strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die I have not found thy Works perfect So that though your Grace be weakened and that by your own sin insomuch as all seems to be ready to die yet there is a Promise belonging to such a condition and therefore no just cause or reason for Discouragement though much cause of Humiliation Object But I am not discouraged at the weakness of my Grace because of mine own guiltiness only but because of its likeness and similitude unto common Grace I know that it is a contradiction to say That a little Grace is no Grace at all but my little is so little that I even fear that it is none in truth If the piece of Coyn that I have be little yet if it be Gold it is well but if it be little and a Counter too then what am I the better Now so it is that I fear my little is but a Counter and not true Grace indeed therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ No For though your Grace be never so smal yet if it be good Coyn and not a Counter then you have no reason to be discouraged in this regard Now to satisfie you in this scruple I 'le tell you what smal weak little Grace will do and not do in opposition to common Grace It will not oppose much Grace the least Spark of fire will not oppose the flame or resist the flame Water will because Fire and Water are contrary and so false Grace will oppose the highest degree of Grace saying What need you be so strict and precise You may go to Heaven with less ado but the least degree of true Grace wil not oppose the highest It loves Examination it loves to examine and to be examined for it is sincere and sincerity is much in examination it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it holds up all its actions to the Sun and light it doth love the work of examination false counterfeit common Grace doth not so It is very inquisitive after the waies of God and after further Truths As the man that climbs up into the Tree first gets hold on the lower Boughs then on the higher and so winds himself into the body of the Tree till he comes to the top So doth a Christian do he begins with the lower then unto higher and so to higher discoveries at the first therefore he is most inquisitive What shall I do to be saved saies he and again Lord what wilt thou have me to do False and common Grace is not so It is much in the work of Humiliation it grows in a waterish place Now suppose that two Herbs be much alike the one soveraign and the other naught and it be told you that the soveraign good Herb grows in a waterish place and the other on a Rock will you not easily discern those by the places where they grow Thus it is here the weak Grace of the Saints grows in a waterish place it is much in Humiliation but the common false Grace of Hypocrites grows on a Rock As a weak Christian is very apt to rest upon his own doings so he is much in doing and in the work of Humiliation most It works according to the proportion of its own weakness it staggers at the Promise yet it goes to the Promise it doubts of Christs Love yet it doth run to Christ it stumbles yet it doth keep its way it is ignorant of Christ and not so forward in the knowledg of Christ as it should be yet it is laying of the foundation Heb. 6.1 It is the fault of a weak Christian that he is alwaies laying the foundation yet he is laying of the foundation though it works weakly yet it works according to the proportion of its weakness but the common false Grace doth not so It is willing to learn of others For saies a weak Christian I am but a Babe in Christ and therefore why should not I be willing to be carried in others Arms The less I can do the more I will receive as the strong Christian is much in doing so must I be much in receiving It is not thus with that false and common counterfeit Grace But as the Naturalists do report and write of the Lyon That he wil not eat of any Prey but what he hath hunted down himself other Beasts will Aelian de Animal they wil prey upon what is killed by others but the Lyon King of the Beasts is so proud that he wil not eat of that which is killed by another So men that are strong in Parts and Gifts and have no Grace withal will not eat of that which they do not hunt down themselves if they hunt it down then they wil close therewith else not A strong-graced Christian will and a weak-faithed Christian will but he that hath Parts and Gifts alone cannot rellish that so well which is brought to hand by another .. It is very sensible of it's own weakness A weak Christian is weak and he doth feel his weakness and is very sensible of it not a man in all the world Deo placet fides infirma modo nobis non placet fidei infirmitas Austin saith he that is more weak than I. Now ye know that if a Lady or Queen come to an House she hath a great Train attending upon her and though ye see her not yet if you see her Train you say she is there still Such a great Queen is Grace though a man have never so little of it yet it brings a great Train with it and though you see it not yet if you see the Train will ye not say surely the Grace of God is here Thus now it is with you that are weak in Grace these Seven things and a far greater Train than these you may see in your lives and therefore certainly you have no just cause and reason for your Discouragements in this respect Object O! but yet this is not the thing that doth pinch with me I hope through mercy the Root of the matter is in my soul that this great Queen of Grace hath taken up her lodging in my heart but yet I am exceeding weak in Grace and very feeble still some are weak in Grace because they are but new Plants new Converts lately brought home to Christ and are yet Babes in Christ and so they have excuse for their weakness but I profess that I have been converted a great while yet I am weak I am an old man or woman yet I am weak in Grace I am an old Professor and yet am weak in Grace therefore I am thus disquieted have I not just cause and reason now Answ No For though it is a shame for an old man to go in Coats or to be carried in the Arms like a Babe as every weak Christian is and though Christ will upbraid men of their slowness and dulness that have long
them not now wil I remember their iniquity Mâ—â—k the word Now Now when Now when they do come to prayer now wil I remember your iniquity saith the Lord. I know saith the Lord al your carriage in such and such a pâ—â—ce I know your uncleanness and your adulteries when you wâ—â—e in the dark when the curtains were drawn about you and the candle out I know your carriage at such a Tavern and upon such an Ale bench how you sate there and scâ—rned and reviâ—â—d my children I know your opposing scoffing and jeering at tho e that are Godly I know al this and now thou comest to prayer now Swearer now Adulterer now Drunkard now thou comest to duty now wil I remember thine iniquity Is it not a sad thing that the Lord should remember a mans sin at the time when he comes to prayer yet thus the Lord deales with the wicked But as for the Godly and Gracious man it is not so with him when he comes to prayer though he have many failings in duty yet the Lord remembers his mercy then the Lord remembers his loving kindness then the Lord remembers his Covenant for he is ever mindful of his Covenant O! what incouragement is here then for every man to become Godly to get into Christ and what incouragement is here for the Saints and people of God to come to duty O! you that have but a little faith have you any reason to be discouraged wil you not at last say to your soul why art thou cast down O my soul and why are thou thus discouraged Quest But suppose that I have done foolishly and have sinned in being discouraged upon al occasions suppose I have many failings in duty and the Lord doth not answer my prayer presently what shal I do that I may bear up my heart against this discouragement either in regard of my own failing in duty or in regard of Gods not answering Answ 1 First Take heed that you do not lay the stress and weight of al your comfort upon duty cither the gift of duty or the Grace of duty or the present answer of it So much as ye lay the stress and weight of your comfort upon duty so much wil you be discouraged in case you do either want duty or an answer to it When Paul was tempted and buffetted he prayed thrice For this saith he I besought the Lord thrice thâ—t is often and the Lord gave him no other answer than this 2 Cor. 12.8 9. Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength shal be made perfect in thy weakness Whereupon Paul saith Now therefore wil I Glory in mine infirmities that the pâ—wer of the Lord may rest upon me Hast thou therefore been at prayer and hast thou prayed thrice or often and hast thou no answer but this My Grace is sufficient for thee know that thou hast a Pauls answer and therefore rather Glory in this that the Lord should find thee faithful for to wait upon him than be discouraged knowing that the Lords strength shal be perfected in thy weakness Answ 2 Secondly Consider seriously and frequently of this rule That difficulty doth commend duty the more difficulties your duties do press through to God the more acceptable they are to him The less there is to sweeten your duty to you the more sweet is your duty to God It is in our performing of duty as in the offering of the Jewish Sacrifice in the offering of their Sacrifice there was two things The Sacrifice and the Obedience in offering the Sacrifice and the more difficult it was for any poor Jew by reason of poverty or the like to offer this Sacrifice the more and greater was his Obedience in offering it the more difficulty in offering the greater the Obedience offered So also it is in our Gospel Sacrifices and in al our duties there are two things in them There is the Sacrifice the duty and there is the Obedience in bringing the duty and the more difficulty in performing the duty the greater is the Obedience to God in the performing of it Now is is not an hard thing and very difficult for a man to pray and continue praying when his heart is hardned and his spirit streightned especially if he be sensible thereof then he is ready to despond and say I can pray no more and is it not a very hard thing for a man to pray and persevere in prayer when he thinks that God doth not regard his prayer then he is apt to say why should I pray any longer for God regards me not yet now if you do pray and perform your duty your obedience is the more obediential the more acceptable and if you would but think of this rule Difficulty doth commend duty and the less you have to sweeten your action the more sweet it is to God I say if you would but remember this it would both incourage you to duty and keep you from discouragement in it And lastly We must al learn to leave the event and success of our spiritual things unto God himself so shal we never be discouraged in any duty For the word of the Lord is sure and God hath spoken it Psal 55. Cast thy Gift upon the Lord Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldee Par. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierom. projice super Dominum charitatem tuam Rab. Salv. Jar. abbreviate dictus Rashi vel Rasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod etiam pro dono usurpatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 11.8 Bibl. Bomb. and he wil sustain thee he wil not suffer the righteous to be moved for ever You read it thus Cast thy Burden upon the Lord but in the Hebrew it is thy Gift Cast thy Gift upon the Lord. That is saith Shindler quicquid tibi dari donarive expetis Whatsoever thou dost desire that God should give thee cast that upon the. Lord thou comest to prayer and thou prayest for such a mercy or such a Gift cast that on God and leave it wholly to him O! but the mercy I pray for is a necessary mercy Be it so yet it is to be cast on God But it is a spiritual Gift I pray for pardon of sin the sence of Gods love growth in Grace consolation to my poor drooping soul Be it so yet thou must cast this on God Many there are that can leave the event and and success of these outward things unto God but to leave the event and success of prayer and their spiritual things unto God this they cannot understand and this they are utterly unacquainted with but whatever thy Gift be cast it upon the Lord leave the success and the event of al your spiritual things upon God what then And he wil sustain thee and thou shalt not be moved for ever Thou are moved for the present and thy heart is moved and thou art much discouraged yet do but try this way leave the
now from home and travelling 〈…〉 a strange Countrey and do you think it is possible 〈◊〉 â—ould it not be a wonder that meeting with so many cross waiâ—s you should never be at a stand about your Condition or question your way whether you be right or no Give me leave to propound you a Parable Suppose two men one goes very brave fares deliciously is very merry and full of money yet hath no Lands no Calling nothing left him no friends to maintain him nor no honest way known to bring him in money and yet he is full of it The other works hard fares meanly goes plainly and he is oft complaining I fear I shal want and miscarry yet he hath a Calling some Land good Friends and some Money Which of these two think you doth come most honestly by his Money Will you not all say the latter For though he hath but little yet he works hath a Lawful Calling waies known for to bring it in But as for the other though fine brave and looks high yet he hath nothing to bring it in I sear he comes not well by it So Spiritually there are two sorts of People in the world One that is very confident of his Salvation and full of Comfort yet he prayeth not in private reads not meditates not examineth not his own heart takes no pains about his soul but is often spending keeping ill company will be somtimes drunk swear and be unclean yet he is very confident he shall go to Heaven The other praies hears reads meditates walketh with all strictness in his life and conversation yet he is alwaies doubting and fearing but through Grace he hath some Comfort Which of these two think you is in the best condition and comes most honestly by his Comfort Will you not say surely the latter for though he fears yet he is alwaies doing working Heaven-ward The other though confident and ful of Comforts hath no good way for to bring them in and therefore surely his Evidence for Heaven is stolen his Comforts are all stolen But as for the other though he hath but little Comfort yet he comes truly by it Thus it may be with you whilst others swaggering it and braving it out with their Comfort and false Confidence go to Hell and perish everlastingly It is a sure Rule That Gods Promise of Mercy doth suppose our Misery if he promise health he supposeth our sickness if he promise Grace it supposeth our sin Now though in the times of the old Testament God promised much outward Blessing yet in the times of the new Testament the Mercy promised is To send the Comforter the Spirit who shall bear witness unto our Spirits that we are the Children of God often our Savior saith I wil send the Comforâ—â— Why but to show that in the times of the Gospel the People of God shall labor under doubtings and be full of fears about their Spiritual estate and therefore though you do doubt of your Child-ship which is your evil yet your state herein is no other than what may be the state and condition of Gods own People in these Gospel times why therefore should you be discouraged in this respect Object 3 But I do not only doubt of my Child-ship I am not only tempted to doubt whether I be the Child of God or no but I labor under sad and searful temptations I am tempted to strange and horrid things such as I fear to name I am even tempted to make away my self tempted with blasphemous thoughts to doubt whether there be a God or no whether the Scripture be true and to say that I have sinned against the holy Ghost such and such things I am tempted to as my very soul and flesh doth tremble at and have I not just cause and reason now to be discouraged and cast down Answ I confess this is sad indeed I do not read in Scripture though I read of many sins of the Godly that ever any Godly man did make away himself It is a good Speech of Austin Sibi auferendo presentem vâ—tam abnegant futuram Men by taking away their present life deâ—â— themselves their future life But because saith Mr. Perkins 〈…〉 â—one this whose lives have been counted honest 〈…〉 â—ly therefore my Sentence is thus I dare not 〈…〉 damned because of their former life and I dare not say they are saved because of their sinful death yet for the Temptation it self I say if it do not come to act as there is no Duty which a Godly man doth perform but a wicked man may do the same yet remain wicked so there is no Temptation which a wicked man may yield unto but a godly man may be tempted unto yet remain godly was not Christ himself tempted by Satan to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple yet he did it not Only my Counsel and Advice from the Lord is If any be troubled with such a Temptation be sure you reveal it and discover it presently and as for those horrid blasphemous suggestions which lie so heavy upon your souls which make your heart and flesh to tremble at the rising of them Ye have read how it was with the King of Moab when he could not break through the Hoast of Israel nor make them cease from following the Victory he presented unto their view a horrible Spectacle sacrificing on the walls his own dear Son and Heir to the Crown that so the Israelites being not able to endure the view of that inhumane sight might give over the Victory Thus doth Satan do when he cannot drive a gracious soul out of the field any other way then he presenteth such horrid inhumane suggestions to him that he may scare him from the good waies of God it is not in our power to hinder Satan from presenting these things to our thoughts When you come into wicked ungodly and prophane Company if they wil swear and curse and blaspheme you cannot hinder them from speaking nor your self from hearing you may sit down and mourn saying O! what Blasphemy is here what Cursing is here but do what you can they will fill your Ears with these things Now Satan being a Spirit he is able to present these Blasphemies to your Spirits and you cannot hinder it you may cry out and say O! what Blasphemy is here O! what a burden is this to my soul But he can present them to you whether you wil or not and did he not present these things unto Christ himself All these things will I give thee saith he if thou wilt fall down and worship me what greater Blasphemy can be imagined than that the God of Heaven and Earth as Christ was should worship Satan yet hereunto he did tempt our Lord and Savior And if our God doth so order the Temptations of his Children as that thereby they are kept from sin have they any reason to be discouraged now by these horrid Temptations Many a man is kept from
and quiet under the hand of God then he is called to that other work which his Affliction doth lead him to It may be your Affliction may hinder you from your former work which God hath call'd you from but it doth not hinder you from that work whereunto you are now called by your Affliction And what though my Affliction doth hinder me from my former work yet if God wil not fault me for the neglect of that have I any reason to be discouraged becaus I do not do it This is certain That if God cal me to a new work he wil never blame me if I lay by the former You wil not blame your Servants if they lay by their former work when you call them to a new and when God leads into a new Affliction then he doth cal to a new work Answ 3 And as for matter of Temptation and Sin this is certain That that Affliction doth never expose a man to a new sin which doth make him sensible of his former sin Now as you have heard the Afflictions of the Saints do both discover and heal their sins making them sensible of them which they were not before And if you look into Psal 125.3 you find a Promise to this purpose The Rod of the wicked shall not rest on the Lot of the Righteous lest the Righteous put forth their hand to iniquity As it is with a Master that sets his Servant to beat the dust out of his Garment though he cause the rod or stick to pass upon the Garment yet he will not suffer it to rest so long upon the Garment as it shal be torn thereby Your Affliction is Gods Rod and he suffers it to pass upon your Garment Why That he may fetch out your dust therewith but he wil not suffer this Rod to rest so long upon you as to tear your Garment Lest the Righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity saith the Text. Answ 4 And if this fear of yours be a good sign of your Grace then why should you be discouraged in this respect Now what better sign of Truth and Uprightness of heart have you than this That you are therefore troubled at your Affliction because it doth expose to Temptation and Sin and because it doth hinder you from what is good Do you not say so Lord thou knowest I am therefore afflicted under this Affliction not because of the burden of it so much but because thereby I am hindred from doing and receiving good and exposed to such Temptations as for the Affliction it self though it be great yet Lord thou knowest I should submit to it and be quiet under it were I not thereby exposed unto what is evil Here now is sincerity here is uprightness and will you then be discouraged nay rather have you not cause and reason to be much encouraged Object 6 This is not my fear or cause of my discouragement but I am under a great and sore Affliction so and so afflicted and I fear I have brought my self into this Affliction by my sin had not my sin been the cause of my Affliction I should not be troubled but O! my Affliction is great and long and I am perswaded that my own sin is the cause thereof yea and that which aggravateth the matter is I cannot find out what the sin is if God would but discover it to me I should be more at quiet but my sin is the cause of my affliction and I know not what the particular sin is that hath brought me into this affliction and have I not just cause and reason for my discouragement now Answ No For did not Jonah bring himself into his Affliction by his sin and yet when did God more fully appear to him than when he was in the Whales Belly Did not David bring himself into his Affliction by his sin he sinned in the matter of Vriah and the Lord said The Sword shall never depart from thy House and what was the Sword of Absolon but an Affliction which dropped out of that Threatening brought upon him by his sin and yet when was Davids heart in a better frame If saith he the Lord have any pleasure in me he will bring me back to the Ark again if not let him do with me what seemeth good in his Eyes And when did God more fully appear to David than under this Affliction for he prayed The Lord turn the Counsel of Achittophel into folly and God heard him presently And if ye look into Deut. 4. you shall find a standing Promise made for your Comfort in this matter verse 25. If you shall corrupt your selves and make a graven Image or the likeness of any thing and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you this day That you shall soon utterly perish from the Land ye shal not prolong your daies the Lord will scatter you among the Nations and you shall be left few in number among the Heathen and there you shall serve gods the work of mens hands But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thine heart and all thy soul 1. Here was a great Affliction to be driven out into another Country 2. This Affliction was caused by their great sins 3. Yet the Promise is That if from thence from this valley and bottom they did seek the Lord he would shew mercy to them And all this in the times of the Law and is not God as gracious now in the times of the Gospel as then in the times of the Law And what though you cannot find out what the particular sin is it is good to search but somtimes it is better for a poor soul that it is not discovered For if I be under an affliction for some particular sin and find it out then I am once humbled for it and go no further but if I find it not out I search and search and so am humbled continually for many sins and therefore I say it is somtimes better that the particular sin is not discovered Why then should a godly gracious soul be discouraged in this respect Surely he hath no reason for it Object 7 Yet there is one thing sticks with me in regard of personal Afflictions I fear that they do not come from Gods Love were I certain that this Affliction did proceed from Gods Love then I should never be troubled but I even see the visible Characters of Gods displeasure and anger engraven upon my Afflictions and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For if Affliction do rather argue Gods Love than Hatred then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though Affliction do not argue Gods Love yet I say it doth rather argue Love than Hatred A man may be no Father to a Child yet he may correct him But if two Children commit
of this speech is given at verse 30. Because they said he hath an unclean Spirit And indeed if these men did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost our Lord and Savior Christ should tel us that there is an unpardonable Sin and not tel us what it is for unless it be in this Scripture you shal not find either in the Gospel or in the Epistles That the Sin against the Holy Ghost is any where mentioned in express words Now our Lord and Savior would not tel us that there is an unpardonable Sin and not tel us what it is but he saith expressly That whoever doth blaspheme or speak against the holy Ghost shal never be forgiven And he chargeth those Jews that they blasphemed and spake against the Spirit of God or that work which was done by the Spirit and therefore without doubt they did then sin the unpardonable Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Quest 2 But Secondly Why is it here said That he that sinneth this Sin shall never be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come is there any forgiving of sins in the world to come Answ Chrysostom saith As men are punished in this world and in the world to come so they are pardoned in this world and in the world to come Pardoned in this world when any temporal Affliction for sin is removed So I also understand that Parable in Matth. 18. at the latter end and pardoned in this life when a man is justified Rom. 4. pardoned and forgiven in the world to come So saith the Apostle in Acts 3.19 That your sins may be blotted out in the day of refreshing Which day of refreshing compared with the Speech which you have in Heb. 2. speaking of the World to come shews that the day of Refreshing is the time of the World to come but it is an usual phrase with Scripture noting the eternity of misery and therefore if you look again into Mark 3. you shal find That whereas here in Matthew the words run thus Shall not be forgiven either in this World or in the World to come Mark hath it thus He shall never be forgiven that Never being the Explication of this not in this World nor in the World to come The Words being thus far opened the Doctrine then will presently be this That the Sin against the Holy Ghost Doct. is the Unpardonable Sin That whosoever sins against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come For the opening of this great Truth which I shal the rather desire you to hearken unto because as it lies out of the ordinary Road so it makes your way clear to the laying hold of the former words of Gods Mercy I say for the opening of this Truth we must enquire into two Things First What this Sin against the Holy Ghost is for people are very ignorant of it Secondly How and in what respect this Sin against the Holy Ghost is above all other sins the Unpardonable Sin First If you ask What this Sin is I Answer both Negatively and Affirmatively First Negatively It is not that sin whereby men do barely deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost possibly a man may deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost and yet not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in Math. 12. For as Chrysostom observes in his time there were divers Hereticks that did deny the Personality and the Deity of the Holy Ghost and yet afterwards repented and were received into the bosom of the Church And ye do not find that these Pharisees who are here charged with this sin did either deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost So that plainly then the Sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in this The meer and bare denying of the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost Secondly As it doth not consist therein so neithâ—r doth it consist in every opposition or in a bare opposition unto the work of the Holy Ghost as distinct from the Father and the Son Unto God the Father belongs Power unto the Son Wisdom unto the Spirit Holiness The Work of the Father is to Create the Work of the Son to Redeem the Work of the Spirit or the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie Aâ—d hereupon some havâ— thought That opposition unto Holiness is the Sin against the Holy Ghost But you find here it is a blasphemy therefore not every opposition And if you look into Acts 7. you find that Stephen speaking of the Jews saith at verse 51. Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ear ye do alwaies resist the Holy Ghost yet they did not sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost Why for Stephen praies for them at the last verse Lord lay not this sin to their charge But now saith the Apostle John in 1 John 5.16 There is a sin unto Death I do not say that ye shall pray for it Had they in Stephens account sinned this Sin unto Death he would not have prayed for them but he did pray for them So that this Sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in every opposition unto the Work of the Holy Ghost as it is distinct from the Father and the Son Thirdly As it doth not consist therein so it is not necessary that every man that sins the Sin against the Holy Ghost should be an Universal Apostate back-sliding from the Profession of the Gospel and the Power thereof I know it is ordinarily thought so but I say it is not necessary that whosoever doth sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost should be a Gospel Apostate back-sliding from the Gospel and the Power thereof once profest for these Pharisees who sinned against the Holy Ghost never profest the Gospel neither do we read of any back-sliding in them from the Power of the Gospel once profest and yet they sinned against the Holy Ghost Surely therefore such a Gospel-Apostacy is not of the essence of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Only here I must distinguish concerning the word Apostacy A man may be said to be an Apostate two waies either because he doth decline and fall away from the Profession of the Truth and Power of Godliness once profest or else because he doth rebel against Truth revealed and the Will of God manifested and wil go no further I wil express it thus Five or six men go a great Journey suppose to Wales or into the North to Scotland when they come about the middle of the way two or three of them say these waies are dirty and longer than we intended and therefore we wil go no further but say the other Let the way be as dirty and as long as it may be we wil go on and on they go Which of these men do depart one from the other do those that go on depart from them that stay No those that wil
this Work I wil admire and though I cannot reach it yet I wil not blaspheme and â—peak against it And if heretofore Christian thou hast found God breathing upon thy heart in any Ordinance publick or private Hinc discimus quantopere nobis ab odio fratrum câ—â—ndum est quandoquidem eo sit ut quandoque odio hominis in ipsam Dei vâ—ritatem feramur precipites Cartw. Harm â—ag 357. or in any Way of God take heed as for thy life that thou dost never speak evil or blaspheme that way of God wherein thou hast sound the Spirit of God breathing This Sin is alwaies accompanied with invidentia fratrum with the envy of the Saints and therefore some have thought the Sin against the Holy Ghost did consist in it in the envying of the Saints but though that be not it yet that accompanies it Canst thou not find thy own heart rise to those heights of Graces that others do take heed you never envy the Saints lest you fal from envying those that are good to oppose Goodness it self which is the proper Work of the Holy Ghost And if indeed you would be kept from this great Transgression then take heed of al declinings and the steps thereof There are three steps as in our Conversion to God so in our Apostacy declining and going out from God Three steps in our coming in to God First a mans Affection is taken with that which is good Then his Judgment is convinced And then his Wilstrikes in and he resolves with al his heart and soul to cleave to the Lord for ever So in a mans Declining and going out from God First a mans Affection declines Then his Judgment alters I thought so and so indeed before but now I am of another mind And then it comes to his Will and he wil go on and let Parents say and Ministers say and Friends say what they wil yet he wil go on and that because he wil. Now saith the Apostle If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin therefore as you desire to be kept from this great Transgression doth your Affections decline take heed your Judgment do not alter Doth your Judgment alter take heed that your Wil be not perverse O! take heed of al Declinings and the stepâ— thereof But finally Forsake not the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some have been but as heretofore provoke one another to Love and good Works and so much the more as you see the day approaching and what I say to you I say to al and to mine own soul Let us breath after the Spirit and walk in the Spirit For there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit O! let us pray to God for his keeping Grace it is he alone that keeps us and the Lord keep al our souls from this great Transgression OF THE SIN OF INFIRMITY Wherein is shewed besides other things I. That a man may possibly fall into the same Sin again and again yet be a true Disciple II. That this Sin may be but a Sin of Infirmity III. That being so Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. OF THE SIN OF INFIRMITY Matthew 26.43 Preached At Stepney And he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy IN the Verses next precedent and consequent you may see the difference between the true and the false Disciple both sin'd but they differ in their sin and in the issue of it The true Disciple sleeps when he should have prayed and he slept again and again that was his sin for our Savior commanded them to watch and pray but Christ wakened them and would not leave them sleeping he came to them with his wakening mercy and they were awakened that was the issue of their sin But the false Disciple Judas was awake and he watched unto what was evil the good Disciple slept unto what was good and the false Disciple watched unto what was evil that was his sin For while Christ yet spake ver 17. Lo Judas one of the Twelve came and with him a great multitude with Swords and Staves from the chief Priests and Elders of the People Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he hold him fast and forthwith he came to Jesus and said Hail Master and kissed him This was his Sin wherein our Savior leaves him and doth not awaken him but suffered him to go on leading him forth with the Workers of iniquity That was the issue of his Sin In this 43. verse you have the true Disciples Sin and his Lords Grace his dealing by Christ and Christs dealing by him First He slept when he should have been at Prayer which Sin is described by the Cause thereof and by the Repetition of it The Cause of it in these words For their Eyes were heavy this sin therefore was a Sin of Infirmity a Sin of Weakness and so our Savior cals it verse 41. for saith he The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak The Repetition of this Sin you have in these words He found them asleep again Christ had wakened them before and commanded them to pray but they slept again and again thus did they deal by Christ Secondly But how did Christ deal by them he did not leave them in their Sin not cast them off as he did deal by Judas but he came to them again and as they slept again so Christ came again his waking Grace and Mercy was as high as their slumbring Sin they sin again and he comes again So that the Doctrine from the whol verse is this Doct. Though a man do sin again and again yet if his sin be a Sin of Infirmity Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off For the opening and cleering whereof Three things will fall under our Consideration 1. That a man may possibly fall into the same sin again and again yet be a true Disciple 2. That this Sin may be but a Sin of Infirmity 3. That being so Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off First It is possible that a good man may fall into the same sin again and again I confess it is an Evil thing so to do and a great Evil In some respects it may be worser to fal into the same sin than to fall into others for this may more wast ones Peace and destroy the Assurance of Gods Love sins against Light do the most darken Now when we have repented
into it after I have been admonished of the evil of it Answ To that I say no more but desire you to consider the Instance that is here before you The Disciples slept our Lord and Savior Christ comes and wakens them yea and he chides them too what saith he cannot ye watch with me one hour watch and pray and yet they slept again and he comes and wakens them again and admonisheâ—h them again and yet they slept again Possibly therefore a man may fal into the same Sin again and again yea even after Admonition and yet it may be a Sin of Infirmity Yet how many poor souls are there that are mistaken here on the right hand and do think that their Sins are no Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are Quest But if there be such mistakes how shall we then know whether our Sins be Sins of Infirmity Answ 1 First Negatively That is no Sin of Infirmity which is a gross foul scandalous Sin committed with deliberation and consultation It is said of David that he turned not aside to the right hand or to the left save only in the matter of Vriah It seems then that in this matter he did turn aside but why is it said that he turned aside here and not in other things did he not Sin at other times Yes very often but there is a difference between missing ones way and turning aside out of ones way a man may ignorantly miss his way or unadvisedly but he that turns aside out of his way doth it voluntarily and deliberately and so did David here in this case and not in others this act was a foul fact which he was able and had strength to avoid committed with much deliberation and therefore it was no Sin of Infirmity So that if a mans Sin committed be a gross foul scandalous Sin committed with deliberation and consultation this is no Sin of Infirmity Answ 2 Secondly If the Sin be a Ring-leader unto other foul Sins it is no Sin of Infirmity the Ring-leading Sin is the most hainous Sin you shal observe therefore that when Samuel was raised up whether it was true Samuel or false I wil not now debate when he was raised up by the Witch of Endor in 1 Sam. 28. the only Sin that Samuel laies to the charge of Saul is this at verse 18. That he obeyed not the Voyce of the Lord in executing his fierce wrath upon Amalek Because thou obeyed'st not the voyce of the Lord nor executed'st his fierce wrath upon Amalek saith Samuel therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day Moreover the Lord wil also deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistims If you read this story you shal find that this only Sin Samuel doth instance in Saul had committed other Sins Saul had persecuted David and out of malice and had committed great Sins why doth Samuel instance in this Sin above al other Sins but because this Sin was the Ring-leading Sin unto al the Sins that Saul did commit and therefore this is charged upon him especially as a great and a hainous Sin And you see how it is amongst men if there be a rebellion or insurrection they take the Ring-leader and hang up him for say they this is the great Transgressor for he is the Ring-leader So amongst Sins the great Sin is the Ring-leader and therefore if your Sin be a Ring-leader unto other soul Sins it is not a Sin of Infirmity That 's the Second Answ 3 Thirdly A Sin of Presumption is not a Sin of Infirmity Sins of Presumption and Sins of Infirmity are set in opposition one to the other in Numbers 15. and Psalm 19. Now I pray when doth a man sin out of Presumption but when he sinneth because God is merciful when he sinneth because his Sin can and may stand with Grace when he sinneth because the Sin is but an infirmity when he sinneth because he shal repent afterwards Now this is ordinary I have read of a certain yong man who being admonished of the evil of his way and course and pressed to leave his wickedness by the consideration of Judgment Eternity and Death a coming that he said Why tel ye me of these things I wil do wel enough for when Death comes I wil speak but three words and wil help al and so he went on in the way of his Sin but in the end coming to a Bridg on Hors-back to go over a deep Water the Horse stumbling and he laboring to recover his Horse could not but at last he let go the Bridle and gave up himself and Horse to the Waters and was heard to say these three words Devil take all Here was three words indeed Diabolus capiat omnia and an Example for all men who think to repent with a three-word Repentance at last viz. Lord have mercy to take heed by Miserere mei Deus Such is the end of Presumption and when a man doth therefore sin the rather because God is merciful or because the Sin is but a Sin of Infirmity or because he hopes to repent afterward or because his Sin may and can stand with Grace this is a Sin of Presumption and is no Sin of Infirmity Sins of Presumption are no Sins of Infirmity Answ 4 Fourthly If the Sin be a reigning Sin Potest autem dici infirmitas in anima ad similitudinem infirmitatis corporis dicitur autem corpus esse infirmum quando debilitatur vel impeditur in executione propriae operationis propter aliquam inordinationem partium corporis ita Scil. quod humores et membra hominis non subdantur virtuti regitivae et motivae corporis unde et membrum dicitur infirmum esse quando non pòtest perficere operationem membri sani unde et infirmitas animae dicitur quando impeditur anima in propria operatione propter inordinationem partium ipsius partes autem corporis dicuntur esse inordinatae quâ—ndo non sequuntur ordinem naturae ita et partes animae dicâ—ntur esse inordinata quando non subduntur ordini rationis c. Tho. Aquin. 12. Quest 77 Art 3. then it is no Sin of Infirmity for when Sin reigns Grace doth not therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 6. Let not Sin have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace and when Sin reigns it is in its ful strength Now a Sin of Infirmity is not therefore called infirmity because as the School-men would it doth make a man infirm by impeding and hindering the vital operations of the Soul for then al Sins and especially the greatest should be Sins of Infirmity But it is said to be a Sin of Infirmity because it doth arise from weakness the strength thereof being taken out and mortified and therefore a reigning Sin can be no Sin of Infirmity Now Sin reigneth in a man 1. When it hath the command of his Duties his Spiritual Duties When a Master commands a
if you ask him the reason saying such and such men are of your Trade and they wil spend their shilling with us and their time with us why wil not you do as they He answers presently True they do so and they may do so their Estate wil bear it but as for me my Stock is smal very little therefore I may not do as they do but I must be diligent and a good Husband I am but a yong Beginner and have little skil in the Trade therefore it behoves me to be diligent his very weakness is the cause of his diligence So here the more infirmities that a gracious soul labors under the more diligent he will be and if you ask him Why do you take so much pains in following the means and the like He answers Alas I am a poor weak Creature such and such an one there is that hath an excellent memory all that ever he reads or hears is his own but my memory is naught my head and heart is naught and therefore by the Grace of God I wil take the more pains in following after Christ Thus his very infirmity is a provocation unto al his diligence The Gibeonites served the Israelites and were hewers of wood and drawers of water for them Why but because the Gibeonites were at an under So now if your very sins be drawers of water servants and hand-maids to your Graces it argues that your sins are at an under and being so they are weak and but sins of infirmity if they be not gross foul and scandalous Sins Answ 10 Infirmity doth constantly keep a mans heart low down and humble Datus est mihi stimulus carnis ne extollar inquit Paulus o venenum quod non curatur nisi veneno caput caedebatur ne caput extolleretur o Antidotum quasi quod de serpente conficitur et propterea theriacum dicitur August de verbis Apost Serm. 3. If one have an infirmity in his speech he wil not be so forward to speak as others are but being conscious of his own infirmity he is alwaies low and afraid to speak So spiritually There are two sorts of sins that men do commit some are foul gross and scandalous sins other are weaknesses and infirmities those that fal into great and gross sins wil be much troubled much trouble and sorrow they do meet with presently in case they repent but those that lâ—e under a constant infirmity are constantly kept low and humble thereby Do you therefore complain of your sin and would you know of what sort of sins it is Why if it be not a gross and scandalous sin and thy heart be kept constantly low thereby then without doubt it is no other than this sin of infirmity For though God could have wholly delivered his People from the filth of Sin as wel as from the guilt of it and as wel from lesser sins as from great and scandalous yet he hath left these infirmities and weaknesses in the hearts and lives of his People that they may be constantly humbled in themselves and prize Christ the more And if this be the manner of an infirmity then surely a good man a true Disciple of Christ may possibly fal into the same Sin again and again and yet the sin be but a sin of Infirmity Which was the Second thing proposed to be cleered by us Quest But suppose that my sin be no other than a Sin of Infirmity what then Answ The Third Particular answers you Then your sin being but an infirmity Christ wil never leave you for it nor cast you off for it but if you sleep he wil waken you and if you sleep again he wil waken you again and if you yet sleep again he wil come again with his wakening mercy and wil never cast you off for it O! what sweet Grace is this Quest Is there no evil then in this Sin of Infirmity Answ Yes much very much For though it be a drawer of water to your Grace yet it is a Gibeonite a Native a Canaanite that wil upon al occasions be ready to betray you and to open the door unto greater Theeves and wil alwaies be a thorn and good in your sides and though it do not put out your light yet it is a thief in your Candle which may smare out much of your Comfort and blemish your Duty Ye know how it is with a good writing Pen if there be a smal hair in it though the hair be never so little a thing yet if it be not pulled out it wil blot and blemish the whol writing somtimes So may this Sin of Infirmity do your whol Duty may be blotted and blemished by this smal hair and although God can and doth make use of your infirmities for to keep your Graces yet they are but your Lees and Dregs whereas your Graces should be all refined the Word of God is as Gold refined seven times your Ordinances are refined Ordinances refifined by the hand of Reformation your Comforts and Mercies and Priviledges are refined Mercies Priviledges and Comforts surely therefore your Graces should be refined Graces and your Duties refined Duties When Christ shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver he shal purifie the Sons of Levi as Gold and Silver and then shall the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord Malach. 3.3.4 O! what an evil thing therefore is it for a man to be unrefined Is it not an evil thing to be burdensom unto others By your sin though it be but an infirmity you may be a burden to others for the Apostle speaking of Infirmities Gal. 6.1.6 saith Bear ye one anothers burden And ye that are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak Rom. 14.1 And although Christ wil not cast you off for a Sin of Infirmity yet you may provoke him thereby to chide you and to be angry with you the unbelief of the Disciples was but their infirmity yet Christ did upbraid them because of their unbelief The Remisness and loss of first Love in the Church of Ephesus is by Christ called a Somwhat Nevertheless I have somwhat against thee and yet Christ threatens her that he wil for this somwhat come against her quickly and remove her Candle-stick if she did not repent and Revel 2.16 the Lord Christ threatens the Church of Smyrna that unless she repented he would come unto her quickly yet he saith not to her I have many things but a few things against thee or if you wil for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have some smal or little things against thee So that although your sin be not of so great a bulk as others yet you may provoke Christ thereby and he may be angry and chide you for it Thus here he did chide the Disciples yet their sin was but a Sin of Infirmity Surely therefore there is evil and much evil in the Sin though it be but a Sin of Infirmity Thirdly
of God that are unsetled in the Truth These things write I unto thee saith Paul to Timothy that thou mayest know how to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Yea every Member of a Church should be a Pillar in the House of God So the Lord promiseth to the Church of Philadelphia Surely therefore it is matter of great Importance for a Church and people of God to be setled and established But Thirdly and especially It is a great Mercy and Blessing for a particular soul to be setled in the Truth and established in the good Waies of God It 's a good thing saith the Apostle that the heart be established with Grace not with Meats which have not profited them that have been exercised therein Possibly a mans heart may be comforted and strengthâ—ned with Meats Psal 104.15 it 's said And Wine that maketh glad the heart of man and Bread which strengtheneth mans heart Where the same word is used by the Septuagint that is here used in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag But the Apostle Paul doth relate to the Ceremonial Law for the Jews converted to Christ Judaei ad Christum conversi supâ—â—stitiosius inhaerebant observationi legalium ceremoniarum cumprimis discriâ—â—ini ciborum a Moyse prescripto illis haec sententià est opposita Gerrard in loc were too superstitiously addicted to the observation of Legal Ceremonies especially those which concerned Meats and difference of Meats Rom. 14.2 Col. 2.16 and to those is this Speech opposed It is good that the heart be established with Grace as if he should say some think to find Establishment in the observation of Meats and Doctrines for the Jewish Ceremonies but the best Establishment is in the Doctrine of the Gospel Quidam in genere intelligunt interna et Spiritualia Dei dona quibus homines sanctificantur quidam doctrinam Christianam side susceptam Gratiam Christianismi ut sit sensus firmitatem et stabilimentum cordis quaerendum esse in gratia Dei quam N. T. mediator Christus attulit non in observatione ciborum quam Moses tradidit Ibid. and the Grace of God revealed in the Gospel Some think that by Grace here we are to understand Holiness and those Spiritual Gifts whereby men are Sanctified But having said in the former words Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines these words seâ—m to comply and correspond better with them if by Grace we understand the Doctrine of the New Testament from which the Galatians are said to fall Ye are fallen from Grace when they returned to the Law But in both respects it is a good or beautiful thing that the heart be established with Grace For It is the ground of all our Fruitfulness Ye know how it is with a Tree or Plant thâ—ugh in it self it be never so good yet if it be not setled in the Earth it bringeth forth no Fruit If the Plant be good and the Soyl good it may bring forth good Fruit but if you be alwaies removing it from one place to another it cannot bring forth Fruit. And what is the reason that many are so unfruitful in their lives but because they are so unsetled in their hearts and Judgments The Tree that is planted by the Waters side brings forth Fruit in its season Psal 1. But as for the Ungodly it is not so with them They are as the Chaff that brings forth no Fruit whom the wind drives to and fro And the Truth is an unsetled man is neither fit to receive good nor to do good So long as the Vessel is moved up and down ye cannot pour the Liquor into it and who can write exactly when his arm is jogged Can any man walk exactly in a crowd which one while carrieth him this way and anoâ—her while that way No surely Neither can an unsetled unestablished heart walk exactly with the Lord his God It is the bottom of al our Praises The Birds do not ordinarily sing til they be set they do not usually sing flying but when they are fixed then they begin to sing So saith David My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed and what then then saith he I will sing and give praise but not til then and what is the reason that many pass â—o many yeers of their lives in doubtings and fears never praising God for any love or Mercy to them but because they are unsetled in their Spiritual Estate and Condition It is the beginning of our Perseverance Then I begin to persevere when I begin to settle and to established as Instability is the beginning of Apostacy so Settledness is the beginning of Perseverance It is that good thing which pleaseth God exceedingly God was so pleased with Jehosaphat upon that account that he passed by and winked at al his Infirmities even because his heart was fixed and established 2 Chron. 19.2 the Prophet reproves him for joyning with the Ungodly Nevertheless saith he there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the Groves out of the Land and hast prepared thine heart So ye read it but I think rather And hast fixed established or set thine heart to seek God On the contrary it 's said of Rehoboam though he did many good things That he did evil in the sight of the Lord because he prepared not or because he fixed not established not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Niphal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paratus sâ—mus stabilis qui nec everti nec impediri qucat in Pirl et Hiphil paravit preparavit sinnavit confirmavit stabilivit includit firmitatem et certitudinem Shindlerg set not his heart to seek God 2 Chron. 12.14 it is the same word which we translate Establish in other Scriptures as Psal 40.2 He hath set my feet upon a Rock and established my goings and it notes such a fixation and settlement whereby a man doth so continue in his way and course that he wil not be put out of it This Rehoboam wanted for he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a soft hearted man naturally and though he did many things that were right and good yet he was led by the Counsel of his yong men and his heart was not set and fixed to seek the Lord but Jehosaphat was of a stedfast Spirit and would not be put out of his way and therefore though he did some things amiss yet the Lord commends him and accepts of him So that although a man do many good things yet if his heart be not fixed and established the Lord will pass by and not regard the same But though a man do commit great evils yet if his heart be set to seek the Lord God wil pardon and pass by al his Failâ—ngs O! Cur quaeso in tanta multitudine valoâ—um ne naum quidem vitreum reperituâ— diâ—â—s quod cum facile frangâ—tur est symbolum inconstantiae quam
the time of his Liberty he was loose in the time of his Imprisonment he was sullen and when he was at the Stake he was mad with horror of Conscience mad O! but true saving Faith wil not flinch and give in at last The three Children did not only come to the Fire but rid out the storm But I say no more in this only thus Seventhly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion yet he doth not bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness but true saving Faith doth it suffers and brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness So that now you see by al this that it is Faith alone it is true saving Faith and Faith alone that wil carry a man through Sufferings But then Quest Thirdly You wil say How and by what means can Faith do this What is there in Faith to do it to carry a man through hard things and through all Sufferings although they be never so great Answ 1 First It is the work of Faith to make a man resign and give up his wil to the wil of God and when a man can do so what may he not suffer Answ 2 Secondly It is the work of Faith the proper work of Faith to cleave close unto the Commandement of God True Satan I am an unworthy Creature but God hath commanded me to beleeve True I am a great Sinner but God hath commanded me to beleeve Faith doth peremptorily stick unto the Commandement and it leaves God to answer unto the Objections and Inconveniences that follow upon his Obedience to the Commandement it leaves that to God By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out obeyed not knowing whether he should go Now when a man can do this what may he not suffer Answ 3 Thirdly It is the proper Work of Faith to close with the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the fulness of the Spirit the Promise of the Father Now when a mans heart is filled with the Spirit of God what may he not suffer Pray do but consider the Apostles after that the Spirit came upon them you know they would suffer any thing though it were never so great before the Spirit came upon them though they had the Personal presence of Christ they could not suffer any thing though it was never so smal Now Faith doth close with the Promise of the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the Spirit of God the Promise of the Father Answ 4 Fourthly It is the proper Work of Faith to look upon the recompence of Reward By Faith Moses had an Eye to the recompence of Reward and so chose Affliction with the People of God Saith our Savior to his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled How so Lord Saith he I go to prepare a place for you In my Fathers House there are many Mansions Faith shews one the Glory and the Joyes of Heaven and when a man sees those things what may he not suffer Answ 5 Fiftly The more that a man can see the hand of God as a Father upon the Rod the more able he wil be to suffer and the more cheerful Ye bring a Child to School and he sees the School hung with Rods in every corner a Rod and the Child is afraid but if his Fathers House be set with Rods the Child is not afraid in his Fathers House Now Faith true savâ—ng Faith wil shew one the hand of a Father upon the Rod. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith Answ 6 Sixtly The more a man can see to the end of his Affliction and Suffering the more able he wil be to go through it Now Faith tels a man that there is an end No temptation saith the word of Faith hath befallen you but what is common and with the Temptation there is an out-let there is a door a door in the Ark although the door may be under water and the out-let may be under water Faith doth not only tel a man that there is an end but that the end shal be good and al shal work together for his good yea it tels a man that his affliction shall be but for a moment and that moment shal be recompenced with abundance of Comfort Psal 30. ver 5. For his Anger endureth but a moment in his Favor is Life Weeping may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning So also in Isa 54. verse 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Faith tels us this Now when a man knows and considers this what may he not suffer Answ 7 Seventhly It is the proper work of Faith to look on both sides of the Dispensation there is a dark side and there is a light side in Affliction and Suffering Sence and Reason looks only on the dark side but Faith looks to both sides of the Dispensation It is written of Mr. Latimer the blessed Martyr that when he was to go to the Stake taking leave of his fellow Prisoners saith he Be of good Comfort O my Friends and Brethren for though we go to the Stake to day and be burnt to Fire we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out we shal make such a Fire in England to day as shal never be quenched he saw both sides of the Dispensation because he beleeved Faith wil shew one both sides of the Dispensation Answ 8 Eightly It is the proper Work of Faith to see one contrary in another or through another it wil see the Smiles of God in the midst of Frowns it wil see Love in the midst of Anger it will see Order in the midst of Confusion it wil see Mercy in the midst oâ— Misery it wil see a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor Faith it looks upon things with the Prospective of the Promise and the Promise speaks on this wise in Deut. 32. verse 36. saith the Lord there The Lord shall judg his People and repent himself for his Servants when he sees that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Faith I say sees one contrary in another or beyond another and when a man can do so what may he not suffer And Answ 9 Ninthly and lastly If God do engage to help and succor in afflictions and if the Lord do count himself engaged to succor deliver and help in Affliction because men trust in the Lord surely Faith can do very much in the day of Affliction Now I pray look into Scripture and you shal see that the Lord is engaged upon this account in Psal 37. last And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the
Doctrine Page 325 3 If you do beleeve then see that you walk answerable thereunto ibid. Sermon XIII Means against Discouragements Page 327 DOCT. Faith is the Help against all Discouragements Page 328 For your better understanding consider 1 What is Hope ibid. 2 That Faith quiets the heart in sad times ibid. 3 It is the day of all the Saints to trust in God especially at that time ibid. 4 What there is in faith and how faith can do it ibid. Quest 1. What is it to trust in God ib. Answ 1 To trust in God is to rely on God for help c. ibid. 2 He that trusteth in God doth trust unto him for some good thing that lieth out of sight Page 329 Quest 2. How may it appear that Faith will quiet the soul Page 330 Answ It is proved several waies out of Scripture ibid. Faith gives free access to God Page 331 There are three Vails in Scripture 1. Of Obscurity 2. The Vail of covering guilt 3. A Vail of shame Page 332 Quest 3. How may it appear that when discouragements arise Faith must then be exercised and then especially ibid. Answ It was Davids case and the Scripture is express for it ibid. Quest 4. What power hath Faith to allay discouragements what is in faith can do it and how doth faith do it Page 333 Answ 1 Faith gives a man the true prospect of things past present and to come And all Discouragements arise because men do not see things as they are ibid. 2 True saving Faith sees that in God and in Christ which answers all our fears Page 335 3 Faith puts the Soul under Gods Commandements to answer all Objections Page 336 More briefly of saving Faith 1 It is the proper work of Faith to resign our wils unto Gods wil. Page 337 2 It is the proper work of Faith to apply a suitable Promise ibid. 3 True faith will not venture without Gods Call Page 338 4 True faith sees the hand of God in every dispensation ibid. 5 True faith looks on both sides of Gods Dispensation and of our own Condition ibid. 6 Fath sees one contrary in another ibid. 7 It is the work of true faith to engage God to suffer ibid. Application Then if discouragements arise exercise your faith ibid. Quest Will every faith quiet a mans heart ibid. Answ Negatively For There is a feigned and uneffectual and there is an unfeigned and effectual faith A counterfet faith will not quiet a mans soul c. ibid. Quest How then shal a man exercise his faith that he may bear up against all Discouragements Page 339 Answ 1 You must be humbled for your unbelief c. ibâ—d 2 Go not to God without Christ Page 340 3 Trust in the Lord himself and not in your own duties ibid. 4 Trust in the Lord before you do act in your business ibid. 5 Trust in Jesus Christ before you trust in the Promise Page 341 6 If God give you a Promise never let it go though you see nothing but the contrary ibid. Object I fear I should presume and tempt the Lord ibid. Answ To doubt after so much experience were rather to tempt the Lord Page 342 Quest If God give me a Promise and I see no performance how shall I not be discouraged Page 343 Answ Either it is thy Duty to beleeve on Christ or not if not why dost thou beleeve at all If it be thy Duty why shouldest thou not rely on him ibid. Be of good comfort for 1 If you want assurance in God look on Christ Page 344 2 If you want assurance turn your eyes from those Objections that invade your faith ibid. 3 Beleeve that you do beleeve Helps for Faith Page 344 1 God never leads his People to any great mercy but he puts the sentence of death on all means that tend to it ib. 2 It is a great sin to limit Gods mercy as to limit his power ibid. 3 When God gives a Promise he somtimes trieth whether we will beleeve or not ibid. 4 God often times fulfils one Promise and denieth another ibid. 5 When we see nothing but what is contrary to help then is Christs time to help Page 345 6 Be your Affliction ordinary or extraordinary you must trust to God for mercy ibid. 7 Questions to ask a mans own Soul to encourage us Page 346 8 Consider frequently and seriously what a blessed thing it is to trust in God Page 347 It is reasonable to wait on God For 1 He waited on you for your Repentance ibid. 2 You have waited on men wil you not wait on God ibid. 3 When you give over waiting deliverance may come to your shame Page 348 4 If you give over waiting you lose all your former labor ibid. 5 If you wait on God he will not alwaies forget your work of Faith Page 349 The Sin against the Holy Ghost ON Matth. 12.31 32. THere are two Arguments in the words Page 353 1 The largeness of Gods heart in forgiving sins to men ib. 2 The unpardonableness of the sin against the Holy Ghost ibid. I had rather speak first to the former but to prevent Objections from some distressed soul I shal fiâ—st speak to the latter Page 354 For opening the words Quest 1. Whether the Jews our Savior spake then to did then sin against the Holy Ghost ib. Answ Some think No But I rather think Yes for the Reasons in the Text. ibid. Quest 2. Is there any so giveness of sins in the world to come ibid. Answ It is an unusual Phrase noting the eternity of misery Page 355 DOCT. The Sin against the Holy Ghost is an unpardonable sin Page 355 The Truth opened by the enquiry into two things 1 What the Sin against the holy Ghost is ibid. 2 How this sin is unpardonable beyond other sins ibid. For to say what this sin is ibid. I answer Negaâ—ively and Affirmaâ—â—vely ibid. 1 Negatively It is not that sin whereby men do barely deny the Deity of the Holy Ghost c. ibid. 2 Nor is it every opposition to the work of the Holy Ghost c. Page 356 3 It is not necessary that every man who sins against the holy Ghost should be an universal Apostate as iâ— is ordinarily thought ibid. There is a two-fold Apostate Either one that declineth from the profession of the Truth Or one that rebels against the Tâ—uth revealed and wil go no further cleered by an example Page 357 4 Final Vnbelief and Impenitency is not the sin against the holy Ghost neither that a man lives and dies in nor that he purposeth to live in to the last for many have so purposed to live yet have been converted ibâ—d 1 The Jews did then commit this sin yet they had not continued in it to their death ibid. 2 Final unbelief is rather sin against God the Son ibid. 3 If final unbelief be this sin then Christ should threaten that he which dieth in his sin should not be forgiven
wâ—â—lst he liveth Page 358 4 He that dieth in any sin against the Father or the Son shal never be forgiven 5 This is asserted from 1 Joh. 5.16 ibid. 6 A man may sin this unpardonable sin whilst he lives ibid. 7 It is a sin a man may know another man to be guilty of whilst he lives ibid. 8 A man may speak a word against the holy Ghost whilst he lives ibid. 9 All wicked men dying impenitently under the Gospel should sin this sin ibid. 2 Affirmatively ibid. 1 It is a malicious wilful opposing the holy Ghost ibid. 2 He that commits this sin blasphemeth the peculiar work of the Holy Ghost ib. 3 It must be malicious blasphemy Page 359 Quest How can a man sin maliciously since he will is alwaies carried to what is good ibid. Answ Affirmatively For 1 That good is either moral good natural good or profitable good but the will is not alwaies carried upon that which is honestly good in appearance c. Page 359 2 If this were a reason the Devils do not sin maliciously ibid. 3 Though every man sins ignorantly yet every man doth not sin out of ignorance for then Page 360 1 Why is there so vast a difference between a sin of ignorance and presumption ibid 2 If every sin should arise from ignorance in the understanding the will would be alwaies carried upon honest good at least in appearance ibid. 3 If it were so the will could not fal off from the dictate of the Vnderstanding Page 361 4 If the will alwaies follow the understanding then the created and defiled will of man cannot tend unto any object upon any reason upon which the Divine will of God cannot â—end unto its object ibid. 5 All men confess a sin of malice and a sin of ignorance ibid. 4 Suppose that some ignorance in the understanding be the remote cause of the sin yet malice is the next and chief cause Page 362 5 A Question answered how the will should be alwaies carried upon that which is good and yet a man may sin maliciously ibid. 6 It is a malicious sin against the Holy Ghost after he hath been convinced by the Holy Ghost Page 363 Quest 2. Why is this sin unpardonable above all others ibid. Answ 1 It is not because it is hard to be pardoned Page 364 2 It is not only unpardonable in regard of event ibid. 3 Nor is it greater than Gods mercy ibid. 4 Nor because it is a sin against the means of pardon ibid. 5 Nor because a man doth not repent thereof ibid. But it is unpardonable because God hath appointed no sacrifice for it ibid. Application 1 If the sin against the Holy Ghost be unpardonable then the Holy Ghost is God Page 365 2 There is great necessity to know what this sin against the Holy Ghost is that if a man have sinned tâ—is sin we may not pray for him ibid. 3 Think on Gods mercy that hath kept us from this great sin ibid. Object 1. I fear I have sinned this great sin because my sins are so great Page 366 Answ How great may that sin of yours be and not be that sin Page 366 Object 2. I fear it for I have fallen fowly into it gross sin ibid. Answ So did David ibid. Object 3. But I have lost my communion with God ibid. Answ So did the Church of Ephesus Page 367 Object 4. I have resisted Gods Spirit ib. Answ A man may do so and yet not sin against the holy Ghost ibid. Object 5. I have denied the Truth ibid. Answ So did Peter ibid. Object 6. I have been a blasphemer ibid. Answ So was Paul Page 368 Object 7. I have sinned maliciously ibid. Answ Maliciously is taken three waies Either sinning from some ill habit as all wicked men do Or out of passion as Paul did Or out of liberty of his own will and self-conviction Had you sinned this last way you would not be troubled about it but wel pleased with it ibid Object 8. I have forsaken God and God hath forsaken me ibid. Answ David thought so ibid. Object 9. I despair Page 369 Answ You know what Heman said All thy waves are gone over my head ibid. To cleer this I ask five Questions ibid. 1 Art thou willing to forgive men that have trespassed against thee ibid. 2 Have you opposed the waies of God out of malice ibid. 3 Do you not desire to be humbled for your sin ibid. 4 Do you not desire above all things the breathings of Gods Spirit upon your heart Page 370 5 Where do you find in all the Bible that they that sinned against the Holy Ghost are afraid that they have sinned it The great misery of that man who hath sinned against the Holy Ghost ibid. What great comfort is here for Beleevers that cannot commit this sin Page 371 Applic. 4. If this be unpardonable what great cause have we to look to our selves ibid. Quest What must we do to be kept from this unpardonable sin Page 372 Answ 1 Do as David did against presumptuous sins ibid. 2 Be alwaies humbled for lesser sins Page 372 3 Fear alwaies ibid. 4 Resolve to do good Page 373 5 Do not blaspheme what you understand not ibid. 6 Never blaspheme the way of God that thou hast found to be true ibid. 7 Take heed of all declinings ibid. 8 Forsake not the assembling your selves together as the manner of some is ibid. Of SINS of Infirmity ON Matthew 26.43 THe difference between the true and the false Disciple Page 377 The Text divided ibid. Here is the Disciples sin and the Lords Grace Page 378 1 They slept ibid. 1 The Cause for their eyes were heavy ibid. 2 The Repetition he found them asleep again ibid. 2 Christ comes again ibid. DOCT. Though a man sin again and again yet if it be a sin of Infirmity Christ will come to him again ibid. Three things considered in the opening of the words ibid. 1 A good man may fall oft into the same sin 2 This sin may be but a sin of infirmity 3 That Christ will not leave him for it ibid. I The first Proposition proved Page 379 II The second Proposition proved And to cleer it consider what a sin of Infirmity is Page 380 1 It is a sin of weakness in Scripture Phrase ibid. 2 Infirmity is a defect in one that hath life Page 381 3 It ariseth not from wilfulness but from want of strength to resist ibid. Quest 1. Is every sin a godâ—y man commits a sin of Infirmity ibid. Answ Negatively with the Reasons ibid. Quest 2. Is any sin a wicked man commits a sin of Infirmity ibid. Answ Negatively with the Reasons ibid. Quest 3. Can any great foul sin be a sin of Infirmity ibid. Answ Negatively with Reasons ibid. Quest How may I know a sin of Infirmity Page 382 Answ First Some mistakes are observed Secondly It is answered Negatively Lastly Affirmatively Page 382 1 There are mistakes on both