tion to them, and hath not given them any cause to despair. And if you say, that by a causeless or mere penal despair they may be brought to it here, I must needs say, that I never knew, nor heard, nor read of any such, that by total desperation were brought to a total apostasy of heart, and absolute hatred of God, or the Redeemer. But other apostates we know too many.

If any think that these answers that I have given do not free this text, Heb. vi., from a seeming contradiction to Matt. xii., unless we take all total apostasy to be the sin against the Holy Ghost, and so give it another description than I have done, I leave them to consider whether that saying, "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven," may not be meant as Grotius expounds it, not as affirming them remissible but easier to be remitted, or nearer to it: as Luke expresseth that by, "It is easier for heaven and earth," &c., which Matthew expressed by, "Heaven and earth shall pass," &c. I mention not this as my own opinion, nor yet as taking the exposition of the following clause in his way, to be so probable as this; viz. that, unpardonableness is but hardly pardoned: but it is this clause alone that I speak of.

And though, in the point of irrèmissibleness, I have told you my own thoughts already, as being loth to strain such express words as those that say, "This sin shall not be forgiven;" yet, if any should bring such reasons as should force me from that exposition, that which seems next to it in probability is this following: That it is Christ's purpose here to signify the reason why infidelity is the unpardonable sin. As if he should say, "If I had not done the works which no man else could do, and manifested fully the attestation of God by these miracles and works of the Holy Ghost, then you might have been saved by your former belief in the Messiah, without believing determinately that I am he: but now if you believe not that I am he, when I have showed you the attestation of God, you shall die in your sins, unpardoned.

And thus it should make only final unbelief against the Spirit's testimony to be unpardonable, and, therefore, unpardonable because the testimony is so full. This exposition supposeth that if Christ had not sealed his doctrine with such a Spirit and such works, then men might have been saved on those terms on which salvation was before attainable, that is, among the Jews, by believing in the Messiah to come, indeterminately.

Near unto this also is the following exposition, which taketh

lief of the matter of fact, and yet believe not Messiah or Mediator, it is hard to conceive on

THE HOLY

them, and hath not given them ar

say, that by a causeless or mere pe

read of any such, that by total desperat.
ht to it here, I must needs say, that I
hese answers that I have given do not free
But other apostates we know too many.
of heart, and absolute hatred

apostasy

a seeming contradiction to Matt. xii.,
her description than I have done,
ther that saying, "All manner of
ostasy to be the sin against the Holy
rgiven" may not be meant as
ng them remissible but easier
Which Matthew expressed
Lake expresseth that by,

grounds he can do it than as against the Holy Gh
4. However, because this text is very dreadfr
dertake to prove any total apostate free from
it to a better expositor, having found out th
edly this sin; and the case of such ap
very dreadful, if it be not this sin that th
fled so far from grace as they have dor
that ever they should be restored:
permitted true believers to apostati
one regeneration, but one baptism
think there is but one resu
that it were most likely that
from which they could not be
have said, I see not but the
posing the sin to be poss
danger of, and should fall
enings did not prevent i
event, because by these
Obj. But why shou'
tions, and practice,
total as to the und
aggravation of sin
most like to the
apostates from

Answ. 1. If out that of th excuse it fro

phemy

, if he had ardoned without a epentance for sins of asphemy of the testimony ed without a particular repentmight live and die in the former, a the latter. If this extend only to the discovery of Christ's works before, al belief in the Messiah, then it is near to cion. But if it extend to the gentiles that blasphemy the Messiah at all, and suppose them to have inquiry. entance on which they are forgiven without faith 2. It ea, forgiven their rejecting of Christ, in case they we musof his person, sufferings, and doctrine, without his 3. then it goeth much further than the first exposition. apos that in all these expositions it is agreed, that though aspheming of the Holy Ghost be not a sin against

bet

he

a

ever

and belief, (as others think,) that is, a sin of the will ongue against the judgment, as at present convinced, yet a sin against the highest means of knowledge and It is not believing when they have the fullest evidence

force belief, though it be not a blaspheming of what they do

deed believe.

THE HOLY GHOST.

the sum of all into a few words, for the sake of
This much is out of doubt with me, that this
eting of the objective testimony of the Spirit
attesting Christ's doctrine, as being the
tive remedy of unbelief. The three
ty have each one their several ways
he remission of his sin, and there
'nst each of them, as men sin
we had sinned against the
s his Son to be our Re-
our pardon, together
ion, and the giving
ones. The Son
the world a con-
.ch his word and Spirit,
s his work for our pardon,
ne Spirit enditeth and sealeth
n, by mighty works, and importu-
ers to accept it. If it be accepted,
y Ghost do actually pardon us. If it be

them, and hath not given them any cause to des say, that by a causeless or mere penal despair t ht to it here, I must needs say, that I never knew, ad of any such, that by total desperation were postasy of heart, and absolute hatred of But other apostates we know too many. swers that I have given do not free wing contradiction to Matt. xii., ption than I have done, be the sin against the Holy ying, "All manner of not be meant as sible but easier h that by pressed

isas

erely as sent by the word of the Son, we sin Jon by unbelief. If it be not accepted or believed,

and urged by the Spirit, (yea, or if sealed extrinsically ,,) then it is the sin against the Spirit, supposing that seal be iscerned and considered of, and yet resolvedly rejected. So that here are three, the last remedying means rejected at once. When man was fallen, the Father provideth a sacrifice for his sin, and but one sacrifice: the Son tendereth to us a remedying covenant, and but one such covenant. The Spirit of Christ, especially in his extraordinary works, is the convincing, attesting seal, to draw men to believe, and there is but one such Spirit and seal. He that sinned against the law of works, hath all these remedies in their several orders. But if But if you refuse this one sacrifice, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin. If you refuse this one remedying covenant, there is no other covenant after it to be expected: and if you refuse this sealing and sanctifying Spirit, which would draw you into the covenant, there is no other spirit or seal to be expected. Thus much is out of doubt: and, therefore, he that finally continueth to refuse this sacrifice, covenant, and seal of the Spirit, shall perish for ever.

But then, whether the text further mean that he that doth once, or at any time, refuse this Spirit, shall be certainly given

the word "forgiven" in the text, for the conditional grant of forgiveness as it is given out by God in Christ; as a grant of pardon under the Sovereign's hand is commonly called a pardon, though but conditional, especially when the condition is but acceptance, as in our case; which usually runs in the terms of an absolute grant. As if Christ should have said, "If you sin against the Creator's moral law, you shall have a pardon in my blood, on condition you will believe. If you will not believe upon the sight of my person, and hearing of my doctrine only, I will vouchsafe you the remedy of my miracles, and those works of the Spirit which are the very finger of God discovered to you. But if you will not by this remedy be brought to believe, you shall never have a pardon upon another condition, nor ever have a higher objective remedy to cure your infidelity, that so you may have pardon thereof.

Yet this exposition supposeth that there may be an after success of the same remedy, though no grant of another; and so a pardon thereupon be received.

:

Some go further, and expound it thus; as if all blasphemy against Christ's manhood, and all rejecting of him, if he had done those extraordinary works, should be pardoned without a particular repentance, by the general repentance for sins of ignorance. But this rejecting and blasphemy of the testimony of the Spirit shall not be pardoned without a particular repentance and consequently a man might live and die in the former, and yet be saved, but not in the latter. If this extend only to the Jews that had not the discovery of Christ's works before, and that had a general belief in the Messiah, then it is near to the former exposition. But if it extend to the gentiles that have no faith in the Messiah at all, and suppose them to have actually a repentance on which they are forgiven without faith in Christ, yea, forgiven their rejecting of Christ, in case they hear only of his person, sufferings, and doctrine, without his miracles, then it goeth much further than the first exposition.

Note, that in all these expositions it is agreed, that though this blaspheming of the Holy Ghost be not a sin against knowledge and belief, (as others think,) that is, a sin of the will and tongue against the judgment, as at present convinced, yet is it ever a sin against the highest means of knowledge and belief. It is not believing when they have the fullest evidence to force belief, though it be not a blaspheming of what they do indeed believe.

To gather the sum of all into a few words, for the sake of weak memories. This much is out of doubt with me, that this sin lieth in the rejecting of the objective testimony of the Spirit extraordinarily then attesting Christ's doctrine, as being the highest and last objective remedy of unbelief. The three persons in the blessed Trinity have each one their several ways of recovering man, and for the remission of his sin, and there are several ways of sinning against each of them, as men sin against their dispensations. When we had sinned against the Creator and his perfect law, he gave us his Son to be our Redeemer. There was his proper work for our pardon, together with the acceptance of the price of redemption, and the giving us into the hands of his Son, as his redeemed ones. The Son made satisfaction to justice, and sent forth to the world a conditional pardon under his hand and seal, with his word and Spirit, to persuade them to accept it. This is his work for our pardon, antecedent to our believing. The Spirit enditeth and sealeth this written, delivered pardon, by mighty works, and importuneth the hearts of sinners to accept it. If it be accepted, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost do actually pardon us. If it be not accepted merely as sent by the word of the Son, we sin against the Son by unbelief. If it be not accepted or believed, as sealed and urged by the Spirit, (yea, or if sealed extrinsically only,) then it is the sin against the Spirit, supposing that seal be discerned and considered of, and yet resolvedly rejected. So that here are three, the last remedying means rejected at once. When man was fallen, the Father provideth a sacrifice for his sin, and but one sacrifice: the Son tendereth to us a remedying covenant, and but one such covenant. The Spirit of Christ, especially in his extraordinary works, is the convincing, attesting seal, to draw men to believe, and there is but one such Spirit and seal. He that sinned against the law of works, hath all these remedies in their several orders. But if you refuse this one sacrifice, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin. If you refuse this one remedying covenant, there is no other covenant after it to be expected and if you refuse this sealing and sanctifying Spirit, which would draw you into the covenant, there is no other spirit or seal to be expected. Thus much is out of doubt: : and, therefore, he that finally continueth to refuse this sacrifice, covenant, and seal of the Spirit, shall perish for ever.

But then, whether the text further mean that he that doth once, or at any time, refuse this Spirit, shall be certainly given