that fuch and fuch fymptoms are already upon them. If we cannot therefore affure all Perfons of Pardon for all manner of Sins, however great or however circumftantiated upon their true Repentance of them, it will very much take off from the encouragements to this Duty, and by taking off Mens hopes in many cafes, and shutting the door of Mercy against them, hinder them from performing this Duty, and make them if not act defperately and madly, as Men without hopes generally do, yet throw them into a comfortlefs and defpairing condition, and overwhelm them with remediless forrow and trouble. The general scope and defign of the Gofpel feems to be to remove all this, To preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to comfort them that mourn, Ifa. 61. 1. To call thofe to come to Chrift who are weary and heavy laden, by reason of their Sins, with a promife, that he will give them reft, Matth. 11. 28. To preach Repentance and remiffion of fins in his name among all nations, Luke 24. 47. without excluding any Perfons, or excepting any Sins whatfoever, to proclaim a general Amnesty and A&t of Pardon, to all who Repent and come in to the Gofpel. Had there been an exception, as to a more notorious Traytor, to any one, though a fingle Sin which Mankind had been like to fall into, this would have abated both from the Goodness of God, and the Comfort of Men, when he fhould be reprefented as implacable in fome cafes and never to be appeased, and the other fhould be left in fuch danger and hazard, that if they fell into fome Sins, which it was very poffible for them to do, that then there fhould be no hopes, nor no means of recovery for them. God, I doubt not, is more merciful, and Mankind not fo miferable, as to have any Sin whatever utterly unpardonable which is Repented of, but as our Saviour fayes, All manner of Sin and Blafphemy ball be forgiven unto men, Matth. 12. 31. And as Ifaiah told the Jews of old, and it is not lefs fo under the Gospel, Though your fins be as Scarlet they shall be white as snow, 03 though though they be red like crimson, they fball be as mooll, Ifa. 1. 18. that is, of however high a nature or degree they are, they fhall upon Repentance and Amendment be done away and forgiven. No Sin is too great for the infinite Mercy of God to forgive, and the infinite Merit of Chrifts Blood to atone, nor is any excepted in the Covenant of Grace which God has made with Mankind, wherein he promises univerfally to be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their fins and iniquities he will remember no more, Heb. 8. 11. Jer. 31. 3480without any bar or referve to any Sin of what nature or aggravation foever, hall there. fore Examine and Anwer thofe places of Scripture. which feem to give any countenance to the other fevere and cruel Doctrine, as to Sins of Apoftacy, after Baptifm, or upon Relapfe, and then largely confider the Nature of the Sin against the Holy Ghoft, and how or whether that is unpardonable, fo as to free all honeft Minds from any trouble about it. SECT. I. Of Apoftacy. Sins after Baptifm. F 'Trft then as to thofe places of the Hebrews which are brought as the ground of the Novatian Ďo. arine, for the irremiffiblenefs of wilful Sins committed after Baptism, they do not belong to any Sins of a Chriftian whilft he continues fuch, but to one renouncing Chriftianity and wholly Apoftatizing from it, even after he has profeffed it, and had miraculous evidence and conviction of it. They who were enlightened or Baptized, pants, and have tafted of the Heavenly gift, have been fenfible of the Benefits of Baptifm, and the Priviledges of Chriftianity and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, have further had thofe miraculous and extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost conferred upon them, which new Baptized Perfons then very often had, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; have had a fenfe of the excellency of the Gofpel and the Chriftian Revelation, and those powerful and great Miracles, durdus, which accompanied the difpenfation thereof, and the times of the Meffiah, or that have been duly affected with the powerful Confiderations of Eternity and another World, which are the great things their Religion fets before them; if fuch as these fhall (like Julian afterwards, or the Gnofticks then) fall away from all this, and apoftatize from their Faith and Religion by the Fears of Perfecution, or the Love of this World, it is impoffible to renew them again to Repentance, feeing this their revolt implyes no less than the crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh, and putting him to open fhame; i. e. the condemning of Chrift as a Malefactor and Impoftor, and fo joyning and confenting with the Jews in Crucifying him as fuch, and bringing an open reproach and difcredit upon him, as if he were a falfe Prophet, and that upon Tryal and Experience they found his Religion to be falfe, and therefore forfook it. This Apoftacy and renouncing the whole Religion of Chrift, is meant alfo by Sinning wil fully |