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seasons of the outpouring of the Spirit in these latter ages. And should such a season come again in this land, when the awakening, convincing, converting and comforting influences of the Spirit should be very common and very powerful, and should any virulently oppose this good work of the holy Spirit, and knowingly ascribe it to the power and delusion of Satan, there is no reason to doubt but they would blaspheme the Holy Ghost, and bring upon themselves unpardonable guilt. It behooves sinners, therefore, to keep at the greatest distance from this fatal sin. Let them avoid all appearance of it, and shun every way of sinning which leads to it, or stands more nearly connected with it. In particular, let them beware of despising religion, of trifling with the name of God, and of profaning his day, his house, his word and sacred ordinances. The transition is easy from these sins to the sin unto death. Those who have habituated themselves to despise and profane divine objects in general, are in peculiar danger of blaspheming the Holy Ghost in particular, whenever they have an opportunity of seeing his peculiar and powerful operations upon the hearts of men. Let no sinners, therefore, dare to trifle with sacred things, lest they should be left in awful judgment to themselves, to speak a word against the Holy Ghost, the penalty for which is death without reprieve.

PART XII.

THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST.

SERMONS XLII. XLIII.

SERMON XLII.

THE TESTIMONY OF CHRIST TO HIS OWN DIVINITY.

BECAUSE that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. - JOHN, X. 33.

THERE have been various opinions of our Saviour, ever since his first appearance in the flesh. Not only Herod, but all Jerusalem, were troubled with anxiety and doubt, when they heard the news of his birth. Mary herself hardly knew what opinion to form of her child, when she heard and pondered the saying of the angels who had announced him to the world as Christ the Lord. And when the appointed time was come that he should emerge from the obscurity of private life, and appear in his public character, those who heard his doctrines and saw his miracles, were very much divided in their opinions about such an extraordinary personage. Some said he was John the Baptist; some said he was Elias; some said he was Jeremiah, or one of the prophets; and some said he was the Son of the living God. But though this last opinion was believed by his disciples, and propagated by the first preachers of the gospel, after his ascension to heaven, yet new and strange opinions of Christ soon sprang up and spread among his professed followers. Some denied his humanity; some denied his divinity; and some denied both. This diversity of opinions concerning the Founder of our holy religion proved the unhappy occasion of long and sharp disputes in the christian church. And though a milder spirit now prevails among christians, yet they are far from being united in their sentiments about the personal character of their common Saviour. Four different opinions upon this subject, divide them into four different denominations. These are commonly called, for the sake of distinction, Socin

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