A Divine Cordial for a Devout Soul

WHAT THE SINNE Against the Holy Ghost, is.

I T was not in my purpose, nor came it at all within the Compass of my Thoughts (Right Honorable, and Beloved) when I came late, the other evening, unto this Town (so well spoken of for Religion, and discreet zeal for God's Ordinances) to become a Speaker here, this morning, on so solemn an occasion: Yet since the divine providence hath so disposed, I willingly submit thereto, choosing rather to expose my weakness to the pious candor of this so intelligent Auditory, than to decline so fair an occasion, to bring some glory to God, in the use of my Talent, after my measure.

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

[unspec Context.] The Apostle from the fourteenth verse to the last, in this Chapter, showeth us (as the Diamonds set in the Rings of these three Epistles) sundry eminent and eximious Privileges 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 Apostasy.
• 3. Knowledge of Regeneration.
• 4. Certain and infallible persuasion 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 privilege appertaining to them. Not only as it may serve for supply of their own personal 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 own particular faith that must save us; but in our Lord's Prayer, Our father, which art in Heaven, to imply that our Prayers may further the good of others besides ourselves; wherefore S. John withal insinuates an Exhortation, that as they had received this favor 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 behoove 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 subjoins the reason of that limitation; as if he had said, marvel 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 unrighteousness sin? all sin deadly? to which he answers, 1. By Concession, yes, All unrighteousness is sin. 2. By an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 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 entertain 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, Ut forte nulla major, as S. Austin protesteth, That scarcely 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. Endeavor to open the nature of it, what it is, or wherein it consisteth.
• 2. To unfold the reason of the style, 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 speak, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , first, removing the erroneous opinions both ancient, and modern hereabout; and then, set down the positive Truth.

Saint Ambrose acquaints us of the Novatian Heretics of old, who by sins unto Death, that is, such sins as are mortal in the event, understood all sins that are committed against Knowledge and Conscience, voluntarily after Baptism; and to men so sinning they intercluded the hope, and denied the benefit of pardon: But all this not more uncomfortably, than unsoundly: for, besides what we find in S. 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 again into the communion of the Church: We know that Moses prayed for the Jews 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 Pergamos, even in this Apostle S. John's own time, who (after Calling) held the hateful 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 mortal 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 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 expressly, 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 pardon Heb. 6.6. Yea, we read in the 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 extraordinary 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 Jews 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, 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-men's own confession, souls departed are extra statum merendi, & demerendi, out of a condition of meriting or demeriting by action; and if souls in their imaginary Purgatory, make an end of sinning, in vain shall we pray for pardon.

Leaving then these erroneous conceits about this sin, come we, next, to examine the Nature of it, according to the Orthodox judgments 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 implieth.
• 3. What it draws 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 precious Promises of life and salvation, in and by him: wherefore, they are said to be once enlightened, Heb. 6.4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to have a great measure of Illumination in the mysteries of the Gospel; and again, Heb. 10.26. to have received the knowledge of the truth, and to have known the way of righteousness, 2 Pet. 2.21. & 1 Tim. 4.1. to have dogmatical faith, or doctrine of trtuh, men ignorant of the Gospel may 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 mad in persecuting the way, and professors of Christ, yet was received to mercy, for what he did, he did 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 judgment, 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 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not a bare notice, and literal understanding of the truth, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , an acknowledgement of the same; as they spake, Acts 4.16. What shall we do to these men, for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them, is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. To this purpose is that saying of our Savior, 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, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , no color, or 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 formal profession of what they have entertained into their judgments; so Simon Magus joined himself to the Disciples, Acts 8.13. submitted to Baptism, as one (it seems) desirous by that Character, and cognizance 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 taste of the good word of God, being affected with the comforts it contains, they take some fleshly joy therein, in hope to partake the blessed state of God's 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 Pharisees, that gave first occasion to our Savior to speak of it, we read not either to have reformed their errors of life, or judgment, or so much as to have entertained the Gospel, and truth taught by our Savior, 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 do 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 denial of the truth of the Gospel received, against distinct knowledge and conviction of enlightened conscience; and this denial usually joined with blasphemy, and reproachful, contumelious railing against Oods truth, as those Pharisees, Mat. 12.24. though they could not but see God's power in the miracles wrought by our Savior, yet blasphemously impute those mighty works of the Spirit of God, to the Prince of devils, even to Beelzebub, that is, to the Lord of Flies, 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 joined himself 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 only by fear and fraud, but even by rewards and preferments, he labored to draw Christians to blaspheme, and to abjure the Galilean (as that miscreant scoffingly called Christ) and to join 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 himself who told them the truth, which he had heard of God; and John 5.16. it's said, that the Jews 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 honorable women (abusing the weakness of the sex to strengthen their own 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 willful desertion of the truth, and Apostasy from it; 2 Pet. 2.21. They turn back from the holy Commandment delivered unto them. But, this point being very tender, it must accordingly be handled with caution and wariness; and therefore you must here remember that ancient distinction, betwixt lapsus, and prolapsio, particular falls, and falling away: A spiritual man may be overtaken in a fault, Gal. 6.1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , by a slip with his foot ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) yea, very grievcus falls. We read of God's own 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 the 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 again, Pro. 24.16. Though he fall, saith the sweet singer of Israel, he shall not utterly be cast down, 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 again forth, and hardly at all removed, or universally eradicated till the old wall it self be pulled down; sin that 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 Zeruiah to David, prove too hard for the best men, ofttimes, in many particulars: That of Peter is almost peerless, 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 denied penance, or pardon, their very [ desire] to be restored to the Church, testifying, that there falls were of infirmity, not of malice; wherefore, partial declinations, whether in judgment, 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 • come short sometimes, either in the matter, or in the manner, or in the measure of performance; yea often inordinate acts, like sprigs, or suckers under the choicest graff, break forth; these partial declinations, I say, must be distinguished from this Apostasy, which we call whole, it being as 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 goodness, to all impiety, joined with an obstinate full resolution never to embrace the same, or any part thereof again.

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 spite, destinate hatred, wherein they are carried against the Gospel, & all those that embrace and profess it, treading underfoot (even as swine do 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 made 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 spite against the Spirit, the God of all sanctifying and saving grace. And this is the reason S. Peter thus sinned not, because not spite, but fear prevailed with him; That hath also made it questionable, whether 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 Savior's person or doctrine, but from his covetousness, and love of the money-bag, which the Apostle calleth the root of all evil. That made it disputable also, whether Demas his forsaking the Apostle, be censurable of this sin, for that not hatred of Paul's person, but love of the present world withdrew him: Yea, as we say not every love of God's children is a token of our translating from death to life, unless they be loved, eo Nomine, because they are gracious; so not every hatred, or persecution, no not malicious of God's children is to be so censured, except grace be that that men's malice is carried against, as it was in wicked Cain, against his righteous brother Abel, 1 John 3.12. It is a general backsliding from the whole truth of the Gospel acknowledged, and a malicious oppugning of the same, and that by all imaginable wicked means 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 final impenitency; obstinacy is, Induratae mentis in malitiâ pertinacia, as Peter Lombard describes it, a stubborn froward persisting of an hardened heart, in willful malice, by which a man becomes, and is made impenitent, Heb. 6.4.6. It's impossible, not difficult only, as some mince the matter) saith the Apostle, that such enlightened Apostates should be renewed again unto repentance; and this too, not through defect in God's mercy, which is as himself it, boundless, infinite, incomprehensible, but through the just judgment of God upon contempt of such grace offered to them, giving them up unto a reprobate mind, and unto hardness of heart, and to such a state as they cannot repent, Rom. 2.5. sometimes, perhaps, some of them come to a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to some 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 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or a change of their minds; so that impenitency final is one Consequent of this dreadful and deadly transgression.
• 2. Peerlesse vitiosity in heart and manners; such men thus totally fallen, and finally rendered impenitent, become in all viciousness far 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 pollutions of flesh and spirit, then have vile Apostates; nor ever anymore 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. Rome, since it became Antichristian hath proved more vile, then when it was at first Paganish.
• 3. Irremissibility, and final impardonablenesse: Wherefore I say unto you, saith our Savior,( ) 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 forgiveness, such are only the elect of God, and the believing penitents (for its a known Maxim 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 do blemish often the pulchritude and beauty of it: insomuch that we read of some great Saints sinning, particularly, even gross and enormous sins, so Noah fell by drunkenness, Lot by incest with his own daughters, David by adultery, Solomon by idolatry, Peter by perjury, even all the Apostles by partial infidelity, yet these found place for repentance, and upon that, remission and pardon; ye shall read in the Genealogy of our Savior Jesus Christ, a catalogue of persons speckled like Jacob's sheep (watered in the gutters of Laban ) into variety of sins, some Jews, 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 Physician, both able and willing to heal every diseased soul, yea such a Physician as comes home often unsent for, going about doing good, and curing all kind and manner of diseases; he is that pitying Samaritan, who cannot pass by a wounded spirit without pouring in the oil of his mercy, had such but first a sight, and sense of their own wounds; yea, he was such a Physician, who for to save the lives, and to redeem the souls of penitent patients from death, most cheerfully laid down his own life, praying for them that mocked, reviled, crucified, 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 Jews, to be but a mean man, though he were, at the same time, the King of glory, and so they filled their mouths with reproaches of him, charging him with whole volleyes of the highest blasphemies, styling him deceiver, glutton, contemptuously, Samaritan, this fellow, a friend of Publicans and sinners, one who had a devil, and what miracles he did, he wrought them by the Prince of devils; O horrid! lo yet and see, even this blasphemy, so high, so notorious, so dishonorable, is pardonable to the repenting blasphemers; but the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 [mipescha rab] that great offense, with an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , so called by King David, who prayed earnestly 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 come, not, in this world, because, say some, 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 so sinning must be cut off without mercy, from God's 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 persuade their ignorant & besotted proselytes) but this is only a distribution, or divisive speech, intended not to signify 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 thereby they willfully cut themselves off from all present, future, or succeeding hopes of mercy to their graceless 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 therefore (so sinning) shall the spirit himself convince of judgment unto confusion; for saith the great Apostle, If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain searful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries, Heb. 10.26, 27. And for this cause is it, that this sin is here styled by S. John, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 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 sinning, it merits, and so shall infallibly incur not that only which is called the common way of all the earth in the temporal death, but also the sentence and sense of the second death; which second or eternal death consisteth in the everlasting separation of both soul and body, from God's gracious and glorious presence (which is the punishment also) & withal (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 forever and ever.

This is the sin, for the nature of it very heinous, 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 style or titles given hereunto in holy writ, which was the second general Head of my division proposed; of which succinctly, that (withal considering the great affairs ensuing) I may hasten to my Application, in which indeed consisteth all the marrow, and satnes, even the very life and vigor of every solid Sermon, and divine discourse.

The style or title given to it by our Savior, is, as ye heard but now, Mat. 12.31. The Blasphemy of the holy Ghost, that is, the endeavoring to dishonor the holy Ghost, it is a Greek word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as it were hurting (if I may dare so to express 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? is not the whole Trinity one Spirit, Joh. 4.24. each person is God, equal in majesty & glory, and God is a Spirit?

[unspec 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.

[unspec Answ.] Alexander * Halensis (the Patriarch of the School Divines) Durand, 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, wisdom to the Son, and goodness to the holy Ghost; so that a sin of weakness 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 wisdom of God; a sin of wickedness, malice, or hatred, is committed against the holy Spirit, that is, against the goodness of God. But waving these curiosities, spun upon the wheel of men's quaint apprehensions, however in themselves (thus applied) not wholly impertinent, this blasphemy is so called, not because it's intended so much against the person of the holy Ghost, the third person in the blessed Trinity, as against the proper operation and efficacious work of the holy Ghost. D ^r Gerard (a most learned Lutheran Divine) thus gives his exposition of this style; It's so styled, says 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 styled, The Comforter, John 15.26. And partly also in regard of his office, which is illumination, and enlightening 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, 1 Thess. 5.19. And lastly, in regard of his gracious testimony, and witness, 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 style 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 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 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 heinous, in this all concur: Their Facts imply Contempt of the Son of God, profanation 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 spite against the majesty of God. No marvel then was it, that our Savior 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 fountain of his mercy against the souls of such impious and godless miscreants: and hither, to this purpose, may well be applied that passage in Solomon's Proverbs, Pro. 28.18. where he saith, that whoso walketh uprightly, shall be saved, but he that is perverse in his ways, shall fall at once; the emphasis lieth in that clause [at once] Semel dicitur cadere qui irreparabiliter cadit, as Halensis expounds it, he is said to fall at once, who falls beyond hope of recovery, irreparably, and so that texs is meant, not of a common slipping aside, but of a final back sliding (Perversis graditur viis, id est, perfect versis) which happeneth in final impenitency: and this passage of Solomon seems to me to be equivalent to what our Savior pronounced on those blasphemous Pharisees, Joh. 9.41. when he declared that their sin [remained] that whereas a sin of ignorance (though in it self 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 the point of a diamond; the Actors of it being, as the Prophet speaks, always before the Lord, 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 less then, A willful malicious, and obstinate denying of the foundation, renounsing Christ Jesus as the Mediator and Redeemer of the world; It is a to tall Apostasy from the Faith, when the whole man revolteth from the whole Christian Religion, wholly, with an obstinate resolution never to return to it anymore; 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 (as one farther adds to express the measure of it) rejoiceth and boasteth in his desperate and malicious obstinacy.

This is the sin, for nature most heinous, for the issue most dangerous, dreadful, formidable; in the mention whereof, methinks the powers of men's souls cannot but be shaken, their thoughts trouble them, and as Belshazzar's at the fight of the hand-writing upon the wall (whilst he sat quaffing in the vessels of the sanctuary) the joints of their loins be loosed, and their knees smite one against another.

[unspec Use 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 foulness of it, their care may be increased to preserve themselves from it: It's a great favor God hath granted us, that unto us he hath vouch safed, in the means, the knowledge of himself, in the face of Jesus Christ, he hath not dealt so with many Nations more, that herewithal he hath daigned also to enlighten the eyes of our understanding, to know the mystery of Godliness, he hath not dealt so with many Children of the Church; many (the more is the pity) live still in gross ignorance of necessariest Articles: To some of us yet more, that he hath given us 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 granted sense of the comfort, of the sweetness, and perhaps also of the power thereof to reform us: Take heed Brethren, that so great favor of God be not frustrate by our unthankful Apostasy.

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

1. Labor by all means to fasten on your hearts the love of that saving truth wherein you have been enlightened; 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 swell 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 swell like the ancient Gnostics with knowledge in the brain, with puffing speculations swimming 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 happiness: The red 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 God's School is more of holy sanctified affection, then of mere 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 Arius, Porphyry, 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 it smites thee for the act, and perpetration of that, whereof thy conscience is convinced it is sin; when men stop their ears against the directions of that secret Monitor which God (as his principal Vice-gerent in the soul) hath placed in every bosom, they are in great peril of a down-fall; yea, that's the means, at length to make it filent, and so by degrees in the issue, through custom, senseless, 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 stupefied 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 joined to their Science Conscience, having put away the one, they lost the soundness of the other, and made shipwreck 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 be lead and guided by this good spirit of God speaking to you in that very word which himself hath inspired; its said to recount the case of many men in this behalf, that throw off such motions with disregard, and deem them (through the deceitfulness of their hearts, the deceitfulness of sin, & the cunning insinuations of Satan) but fits of melancholy arising from the natural 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 be led by the Spirit of God, and that not only in point of direction. and of 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, and with all spiritual circumspection, observe thy declinings, and abatements of thy measures of grace, and how thy devotion, or zeal (which should not like Joshua's sun stand still, but like David's sun rather rejoice as a Giant to run a race onwards in its course) how it doth go back like Hezekiah's sun, in its degrees; and never leave the strick rest use of the most conscientious means, till thou hast recovered thy ancient 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 in the heart, who is not careful to cherish, and to increase 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 Ministry, not only to gather the Saints together, by planting of true Doctrine in the Church; but also to 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 easily discover the behavior 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 ways or means unattempted, and is wrestles till she had again found him whom her soul loved: in those ways 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 too much indulged thereto) lulling herself 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 Cretans, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , slow bellies: Well, what course doth she take next, I will rise now (saith she) leave my drowsy temper, and being risen, I will go about the City in the streets, and in the broad ways, I will seek him whom my soul loveth, that is, among those who stand idle, & loitring in the Market places, unemployed in their own, though busy bodies enough, perhaps about the doings of others, or else 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 broad ways to what is dangerous, she sought him there, but she missed of her aim, she sought him, but she found him not: Well, 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 these 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 whilst 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 anywhere, 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 first sent by God, with a Commission to preach the Gospel of peace, & to bring glad tidings of good things; even by the same (if not in individual, yet in kind) 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 then 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 God's own heart, see how restless 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 pathetic metaphors or similitudes he borrows to illustrate, or express his zealous anhelations, and gaspings af • er God; the one of a woman under her 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (with whom there is pallor in ore, & tremor in cord ) her fits of longing, which if unsatisfied endanger swooning, yea often life itself: 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 ready even to sink down dead before the bloody pursuers; As the heart 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 thyself in any presumptuous sin, yea though but in one single particular: If thou willingly lie down under the power, dominion, 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 thyself 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 Devil, they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , taken 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 [reign] of particular presumptions: Certainly, I dare say he was of his mind, a man as he, enlightened a Member of the Church, living under the dominion of any sin, was endangered to the sin against the Holy Ghost, which here he calls the great transgression: When Conscience once grows incensible of sin, as through [ custom] of evil 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 greediness, then follows oft in God's Judgment, spiritual desertion, God gives a man over to the swing of his own corrupt heart, and to the power of Satan; and he must needs go (we say) whom the Devil drives: Wherefore dear Christians, and Countrymen, suffer the word of exhortation, and let the admonition be that of Paul, 2 Tim: 2.19. Let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. The pure grace of the glorious Gospel is no warrant for any impure, ranting licentiousness: Tremble to bear with thyself in any sin against conscience, nor to let sin reign in thy mortal body, lest thou endanger thyself to 〈◊〉 sin, which is unto death.

Beloved, its a great mercy of God to be born in the Church, and to enjoy the privileges (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, 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 strong delusion sent upon many, that though they bless themselves in their wickedness, and add drunkenes to thirst, yet seem to be out of danger of other gross sins; whereas its demonstrative from what hath been thus collected from this of David, that no man can promise himself a freedom 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 Apostasy: and this withal remember, that our growth will be expected, and accounted for, according to the measure of our 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 Sodom & Gomorrah, though those Cities were of most prodigious, and even unnatural 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 everyone now, upon these several intimations, seriously commune with his own heart, and let his spirit make diligent search, examine and cry himself into what degrees of this sin he hath grown, that as Peter spake to that Simon, If it be possible, his sin may be forgiven him, whilst everyone endeavors 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 precious, not only in regard of the rarity, but of the valuation and esteem, as the word of God in the days of 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 many resisting the truth, and too much opposing against it, whereby the course of the Gospel is not a little stopped, at lest in the purity thereof: Hereunto may be added 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 itself, 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 profess but a* desire to keep conscience void of offense towards God & man is commonly* the by-word of the People. Brethren, these are fearful 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 labor to recover themselves. Faxit.

Hitherto of the first, and general use of this point: I come now to apply it with a more particular respect unto such of God's servants as have a more special interst in his favor, such as are actually regenerate, and born of God. Dearest Christians, this is that which may prevent your own discomfort, that issues many times out of groundless fear, lest your state be as that of those guilty of this sin, hopeless in such sort, that very infirmities, especially where hath been knowledge of Duty, and perhaps some reluctance of conscience, are censured this great sin: But take heed, bear not false witness against thyself, yea or against the truth of the promises, and of that everlasting Covenant of grace made to thy soul, and ratified in the blood of Jesus Christ, whose blood speaketh better things then the blood of Abel; Abel's blood cried unto Heaven or vengeance, but the blood of Christ for mercy: Know thou this, whosoever thou art that indeed fearest God in simplicity of heart, so long as a man holds the way of righteousness 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, way of righteousness: and generally so long as we keep in us the love of God's truth, and of God's Children, for truths sake, we are out of gunshot of this sin: yea, if God at any time 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 sense.) Will the Lord cast off forever? and will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone forever? 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 the clouds from heaven, yea of the very thunder of God's power and wrath rattling over him, and sensibly felt in his soul within him: O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried Day and Night before thee, O incline thine ear unto my Cry, for my soul is full of troubles, thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves, Selah. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: And again, verse. 14. Lord, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted, and ready to die from my youth up, while I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted; thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy terrors have cut me off. Beloved, here under these mournful expressions ye see what blackness 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 eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me, and ease me, — I shall go softly all my years, in the bitterness of my soul. In like manner St. Paul of himself, 2 Cor. 7.5. We were troubled on every side, without were fightings, within were fears. And this many times is very much occasioned by entering Comparisons of our own state with others, on whom (as we think) God shineth altogether, and so we entertain conceits, as if the Lord had clean crossed us out of his Book, that he regards us not at all; that he looketh upon others, but passeth by us like a stranger, to whom we are not known: Then we think our own case to be none such, when we take Ieisure to look upon others, and comparing them with ourselves, say their Tables are furnished day by day, whilst earth and ashes and tears are our bread; they sing to the Lute, and to the Viole, and they see their children dance before them; and (as that not more learned, than devout Divine M. ( Hooker goes on, in flowrs of heavenly Rhetoric to set this out) our hearts are heavy in our bodies as lead, our sighs beat as thick as a swift pulse, our tears do wash the beds wherein we lie, whilst others wash in their paths in butter, as Job saith: The Lord's candle shineth fair upon their foreheads; we are hanged up like bottles in the smoke, cast into corners like the sherds of a broken pot: Tell not us of the promises of God's favor, tell [such] as do reap the fruit of them, they belong not to us, they are made to others. Now Brethren, the Lord be merciful 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 David's, 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 years of the right hand of the most High: The right hand is both the strongest, and withal the most ready to use, upon all occasions; so with the Lord most high there is an omnipotent power an everlasting strength, and, He is mighty to save, the slowest to conceive a wrath, and readiest to forgive a sin: Tam pater nemo, Tam pius nemo, Tertul. Take the Apostles counsel, Heb. 10.32.35. Cast not therefore away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward; Chide down thy diffidence and distrustful passions, and say, Why art thou thus cast down ô my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall [yet] praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God, Psal. 42.11. & 43.5. What? do not the promises belong to thee? a servant? a friend? yea, a son, yet more, an heir, a joint-heir with Jesus Christ himself? and by that means encompassed with a guard of heavenly Angels, even Angels of might, and power to protect thee against all the powers of Hell, and darkness? To whom but unto thee, who art a regenerate soul, doth that promise appertain Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; there are five Negatives in the Greek repeated, to assure God's people, that he will never forsake them; it may be rendered according to the Greek (as one doth it) I will not not leave thee, neither will I not not forsake thee: Repetitions are no vain Tautologies in holy Writ, they are used as Pharaoh's dreams were 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, and precious, even honorable 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 only for the Child to suck, even to suck out and be satisfied, as from the breasts of Consolation; this is not meat for every mouth, but a chosen moisture provided for God's Inheritance only; this is Wine of God's own Cellar, laid up for his Spouse alone, that is, for the devout soul dedicated unto God's service: Wherefore lift up the hands w ^ch hang down, 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 grace superaboundeth over man's sin, I mean that monstrous sin of Despair, by which Judas the Traitor sinned more (saith an ancient Father) than by betraying his Lord, and Master Christ; and therefore was it that S. Austin gave the lie to Cain, when under the guilt of his awakened conscience he cried out, Gen. 4.13. My sin is greater then can be borne, Mentiris Cain, saith that devout Father, who himself, by his own Confessions (after the extravagancies of a vain youth, wherein he followed too much the fight of his eyes, experimented the sweetness of those overflowing mercies, which do so much rejoice, and triumph, as it were, above judgment; Mercy flowing from the God and Father of all comfort as water doth from a Spring or Fountain most genninely, and freely; but Justice comes forth as liquor from the Wine-press, when the grapes are squeezed, and after a sort 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 own repentance in himself; as it was a sin in the Israelites to limit God's 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 Despair in the very first Eggs thereof, and dash that Babylonish brat in infancy. Beloved, Desparation is a kind of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or affection growing out of the sense of sin and wrath, it is malum arduum instans, & ineluctabile, as one styleth it, and ordinarily it proceedeth from the misjudging of God's affection, and good will towards men, the soul conceives of him, as of one that hath utterly cast off all care, or respect towards it; whereas the LORD himself 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 soul to him, in well-doing, as unto a faithful 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 Orthodox Divine glosseth those words; We are kept by the saving guidance of God the Keeper, and not left to the wavering unsteady progress of ourselves, who are kept by him. What shall I say more? sooner (saith a reverend Divine) shall God forgive the Apostasy of the Reprobate, lapsed, and damned Angels, then this damned sin of Desperation: Give me leave among many (that I may contract this Discourse) to present to you one Mean, or Remedy to prevent, or else to remove this evil; Which evil, if given way unto (through the inveterate malice, and envy of the Devil) it may like that worm in Jonah's Gourd in a night, eat out all the very sap, and life of divine comfort: the Mean is this, Diligent and prudent observation of God's dealing w ^th others of his servants finning though grievously in particulars; and withal of our own personal experiences that (in former times) we ourselves have had of God's goodness in our own souls; 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 join the serious consideration of that glorious Attribute in God, his Immutability and unchangeableness, Mal. 3.6. Jam. 1.17. and that in respect both of his power and goodness: make this reckoning, that the Benefits which he hath bestowed, are (saith judicious Hooker ) as it were bills obligatory, and sufficient Sureties, that he will bestow further; Neither is his hand shortened, or his good will, no nor doth he fail 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 shortened, so neither his arm weakened, that it cannot save as it hath done; He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever 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 of the manifestation of actual beneficence 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 less then seven devils: Go, saith the Angel, Mar. 16.7. to the woman, who came to see the Sepulcher wherein Christ was laid; Go your way, tell his Disciples, and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye 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. Fear 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 Catholics, from this priority of Order wherein S. Peter was now preferred, in a personal nomination, would coin an argument for the oecumenical, universal supremacy of the Pope, as the alone visible Monarch of the whole catholic Church disseminate all the world over, usurping withal an uncontrollable jurisdiction over all powers and consciences, by pretending to a personal succession of Peter in the Sea of Rome, although indeed he resemble him in nothing rightly, but in the denial of his Master: But away with those parasites of that man of sin, and leaving those bladders of Antichristian haughtiness and pride, to be crushed by the feet of that supreme head of his Church, who is now hastening to the Judgment of the great Whore; Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus, come quickly: O how would it joy thy Saints to see her lie in the dust. I wis, there is other honey which the believing Bees may suck from the sweet flower of this example of Peter, who had the honor, and happiness to be thus saluted, before others, after his Savior's Resurrection: Go and tell Peter! Would any one have thought Peter in a capacity of regard from Christ, whom against a solemn protestation to the contrary he had denied, 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 cruel Judges: Yes, my dear 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 having 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 again to the shore of favor, and was received to mercy: The like meditation also may arise out of the ninth verse, from the instance of Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devil • , and yet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he 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 been first in the transgression, so should she be the first who partook in the manifestation of the complete Redemption; when our Savior by his rising from the dead gave an assured evidence, and an infallible proof, that all the debt which was due to God's Justice for the sins of Believers was now fully discharged, in that Christ their surety, who undertook to satisfy, 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 righteousness and life:

But was it not strange, that our Savior should above all other women in the world, show himself, and all this favor to Mary Magdalene, one who had been such a loathsome sink of uncleanness, that seven devils, or a multitude of heinous crimes possessed her whole self, as if she had lain down wholly under the full power and dominion of all, or most of the devils in Hell; Yet, first, to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils: Surely this was done, saith Jansen, 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 lustfulness, so being forgiven much upon her Repentance, she testified her love to that Savior who had pardoned her, by wiping his feet with the hair of her head, and washing them with her tears, cleansing those unchaste, and adulterous windows, by which Death had entered, and so often endangered her soul to damnation: So true is that sweet meditation of St. 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 greatness of the Crime, nor the enormity of the life, nor the extremity of the last hour, provided that Cordial, and serious Repentance seasonably intervene, and come in between sin and judgment, none of all these do exclude from favor, and mercy from agracious God, who so often prevents a sinner with the offers of atonement; when a poor penitent seems to be as it were, at a loss in a kind of wilderness, then sounds the horn of salvation for his return to God, who embraceth him returning, returning (I say) yea, though it be after a long wandering out of the ways 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 a 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 four 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 custom, 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 myrrh, and healing in this passage, in this one single instance it shows itself 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 stupefied 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, yea despiseth it, and yet such, and so great is the Lord's 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , his free love to mankind, that though they go astray like sheep from the fold, where they might be safe, wandering amidst wolves, by which they are in danger to be torn; yet, he recalls them back again unto himself in much love; and if they will, though after a long expectation, and patience, but return at last to the 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} ebb 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 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 rejoicing in his return home: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as most sweetly Athanasius, to the same effect, No sin is irremissible, and unpardonable to any soul, that in an holy manner repenteth, and brings forth fruit meet for repentance; not to him who blasphemeth simply, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as the same Father hath it, but, unto him who abideth, and continueth under that fin, without remorse impenitently is forgiveness denied, 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 to 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 the 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 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 confess that for divers good ends, that the God of all grace intendeth thereby, the choicest of God's own People are sometimes under great distresses, shut up as it were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in a straight place, out of which they see not how to come forth; and howsoever the Lord will in the event, cause all to work together for their spiritual good; yet whilst the serenity of God's countenance is clouded as to them, whether for their trial, or else for the * chastening of some particular Delinquency, or for the * quickening of graces languishing, or other like end, which in his infinite wisdom he aimeth at; I say, during that state, miserable are the perplexities wherewith they are surprised; but especially if the soul be also sore vexed under some present apprehension of wrath by reason of some sin committed against knowledge, and conscience, then that wounded spirit who can bear? saith Solomon; Prov. 18.14. alas none, iniquities charged [there] are too heavy to be born; in such a case, all outward comforts are but as the 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 gout, nor anything that is before them, or about them minister any joy, or refreshing to them; And no marvel, because there are in this evil of a perplexed conscience, two things eminent above all others, which make it intoll enable, 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 immediately to deal with God himself: * polluted man with an * all pure God, sinful man with an * holy God, offending man * with an angry God, who is in his wrath a consuming fire; O the inexpressable agonies of a * desolate soul, afflicted for the absence of God's smiles, tormented for the present sense of his frowns for sin! When God himself writes bitter things against a soul, the venom of his arrows must needs drink up the very spirit within him. Quid prodest non habere conscium; habenti conscientiam? saith Lactantius, there needs no other testimony, where God himself is a. witness, 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, being guilty: 1 Joh: 3.20, 21. Now who (affected with the consideration of his dreadful Majesty) can stand before God immediately, when he is angry, and 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 evil, and still vexeth as a Midianite was vexed, even as a thing that is raw restlessly: nor can we baffle, or put it off, as Felix did Saint Paul, who touched him to the quick, saying, 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 to 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 the conviction of sin, and unpacified, its an ill companion in company, it dasheth all thy pleasures, defileth all thy devotions. embitters all thy comforts, but a worse when alone, Wherefore a soul that is in such a case, (during the continuance of the same) it sits like a Pelican in the Wildernes, desolate distressed, perplexed.

But yet my dear Brethren, cast not away your confidence, but 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 forgetfulness, which faith, saith the great Apostle, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, Heb: 11.1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the meaning is, that faith doth after a sort give being, and a subsistence in the 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 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 acknowledge so much, (being convinced of i • in a particular proof thereof, 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 sense, yet it is most firm, and sure in the promise of God; now live by faith, by believing thou layest a foundation; (so some render, and expound the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) upon which to build the certain expectation of the promise, the more visible things are, and obvious, or present to the sense, 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 God's power was perfected in the truth, though weakness of his servants faith, 2 Cor. 12.9. he stood not poring upon the weakness, or unlikely hood of second causes to produce, or accomplish an issue, when both himself and his Wife were, through natures debility, past all expectation of a Son, but he still looked upon the steadfastness of the promise, for the truth, and word sake of the most faithful 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 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , an evidence, that is, as the word exactly imports, a convincing demonstration in the soul of the certain truth of what is promised; 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 Satan raising storms and tempests in the soul, may occasion, then God hath provided, and given us an Anchor both sure and steadfast: 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? confess and forsake it, and God is righteous to forgive it, canst thou confess it? and hast thou a full 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 thyself of thy sin, and the sorrow of heart thou conceivest for it, upon this ground, that 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 itself, 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 withal so gross stupefaction of conscience, that the heart cannot repent, nor apprehend pardon. And to this purpose it is good for a soul distrested to select such Texts of Scripture, as are most seasonable for its own present state, and with all to consider those titles, or that style 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 believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost, so also 2 Cor. 1.3 He is styled 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, 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 less man who is virtually 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 man's nature to undergo] But God is faithful, 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 believe not, yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself. 2 Tim: 2.13. and again let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful 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 several occasions: would they humble themselves for their sins? they then consider God as terrible, and dreadful in his Judgments? would they raise up themselves with comfort? they consider him as a God that keepeth promise: would they stablish hope in expectation of things passing the course of Nature? they consider his endless power, 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 • verend Divine) for the most part liveles and ineffectual; when men in gross only, and indistinctly meditate the Divine nature, without reference to particulars, concerning the present occasion: And another as preposterous, and unseasonable; and no less uncomfortable; when men fit their faith with meditation of that, that is most unseasonable, for their present state; God is merciful saith the Presumer, He is just saith the desperate distressed; Both true, he is just and merciful 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) give ease to every weary soul, laboring under any perplexity, in this regard: But be sure thou do, by all means, shun that grievous sin of despair, denying unto God the truth of his promise, and mercy, those two sweet attributes, wherein he doth much delight to glory; his Justice in the visitation of sinners reacheth to the third, or fourth Generation; But his mercy is extended unto thousands, and endureth forever; there is observable an holy writ, a threefold super or [over] first, our sins are [ over] our heads, as an heavy, if not too heavy a burden; then, God's Judgments are [ over] those sins; But his mercies are [ 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 save them: Take heed, desperation is of that heinous nature, that scarcely any particular sin more dishonors God, I am sure none more disquiets the soul; it often ariseth from ignorance, or misprision of the promises of God; that, notwithstanding God's 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 personal experiences, which St. Paul was wont to stay, and to support himself 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 work done did deserve of God, or as if they were all exacted in the performance, after the rigor of the Law, which condemns every interruption, or but circumstantial breach, and defect; whereas indeed, they are 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, which Albertus Novic. hath offered to us. 1. Veritate promissionis, by the truth of the promise: Let God be true, & every man [comparatively] a liar, Ro. 3.4. He remaineth faithful, 2 Tim. 2.13. His covenant cannot fail, for it's everlasting, Jer. 37.40. And of this Covenant He is likewise mindful, Psal. 111.5. Yea, when we, under our Deliquiums, and as it were, inwar swoonings of spirit, are apt to think He hath 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 [remembereth] us, even in our low estate, for his mercy endureth forever, Psal. 136.23. Only take heed of limiting the Lord to thine own time, He waiteth to be gracious, but in his own season; therefore in this regard, He that believeth, saith that Evangelical Prophet, Isa. 28.16. shall not make hast: If God hath long waited for us, shall not we wait upon God ? for though he tarry long [namely, as to thine own apprehension] yet, when his own season (which he only knows when it is best) is come, then is He a very present help 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 witness of men, surely the witness of God is greater, Psal. 19.7. 1 John. 5.9, 10. Wherefore, be confident of his Truth; only 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, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, Psal. 27.13.

The second thing to stablish Hope by is, potestate redditionis, by the 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 do, as to lie, to deny himself, both these are impossible to God, Heb. 6.18. Tit. 1.2. and 2 Tim. 2.13. Look then what God hath promised, the same saith Abraham from a rare experience, and proof of his power, He is [able] also to perform, Rom. 4.21. Be ye therefore strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience, and longsuffering, with joyfulness, Col. 1.11.

3 ^lie . And lastly, Hope is corroborate, and receiveth strength, charitate adoptionis, by the consideration of the divine love of Adoption. Behold, saith that very Disciple whom Christ loved, & who had his very bosom, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God, 1 Job. 3.1. Rom. 8.15. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, father, compare Gal. 4.5, 6. And now, my dear brethren, since, 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, we are in the hands of a dear Father, even as dear children, and that He spareth us as a father doth the son that serveth him, passing by, & hiding his face from many transgressions, which of infirmity, or 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 darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, Col. 1.12, 13, 14. Having then these promises, dearly beloved, and sharing in such privileges as these are, I cannot but say with that Orthodox Father, S. Austin, Erigat ergo, se humana fragilitas, non desperet, non se collidat, non se vertat, non dicat, non ero, &c. Let human frailty stir up it self, and not be cast down with despair, let it not break it self, or dash upon that dangerous conclusion of [I shall not be] namely, in favor again with God: What? never in favor? not a dearly beloved Son with a dearly loving Father? Consider, what is it that God hath promised thee? O thou mortal man, is it not life eternal? is it not that thou (believing) shouldst be where Christ the First-borne himself is? O believe, believe, plus est quod jam fecit, quam quod promisit, loe, saith Austin, he hath actually already done more (after a sort) than what he hath promised: Why, what hath God done? He hath died 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 eternal (though not as eternal) should become mortal, than that He who is in his nature mortal, should become eternal, to wit, in a state of glory: Now the first of these we believe, namely, that he who was God shed his blood, and died; why, then believe that God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened 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 soul-cheering expressions, be still dejected: consider God the Father, who promiseth life unto thee, hath styled himself 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 styled 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 forever, Joh. 14 17. & Joh. 15.26. the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , rendered out of the Original, 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 soul is under temptaion, or drooping for sin, the spirit of God the Comforter erecteth, cheereth, exciteth, and reviveth it by alleging, as it were, the Privileges of the promises, which in the right understanding, and in the due application of them, ease the burden of the Conscience loaden with sin; the spirit being therefore styled The holy spirit of promise, Eph. 1.14. because he cleareth, assureth, and sealeth up the Title, and Confirmation of them to the souls of the Elect, co-witnessing with their spirits, that they are the sons 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 aim of S. John in my Text, is to prevent, and to anticipate the fear of discomfort that probably might surprise 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 unrighteousness (at least in the remainders) within them, sanctification in this life being only Inchoate, not Consummate, and the Apostle expressly granting, that all unrighteousness was sin, lest they might (privy to themselves of sin (suspect, out of a pious jealousy) 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. verse. 8. including himself (though an Apostle) as well as other Saints, he declares expressly, If we say that we have no sin, what then? not, we are proud, and so have no humility in us: But we deceive ourselves, and lie, and so the truth is not in us; and to the same purpose S. Cyprian makes his observation upon the conjoining together of those two Petitions in the Lord's 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 beg 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 offense, and blasphemy 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 God's formidable Judgment thereupon) capable of repentance, no more is it of remission, or forgiveness: 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 temporal only, but eternal. O royal privilege! O mercy incomprehensible! A regenerate soul sinneth not unto death? Surely Solomon could not show the Queen of Sheba so much treasure in all the glory of his Kingdom, as is lapped up in these few words: and O that God would open this Ark of mercy, wherein this Doctrine lieth, and set it wide before the eyes of poor afflicted Consciences, which like Noah's Dove fly up and down upon the water of their afflictions, and can see nothing but only the gulf, and deluge of their sins, wherein there is no place for them to rest their feet: I say, and pray, as devout Hooker, the God of Pitty, and Compassion, give every tempted soul faith, and strength, and courage, every day, and every hour, and every moment, to embrace, and to lay hold upon this truth, sweeter by far then honey, or the honey-comb, dropping and distilling, yea diffusing comfort, even joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Whosoever then finds in himself any sound note of election, and regeneration, that man may assure himself he hath not committed, no nor can commit this deadly, and unpardonable sin: let me epitomize the larger enumeration of such signs under the short abridgment of these few heads.

• 1. Peccati displicentia, dislike of sin, godly sorrow for sin, striving against sin, though his falls have been fowl even against knowledge, he may be assured he is free from this sin.
• 2. A second may be Veritatis Amor, Cordial love of Evangelical Truth, if that still be dear 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 general 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 God's Elect, Tit. 1.1. consisting not only in a bare naked knowledge, but also in the acknowledging of the Truth, which is after godliness, specially applying the promises of grace through Jesus Christ to himself in particular, Gal. 2.20. This faith, though little in regard of the measure, yet being sound in regard of the Truth, it's alike precious in all the Saints, 2 Pet. 1.1. nor will God quench the smoking flax, Isa. 42.3. Matth. 12.20. Though there may for a time appear more smoke 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 natural endowments, or moral habiliments, or for the mere emoluments, or ornaments of Fortune, all which are but pompatica, & volatica, as one calls them, the trappings, and dresses, like unto flatulent chaff, 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, we shall never fall from election, or (whilst they are in their vigrous 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 self; but likewise Certitudine subjecti, as it is in the use of the right means, manifested to our own breasts by God's spirit; we have then an evidence, that we are in state of present grace, and so are borne of GOD, and by consequent sin not unto death.

[unspec Use 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 apparent of malice against our persons; yet if not, for Grace-sake, fear to censure of this sin unto Death: It's not ingenuous to be like Porcupines darting quills of censure on men's spiritual states, or but doubtful actions: the carriage of our Savior 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 business 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 criminal, and capital; if not, then he had spoken against Moses, and the Law, and by that have brought himself in danger; but our Savior, to divert the importunity of so many entangling questions, v. 6, & 8. He stooped down, and with 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 wickedness, 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 Savior would have false accusations written in dust, to be trodden under foor of those that pass by, take we heed how we judge rash judgment of another man's state, or conscience, presume not to sit in God's Consistory, every man stands, or falls, in point of his souls judgment to the Supreme Lawgiver, Judge therefore nothing, before the time, that God, who alone judgeth righteous Judgment, doth discover all secrets, and actions, whether they be good, or whether they be evil: 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, 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 heinous than another, there are some stains: Cant: 4. and in Isa: 1.18. sins of a scarlet die, some sins against the Body: 1 Cor. 6.18. others against the soul, Prov: 3.36. some y moats, and some beams, some 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 evil: Eccles: 8.11. There are sins of ignorance, for which atonement 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 reigning: 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 sum, sins m • y be said to arise in haynousnes 3. manner of ways. 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 adultery is more heinous, 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 murder, reproachful railing higher, but actual embruing hands in blood, still much more enormous: wanton looks dispose to adultery, unchaste gestures more, but the act of uncleanes foulest 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 sacrilege, and reducible under the breach es of the first precept, 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 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 willfully more dangerous: Heb: 10.26. For the manner, to sin in secret, Eph: 5.12. fearful, but to declare sins openly as Sodom, Isa. 3.9. far more heinous; once to fail in duty to come • it drunkenes, its sinful, 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 still heightens the odious abomination: For the issues, thus conceive, scandalous sins are greater, and those by whom many exemplary are defiled, Heb: 12.15. than others that stick in the person singly, and by himself: I might be very copious under these several head • : But I consider the great affairs now following.

And indeed, this is the constant Doctrine of our Churches, however the Roman Catholics charge us with a kind of stoichism in this point, as if we made all sins equal: The stoicks, to whose Fate Tully in his Paradoxes seems to incline, had as the Jovinians since them a fond opinion, that all fins were equal, none more grievous than others, yea as greatly sins He, Qui gallum gallinacium, as Qui Patrem interficit, who killed a Cock, as He who show his Father; A sentense devised by them, to keep men in more awe, and to make them have care to shun even the least sins, since all were of equal haynousnes among them; but indeed, it is the high way • o profanes; and the Scripture is express against this parility, (as Saint Jerome expresseth it) and for the * inequality of sins, Joh: 19.11. our Savior saith of Judas, who delivered him into the hands, and power of Pilate, 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 Infidel, 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 Savior himself speaks of a more easy, and a more tolerable state at the day of Judgment. Matt: 11.22.24. there is a greater, and there is a less 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 a righteous Judge, proportions the measure of punishments according to the measure, and degree of sinning; some sins there are which the Lord out of hit longanimity, and patience, after a sort, passeth by as not seeing them, Act: 17.30. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 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, Gen: 4.10. the grievous sin of Sodom, Gen. 18.20. so likewise oppression, Exod: 3.7 and 22, 23. and the defrauding laborers of their • i • e. Jam. 5.4: there is a fullness 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 fullness of wrath came to the uttermost. 1 Thes. 2.16.

But, however upon these testimonies, it be clear, that this Stoiscisme be falsely 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 all Adulterers not alremorsle • , and • mpenitent, sinners: and they shall know, one day, that there is a difference of sins, when God shall injudgment inflict heavier damnation.

[unspec 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 venial?

[unspec Answ.] To this the answer lieth thus, though the distinction of mortal, and venial, 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 human infirmity, as impertinent thoughts, idle words, wanton glances, &c. such as these are pardonable in themselves, at most, are made expiable by some cemporary sufferings, even without repentance properly taken either here, or in purgatory, mortal, in their sense, are such only as are of the grossest kind, and which do vastare conscientiam, wound and wast the conscience, as Murder, Treason, Sacrilege, &c.

Now, Brethren, the Orthodox right meaning of the distinction is, in sum this: sins are said to be mortal, or venial, either in their own natural merit, and desert, or else in the event, and issue: If we look to the natural merit of every sin, yea though it be but a thought of foolishness, it is mortal, deserving the curse, Gal: 3.10. and eternal death, Rom: 6.23. Yet in the event, and issue, some sins are venial, that is, capable of pardon, yea, all and every sin incident into the elect, and into the adopted Sons, and Daughters of God; murder, and adultery, sins mortal by desert, yet venial, and actually pardoned to David in the event, because his Person was accepted into favor with God; Blasphemy, and persecution, sins mortal in their desert, yet both these, in the event pardoned unto Saint Paul, being a chosen vessel of salvation unto God; so was Peters perjury, and the denial of his Master; yea, universally all sins, all manner of sins, of what kind soever, are pardonable to God's elect by Christ, yea actually all pardoned to them who are really, & indeed incorporate into Christ Jesus, Rom: 8.2. And surely, (Beloved) Christ teaching us that we ourselves should forgive until seventy times seven times, after a sort, gives us notice, (as a great 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 merciful, 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 weakness of God is stronger then men; if there were any sin greater, than could be remitted, then the weakness 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 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 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, and cleansed, or the guilt thereof, through the offense of God, and behold, neither is that at all imputed to them, ver. 2.16. as the blood of the pascal Lamb wherewith the two side-posts, and the upper door post of the House, wherein it was to be eaten, Exod: 12: 7. (in tipe of Christ the true Passover, as he is styled: 1 Cor: 5.7.) was stricken, saved the owners from the stroke of the destroying Angel; so doth the blood of sprinkling of J • sus Christ, cleanse the Conscience from dead works, Heb: 9.14.

To conclude, if our sins be as moats in our eyes, and cause them to water. Loe, God hath his handkercheif, wherewith He wipes all tears from our eyes, Rev: 7.7: are they menstruous? he hath his hyssop, wherewith to wash, and to make us clean, Psal: 51.7. If they be of a scarlet die, yet He hath his fullers sope to whiten the Conscience as white as snow, when our Savior in the Garden sweat but [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 Cross, for there He sweat not [like] unto blood, but blood and water, water to wash away the sins of our daily infirmities, and blood to purge our sins in grain, and a deeper color 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 God's 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 the eyes of their understanding were as bright as the Sun, that they might thoroughly 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 Cajetan expounds it, with a touch of final 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, they cannot (under such a state of Regeneration) sin unto death: Behold Christ, whose suit God never denied: 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 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 lawful 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 some blessing from Heaven to God's Saints behind me, that my lips like the Spouse of Christ may drop as the Honey comb, wherein there is both mel, & cera, Honey to sweeten, and with all wax to enlighten) all you, (my Dearly Beloved Countrymen, and longed for in the Lord) you who are born of God, you shall be all kept by God's own power through faith, and salvation, be all guided by his Counsel, and at last be brought home to his Glory. Even so be it, Amen, Amen.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

Amen.

A word to the present Occasion, and so an end.

IT may now be expected, happily on some hands, that I should take upon me to exhort these learned, reverend, and religious Judges, but truly I dare not make so bold; I can say it upon my own knowledge of them, that they are such as who do desire to serve God in their generation faithfully, (within their station) and to do all impartial Justice even for Justice sake; What the Scriptures (out of which I must have ordered my speech unto them) direct for the Work, and Duty of such Eminent Magistrates, their Practice is an exact Comment upon it: Wherefore, let us all (I am sure the men of my profession have great reason so to do) bless God (by whose providence, and power they sit in Judgment) for them, end enlarge our devotiont for the support and continuation of them: They will observe what is said in my Text; that as there is a sin unto Death, so also a sin not unto Death, and will themselves (as God's with Men) temper Mercy with Justice, Hab. 3.2.

As to M. High Sheriff, he, as he is descended of a Family of a good extraction, so he is an honorer of Magistracy, as is conspicuous to all who view this goodly Posse Comitatus now in his Retinew, many of quality; lovers (as himself, who cannot but be a Leader therein) of the right Religion, of the purity of God's Ordinances, and of their Country: He will not but ennoble himself by doing acts worthy of his station, in advancing the glory of God, in his Person, in his Family, and before all; that so striving as Boaz, to do worthily in Ephratah, he shall be famous in his Bethlehem.

As to the grand Jury, upon your fidelity and trust, almost the whole transaction of this solemn, public meeting resteth: Gentlemen, men of good report, and repute, men of truth, and fearing God will do like themselves, be tender of God's honor, by a strict enquiry after the Blasphemers of God's name, his precious Ordinances, Gospel, and worship, or whatsoever is contrary to the life, and power of godliness, or to the peace, and prosperity of this Commonwealth: But if indeed I might set a special Accent upon my intimations to them, it shall be with the most sharpest perspicacity to make a disquisition, and discovery of those grand Incendiaries of the Chrstian world, the brood of Jesuits, who like Serpents creep into every angle, and under variety of shapes, into most Assemblies in the Land, having Jesus in their Name, and lips, but Abaddon, and Apollyon in their hearts: In my conscience, I am persuaded, they have been instrumentally (though in a clandestine, and imperceptible way) the raysers and fomenters of the greatest part of all the rueful divisions, and distractions that have been among us: I have heard some persons of quality say, That most of the English Seminaries abroad are become empty, that perhaps, there may be the more Emissaries to deceive at home, God of his goodness unmasque them, those secret Satan's transformed like to Angels of light, and deliver seduced souls.

As to the petty Jurers, Witnesses, and others employd in the present public affairs, be advised, and Take heed what ye do; Perjury the God of Truth will not hold guiltless; remember, it's a degree, and a great step towards this sin unto Death, to offend against knowledge, chiefly if it be of malicious wickedness (as ye heard but now) distinguish between the Person and the Cause, know, God will not be mocked, He is omniscient, views your most secret purposes, aims, and intentions; He is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as Agapetus once said to Justinian, and understanding full of many eyes; labor then to be affected with the consideration thereof, and be as the Sun and Moon in the Heavens, faithful witnesses, quit yourselves like honest men, and conscientious Christians.

To all the people of God in general I say, Eschew evil, do good, which two make up a true Nathanael, and an Israelite indeed; as yet, the Candlestick of the Church is among us, and lights shining in the same, O rejoice in those lights whilst they are among you; Commit not by your unfruitfulness, or unthankfulness, that the Kingdom of heaven be taken from you: Cherish grace by those sanctified means by which the Lord at first conveyed it into your hearts, own, and honor those allowed public instruments, who as the Lord's Ambassadors brought the treasure of the glorious Gospel unto you, though but in earthen Vessels, least God in judgment send you a Famine, if not of Bread and of water, yet of hearing the word of the Lord, even that word of truth, which is able to save your souls: Take heed of sinning against light, or against your own experience of God's goodness diffused in the Ordinances; shun spiritual pride, the inordinate overweening, and admiration of self-excellencies, the Mother, and Nurse of most, or of all soul-distempers, it's a sin now reigning above many, it makes the soul most unlike to God, and most of all like unto the Devil; yea, rather be ye clothed with humility, and let that be your Ornament, which is both the receptacle, and conserver of all true grace, and that wherein the Spirit, and God of all grace taketh up a cheerful and a cheering Rest, keeping the soul and consciences from the sin unto death.

And so the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Unto whom with thee, O Father, and thine Eternal Spirit, be all praise, honor, and immortal glory, both now and forever. Amen.

Christian Reader, If any faults have escaped the Press (the Author being absent when this pious learned Sermon was printing) thou art desired to correct them with thy pen.