that they should be renewed to repentance, Heb. vi., 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 unpardonableness of this sin.*

But the sin is unpardonable because there is no sacrifice laid out by God's appointment for it; "If any man sin wilfully, there remaineth no more sacrifice," Heb. x., and without blood and sacrifice there is no remission. He that sinned ignorantly, Numb. xv., was pardoned; why? because there was a sacrifice laid out for him; but if any man sinned with a 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 commandment 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 God's Spirit, which they have been convinced of by the Spirit, then there shall he 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 cleared and proved, That the sin against the Holy Ghost, is the unpardonable sin, which shall never be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.

The application follows:

If the sin against the Holy Ghost be the unpardonable 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 sinned against, now the Holy Ghost

* Nunquam remittetur, quod intellige regulariter, nam nec divina potentia nec divina miserecordia alligata est ad non remittendum, spiritus blasphemiam, sed secundum regularem cursum eveniet non remissio quod comitem semper habet obstinationem.-Cajetan. in Matt. 12.

Duplicitur 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.

is sinned against; yea, the unpardonable sin is against the Holy Ghost. The Socinians say, That if he be a person, he must needs be God, true God: but ye see by this scripture, that he is joined with the other person of the Son; so also he is joined with the Father and the Son, in Matt. xxviii. in whose name we are to baptize. He who hath a name, and in whose name something 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 all given to the Spirit. 1 Cor. ii. 11; 1 Cor. xii. 11; Rom. viii. 26, 27; Acts xiii. 2; and xx. 28. But I need go no further than this text; here the Spirit is joined with the Son, and the sin against the Holy Spirit is made the unpardonable sin. Surely, therefore, he is verily and truly God as the Father is.

If this doctrine be true, then what a necessity is there upon us all, 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 v. 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 fall 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 fall into it; yea, the not knowing what this sin is, breeds many scruples, doubts, and fears in new converts. Oh, saith one, I have sinned that great sin against the Holy Ghost; and I,. saith another, have sinned the unpardonable sin and why? but because the man doth not know what this sin is! Oh, what a necessity, therefore, is there upon us all, to know and understand what this sin is, and wherein it doth consist.

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 heinous 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; oh, what mercy and what grace is this.

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.

Great, say ye; how great, man? I have sinned against my light, I have sinned against my knowledge, 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 knowledge, and against conscience? Yet he sinned not against the Holy Ghost, though he brought all 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 serpent's 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 knowledge? 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, knowledge, and conscience; but whoever sins against light and knowledge, though he sins greatly, doth not sin against the Holy Ghost. Oh, but I fear that I have sinned this sin, for I have fallen foully into gross sins.

That is ill. But I pray did not David sin so; were they not great and gross and foul sins that David fell 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."

Oh, 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.

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.

E

Oh, 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.

This is ill too; but those that you read of in Acts vii., 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.

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, therefore I fear that I have sinned this great sin against the Holy Ghost.

This is evil, very evil. I remember a speech of Godteschalchus, worthy to be written in letters of gold: 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.

* Timeo veritate negare quia metuo a veritate negari.

Oh, 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.

This is ill indeed. But, I pray, tell me, was not Paul an opposer and blasphemer of the saints and ways 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."

Oh, but I have sinned, and I have done it maliciously, and therefore I fear I have sinned this same dreadful sin.

This is yet worse: but what mean you by that word maliciously? A man may be said to sin ex malitia or maliciously three ways, saith Aureolus :* Either because he sins from some evil habit, and so all wicked men sin; yet they do not all sin against the Holy Ghost? or, because a man sins out of anger, passion, or evil will against another; so Paul sinned 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 merely from the liberty of his own will, because it pleaseth him, and because he doth hate that which his own conviction tells him is right and good. Now have you sinned thus? Surely no; for then you would not be troubled about it, but be well pleased with it.

Oh, 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. Oh, 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.

But doth not David say, "How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me, forsake me?" and our Saviour himself saith, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" There is a

* 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 loquimur in proposito; sed vocatur peccatum ex malitia proprie qnando 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. ii. Sent. Dist. 43, Art. 1.