Fifthly: Where do you find in all the Bible, That those that sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost, are afraid that they have sinned it? those that sin against the Holy Ghost, are never afraid that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost. This alone satisfied Mistress Drake, a Woman much troubled in Conscience, she was afraid she had sinned against the Holy Ghost; Mr. Dod, of blessed Memory, came to her, and told her, That therefore she had not sinned the Sin against the Holy Ghost, Because she feared she had sinned it; for those that sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost, are never afraid that they have sinned it; and she acknowledged, it did satisfy her, and she was thereupon comforted. Now therefore, where is the man or woman that hath laboured under such a fear as this? O! I have sinned this unpardonable Sin! Art thou one that fearest thou hast sinned it? I tell thee from the Lord, thou art free from it; and thou mayest go home, and say thus: Though I have sinned much, for which the Lord humble me, yet I bless God I am kept from this great Sin: And O! my beloved, what a mercy is it, That among all the sins that we have committed, That yet we should be kept from this great Sin? The greater the evil is, the greater is the mercy to be kept from it. Now I pray, What is the misery of this Sin? Is it not a great misery to be past Prayer, to be thrown out of the Prayers of the Saints? For such a one pray not, saith the Apostle. Is it not a great misery for a man to be beyond the line of Mercy? a man that hath sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost, is worser Spiritually, than a man that is sick of the Plague outwardly; for if a man be sick of the Plague, ye pray for him, and say, Lord, have mercy upon him; but if a man have sinned this Sin, he is past Prayer, and past Pardon, he is past Sacrifice; the truth is, this man is in the Devils case: The Devil, you know, is reserved in Chains unto the great Day, and he cannot get out: So, if a man hath sinned this Sin, though he live ten years, twenty years, or thirty years, he is reserved in Chains, and he shall never be pardoned, he is upon the Devils ground. O! what a misery is it to commit this Sin! O! what a mercy is it then to be kept from it! Now here is Hope for the greatest Sinner in the Congregation upon this account:
Fiftly: Where do you find in al the Bible, That those that sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost, are afraid that they have sinned it? those that sin against the Holy Ghost, are never afraid that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost. This alone satisfied Mistriss Drake, a Woman much troubled in Conscience, she was afraid she had sinned against the Holy Ghost; Mr. Dod, of blessed Memory, came to her, and told her, That therefore she had not sinned the Sin against the Holy Ghost, Because she feared she had sinned it; for those that sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost, are never afraid that they have sinned it; and she acknowledged, it did satisfie her, and she was thereupon comforted. Now therefore, where is the man or woman that hath labored under such a fear as this? O! I have sinned this unpardonable Sin! Art thou one that fearest thou hast sinned it? I tel thee from the Lord, thou art free from it; and thou maist go home, and say thus: Though I have sinned much, for which the Lord humble me, yet I bless God I am kept from this great Sin: And O! my beloved, what a mercy is it, That among all the sins that we have committed, That yet we should be kept from this great Sin? The greater the evil is, the greater is the mercy to be kept from it. Now I pray, What is the misery of this Sin? Is it not a great misery to be past Prayer, to be thrown out of the Prayers of the Saints? For such a one pray not, saith the Apostle. Is it not a great misery for a man to be beyond the line of Mercy? a man that hath sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost, is worser Spiritually, than a man that is sick of the Plague outwardly; for if a man be sick of the Plague, ye pray for him, and say, Lord, have mercy upon him; but if a man have sinned this Sin, he is past Prayer, and past Pardon, he is past Sacrifice; the truth is, this man is in the Devils case: The Devil, you know, is reserved in Chains unto the great Day, and he cannot get out: So, if a man hath sinned this Sin, though he live ten yeers, twenty yeers, or thirty yeers, he is reserved in Chains, and he shal never be pardoned, he is upon the Devils ground. O! what a misery is it to commit this Sin! O! what a mercy is it then to be kept from it! Now here is Hope for the greatest Sinner in the Congregation upon this account:
