2.5% hath the ſame Words, with litcle variation, ar. 3. 27. Tie, cp. 11. 21, 22, ſaith, When a ftrong Man armed beeperh his Oal.ce, bs Goods are in peace: But when a ſtronger than he cometh um him, and overcyreth him, he taketh from him all his Armour woorein ho trufed, and divideth his (pail. The Senſe is che fame, tio? che Words be multiplied. Our Saviour ſhewech how his c:\tinz our of Devils by che Spirit and Power ot God, argued thur che Wet was come. and the time come when God would ſer up Ins Kingdm amonglit Men. The Devil (faith he) who 1s rhe Uid of the World , and the Prince of th? Power of the Air, 13 very ſtrong ; there 1s none, fave God only , who 1s ſtronger than he ; If I were nor God I could never caſt our this Strong 3}/:m, who Reigns in the Irld as in his Hyſe. As you fee am2agſt Men, rhe Strong Man 1s not overcome but by one ſt-03:er. He by this alfo Iecs them know, that he was fo tar from ay Comnant or Comp.it with Beelze5uhthar he came into rhe Iorld a protcſied Enemy to him, to diſpolicts him of that Tyrani. a!
S. MATTHEW.
Chap, X]
Power be Exerciſed amongſt Men , by his keeping them in D;- neſs, blinding them with Error- and Superſtirion , and (2 os af chem to ſinful Practices , till God , for their prodizious qhing ail» given him a Power over their Bodies, variouſly tc 4 Afi, and Torment. them. Chriſt rook from this iron; 15, his Armour : By ſcattering the Darkneſs which was in the ah wo all the full revel.ition of Goſpel-Tizth : By expelling Erryy ang 5,» Stition; reaching People the Tiaths of Gd ; and the rib ”, his Worſhip ; By taking away the Guilt, and deſtroying the P;, ot Sin and Death, Ignorance, Error, Profanencſs. The Sc, ©. . Guilt ot Sin, and the Power of Lujts within us, beins the bes: 'S Armour, by which he kepr up his Power, and doth yer Toa py what Dominion he hath 1n the World. <P Up 20 He that is not with me is againſt me. and
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he rhat gathereth uot with me, {catter<th abroy, Lube hari rhe ſame, chap. 11. ver. 23. Some wnderſting 7c.
concerning the Devil, whom he was 1o far from tavouring, ar his Work was quite oppoſite. Some underſtand ir c a : ſome Neaters, thar wouid neither ſheiv themilelves tor Chriſt, nx againſt him. Our $.vi2r rells them, char this Cauſe woylg b ir no Neutrality, they muſt be either tor him or apainſt hin, "a p-tbly it is beſt underſtocd concerning the $ bes and Phy. whom he lets know, Thar he was one that ſhewed Men the 5...
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way oft Life and Salvatiom, and thoſe that complicd nor +;-1 lim were his Enemies 3 and inſtead of gathering, jcattere.t 4. Shccp ot God, | |
21 Wherefore I ſay unto you, All manner of {1 and blaſphemy ſhall be forgiven unto men: but th. blaſphemy againſt rhe þo/y Ghoſt thall not be tors: Ven unto men. :
22 And whoſoever ſpeaketh a word againſt tho Son of Man, it {hall he forgiven him : * but whe. +... ſoever ſpeaketh againſt the holy Ghoſt, it thull nc 1;, be torgiven him, neither in this world, neither in th- world ro come.
Miih repeaterh the ſame , chap. 3. v. 28, 2g. with no Alters. tion 2s to the Senſe; and inſtead ot neither in this World, my (6 World to come; he faich, But is in danger of Eternal Damn.ati-+
Luhe hath ſomething of it, chap. 12. 10, And whoever (12, ſpeak a word agair$t the Son of Man, it ſhail be forgiven him : © 8; unto him that Bl.iſphemeth agcir$t the Holy Ghc$, it ſhall nt le 14 given, Ir 18a Text hath very much cxercifed great Divines, und much more perplexed pocr Chriſtians in their Firs of 2elinct;
and under Temptations, There 1s in it ſomething aflerted tliat :: That all manner of Sin and Blaſphemy ſhall be forgiven, v. 22, |{|:- ſoever ſhall ſpeal; a word again8t the Son of Min, it ſhall be firgive:. (rhat 15, upon the rerms other Sins are torgiven , Repent.ance and Fiirh \n Feſs Chrif..) By the Sm of Man here, ſome would un- deiſtand any ordinary Man : Eut, 1. Chriſt never ſpake © an under that Noricn, but himſelf. 2. It had been no ercat Nos.
11N{k KITS
forgiven. A Text yieldinz exceeding egreat Relief to Saul labouring under the Burden of cheir Sits, and retl-Qing upon their Aggravation, Bur che Diificulty lieth jn che latrer par: & che Texr , which denteth Forgiveneſs to any who B/.;iphome the Hly G8, Upon this ariſe ſeveral Queſtions, 1, Queſt, i{% the Sin again8t the Holy Ghod here ſpecified was Anjw. It is not hard to gacher this trom the Context, and what 3b 2ddet!, ch.tþ. 3. v. 30. Becauſe they ſaid he had an unclean Spirit. Crit
did by the Power of the Devil. This out of doubr was their $i
ot their own Confciences. Hence ariſeth a ſecord 2c: Whether any ſuch Sin can be now committed ? Anſw, 1 ticrc wers no other Text of Scripture to prove that there may, but it only , I ſhould conclude that there is no ſuch Sin now to 9 commited; for we cannot have ſuch means of Convidtion 2+ tt Phariſees had, Chriſt nor being on the Earch, now working M74: cles; bur it is plain from other Scriptures, that there is 1uc!: 2 >: char Men and Women may yer incur theGuilr of ; See He5.5.4 54% and chap. 10. 26,27, and 1 7oh. 5. 16. where he ſpeaks ct a 3"!
unto Deat?;, tor the Forgiveneſs of which he would not hV:
Chriſtians to pray : Bur now what that Sin is, hath exerciſcd i Judgment of the greateſt Divines ro deſcribe, I ſhall nor repc*! the various Opinions about ir, many of whic! are eafily cot tured ; bur ſhall determine from the Guidance cf the 5:1 char mention it,fo tar as they will dire& in the finding of 't « I. It cannot be any Sin that is committed ignoranily. Pat 2: a Blaſphemer, bur forgiven, becauſ? he did it ignorantly. 2. 7:7 be a Sin kmwingly committed again the Operations of 19 238t; to was this Sin of the Phariſezs: 3. 4po/iacy mult bY &t ingredient 1n it: If they fall away, faich the 4y5He, Fob. 5. 5 is 4 ſinning wilfully after the receivins the Knwledge? of te Tru: He3. 10.26, It ſhould ſeem by this Text Per /ecriirn 15 2 dient in it: The Phariſces did nor only tay chis, our th ic our of Malice, defigning to deſtroy Chritt, 5. Mit ic is, that tho* Impenitercy cannot be called rthar Sin, vct ' be an ingredient in it; for whar Sins we truly repent © , ##-- be forgiven, 1 79h. 1.9, And therefore the 4p/He faith of I
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