The Way to Heaven Discovered, Religious treatise · Stumbling block 15
XV.
The fifteenth ſtumbling block; I have ſinned that unpardonable ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt, that God will not pardon in this life, nor in the life to come, there is no hope for me, Mat. 12. 31, 32. I have ſinned againſt my light, and the checks of mine own conſcience; I have ſinned againſt the experimentall taſtes of ſpirituall things; I have crucified Chriſt afreſh; I have had many blaſphemous thoughts in mine heart; I have fearfully fallen away from my firſt love; and I finde my heart as hard as a ſtone, without all repentance for all this.
Anſw. Originall ſin is the proper ſeed, ſpawn and fountain of this ſin, aſwell as of any other, but every ſinne againſt the light of minde, and checks of conſcience is not that ſinne, Rom. 7. 15, 19. nor every falling away from the firſt love, Revel. 2. 4. Nay farther, the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt is not every blaſphemous temptation, for the deareſt Saints and ſervants of God, have been ſo, as frequent experience doth prove: not every ſinne againſt knowledge is that ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, for the beſt of Gods people have ſo done, Rom. 7. 19, 20. Peter knew he ought not to deny his Lord and Maſter; David knew he ought not to commit adultery, nor kill: yet ſtrength of corruption drew him into both: not every ſinne againſt the truth of Chriſt and the Goſpell is the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, as thoſe in the Church of Corinth, that denyed the Reſurrection, 1 Cor. 15. 12. and thoſe in the Church of Pergamus, that held the Doctrine of Balaam, and the Doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, yet are not accounted hopeleſſe, but invited to repent of their opinions: Neither is it every ſinning againſt the gracious motions, ſtrivings and operations of the Holy Ghoſt: for it is poſſible men may thus ſinne, and ſometimes with an high hand, and yet not ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt, Act. 7. 51, 52. Neither is it ſinning againſt grace received; for the moſt heavenly and gracious ſouls, are daily perplexed with inſeparable and invincible infirmities, as doubts, fears, diſtracting thoughts, diſtempered paſſions, they may and doe too often quench the ſpirit, 1 Theſſ. 5. 19. and grieve him, Epheſ. 4. 29, 30. by ſuppreſſing his good motions: nay, a man may groſly fall and break his bones, yet not quite fall away: as Noah to drunkenneſſe, Gen. 9. 21. Lot to inceſt, Gen. 19. 33. David to murther and uncleanneſſe. I ſuppoſe that theſe are recorded to caution them, that ſtand, that they fall not, and to comfort them that are fallen, that they deſpair not.
Now the Judgements of men are various, as to the nature of this ſinne; ſome ſay it is deſpair, others that it is preſumption, or an obſtinate purpoſe of continuing in ſinne, or a fixed will never to repent: an oppoſing of the known truth, and an envying of our brothers graces, &c. Others ſay that the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt is this, viz. An univerſall, finall, and wilfull falling away from the truth and common graces of the Holy Ghoſt once received and profeſſed, &c. to a malicious, obſtinate, and incurable oppoſition thereof, &c.
(1) Here is the general nature of this ſin [a falling away].
(2) Here is the properties of this falling away.
1. An Univerſall.
2. Finall.
3. Wilfull.
(3) The good from which he fals;
1. From the truth, once received and profeſſed.
2. From the common graces of the Spirit or Holy Ghoſt.
(4.) The evill into which he backſlides, which is threefold.
1. Blaſphemous deſpiting of the Spirit of grace.
2. Horrid contempt and malice againſt the Son of God.
3. Violent perſecution of the way of Chriſtianity.
Now where theſe particulars dwell joyntly, and act vigorouſly, mark that man or woman; for in Scripture ſenſe, that man doth commit the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt; and this is the higheſt ſinne againſt the ſaving remedy; this is to ſin wilfully, m…liciouſly, incurably; this is to crucifie Chriſt afreſh, and to put him to an open ſhame, and to tread him under foot, and to count his bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing, &c. This ſinne never can poſſibly be repented of, for ſo the Apoſtle tels us, Heb 6. 4, 5, 6.
Again, this ſinne is impardonable, ſo Chriſt tels us, the blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghoſt ſhall not be forgiven, n…ither in this world, neither in the world to come, Mat 12. 32. Heb. 10. 26. & Mar. 3. 29.
So this ſinne is damnable, for if it can never be repented, and if it will never be pardoned, it muſt needs alwaies be puniſhed with eternall death and damnation, but ſuch is the love of the Almighty God, that he hath placed that ſinne in ſo high a degree, that moſt men cannot commit that ſinne if they would, for there muſt be knowledge in the minde, and malice in the heart, and that not in an ordinary but in an extraordinary meaſure, or elſe thou canſt not commit that ſinne: Peter had knowledge in his minde, but no malice in his heart, when he denied his Maſter; again, Paul he had malice in his heart, but no knowledge in his minde; ſo that neither Paul nor Peter, ſinned againſt the Holy Ghoſt; but take the malice in Pauls heart, and the knowledge in Peters, and joyne them both together in one man, if that man deny Chriſt with curſing and ſwearing as Peter, and perſecute the Church of Chriſt with Paul; then we may ſafely ſay, that man hath ſinned that unpardonable ſinne. But we may take notice by the way, that thoſe perſons that are truly regenerate and born again, cannot ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, for the Scripture ſaith, that the regenerate ſinne not this great ſinne, Whoſoever is borne of God, ſinneth not, as in 1 Joh. 5. 16, 17, 18.
For if the regenerate might ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, then they might totally and finally fall away from God, but that it is impoſſible, as that Gods Promiſes, Covenant, and faithfulneſſe ſhould fail, or that Gods Spirit, grace, and power preſerving them ſhould be overcome, or that Gods immutable decree for their ſalvation ſhould be ſhaken, ſo that there is a vaſt difference, between the ſinning of a regenerate perſon, and their ſinning that ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt.
1. They that ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, are not, nor cannot be in any fear or trouble, becauſe they have ſinned, but are wickedly hardened; for no perſon that ever ſinned againſt the Holy Ghoſt, either was or could be afraid, perplexed, or troubled in ſpirit about it, ſuch trouble being inconſiſtent with the nature of that ſinne which leaves no place for any religious fear, ſuſpicion, jealouſie, or trouble of heart about it, for they ſinne wilfully, obſtinately, maliciouſly, and blaſphemouſly, without all colour, ſhadow, or poſſibility of remorſe or repentance: the proof, Mat. 12. 31, 32. & Heb. 6. 4. & 10. 6. to the 31.
2. They that ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, are ſuch as are under the raign and dominion of ſinne, ſuch as never had any power of godlineſſe but only a forme, &c.
3. They that ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, apoſtatize and fall away finally, but although regenerate perſons, ſometimes fall wofully, as we have proved before, yet they never fall finally, they alwaies riſe again.
4. They that ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt, were never advanced beyond the degree of hypocrites, as hath been evidenced by regenerate perſons, for they partake of the truth of grace, power of godlineſſe, and life of God: and men nor Devills cannot pluck them out of Chriſts hand
5. They that ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, univerſally fall away both from profeſſion and approbation of truth and grace; but the new born never fall away thus univerſally.
6. They that ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, ſo ſinne, that it is impoſſible to renew them again unto repentance; but they that are regenerate, repent of every ſinne, that they fall into before they die either in generall or particular.
7. They that ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, ſinne wilfully, and maliciouſly; but as hath been cleared, regenerate perſons ſinne out of weakneſſe and infirmity, not of malice or wilfull obſtinacy: they hate the evill which they doe, Rom. 7. 15.
Mr. Francis Roberts in his Book called A Beleevers evidence for eternall life, ſaith it is poſſible that men may fall totally, and finally, and yet not commit this ſinne, unleſſe they alſo fall maliciouſly: theſe three properties of this grand apoſtaſie, 1. Univerſall, 2. Finall, 3. Malicious, muſt be joyntly all together, not disjoyntly or ſeverally one from another, if by them we would deſcribe the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, and rightly underſtand the Scripture about it.
Wherefore to cloſe up my anſwer for the removing of this ſtumbling block, let all poor ſouls forbear a little their hard conceits of themſelves, and ſuſpend their cenſures; for they that have worſt thoughts of themſelves, are not alwaies in the worſt condition; every one that feareth he hath ſinned againſt the Holy Ghoſt, muſt not preſently be concluded to have committed that horrid ſinne of ſinnes; for ſuch ſinnes may ariſe firſt from the weakneſſe, not knowing thy ſtate, or the nature of this ſinne truly and diſtinctly, and partly from Satans wickedneſſe abuſing thy weakneſſe, that ſo, if it were poſſible, he might drive thee to deſpair; but credit neither thy own weakneſſe, nor Satans wickedneſſe, leſt thou bar the door of mercy, that God hath opened ſo wide to thee, and all other trembling miſgiving babes; lay theſe things together, and enter into a ſerious ſearching of thy owne heart, and take the anſwer of thy own conſcience, ſo farre as it is regulated by the Word, and thou wilt preſently finde, that thou haſt not committed this unpardonable ſinne, neither in thought, word, nor deed, &c.