IT was not in my purpose, nor came it at all within the Compasse of my Thoughts (Right Honourable, and Beloved) when I came late, the other evening, unto thisTanton. Towne (so well spoken of for Religion, and discreet zeale for Gods Ordinances) to become a Speaker here, this morning, on so solemn an occasi­on: Yet sith the divine providence hath so disposed, I willingly submit thereto, choosing rather to expose my weaknesse to the pious candor of this so intelligent Auditory, than to decline so faire an occasion, to bring some glory to God, in theMat. 25.16. use of my Talent, after myRom. 12.3. 2 Cor. 10.13. measure.

And so, without farther Apology, I addresse my selfe to my Text; for the clearer explanation whereof, it may not be amisse to reflect a little upon the prece­dent Context, and the Circumstances thereof.

Context. The Apostle from the fourteenth verse to the last, in [Page 2]this Chapter, sheweth us (as the Diamonds set in the Rings of these three Epistles) sundry eminent and ex­imious Priviledges belonging to the regenerate sons and daughters of God: such are,

• 1. Assurance of audience in Prayers, provided they order their devotions according to his will, ver. 14.
• 2. Immunity from Apostacy.
• 3. Knowledge of Regeneration.
• 4. Certaine and infallible perswasion of the truth of mysteries of Faith, Knowledge of the True God, and Union with him in Christ, v. 20.

And verse the sixteenth he amplifies that Blessing of being heard in prayers by extent of it; that priviledg appertaining to them. Not only as it may serve for supply of their owne personall wants, but also as it may benefit and advantage others; we say indeed in our Creed, I believe in God, to denote, that it must be our owne particular faith that must save us; but in our Lords Prayer, Our father, which art in Heaven, to imply that our Prayers may further the good of others besides our selves; wherefore S. John withall insinuates an Exhortation, that as they had received this favour of God to be heard in their requests both for themselves and others, so they would improve, and use the same, not alone for themselves, but likewise to the help and behoofe of others. Wherein are these observables.

• 1. The duty exhorted unto, Prayer.
• 2. The Object of this Duty, with a limitation, A Brother not sinning unto death.
• 3. Reason, from the profitable effect, He shall give him life.

In the latter end of the sixteenth verse he subjoynes the reason of that limitation; as if he had said, mar­vell not, that I interpose that restraint, A Brother sin­ning not unto death; for there is a sin unto death, for which no man may pray: And then is added a prolepsis, ver. 17. Is not all unrighteousnesse sin? all sin deadly? to which he [Page 3]answers, 1. By Concession, yes, All unrighteousnesse is sin. 2. By an [...], or correction, but there is a sin not unto death.

This the Context, and order of the words. My pre­sent discourse, wherewith I shall now entertaine your patience, shall be confined to the Reason of the Apo­stles Limitation, forementioned, namely, the sin which is here said by the Apostle to be unto death. A difficult question, and so difficult, Ʋt fortè nulla major, as S.S. August. Ser. 11. de verb. Dom. Austin protesteth, That scarsly is there any one found more in all holy writ; this being a sin which is rarely, if at all to be deprehended, or discovered by man in this life.

I shall proceed herein after this order.

• 1. Endeavour to open the nature of it, what it is, or wherein it consisteth.
• 2. To unfold the reason of the stile, or titles that are given it in the Scriptures.
• 3. The dangerous issue, and effect of the same.

I begin with the consideration of the Nature of it; and shall proceed therein, as Rhetoricians speake, [...], first, removing the erroneous opi­nions both ancient, and modern hereabout; and then, set downe the positive Truth.

SaintS. Ambros. l. 1. c. 9. De Paenit. Ambrose acquaints us of the Novatian Here­tiques of old, who by sins unto Death, that is, such sins as are mortall in the event, understood all sins that are committed against Knowledge and Conscience, voluntarily after Baptisme; and to men so sinning they intercluded the hope, and denyed the benefit of [...], Epi­phan. l. 2. c. 59. par­don: But all this not more uncomfortably, than un­soundly: for, besides what we find in S.Cyprian. De lapsis. Cyprian, and other ancient Fathers of the Church, touching the restoring of relapsed Christians, who having fallen through fear, under the rage and violence of the Primi­tive Persecutions, were, notwithstanding, upon their Exomologesis, and testimony given of their Repentance, and desire of restitution, admitted againe into the com­munion [Page 4]of the Church: We know that Moses prayed for the Jewes sinning voluntarily, Exod. 32.11. so also Samuel, 1 Sam. 12.23. and S. Stephen, Acts 7.59, 60. and their prayers were heard: We read likewise of some in Pergamus, even in this Apostle S. John's owne time, who (after Calling) held the hatefull Doctrine of the Nicolaitans, who yet were again invited unto Repent­ance, Rev. 2.16. and by that means came within the number of such as might be prayed for.

Among the Moderns, are the Romish Imposters, for the Rhemists on this place, give this sense; If any sin un­to death, that is, commit any mortall sin, and impeni­tently persists therein, unto death, for such an one pray not, namely, say they, after death; and out of this place would they, by [...] 2 Pet. 3.16. torturing the Text, infer their do­ctrine of prayer for the dead: and their reason is, because no one may be dehorted from praying for any sinner, while he is living, in as much as there is hope of par­don, and repentance for every sinner living: But first, the very ground is false, for the Scripture saith expresly, There is a sin committed even in this life, that is not capable of pardon, neither in this life, no nor in the life to come, Mat. 12.31. Yea, it's impossible to some, even living, to be renew­ed unto repentance, the means of pardonCommodissi­me accipitur hic locus de peccato in spiritumsan­ctum. Jo. Ger­ard. loc. com. tom. 2. c. 24. s. 108. Heb. 6.6. Yea, we read in theTheodoret. Hist l. 4. c. 17.19. History of the Church, that the pri­mitive Christians observing the obstinate impenitency of that Monster Julian the Apostate, made set prayers, not for him, but against his malice, and against him for his desperate malice sake; they having, happily, therein a spirit of extraordinary1 Cor. 12.10, discerning then, as David before had a spirit of Prophecy, when he made impreca­tions upon, and prayers against his adversaries, Ps. 109.2. As touching prayer for the dead, as, among all the variety of Sacrifices appointed for the Jewes of old, there was none at all for the dead; so neither hath it any precept, promise, or example, in all the allowed Canon of sacred Scripture now extant. And thirdly, [Page 5]that this place is to be understood of such as live, it's apparent from this very Text, because no man can [ [...] see] his brother sinning after death; besides this, even by the School-mens owne confession, soules departed are extra statum merendi, & demerendi, out of a condition of meriting or demeriting by action; and if soules in their imaginary Purgatory, make an end of sinning, in vaine shall we pray for pardon.

Leaving then these erroneous conceipts about this sin, come we, next, to examine the Nature of it, ac­cording to the Orthodox judgements of Reformed Divines, well travelled in this question, and regulating their resolves herein according to the word of God.

Now, we shall the better discover this, if we parti­cularly view the several parts and branches thereof; for it is a compound sin, consisting of many ingre­dients.

I shall draw up all under these heads, searching,

• 1. What it supposeth.
• 2. What it implyeth.
• 3. What it drawes with it.

Or, in other Termes, to the same effect.

• 1. The Antecedent.
• 2. The Concomitants.
• 3. The Consequents of this sin.

First of all, the necessary Antecedents, or suppo­sals of this sin, and these are,

• 1. Knowledge of the Gospel, and of the truth there­in revealed concerning Jesus Christ, and all the rich and
  2 Pet. 1.4.
  precious Promises of life and salvation, in and by him: wherefore, they are said to be once enlight­ned, Heb. 6.4.
  Vide Haec verba expo­nentem opti­mè. Jo. Gerar. Tract. de Pae­nitent. c. 4. s. 16. tom 3. loc. Com.
  [...], to have a great measure of Illumination in the mysteries of the Gospel; and againe, Heb. 10.26. to have received the knowledge of the truth, and to have known the way of righteousnes, 2 Pet. 2.21. & 1 Tim. 4.1. to have dogmaticall faith, or doctrine of trtuh, men ignorant of the Gospel may [Page 6]sin mortally, and unto death, yet, during that state of simple ignorance, for want of the right means of illu­mination, are not capable of this sin, therefore also Paul, though he was a Blasphemer, an Oppressor, ex­ceedingly
  Act 26.11.
  mad in persecuting the way, and profes­sors of Christ, yet was received to mercy, for what he did, he did
  1 Tim. 1.13.
  ignorantly, in the time of his unbe­lief: and therefore Divines truly judge, that howso­ever Turks, Infidels, Pagans, perish (without repent­ance) everlastingly, through ignorance of the truth, yet sin they not against the holy Ghost, not this parti­cular sin here said to be unto death.
• 2. Besides this knowledge, which happily may be occasioned by some general declaration of the truth of the Gospel; there must be not a confused apprehen­sion alone, but also a clear and distinct understanding, and a full conviction of the judgement, so that they cannot but see, and know, that 'tis the truth which they set themselves against; therefore the terms, Heb. 10.26. and 2 Pet. 2.21. are remarkable, it is not [...], but [...], not a bare notice, and literal understanding of the truth, but [...], an acknowledgement of the same; as they spake, Acts 4.16. What shall we doe to these men, for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them, is manifest to all them that dwell in Hierusalem, and we cannot deny it. To this purpose is that saying of our Saviour, John 15.22. If I had not come, and spoken unto them, they had not had sin, that is, not simply none, but none in comparison; but now they have no cloak, [...], no colour, or
  In spiritū sanctum pec­cant, qui divi­nae veritati, cu­jus fulgore sic perstringuntur, ut ignorantiam causari neque­ant, tamen de­stinatâ malitia resistunt, in hoc tantùm ut resi­stant. Calvin Inst. l. 3. c. 3. s. 22.
  pretence of plea, by way of excuse.
• 3. To these some add a third degree, as a prepara­tive also to this sin, and that is some kind of formall profession of what they have entertained into their judgements; so Simon Magus joyned himselfe to the Disciples, Acts 8.13. submitted to Baptisme, as one (it seems) desirous by that Character, and cognizance [Page 7]to be known, and taken for a Christian: some partia­ry obedience, and reformation they yield to the truth, intermiting the practice of their old sins, and out of some
  Heb. 6.5.
  tast of the good word of God, being affected with the comforts it conteins, they take some fleshly
  Mat. 13.20.
  joy therein, in hope to partake the blessed state of Gods Children in the life to come; in which case S. Peter saith, that they are washed after a sort, from their old sins, and have escaped the pollutions of the world; 2 Pet. 2.18.20. But to this third step they ascend not all, who fall into this sin; The
  Mal. 12.24
  Pharisees, that gave first oc­casion to our Saviour to speak of it, we read not either to have reformed their errors of life, or judgement, or so much as to have entertained the Gospel, and truth taught by our Saviour, into profession, yet have this sin charged upon them: and therefore me thinks its no absurdity to say, there are degrees even in this sin un­to death; but knowledge, and conviction sufficiently disposeth unto this sin. And thus far of the Antece­dents.

Secondly, Follow next the Concomitants, or those things which doe accompany this sin, or which it doth imply.

Now herein are considerable, partly the Facts, and partly also the Motives of the committers of this same.

The Facts, some are common to all; some, peculi­ar to those that have highest dispositions towards sa­ving grace: In relation to the former sort, there is,

• 1. Abnegation and denyall of the truth of the Gos­pel received, against distinct
  Rom. 1.32.
  knowledge and
  John 8.9.
  convi­ction of enlightned conscience; and this denyall usu­ally joyned with blasphemy, and reproachfull, contu­melious rayling against Oods truth, as those Pharisees, Mat. 12.24. though they could not but see Gods po­wer in the miracles wrought by our Saviour, yet blas­phemously impute those mighty works of the Spirit of God, to the Prince of devils, even to Beelzebub, that is, [Page 8]to the Lord of Flyes, as the Hebrew word imports.
• 2. Opposing and oppugning by all means the pro­pagation of the truth; its noted of Pharisees, that they had made an Ordinance, that whosoever confes­sed, or joyned himselfe to Christ, he should be cast out of their Synagogue, as was the blind man miraculously restored to sight (though borne blind) by Christ, Joh. 9.34. ond as it's noted of Julian, that infamous Revolt, not onely by feare and fraud, but even by re­wards and preferments, he laboured to draw Christi­ans to blaspheme, and to abjure the Galilean (as that miscreant
  Christum subirdè Galilae­um [per igno­miniam] voci­tavit, & seprē centra eundem libros blasphe­mos evomuit. Ignatius. Ve­netus, in vitâ ejus.
  scoffingly called Christ) and to joyne with him in the worship of Idols.
• 3. To these may be added violent persecution of the Professors of the Christian Truth, for Truths sake, to the utmost of power, Joh. 8.40. They [sought] to kill Christ himselfe who told them the truth, which he had heard of God; and John 5.16. it's said, that the Jewes persecuted Jesus; yea, and after his crucifixion, made use of all manner of instruments, whom they thought likely to be brought over to their party, some devout, and honourable women (abusing the weaknesse of the sexe to strengthen their owne violence) and the chief men of a City, to raise persecution against Paul and Barnabas, for preaching Christ Jesus unto the people at Antioch. 13.50.

Now, in those that are brought nearer unto Christ, there goeth with this sin, a willfull desertion of the truth, and Apostacy from it; 2 Pet. 2.21. They turne back from the holy Commandement delivered unto them. But, this point being very tender, it must accordingly be handled with caution and warinesse; and therefore you must here remember that ancient distinction, betwixt lapsus, and prolapsio, particular falls, and falling away: A spirituall man may be overtaken in a fault, Gal. 6.1. [...], by a slip with his foot ( [...]) yea, very grievcus falls. We read of Gods [Page 9]owne dear servants, who yet have recovered their stand­ing in the Church of God; even a just man may fall seven times a day, that is, often in theJohn 9.4. [...], St. Chrysost. day of his life-time (whether ye understand that fall of sin, as some, or by sin into affliction, as others expound it) yet he still keeps the name of a just man, for that he riseth againe, Pro. 24.16. Though he fall, saith the sweet singer of Is­rael, he shall not utterly be cast downe, for the Lord uphold­eth him with his hand, Psal. 37.24. Corruption even in the most mortified Saints, sticks like to the spriggs of Ivy in an old wall, which though it be often lopped, yet it will be sprouting againe forth, and hardly at all removed, or universally eradicated till the old wall it selfe be pulled down; sin thatRom. 7.24. body of death will not, as a Jebusite in Canaan, quite out of our coasts, till the death of the body, and by the occasion of sins inhabitation, variety of temptations, from the world, from the flesh, and from the devil, like the sons of Zer­viah to David, prove2 Sam. 3.39. too hard for the best men, oft­times, in many particulars: That of Peter is almost peerlesse, so against his knowledge and conscience, ex­ecrably denying the knowledge of Christ, Mat. 26. And the like read we of sundry in the Primitive Church drawn, through fear, to deny the truth, and to worship Idols; concerning many of whom, the Fathers of the Church, Ambrose and Austin concluded, that they were not to be denyed penance, or pardon, their very [Neh. 1.11. desire] to be restored to the Church, testifying, that there falls were of infirmity, not of malice; wherefore, partiall declinations, whether in judgement, as those effascina­ted Galatians declined, Gal. 3.1. Or in zeal, and affection, as the Angel of the Church in Ephesus, Re. 2.4. or in pra­ctice, wherein all of u [...] com short somtimes, either in the matter, or in the manner, or in the measure of perfor­mance; yea often inordinate acts, like sprigs, or suckers under the choycest graff, break forth; these partiall de­clinations, I say, must be distinguished from this Apo­stacy, [Page 10]which we call whole, it being asJun. in Paral. Junius hath described it, Totius, ex toto, in totum defectio, a defection of the whole man, inward and outward, in judgment, conscience, will, memory, affections, from all Gospel­truth, and gracious goodnesse, to all impiety, joyned with an obstinate full resolution never to embrace the same, or any part thereof againe.

These are their Facts.

The Motive thereto, which specially gives the form, specifically framing it as it were to its proper nature, is Malice, obstinate spight, destinate hatred, wherein they are carried against the Gospel, & all those that embrace and profess it, treading under foot (even asMat. 7.6. swine doe Margarites, and precious pearls) the Son of God, counting the blood of the Covenant, wherewith they were sanctified, an unholy thing, doing despite unto the spirit of grace, Heb. 10.29. that madeS. August. de Temp. Ser. [...] 59. Vide P. Lombard. 2. s. Dist. 43. lit. A. B. C. D. Austin de­scribe it thus, Cum post agnitionem Dei per gratiam Domini nostri Jesu Christi, quisquam oppugnat fraternitatem, & ad­versus ipsam gratiam, quâ reconciliatus est Deo, invidentiae facibus agitatur: When grace, for pure grace sake, is maliciously resisted, so that the grace of the spirit is the very ground of this whole pertinacious spight against the Spirit, the1 Pet. 5.10. God of all sanctifying and saving grace. And this is the reason S. Peter thus sinned not, because not spight, but feare prevailed with him; That hath also made it questionable, whetherVide Pere­rij Disputat. ad 10. c. 13. Judas sinned against the Holy Ghost, in betraying his Master, because his fact seems not to have issued so much out of malice a­gainst our Saviours person or doctrine, but from his covetousnesse, and love ofJoh. 12.6. the money-bag, which the Apostle calleth the1 Tim. 6.10. root of all evill. That made it disputable also, whether Demas his forsaking the Apo­stle, be censurable of this sin, for that not hatred of Pauls person, but love of the2 Tim. 4.10. present world withdrew him: Yea, as we say not every1 Ioh. 3.14. love of Gods children is a token of our translating from death to life, unlesse [Page 11]they be loved, eo Nomine, because they are gracious; so not every hatred, or persecution, no not malicious of Gods children is to be so censured, except grace be that that mens malice is carried against, as it was in wicked Cain, against his righteous brother Abel, 1 John 3.12. It is a generall backsliding from the whole truth of the Gospel acknowledged, and a malicious oppugning of the same, and that by all imaginable wicked meanes whatsoever.

And thus far also of the Concomitants of this sin unto death.

Thirdly, and lastly come to be observed the Con­sequents, or dangerous effects of the same sin.

And these are,

• 1. Obstinate, and finall impenitency; obstinacy is, Induratae mentis in malitiâ pertinacia, as
  Pet. Lomb. nbi supra.
  Peter Lombard describes it, a stubborn froward persisting of an hard­ned heart, in willfull malice, by which a man becomes, and is made impenitent, Heb. 6.4.6. It's impossible, not difficult onely, as some mince the matter) saith the Apostle, that such enlightned Apostates should be renewed againe unto repentance; and this too, not through defect in Gods mercy, which is as himselfe it,
  Psa. 145.9.
  boundlesse, infinite, incomprehensible, but through the just judgment of God upon contempt of such grace offered to them, giving them up unto a
  Rom. 1.28.
  reprobate mind, and unto
  Rom. 2.5. Exod. 7.13. Rom. 9.
  hardnesse of heart, and to such a state as they cannot repent, Rom. 2.5. sometimes, perhaps, some of them com to a [...], to som after thought-taking, when they struggle with the wrath of God on their guilty black conscience, and wish as Judas, that their sins had never been committed, only through horror under the apprehension of the everlasting vengeance of God that awaites them; but never to a [...], or a change of their minds; so that impenitency finall is one Consequent of this dreadfull and deadly trans­gression.
• [Page 12]2. Peerlesse vitiosity in heart and manners; such men thus totally fallen, and finally rendred impeni­tent, become in all vitiousnesse far
  Mat. 12.44, 45.
  more vile then e­ver they were before their calling, 2 Pet. 2.20. their latter end is worse with them, than their beginning: and it hath been found most true in all experience, that none ever have proved more swinish to wallow in the mire of all
  2 Cor. 7.1.
  pollutions of flesh and spirit, then have vile Apostates; nor ever any more insatiable Horsleaches, to suck out the blood of the saints of God, than such who have metamorphized their first Christian profession, in­to an after degenerous and Antichristian persecution.
  Vid. Nicho­lan. de Cle­mangis.
  Rome, since it became Antichristian hath proved more vile, then when it was at first Paganish.
• 3. Irremissibility, and finall impardonablenesse: Wherefore I say unto you, saith our Saviour,(
  Conf. Mar. 3.29. & Luc. 12.10.
  ) Mat. 12.31, 32. all manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: But the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word a­gainst the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: But whoso­ever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this World, nor in the World to come. Now that all sin, and all manner of other sins (but this one) have been forgiven unto men, namely unto men capa­ble of forgivenes, such are onely the elect of God, and the believing penitents (for its a knowne Maxime in Orthodox Divinity, Nulla peccata remittuntur reprobis, No sins are pardoned to the reprobate, and the obsti­nately impenitent) This, I said, I shall manifest unto you; for as in the brightest serenity of the Moon, so the Church (which Solomon resembleth unto the Moon, Cant. 6.10.) hath when it is at the clearest, in its militant condition here below, some blots, and spots that doe blemish often the pulchritude and beauty of it: inso­much that we read of some great Saints sinning, parti­cularly, even grosse and enormous sins, so
  Gen. 9.22.
  Noah fell by drunkennesse,
  Gen. 19.33.35.
  Lot by incest with his owne daugh­ters, [Page 13]
  2 Sam. 11.4.
  David by adultery,
  1 Kings 11.5.
  Solomon by idolatry,
  Mat. 26.74.
  Peter by perjury, even all the
  Mar. 4.40.
  Apostles by partiall infidelity, yet these found place for repentance, and upon that, re­mission and pardon; yee shall read in the
  Mat. 1.
  Genealogy of our Saviour Jesus Christ, a catalogue of persons
  Gen. 30.39.
  speck­led like Jacobs sheep (watered in the gutters of Laban) into variety of sins, some Jewes, some Gentiles, all, or most of them tainted; for this end, among others, record­ed, that miserable sinners might know that Christ came into the world as the universal Physitian, both able and willing to
  Psa. 41.4.
  heal every diseased soul, yea such a Physiti­an as comes home often unsent for, going
  Acts 10.38.
  about doing good, and curing all
  Luke 4.40.
  kind and
  Mat. 4.23.
  manner of diseases; he is that
  Luk. 10.33.
  pittying Samaritan, who cannot passe by a
  Pro. 18.14.
  wounded spirit without pouring in the oyle of his mer­cy, had such but first a
  Hos. 5.13.
  sight, and
  1 Kin. 8.33.
  sense of their own wounds; yea, he was such a Physitian, who for to save the lives, and to redeem the souls of penitent patients from death, most chearfully
  Jo. 10.17, 18.
  laid down his owne life,
  Luk. 23.34.
  praying for them that
  Matth. 27, 29, 30, 31.
  mocked,
  Mat. 27.39. 1 Pet. 2.13.
  reviled,
  Mat. 27.35. Phil. 2.8.
  crucified,
  Acts 2.23. & 3.15. & 7.52.
  murdered him; yea here in this Scripture (but now na­med to you) that the blasphemy of the Son of man, that is, of Christ himself, who veiling for a time the glorious splendor of his Divinity, by the flesh of his obsure Hu­manity, was supposed by the ignorant Jewes, to be but a
  Phil. 2.7, 8.
  mean man, though he were, at the same time, the
  Psa. 24.7, 8.
  King of glory, and so they filled their mouths with re­proaches of him, charging him with whole volleyes of the highest blasphemies, stiling him
  Mat. 27.63.
  deceiver,
  Mat. 11.19.
  glut­ton, contemptuously,
  Jo. 8.48.
  Samaritan,
  Mat. 12.24. Joh. 9.29.
  this fellow, a
  Mat. 11.19.
  friend of Publicans and sinners, one who had a
  Jo. 8.52.
  devil, and what miracles he did, he wrought them by the
  Mat. 12.24.
  Prince of devils; O horrid! lo yet and see, even this blasphemy, so high, so notorious, so dishonourable, is pardonable to the re­penting blasphemers; but the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, [...] [mipescha rab] that great offence, with an [...], so called by King David, who prayed ear­nestly [Page 14]to be preserved from it, Ps 19.13. This blasphe­my (God in his justice denying the grace of repentance to it) this is utterly irremissible, everlastingly unpardo­nable, even unto all eternity; wherefore, it is added, Nei­ther in this world, nor in the world to com, not, in this world, because, say som, blasphemy coming (at least during the Jewish administration) under the cognizance, & power of the Magistrate, it was no way, by no means capable of any reprieve at all, but the soul
  Lev. 24.16. Vid. Simon majolum, lib. De perfidiâ Indaeor. p 73. & 241, 242, &c. Blasphemia, & spiritus Blas­phemiae diffe­runt: spisitus blasphemiae sus­pirat ad odium Dei^s sicùt spiri­tus sanctus ad dei amorem; Blasphemia re­mittetur, spiri­tus a Blasphe­miae non. Joh. Altenstaig in ser. Theolog. in voc. Blas­phemia, p. 102, 103. v.d. Dieterie: Dn: 19. post Trin. p. 747, 748. in 4^o.
  so sinning must be cut off without mercy, from Gods people, and be stoned to death; or more generally thus, not in this world by any promise, or assurance of it at all from heaven, or the word of God, the patent of penitents (but not of such final impenitents) for pardon: nor in the world to come, understand it thus, not as supposing, by that expression, any hopes remaining (after death) to any other kind of sinners, whose life expired, as it was lead in a course of presumptuous impenitency (as the great Patrons of pur­gatory would perswade their ignorant & besotted pro­selites) but this is only a distribution, or divisive speech, intended not to signifie things divers, but to aggravate and to exagerate the same thing; and used it is, it may be, purposely to lay a stumbling-block in the way of the obstinate, to restrain and to withhold them from sin­ning so desperately, and with an high hand against the Lord, so as therby they wilfully cut themselves off from all present, future, or succeeding hopes of mercy to their graceles souls: In a word, the sin against the father is re­mitted by the redemption of the son; the sin against the Son is pardoned through the application of his merit, by the Holy Ghost, but the sin against the Spirit hath no remission, because there is no way of expiation, there being by God in judgment intercluded the way to the mean of mercy, which is repentance; such men therfore (so sining) shall the spirit himself
  Jo. 16.8.
  convince of judg­ment unto confusion; for saith the great Apostle, If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the [Page 15]truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a cer­tain searful looking for of judgment, and fiery indig­nation, which shal devour the adversaries, Heb. 10.26, 27. And for this cause is it, that this sin is here stiled by S. John, [...], a sin unto death, and that, not only because in its own nature it deserves the com­mon death, consisting in the separation of the soul from the body, for this is the wages of every sin, Rm 6.23. but because it being the will of God to shut up under final impenitency the men so sining, it merits, and so shall infallibly incur not that only which is called the
  Iosb. 23.14.
  com­mon way of all the earth in the temporal death, but al­so the sentence and sense of the
  Rev. 2.11.
  second death; which second or eternal death consisteth in the
  Mat. 25.41, 46. 2 Thess. 2.9.
  everlasting se­peration of both soul and body, from Gods gracious and glorious presence (which is the punishment also) & withall (which is the punishment of sense) the plung­ing of both into inexpressible torments with the devil, his accursed Angels, and all other damned blasphe­ming spirits, even for ever and ever.

This is the sin, for the nature of it very hainous, and for the danger of it (as ye have it thus declared to you) most dismal and full of horror.

A word or two further of the stile or titles given here­unto in holy writ, which was the second general Head of my division proposed; of which succinctly, that (withall considering the great affairs ensuing) I may hasten to my Application, in which indeed consisteth all the marrow, andPsa. 36.8. satnes, even the very life and vigor of every solid Sermon, and divine discourse.

The stile or title given to it by our Saviour, is, as ye heard but now, Mat. 12.31. The Blasphemy of the holy Ghost, that is, the endeavouring to dishonour the holy Ghost, it is a Greek word, [...], as it were hurting (if I may dare so to expresse it) the fame, and blurring the glory of the holy Spirit? But why of the holy Ghost? and not of the Father, or of the Son? [Page 16]is not the whole Trinity one Spirit, Joh. 4.24. each per­son is God, equal in majesty & glory, and God is a Spirit?

Queſt. There is an inquiry made, Whether, indeed, a man may not so sin against one person of the Trinity, that in that Fact, he sins not against the whole Trinity? To which the resoluti­on is, That virtually, and in the issue, the sin reacheth to the whole three persons; however, intentionally, one alone be stricken at. Alex. Hal. f. 704. in fronte

Anſw. Alexander* Halensis (the Patriarch of the School Di­vines)Durand. l. 2. dist. 13. qu. 1. in senti. Durandus, and other of that rank, conceive, that there are divine properties, in respect of their exercise, appropriated to the several persons, as power to the Fa­ther, wisedome to the Son, and goodnesse to the holy Ghost; so that a sin of weaknes or infirmity, is committed against the Father, that is, against the power of God; a sin of igno­rance is committed against the Son, that is, against the wisedome of God; a sin of wickednesse, malice, or hatred, is committed against the holy Spirit, that is, against the good­nesse of God. But waving these curiosities, spun upon the wheel of mens quaint apprehensions, however in them­selves (thus applyed) not wholy impertinent, this blas­phemy is so called, not because it's intended so much a­gainst theS. August. l. 1. c. 11. De. Trin. person of the holy Ghost, the third person in the blessed Trinity, as against the properƲrsin. q. 7. Catech. operation and efficacious work of the holy Ghost. D^r Gerard: quâ supra. s. 109. Gerard (a most learned Lutheran Divine) thus gives his expositi­on of this stile; It's so stiled, sayes he, partly in regard of the ministration of the spirit, which is the glorious Gospel, he applying and sweetly diffusing into the hearts of all contrite and disconsolate Christians, the comforts and promises of grace therein contained, through the blood of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 3.8. in respect whereof he is likewise stiled, The Comforter, John 15.26. And partly also in regard of his office, which is illumination, and enlightning of the minds of his elect, Eph. 1.18. in respect whereof he is in his operation compared to fire, Mat. 3.11. as well for light, as for heat, and therefore the shunning of that light is called, the Quenching of the Spi­rit, [Page 17]1 Thess. 5.19. And lastly, in regard of his gracious te­stimony, and witnesse, testifying and witnessing to the spirit of believers, That they are the sons of God, Rom. 8.16. To which also may be added his directive manuduction, leading the elect into all necessary fundamental truth, Joh. 16.13. And so much, in sum, for the reason of this stile given hereto in holy writ.

We may not, in the next place, omit to take notice of the Epithite that is given to it in another Scripture, at which I gave a glance but now; it is in Psa. 19.13. where it is called by the Prophet, The [Great] Offence, so indeed by an [...], even without peer, Non est majus de­lictam, amongst all sins that Cast-away's fall into, as there are many foul and erroneous, none so great as this: Truth is, whatever a man can think of to aggra­vate a sin to the height of haynous, in this all concur: Their Facts implyHeb. 10.29. Contempt of the Son of God, prophana­tion of the blood of the Covenant, contumely to the holy Ghost; besides all this, Foulest ingratitude to that God who offered so great grace to their souls, declared by their blaspheming the truth, oppugning the speaking of it, so glorious to God, so healthful to men; Cir­cumstances yet make it fouler, the Motive especially, for That it issues out of malice, and destinate spight against the majesty of God. No marvaile then was it, that our Savi­our taught it to be unpardonable, that is, not as some interpret, hardly pardonable, but utterly uncapable of pardon, through a just Ordinance of God, shutting up the fountaine of his mercy against the souls of such im­pious and godlesse miscreants: and hither, to this pur­pose, may well be applyed that passage in Solomons Pro­verbs, Pro. 28.18. where he saith, that whoso walketh uprightly, shall be saved, but he that is perverse in his wayes, shall fall at once; the emphasis lyeth in that clause [at once] Semel dicitur cadere qui irreparabiliter cadit, asAlex. Hal. part. 4. qu. 12. mem. 5. art. 1. Halensis expounds it, he is said to fall at once, who fals beyond hope of recovery, irreparably, and so that texs [Page 18]is meant, not of a common slipping aside, but of a final back sliding (Perversis graditur viis, id est, perfectè versis) which happeneth in final impenitency: and this pas­sage of Solomon seems to me to be equivalent to what our Saviour pronounced on those blasphemous Phari­sees, Joh. 9.41. when he declared that their sin [remain­ed] that whereas a sin of ignorance (though in it selfe enormous) might be capable of pardon, which is evi­dent from many Scriptures and examples, as Num. 15.27, 28. Psal. 19.12. Heb. 9.7. 1 Tim. 1.13. Acts 17.30. Yet, their presumptuous blaspheming against professed knowledge, clear sight, and evidence of truth, this their sin was not a slight or a transient act, and so to be pas­sed over as sometimes God did Jacob, without being [seen] or observed for punishment, Num. 23.21. but it is a sin [remaining] as it were written with theIer. 17.1. poynt of a diamond; the Actors of it being, as the Prophet speaks, alwayes Ps. 109.15. before the Lord, Legatur Beza ad 1 Io. 5.16. fusè explican­tem naturam peccati istius: Confer: B^p. Ʋsher, in his Sum of Chri­stian Religion p. 151, 152. Edit. 1648. that he might have both them and their sin in his sight, and remembrance, never to blot out, or to remit it.

So then, to recapitulate the sum of all, the Sin a­gainst the Holy Ghost is no lesse then, A willfull mali­cious, and obstinate denying of the foundation, renounsing Christ Jesus as the Mediator and Redeemer of the world; It is a to tall Apostacy from the Faith, when the whole man re­volteth from the whole Christian Religion, wholly, with an obstinate resolution never to returne to it any more; neither is it possible for him that is guilty thereof to mourn, and lament for his sins; his stubborn and reprobate heart is not so tender, but being past all sorrow and feeling, rather (asM^r Jo. Down in Tract: a­gainst M^r Baxter. one farther adds to expresse the measure of it) rejoyceth and boasteth in his desperate and malicious obstinacy. Soli filij irae iram non senti­unt, sed laetan­tur, & exult­ant in rebus p [...]ssimio. Ber. P [...]. 52.1. Iam. 4.16. Deut. 29.19.

This is the sin, for nature most hainous, for the issue most dangerous, dreadful, formidable; in the mention whereof, me-thinks the powers of mens souls cannot but be shaken, their thoughts trouble them, and asDan. 5.6. Belshazzar's at the fight of the hand-writing upon the [Page 19]wall (whilest he sat quaffing in the vessels of the sanctu­ary) the joynts of their loynes be loosed, and their knees smite one against another.

Ʋſe I. Come we now, in order, to the Use and Applicati­on: Beloved Christians, according to the grievous na­ture of this sin, so let all those use the meditation of it, whom God hath called to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, that by meditation of the foulnesse of it,Psa 147.20. 1 Cor. 1.21. their care may be encreased to preserve themselves from it: It's a great favour God hath granted us, that unto us he hath vouch safed, in the means, the knowledge of himselfe, in the face of Jesus Christ, he hath not dealt so with many Nations more, that herewithall he hath daigned also toEph. 1.18. enlighten the eyes of our understanding, to know theEph. 3.3, 4. 1 Tim. 3.16. mystery of Godlinesse, he hath not dealt so with many Children of the Church; many (the more is the pity) live stil in grosse ignorance of necessariest Arti­cles: To some of us yet more, that he hath given usPhil. 1.29. Eph. 2.8. faith to believe it; woe is me! that there should be a­mongst us many of ripe understanding, that yet dare question the truth of the Gospel: yea, to some yet more, he hath grantedPhil. 1.9. [...]. sense of the comfort, of the1 Pet. 2.3. 2. Cor. 2.14. sweet­nesse, and perhaps also of theRom. 1.16. power thereof to reform us:Iosh. 23.11. Heb. 3.12. Preservatives against the sin against the Holy Ghost. Take heed Brethren, that so great favour of God be not frustrate by our unthankefull Apostacy.

Among many Preservatives that might happily be set down, to keep men from Apostacy, and from this great sin, give me leave to offer to your considerations, these following.

1. Labour by all means to fasten on your hearts the 2 Thess. 2.11. love of that saving truth wherein you have been enlightned; strong delusion is sent upon men that received not the love of the truth; there is a disease of latter times called the Rickets, when Children rather swel then grow in the upper parts, and find a luxation of members, and a debility downwards; so it's become now likewise a disease in the spiritual part of men, they swel like the [Page 20]ancient Gnosticks with knowledge in the brain, with1 Cor. 8.1. [...] [ [...]] 1 Cor. 8.1. puffing speculations swiming in the head, but have little affection of what they so apprehend in pure notion: but my brethren, when all is done, it is not the understand­ing head, but it is the understanding heart, that availeth to solid happines: The redRev. 12.4. Dragon in the Revelation, is observed to have drawn the 3^d part of those who were as stars for light, with him unto the earth; wherefore, the most experienced Casuists have resolved, That Gods School is more of holy sanctified affection, then of meer notional, or floating speculation: and so it hath been found true in all Histories of the Church, that unsancti­fied wits abounding with variety of learning, as Arrius, Porphyrie, and other like; Satan hath made use of to cor­rupt, and to deprave the truth of the Gospel.

2. Carefully preserve Conscience from known disobedi­ence; it's dangerous to slight the strokes thereof, when it1 Sam. 24.5. smites thee for the act, and perpetration of that, whereof thy conscience isJoh. 8.9. convinced it is sin; when men stop theirPsa. 58.5. ears against the directions of that se­cret Monitor which God (as his principal Vice-gerent in the soul) hath placed in every bosome, they are in great peril of a down-fal; yea, that's the means, at length to make it filent, and so by degrees in the issue, throughEx consuetu­dine peccandi Dei metus a­mittitur, & contemptus in­cutitur. S. Aug. custom,Eph. 4.19. Primò decli­nantes â medio capimur, capti occaecamur, oc­caecati obdures­simus, obdura­ti desperamus: Cas: in Eth: sensles, which in sensibility is the most dange­rous state of the conscience, Scio longius â salute absistere membrum quod obstupuit, & aegrum sese non sentientem, peri­culosius laborare, as S. Bernard speaks, A stupified member is hardly curable but by corrasives, if at all by them; & there is by far more hope of the curation of one sick (though very far gone) who is senfible of his malady, then of him, who before he doth, or will see his disease, is swallowed up in a miscarriage: That one example is memorable of Hymineus and Alexander, who having not joyned to their ScienceConscientia mala sine des­peratione non est. S. Aug. praef. super. Psal. 31. Conscience, having put away the one, they lost the soundnes of the other, and made shipwrack of their Faith, 1 Tim. 1.19.20.

3. Cherish by all means the sweet motions of grace, and of the spirit of God: 1 Thes: 5.19. O take heed, vex him not. Isa: 63.10. grieve him not: Eph: 4.30. rather let thine ears hear that word behind thee, saying: This is the way, walk ye in it, Isa. 30.21: it may be there are many of you here present, who now hear this no [...]se this day, in the Ministry of this very word now spo­ken into your ears. Be afraid how ye neglect to beJoh. 16.13. Psal. 143.10. lead and guided by this good spirit of God speaking to you in that veryIsa. 59.21. word which himself hath2 Tim. 3.16. inspired; its said to recount the case of many men in this behalf, that throw off such motions with disregard, and deem them (through theJer. 17.9. deceitfulnes of their hearts, theHeb. 3.13. deceitfulnes of sin, & the cunning insinuations of Sa­than) but fits of melancholy arising from the naturall complexion of the body, or some sudden qualnes of conscience that do surprise them. Beloved Brethren, I beseech you consider that when God offers such grace, he offers himself to you as to Children, if ye beRom. 8.14. led by the Spirit of God, and that not only in point ofPsal. 25.12. Mic. 6.8. direction. and ofIsa 30.21. instigations (unto which steps is pos­sible, as if I had time might be demonstrated for an un­regenerate man to ascend) but chiefly in respect of pre­valence, so that by way of eminence, and ruling pre­dominancy, you are led by him, then are you the sons of God in good earnest: 4. Prudently notice,Rom: 8.14 and with all spirituallEphes. 5.15. [...]. circumspection, observe thy declinings, and abatements of thy measures of grace, and how thy devotion, or zeal (which should not like Ioshuas sun standJosh. 10.13. still, but like Davids sun rather rejoyce as a Gy­antPsal. 19.5. 2 King. 20.10. to run a race onwards in its course) how it dothIsa. 38.8. go back like Hezekiahs sun, in its degrees; and never leave the strick rest use of the most conscientious means, till thou hast recovered thy antient measures: Rev: 24.5. Yea I will be bold to say thus much further: No Christian can possibly have any solid assurance up­on firm grounds, of any truth of saving grace begun [Page 22]in the heart, who is not carefull to cherish, and to en­crease it by those means which God hath sanctified to that end, and therefore he gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pa­stors, and Teachers for the work of the Ministery, not only to gather the Saints together, by1 Cor. 3.5, 6, 7. planting of true Doctrine in the Church; but also to1 Pet. 5.10. confirm, strengthen, settle, stablish, yea to [perfect] the same Saints, under the use of the same means of their first calling; see to this purpose: Eph: 4.11.12, 13. to the same effect is it, thas we read Cant: 3.1, 1, 3, 4 Where we may easilie discover the behaviour of the Spouse, or Church of Christ languishing under the absence, or the withdrawing of her Misticall Husband Jesus Christ: what doth she do? Why, make diligent enquiry, and strict search after him, leaving no wayes or means un­attempted, and is restles till she had again found him whom her soul loved: in those wayes wherein (in all probability) she had left him, in those when she sought him. Yet there seeking she found him not: By night in my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth, I sought him, but I found him not; in her Bed the plase of ease, and rest, (she means when she had tooIndulgendum somno est, ut corpus reparet, non resolvat, & vires revocet, non enervet. Chrysolog. ser. 24. Non sit sepultu­ra suffocati, sed requies lassi. Hieron. much indulged thereto) lulling her self a sleep in a supine regardlesnes, and security, there she found him not: Christ hath no inward sensible com­munion with a resty, unactive, lazy soul, for Christians must not be Cretians, [...],Tit. 1.12. slow bellies: Well, what course doth she take next, I will rise now (saith she) leave my drowzy temper, and being risen, I will go about the City in the streets, and in the broad wayes, I will seek him whom my soul loveth, that is, among those who standMatt. 20.6. idle, & loitring in the Market places, unemployed in their own, though1 Pet. 4.15. busie bo­dies enough, perhaps about the doings of others, or els such as following the guize of wavering times, meteo­rizing as it were, and unresolved, or indifferent in the matters of Religion, run on in a full career the smooth [Page 23]broad wayes to what is dangerous, she sought him there, but she missed of her aim, she sought him, but she found him not: Wel, do but observe her in her carriage but a little farther, and then, but not till then, she finds him. The watchmen that go about the City found me to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? What are theseEzek. 3.17. Heb. 13.19. Watch men? but those spiritual Pastors, or Ministers, whose office is to give warning, upon due, and season­able discovery, of the danger of the Souls enemies, as themselves watching over them for good, even as those who must give account in the day of judgment, Hebr. 13.17. Well, the text adds, It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found Him, whom my soul loveth; to imply, that whilest she sought for Christ, where indeed He was to be found, namely, by the footsteps of the flocks, and by the shepherds tents: Cant: 1.8. there, if any where, among such Instruments of conveying him in the Mi­nistrey unto her soul, He was to be heard of, and actually found; By the same Messengers who were firstRom. 10.15. sent by God, with a Commission to preach the Go­spel of peace, & to bring glad tydings of good things; even by the same (if not in individuall, yet in kinde) did, and doth the Church again recover the presence, and with it the joy, and sweetness thereof to her di­stressed spirits: to the like purpose also may we hither apply that gloss which S. Bernard gives upon the withdrawing of Thomas from the company of the other Apostles unto whom the Lord Christ manifested Him­self after his resurrection, but not unto him being thenJoh. 20.24. away; Falleris Thomâ sancte, falleris, si ab Ap [...]stolorum collegio segregatus invenire Christum speras: O Thomas, thou art deceived, if thou hopest to find Christ severed from the congregation of the Apostles, and Saints of God; Wherefore is it, that the Apostle so zealously exhorts the Hebrews, Hebr: 10.25. not to forsake the assem­bling of themselves together, as the manner of some is: and, that man after Gods own heart, see how restless [Page 24]his soul is, till he could (after a forced absence from thence) again visit those amiable tabernacles of the Lord of hosts; mark, I beseech you, what pathetick metaphors or similitudes he borrows to illustrate, or express his zealous anhelations, and gaspings af [...]er God; the one of a woman under her [...] (with whom there is pallor in ore, & tremor in corde) her fits of longing, which if unsatisfied endanger swooning, yea often life it self: Psal: 84.2. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the cou [...]ts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. The other of the Hart braying after water, and readie even to sink down dead before the bloodie pursuers; As the hart Psal 42.1, 2. panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God; My soul thirsteth for God for the living God; When shall I come, and appear before God? His meaning is, to declare the sweet com­munion he lately had, and now most fervently again desired to renew with God, under the enjoyment of his restored, soul saving Ordinances, dispersed in the Sanctuary: so that this may well be set down as ano­ther preservative against this dangerous downfall.

5. Take heed, how thou doest allow, or bear with thy self in any presumptuous sin, yea though but in one single particular: If thou willingly lye down un­der the power, dominion,Rom. 6.12. reign of any one known sin, whereof thy judgment and conscience, upon clear evidence of Scripture is convinced that it is a sin, thou canst not promise thy self an immunity, or freedom from the greatest sin: alas! what odds is it, in the issue, whether i [...] the ship sink, or be split in sunder, it be by some insensible, secret leak, or by some violent blast that dasheth the ribs thereof against the rocks? or, if a bird be taken in the gin, whether by one claw, or by the whole body, so it come into the hands of the fow­ler, as a prey? and, indeed, the Apostle, 2 Tim: 2.26. useth the very same metaphor of men held captive at the will of the Devill, they are [...], taken [Page 25]alive, even as a Bird is trapped in a snare, and at the pleasure of the Devil to tempt, or to torment him: one mire may defile a sow, one sword destroy a man, one disease, as well as a thousand bring him to his grave, even one sin unrepented of, endanger the soul to Hell. Now, for the proof of this, consult I beseech you, with that clear Text, Psal: 19.13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, let them not have [dominion] over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression: from this Scripture it is very clear that even David himself could not secure himself from this sin, in case he had born with himself under the [reigne] of particular presumptions: Certainly, I dare say he was of his mind, a man as he, enlightned a Member of the Church, living under the dominion of any sin, was endangered to the sin against the Holy Ghost, which here he cals the great transgression: When Conscience once grows incensible of sin, as through [Tanta est cor­ruptela malae consuetudinis, ut ab eâ igni­culi extinguan­tur â naturâ dati, exoriantur (que) vitia contra­ria. Cic. li. 1. de Leg. custome] of evill every conscience doth; what sin, or degree of sin can a man secure him­self from? Eph: 4.19. When a man is once past feeling, he gives himself to commit sin with greedines, then follows oft in Gods Judgment, spiritual desertion, God gives a man over to the swing of his own corrupt heart, and to the power of Sathan; and he must needs go (we say) whom the Devil drives: Wherefore dear Christians, and Countrymen,Heb 13.22. suffer the word of ex­hortation, and let the admonition be that of Paul, 2 Tim: 2.19. Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. The pure grace of the glorious Gospel is noRom. 6.1. Gal. 5.13. warrant for any impure, ranting licentiousnes: Tremble to bear with thy self in any sin against con­science, nor to let sin reign in thy mortal body, lest thou endanger thy self to [...] sin, which is unto death.

Beloved, its a great mercy of God to be born in the Church, and to enjoy the priviledges (though but out ward) of it, and yet this think of: The state of the chil­dren of the Church may prove worse a great deal, [Page 26]than the state of Jews, and Pagans, that never yet gave entertainment to the Gospel, though they have sins enough to damn them, yet they are out of danger of this sin unpardonable; therefore be exhorted, and the more also, for that its strange to see the strong2 Thes. 2.11. delusion sent upon many, that though theyDeut. 29.19 bless themselves in their wickednes, and add drunkenes to thirst, yet seem to be out of danger of other grosse sins; whereas its demonstrative from what hath been thus collected from this of David, that no man can promise himself a freedome from the foulest sins, in whom any sin reigns.

Lastly, (for I hasten) let not that be forgotten of the Apostle, Heb: 6.1. who upon this very ground, admo­nisheth saying, Let us go on unto perfection: compare 2 Pet: 3.18. For its impossible that if we fall away, (he means universally) we should again be renewed unto a true repen­tance; he seems to take it for granted, that there is no mean between seeming sufficiency, and certain Aposta­cy: and this withall remember, that our growth will be expected, and accounted for, according to the mea­sure of our1 Cor. 3.6, 7. Heb. 6.7. watering, and those means of grace which the Lord hath afforded us; it shall be charged more heavily upon the score of Chorazin, and Bethsaida, and Capernaum in the day of Judgment, than upon Tyre and Sidon, yea or upon Sodome & Gomorrah, though those Cities were of most prodigious, and evenRom. 1.26, 27. unnaturall abominations: the reason is, because they had more means by preaching miracles, &c. than the other had.

To draw towards a conclusion: Beloved Christians let every one now, upon these severall intimations, se­riouslyPsal. 77.6. commune with his own heart, and let his spi­rit make diligent search, examine andLam. 3.40. cry himself into what degrees of this sin he hath grown, that as Peter spake to thatAct. 8.22. Simon, If it be possible, his sin may be forgiven him, whilst every one endeavours to recover his first estate, and to do his first works. Rev: 2.4.

We have been many of us brought past the antece­dents of this sin; the Lord hath declared unto us the truth of the Gospel, and oh, how pretious, not only in regard of the rarity, but of the valuation and esteem, as the word of God in the dayes of1 Sam. 3.1. Samuel, was the light thereof, when it first brake out in these parts? I doubt not but with many of us, illumination hath been so clear, that we have been convinced, and some kind of profession most of us have made of the Gospel. And yet alas! lamentable is the state of manyAct. 7.51. resisting the truth, and too much2 Tim. 2.25 opposing against it, whereby the course of the Gospel is not a little stopped, at lest in the purity thereof: Hereunto may be addedJoh. 9 28. 1 Cor. 5.11. 1 Cor. 6.10. [...], rayl­ling dicitur, â [...] & [...], as it were to excoriate, and skin a man: or, [...], Eu­stathius: A word wound­ing like a sharp spear; by David the wicked tongue is compared to a sharp razor, Psal. 52.2. railings, and blasphemies of the multitude; How many scan­dals raised, I say not of the persons of the Ministers (though God, wheresoever he hath on earth a Church to gather, or to perfect, he will have a Ministry, even in despite of Hell it self, unto the end of the world) but of the very Doctrine of the Gospel: And is it not too true, that as Ishmael prosecuted Isaac, Gal: 4.29. so it is now: if any professe but a* desire to keep conscience void of offence towards God & man is commonly* the by-word of the People. Brethren, these are fearfull steps, I may not say of malice, for then I would trem­ble, yea I am forbidden in my Text, to pray for men so sinning: But thus far many have gone, O let such la­bour to recover themselves. Faxit.

Hitherto of the first, and generall use of this point:Heb. 13.18. I come now to apply it with a more particular respect unto such of Gods servants as have a more special in­terst in his favour, such as are actually regenerate,Act. 24.16 Ʋse 2. and born of God. Dearest Christians, this is that which may prevent your own discomfort, that issues many times out of groundles fear, lest your state be as that of those guilty of this sin, hopeles in such sort, that ve­ry infirmities, especially where hath been knowledg of Duty, and perhaps some reluctation of conscience, [Page 28]are censured this great sin: But take heed, bear not false witnes against thy self, yea or against the truth of the promises, and of thatJer. 32.40. everlasting Covenant of grace made to thy soul, and2 Cor. 1.20 ratified in theHeb. 10.29. blood of Jesus Christ, whose bloud speakethHeb. 10.29. better things then the blood of Abel; Abels bloudHeb. 12.24. cryed unto Heaven or vengeance, but theGen. 4 10. blood of Christ for mercy:1 Joh. 1.7. Know thou this, whosoever thou art that indeed fear­est God in2 Cor. 1.12. simplicity of heart, so long as a man holds the way of righteousnes in the course of his life, though (like the exorbitancy of a wheel, temptation may justle him out of the track) he have his steppings aside in particulars, yet hereof let him be secure, this sin he is not fallen into, for that implies an utter for saking of the whole,1 Pet. 2.21 way of righteousnes: and gene­rally so long as we keep in us the love of Gods truth, and of Gods Children, for truths sake, we are out of gunshot of this sin: yea, if God at any time2 Tim. 2.25. give thee repentance for any sin which thou hast-commit­ted, conclude it not this great sin, which is un­to death.

And yet possibly, it may sometime so fall out (for as in Water face answereth to face, so the Heart of Man to Man, Preverbs 27.19. and it hath been the case of divers others, even renowned Saints) I say it may sometimes befall a godly soul, what it did to David, and Heman; the one Psal: 77.7.8.9. passionately bemoaning himself, and dolefully putting the question, (as speaking after his present sence.) Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mer­cies? Selah. Compare Psalm: 38. and also Psalm the 6. and Psalm 32.3, 4. and the other almost throughout the whole 88th Psalm complaineth of theLam. 3.44. clouds [Page 29]from heaven, yea of the veryJob 26.14. thunder of Gods power and wrath ratling over him, and sensibly felt in his soule within him: O Lord God of my salvation, I have cryed Day and Night before thee, O encline thine eare unto my Cry, for my soule is full of troubles, thy wrath lyeth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves, Selah. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: And a­gaine, vers. 14. Lord, why castest thou off my soule? Why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted, and ready to dye from my youth up, while I suffer thy terrours, I am distracted; thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy terrours have cut me off. Beloved, here under these mournfull expressions ye see whatIob 3.5. Ioel 2.6. blacknesse now was upon the perplexed spi­rits even of these great Saints of God, for the present time: and to the same effect is that of Hezekiah, Isa. 38.14, 15. Like as a Crane or a swallow, so did I chatter, I did mourn as a Dove, mine eies faile with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me, and ease me, — I shall goe softly all my years, in the bitternesse of my soule. In like manner St. Paul of himselfe, 2 Cor. 7.5. Wee were troubled on every side, without were fightings, within were feares. And this many times is very much occasioned by entring Comparisons of our owne state with o­thers, on whom (as we think)Job 29.3. Psal. 50.2. God shineth altoge­ther, and so we entertain conceits, as if the Lord had clean cross'd us out of his Book, that heJob 30.20. regards us not at all; that he looketh upon others, but passeth by us like aJer. 14.8. stranger, to whom we are not known: Then we think our owne case to beLam. 1.12. none such, when we take Ieisure to looke upon others, and comparing them with our selves, say theirPsal, 23.5. Tables are furnish­ed day by day, whilst earth andPsal. 42.3. ashes and teares are our bread; theyAmos 6.5. sing to the Lute, and to the Vi­ole, and they see their childrenPsal. 17.14. dance before them; and (as that not more learned, than devout Divine M.Mr. Hooker; treat: of per­petuity of Faith in the Elect, p. 95. (Hooker goes on, in flowrs of heavenly Rhetorick to set this out) our hearts are heavy in our bodies as [Page 30]lead, our sighes beat as thick as a swift pulse, our tearsPsal. 6.6. do wash the beds wherein we lye, whilst others wash in their paths inJob 29.6. Job 29.3. butter, as Job saith: The Lords candle shineth faire upon their foreheads; wee are hanged up likePs. 119.83. bottles in the smoak,Psal. 31.12. cast into corners like the sherds of a broken pot: Tell not us of the promises of Gods favour, tellFor my own part, I, in such a case of com­parisons (w^ch if in any, sure­ly in spiritual things are if not odious, most discom­fortable) I should advise a disconsolate soule, not to judg, or e­steem his spi­ritual state by anothers mea­sures, but by his own inte­grity, and soundnes, and to consider himselfe not by the degrees of inherent san­ctification by way of vigorous exercise, (which may be interrupted, Mar. 4.40. in himself) but by the stability of Gods donation, or gift of that grace in it self, w^ch is irrevocable, Rom. 11.29. and then rest confident, that (as Dr. Field expresseth it (l. 1. c. 7, 8. of the Church) saving grace winneth infalibly, holdeth inseparably, and leadeth indeclinably, of which whosoever is partaker shall undoubtedly be saved. [such] as do reape the fruit of them, they belong not to us, they are made to others. Now Brethren, the Lord be mercifull to our weakness, but thus it is sometimes: But thou wilt now say unto me, what must my demeanour be under this sad distemper of my spirit, thus as Davids, Even o­verwhelmed within me, Psal. 142.3. Why, do thou as those very Saints of God (in the like condition before thee) did; review Psal. 77.10. After the Prophets la­mentation, upon his more advised thoughts, he said, it was his [infirmity] so to do, and then he called to remembrance the yeares of the right hand of the most High: The right hand is both the strongest, and with­all the most ready to use, upon all occasions; so with the Lord most high there is an omnipotent powerIsa. 26.4. Isa. 63.1. an everlasting strength, and, He is mighty to save, the Psal. 103.8. slowest to conceive a wrath, and readiest to forgive a sinne: Tam pater nemo, Tam pius nemo, Tertul. Take the Apo­stles counsel, Heb. 10.32.35. Cast not therefore away your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward; Chide down thy diffidence and distrustfull passions, and say, Why art thou thus cast downe ô my soule? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall [...], yet there is hope left thee. St. John the Apostle said it in the Eclesiast. Hist. to a wild yong man, Ez. 10.2. [yet] praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God, Psal. 42.11. & 43.5. What? do not the promises be­long [Page 31]to thee? aPsal. 116.16. Num. 12.7, 8. servant? aJam. 2.23. Joh. 15.14, 15. friend? yea, aRom. 8.14.17. Heb. 12.7. son, yet more, an heire, a joynt-heir with Jesus Christ him­selfe? and by that meansPsal. 34 7. Cant. 6.8. encompassed with a guard of heavenlyHeb. 1.14. Angels, even Angels ofPsalm. 103.20. & 2 Thes. 1.7. might, and power to protect thee against all the pow­ers of Hell, and darknesse? To whom but unto thee, who art a regenerate soule, doth that promise apper­taine [...]. Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; there are five Negatives in the Greek repeated, to assure Gods people, that he will never forsake them; it may be rendred according to the Greek (as one doth it) I will not not leave thee, neither will I not not forsake thee: Repetitions are no vaine Tautologies in holy Writ, they are used as Pharaoh's dreams wereGen. 41.32. doub­led, to assure the Saints of the more certain confir­mation of what the Spirit of truth hath spoken: To thee, I say belongeth that rich, and2 Pet. 1.4. precious, even honourable promise of Almighty God; alas! alas! 'tis not for swine to expect such pearls to be cast away up­on them, Matth. 7.6. This is a teat of comfort onely for the Child to sucke, even toIsa. 66.11. suck out and be sa­tisfied, as from the breasts of Consolation; this is not meate for every mouth, but a chosen moysture provi­ded for Gods Inheritance only; this is Wine of Gods owne Cellar, layd up for his Spouse alone, that is, for the devout soule dedicated unto Gods service: Wherefore lift up the hands w^ch hang downe, and the feeble knees, Heb. 12.12. O take heed of that ugly sin, of all others the most odious, and black in the eyes of that God whose glorious graceRom. 5.20. superaboundeth o­ver mans sin, I meane that monstrous sinne of Despair, by which Judas the Traytor sinned more (saith an ancient Father) than by betraying his Lord, and Ma­ster Christ; and therefore was it that S. Austin gave the lye to Cain, when under the guilt of his awakened con­science he cryed out, Gen. 4.13. My sinne is greater then can be borne, Mentiris Cain, saith that devout Father, [Page 32]who himselfe, by his own Confessions (after the extra­vagancies of a vaine youth, wherein he followed too much theEccl. 11.9. fight of his eyes, experimented the sweet­nesse of those overflowing mercies, which do so muchJam. 2.13. rejoyce, and triumph, as it were, above judgment; Mercy flowing from the God and2 Cor. 1.3. Father of all comfort as water doth from a Spring or Fountaine most genninely, and freely; but Justice comes forth as liquor from the Wine-presse, when the grapes are squeezed, and after a sortGen. 40.11. wrung out from him hardly; God doth not afflict willingly [delippo] or, from his heart, nor grieve the children of men, Lam. 3.33. There was never any man perished for want of mercy in God, but for want of his owne repentance in himselfe; as it was a sin in the Israelites to limit Gods power, Psal. 78.41. so is it also to limit his mercy; What sin can be imagined or committed too great for God to pardon? Wherefore, once again let me exhort thee; Crush that Cockatrice of Despaire in the very firstIsa. 59.5. Eggs thereof, and dash that Babylonish brat inPsal. 137.9. infancy. Beloved,Desperation what it is. Desparation is a kind of [...] or affection growing out of the sense of sin and wrath, it is malum arduum instans, & ineluctabile, as one stileth it, and ordinarily it proceedeth from the mis­judging of Gods affection, and good will towards men, the soule conceives of him, as of one that hath utterly cast off all care, or respect towards it; whereas the LORD himselfe is thy keeper, the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand, Psal. 121.4, 5. and hath comman­ded thee to commit the keeping of thy soule to him, in well-doing, as unto a faithfull Creator, 1 Pet. 4.19. And by so doing, we have all a sure promise, 1 Pet. 1.5. To be kept by the power of God, through faith and salvation, A salvo conservantis conductu, non â vacillante conservati progressu: as an OrthodoxDr. Prid. Lect. 6. Sect. 2. Divine glosseth those words; We are kept by the saving guidance of God the Keeper, and not left to the wavering unsteady progresse of [Page 33]our selves, who are kept by him. What shall I say more? sooner (saith a reverendBishop King Lect. 26. on Jon: Divine) shall God forgive the Apostacy of the Reprobate, lapsed, and damned Angels, then this damned sinne of Desperation: Give me leave among many (that I may contract this Dis­course) to present to you one Meane, or Remedie to prevent, or else to remove this evill; Which evill, if given way unto (through the inveterate malice, and envy of the Devill) it may like thatIona 4.7. worm in Jonah's Gourd in a night, eate out all the very sap, and life of divine comfort: the Mean is this,A remedy a­gainst despair. Diligent and prudent observation of Gods dealing w^th others of his servants finning though grievously in particulars; and withall of our owne personallPsal. 77.10, 11. Heb. 10.32. experiences that (in former times) we our selves have had of Gods goodness in our own souls;Rom. 5.4. Experience is the nurse of Hope; Per ea, quae agnoscas praestita, discas sperare promissa, by those things which you have known performed, learn to hope for those things which are promised; to which meditati­on let us also joyne the serious consideration of that glorious Attribute in God, hisIf a man have received true assurance of Gods fa­vour, though but once in all his life: yet by that one figne, he may assure himself of his salvation, up­on this ground, John 13.1. that Gods love is unchangea­ble, though ever after we live in temp­tation, Perk. on Mat. 7.23. Immutability and unchangeablenesse, Mal. 3.6. Jam. 1.17. and that in respect both of his power and goodnesse: make this reckoning, that the Benefits which he hath bestowed, are (saith judicious Hooker) as it were bils obligatory, and sufficient Sureties, that he will bestowMat. 25.29. further; Neither is his handNum. 11.23 Isa. 50.2. & 59.1. shortned, or his good will, no nor doth he faile to [remember] his Covenant of love made with Believers, Psal. 111.5. The Lord, saith the Apostle, is not unrighteous to forget, Heb. 6.10. As his hand is not shortned, so neither his arme weakned, that it cannot save as it hath done; Hee is the same ye­sterday, and to day, and for ever to his chosen, Heb. 13.8. His past, or present mercy is still a warrant of his future love, because whom he loveth, he loveth unto the end, John 13.1. Understand it amore benevolentiae, with the love of benevolence; though not amore beneficentiae, in re­gard [Page 34]of the manifestation of actual benificence he with­draw for a time his hand.

And that I may shorten the way, by Examples, which seemeth often too long, by Precept; I shall offer two, and those most notorious to your consideration: One is of Peter the Apostle, and the other of Mary Mag­dalene, out of whom it's said that the Lord had cast no lesse then seven devils: Goe, saith the Angel, Mar. 16.7. to the woman, who came to see the Sepulchre wherein Christ was laid; Goe your way, tell his Disciples, and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee, there shall yee see him, namely, after his Resurrection. Why is Peter here menti­oned by name more, or rather than any of all the o­ther Disciples or Apostles? surely it was a special dig­nation, and act of grace in Christ, to single him out by his name; as is observable in God toward his fa­vourite Jacob, Isa. 43.1. Feare not, ô Jacob, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy [Name] thou art mine: Now Baronius and the Fry of the Roman Ca­tholiques, from this priority of Order wherein S. Pe­ter was now preferred, in a personall nomination, would coyne an argument for the oecumenical, univer­sal supremacy of the Pope, as the alone visible Monarch of the whole catholike Church disseminate all the world over, usurping withall an uncontroulable jurisdicti­on over all powers and consciences, by pretending to a personall succession of Peter in the Sea of Rome, although indeed he resemble him in nothing rightly, but in theMat. 26.70. denyal of his Master: But away with those parasites of that2 Thes. 2.3. man of sinne, and leaving those bladders of Antichristian haughtinesse and pride, to be crushed by the feet of that supream head of his Church,Ephes. 1.22. who is now hastning to theRev. 17.1. Judgement of the great Whore; Amen, even so Rev. 22.20. come, Lord Jesus, come quickly: O how would it joy thy Saints to see her lye in thePsal. 7.5. dust. I wis, there is other honey which the belie­ving Bees may suck from the sweet flower of this ex­ample [Page 35]of Peter, who had the honour, and happinesse to be thus saluted, before others, after his Saviours Resurrection: Goe and tell Peter! Would any one have thought Peter in a capacity of regard from Christ, whom against a solemnMat. 26.33.35. protestation to the contrary he had denyed, and abjured, even then too, when his fidelity to his Lord and Master should specially have appeared in the time of his ignominy, and reproachful usage by his cruell Judges: Yes, my deare Brethren, ob hoc ipsum, quià gravius deliquit, as Granatensis, with sun­dry others, observeth, for this very cause, for that he had more grievously fallen, yet havingMat. 26.75. wept bitter­ly after that fall, and repented for it; hence it was, that upon that planck of Repentance, after so dange­rous a falling, he swam safe againe to the shoar of fa­vour, and was received to mercy: The like meditati­on also may arise out of the ninth verse, from the in­stance of Mary Magdalen, out of whom he had cast se­ven devill [...], and yet [...], hee ap­peared to this very Mary, and that (which much heigh­tens the Emphasis) to her too [first] before to a­ny other, yea before he appeared, for ought we read in Scripture, to Mary his Virgin Mother; First, to a woman, that as a woman had been1 Tim. 2.14. first in the trans­gression, so should she be the first who partook in the manifestation of the compleat Redemption; when our Saviour by his rising from the dead gave anActs 17.31. assured e­vidence, and an infallible proof, that all the debt which was due to Gods Justice for the sins of Believers was now fully discharged, in that Christ their surety, who undertooke to satisfie, was acquitted from the prison of the Grave, the payns of death being loosed, because it was not possible that we should be holden of it, Act 2.24. Look then, as the woman that was made of a man, brought in sin, and death, so the man that was made of a woman, brought in righteousnesse and life:

But was it not strange, that our Saviour should above all other women in the world, shew him­selfe, and all this favour to Mary Magdalene, one who had been such a loathsome sinke of uncleannesse, that seven devills, or a multitude of heynous crimes pos­sessed her whole selfe, as if she had lyen down wholly under the full power and dominion of all, or most of the devills in Hell; Yet, first, to Mary Magdalene, out of whom hee had cast seven devills: Surely this was done, saith Jansenius, and with him many Divines, In consolationem paenitentium, to be for the infinite comfort of poor Penitents; as Mary Magdalene had curled (pro­bably) and crisped her frizled locks for wanton dal­liance, and lustfulnesse, so being forgiven much upon her Repentance, she testified her love to that Saviour who had pardoned her, byLuk. 7.38. wiping his feet with the hair of her head, and washing them with her teares, cleansing those unchast, and adulterousIer. 9.21. windowes, by which Death had entred, and so often endangered her soule to damnation: So true is that sweet medita­tion of St.S. Cyprian, De Caena Do­mini, Sect. 16. Cyprian, upon the gracious act of Christ in pardoning the penitent Thief on the Grosse, about his last expiration, quecun (que) necessitas cogat ad poenitudinem, Nec quantitas Criminis, nec brevitas temporis nec vitae enor­mitas, nec Horae extremitas, (si vera contritio, si pura fuerit voluptatum mutatio) excludit a venia; That is, neither the greatnesse of the Crime, nor the enormity of the life, nor the extreamity of the last howre, provided that Cordiall, and serious Repentance seasonably in­tervene, and come in between sin and judgment, none of all these doe exclude from favour, and mercy from agracious God, who so oftenRom. 10.20. Psal. 21.3. prevents a sinner with the offers of attonement; when a poor penitent seems to be as it were, at a losse in a kind of wildernesse, then sounds the horn of salvation for his returne to God, who embraceth him returning, returning (I say) yea, though it be after a longPsal. 56.8. wandring out of the wayes [Page 37]of righteousness; to which purpose is that we read of in the Canticles, Cant: 6.13. Return, return, O Shulamite, return, return; every sin is an aversion, or a turning from the Creator to the creature; but every act of re­pentance is aMal. 3.7. returning of the sinner from the crea­ture unto the Creator back again; so here Quater dicit Revertere, saith St. Bernard, He repeats this returning to the Shulamite foure times together; as if he had said, Return from the original sin of thy Nature, re­turn from the actual sins of thy life, return from thy sins of custome, and return also from thy scarlet, and from thy crimson, and thine enormous transgressions; Quis non stupeat charitatem Dei spreti, & revocantis? as the same Father; O admirable love, every finger of Christ drops myrrhe, and healing in this passage, in this one single instance it shews it self in all its dimen­sions, in the breadth, and length, and depth, & height thereof, as St. Paul expresseth it, Ephes. 3.18. Who is not even stupified under the apprehension, and mani­festation of so transcendent indulgence of the Lord from heaven to a miserable, wretched, relapsed sinner, who being offered love refuseth, yeaJer. 23.17. Act. 13.41. despiseth it, and yet such, and so great is the Lords [...], his freeTit. 3.4. love to mankind, that though they goPsal. 119.176. 1 Pet. 2.25. astray like sheep from the fold, where they might be safe, wandring amidstMat. 10.16. wolves, by which they are in dan­ger to be torn; yet, hePro. 1.24. recals them back again unto himself in much love; andJer. 4.1. if they will, though after a long expectation, and patience, but return at last to the1 Pet. 2.25. Shepherd and Bishop of their souls; lo, he is rea­dy to meet them in kindness, who meet him in righ­teousness, Isa 64.5. Yea, as Calvin observes upon the carriage of the Father towards the repentant prodi­gal son returning, Redeuntem eminus agnoscit, at (que) eb viis u [...]nis amplectitur, Luk. 15.20. when his son was yet a great way off, and had but h purposed as it were in his heart to arise, and go back to his Father (for I [Page 38]understand this parable of one who had been already formerly in communion with the Church) his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him in all the postures of love embra­cing, welcoming, entertaining of him, and rejoycing in his return home: [...], as most sweetlyAthanasius, qu. 78. tom. 2. pag: 296. Athanasius, to the same effect, No sin is irremissible, and unpardonable to any soul, that in an holy man­ner repenteth, and brings forth fruitMat. 3.8. meet for re­pentance; not to him who blasphemeth simply, [...], as the same Fa­ther hath it, but, unto him who abideth, and conti­nueth under that fin, without remorse impenitently is forgiveness denyed, who so finally persists under such a state, he it is, who finneth unto death.

Well, I perceive tis time to end, and I doubt lest I weary your patience; and yet I have one word more toDent. 32.2. drop for comfort to a regenerate soul, which is like to that wine made by Christ at the marriage Feast at Cana of Gallilee, perhaps theJoh. 2.10. good kept til last. And that word is his, which I wish imprinted even in chara­cters of gold, indelebly upon the hearts of every true Nathaniel, and Isralite Joh. 1.47. indeed: This is that I would say, this blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, (so explained as ye have now heard it) this sin, which is thus said to be unto death? this sin I say is not incident at all into any one, whosoever is elect, and born of God, and so conse­quently to such an one, there is no danger of final con­demnation: Rom: 8.1. Because their sins though dead­ly in their own nature, yet are not so in the event to them.

I confesse that for divers good ends, that the1 Pet. 5.10. God of all grace intendeth thereby, the choicest of Gods own People are sometimes under great distresses,Psal. 118.5. shut up as it were [...], in aPsal. 88.8. straight place, out of which they see not how to come forth; and [Page 39]howsoever the Lord will in the event, cause all to work together for their spirituall good;Rom. 8.28. 2 Chron. 32.31. yet whilst the serenity of Gods countenance is clouded as to them, whether for their1 Pet. 1.7. zech. 13.9. triall, or else for the * chastning of some particular Delinquency, or for the * quickning of graces languishing, or other like end, which in his infi­nite wisdome he aimeth at; I say,Job 5.17. during that state,1 Cor. 11.30 for this cause. miserable are the perplexities wherewith they are surprized;Hos 5.15. but especially if thePsal. 6.3. soul be also sore vexed under some present apprehension of wrath by reason of some sin committed against knowledg, and conscience, then that wounded spirit who can bear? saith Solomon; Prov. 18.14. alas none, iniquities char­ged [there] are tooPsal. 38.4. heavy to be born; in such a case, all outward comforts are but as thePsal. 58.9. cracklings of thorns under a pot, without solid heat, or any lasting light: A Crown of Gold, though dec'kt with all the orient rubies of the highest value, cannot cure an aking head, nor a velvet slipper ease the torments of the gowt, nor any thing that isEccl. 9.1. before them, or about them minister any joy, or refreshing to them; And no marvel, because there are in this evill of a perplexed conscience, two things eminent above all others, which make it intoll erable, a wound not to be born; one is this, that whereas in all other afflictions man hath to do with man, or at the worst with devils, in this he hath immediatly to deal with God himself:Job 25.4. Pro. 20.9. * polluted man with an * all pure God, sinfull man with an * holy God,Hab. 1.13. offending man * with an angry God,Josh. 24.19. who is in his wrath a consuming fire;Psal. 7.11. and 76.7. O the inexpressable agonies of a * desolate soul,Heb. 12.29. afflicted for the absence of Gods smiles, tormented for the present sence of his frowns for sin! When God himself writes bitter things a­gainst a soul, thePsal. 143.4. venome of his arrows must needs drink up the very spirit within him.Lactant. l. 6. c. 24. Quid prodest non ha­bere conscium; habenti conscientiam? saithJob 13.26. Pro. 14.10. Lactantius, there needs no other testimony,Rom. 1.9. where God himself is a.Job 6 4. wit­ness, [Page 40]and if the heart, that is the conscience, condemn a man, God is greater than the heart, and knoweth all things, and will surely much more condemn him, beingExod. 34.7. guilty: 1 Joh: 3.20, 21. Now who (affected with the consideration of his dreadfull Majesty) can standPsal. 90.7, 8. be­fore God immediatly, when he is angry, andPsal. 76.7. rebuketh man for sin? What can that which is but finite do, in dealing with him who is infinite? where is no proporti­on. Secondly, whereas in other evils, a man is still a friend to himself, in this case, he becomes a scourge, a magor-missabib, a fear round about, like Pashur, a terror to himself. Jer: 20.4. and whatsoever is in him, all conspires against him, understanding memory all: guilt in the conscience is an importunate evill, and stillNum 25.17. 2 Chro. 15.6. vexeth as a Midianite was vexed, even as a thing that is raw restlesly: nor can we baffle, or put it off, as Faelix did Saint Paul, who touched him to the quick, saying,Act. 24.25. go thy way for this time, and when I have a conveni­ent season, I will send for thee; or if as those that offe red their Children toJer. 32.35. Molech in fire, were wont with Drums to drown the noise, and screeches of their little ones, in the valley of Hinnom, we think to silence it, its all in vain: Conscience under theJoh. 8.9. conviction of sin, and unpacified, its an ill companion in company, it dasheth all thyPro. 14.13. pleasures,Tit. 1.15. defileth all thy devotions. embitters all thy comforts, but a worse when alone, Wherfore a soul that is in such a case, (during the con­tinuance of the same) it sits like aPsal. 102.6. Pelican in the Wil­dernes,2 Cor. 4.8. desolate distressed,Psal. 143.4. perplexed.

But yet my dear Brethren,Heb. 10.35. cast not away your con­fidence, butHeb. 10.38. live as the just man doth, that is, ought to do. By faith, one grain of living, vigorous faith may remove a Mountain of sin into the Sea of forgetfulnes, which faith, saith the great Apostle, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, Heb: 11.1. [...], the meaning is, that faith doth after a sort give being, and a subsistence in the [Page 41]soul to those things, which being true in the promise of God, but yet not actually enjoyed, only are expect­ed, and hoped for: And in this sad case, dwell seriously upon the meditation of the promises which have all their yea, and amen; their full ratification in the blood of Christ, the blood of the Covenant. Now look what is the promise? see (as seasonable to this thy pre­sent sad condition) Matt: 5.4. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Psal: 85.8. God the Lord he will speak Note here, that Trouble of Conscience is a good pre­parative to peace of Con­science (when sanctified) & indeed the solid true peace is brought out of former trouble Isa. 61.1. Matt. 11.28. See Dr. Sclater Serm: Sick soul salved. peace unto his people, and to his Saints; provided they demean themselves as Saints, viz: that after peace spo­ken to them repenting for their folly, they do not again return to the same folly, see Hos: 2.14. Isa. 40.1.2. When God speaks peace, his very speaking is performing: Hath the Lord spoken, and shall not he do it? even Jehu could acknowledg so much,Albertus No­vicamp. in scopo Biblico, Annot. de Fide. Gerar. tom. 3.5.75. tract. De Justif. per Fidem. (being convinced of i [...]in a parti­cular proof thereof,Heb. 10.29. know now saith he, there shall fall unto the earth, nothing of the Lord which the Lord hath spoken, I but thou wilt say, I feel no such thing as peace spoken to my soul? suppose not in present sence, yet it is most firm, and sure in the promise of God; now live by faith, by beleeving thou layest a foundation; (soWe read Zech. 9.12. that the prisoners of hope were wished to turn to thestrong hold, and yet, at that time, there was har [...]ly ary strong hold, after the Captivi [...]y, to turn to: to imply, that God was then the strongest aid, when hu­mane helps af­forded the weak­est, and most im­probable suc­cour, and then was the most proper season for faith and hope to exercise their acts on warrant­able grounds. some render, and expound the word [...]) upon which to build the certain expectation of the promise, the more visible things are, and obvious, or present to the sence, the weaker is the faith, for the ex­cellency thereof is when it rests upon the naked word, and authority of God the promiser; which was exem­plified in Job. Chap: 13.15 Though the Lord kill me (saith he) yet will I trust in him, and in Abraham know that Gods power was perfected in the truth, though weak­nes of his servants faith, 2 Cor. 12.9. he stood not po­ring upon the weaknes, or unlikely hood of second cau­ses to produce, or accomplish an issue, when both him self and his Wife were, through natures debility, past all expectation of a Son, but he still looked upon the stedfastnes of the promise, for the truth, and word sake [Page 42]of the most faithfull promiser, and so obtained the thing promised. Rom: 4.19.20.21. Faith made the Son as it were actually present to Abraham, as if he had en­joyed him before he was born, or begotten; for which cause its added also, that its [...], an evidence, that is, as the word exactly imports, a convincing de­monstration in the soul of the certain truth of what is promised;Bonadventur: Dist: 23. qu: 5. l: 3. & Joh: Altenstaig. in Lexic. Theolog. y: 61. in verbo Argumentum, & pag: ib. 326 327. its translated by b some, argumentum, the ar­gument of things not seen, for that it serveth so convincingly, to enlighten the mind, and to give assent to what is promised, as firmly as a true argu­ment, by strength of reasoning, occasions an assent to the conclusion proved by it: Moreover, in case of doubt­ing, which Sathan raising storms and tempests in the soul, may occasion, then God hath provided, and gi­ven us an Anchor both sure and stedfast:Matt. 7.27. Heb: 6.19. that however we may be tossed by temptation, yet our ship shall not be broken by the Waves, or split against the Rocks.

So then hast thou finned?Pro. 28.13. confesse and forsake it, and God is righteous to1 Joh. 1.9. forgive it, canst thou confesse it? and hast thou a fullAct. 11.23. purpose of heart to leave it, and to cleave unto the Lord? then be assured of this, thou hast not committed the sin; yea the very discovery within thy self of thy sin, and the2 Cor. 7.10. sorrow of heart thou conceivest for it, upon this ground, thatPsal. 51.4. God is offended by it, more than for any fear of punishment, hating sin for sins sake, I say, this very discovery (cor­ruption not being discovered by it self, but by grace, as the Sun is not seen but by its own light) is a sign that thou art not under the guilt of the sin against the Holy Ghost, for that sin carries with it so deep an infatuati­on of * mind, and judgment, and withall so grosse stu­pefaction of conscience, that the heartJoh. 12.40. 2 Cor. 4, 4. cannot repent, nor apprehend pardon. And to this purpose it is good for a soul distrested to select such Texts of Scripture,Rom. 2.5. Heb. 6.6. as are most seasonable for its own present state, and with [Page 43]all to consider those titles, or that stile which God is pleased to give himself, in relation to such a state of soul in his Children; thus he is called Rom. 15.13. The God of hope, now, the God of hope, (saith the Apostle) fill you with all joy, and peace in beleeving, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost, so also 2 Cor. 1.3 He is stiled the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all cemfort: confer 2 Thes: 2.16.17. It is a Christians prudence to meditate likewise the tender regard he hath to the condition, and temper,Psal. 103.14 k and frame of his Sons and Daughters under temptation, God hateth nothing that he hath made, not a spar­row, Matt: 10.29. not an Ox: 1 Cor: 9.9. much lesse man who is vertually all creatures: Mar: 16.15. see Tit: 3.4. read 1 Cor: 10.13. There bath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man, [1 Moderate, and not a­bove mans nature to undergo] But God is faithfull, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it, and if we beleeve not, yet he abideth faithfull he cannot deny himself. 2 Tim: 2.13. and again let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithfull that promised, and l that of John. 1 Joh: 2. 1, 2. never be out of mind: My little Children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not: and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: & not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world: compare Mat: 9.13. 1 Tim: 1.16. Heb. 10.23. Beloved Christians, there is a kind of wisdom and prudence in believing; thus conceive it. It is when a man fits the consideration of the attributes, and actions of God to the particular most necessary, and fit for faith to respect, according to severall occasi­ons: would they humble themselves for their sins? they then consider God as terrible, and dreadfull in his Judgments? would they raise up themselves with comfort? they consider him as a God that keepeth promise: [Page 44]would they stablish hope in expectation of things pas­sing the course of Nature? they consider his endles power,Rom. 4.21. Eph. 3.20. l able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think: there is a confused aprehensi­on of the Diety (saith a R [...]verendDr. Sclater my Father in his Comment on the Rom. cap. 4. pag. 184. published by me, 1650. Divine) for the most part liveles and ineffectuall; when men in grosse only, and indistinctly meditate the Divine nature, without reference to particulars, concerning the present occasi­on: And another as preposterous, and unseasonable; and no lesse uncomfortable; when men fit their faith with meditation of that, that is most unseasonable, for their present state; God is mercifull saith the Presumer, He is just saith the desperate distressed; Both true, he is just and mercifull saith the Psalmist. But should not faith in wisdom contemplate what is fittest for the present necessity? this wisdom pray we for.

Dear Brethren, me thinks I would gladly (having travelled so much in this question, for my own satisfa­ction, as well as yours) giveMatt. 11.28. ease to every weary soul, labouring under any perplexity, in this regard: But be sure thou do, by al means, shun that grievous sin of des­pair, denying unto God the truth of his promise, and mercy, those two sweet attributes, wherein he doth muchMic. 7.18. delight toSee Exod. 34.6. glory; his Justice in the visitation of sinners reacheth to the third, or fourth Generation; But his mercy is extended untoExod. 20.6. thousands, and endu­rethPsal. 136.1, &c. for ever; there is observeable an holy writ, a three fold super or [over] first, our sins are [Psal. 38.4. over] our heads, as an heavy, if not too heavy a burthen; then, Gods Judgments are [Psal. 10.5. Eccles. 5.8. Pro. 19.29. over] those sins; But his mercies are [Psal. 145.9. & Psal. 36.5. over] all these: over our sins repented of to pardon them, over his Judgmets to remove them; and over our Bodies, and Souls, through the blood of our Lord Je­sus, everlastingly to savePsal. 98.2, 3. them: Take heed, desperati­on is of that haynous nature, that scarsly any particu­lar sin more dishonors God, I am sure none more dis­quiets the soul; it often ariseth from ignorance, or [Page 45]misprision of the promises of God; that, notwith­standing Gods exemplary dealings with other of his dearest Saints (whereof I gave some intimation be­fore) delivering them, even above their hope, out of how great perplexities, and (as to themselves they seemed) even inextricable dangers and discomforts; Besides some personall experiences, which St.2 Cor. 1.10. 2 Tim. 4.18. Paul was wont to stay, and to support himselfe by, under the expactation of future mercies; I say, notwithstan­ding all this, men often mistake the promises of God, sometimes streightning them to themselves, and ma­king them more narrow then indeed they are; p e­sumption makes them over-wide, but despair too narrow; but especially when they rest too much and stick in the Duties required of them, as though the worke done did deserve of God, or as if they were all exacted in the performance, after the rigour of the Law, which condemns everyGal. 3.10. interruption, or butJam. 2.10. circumstantiall breach, and defect; whereas indeed, they areRom. 6.14. not under the law, but under grace, and the mitigation of the Gospel, through Christ the Media­tor, Rom. 6.14.

In a word, stablish thy Hope by these 3. Considera­tions, whichAlbertus No­vicamp. ubi supra, tract. de spe. Albertus Novic. hath offered to us. 1. Veritate promissionis, by the2 Cor. 1.18. Psal. 93.3. truth of the promise: Let God be true, & every man [comparatively] a lyar, Ro. 3.4. He remaineth faithful, 2 Tim. 2.13. His covenant cannot fail, for it's everlasting, Jer. 37.40. And of this Govenant He is likewise mindfull, Psal. 111.5. Yea, when wee, under our Deliquiums, and as it were, inwar swoon­ings of spirit, are apt to think He hath Psal. 77.9. forgotten to be gracious, and hath in anger shut up his tender mercies; yet, even then, he keepeth us in his mind; and, as the sweet Singer of Israel acquaints us from experience, He [remembreth] us, even in our low estate, for his mercy endureth for ever, Psal. 136.23. Only take heed ofPsal. 78.41. limiting the Lord to thine owneAct. 1.7. 1 Thes. 5.1. time, He waiteth [Page 46]to be gracious, but in his own season; therefore in this regard, He that believeth, saith that Evangelicall Pro­phet, Isa. 28.16. shall not make hast: If God hath long waited for us, shall not we wait upon Godsee Psal. 27.14. Mic. 7.7, 8. Jer. 14.22.? for though he tarry long [namely, as to thine owne ap­prehension] yet, when his own season (which he on­ly knowsActs 1.7. see Hab. 2.3. when it is best) is come, then is He a very present helpe in trouble, Isa. 46.13. Psal. 46.1. And when he doth come indeed, he makes a large amends for his stay by doubling his comforts, Isa. 54.7, 8. And if we receive the witnesse of men, surely the wit­nesse of God is greater, Psal. 19.7. 1 John. 5.9, 10. Wherefore, be confident of his Truth; onely ye have need of patience a while, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise; For yet a little, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry, Heb. 10.36, 37. The occasion of fainting in this re­gard, is defect in faith: I had fainted, saith David, un­lesse I had believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living, Psal. 27.13.

The second thing to stablish Hope by is, potestate red­ditionis, by theRom. 4.21. power of God actually exhibiting, and making good the promise; With God, saith Gabriel the Angel (whose name signifieth the strength of the mighty God) nothing shall be impossible, Luk. 1.37. In­deed whatsoever imports matter of impotency, and weakness, or what is repugnant, and contrary to the nature of his omnipotency, this God cannot doe, as to lye, to deny himselfe, both these are impossible to God, Heb. 6.18. Tit. 1.2. and 2 Tim. 2.13. Looke then what God hath promised, the same saith Abra­ham from a rare experience, and proof of his power, He is [able] also to performe, Rom. 4.21. Be ye therefore strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience, and long-suffering, with joyfulnesse, Col. 1.11.

3^ly. And lastly, Hope is corroborate, and receiveth [Page 47]strength, charitate adoptionis, by the consideration of the divine love of Adoption. Behold, saith that very Disci­ple whom ChristJohn 13.23. loved, & who had his very bosome, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sonnes of God, 1 Job. 3.1. Rom. 8.15. Yee have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but yee have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, father, compare Gal. 4.5, 6. And now, my dear brethren, sith, from being by nature Children of wrath, Eph. 2.3. Enemies to God, Rom. 5.10. Captives of Sa­tan, 2 Tim. 2.26. We are under a state of divine love, wee are in the hands of a dear Father, even asEphes. 5.1. dear children, and that He spareth us as a Mal. 3.17. Psal. 103.13. father doth the son that serveth him, Mic. 7.18. passing by, &Psal. 51.1. hiding his face from many transgressions, which ofPsal. 77.10. Gal. 6.1. infirmity, orPsal. 116.11. passi­on we may sometimes be overtaken in; Give we thanks to his Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkenesse, and hath translated us into the kingdome of his deare sonne: In whom wee have redemption through his blood, even the forgivenesse of sinns, Col. 1.12, 13, 14. Having then these 2 Cor. 7.1. promises, dearely beloved, and sharing in such priviledges as these are, I cannot but say with that Orthodox Father, S. Austin, Erigat ergo, se humana fragilitas, S. August. on Psal. 148. non desperet, non se collidat, non se vertat, non dicat, non ero, &c. Let humane frailty stirre up it selfe, and not bePsal. 42.11. cast downe with despair, let it not break it selfe, or dash upon that dangerous conclusion of [I shall not be] namely, in favour againe with God: What? never in favour? not a dearly belo­ved Son with a dearly loving Father? Consider, what is it that God hath promised thee? O thou mortall man, is it notJoh 3.16. life eternall? is it not that thou (be­lieving) shouldst beJoh. 17.24. where Christ theRom. 8.29. Col. 1.15.18. and 1.6. First-borne himselfe is? O believe, believe, plus est quod jam fecit, quam quod promisit, loe, saithS. August. l. 13 de Trin. c. 16. Austin, he hath actu­ally already done more (after a sort) than what he [Page 48]hath promised: Why, what hath God done? He hathPhil. 2 8. dyed for thee: and what hath he promised? that thou shalt live with him: Incredibilius est, quod mortuus est aeternus, quam ut in aeternum vivat mortalis, as the same Father; It is more incredible, that He who is eternall (though not as eternall) should become mortall, than that He who is in his nature mortall, should be­come eternall, to wit, in a state of glory: Now the first of these wee believe, namely, that he who was GodActs 20.28. shed his blood, and dyed; why, then believe that God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love where­with he loved us, even when we were dead in sinnes, hath quickned us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved) and hath raised us up together, and made us (in promise, in hope, and expectation) sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Eph. 2.4, 5, 6.

But why am I thus tedious, and over-long? How canst thou, under all these soule-chearing expressions, be still dejected: consider God the Father, who pro­miseth life unto thee, hath stiled himselfe The God of Consolation, Rom. 15.5. Yea of (all) comfort, who comforteth his Saints in all their tribulations, 2 Cor. 1.4. And when they are cast down, 2 Cor. 7.6. He is stiled by David, The God of my mercy, Psal. 59.10. God the Son likewise is called The consolation of Israel, Luk. 2.25. And God the Holy Ghost hath his Title to be the Comforter, abiding with Believers for ever, Joh. 14 17. & Joh. 15.26. the word [...], rendred out of the Originall, Comforter, signifieth (saith the learned Gro­tius) one who pleadeth the cause of another, who is a guilty person, as it were an Advocate; so that when a soule is under temptaion, or drouping for sinne, the spirit of God the Comforter erecteth, cheareth, exciteth, and reviveth it by alledging, as it were, the Priviledges of the promises, which in the right under­standing, and in the due application of them, ease the burthen of the Conscience loaden with sinne; the [Page 49]spirit being therefore stiled The holy spirit of promise, Eph. 1.14. because he cleareth, assureth, and2 Cor. 1.22. Ephes. 4.30. seal­eth up the Title, and Confirmation of them to the soules of the Elect, co-witnessing with their spirits, that they are the sonnes of God, and so discharged, Rom. 8.16.33.

And indeed, to hold you no longer in these so prolix amplifications, the very scope and aime of S. John in my Text, is to prevent, and to anticipate the feare of discomfort that probably might surprize the children of God about what he had spoken to uching the sin which was unto death, for which no prayers were allowed for to implore the pardon of it; for whereas the very Saints themselves found unrighte­ousnesse (at least in the remainders) within them, sanctification in this life being only1 Cor. 13.12. 2 Cor. 3.18. Phil. 3.13. Inchoate, not Consummate, and the Apostle expresly granting, that all unrighteousnesse was sin, lest they might (privy to themselves of sinne (suspect, out of a pious jealou­sie) that that sin in them might be this sin unto Death, (chiefly when both in Judgment, and Conscience they knew it to be sin) therefore in the 18. verse he affirms, that who so is borne of God sinneth not, not simply, not at all; for in Chap. 1. vers. 8. including himself (though an Apostle) as well as other Saints, he declares ex­presly, If we say that we have no sinne, what then? not, we are proud, and so have no humility in us: But wee deceive our selves, and lye, and so the truth is not in us; and to the same purpose S. Cyprian makes his observation upon the conjoyning together of those two Petitions in the Lords Prayer, Give us this Day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Trespasses, that we might take notice of as much necessity that we had to begge of God the pardon of our daily trespasses, as the suppeditation, and supply of our daily Bread: But his meaning is, He that is begotten, and borne of God, sinneth not unto death, that great and unpardonable offence, and blas­phemy [Page 50]of the Holy Ghost? They cannot fall, whosoe­ver are elected, and regenerate of the spirit of God, into that sin, which because, as ye have heard already, it is not (through Gods formidable Judgment there­upon) capable of repentance, no more is it of remis­sion, or forgivenesse: Now all sins being pardoned to the Elect, it follows, that they are beyond the reach or danger of this sin which is said to be (irreparably) unto death, and that not temporall only, but eter­nall. O royall priviledg! O mercy incomprehensible! A regenerate soule sinneth not unto death? Surely Solomon could not shew the Queen of Sheba so much trea­sure in all theMat. 6.29. glory of his Kingdome, as is lapt up in these few words: and O that God would open this Arke of mercy, wherein this Doctrine lyeth, and set it wide before the eyes of poore afflicted Consciences, which like Noah's Dove fly up and down upon the wa­ter of their afflictions, and can see nothing but only the gulfe, and deluge of their sins, wherein there is no place for them toGen. 8.9. rest their feet: I say, and pray, as devout Hooker, the God of Pitty, and2 Cor. 1.3. Lam. 3.32. Compassion, give everyHeb. 2.18. Gal. 6.1. tempted soul faith, and strength, and cou­rage, every day, and every houre, and every moment, to embrace, and to lay hold upon this truth,Psal. 19.10. sweeter by farre then honey, or the honey-combe, dropping and distilling, yea diffusing comfort, even1 Pet. 1.8. joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Whosoever then finds in himselfe any sound note of election,Notes of Re­generation. and regeneration, that man may assure himself he hath not committed, no nor1 Joh. 3.9. can commit this deadly, and unpardonable sin: let me epitomize the larger enumeration of such signes under the short abridgment of these few heads.

• 1. Peccati displicentia,
  Eze. 36.31. Rom. 7.15.
  dislike of sin, godly
  2 Cor. 7.10,11.
  sor­row for sin, striving against sin, though his falls have been fowle even against knowledg, he may be assured he is free from this sin.
• [Page 51]2. A second may be Veritatis Amor, Cordiall
  2 Thes. 2.11. Ps. 119.20.97. Job 23.13.
  love of Evangelicall Truth, if that still be deare unto him, insomuch as he would be content to buy it at any rate, but will sell it at no rate, Pro. 23.23.
• 3. A third is Faith, not only that which is called Fides quae, the doctrine of faith staying in the History and generall truth of the Gospel, to which as many a Castaway hath attained, so likewise many an Apo­postate hath departed from it, 1 Tim. 1.19. 1 Tim. 4.1. But that which is Fides quâ, the faith of Gods Elect, Tit. 1.1. consisting not onely in a bare naked know­ledg, but also in the acknowledging of the Truth, which is after godlinesse, specially applying the pro­mises of grace through Jesus Christ to himselfe in par­ticular, Gal. 2.20. This faith, though
  Est infirma fides, tamen, illa fides.
  little in re­gard of the measure, yet being sound in regard of the Truth, it's alike pretious in all the Saints, 2 Pet. 1.1. nor will God quench the smoaking flax, Isa. 42.3. Matth. 12.20. Though there may for a time appeare more smoak than fire, yet whilst there is fire, there is the spirit of all grace, but chiefly of faith in the truth thereof, which is an infallible fruit of Election, 2 Thes. 2.13.
• 4. The last that I shall now name is the love of the Brethren, because they are Brethren, for the very pro­fession sake of the truth of the Gospel, not for any na­turall endowments, or morall habiliments,
  2 Iohn 1.
  or for the meer emoluments, or ornaments of Fortune, all which are but pompatica, & volatica, as one calls them, the trappings, and dresses, like unto flatulent chaffe, They take unto themselves wings, and fly away: But when grace that shineth in them is the motive of our love, that is an evidence indeed of our being translated from a state of spiritual death, to the contrary condition, and state of spiritual life, and salvation, 1 John 3.14. If these things be in us, and abound, wee shall never fall from election, or (whilst they are in their vigrous [Page 52]and predominant exercise) from the assurance of the same, 2 Pet. 1.10. Now, if we are assured of salvati­on, and that not only Certitudine objecti, as the School­men speak, as it rests in mente divinâ, in the mind of God, certain in it selfe; but likewise Certitudine subje­cti, as it is in the use of the right meanes, manifested to our owne breasts by Gods spirit; we have then an evi­dence, that we are in state of present grace, and so are borne of GOD, and by consequent sinne not unto death.

Ʋſe 2. I hasten now Brethren, for a second Use, but very succinctly, of what hath been thus enlarged upon this sin; It may serve to restrain from all rash, and head­long censure of others, whose facts perhaps may be grievous, yet they for all that, not culpable of this great transgression, it may be they persecute, blas­pheme, &c. Howbeit, inasmuch as we know not whe­ther it issue out of malice, at least, though evidence be apparant of malice against our persons; yet if not, for Grace-sake, feare to censure of this sin unto Death: It's not ingenuous to be like Porcupines darting quills ofMatth. 7.1. Luke 6.37. censure on mens spiritual states, or but doubtfull actions: the carriage of our Saviour towards the car­ping Pharisees, (who were still angling after some ad­vantage against him, seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him, Luk. 11.54.) I say, his carriage towards them in the businesse of the woman accused for being taken in the act of Adultery, John 8.8. is very remarkable; whilst they continued asking of him what punishment she deserved, they in­tending to have surrounded him with a Dilemma, that if he had said she was to be stoned, he had been a med­ler in State matters, things criminall, and capitall; if not, then he had spoken againstActs 6.11. Moses, and the Law, and by that have brought himselfe in danger; but our Saviour, to divert the importunity of so many intan­gling questions, v. 6, & 8. He stooped downe, and with [Page 53]his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not, many are the conjectures at what that should be which he then wrote: Saint Ambrose his conceit was. that He wrote that sentence, Matt: 7.3. Why beholdest thou the moat that is in thy Brothers eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye. Beda gnessed, that he wrote the sentence which He spake, he that is without sin a­mong you, let him first cast a stone at He: Haymo seems more witty, than judicious in his apprehension here­about, He thinks he wrote certain Characters in the pavement, which the accusers beholding, might see as in a glass their own wickednes, and so blushing at it, slunk away, in the conviction of their own Conscience: But whatever it was sure we are (said once an eminent Divine of our Church) our Saviour would have false accusations written in dust, to be trodden under foor of those that passe by, take we heed how weRom. 14.10. judg rash judgment of another mans state, or conscience, presume not to sit in Gods Consistory, every man stands, or fals, in point of his souls judgment to the SupremeJam: 4.12. Law­giver,1 Cor. 4.5. Judg therefore nothing, before the time, that God, who alone judgethJoh. 7.24 1 Sam: 16.7. righteous Judgment, doth discover all secrets, and actions, whether they be good, or whether they be evill: In the mean time, let us ob­serve in the T [...]xt, that there is a sin not unto death, as well as that which is said to be unto death,Spiritualia peccata gravio­ra sunt, quàm Carnalia: quia Spirituale pec­catum plus ha­het de aversione, â Deo, & Car­nalia peccata habent vehe­mentius impulsi­vum, viz. ipsam connatam [...] cupis [...] [...] for which there is a warrant for us to pray, and upon our prayers (duly qualified) a promise to be heard for the life of our Brother repenting, there remains yet something farther observable, out of the body of the Text, which I shall only intimate, and so conclude this discourse for the present.

Whereas the Apostle saith, there is a sin, one unto death, and another not so, we may note a difference, and distinction of sins, one is more haynous than ano­ther, there are some stains: Cant: 4. and in Isa: 1.18. sins of a scarlet dye, some sins against the Body: 1 Cor. 6.18. [Page 54]others against the soul, Prov: 3.36. some y moats, and some beams, someMatt. 23.24. Among the latine is a cri­tical distincti­on between pecc atum, cri­men, scelus, faci­nus, flagitium, deli [...]tum, viti­um, vid. Albert: [...]ov [...]camp [...] p. 365. De Ju­stifie: Facere non fa­cienda pec [...]atum est, facienda non facere deli­ctum est, Hugo de S. victore, Allegor: in Ex­od: l 3. c: 6. & vitia flagiciis leviora sunt. Aul: Gell: l. 1. c: 17. Noct: At­tict: Delictum est contra prae­cept: affirmat: Commiss [...]n, contra negati­vum. Nic: de orbellis, in 2 Sent: Dist: 43. & Lumbard: l: 2. Dist: 42.1. gnats, and some Camels, some spots, Jud. v: 12. and some monstrous clouts, Isa: 64.6. There are sins of incogitancy, or of sudden surreption, as vain sights that affect to some ill, or idle, and inde pendent thoughts, which have no consistancy together, from such secret, undetected sins David prayed to be cleansed: Psal: 19.12. There are also sins of set pur­pose, when the heart of the Sons of men is [fully se [...]] in them to do evill: Eccles: 8.11. There are sins of igno­rance, for which attonement might be made, and there are other committed with an high hand more pre­sumptuously, and severely to be punished Numb: 15.30 Psal: 19.12 13: There are sins of infirmity. Psal. 77.10. and there are some raigning: Rom: 6 12. Eph. 2.2, 3. some customary. Jer. 13.23. and there is a sin, or blas­phemy of malice, which is unpardonable: In summe, sins m [...]y be said to arise in haynousnes 3. manner of wayes. 1. Genere, in the kind of the sin. 2. Gradu, in the de­gree of it. 3. Circumstantiis, in the circumstances. In the kind so saith Solomon, though theft be a sin, yet adultry is more haynous, as appears by the penalty of both: Prov. 6 30.32. in the kind of it, its greater: so vain swear­ing abominable, but false swearing is, in the kind more damnable, In the degree Mat: 5.22. Rash anger a degree of murther, reproachfull railing higher, but actual em­bruing hands in blood, still much more enormous: wanton looks dispose to adultry, unchast gestures more, but the act of uncleanes fowlest of all: In the cir­cumstances, some vary the kind of the sin, as thus, theft of common things from men a sin, but robbing God, Mal: 3.9 is a sacriledg, and reducible under the breach es of the first precept,Pet: 3.9. railing at men a sin, 1 Cor: 6.10. but railing at God, blasphemy. Matt: 12.31.32. There are also circumstances, that though they vary not the kind of the sin, yet add much to the aggravation of it; three only we may insist on. 1. The motive. 2. The [Page 55]manner. 3. The issue. To persecute of ignorance, as Paul did: 1 Tim: 1.13. is much, but of malice more, the motive makes it so; to sin of passion, inordinate, discomfortable, Psal. 116.11. but to sin wilfully more dange­rous: Heb: 10.26. For the manner, to sin in secret, Eph: 5.12. fearfull, but to declare sinsVid. Thom. 1 a, 2 ae, qu: 73. Art. 3. openly as Sodom, Isa. 3.9. far more haynous; once to fail in duty to com [...]it drunkenes, its sinfull, but daily to add drunkenes to thrist, Deut: 29.19. and to say, as those swinish Athe ists in the Prophet; Isa: 56.12. Prov: 23.35. To morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant, this stil heightens the odious abomination: For the issues, thus conceive,Matt. 18.6, 7. Rom. 14.21. scandalous sins are greater, and those by whom manyOmne animi vitium tanto cospectius in se crimea habet, quanto major, qui peccat, ha­betur. Juven: Rationes a. vid: apud Thom: 1 a, 2 ae, qu: 73. Art. 10. exemplary are defiled, Heb: 12.15. than others that stick in the person singly, and by himself: I might be very copious under these severall head [...]: But I consider the great affairs now following.

And indeed, this is the constant Doctrine of our Churches, however theHoc quoque tritum est in hâc faece Protestan­tium peccata esse paria; hâc. trutinâ non le­vius in Deum deliquerit ille caupo qui gallum gallinaceum, quàm qui homi­nem occiderit. Campianus Jesuit. Rat. 8. Romane Catholicks charge us with a kind of stoichism in this point, as if we made all sins equall: TheHoc de pa [...]ilitate peccatorum soli Stoici ausi sunt disputare contra omnem sensum generis humani. Hieron. stoicks, to whose Fate Tully in his Paradoxes seems to incline, had as the Jovinians since them a fond opinion, that all fins were equall, none more grievous than others, yea as greatly sins He, Qui gallum gallinacium, as Qui Patrem interficit, who killed a Cock, as He who shew his Father; A sentense devised by them, to keep men in more aw, and to make them have care to shun even the least sins, sith al were of equal hay­nousnes among them; but indeed, it is the high way [...]o prophanes; and the Scripture is expresse against this parility, (as Saint Hierome expresseth it) and for the * inequality of sins,Among the Greeks [...], & [...], differ; the one denoting every ordinary offence, and aberration from the right mark: the o­ther, that sin which is more enormous and deeply fastened in a man, Sumitur pr gravi, & incondonabili crimine, Grotius: so likewise [...], peccans, & peccator, or as St [...]phan: peccatosus, qui peccati habitum comparaverit. Beza. Joh: 19.11. our Saviour saith [Page 56]of Judas, who delivered him into the hands, and power of Pilat, that h: had in the comparative, the [greater] sin; there are bad: and there are worse; 1 Tim: 5.8. He that provideth not for his own, is [worse] than an In­fidell, 2 Pet: 2.20: and Matt: 12.45: the latter end is worse than their beginning: Ezek 16.47. Jerusalem was corrupted [more] ban Samaria in all her ways; and this appears also by the diversi y that is in the degrees of punishment, our Saviour himself speaks of a more easie, and a more tolerable state at the day of Judgment. Matt: 11.22.24. there is a greater, and there is a lesse damnation. Matt: 23.14. there are many, and few stripes, Luk. 12 47.48. and though all sins deserve eter­nal death, yet are not all sinners equally tormented. N [...]w God being aGen: 18.25. 2 Tim: 4.8. righteous Judg, proportions theRev. 18.7. measure of punishments according to the measure, and degree of sinning; some sins there are which the Lord out of hitMic. 7.18. longanimity, and patience, after a sort, passeth by as not seeing them, Act: 17.30. [...], winking at them: But there are others so atrocious, as that they cry aloud to Heaven for vengeance, of which nature was the blood of Abel, Clamitat ad coelum vox san­guinis, & Sodo­morum, vox op­pressorum, mer­ce de [...]enta [...]a­bo [...]um. Gen: 4.10. the grievous sin of Sodom, Gen. 18.20. so likewise oppression, Exod: 3.7 and 22, 23. and the defrauding labourers of their [...]i [...]e. Jam. 5.4: there is a fulnes of iniquity, such as the Amerites arose unto Gen. 15 16. and a measure to be filed up, Matt: 23 32. such was that state of the obsti­nate Jews, on whom a proportion able fulnes of wrath came to the uttermost. 1 Thes. 2.16.

But, however upon these testimonies, it be clear, that this Stoiscisme be fasly charged upon our Churches; yet is the opinion (it serms) much amongst our People, to whom all sins are equal; we are all sinners (say they) [...]u [...] but I trow not al Adulterers not alremorsle [...], and [...]mpenitent, sinners: and they shall know, one day, that there is a difference of sins, when God shal injudgment inflict heavier damnation.

Queſt. To shut up all, if we teach not an inequality of sins, how then is it (say Papists) that we say all are mortal, and none veniall?

Anſw. To this the answer lyeth thus, though the distinction of mortal, and veniall, be not in terms, so expressed, yet in sense, it is contained under these words of the Apo­stle, A sin unto death, and a sin not unto death: the odds is only in the manner of explication: venial sins to them are all such which are so in their own nature, as light matters out of incogitancy, and of surreption, or of humane infirmity, as impertinent thoughts, idle words, wanton glances, &c. such as these are pardonable in themselves, at most, are made expiable by someRemissio ve­nialis peccati nihil aliud est, quàm solutio poenae temporalis pro eò debitae. Scotus l. 4. Dist. 21. cem­porary sufferings, even withoutAd remissio­nem peccati ve­nialis non re­quiritur paeni­tentia propriè accepta remit­titura. veniale per Satispassio­nem in purgato rio. Biel, 4. sent. dist. 16. qu. 5 Art: 2. repentance properly taken either here, or in purgatory, mortall, in their sense, are such only as are of the grossest kind, and which do vastare conscientiam, wound and wast the con­science, as Murther, Treason, Sacrilege, &c.

Now, Brethren, the Orthodox right meaning of the distinction is, in sum this: sins are said to be mortall, or veniall, either in their own naturall merit, and de­sert, or else in the event, and issue: If we look to the na­turall merit of every sin, yea though it be but aPro. 24 9. thought of foolishnes, it is mortall, deserving the curse, Gal: 3.10. and eternal death, Rom: 6.23. Yet in the event, and issue, some sins are veniall, that is, capable of pardon, yea, all and every sin incident into the elect, and into the adopted Sons, and Daughters of God; murther, and adultry, sins mortal by desert, yet veni­all, and actually2 Sam. 12.13. pardoned to David in the event, be­cause his Person was accepted into favour with God; Blasphemy, and persecution, sins mortall in their de­sert, yet both these, in the event1 Tim. 1.13. pardoned unto Saint Paul, being aAct. 9.15. chosen vessel of salvation unto God; so was Peters perjury, and the deniall of his Master; yea, universally all sins, allMat. 12.31. manner of sins, of what kind soever, are pardonable to Gods elect by Christ, yea [Page 58]actually al pardoned to them who are really, & indeed incorporate into Christ Jesus, Rom: 8.2. And surely, (Beloved) Christ teaching us that we our selves should forgive untillMatt: 18 22 seventy times seven times, after a sort, gives us notice, (as a greatBy Andr: Ser on Joh. 20.23. Divine observes) that He will not stick with us for the like number of ours; for God forbid we should imagine, 'that he taught us to be more mercifull, than he will be himself: that number saith He, amounteth to ten Jubilees of pardon, for so many sins we may hope for pardon at his hands: If those be not enough, we have example of one whose sins were more in number, than the hairs of his head: Psal. 40.12. to whom yet all were remitted.

And whereas it is affirmed, (and that most truly) 1 Cor. 1.25. by the Apostle, that the weaknes of God is stron­ger then men; if there were any sin greater, than could be remitted, then the weaknes of man (for of that co­meth sin) should be stronger than God, which neither reason, nor religion will admit. And indeed, what is it in the sins of the elect, and regenerate, that should make them apprehend other, than a pardonablenes in it? In sin are considerable, either the [...], or transgressi­on of the Law, 1 Joh. 3.4. but all that transgression is forgiven, Psal: 32.1. or the pollution, 2 Cor: 7.1. and that is covered, and1 Joh. 1. 7 Rev: 1: 5. and Rev: 7.14. zech: 13.1. cleansed, or the guilt thereof, through the offence of God, and behold, neither is that at all imputed to them, ver. 2.16. as the blood of the paschall Lamb wherewith the two side-posts, and the upper dore post of the House, wherein it was to be eat­en, Exod: 12: 7. (in tipe of Christ the true Passeover, as he is stiled: 1 Cor: 5.7.) was striken, saved the owners from the stroak of the destroying Angel; so doth the blood of sprinkling1 Pet: 1. 2 Heb. 12.24 of J [...]sus Christ, cleanse the Con­science from dead works, Heb: 9.14.

To conclude, if our sins be asMat: 7.3. moats in our eyes, and cause them to water. Loe, God hath his hand­kercheif, wherewith He wipes all tears from our eyes, [Page 59] Rev: 7.7: are theyIsa: 64.6. menstruous? he hath his hysop, wher­with to wash, and to make us clean, Psal: 51.7. If they be ofIsa: 1.18. a scarlet dye, yet He hath hisMal: 3.2. fullers sope to whiten the Conscience as white as snow, when our Saviour in the Garden sweat butLuk: 22.44 [like] unto blood, it was a great agony, it made such a sweat, as was meri­torious; yet this was but a preparative to his potion on the Crosse, for there He sweat not [like] unto blood, butJoh. 19.34. blood and water, water to wash away the sins of our daily infirmities, and blood to purge our sins in grain, and a deeper colour then blood our sins cannot bear: shall we sin (saith the Holy Ghost) that Grace may abound? God forbid: Rom. 6.1. yet if sin do chance to abound, free grace hath the superlative of sin, and doth superabound: abundat delictum, superabundat gracia, Sin doth abound, but grace hath abounded above, it doth superabound; Rom. 5.20. Abyssus abyssum invocat, saith the Psalmist, one deep calleth for another, the depth of our sins, for the depth of Gods compassions which never fail. And now, O that the Spirit of the Lord would give this Doctrine entrance into the hearts of all his People, and that theEph. 1.18. Act: 26.18. eyes of their understanding were as bright as the Sun, that they might throughly see, and know the riches of the glorious inheritance of the Saints in light; who though they sometimes fall, yet shall they not, can they not fall utterly away from God though the wicked one may tempt them, yet shall he not touch them, tactu qualitativo, as Caietan expounds it, with a touch of finall hurt, so dangerously to annoy them, as wholly to alter their renewed hearts unto a state of total depravation, or corrupt impenitency, they shall not, they1 Joh. 3.9. cannot (under such a state of Regene­ration) sin unto death: Behold Christ, whose suit God never denyed: Joh: 11: 42. He hath prayed his Father to keep them through his own name: Joh: 17.11. and his Father is greater then all, and none is able to pluck them out of his Fathers hand, no nor out of his own [Page 60]hand, Joh: 28, 29. He hath kept them all in his Fathers name, and hath not lost one of all whom his Father had given to him, Joh: 17.12. and (which is more still) what Christ by his merit wrought [for] them, the same by his Spirit he virtually worketh [in] them, and en­ables them through his strength, Phil: 4.13. in some measure, to keep themselves under the right use of the lawfull means, 1 Joh. 5.18. for to our own safety, our own sedulity is required; yes, (that I may close up all with comfort, and leave someJoel 2.14. blessing from Heaven to Gods Saints behind me, that my lips like the Spouse of Christ may drop as theCant 4.11. Hony comb, wherein there is both mel, & cera, Hony to sweeten, and with all wax to enlighten) all you, (my Dearly Beloved Countrymen, andPhil. 4.1. longed for in the Lord) you who are born of God, you shall be all kept by Gods1 Pet. 1.5. own power through faith, and salvation, be allPsal. 75.24. guided by his Counsel, and at last be brought home to his Glory. Even so be it, Amen, Amen.

[...].

Amen.