Sermons preach'd upon several occasions By John Tillotson, D.D. Dean of Canterbury, preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolns-Inn, and one of His Majesties chaplains in ordinary. The second volume.

A SERMON Concerning the SIN Against the HOLY GHOST.

Matth XII.31, 32.

Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be for∣given unto men; but the blasphe∣my against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men:

And whosoever speaketh a word a∣gainst the son of man, it shall be forgiven him: But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, nei∣ther in this world, neither in the world to come.

THE occasion of these words of our blessed Saviour was the blas∣phemy of the Phari∣sees against that di∣vine power by which he wrought his mi∣racles, and particularly did cast out De∣vils. Which works of his, though they

were wrought by the Spirit of God, yet they obstinately and maliciously imputed them to the power of the Devil. Upon which our Saviour takes occasion to de∣clare the danger of this sin, which he calls blaspheming of the Holy Ghost: and tells them, that this was so great a sin above all others, that it is in a peculiar manner unpardonable. Wherefore I say unto you, &c.

For the explaining of these words, and the nature and unpardonableness of this sin, we will enquire into these four things:

First, What is the difference between speaking against the Son of Man, and speaking against the Holy Ghost.

Secondly, Wherein the Nature of this sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost doth consist.

Thirdly, In what sense this sin is here said to be peculiarly unpardonable. And

Fourthly, Upon what account it is so.

1. What is the difference between speaking against the son of man and speak∣ing against the Holy Ghost. The reason of this enquiry is, because the Text plainly puts a great difference between them, though it be not obvious to discern where it lies. For our Saviour tells us,

that whosoever speaks a word against the son of man, it shall be forgiven him, but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall never be forgiven him: And yet this blasphemy of the Pharisees against the Holy Ghost was a speaking against the Son of man. For to say that he cast out Devils by the power of the Devil, though it was a blaspheming of the Holy Ghost by whose power he wrought these mi∣racles, yet it was likewise a blaspheming of Christ himself; and was in effect to say, that he was no true Prophet, nor did come from God, but was a Magician and Impostor.

For the removing of this difficulty I shall not need to say, as some learned men have done, That by the son of man is here to be understood any man, and that our Saviour is not particularly de∣signed by it. That seems very hard, when our Saviour is so frequently in the Go∣spel called the son of man. And especial∣ly when St. Luke reciting these words, does immediately before give him this very title, to put the matter out of all doubt, Luke 12.8, 9, 10, Also I say un∣to you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the Angels of God: But he that de∣nieth

me before men, shall be denied before the Angels of God. Upon which it fol∣lows, And whosoever shall speak a word a∣gainst the son of man it shall be forgiven him. So that in all reason the Son of man is the very same person that had this Title given him in the foregoing words, viz. our blessed Saviour. So that I take it for grant∣ed, that by speaking against the son of man, is here meant speaking against Christ: And by speaking against him, as it is op∣posed to speaking against the Holy Ghost, is meant all those reproaches and contu∣melies which they cast upon our Saviours person, without reflecting upon that di∣vine power which he testified by his mi∣racles. As, their reproaching him with the meanness of his birth, Is not this the Carpenters son? with the place of it (as they supposed) out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet: Their reflecting upon his life, saying that he was a wine-bibber and a glutton, a friend of publicans and sinners; with many other calumnies which they maliciously cast upon him.

But by speaking against the Holy Ghost is meant their blaspheming and reproaching that divine power whereby he wrought his miracles: which though it did at last likewise reflect upon our Saviours per∣son,

yet it was an immediate reflection upon the Holy Ghost, and a blaspheming of him; and therefore it is called speaking against the Holy Ghost by way of distin∣ction or opposition to the other calum∣nies which they used against our Saviour; which were proper blasphemies and re∣proaches of his Person, but not of the Holy Ghost also, as this was. This seems to me to be the true difference here in∣tended by our Saviour between speaking against the Son of man, and speaking against the Holy Ghost. Let us in the

II. Second place, enquire wherein the Nature of this sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost doth consist. And the true Nature of this sin, though it be so plain∣ly to be gathered from our Saviours de∣scription of it, yet I know not how a great many learned men have made a hard shift to mistake it. Some have made it to be final Impenitency, because that is unpardonable. But why that rather than any thing else that is bad should be cal∣led a blaspheming of the Holy Ghost, it is hard to give a reason. Others have placed the nature of it in a wilful and malicious opposition of the truth: which though it be a great sin, and included in the sin here spoken of, or a concomitant

of it; yet is there great reason to believe that this is not all that is here meant by it. Others would have it to consist in a malicious opposition of the Truth, when men know and are convinced that it is the Truth, which is a great sin indeed, if ever any man were guilty of it; but it is a great Question whether humane nature be capable of it. And to mention no more, others think it to consist in a renouncing of the truth for fear of suffering; which made Francis Spira to think that he had committed this sin.

But with all due respect to the judg∣ment of others, I cannot think that any of these is the sin our Saviour here de∣scribes. As I shall endeavour plainly to shew, by considering the occasion of our Saviours mentioning of it; the persons upon whom our Saviour chargeth this sin; and up∣on what account he chargeth them with it.

At the 22 ver. of this Chapter there was brought to our Saviour one possessed with a Devil blind and dumb, and he heal∣ed him. Upon this the people were ama∣zed, and said, is not this the son of David? that is, the Messias. The Pharisees hearing this, with great bitterness and contempt said, This fellow doth not cast out Devils but by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils. Up∣on

on this our Saviour represents to them the unreasonableness of this calumny: and that upon these two considerations: 1st. That it was very unlikely that the Devil should lend him this power to use it a∣gainst himself. Every kingdom divided a∣gainst it self is brought to desolation: and every city or house divided against it self shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself, how shall then his kingdom stand? 2dly, Our Saviour tells them, they might with as much rea∣son attribute all miracles to the Devil. There were those among themselves who cast out Devils in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (as Origen and Tertullian, and Justin Martyr tell us). Of these our Saviour speaks, and asks the Pharisees, by what power they cast them out. But they aknowledged that these did it by the power of God: and there was no cause but their malice, why they should not have acknowledged that he did it like∣wise by the same power, ver. 27, If I by Beelzebub cast out Devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. That is, this may be suffici∣ent to convince you malice of to me: But if I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you; That

is, the Messias is come: Because he wrought these and other miracles to prove that he was the Messias. And then it follows, Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

So that the Pharisees are the persons charged with this sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. And their blasphemy was plainly this, that when he cast out Devils by the Spirit of God, they said he did it by the power of the Devil: they maliciously ascribed these works of the Holy Ghost to the Devil.

And that this is the ground why our Sa∣viour chargeth them with this sin against the Holy Ghost is yet more plain from St. Mark, Mark 3.28, 29, 30, Verily I say un∣to you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgive∣ness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: because they said he hath an unclean Spirit. That is, because the Pharisees charged him to be a Magician, and to have a familiar Spi∣rit, by whose assistance he did those works, when in truth he did them by the Spirit of God, therefore our Saviour declares them

guilty of this sin of blaspheming the Ho∣ly Ghost, which should never be forgiven.

So that the nature of this sin did con∣sist in a most malicious opposition to the utmost evidence that could be given to the truth of any Religion. Our blessed Saviour to shew that he was sent by God, and came from him, wrought miracles, such as did plainly evidence a divine power and presence accompanying of him. For in St. Luke he is said to do them by the finger of God, Luke 11.20, By the finger of God, that is, to do such things as were an undeniable evidence of the divine power and presence. And this is the utmost testimony that God ever gave to any person that was sent by him. And the Pharisees were eye-witnes∣ses of those miracles which our Saviour wrought, so that they could not deny them: Yet such was their opposition to him and his doctrine, that, though they saw these things done by him, and could not deny the reality of them, yet rather than they would own him to be the Messias, and his Doctrine to come from God, they most maliciously and unreasonably ascribed them to the power of the Devil. And this was the blasphemy which they were guilty of against the Holy Ghost. And herein lay the greatness of their sin, in resisting the e∣vidence

of those miracles which were so plainly wrought by the Holy Ghost; and which though themselves saw, yet they ma∣liciously imputed them to the Devil, rather than they would be convinced by them. And this is so very plain, that hardly any man that considers our Saviours discourse upon this occasion can otherwise deter∣mine the nature of this sin; especially if he do but attend to those remarkable words which I cited before (Mark 3.29,) but he that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation; because they said he hath an un∣clean spirit. I come now to the

III. Third thing I propounded, namely, in what sense this sin is here said to be pe∣culiarly unpardonable? For this our Savi∣our positively affirms to be in this different from all other sins, that it is capable of no pardon: I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men: And to shew what he means by the not forgiving of it, he tells us, that eternal punishment shall follow it in the other World. Whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speak∣eth against the Holy Ghost it shall never be

forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. Which St. Mark expres∣seth more plainly; that it shall bring those who are guilty of it to eternal damnation, Mark 3.29, He that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is li∣able to eternal damnation. So that when our Saviour says, it shall never be forgiven, nei∣ther in this world nor in the world to come, he does not intend to insinuate that some sins which are not forgiven in this world, may be forgiven in the other: but in these words he either alludes to the opinion of the Jews concerning the effect of the high∣est excommunication, the sentence where∣of they held not to be reversible, neither in this world nor the other; or else the reason of this expression may probably be to meet with a common and false opinion amongst the Jews, which was, that some sins which are not pardoned to men in this life, may by sacrifices be expiated in the other; and therefore he says it shall ne∣ver be forgiven, neither in this world nor the other. And St. Mark more plainly, that those who are guilty of it shall never have forgiveness, but be liable to eternal damna∣tion. So that our Saviour's meaning seems plainly to be this, that this sin is altoge∣ther incapable of forgiveness. I know

some have endeavoured to mollifie this matter, but (I think) without sufficient reason. Grotius understands the words comparatively, that any sort of sin shall sooner be forgiven than this against the Holy Ghost; and that our Saviour only in∣tended to express the greatness and heinous∣ness of this sin above others; in which re∣spect the pardon of it would be more dif∣ficult than of any other sin; but yet that the case of such a person is not absolutely desperate: But if our Saviour had in∣tended to say that this sin was absolutely unpardonable, I would fain know how could he have expressed the matter in higher fuller words? Dr. Hammond mol∣lifies the words another way; that this sin shall never be pardoned but upon a parti∣cular repentance for it: As if our Saviour's meaning was, that a general repentance, which was sufficient for sins of Ignorance, would not be sufficient in this case, but there must be a particular repentance for it, without which it would never be par∣doned. But this is by no means agreeable to the scope of our Saviour's discourse: Be∣cause he plainly intends to difference this from all other sorts of sins, I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy, shall be for∣given unto men. But according to this in∣terpretation

our Saviour must mean, that all other sins would be forgiven upon a general repentance; which is not true, for there are many other sins besides sins of Ignorance; there are wilful and heinous sins, such as wilful murder and adultery and blasphe∣my, (that only excepted which is against the Holy Ghost) and the like gross sins, which all Divines hold shall not be forgi∣ven, but upon a particular repentance. So that this interpretation does not sufficient∣ly difference this sin from all other sorts of sins, which yet it is very plain our Saviour intended to do. It remains then that these words must in all reason be understood absolutely; that the persons that are guil∣ty of this great sin shall never have it for∣given to them. And it may be this will not seem so harsh, when we have consi∣dered in the

IV. Fourth place, how it comes to pass that this sin is above all others incapable of pardon: And that, upon these two ac∣counts.

First, Because by this sin men resist their last remedy, and oppose the best and utmost means of their conviction. What can God be imagined to do more to convince a man of a Divine Revelation, or of the truth of any Doctrine or message that comes from

him, than to work miracles to this purpose? And what greater assurance can men have that miracles are wrought, than to be eye-witnesses of them themselves? And if men will resist such evidence, what can God do more for their satisfaction? If when men see plain miracles wrought, they will say that it is not the power of God that does them, but the power of the Devil: And if when men see the Devils cast out, they will say that the Devil conspires a∣gainst himself, this is to outface the Sun at Noon-day, and there is no way left to convince such perverse persons of the truth of any Divine Revelation. So that there is no remedy, but such persons must con∣tinue in their opposition to the truth. For this is such a sin as does in its own nature shut out and prevent all remedy. And he that thus perversely and maliciously oppo∣seth the truth, must upon the same grounds unavoidably continue in his opposition to it; because there is nothing left to be done for his conviction, more than is al∣ready done. If God should send a person immediately from heaven to him, to con∣vince him of his errour, he can give him no greater testimony that he comes from God than miracles: And if when God en∣ables that person to work these by the

power of his Spirit, this man will obsti∣nately impute them to the power of the Devil, he defeats all the imaginable means of his own conviction. So that it is no wonder if that sin be unpardonable, which resists the last and utmost means which God hath ever yet thought fit to use to bring men to repentance and salvation. And if God were willing to reveal himself, and the way to pardon and salvation to such a one, he doth by this very temper and disposition render himself incapable of being satisfied and convinced concerning any divine Revelation.

Secondly, Because this sin is of that high nature that God is therefore justly pro∣voked to withdraw his grace from such persons; and, it is probable, resolved so to do: without which grace they will con∣tinue impenitent. There is no doubt but God, if he will, can work so powerfully upon the minds of men by his Grace and Spirit, as to convince the most obstinate: and supposing them to be convinced and repent, it cannot be denied but that they would be forgiven. And therefore, when our Saviour here says, they shall not be forgiven, it is reasonable to suppose that he means, that when persons are come to that degree of obstinacy and malice, God

will (as justly he may) withdraw his grace from them: His spirit will not strive with them, to overcome their obstinacy; but will leave them to the byass of their own perverse and malicious minds; which will still engage them in a further opposi∣tion to the truth, and finally sink them in perdition. So that being deserted by God, and for want of the necessary help and aid of his grace (justly withdrawn from them) continuing finally impenitent, they become incapable of forgiveness both in this world and that which is to come. And there is nothing that can seem harsh or unreason∣able in this, to those who grant (as I think all men do) that God may be so provoked by men as justly to withdraw his grace from them in this life; that grace which is necessary to their repentance. And sure∣ly if any provocation be likely to do it, this cannot be denied to be of all others the greatest, obstinately and maliciously to oppose the utmost evidence that God ever gave to the truth of any Doctrine revealed by him. And of this the Phari∣sees, who are here charged with this sin against the Holy Ghost, were notoriously guilty, in resisting the clear evidence of our Saviours miracles.

And thus I have done with the four

things I propounded to enquire into from these words. Namely, The difference be∣tween speaking against the Son of man, and speaking against the Holy Ghost; wherein the Nature of this sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost doth consist; and in what sense this sin is said to be unpardonable; and upon what account it is so, Namely, because men by this sin resist their last re∣medy, and oppose the best and utmost means of their conviction: And because it may reasonably be supposed, that upon a provocation of this high nature God may, and is resolved to withdraw that grace from such persons which is necessary to their repentance, without which their sin remains for ever unpardonable.

All that now remains is to make this di∣scourse some way or other useful to our selves. And it may very well serve to these two purposes. First, to comfort some ve∣ry good and pious persons who are liable to despair out of an apprehension that they have committed this sin. Secondly, To caution others against the approaches to it.

1. First, To comfort some very good and pious persons, who are liable to despair upon an apprehension that they have com∣mitted this great and unpardonable sin;

and consequently, are utterly incapable of ever being restored to the mercy and fa∣vour of God. And nothing can be more for the comfort of such persons than to understand aright what the nature of this sin was, and wherein the heinousness of it doth consist; which I have endeavoured to manifest. And if this be the Nature of it which I have declared, as it seems very plain that it is, then I cannot see how any person now is likely to be in those circum∣stances as to be capable of committing it. And being a sin of so heinous a nature, and declared by our Saviour to be absolutely unpardonable, there is no reason to extend it beyond the case to which our Saviour applies it; which was the resisting of the evidence of the miracles which were wrought for the truth of Christianity, by those who were eye-witnesses of them, that is, by those who had the utmost as∣surance of them that humane nature is ca∣pable of. And not only a bare resistance of that evidence, but with a very malici∣ous circumstance, so as to impute those works which were wrought by the Holy Ghost, to the power of the Devil. This was the case of the Pharisees, whom our Saviour chargeth with this sin. And no body hath warrant to extend this sin any

further than this case: and without good warrant it would be the most uncharita∣ble thing in the world to extend it any further.

That which comes nearest to it, both in the heinousness of the crime, and the unpardonableness of it, is total Apostasie from Christianity after the embracing of it, and full conviction of the truth of it. And this the Scripture seems to place, if not in the same rank, yet, very near to it. And of this the Apostle speaks very often in the Epistle to the Hebrews under the name of unbelief, and sin by way of eminence, as being the great sin that Christians were in danger of falling into, call'd in that Epistle (Heb. 12.1.) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the sin which Christians, by reason of the cir∣cumstances they were then in, were espe∣cially subject to: And he parallels it with the case of the Jews in the wilderness, concerning whom God sware that they should not enter into his rest, namely, the earthly Canaan, which was a type of Hea∣ven. Chap. 3. ver. 18. And Chap. 6. ver. 4, 5, 6, more expresly. For it is impossible that those who were once enlightned, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers

of the world to come, if they should fall away, to renew them again to repentance. Where by impossible, the least that can be meant is, that it is extremely difficult for such per∣sons to recover themselves by repentance. And 'tis observable that those persons are said to have been partakers of the Holy Ghost; by which is meant, that they were either endued with a power of miracles by the Holy Ghost, or were under the convi∣ction of them as having seen them wrought by others. So that this Apostasie may be said in that respect to be a sin against the Holy Ghost. So likewise, Chap. 10. ver. 26, If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth (that is, if we apo∣statize from Christianity after we have em∣braced the profession of it, as appears plain∣ly from the scope of the Apostles discourse) there remains no more sacrifice for sin: which expression declares this sin either to be un∣pardonable, or something very like it. And at the 29. vers. Those persons are said to tread under foot the Son of God, and to do despite unto the Spirit of Grace. Which signifies that the sin there spoken of is more immediately committed against the Holy Spirit of God. St. Peter like∣wise declares the great danger of this sin, 2 Pet. 2.20, If after they have escaped the

pollutions of the world through the knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. St. John likewise seems to speak of this sin of Apostacy, and to call it a sin unto death: Discouraging Chri∣stians rather, from praying for those who were fallen into it; which gives great suspicion that he looked upon it as hard∣ly pardonable, 1 Joh. 5.16, If any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for those that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he shall pray for it. Now that by the sin unto death, the Apostle here means Apostacy from the Christian Religion to the Heathen Idolatry seems extremely probable from what follows, ver. 18, We know that who∣soever is born of God sinneth not, but keep∣eth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not; that is, he preserveth himself from Idolatry, which the Devil had sedu∣ced the world into, ver. 19, And we know that we are of God; and the whole world lieth in wickedness, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the wick∣ed one; that is, is under the power of the Devil: And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us understand∣ing to know him that is true; that is, to

distinguish between the true God and Idols. And then it follows, this is the true God, and eternal life: Little children keep your selves from Idols. Which last caution is a key to the understanding of all the rest; and makes it very probable that the sin unto death is Apostacy from Christianity unto Idolatry: Otherwise it is hard to imagine how the last clause comes in; Little children keep your selves from Idols. And this is that sin which of all other approacheth nearest to this sin against the Holy Ghost, which our Saviour speaks of; and concerning the pardona∣bleness of which the Scripture seems to speak very doubtfully. But if it were of the same unpardonable nature, yet this can be no trouble to those persons I am speaking of, who cannot but know them∣selves to be far enough from the guilt of this sin.

As for those other sins which by some are taken to be the sins against the Holy Ghost, they are either such as no man is capable of committing, as a malicious opposition to the truth when I am convinced and know it to be the truth: For this is a contradicti∣on. Because to know any thing to be the truth is to believe it to be so: and there∣fore no man can disbelieve it while he

believes it to be truth. Or else, they are such as no man can know he is guilty of in this life; as, final impenitency; which supposeth a man to live and die without repentance. Or else, such as I think not good man is incident to; as, a malicious and perverse opposing of the truth after suf∣ficient means of conviction. However, none of these are that which the Scrip∣ture descrihes to be the sin against the Ho∣ly Ghost, as I have already shewn.

But still there are two things which usually trouble honest and well-meaning persons; but are rather the effects of Me∣lancholy than any reasonable ground of trouble. Some think that every deliberate sin against knowledg, and after convicti∣on, is the sin against the Holy Ghost. This is aknowledged to be a very great aggra∣vation of sin, and such as calls for a great and particular repentance; but does by no means render a man incapable of for∣giveness. Others are troubled with blas∣phemous thoughts, and those they think to be the sin against the Holy Ghost. But this is generally the meer effect of Melancholy. And the persons that are troubled with these black thoughts are no ways consent∣ing to them; but they rise in their minds perfectly against their wills, and without

any approbation of theirs: And in this case they are so far from being the unpar∣donable sin, that I hope, yea and verily believe they are no sins at all, but the meer effects of a bodily distemper; and no more imputed to us, than the wild and idle rav∣ings of a man in a frenzy or a fever: And God forbid that the natural effects of a bo∣dily disease should bring guilt upon our souls. So that these persons have reason enough for comfort; but the misery is, their present distemper renders them incapable of it.

2. Secondly, The other Use I would make of this discourse is, to caution men against the degrees and approaches of this sin. For if the sin against the Holy Ghost be of such a high nature and so unpardo∣nable, then all approaches to it are very dreadful. Such as are, profane scoffing at Religion, and the Holy Spirit of God which dwells in good men: Abuse of the holy Scriptures, which were indited by the Spi∣rit of God: Perverse Infidelity, notwith∣standing all the evidence which we have for the Truth of Christianity, and suffici∣ent assurance of the Miracles wrought for the confirmation of it, brought down to us by credible History, though we were not eye-witnesses of them: Obstinacy in a

sinful and vicious course, notwithstanding all the motives and arguments of the Go∣spel to perswade men to repentance. Sin∣ning against the clear conviction of our Con∣sciences, and the motions and suggestions of God's Holy Spirit to the contrary: Ma∣licious opposing of the Truth, when the Ar∣guments for it are very plain and evident to any impartial and unprejudiced mind; and when he that opposeth the Truth, hath no clear satisfaction in his own mind to the contrary, but suffers himself to be furiously and headily carried on in his opposition to it. These are all sins of a very high nature, and of the nearest af∣finity with this great and unpardonable sin, of any that can easily be instanced in. And though God, to encourage the repentance of men, have not declared them unpardonable, yet they are great provocations; and if they be long conti∣nued in, we know not how soon God may withdraw his grace from us, and suffer us to be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin.

Be ready then to entertain the truth of God, whenever it is fairly propounded to thee; and with such evidence, as thou art willing to accept in other matters, where thou hast no prejudice nor interest to the contrary. Do nothing contrary to

thy known duty, but be careful in all things to obey the convictions of thine own conscience, and to yield to the good motions and suggestions of God's Holy Spirit, who works secretly upon the minds of men, and inspires us many times gently with good thoughts and inclinati∣ons, and is griev'd when we do not com∣ply with them; and after many repulses will at last withdraw himself from us, and leave us to be assaulted by the temptations of the Devil, and to be hur∣ried away by our own lusts into ruin and perdition.