第 21 节
作者:青涩春天      更新:2024-04-07 21:07      字数:7728
  whether he comes to him of his own presumptuous mind。  Therefore we
  are bid; as to come; so to arm ourselves with that armour which God
  has provided; that we may resist; quench; stand against; and
  withstand all the fiery darts of the devil; Eph。 vi。 11…18。
  If; therefore; thou findest Satan in this order to march against
  thee; remember then thou hadst this item about it; and betake thyself
  to faith and good courage; and be sober; and hope to the end。
  Object。  But how if I should have sinned the sin unpardonable; or
  that called the sin against the Holy Ghost?
  Answer。  If thou hast; thou art lost for ever; but yet before it is
  concluded by thee that thou hast so sinned; know that they that would
  be saved by Jesus Christ through faith in his blood; cannot be
  counted for such。
  1。  Because of the promise; for that must not be frustrated:  and
  that says; 〃And him that cometh to Christ; he will in no wise cast
  out。〃  And again; 〃Whoso will; let him take of the water of life
  freely;〃 John vi。 37; Rev。 xxi。 6; chap。 xxii。 17。
  But I say; how can these scriptures be fulfilled; if he that would
  indeed be saved; as before; has sinned the sin unpardonable?  The
  scriptures must not be made void; nor their truth be cast to the
  ground。  Here is a promise; and here is a sinner; a promise that says
  he shall not be cast out that comes; and the sinner comes; wherefore
  he must be received:  consequently he that comes to Christ for life;
  has not; cannot have sinned that sin for which there is no
  forgiveness。
  And this might suffice for an answer to any coming soul; that fears;
  though he comes; that he has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost。
  2。  But again; he that has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost
  cannot come; has no heart to come; can by no means be made willing to
  come to Jesus Christ for life; for that he has received such an
  opinion of him; and of his things; as deters and holds him back。
  1。  He counteth this blessed person; the Son of God; a magician; a
  conjuror; a witch; or one that did; when he was in the world; what he
  did by the power and spirit of the devil; Matt。 ix。 34; chap。 xii。
  24; 25; &c。; Mark iii。 22…30。  Now he that has this opinion of this
  Jesus; cannot be willing to cast himself at his feet for life; or to
  come to him as the only way to God and to salvation。  And hence it is
  said again; that such an one puts him to open shame; and treadeth him
  under foot; that is; by contemning; reproaching; vilifying; and
  despising of him; as if he were the vilest one; or the greatest cheat
  in the world:  and has therefore; as to his esteem of him; called him
  accursed; crucified him to himself; or counted him one hanged; as one
  of the worst of malefactors; Heb。 vi。 6; chap。 x。 29; 1 Cor。 xii。 3。
  2。  His blood; which is the meritorious cause of man's redemption;
  even the blood of the everlasting covenant; he counteth an unholy
  thing; or that which has no more virtue in it to save a soul from sin
  than has the blood of a dog; Heb。 x。 29。  For when the Apostle says;
  〃he counts it an unholy thing;〃 he means; he makes it of less value
  than that of a sheep or cow; which were clean according to the law;
  and therefore must mean; that his blood was of no more worth to him
  in his account than was the blood of a dog; an ass; or a swine; which
  always was; as to sacrifices; rejected by the God of heaven; as
  unholy or unclean。
  Now he who has no better esteem of Jesus Christ; and of his death and
  blood; will not be persuaded to come to him for life; or to trust in
  him for salvation。
  3。  But further; all this must be done against manifest tokens to
  prove the contrary; or after the shining of gospel light upon the
  soul; or some considerable profession of him as the Messiah; or that
  he was the Saviour of the world。
  1。  It must be done against manifest tokens to prove the contrary;
  and thus the reprobate Jews committed it when they saw the works of
  God; which put forth themselves in him; and called them the works of
  the devil and Beelzebub。
  2。  It must be done against some shining light of the gospel upon
  them。  And thus it was with Judas; and with those who; after they
  were enlightened; and had tasted; and had felt something of the
  powers of the world to come; fell away from the faith of him; and put
  him to open shame and disgrace; Heb。 vi。 5; 6。
  3。  It must also be done after; and in opposition to one's own open
  profession of him。  〃For if after they have escaped the pollution of
  the world; through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
  Christ; they are again entangled therein; and overcome; the latter
  end is worse with them than the beginning; for it had been better for
  them not to have known the way of righteousness; than after they have
  known it; to turn from the holy commandment (which is the word of
  faith) delivered unto them。〃
  4。  All this must be done openly; before witnesses; in the face;
  sight; and view of the world; by word and act。  This is the sin that
  is unpardonable; and he that hath thus done; can never; it is
  impossible he ever should be renewed again to repentance; and that
  for a double reason; for such an one doth say; he will not; and of
  him God says; he shall not have the benefit of salvation by him。
  Object。  But if this be the sin unpardonable; why is it called the
  sin against the Holy Ghost; and not rather the sin against the Son of
  God?
  Answ。  It is called 〃the sin against the Holy Ghost;〃 because such
  count the works he did; which were done by the Spirit of God; the
  works of the spirit of the devil。  Also because all such as so reject
  Christ Jesus the Lord; they do it in despite of that testimony which
  the Holy Ghost has given of him in the holy scriptures; for the
  scriptures are the breathings of the Holy Ghost; as in all other
  things; so in that testimony they bear of the person; of the works;
  sufferings; resurrection; and ascension of Jesus Christ。
  Sinner; this is the sin against the Holy Ghost。  What sayst thou?
  Hast thou committed it?  Nay; I know thou hast not; if thou wouldst
  be saved by Christ。  Yea; it is impossible that thou shouldst have
  done it; if indeed thou wouldst be saved by him。
  No man can desire to be saved by him; whom he yet judgeth to be an
  impostor; a magician; a witch。  No man can hope for redemption by
  that blood which he yet counteth an unholy thing。  Nor will God ever
  suffer such an one to repent; who has; after light and profession of
  him; thus horribly and devil…like contemned and trampled upon him。
  True; words and wars and blasphemies against this Son of man are
  pardonable; but then they must be done ignorantly and in unbelief。
  Also all blasphemous thoughts are likewise such as may be passed by;
  if the soul afflicted with them indeed is sorry for them; 1 Tim。 i。
  13…15; Mar。 iii。 28。
  All but this; sinner; all but this!  If God had said; he will forgive
  one sin; it had been undeserved grace; but when he says he will
  pardon all but one; this is grace to the height。
  Nor is that one unpardonable otherwise; but because the Saviour that
  should save them is rejected and put away。
  We read of Jacob's ladder; Christ is Jacob's ladder that reacheth up
  to heaven; and he that refuseth to go by this ladder thither; will
  scarce by other means get up so high。
  There is none other name given under heaven among men whereby we must
  be saved。  There is none other sacrifice for sin than this; he also;
  and he only; is the Mediator that reconcileth men to God。  And;
  sinner; if thou wouldst be saved by him; his benefits are thine; yea;
  though thou art a great and Jerusalem transgressor。
  End