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carnal comforts. But above all, they grieve the Spirit most that have had deepest acquaintance with the Spirit, and have received greatest favours from the Spirit. When the Holy Ghost comes in love, and we have given way to him to enlighten our understandings ; and when in our affections we have tasted of the good things of God, that the promises are sweet, and the gospel is good ; when wo have given such way to the Spirit, then to use him unkindly, this grieves the Spirit. Where the Holy Ghost hath not only set up a light, but given a taste of heavenly things, and yet we, upon false allurements, will grow to a distaste, it cannot but grieve the Spirit. And this makes the sin ' against the Holy Ghost ' so desperate, because there hath been a strong conviction and illumination. Therefore, of all sins, the sins of professors of religion grieve the Spirit most ; and of all professors, those that have most means of knowledge, because their obliga- tions are deeper, and their engagements greater. The deeper the affection hath entered, the gi'eater the grief must needs be in unloosing. The offence of friends grieves more than the injuries of enemies. And there- fore the sins that offend God most are committed within the church. Where is the greatest sin of all, the sin against the Holy Ghost, committed, but within the church, and where there is the greatest light and the greatest means ? Sins against knowledge grieve most, especially if there be a malicious opposing, for there can be nothing to excuse it. The malice of the will maketh the sin of the deeper die, and it is contrary to the Spirit, as it is a Spirit of goodness ; and hence is it that presumptuous sins so much grieve the Spirit ; for by such sins we abuse the sweetest attribute of God's Spirit, his goodness, and be therefore evil because he is good, and turn his gi-ace into wantonness, the sin of this age. Sins against knowledge arc either such as are
(1.) Directhj against hioivledge, as when we will not understand what we should do, because we will not do what we understand. Such put out the candle that they may sin with the more freedom. This kind of ignorance doth not free from sin, but incrcaseth it. Some men will not hear the word, nor read good books, lest their consciences should be awaked {a). This affected* ignorance increaseth the voluntariness. Again, ichen ice main- tain untruths for any advantage, knoiving them to be untruths, as many learned papists cannot but do. What a great indignity is it to the Spirit of God to ' sell the truth,' which we should ' buy,' yea, with the loss of our lives, and to prefer the pleasing of a base man, or some gain to our- selves, before a glorious beam of God !
(2.) Other sins, if we know them to be sins, are sins against knowledge, not so directly, hut coUateralhj. Yet this will be the chief aggravation, when our consciences are once awaked, not so much that we have sinned, as that we have sinned against the light ; when the will hath nothing to plead for itself. It would, because it would, though it knew the contrary. Involuntariness takes away something of the heinousness of sin. When there is ignorance, perturbation, or passion, there is less sin and less grieving of the Spirit. But when there are none of these, but a man will sin because he will, accounting it a kind of sovereignty to have his will, this will prove the most miserable condition. For not to have the will regulated by him that is the chiefest good, is the greatest perverseness, and will end in desperation.
Quest. Why are voluntary sins so great, and so much grieve the Spirit of God ?
* Tliat is, = ' chosen.' — G.
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Alls. "Wlicn tlicrc is passion there is some colour for sin, as profit, plea- sure, fear to (]i.si)lease, &c. When there is ignorance, there is a want of that that might help the understanding ; hut when there are none of these, and a man willingly sins, ho is more directly carried against the command and will of God. There is nothing puts him on. Yet he accounts it so small a matter that he will do it without any provocation, out of a slight esteem of the good pleasure and will of God.
As common swearers, can they plead ignorance ? They know the com- mandment, ' God will not hold them guiltless that take his name in vain,' Exod. XX. 7. Can they plead pcrturhation ? They do it oft in a bravery, ■when they are not urged. There is no engagement in that sin of profit or pleasure, but a voluntary superfluity of pride. They would have you to know that they are men that care not for God himself; let God and bis ministers take it as they will. Though I have no pleasure or profit by it, yet I will have my liberty. The heart that hath been thus wicked will hardly admit of comfort when it stands in need of it.
We are not said to be ill, because we know ill, but because we will and consent to ill. It is the will that makes up the bargain ; sin were not sin else. God hath given us the custody of our own souls, and as long as we keep the keys faithfully, and betray not our souls to Satan, so long we possess our own souls and our comforts. But when he suggests. Do this, or speak this, and we consent, he takes full and free possession of us, as much as in us lies ; and God in judgment saith ' amen' to it. God saith, Take him, Satan. Since he will not have my Spirit to rule him, it is fit he should have a worse. The more willingness, the more sinfulness, and the less defence ; and God's justice cannot better be satisfied than by punishing them most against their wills, who sinned most with their will. The clearer the light is, and the more advantages it hath, the more we sin.