Page:Unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost (1).pdf/8

 knowledge, nor yet to sin ignorantly, malice, is that sin; but they must both join  to make up this unpardonable sin. we see plainly by the example or St. Peter St. Paul; Peter denied Christ, and  himself too, and that grievously against  and knowledge; for he knew Christ to be  only begotten Son of God, and he knew  in him; he was one of Christ's disciples, and  of his beloved disciples too; he was taught  Christ, and had experimental knowledge of  love and favour, and yet he wickedly with  oath denied him. Now, if Peter had done this out of malice and spite, then he had committed that sin unto death for which there is no forgiveness; but Peter had no malice in his heart all the while, even at the time when he denied Christ, as you may see in Matth. xxvi 34. 35. when Christ told him. "Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice;" he answered. 'If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee:" And then denying him, through infirmity and weakness of the flesh, when he had considered what he had done, "He went out and wept bitterly," Ver. 75. But Paul had great malice and spite against the ways and people of God. as you may see. Acts ix. I. "Paul breathed out threatnings and slaughters against the disciples of the Lord, and went to the high priest, desiring of him letters to Damascus, to the Synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether men or women, he should bring them bound