196 The Gofpel-Myflery Dire( XI. never fo great and horrible, and continued in never fo long, yet he is able to deliver from the body of death, and mortify our corruptions, be they ever fo ftrong. We find in fcripture, that abominable wick- ed perfons have been faxed by him, idolaters, adul- terers, effeminate, covetous, drunkards, extortion- ers, &c. z Cor. vi. 9, to. fuch as have finned a- gainft the light of nature, as the heathen, and the fight of fcripture, as the Jews ; fuch as have denied Chrift, as Peter, and perfecuted andlslafphenied him as Paul. Many that have fallen into great fins are ruined for ever, becaufe they do not account the grace of Chrift fufficient for their pardon and fane. tification : when they think they are gone, and paft all hope of recovery, that their fins are upon them, and they pine away in them, how (hall they live? Ez. xxxiii. lo. This defpairworks fecretly m manyfouls, without fuch trouble and horror, and maketh them c"arelefs of their fouls and true religion.'" The devil ú11s fornewith horrid, filthy blafphernous thoughts, onpurpofe, that they think their fins too great tobe forgiven ; though commonly fuch thoughts, are the leaft of the fins of thofe that are peftered with them, and rather the devil's fin than theirs, becaufe they are hurried into them fore againft their wills: but, if their hearts be :onewfxat. ,Muted within them, Chritt °teititi tie, "cc that all manner' Of fin and blaf:, phemy íhall be forgiven, except the blafphamy a- gainft the Holy Ghofl," Matth. xii 31. And as for thofe that are guilty of blafphemy againft the Hp- ly Ghoft, the reafon why they are never forgiven; is not becaufe of any want of fufficiency in the blood of Chrift, or in the pardoniÁ sr mercy of God; but becaufe they never repent of that fin, and never feels to God for mercy through him, but continue obfti- hate until death; for the fcripture teftifieth, that it is iinpoffible to renew them again unto repentance, lieb. V. 5, 6. So that the merits of Chrift are fuf- ficient for all that feek to him for mercyby believing.
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