William Huntington

XIII. - The Scorner's Highest Seat and Deepest Fall

"Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and shall be innocent from the great transgression," Psalm xix. 13.

PRESUMPTION is a bold, daring, and audacious venturing to lay a claim upon God, while the man is living in all manner of wickedness, without any reverence of him, faith in him, or scriptural warrant from him; and without any internal evidence of interest in him, or likeness to him. Thus Balaam ventured against a positive command from God upon a wicked and vile attempt; hence the angel of the covenant withstands him with a drawn sword, and tells him "his way is perverse before him." He "seeks for enchantments," after this awful vision of the Almighty, with his eyes wide open; yea, after God had met him twice in his way to the high place, and had both times sent him back with a fresh message, yet he must seek a definitive answer from Satan, namely, "There is no enchantment against Jacob, nor divination against Israel." And he claims God as his God, when he had no other faith than that of devils. "I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do more or less;" when, at the same time, "he loved the wages of unrighteousness," and would have cursed the whole family of heaven for a little money; yea, and tempted God with repeated sacrifices, in hopes that he would alter his mind and change his word to gratify his covetousness, that he might thereby curse the people, get the rewards of divination, and be promoted to great honours. And just so many covetous professors in our days presume upon God; while the love of money, the root of all evil, is deeply fibered in every faculty of their souls, it sears their conscience, "they mind earthly things;" they "will be rich, though they fall into divers temptations;" they love the mammon of unrighteousness, and yet they will call God their God, and their Father, when he tells them in his word that his righteous soul hates them. "They speak well of the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth." And is not this presumption, for a sinner whom God abhors to lay a claim upon him? And they lay the same claim upon Christ, and call him their Lord and Saviour, when they know in their own consciences that "the thorns have sprung up in their hearts, and choked the word; and that the cares of this life, and the deceitfullness of riches, have rendered them unfruitful." And, although Christ tells them in his word "that that which beareth briars and thorns is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned, and that a camel shall go through a needle's eye sooner than such shall enter into the kingdom of heaven," yet they venture on, like Ananias and Sapphira, serving God and Mammon, with their hearts fixed on their earthly treasure, and yet dream of treasure in heaven. These covet the worst, though they will feign to covet the best gifts: and in this matter they imitate and run after the error of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, and yet wished to die the death of the righteous, and that his last end might be like theirs. But the hope of this hypocrite perished, for he fell in the field of battle, fighting against God and his people; and afterwards his soul fell by a worse sword, namely the sword of justice: and this the angel shewed him before, for his sword was drawn against him when in the way to curse Israel, and how much more when fighting against them! Surely "he hated blessing, therefore let it be far from him; and, as he loved cursing, so let it come, says God, like water into his bowels, and like oil into his bones. Keep back thy servant also, from presumptuous sins."

Presumption is venturing without a divine warrant, and persisting in a course contrary to the word of God, and expecting God's help and blessing in a way that is repugnant to his revealed will. And thus, many professors, who give themselves up to "idleness, and go from house to house, busy bodies in other men's matters," but mind no business of their own, presume upon the providence of God, and tell you that they live by faith; they have had this promise applied, and the other promise sent home, and they believe them, and so expect to be fed by the ravens, as Elijah was; when the whole of this work is the work of Satan. He first tempts them to idleness, which God hates; he then stuffs their heads with various promises, which the fool believes to come from God; then they are looking out for the fulfilment of them; they boast of their faith, and tell of the power that attended the promises, and so draw many eyes upon them; and, when the issue comes, their promises come to nothing, their faith fails, the devil laughs at their folly, and they rebel against God. "Thus the foolishness of a man perverteth his way till his heart fretteth against the Lord." God tells us "to be diligent in business, and fervent in spirit; to work willingly with our own hands, and with quietness to eat our own bread; and, if they will not work, neither shall they eat." Idleness and fullness of bread, were some of the reigning sins of Sodom. Adam and Eve must both work; but these hypocrites mump a living out of other people's labour. "He that provides not for his own house hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." And can those who deny the faith, and are hypocrites in Zion, who are worse than common infidels, expect God to feed them, and indulge them in idleness, when their boasted faith is nothing but presumption, and the promises, which they say God has applied to them, are only the delusions and perversions of Satan? And this is plain, for their predictions fall to the ground, and their false confidence too, being disappointed of their hopes, and having their expectations all cut off; "for what they have spoken in the name of the Lord follows not, or comes to pass; and that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but they have spoken it presumptuously," Deut. xviii. 22. "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, and let them not have dominion over me."

What presumption must they be guilty of who thrust themselves into the ministry without any call or commission from God, and without any qualifications for it? Idleness, a genteel appearance, their own honour, or a wife with money, is all they have in view. They are fitted for the work at an academy by men, at the expense of those who subscribe to carry on the work, and who, according to prophecy, "heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." And some of this stamp have had the audaciousness to call the power of the gospel enthusiastical cant: this is the best name they can give to "the kingdom of God, which stands not in word but in power." There is scarcely a damnable heresy advanced, revived, or published in our day, nor few arch heretics in sheep's clothing to be found, but what are sent out of these forges � I mean the academies. What can be more presumptuous than taking the highest seat, when they never took the lowest room; assuming the first office in the church of God, when destitute both of grace and truth; an ambassador, without call or commission; a builder, who knows not, or sets at nought, the head stone of the corner; a shepherd, but knows nothing either of the green pastures or still waters; a watchman, stone blind; a ruler of the Lord's household, while a servant of sin; a nurse, without the sincere milk of the word; an ensample to the flock, when a haughty scorner; an enemy to God, preaching peace and reconciliation; a dead sinner, holding forth the word of life; a condemned criminal, preaching righteousness; and a bond slave, promising liberty? And these will by and bye urge their plea, "Have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name done many wonderful works? and then will I profess I never knew you; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." This was the presumption of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; they contended and resisted the Mediator and the High Priest both. "You take too much upon you, the people are all holy," &c. They were princes, and they would be priests; they took their censers, and fetched fire from their own tents; for they knew no difference between the holy flame from heaven and the sparks of their own steel. And the same work is going on now. Their fervent prayer is inward heat from passion; their fiery zeal is neither tempered with humility nor knowledge; the light they give is that of a wandering star; and, as their own hearts were never fixed by the Lord, so they fix none by their ministry. I know that Christ makes his ministers a flame of fire; but the Lord tells us that these kindle their own fire, "and compass themselves about with sparks. Walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that you have kindled; this shall ye have at my hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow. Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins."

To avoid presumption, a scriptural warrant must be obtained as the ground of our proceedings; to go against this is presuming. "And the Lord said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight, for I am not among you, lest ye be smitten before your enemies. So I spake unto you, and you would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and went presumptuously up into the hill; and the Amorites came out against you, and chased you as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah," Deut. i. 42, 43. "Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins."

To shun this perilous path, is to submit to divine revelation, to open to conviction, and not to rebel against the light that gives. To be proud and obstinate, contentious, stubborn, and to act counter to these things, is perilous presumption. "If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, thou shalt come unto the priests and Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment, and thou shalt do according to the sentence; thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand nor to the left; and the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest (that standeth there to minister before the Lord thy God) or unto the judge, even that man shall die," Deut. xvii. 12. Such a man goes against light, truth, and caution; and is subverted and stiffened in pride by Satan, and is condemned of his own conscience; for this is condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light; for he that doeth evil hateth light; and he that hateth the light hateth God, for God is light; and this is condemnation with a witness; for he not only hates God, but reproaches him. "The soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him," Numbers, xv. 30, 31. Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins.

God favours his children with four antidotes against the sin of presumption; and while he adheres to these "he keepeth himself so that the wicked one toucheth him not," 1 John, v. 18.

The first is. "He puts his fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from him."

2. "The Spirit guides them into all truth," that they may cleanse their way, by taking heed thereto according to God's word, and not presume without a Thus saith the Lord.

3. He blesses them "with faith to walk by," and they know that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." And

4. They have the witness of the Spirit and their own conscience; and without these things it is impossible to please God. "Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me, then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression."

This great transgression, whatever it may be, must be the violation of some law; for all sin is the transgression of some law that forbids it; "for where there is no law there is no transgression, nor is sin imputed where there is no law." Furthermore, the magnitude of this transgression must rise from the magnitude of some law. It is called "the great transgression," because it is sinning against a great law. And what can this law be? "The heathens are a law unto themselves; their thoughts and conscience in the mean while accuse or excuse one another." This shews the work of the law written on their hearts. But the worst transgressors of this law have been pardoned. Wizards, necromancers, idolators, and sodomites; the first sort of these "have confessed their deeds, and burnt their books before all men;" and the others "have been washed and sanctified, yea justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

Again, this great transgression cannot be a transgression of the moral law, for the worst sins that have been committed against that have been forgiven for Christ's sake; such as idolatry, murder, adultery, incest, enmity to God, and covetousness; and these are the worst. Idolaters were all the first gentiles that were converted; Moses shed blood, and Paul shed the blood of the just; and both were pardoned; covetousness was pardoned in Zaccheus; adultery was pardoned in David; incest in the Corinthian; and "enmity against God" hath been pardoned in us all. Hence I conceive that this "great transgression" is not a breach of the law of nature, nor of the moral law, it therefore must be the transgression of some greater law.

The covenant of grace "is called the better covenant, established upon better promises;" yea, it is called "a more excellent ministry," and "a ministry that exceeds all others in glory;" and, if it exceeds in glory, it doth in greatness also. The one is called "the new covenant" the other "the old covenant;" the one "the New Testament," the other "the Old;" the one "the ministry of the Spirit," the other "of the letter;" the former "gives life," the latter "death". "For, if the ministry of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory; for even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth," 2 Corinthians, iii. 8, 9, 10. The law is a "revelation of the wrath of God against all the unrighteousness of men," and the gospel is a revelation, "of God's eternal love in Christ Jesus" to poor miserable sinners. "There is a sin not unto death," and we may pray for those who commit that sin; and God gives life to them that sin not unto death. "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death: there is a sin unto death; I do not say that he shall pray for it," I John, v. 16. There are sins committed which are not unto death; and they are all sins but one; and the covenant of life and peace, or the gospel, which is the word of life and the promise of life, and which brings life and immortality to light, holds forth life as the gift of God to them that sin not unto death. God shall give him life for them that sin not unto death; but there is a sin unto death, I do not say that he shall pray for it. Now, if we consider this sin as it is variously expressed in holy writ, and consider its consequences, which are mentioned with it, they will help to lead us to the sense and meaning of this "great transgression".

As 1st. It is called presumption, because the transgressor is internally proud, rebellious, and obstinate; he sins after having the sentence of God from the priest and the judge; and acts contrary to the light, knowledge, and conviction, that he has received; who is said to rebel, and despise the word of the Lord, to reproach his Maker, break his commandment, and sin with a high hand, which is the meaning of the word presumption. Now he that despised the priest and the judge, despised the "High Priest of our profession," and "the Judge of quick and dead," whom they personated; and by despising the Word they despised the INCARNATE WORD, and the sentence which came from his mouth; and by despising the word of Christ by his representatives they "reproached their Maker, their Savior, their Priest, and their Judge." And sure I am that God the Father had given them very strict cautions against this perilous "sin of presumption." "Behold! I send an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared; beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name is in him," Exod. xxiii 20, 21. This was the caution, and the "unpardonable sin is in it;" but they presumed, and rebelled against him at the entrance of Canaan, and would not obey him, Acts, vii. 39. Yea, they despised him, and made a captain over them, to return again to Egypt; thus they refused the Captain of our salvation, and then provoked him by going up the hill, after he had sworn in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest. Thus, says Paul, "they tempted Christ," they provoked and grieved him forty years, and, by choosing a new captain, despised him; and then went up to fight contrary to his word, oath, and commandment; and thus they provoked and despised "the Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ;" so they entered not into the promised land because of unbelief; for he, having delivered them out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed them which believed not: and in this sense it may be truly said that they "to whom the gospel was first preached entered not in because of unbelief."

This sin is called "the sin unto death," because every other sort of sinners have had "repentance unto life granted them;" but these trangressors "find no place of repentance," yea, "it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance," and therefore it is called the sin unto death; because such an one sins out of the reach of the "covenant and promise of life;" yea, against "the living God in Christ," and "the promise of life from him;" against the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and "eternal life by him; against the Spirit of God," and all his quickening operations; and against the "everlasting gospel," and "all life and immortality brought to light through that;" and to such "the gospel is the savour of death unto death" in the worst sense; for the sinner, being dead in sin and dead in law when the gospel finds him, and being guilty of the great transgression against it after it was professed by him, it must then leave him twice dead, "plucked up by the roots;" that is, dead at Horeb and dead at Zion, and without hope either in the law or in the gospel.

It is called "doing despite to the Spirit of grace," which springs from malice in the abstract, with infernal hatred and anger; yea, it is a defying of the Holy Ghost, resisting his will, and resenting his conduct, with a fixed determination to counteract the designs of him, and frustrate his purposes, in order to "grieve him," and to prejudice every favourer of his powerful operations; and, as much as possible, to resist and fight against him, from a supposition that they are not honoured by him according to their merit, or supposed deserts. This DOING DESPITE TO THE HOLY GHOST, THE GIVER OF THE LAW OF LIFE, is "the great transgression." Yea, and such hate Christ with desperate hatred. "They have seen and hated both me and my Father; and, being not with me, they are against me; and, gathering not with me, they scatter."

This great transgression is called "a crucifying the Son of God afresh, and putting him to an open shame." It was Judas, one of his professors and followers, yea, his purse-bearer and apostle, that betrayed him; and it was his own professing people, his brethren according to the flesh, that condemned him; and he priests, scribes, and pharisees, that delivered him over to the secular power: these were the greatest professors of God and religion; and all of them professed, expected, yea, and longed for, the promised MESSIAH. "But woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it? The day of the Lord is darkness and not light, as if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him," Amos v. 18, 19. And so it came to pass. The day of the Lord was darkness to those that said, "We see." And as it was then so it is now. All that have committed this sin have been professors; and, in my judgment, this great transgressor must be a professor of religion, as the scribes and pharisees were, and zealous ones too; and, like Judas, they must be followers of Christ, and be in external communion with his church and people; and then go out from among them, that it may be made manifest that they are not of them, as Judas did; and then, like "the swine which have had the pearls laid before them, they must turn again and rend them;" that is, "turn again to their ungodly companions, and rend the church of Christ, his seamless coat, his body mystical, and rend and scatter the members, who are commanded to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." They rend the Saviour's uniform doctrine by errors, his mystical body by divisions, and the unity of the saints by sowing prejudice, slander, and discord; and such souls deal with his body mystical as the Jews did with his body personal.

The graceless preacher, with his blind zeal and deceitful heart, who never aimed at any thing but the bag, betrays Christ, by going into some damnable heresy, for the sake of some worldly applause and more money, as Judas did to get a good name from the scribes, and a little more for the pocket.

Those who begin with gospel notions, though never delivered from the law, under all their pretensions to the faith of the gospel; whose fiery zeal abates, whose knowledge vanishes, and whose abilities and gifts wither; who go back to the flesh, to Arminianism, and so to the legal bondage of the law, trusting in human merit; being conscious that God has done nothing for them, they then begin to do something for God; and from hence springs pride, and implacable hatred to the experimental and evangelical preachers of the gospel; and this brings coldness and deadness upon them, and at last it terminates in envy and malice against those who contend for the simplicity, power, and truth, of the everlasting gospel; and this envy and malice conceived is no less than murder; for he that was a murderer from the beginning hath so filled their hearts, that they are in pain and labour till they have brought it forth; this is "lusting to envy; and lust, when it is conceived, bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

The Lord himself describes the progress of this sort of sin, and the danger it exposes the sinner to; "But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say unto his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

This sin is called "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost," and "speaking against him." Hence we may see that this "great transgression" is sinning with a high hand against "the law of the" Holy Ghost; for the gospel is called "the law of the Spirit of life," Rom. viii. 2. This sin is wholly against the power of godliness, and it springs from desperate heart-hatred to it, attended with speaking against and blaspheming of the Holy Spirit in his works and operations in the souls of men, and that knowingly and wilfully against all convictions, as the pharisees did when they saw the mighty power of Christ put forth in his miracles; who said, "This fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils;" to whom the Lord answered, � "Wherefore I say unto you that all manner of sin and of blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men: And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him, but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come," Matt. xii. 31, 32.

But then it may be objected that the pharisees did all this ignorantly and in unbelief, and therefore could not sin knowingly and wilfully. To which it may be replied, The miracles that Christ wrought, the power that attended his ministry, the wisdom he displayed in silencing and confounding all gainsayers, together with the holiness of his life, and the good deeds that he continually did, convinced them of the truth of his divine power; "for the husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours." Yea, says Nicodemus, "We believe that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do the miracles that thou doest except God be with him." John goes further, "Among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but, because of the pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God," John, xii. 42.

Thus by Moses this sin is called presumption. Provoke not my angel, says God, for my name is in him, and he will not forgive your iniquity; but they did provoke him and grieve him forty years, he ordered them into Canaan, but they refused to go, and despised the land, and brought up an evil report of it; yea, they threatened to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb, and to make a captain of their own to return to Egypt, until he swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest; and then they would go and fight, contrary to his word, command, and oath. And all this was sinning wilfully and knowingly; for they had seen his judgments in Egypt, and his wonders in the wilderness, and his glorious majesty on the mount, and had heard his voice there; and they had seen his fiery and cloudy pillar day and night, in which he went with them for forty years together: the sinning against all which is daring and perilous presumption.

David calls it "the great transgression," because it is sinning with a high hand against the covenant of grace, or law of faith, which is always applied and made known and written on the heart by the Holy Spirit of God; for God ministers not the Spirit by the works of the law, but by the hearing of faith. Now, as the psalmist calls the covenant of grace a law, so he calls this sin a transgression of it; "He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the WORD which he commanded to a thousand generations, which he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a Law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant," Psalm cv. 8, 9, 10. In this passage the covenant of grace, the word of life, and the law of faith, are distinctly mentioned; in which covenant God promises to be our God and our Father, and to give us the heavenly country; all which is revealed and made known to us by the Holy Spirit; for he comes by virtue of this covenant of promise, and is "therefore called the Spirit of promise." It is the covenant of grace; and the Holy Spirit that comes by this covenant is called "the Spirit of grace." It is a covenant in which God promises to be a father to us; and the Spirit is called "the Spirit of adoption," that witnesseth our sonship; and to commit this sin against this great law is committing "the great transgression;" all which, in the New Testament, is called "the sin unto death," because the Spirit will never regenerate, quicken, renew, or sanctify, such a sinner; and without this there is no seeing the kingdom of God, much less entering into it. Paul calls it "doing despite to the Spirit of grace;" and Christ calls it "blaspheming him and speaking against him."

Now every sin that is committed against the Holy Ghost is not this sin; for, as the Holy Ghost is a person in the Godhead, and is truly and properly God, all sin that is committed is committed against him as well as against the Father and the Son. And, if every sin be this great transgression, then all would commit it, for "there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not." There are various sins also which are expressly called sins against the Holy Ghost. Some are said "to have rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit," Isaiah, lxiii. 10. Some are said to resist him; "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do ye," Acts, vii. 51. Others are said to quench the Spirit; which is done by hardening the heart against all the reproofs, rebukes, counsel, cautions, or warnings, that are given under his influence; so that he never takes possession of such sinners, nor operates upon them, but leaves them without excuse. "Quench not the Spirit, despise not prophesyings." The Antediluvians turned a deaf ear to the ministry of Noah, who preached under the Spirit's influence; and they persisted in sin till they wearied that blessed Spirit, and therefore God says, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man." Now, although these are expressly called sins against the Spirit, and are crying sins, and some of them damning sins, yet I much question whether they all come up to what is called "doing despite to, or blaspheming of, the Holy Ghost."

This sin is chiefly a soul sin: the soul is principally concerned in it; it cannot be committed by any member of the body except the tongue, and even that can only bear a part in it: the soul conceives its bitter hatred, which is despite, and out of the abundance of malice in the heart the mouth speaketh. "He that blasphemeth," and "he that speaketh against the Holy Ghost, shall not be forgiven," saith the Lord.

Paul killed, persecuted, and blasphemed; but "he obtained mercy, because he did it ignorantly and in unbelief."

Peter denied his Lord, and swore to it; but this sprung not from hatred in the heart, nor was it done wilfully, for he had vowed and determined to abide by Christ in prison or death; he fell hastily (not deliberately), and that through fear and weakness: and, when he came to himself, it occasioned the greatest grief that he had ever known.

David sinned grievously by his adultery, in which "he sinned against his own body," I Cor. vi. 18. And he cut off Uriah with the sword of the children of Ammon, which was the power of his hand. The first sin was through a violent temptation, and the other was to cloak or hide his shame; the first hardened the conscience, and the second crime was done deliberately. But yet David had no spite against the person of the Holy Ghost, or the power of godliness in the souls of men; nor did he speak against him, nor were his crimes of a desperate or spiritual nature, so as to do despite to the Spirit of grace. Did he speak against him? No. The thought of his being grieved, and the fear of his departure from him, cut him to the quick. "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." Nor did he resist the Holy Ghost when he reproved him by Nathan, but immediately confesses and fell before him. "Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil."

The incestuous person lived and cohabited with his own father's wife, which was such fornication as was not named among the Gentiles; and this was done and continued in when he was in a profession of the gospel, a member of the church, and in communion with it: but we have no account of his despising reproof, nor rebelling against his separation from the saints; nor did the violent temptations which he fell into harden his heart, fill him with malice against the church, the Spirit of God, or his powerful work in the saints; so far from it, that he was like "to be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow:" hence he was pardoned, and received in again.

The sin of Thomas, in giving no credit to the testimony of truth by the many persons that had seen the Lord after his resurrection, and his declaration never to believe unless he should thrust his hand into his side, was doubtless going great lengths; but this was in a violent fit of unbelief, in which the devil had the chief hand, in order to bar his heart against the testimony, in order to keep his soul from the "joys of a lively hope, by the resurrection of Christ from the dead:" but here was no hatred to Christ, or to the Spirit; for he thought the tidings were too good and too great to be true; nor could all his infidelity destroy the faith of interest in Jesus; for he had no sooner a sight of him "but faith cried out, My Lord and my God."

From what has been said it appears to me that this perilous sinner must be a professor, or he cannot be guilty of this great transgression. Cain was a professor, and brought his offerings to God; but, trusting in his own performances, and being rejected for it, he became an open enemy to grace; his anger and resentment rose against the power of godliness; he saw the approbation of heaven and the testimony of God given to his brother, and was wroth, and his countenance fell: the work of faith and the fruit of righteousness, was that which offended him. Abel looked through the firstling of his flock to the Lamb of God, and Cain looked to his sheaf. Abel trusted in the promised seed, Cain to the work of his own hands. Abel expected acceptance for Christ's sake, Cain for his own performances. The first offered in faith, the latter in infidelity. Abel's was by divine appointment, Cain's an human contrivance. Abel expected admittance through God's new and living way, Cain by the gate where the drawn sword was placed, which was a rejection of Christ: he hated the work and testimony of the Spirit, and it, his brother fought against God, because God respected the one and rejected the other; for Abel's was evangelical obedience, but Cain's was superstition and will worship; which God vindicates upon the rules of equity, and appeals to his own conscience: "If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? And, if not, sin lies at the door." My acceptance of Abel shall not infringe on thy pre-eminence as the first-born, for "to thee shall be his desire (or he shall be subject to thee), and thou shalt rule over him." But, after all this condescension of God, and communion with Cain about his conduct, Cain slew his brother, only because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous. The devil, who was a murderer from the beginning, influenced the one, and the Holy Ghost the other; the one was of God, and the other of Satan. This was the first perilous step; and Cain was the first man that ever broke through the bounds, or trod the path, of the great transgression; and for which he was banished, or excommunicated, from the church of God, which at that time was only in Adam's household.

Canaan was in the church of God in the ark, but he got his curse after he came out of it; Ishmael, Esau, Korah, Abiram, and Dathan, and Ahithophel also, were all in the church of God, and all of them were professors of religion, and they all had expectations of the Messiah. Hence it appears that this great transgressor must be (according to all the precedents that are set before us in holy writ) a professor of Christ; he must be enlightened also in some measure into the mysteries of the gospel, and have some understanding of spiritual things; for no sin committed in ignorance and in unbelief is this great transgression. Paul obtained mercy because he sinned ignorantly.

He must have had some rebukes, frothy joys, relish for spiritual things, or some stirrings of natural affections; or else he must remain ignorant of the power of godliness, and thereby cannot sin knowingly and wilfully. Paul says, "they taste of the heavenly gifts." Some of the Pharisees "rejoiced in John's light for a season," and others "tasted of the powers of the world to come; they heard the word, and anon with joy received it." Their understandings, says Paul, were enlightened, and they were drawn into a profession (as in Hebrews, chapters iv. x.) Persons thus stirred up, when they set off their zeal blazes forth, a reformation ensues, confession is made, and a gilt of utterance in prayer and speaking follows; and then church fellowship takes place, "the unclean spirit goes out," enmity and prejudice against the truth appear to vanish, and all inward opposition against Christ abates; carnal ease and security, false peace, joy, light, speculative knowledge, untempered zeal, false confidence, and feigned love, all work together to complete the character of this hypocrite in Zion.

But, "when the unclean spirit returns to his house," and begins to operate upon this man's unrenewed mind, and upon his undiscovered and unsubdued lusts, his joys wither, for want of the root of divine love; his zeal abates, under the motions and stirrings of sin and Satan; when guilt appears, conscience awakes, and wrath begins to work; and then his dissembled love waxes cold, and his confidence staggers; for, as Christ says, "such for a while believe;" and then the lamp goes out, and his false heart is diverted, either into the letter of the law, into some abominable heresy, or into the world. His affections being abated, and his zeal quenched, he now begins to find his feigned love alienated from Christ, and from his saints. The christian who knew him pursues him, and entreats him; but he remains sullen and unmoved: the christian at last considers him, and tells him honestly wherein he thinks he was deficient in his profession; at which he immediately goes into self, self-seeking, and self-exaltation, with his mind alienated from the just, and all affection to them turned to hatred; he then goes over to the bond-children, with whom he finds an union, even in the bonds of servile fear and legal strife: all which time conscience is neither satisfied nor silent, but accuses him, and refuses to bear a testimony, or to let him have peace in any dead work or legal performance done by him, but makes his countenance testify against him: this knits his brows, and beclouds his mind; wrath works in him, and Satan, his deceiver, begins to reproach him; the doctrines of God's sovereignty are opposed, and free-will is embraced; imputed righteousness is despised, and dead works are pleaded for; divine energy is exploded, and human ability contended for. These bonds of iniquity not only tie him to the bond-children, but lead him to sympathize and feel for all the primitive apostates; his bowels sound towards them, his affections are knit to them, and he contends for them; and in this channel runs the whole current of his affections. Cain, Esau, and Judas become the objects of his pity, and his companions, till the congregation he is in union with are "in the depths of hell." Now gospel simplicity becomes his bane; the gall of bitterness works in him, till a saint with a broken heart provokes him; the power of godliness enrages and exasperates him; and, at last, envy, hatred, and malice, overcome and possess him; and then no simple soul, no true penitent, no minister that enforces truth, and insists upon the Spirit's work, can stand before him; his soul hates Zion, and he is desolate; every report of the application of truth, and the savoury enjoyment of power, touches him; and "it is a vexation only to understand the report:" he perceives that every discerning christian sees his nakedness and his shame, and therefore he shuns and hates the light: the meek and simple deportment of the just provoke and exasperate him; till at length, no character in the pulpit, or professor in the pew, that has an honest and a good heart, can live or stand before his envy; and his "heart fretteth against the Lord;" he cavils at him, as partial and unjust; and imagines himself injured and dishonoured by him: he hates the name of his secret decrees and councils, until the malice of his heart breaks out into words and actions; and then he has no other way of easing his mind than by opening his mouth to vent his spleen in public ridicule and slander before the enemies of God, which is called "a crucifying of Christ afresh, and putting him to open shame."

Satan, having thus beaten him off from all his presumptuous claims upon Christ, and from all the profession of his name and truth, then leads him to attack and oppose the power of godliness in the souls of the saints; which is commencing open hostility against the Spirit of God, and that knowingly and wilfully. Simplicity, meekness, tenderness, conscientiousness, contrition, humility, godly sorrow, fervour, pious zeal, earnestness, experience, holy familiarity with God, love, joy, and peace, are things that his soul hates; he despises them, speaks evil of them, resists them, and hates all those who enjoy them: and, if he is at any time inwardly checked by conscience, and for a few minutes he relents, it soon goes off, and the heart appears more callous, his mind more stubborn, and his malice and revenge more rampant than ever. An apostate thus armed with envy, and whose palate is thus vitiated, finds no entertainment so sweet as that of seducing the saints or followers of Christ. If he can corrupt a weakling from the simplicity that is in Jesus; if he can lead any believer into error; if he can prejudice any against the Lord and his ways, and alienate their minds from him; if he can distress, rob, strip, or plunder, any child of God of his peace and comfort; if he can see any misconduct in an eminent believer, or hear of the falls of any who are noted for faith and practice; of any discords among the just, or of the apostacy of any that have stood high in profession; or make any one miserable who has walked comfortably; these things are his sweetest morsels; he eats up the sin of God's people; and this dust is the serpent's meat, it is the food of devils. And this is counteracting the Spirit in his work and operations, and is doing despite to him. None are so hateful to him as humble souls; he watches for their halting, and magnifies himself when their feet slip; and rejoices if God be but dishonoured; and, if he hears of or sees the success of the gospel, and the prosperity of those whom his soul hates, it inwardly sinks and grieves him; and, if at any time he meets with reproof or rebuke for his madness, and is closely pressed by the righteous, who contend for the power of the Spirit, and who braid him for his former hypocritical profession, he then breaks out into open blasphemy, by speaking evil of the power of godliness and the possessors of it, in order to stop their mouth; and this completes the "great transgression," for it is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Such a sinner is in league and union with Satan, and has the mind of the devil himself, as Christ says of the pharisees, "You are of your father the devil." Such are influenced and actuated by him as they were; "His works ye will do." Such rejoice at an opportunity of doing mischief to the cause of Christ; "This is your hour and the powers of darkness." It is the Powers of darkness that drive them on, as it did the pharisees, till they called "the master of the house," the Lord of Hosts, Beelzebub, and the Power of the Holy Ghost infernal agency; charging the Saviour with being influenced by a "foul spirit."

The evident tokens of this "great transgression" are various; some are given up to uncommon lightness and levity, which we often see in Persons possessed by an evil spirit, who are filled with laughter for an hour together.

Others are reserved, gloomy, and sullen, like those possessed of a dumb devil.

Others "are given up to work all uncleanness with greediness," like some persons in a mad-house, who will play with their excrements.

Some are led into such a thirst for money, that they are like some persons who are worth thousands, and yet go out of their mind, owing to a continual fear of coming to want, which drowns men in destruction and perdition.

Some are driven to such desperate rebellion as to defy God himself, and threaten to plead with him at the day of doom.

But there are others who are "given up to a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation," like those in a mad-house whom we call raving mad.

While some have been so influenced by him "that was a murderer from the beginning," that they have persecuted the saints, even unto blood, and that wilfully, like the apostate Julian; and such souls imitate those mad persons, who are always watching to do mischief by violence, either to themselves or others; and many of this last description, like Judas, go out of the world by suicide. But whatever kind of spirit it may be that influences this "great transgressor," it is a kind that "goeth not out by prayer and fasting;" for "wherever the seven spirits, which are more wicked than the first, re-enter, the last state of that man is worse than the first." "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression."