yet not commit that unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost.
1. It is not every quenching of the motions of the Spirit, that is this sin. It is true, when the Holy Ghost comes with a still voice, and knocks at the door of sinners hearts for entrance, he often comes and strives with them, and secretly wooes and beseeches them to leave their sins and be converted; yet they quench and stifle all his motions, and bear up their hearts against him and will not be obedient to the heavenly calls: now such, sin grievously against the Holy Ghost; but yet this alone is not the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost, for many that have stood it out a long time, and have often quenched and grieved the Holy Spirit, yet at last they have been wrought upon unto sincere conversion.
2. A man may commit many hainous and crying sins, and yet not be guilty of the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost. A man may be an idolater, a whoremonger, a fornicator, a murtherer, and work witchcraft, and sin with a very high hand; nay, he may live in all manner of filthiness and lewdness, and yet not be under the guilt of the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost. Thus we read, 2 Chron. xxxiii. that Manasseh sinned with a very high hand; he was an idolater, and inchanter, and worked witchcraft, and dealt with familiar spirits, and wrought much evil in the fight of the Lord. And Mary Magdalen had seven devils cast out of her, Luke viii. 2. and yet both were pardoned.
3. A man may sin presumptuously against great light and knowledge, and yet not commit this sin unto death: For, Peter when he denied Christ, he did it against great knowledge of Christ, he knew Christ to be his Lord and Saviour, he was one of Christ’s beloved disciples, and for all that, how strongly he denied Christ, and that with an oath too; and yetfor
