work of the Spirit. Now for a man to be thoroughly enlightened by the Holy Ghost, that he comes to know the evil of sin, and his lost and undone condition without Christ, and that none but the merits of Christ can save him; and notwithstanding wilfully and maliciously oppose him, and the work of his Spirit, and refuse to be beholden to him for salvation; now for such a one, I say, to be forgiven, is utterly impossible.
Object. But why is it impossible? Nothing is impossible with God?
Answ. Nothing is impossible with God, that does not imply a contradiction: but that God will forgive the sin committed against the Holy Ghost, implies a contradiction: For how can he have pardon given him that utterly rejects it? As for instance———.
A man through ignorance may deny Christ, (nay, maliciously fall from the profession of the truth into all kind of wickedness, as did St. Paul, and the Jews that crucified Christ) yet not falling against light and knowledge, there is room for the Holy Ghost to work upon him, to enlighten him, and to convince him of his folly, and so make way for conversion. But for a man, when he is once enlightened by the Holy Ghost, and has had some taste of God’s love and favour, and some foretaste of the joys of heaven, and then at last, utterly opposing this illuminating work of the Spirit, wilfully and maliciously to fall away, and so to reject the Spirit’s renewing work; alas! then the Holy Ghost is done, he has nothing more then that he can work in him, for this wretched creature has utterly rejected him, his enlightening work, his convincing work, his sanctifying work; he has utterly rejected Christ’s pardon, heaven and all. Now this poor wretch is part all hopes of mercy, all hopes of pardon; nay, for such a one we are forbidden to pray; as you see in the verse whereof my text is a part. Now Christ prayed for them that maliciously crucified him, Lukexxiii.
