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tained by them; insomuch, that out of hatred of the Spirit of life in Christ, they crucify to themselves afresh the Son of God, and do put him, both in his ordinances of religion, and in his members, to open shame, treading under foot the Son of God, counting the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing; doing despite to the Spirit of grace, Heb. x. 26 - 29. If you carefully look into those places of the Scripture, which speak of this sin, and also observe the opposition which the apostle makes between sinning against the law, and sinning against the gospel, you will clearly find out the nature of this sin, Matt. xii. 24, 31, 32; Mark iii. 28 - 30; Luke xii. 10; Heb. vi. 4 - 6, x. 26 - 29.

But to resolve you out of this doubt, if you be not overcome with melancholy for then you will answer you know not what, which is to be pitied rather than regarded, I would ask you, who think you have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost, these questions: Does it grieve you, that you have committed it? Could you wish that you had not committed it? If it were to be committed, would you not forbear it, if you could choose? Should you esteem yourself beholden to God, if he would make you partaker of the blood and Spirit of his Son, thereby to pardon and purge your sin, and to give you grace to repent? Nay, are you troubled that you cannot bring your heart unto a sense of desire of pardon and grace? If you can say, Yea; then, although the sin or sins which trouble you, may be some fearful sin, of which you must be exhorted speedily to repent, yet certainly it is not the sin against the Holy Ghost; it is not that unpardonable sin, that sin unto death. For he who commits this sin cannot relent, neither will he be beholden to God for pardon and grace, by Christ's blood and Spirit; he cannot desire to repent: but he is given over, in God's just judgment, unto such a reprobacy of mind, deadness of conscience, and rebellion of will, and to such an height of hatred and malice, that he is so blasphemously and despitefully bent against the Spirit of holiness, Heb. x. 29, that it much