CHAPTER VII. The sin against the Holy Ghost differs from other sins against knowledge.
never deny it. Be ye cast in prison, the truth will make you free, John 8:32, and pay all thy charges; and therefore do not thou imprison it as the Gentiles, for the children of God can do nothing against the truth, not heartily; they cannot deny it, and stand out denying it, as the martyrs could not, it will break prison doors; for when they had subscribed, they could not be quiet till they had tom out their names again. We can do nothing against it, but for it all we can, 2 Cor. 13:8.
CHAPTER VII
The other case resolved, wherein the sin against the Holy Ghost differs from other sins against knowledge.
There is yet another case or question to be answered concerning sinning against knowledge, and that is, what difference may be between any other sin against knowledge, and that great sin of all other only unpardonable, which is in an especial manner called a sin
'after receiving the truth,' and 'after enlightening,' Heb. chapters 6 and 10. And this is necessary to speak a little of, for it is homogeneal to this head, it being an essential ingredient into that sin, and a necessary circumstance of it, that it is against the greatest light; and so the apostle in both places expresseth it, as also because many poor souls that sin after enlightenings, or have fallen off from the practice of what they have professed, think therefore they have sinned that sin, because against so much clear and tasting knowledge: and indeed there is no man almost, that hath been enlightened, but those places have had a blow at him, or may come to have. Now, therefore, as I have given you differences between a regenerate man's sinning against knowledge, and an unregenerate man's, so I will also between ordinary unregenerate men's sinning against knowledge, and this, there being a peculiarity in it; for it is not simply sinning against and
after tasting knowledge, for then the saints should sin it—Solomon and David had done it; nor the resisting of the Spirit in the motions of it; for then they, Isa. 63:10, who were God's people, should be guilty of it: nor is it simply hating the light as contrary to our own lusts, for then every one that doth evil should be guilty of it, as John
3:18, 19, not hating God as he is considered a judge, commanding such strict laws, for so the Gentiles should have sinned it, who never knew the gospel, Rom. 1:30, and then every unregenerate man, whose mind is enmity to God and his law, Rom. 8:17, should be guilty of it. No; nor is it speaking evil of, or injuring those we know to be saints, for then Manasses should have sinned it, who slew the prophets, and filled Jerusalem with blood, who yet was brought up well; for Hezekiah being a godly man, surely had him instructed, and he was twelve years old ere he died; and at 2 Chron. 33:10, it is said, the Lord spake to him, so as he had notice of all. And also Herod had sinned it, who put John to death, whom he reverenced and knew to be a holy man; but yet he did not sin the sin against the Holy Ghost, for he was sorrowful. Therefore to clear this to you:
First, It is not sinning against any kind of knowledge of things in the word that makes this sin, for it is not sinning against the knowledge of the law, to commit adultery, or blaspheme God against knowledge, which is this sin; for, Heb. 10:28, the apostle makes it a further kind of sinning than despising any part of the law; yet to despise the law was to sin presumptuously, and to reproach the Lord therein, Num.
15:30, 31, and is opposed to sinning ignorantly: and Christ says, every blasphemy shall be forgiven but this. But it is a sinning against the light of things revealed in the gospel, the light of the offer of grace, of the Spirit accompanying that light, with tasting of the goodness of that offer: so Heb. 6, Heb. 10:29, and against the work of the Spirit in themselves and others; and it is not γνῶσις only, but
ἔπιγνωσις, a conviction and evidence wrought of the truth and goodness of them.
Secondly, It is not every kind of despising the truths of the gospel, but such as is accompanied with a despiteful causeless contempt of them, and indignation against them. It is not the undervaluing of the offer of grace to the pleasures of sin: so the young man did, who yet was sorrowful. So many do who defer their repentance, prefer their lusts to Christ and mercy, who yet are converted after; for this contempt is but because they cannot enjoy Christ and their lusts: if they could have him with their lusts they would. It is but comparatively they thus contemn it, joined with some esteem of it, and desire after it. But this sin includes in it a simple contempt; therefore the Holy Ghost expresseth it, by trampling under foot
Christ's blood, and esteeming it as a common thing. If they had a cup full of his blood, they would pour it on the ground, not only preferring other things before it, but trampling it as mire and dirt, as the Jews did Christ, saying that he was a devil, yet knowing him to be the Messiah (as appears, Mark 3:28, Christ speaking of that sin), debasing it in their esteem, and so also doing despite or contumely, as the word signifies, to the Spirit of grace; contemning, not resisting only, his work in themselves or others; not opposing the saints only, but having no reverence of them.
Thirdly, Their hatred to God and Christ, and the light and work of the Spirit, and his saints, is a revengeful hatred, therefore called a crucifying of Christ again, and doing despite to the Spirit; for you must know there may be a twofold hatred of God and Christ, and the saints: one primary, direct, and hating them as such; another secondary, occasioned and stirred up, because they are crossed by these and vexed by them; as Ahab hated Micaiah, not as a prophet, but because he said contrary to what he would have had him; and so
Herod against John Baptist, because he preached against his lust, it was not as he was a holy man, not sub so nomine.
Now all unregenerate men may come thus to hate God secondarily and indirectly, because they look on him as a judge, and to hate the saints because their light reproves them and vexeth their consciences, and they cannot be quiet for them; for it is in hatred as in love. And as a wicked man may love a godly man, yet not as godly, but for some amiableness and profitableness by his godliness to him, as Darius loved Daniel, Pharaoh loved Joseph, and Achish loved
David, for the usefulness and benefit they had by their grace; so wicked men hate grace also, and they generally do it as being contrary to their lusts, and therefore speak evil of the saints. But now this revengeful hatred which is bounded primarily against the person of God and Christ, this causeless hatred (as Christ expresseth this sin, John 15:24, 25), seeing and hating causelessly all the saints he knows such, in relation to the covenant of grace established with them, because they are saints and God's children, this may seem to be the form of this sin; therefore they are said to crucify again to themselves the Lord Christ; for were it in their power they would do it; and that which is the devil's master-lust is theirs also: John 8:44,
'His lusts ye will do,' says Christ, speaking of the Pharisees who desired to kill him out of a revengeful disposition, and so they sinned this sin. It was a revengeful hatred set them a-work, and thus they also are guilty of this great sin against the Holy Ghost, who do despite to the Spirit of grace, Heb. 10:28, and so against all saints as saints: for seeing they cannot be revenged on God, they persecute them; and so these love sin, not only secondarily for the pleasures that come in with it, but as sin, because it provokes God, because they know it will anger him; which revenge is made their bosom-lust, and all resolved into it, and is stirred up in them, by reason they apprehend God to have cast them off; therefore they are said to have
ἐκδοχὴν κρίσεως, to receive judgment, Heb. 10:27, whereas others standing in terms of treaty for grace with God, have not this revengeful disposition stirred up in them, but those other malicious sinners are desperate.
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MONERGISM BOOKS
Of Gospel Holiness inthe Heart and Life by Thomas Goodwin, Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
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Table of Contents
BOOK I.—That Graces and Holy Dispositions Wrought in the Soul CHAPTER I. The words of the text explained
CHAPTER II. The inward effects of an holy disposition and temper in the soul CHAPTER III. What is meant by these words in Philip
CHAPTER IV. How we may be said to be kept blameless until the day of Christ.
CHAPTER V. What it is to be filled with the fruits of righteousnes CHAPTER VI. Of what kind those fruits of righteousness are
CHAPTER VII. That our obedience ought to be continued
BOOK II.—The Demeanour of a Christian CHAPTER I. The obedience of a Christian expressed under the notion of friendship to God CHAPTER II. How the apostle Paul and the apostle James are consistent CHAPTER III. Abraham called the friend of God
CHAPTER IV. An exhortation unto friendship with God CHAPTER V. What the conversation of a believer ought to be
CHAPTER VI. What our behaviour toward God, as his friends, ought to be CHAPTER VII. What obedience and duty we owe unto God
CHAPTER VIII. Obedience to God described, as it is a service performed to him
BOOK III.—Evangelical motives to obedience CHAPTER I. A motive to love and obedience
CHAPTER II. That God's love, in electing us, is a great motive to all acts of love and obedience CHAPTER III. That the great love of God in electing of us should be a strong motive and incentive to love and good works.
CHAPTER IV. Another motive to obedience deduced from God's great love in giving his Son to die for us
CHAPTER V. Motives against sin CHAPTER VI. A motive to holiness, and to flight against sin
CHAPTER VII. Motives unto holy obedience CHAPTER VIII. Motives to evangelical obedience from this consideration BOOK IV.—The danger of a loose, careless, and unfruitful profession
CHAPTER I. The text in Heb. 6:7, 8, explained CHAPTER II. That our worthy and suitable living under the ordinances of the gospel brings a blessing
CHAPTER III. Ungodly or unfruitful lives act contrary to the institution and design of the Lord's Supper.
CHAPTER IV. Our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea CHAPTER V. The danger of those who being in church fellowship and communion, yet their lives are inconsistent with such a relation.
CHAPTER VI. Two cases concerning a regenerate man's sinning against knowledge CHAPTER VII. The sin against the Holy Ghost differs from other sins against knowledge.