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THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST.

MATTHEW xii.

There are six sins against the Holy Ghost: which, although they be essentially the same, yet differ in their actings, or rather in their sinful workings.-Presumption, fighting against the known truth, obstinacy, desperation, envy of the grace in a brother, and final impenitency.

These act or work thus.In the time of security and peace, presumption, fighting against the truth, and obstinacy in the time of soul-straits and trouble, desperation, envy, and impenitency.

1. The reprobate, in the time of security, is confident and presumptuous; and seems sure that he in his works please God, and will be righteous as he is in himself, as the pharisees.

2. If he be reproved, he grows proud, and resists the truth which makes against him; and although he knows it is the truth, yet he will not cease from his presumption; and thus, he fights against the known truth.

3. He obstinately perseveres in this presumption and fighting; and thus, dies in his sins hardened, seared, and incorrigible.-On the other hand

1. The reprobate when they begin to feel the wrath of God, they at once, like Cain and Judas, despair, and do not believe that their sins are pardoned; but imaginė, that their sin is greater than the grace of God.

2. When they see that they are rejected, they envy all men their salvation; and would that no one were saved, but that all should perish with themselves.

3. They persevere in this envy and desperation, and will not suffer themselves to be converted. And as obstinacy is a certain final impenitency in the time of security; that is, in presumption and fighting against the truth; so, final impenitency is a certain obstinacy in the time of soul-straits, that is, in desperation, envy,

&c.

CHRIST DELIGHTING IN THE BEAUTY OF THE RIGHTEOUS.

PSALM xlv. 11.

So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.

This is a most sweet promise. For the Holy Spirit knoweth that this monster, Monk, sticks fast in our heart, --that we want to be pure and without spot before God. Thus, under Popery, all my temptation was this. I used to say that I would willingly go to the sacrament if I were but worthy.' Thus we seek, naturally, a purity in ourselves; and we examine our whole life and want to find a purity in ourselves, that we might have no need of grace, but might be pronounced righteous upon the grounds of our own merit. This inclination is rooted in our flesh; and the Holy Spirit knows that we wish for a beauty in ourselves. And hence, when we would pray, we think thus, 'willingly would I pray, but I am not worthy that God should hear me.'

These cogitations come from that monstrous monk, (of whom I have 'spoken before,) that dwells in our own breasts, and intoxicates our conscience with a looking to our own worthiness, and a desiring not to pray before we are better. But thus, it will come to pass that thou wilt never pray, if thou wilt wait until thou art worthy. For if it be required that we be first righteous, why do we pray in the Lord's prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses?" Rather, when thou feelest that thou art a sinner and unfit to pray, thou shouldst then go the most to prayer and to the sacrament. For in what other way wouldst thou become righteous, but by the Word and Sacrament? Thou wilt certainly never become righteous by thyself and thine own works. Thus, there is in us all this pestilent reasoning of our own monk, that we are always looking for our own purity.

The Holy Spirit saith, therefore, I will give thee wholesome counsel; and if thou wilt hear me, thou shalt become a virgin all fair. For, if thou wouldst be beautiful

in the sight of God, so that all thy works should please him, and he should say, 'Thy prayer pleaseth me; all that thou sayest, doest, and thinkest pleaseth me;' proceed thou thus ;---" hear, see, and incline thine ear;' and thou shall thus become all fair. When thou hast heard, hast seen, hast forgotten all thine own righteousness, all the law, all traditions, and all that monkery, and hast believed, then art thou fair; not in thine own beauty, but in the beauty of the King who has adorned thee with his Word; because, he has brought unto thee thereby his righteousness, his holiness, truth, and fortitude, and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

But here, first of all, our own reasoning deceives us; which the monk that is born with us still retains; and which sticks close to our flesh and conscience. And next, the efficacy of the Word; for, because it is preached in common, and seems to have no conspicuous appearance, therefore, we do not think that we are sufficiently adorned when we have the Word only, when we are baptized, have partaken of the Lord's Supper, and are called by the Gospel. This adorning we do not think to be the highest ornament, as to appearance, because it is vile, and, as it appears, common to all. For, say the Anabaptists, what adorning is it to be wetted with water?It is thus that fleshly eyes judge! But, if thou look at baptism with spiritual eyes, thou wilt see, that baptism clothes thee with the adorning of Christ. And what better and more precious adorning wouldst thou wish for, than that with which Christ is adorned himself, and adorns his disciples?

Thus, the Holy Spirit declares, that we are to be made beautiful by a beauty not our own. When (saith he) thou hast heard, hast believed, and hast forgotten thine own righteousness, so that thou desirest to know nothing wherein to trust but the adorning of the bridegroom Christ, then shalt thou be truly beautiful, and "so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty." But what do we? Directly the contrary! We go back to our father's house, which he commands us to forget. Ah! (say we) I am a sinner. I want to become worthy

and pure before I go to this bridegroom. And what is this, but going back to our father's house, wishing to bring with us that righteousness which he commands us to let go, and sending for that monk? But thou oughtest to say thus. I know nothing about that worthiness:..I care not whether I am worthy or unworthy: those things are all old and gone by. If I be outwardly unworthy as to the second table, be it so that is my filthiness. Yet, internally, I am beautiful by an adorning not my own. By that I am most holy, and am beautifully adorned; because, the King loveth that beauty; seeing that, I hear the Word, forget my monk, and believe in Christ my King-that I am redeemed by his blood, and justified by his merit.

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Where there is this faith, whatever I do afterward pleases him and the delights in my beauty which he himself has put upon me. Therefore, I am not to doubt at all that I am all fair, and that all things which I do greatly please God for Christ's sake, whom I apprehend by faith as my Redeemer. So that, when I open my mouth to teach, or to pray, I am to believe that all the angels smile and rejoice; and he who hears me is to know, that he offers a sacrifice of the sweetest savour unto God. This is the experience to which we must arrive. This is to forget our father's house and people ;→ to be persuaded of the present righteousness of faith, in opposition to the old righteousness of works; and then it will come to pass, that we shall be most acceptable unto God.

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But, the Holy Spirit uses the most exalted language, "So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: that is, thou wilt by this faith prevail upon him to do whatever thou desirest: so that, as one urged by the power of love, he will spontaneously follow thee, abide with thee, and take up his abode with thee. For wherever God has given his Word, there he does not leave his work which he has begun in thee; but he brings upon thee first the temptations of the world, the devil, and the flesh; that by them he may work upon thee. These are his embraces whereby he embraceth his spouse

through impatiency of love. Because, if we were without temptations, we should not seek him; we should not learn "to hear, see, and incline our ear." He therefore drives us, that we may the more earnestly cleave to the Word, and believe in him; and this he does, from his great love of us. But these embraces are so sweet to our flesh, that they often press tears from us! Yet they do us good.

These consolations, therefore, are exceedingly great if we could, not being afraid of their magnitude, embrace them. That our King Christ not only takes pleasure in the Word and in faith; but that, with a love like that of a bridegroom toward his bride, he so hangs over us and is drawn towards us, that he spontaneously follows us. Such influence have we over him if we do but hear the Word, believe, and forget our own righteousness. But it is a difficult matter! May God only give us grace to enter into these things in doctrine, and in the ministry of the Word, and the symbols; and, in a degree, in our experience also; and as we have begun, may we learn to forget this monk, that he may at least not reign in us as he does in the Sacramentarians, the Anabaptists, and the Papists; whom this monk has so devoured altogether, that they are nothing but shaven monks. From which pestilence, may God in mercy save us. Amen!

The sum of the whole therefore is this.-That our beauty does not consist in our own virtues, nor even in the gifts which we have received from God, by which we put forth virtues and do all those things which pertain unto the life of the law. But in this:-our apprehending Christ and believing in him. Then it is that we are truly beautiful: and it is this beauty alone that Christ. looks upon, and upon no other. Therefore, to teach that we should desire to become beautiful by religions of our own choosing, and by our own righteousness, amounts to nothing. Among men, indeed, and in the courts of great men, such things are beautiful; but in the courts of God, we must be arrayed in another beauty! There, the one and only beauty is, believing in

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