But it may be inquired, “How they could be excused by ignorance who had so many means and evidences of conviction as to the truth of his person, that he was the Messiah, and of his doctrine, that it was from heaven? for besides the concurrent testimony of Moses and the prophets given unto him, the holiness of his person and life, the efficacy of his doctrine, and the evidence of his miracles, did abundantly prove and confirm the truth of those things, so that they could be no otherwise ignorant but by wilful obstinacy.”
Ans. First, These were indeed such means of conviction as that their sin and unbelief against them had no real excuse, as himself everywhere expresseth, John xy. 22, xii. 47, 48, x. 36-38. Secondly, Nothing is allowed unto this ignorance, but that it left their repen- tance possible and their sin pardonable. Thirdly, This it will do until God hath used all the means of conviction which he intendeth,
HEB. VI. 4-6 EXPLAINED. i §1
and no longer. This as yet he had not done. He had yet. two farther testimonies unto the truth which he would graciously afford:
_—Frst, His resurrection from the dead, Rom. i. 4, which was always afterward pleaded as the principal evidence of God's approbation of
him; Second, The effusion of the Holy Spirit in his miraculous operations, Acts ii. 32, 33, v. 32; 1 Tim. iii, 16. But where at any
time God hath granted all the means of conviction that he pleaseth,
_be they ordinary or extraordinary, if they are rejected, there is no hope, Luke xvi. 29-31. On the other side, this sin of rejecting Christ and the gospel after profession is absolutely wilful and with a high hand, against all the light and conviction that God will give of the truth unto any of the children of men in this world.
_ 2. These persons had an ewperience of the truth, goodness, and excellency of the gospel, which those others had not, nor could have; for they had “tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of
the world to come,” and had received great satisfaction in the things they were convinced of, as was before at large declared. Wherefore,
‘in their rejection of him and them, an unconquerable hatred and Malice must be granted to be predominant. And let men take heed what they do when they begin to sin against their own experience, for evil lies at the door.
_ 8. In and under the crucifying of the Lord Christ God had yet
a design of mercy and grace, to be communicated unto men by the dispensation of his Spirit. Therefore there was a way set open unto those who were guilty of that sin to repentance and pardon. But ‘how, having made use of this also, that being sinned against, there is no place left for any thing but severity. Wherefore,—
_ 4, There was in the sin of these persons blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; for they had received in themselves, or seen in others, those mighty operations of his whereby he gave attestation unto Christ and the gospel. Therefore they could not renounce the Lord Christ without an ascription of these works of the Holy Ghost unto the devil, which the devil acted them unto. So saith our apostle, “ No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus anathema,” or “accursed,” 1 Cor. xii. 3. To call him anathema is to declare and ‘ayow that he was justly crucified as an accursed person, as a public pest. This was done by these persons who went over to the Jews, in approbation of what they had done against him. This no man can do speaking by the Holy Ghost,—that is, whosoever doth so is acted by the spirit of the devil; and if he have known the testimony of the Holy Spirit to the contrary, he doth it in despite of him, which renders the sin irremissible.
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52 THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF APOSTASY,
CHAPTER II.
Partial apostasy from the gospel—Pretences of the church of Rome against the charge of this evil examined and rejected.
Apostasy from the gospel is either total or partial. Of the former we have treated in a high and signal instance. When men wilfully and maliciously (for they cannot do it wilfully but they must do it maliciously) renounce Jesus Christ as a seducer and male- factor, going over in their suffrage unto the Jews, by whom he was crucified, they enter into that part of hell and darkness which pro- perly constitutes this sm. It were well for such persons if their guilt had no other aggravation than theirs who actually “with wicked hands slew him, and hanged him on a tree.” But rising up unto a contempt of all the means of conviction and evidences of truth that God will grant us in this world, they cast themselves without that line of divine mercy and pardon which some of the others were en- compassed withal. So is it with many at this day in the world, who with wicked hearts and blinded minds, in the pursuit of carnal lusts, voluntarily and obstinately embrace Mohammedanism, with an open renunciation of Christ and the gospel. Unto such persons there is nothing left but “a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indig- nation which shall devour the adversaries.” Not that I would cast all persons who may be actually hurried into this abomination under the same dreadful doom, seeing the case in general will admit of many circumstantial differences, if not altering the nature of the crime, yet. disposing of things unto various events. Not only sur- prisals by mighty temptations, with dread and terror, so shaking the powers of nature as to intercept the influence of light and convictions of truth, do claim an exemption from a deeretory determination under this sentence; but other cases may also be attended with some such alleviating circumstances as, preserving their minds and souls from wilful malice, leave room for the exercise of sovereign grace. I myself knew one, yea, was conversant with him, and assisting of him in the concerns of his soul, who in the Indies turned Moham- medan, was actually initiated by circumcision into their superstition, and lived in its outward practice a year or two, who yet was sincerely recovered unto repentance, and died in the faith of the Son of God.