3 Let him be Anathema Maranatha, was a greater curse then any of those; for in the former Excommunication, though they excluded them from their fellowship, yet they ought not to count them as enemies, but might admonish them, and bring them on to repentance, that they might recover themselves, 2 Thess. 3.14, 15. There was hope of such, for they did therefore excommunicate them that they might be saved, 1 Cor. 5.5. And when it was rightly dispensed, it was a notable means to humble them, when they considered, that if the Church saw cause to banish them from their society, God might see much more cause to banish them from heaven. But yet there was a greater Excommunication, Let him be Anathema Maranatha; that is, let him be accursed until the coming of the Lord; surely then their sin is a sin against the holy Ghost.

3 Let him be Anathema Maranatha, was a greater curse then any of those; for in the former Excommunication, though they excluded them from their fellowship, yet they ought not to count them as enemies, but might admonish them, and bring them on to repentance, that they might recover themselves, 2 Thess. 3.14, 15. There was hope of such, for they did therefore excommunicate them that they might be saved, 1 Cor. 5.5. And when it was rightly dispensed, it was a notable means to humble them, when they considered, that if the Church saw cause to banish them from their society, God might see much more cause to banish them from heaven. But yet there was a greater Excommunication, Let him be Anathema Maranatha; that is, let him be accursed untill the coming of the Lord; surely then their sin is a sin against the holy Ghost.

Obj. Some will say, Paul loved not Christ at first.

Answ. True, He speaks not of men without the Church, but within the Church.

Answ. I take it to be a kind of [Greek or Hebrew], in this slender expression he intends much more then he expresseth; If any man love not; that is, if any man hate the Lord Jesus Christ, if he have partaken in the gifts and graces of Christ, if he have received nor only Baptism, but tasted of the sweetness and goodness of his grace, if after he come to oppose and malign Christ and his ways, Let such a man be Anathema Maranatha.

Answ. I take it to be a kind of 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, in this slender expression he intends much more then he expresseth; If any man love not; that is, if any man hate the Lord Jesus Christ, if he have partaken in the gifts and graces of Christ, if he have received nor onely Baptisme, but tasted of the sweetnesse and goodnesse of his grace, if after he come to oppose and maligne Christ and his wayes, Let such a man be Anathema Maranatha.

Reas. 1. From the despite such persons do to the chief means and help of prayer, one is the Spirit of grace, for the Spirit of grace is the Spirit of supplication, Zech. 12.10. Now they that despite the Spirit of grace, the Spirit is so grieved, that it will not assist us in any prayer we make for such, Heb. 10.29.

Reas. 1. From the despight such persons doe to the chiefe means and help of prayer, one is the Spirit of grace, for the Spirit of grace is the Spirit of supplication, Zech. 12.10. Now they that despight the Spirit of grace, the Spirit is so grieved, that it will not assist us in any prayer we make for such, Heb. 10.29.

Reas. 2. From the like despite they offer to the other principal help of prayer; that is, asking in the name of Christ: upon those two wings our prayers fly up to heaven, viz. upon the mediation of Christ, and the Spirit of grace, with these two they prevail; now these men that sin against the holy Ghost, they make a scorn of Christ, Heb. 10.29. They trample under foot his blood, and put him to open shame, Heb. 6.6. that is, they put him to open and exemplary punishment, as the most notorious malefactor. Now if a man shall know ⟨p. 430⟩Christ, and afterwards hate him, what doth he but show that Christ was a notorious malefactor, and suffered not for other mens sins, but his own? Therefore there is no hope Christ should lend his Name to be a Mediator.

Reas. 2. From the like despight they offer to the other principall help of prayer; that is, asking in the name of Christ: upon those two wings our prayers fly up to heaven, viz. upon the mediation of Christ, and the Spirit of grace, with these two they prevail; now these men that sin against the holy Ghost, they make a scorn of Christ, Heb. 10.29. They trample under foot his blood, and put him to open shame, Heb. 6.6. that is, they put him to open and exemplary punishment, as the most notorious malefactor. Now if a man shall know ⟨p. 430⟩Christ, and afterwards hate him, what doth he but shew that Christ was a notorious malefactor, and suffered not for other mens sins, but his own? Therefore there is no hope Christ should lend his Name to be a Mediator.

Reas. 3. Where Christ is not a sacrifice of propitiation for sins, there be cannot be expected to be an intercessor for such. Now there remains no more sacrifice for such, Heb. 10.27. If the sacrifice of Christ reach not to such, then he will never make intercession for them.

4. From the encouragement God is wont to give his servants in their prayers. He will fulfil the desires of them that fear him, Psal. 145.19. And this is their confidence, that whatsoever they ask in the Name of Christ, they shall receive; and therefore God will not so much dishonour his promise, nor discourage us, as to give us hearts not to pray when we shall be answered; we may pray for wicked men, whom we know not in what condition they are, but then our prayers shall return into our own bosoms, Psal. 35.13. But if men be profest enemies to Christ, then we do not show our selves to be Gods friends, if we show friendship to them, or pray for them, and therefore our prayers will do them no good, and our selves harm.

4. From the incouragement God is wont to give his servants in their prayers. He will fulfill the desires of them that fear him, Psal. 145.19. And this is their confidence, that whatsoever they ask in the Name of Christ, they shall receive; and therefore God will not so much dishonor his promise, nor discourage us, as to give us hearts not to pray when we shal be answered; we may pray for wicked men, whom we know not in what condition they are, but then our prayers shall return into our own bosomes, Psal. 35.13. But if men be profest enemies to Christ, then we doe not shew our selves to be Gods friends, if we shew friendship to them, or pray for them, and therefore our prayers will doe them no good, and our selves harm.

Use 1. To teach us, that sin unto death may be discerned even of common Christians, for else why doth he write to common Christians, to all believers in general, Verse 13. That if his Brother sin a sin unto death, then he should not pray for him?

Ʋse 1. To teach us, that sin unto death may be discerned even of common Christians, for else why doth he write to common Christians, to all believers in generall, Verse 13. That if his Brother sin a sin unto death, then he should not pray for him?

Use 2. It may therefore teach Gods people to learn the nature of this sin, left they pray unawares for such whom their prayers shall do no good. If therefore you see professors that have tasted of the grace of God, if afterward they malign and oppose those ways, and the servants of God, in this case, save your labour in praying for them, your prayers will do no good, but harm.

Ʋse 2. It may therefore teach Gods people to learn the nature of this sin, left they pray unawares for such whom their prayers shall doe no good. If therefore you see professors that have tasted of the grace of God, if afterward they maligne and oppose those wayes, and the servants of God, in this case, save your labour in praying for them, your prayers will doe no good, but harm.

But how shall we discern when they are enlightened and convinced? We may indeed discern their malignity, and opposition, but it may be they do it of ignorance. In this case our Saviour and Stephen prayed for their adversaries, because they knew not what they did; therefore three thousand after they were convinced that it was the Christ whom they had persecuted, they were pricked in their hearts and brought on to repentance. Therefore, if you discern they do this out of ignorance, pray heartily for them.

But how shall we discern when they are inlightned and convinced? We may indeed discern their malignity, and opposition, but it may be they doe it of ignorance. In this case our Saviour and Stephen prayed for their adversaries, because they knew not what they did; therefore three thousand after they were convinced that it was the Christ whom they had persecuted, they were pricked in their hearts and brought on to repentance. Therefore, if you discern they doe this out of ignorance, pray heartily for them.

But how may we discern they commit this against the light and knowledge of the truth?

But how may we discerne they commit this against the light and knowledge of the truth?

Answ. If they do express in their speech and conversation, that they are affected with Christ, and the ways of his grace, and convinced that those are the right ways, and yet afterwards they maliciously oppose those ways, then pray not for them, Mat. 21.28. The Pharisees knew Christ to be the heir, and yet said, Come let us kill him; and in the mean time they said he was a Conjurer, and cast out devils through Beelzebub the Prince of devils, when as they knew he was the Son of God and did it by his own power, therefore Christ tells them, their sins should never be forgiven them. But if they shall go further, and affect the society of Christians, delight to do them good offices, and take the like from them, if such after fall off, and maliciously oppose those ways, they more plainly manifest themselves to have sinned this sin, and therefore pray not for them.

Answ. If they doe expresse in their speech and conversation, that they are affected with Christ, and the wayes of his grace, and convinced that those are the right wayes, and yet afterwards they maliciously oppose those wayes, then pray not for them, Mat. 21.28. The Pharisees knew Christ to be the heir, and yet said, Come let us kill him; and in the mean time they said he was a Conjurer, and cast out devills through Belzebub the Prince of devills, when as they knew he was the Son of God and did it by his own power, therefore Christ tells them, their sins should never be forgiven them. But if they shall go further, and affect the society of Christians, delight to doe them good offices, and take the like from them, if such after fall off, and maliciously oppose those wayes, they more plainly manifest themselves to have sinned this sin, and therefore pray not for them.

Use 3. Shows us the desperate condition of all such as commit this sin, and therefore to bless our selves from it, they are cut off from all means of salvation, a man may neither admonish nor reprove them, nor show them any courtesy, or do any good to them; for if I might, I ought to pray for them, for no office of love ought to be dispensed without prayer; and therefore take heed of all sins against conscience, of all presumptuous sins, and sins of boldness, for they lead to this great transgression, Psal. 19.13. And that you may be kept from presumptuous sins, take heed of secret sins.

Ʋse 3. Shews us the desperate condition of all such as commit this sin, and therefore to blesse our selves from it, they are cut off from all means of salvation, a man may neither admonish nor reprove them, nor shew them any courtesie, or doe any good to them; for if I might, I ought to pray for them, for no office of love ought to be dispensed without prayer; and therefore take heed of all sins against conscience, of all presumptuous sins, and sins of boldnesse, for they lead to this great transgression, Psal. 19.13. And that you may be kept from presumptuous sins, take heed of secret sins.

Use 4. Of direction. If we be Children to Parents, or Wives to Husbands, or Subjects to Kings, and they sin against the holy Ghost, yet they may do civill service and offices towards them, as those that lived under Julian the Apostate; he committed this sin, therefore the Christians prayed against him; but he had many Christians in his Army that doubted whether they might serve him, or acknowledge him as their Emperor, or depose him; it was concluded they might serve him, but yet they prayed that God would take a course against him, as David said, his day shall come on, or he shall descend into the battle and perish; which shows, that if a Prince shall sin this sin, his Subjects ought not to depose him, but to do him offices of service. The like may be said of Children to Parents, and Wives to Husbands, if there be any tie of nature, a may do them civill offices; which confutes that desperate doctrine of the Romish Church, that whosoever denies the Pope to be the Supreme head of the Church, he is to be excommunicated, and then no man is bound in allegiance to him, but that whosoever shall slay such an heretical Prince, shall merit salvation.

Ʋse 4. Of direction. If we be Children to Parents, or Wives to Husbands, or Subjects to Kings, and they sin against the holy Ghost, yet they may do civill service and offices towards them, as those that lived under Julian the Apostate; he committed this sin, therefore the Christians prayed against him; but he had many Christians in his Army that doubted whether they might serve him, or acknowledge him as their Emperor, or depose him; it was concluded they might serve him, but yet they prayed that God would take a course against him, as David said, his day shall come on, or he shall descend into the battle and perish; which shews, that if a Prince shall sin this sin, his Subjects ought not to depose him, but to doe him offices of service. The like may be said of Children to Parents, and Wives to Husbands, if there be any tye of nature, a may doe them civill offices; which confutes that desperate doctrine of the Romish Church, that whosoever denyes the Pope to be the Supreme head of the Church, he is to be excommmunicated, and then no man is bound in allegiance to him, but that whosoever shall slay such an hereticall Prince, shall merit salvation.