voice in thy afflictions? Doth he send with thy affliction an
interpreter to shew thee thy vileness; and why, or wherefore, the hand of
God is upon thee, and upon what thou hast; to wit, that it is for thy
sinning against him, and that thou mightest be turned to him? If so, thy
summer is not quite ended; thy harvest is not quite over and gone. Take
heed, stand out no longer, lest he cause darkness, and lest thy feet
stumble upon the dark mountains; and lest, while you look for light, he
turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness; Jer. viii.
20; chap. xiii. 15–17.
5. Art thou crossed, disappointed, and way-laid, and overthrown in all
thy foolish ways and doings? This is a sign God has not quite left thee,
but that he still waits upon thee to turn thee. Consider, I say, has he
made a hedge and a wall to stop thee? Has he crossed thee in all thou
puttest thy hand unto? Take it as a call to turn to him, for, by his
thus doing, he shews he has a mind to give thee a better portion. For
usually when God gives up men, and resolves to let them alone in the
broad way, he gives them rope, and lets them have their desires in all
hurtful things; Hos. ii. 6–15; Psalm lxxiii. 3–13; Rom. xi. 9.
Therefore take heed to this also, that thou strive not against this hand
of God; but betake thyself to a serious inquiry into the causes of this
hand of God upon thee, and incline to think, it is because the Lord would
have thee look to that, which is better than what thou wouldst satisfy
thyself withal. When God had a mind to make the prodigal go home to his
father, he sent a famine upon him, and denied him a bellyful of the husks
which the swine did eat. And observe it, now he was in a strait, he
betook him to consideration of the good that there was in his father’s
house; yea, he resolved to go home to his father, and his father dealt
well with him; he received him with music and dancing, because he had
received him safe and sound; Luke xv. 14–32.
6. Hast then any enticing thoughts of the word of God upon thy mind?
Doth, as it were, some holy word of God give a glance upon thee, cast a
smile upon thee, let fall, though it be but one drop of its savour upon
thy spirit; yea, though it stays but one moment with thee? O then the
day of grace is not past! The gate of heaven is not shut! nor God’s
heart and bowels withdrawn from thee as yet. Take heed, therefore, and
beware that thou make much of the heavenly gift, and of that good word of
God of the which he has made thee taste. Beware, I say, and take heed;
there may be a falling away for all this; but, I say, as yet God has not
left thee, as yet he has not cast thee off; Heb. vi. 1–9.
_Secondly_, With respect to thy desires, what are they? Wouldst thou be
saved! Wouldst thou be saved with a thorough salvation? Wouldst thou be
saved from guilt and filth too? Wouldst thou be the servant of thy
Saviour? Art thou indeed weary of the service of thy old master the
devil, sin, and the world? And have these desires put thy soul to
flight? Hast thou through desires betaken thyself to thy heels? Dost
fly to him that is a Saviour from the wrath to come, for life? If these
be thy desires, and if they be unfeigned, fear not. Thou art one of
those runaways which God has commanded our Lord to receive, and not to
send thee back to the devil thy master again, but to give thee a place in
his house, even the place which liketh thee best. “Thou shalt not
deliver to his master,” says he, “the servant which is escaped from his
master unto thee. He shall dwell with thee, even among you in that place
which he shall choose, in one of thy gates where it liketh him best; thou
shalt not oppress him;” Deut. xxiii. 15, 16.
This is a command to the church, consequently to the Head of the church;
for all commands from God come to her through her Head. Whence I
conclude, that as Israel of old was to receive the runaway servant who
escaped from a heathen master to them, and should not dare to send him
back to his master again, so Christ’s church now, and consequently Christ
himself, may not, will not, refuse that soul that has made his escape
from sin, Satan, the world, and hell, unto him, but will certainly let
him dwell in his house, among his saints, in that place which he shall
choose, even where it liketh him best. For he says in another place,
“And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” In no wise, let
his crimes be what they will, either for nature, multitude, or the
attendance of aggravating circumstances.
Wherefore, if thy desires be firm, sound, and unfeigned to become the
saved of Christ, and his servant, fear not, he will not, he will in no
wise put thee away, or turn thee over to thy old master again.
_Thirdly_, As to they fears, whatever they are, let that be supposed
which is supposed before, and they are groundless, and so of no weight.
_Object_. But I am afraid I am not elected, or chosen to salvation,
though you called me fool a little before for so fearing.
_Ans_. Though election is, in order, before calling, as to God, yet the
knowledge of calling must go before the belief of my election as to
myself. Wherefore, souls that doubt of the truth of their effectual
calling, do but plunge themselves into a deeper labyrinth of confusion
that concern themselves with their election; I mean, while they labour to
know it before they prove their calling. “Make your calling, and so your
election, sure;” 2 Pet. i. 4–11.
Wherefore, at present, lay the thoughts of thy election by, and ask
thyself these questions: Do I see my lost condition? Do I see salvation
is nowhere but in Christ? Would I share in this salvation by faith in
him? And would I, as was said before, be thoroughly saved, to wit, from
the filth as from the guilt? Do I love Christ, his Father, his saints,
his words, and ways? This is the way to prove we are elect. Wherefore,
sinner, when Satan, or thine own heart seeks to puzzle thee with
election, say thou, I cannot attend to talk of this point now, but stay
till I know that I am called of God to the fellowship of his Son, and
then I will shew you that I am elect, and that my name is written in the
book of life.
If poor distressed souls would observe this order, they might save
themselves the trouble of an unprofitable labour under these unreasonable
and soul-sinking doubts.
Let us therefore, upon the sight of our wretchedness, fly and venturously
leap into the arms of Christ, which are now as open to receive us into
his bosom, as they were when nailed to the cross. This is coming to
Christ for life aright; this is right running away from thy master to
him, as was said before. And for this we have multitudes of scriptures
to support, encourage, and comfort us in our so doing.
But now, let him that doth thus be sure to look for it, for Satan will be
with him to-morrow, to see if he can get him again to his old service;
and if he cannot do that, then will he enter into dispute with him, to
wit, about whether he be elect to life, and called indeed to partake of
this Christ, to whom he is fled for succour, or whether he comes to him
of his own presumptuous mind. Therefore we are bid, as to come, so to
arm ourselves with that armour which God has provided; that we may
resist, quench, stand against, and withstand all the fiery darts of the
devil; Eph. vi. 11–18.
If, therefore, thou findest Satan in this order to march against thee,
remember then thou hadst this item about it; and betake thyself to faith
and good courage; and be sober, and hope to the end.
_Object_. But how if I should have sinned the sin unpardonable, or that
called the sin against the Holy Ghost?
_Answer_. If thou hast, thou art lost for ever; but yet before it is
concluded by thee that thou hast so sinned, know that they that would be
saved by Jesus Christ through faith in his blood, cannot be counted for
such.
1. Because of the promise, for that must not be frustrated: and that
says, “And him that cometh to Christ, he will in no wise cast out.” And
again, “Whoso will, let him take of the water of life freely;” John vi.
37; Rev. xxi. 6; chap. xxii. 17.
But I say, how can these scriptures be fulfilled, if he that would indeed
be saved, as before, has sinned the sin unpardonable? The scriptures
must not be made void, nor their truth be cast to the ground. Here is a
promise, and here is a sinner; a promise that says he shall not be cast
out that comes; and the sinner comes, wherefore he must be received:
consequently he that comes to Christ for life, has not, cannot have
sinned that sin for which there is no forgiveness.
And this might suffice for an answer to any coming soul, that fears,
though he comes, that he has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost.
2. But again, he that has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost cannot
come, has no heart to come, can by no means be made willing to come to
Jesus Christ for life; for that he has received such an opinion of him,
and of his things, as deters and holds him back.
1. He counteth this blessed person, the Son of God, a magician, a
conjuror, a witch, or one that did, when he was in the world, what he did
by the power and spirit of the devil; Matt. ix. 34; chap. xii. 24, 25,
&c.; Mark iii. 22–30. Now he that has this opinion of this Jesus, cannot
be willing to cast himself at his feet for life, or to come to him as the
only way to God and to salvation. And hence it is said again, that such
an one puts him to open shame, and treadeth him under foot, that is, by
contemning, reproaching, vilifying, and despising of him, as if he were
the vilest one, or the greatest cheat in the world: and has therefore, as
to his esteem of him, called him accursed, crucified him to himself, or
counted him one hanged, as one of the worst of malefactors; Heb. vi. 6;
chap. x. 29; 1 Cor. xii. 3.
2. His blood, which is the meritorious cause of man’s redemption, even
the blood of the everlasting covenant, he counteth an unholy thing, or
that which has no more virtue in it to save a soul from sin than has the
blood of a dog; Heb. x. 29. For when the Apostle says, “he counts it an
unholy thing,” he means, he makes it of less value than that of a sheep
or cow, which were clean according to the law; and therefore must mean,
that his blood was of no more worth to him in his account than was the
blood of a dog, an ass, or a swine, which always was, as to sacrifices,
rejected by the God of heaven, as unholy or unclean.
Now he who has no better esteem of Jesus Christ, and of his death and
blood, will not be persuaded to come to him for life, or to trust in him
for salvation.
3. But further, all this must be done against manifest tokens to prove
the contrary, or after the shining of gospel light upon the soul, or some
considerable profession of him as the Messiah, or that he was the Saviour
of the world.
1. It must be done against manifest tokens to prove the contrary; and
thus the reprobate Jews committed it when they saw the works of God,
which put forth themselves in him, and called them the works of the devil
and Beelzebub.
2. It must be done against some shining light of the gospel upon them.
And thus it was with Judas, and with those who, after they were
enlightened, and had tasted, and had felt something of the powers of the
world to come, fell away from the faith of him, and put him to open shame
and disgrace; Heb. vi. 5, 6.
3. It must also be done after, and in opposition to one’s own open
profession of him. “For if after they have escaped the pollution of the
world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they
are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with
them than the beginning; for it had been better for them not to have
known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn
from the holy commandment (which is the word of faith) delivered unto
them.”
4. All this must be done openly, before witnesses, in the face, sight,
and view of the world, by word and act. This is the sin that is
unpardonable; and he that hath thus done, can never, it is impossible he
ever should be renewed again to repentance, and that for a double reason;
for such an one doth say, he will not; and of him God says, he shall not
have the benefit of salvation by him.
_Object_. But if this be the sin unpardonable, why is it called the sin
against the Holy Ghost, and not rather the sin against the Son of God?
_Answ_. It is called “the sin against the Holy Ghost,” because such
count the works he did, which were done by the Spirit of God, the works
of the spirit of the devil. Also because all such as so reject Christ
Jesus the Lord, they do it in despite of that testimony which the Holy
Ghost has given of him in the holy scriptures; for the scriptures are the
breathings of the Holy Ghost, as in all other things, so in that
testimony they bear of the person, of the works, sufferings,
resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
Sinner, this is the sin against the Holy Ghost. What sayst thou? Hast
thou committed it? Nay, I know thou hast not; if thou wouldst be saved
by Christ. Yea, it is impossible that thou shouldst have done it, if
indeed thou wouldst be saved by him.
No man can desire to be saved by him, whom he yet judgeth to be an
impostor, a magician, a witch. No man can hope for redemption by that
blood which he yet counteth an unholy thing. Nor will God ever suffer
such an one to repent, who has, after light and profession of him, thus
horribly and devil-like contemned and trampled upon him.
True, words and wars and blasphemies against this Son of man are
pardonable; but then they must be done ignorantly and in unbelief. Also
all blasphemous thoughts are likewise such as may be passed by, if the
soul afflicted with them indeed is sorry for them; 1 Tim. i. 13–15; Mar.
iii. 28.
All but this, sinner, all but this! If God had said, he will forgive one
sin, it had been undeserved grace; but when he says he will pardon all
but one, this is grace to the height.
Nor is that one unpardonable otherwise, but because the Saviour that
should save them is rejected and put away.
We read of Jacob’s ladder; Christ is Jacob’s ladder that reacheth up to
heaven, and he that refuseth to go by this ladder thither, will scarce by
other means get up so high.
There is none other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be
saved. There is none other sacrifice for sin than this; he also, and he
only, is the Mediator that reconcileth men to God. And, sinner, if thou
wouldst be saved by him, his benefits are thine; yea, though thou art a
great and Jerusalem transgressor.