but then they fall through weakness or infirmity, and not wilfully or maliciously: but these wicked wretches fall wilfully and maliciously, and so fall finally. ⟨against⟩ such, the door of mercy is ever shut; concerning such. St. Peter said, It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they had known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them; but it happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is returned to his vomit again, and the few that was wasted, to her wallowing in the mire, 2 Pet. ii. 21, 22. There is a dreadful place in scripture against these kind of apostates, that is, Heb. x. 26. For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation. Thus have I given you five steps as so many links in a chain, all which make up the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost. It is a wilful and malicious opposing of the known truth, joined with final apostacy. Thus have I shewed you, as plain as I can, what this sin unto death is.
Secondly. The next thing to be considered is, That all other sins or blasphemies whatsoever may be forgiven; be our sins never so great and many, though we be the vilest wretches that ever lived, yet there is hope of pardon upon repentance. Manasseh was the vilest wretch that ever we read of, yet he repented and was pardoned; also Mary Magdalen was the chief of sinners, for out of her came seven devils, yet, because she loved much, much was forgiven her. A man may be a whoremonger, an adulterer, and work witchcraft, and deal with familiar spirits, and yet at last he may repent and be saved; and yet I have heard talk of some that are so foolish as to take the sin of fornication for an unpardonable sin, from God’s own words in the fourth commandment. I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers,upon
