Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ability_n	able_a	exercise_n	24	3	8.4104	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73885	Divers select sermons on severall texts Viz. 1. Of quenchiug [sic] the spirit. I Thessalon. 5.16. 2. Of the sinners suite for pardon. 2 Sam. 24.10. 3. Of eating and digesting the Word. Ier. 15.16. 4. Of buying and keeping the truth. Prov. 23.23. Preached by that reverend and faithfull minister of the word, Ier. Dyke, late preacher of Epping in Essex. Finished by his owne pen in his life time, and now published by his sonne Dan. Dyke Master of Arts.	Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.; Dyke, Daniel, 1617-1688.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Heart-smitten sinner's suite for pardon.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Of quenching, and not quenching of the spirit.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Purchase and possession of the truth.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Right eating and digesting of the Word.	1640 (1640)	STC 7414; ESTC S124520	150,541	441

in prayer makes men utterly to seeke in prayer when thei● necessities are most urgent Many a● their death beds and upon other urgent occasions would faine pray and alas when they try to drive they draw● heavily they want Charriot wheeles they never wheeled their Charriots nor oyled their Charriots As therefore men would keepe up a Spirit of prayer so let them be often and frequent in the exercise of it 4. Fourthly in the ability and power of giving God obedience The more we obey God the more able we shall bee to obey God our ability to obedience is from the spirit Eze. 36. I will put my Spirit into you and cause you to walke in my Statutes When a man hath got some ability to walke in Gods Statutes his care should be to maintaine and increase that ability The way to doe that is to set our ability on worke and to exercise it That will both keepe and increase in us a spirit of obedience Psal 119.55 56. I have kept thy Law How came he by this ability This I had because I kept thy precepts A strange reason one would thinke I kept it because I kept it And yet a true reason for every new act of obedience fits for a following act and the use of spirituall strength increases spirituall strength Rom. 6.19 As in sinne so in grace Mar. 4.24 Certainely the not exercising and putting forth of our ability and power of obedience quenches the power we had and so enfeebles it that when we would at another time doe it we cannot Samson when his lockes were cut off thought he would goe out and doe as at other times but the Spirit was quenched and the Lord was departed from him and therefore he could not doe as he had done at other times So when God calls us to doe duties of obedience and hath given us his Spirit and some ability from it to doe such duties as we have formerly done and when God calls us to it we will not put forth our ability hee hath given us then wee quench his Spirit and when at another time we thinke to doe such duties we cannot doe them because by not exercising our ability we lose our ability I kept not thy precepts This J had because I kept not thy precepts 3. Third meanes to kindle and keep from quenching is the use of those holy ordinances that God hath appointed for this end They are these Hearing the word a speciall meanes to keepe the spirit frō dying 1. First Hearing the Word and attendance upon the Ministry thereof They that would keepe alive and increase the fire of the Spirit must waite upon the Ministry of the Word The Ministry of the Word is fire fuell and bellowes and all It is fire Jer. 23. Is not my word as a fire As the Spirit is fire so the Word is fire and one fire kindles another Pro. 26.21 As coales are to burning coales c. so the Word is coales to burning coales these laid together make the fire greater And the fire of the Word kindles the fire of the Spirit in our hearts and when it is kindled kindles it more and makes it flame the more Did not our hearts burne within us Luc. 24. There was a fire kindled and burning in their hearts I but how came it to kindle and when did it burne Did not our hearts burn within us whilest he opened the scriptures unto us He kindled that fire in their hearts by the preaching of the Word As Ieremy speakes of the Word in another case Ier. 20.9 His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones So it is true of the Word preached in the hearts of the godly it is a burning fire in their hearts that kindles in them the fire of the Spirit There is no grace of God that is not wrought and increased in the hearts of Gods people by the Ministery of the Word The Holy Ghost falles downe from heaven upon men in the Ministry of the word Acts 10.44 It is said of the Manna Numbers 11.9 that it fell with the dew in the night My doctrine saies Moses shall drop as the raine and my speech distill as the dew The Ministry of the word is a dew that distills from heaven Now in the dew of the word and with it this Manna Christ and his Spirit falls downe from heaven according to that 1 Pet. 1.22 by them that preached the Gospell unto you with the Holy Ghost sent downe from heaven See then that Manna came downe from heaven in the dewes of the Ministry of the Gospel So much doth Pauls question to the Galathians implie Gal. 3.2 This onely would I learne of you Received ye the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith therefore by hearing the doctrine of faith preached in the Gospel the spirit is received not onely for the beginning but for the increase and continuance of it The Ministry of the word that is the fire that kindles this fire in our hearts It is also the fewell that feedes this fire The Lamps of the Temple must burne alwaies Exod. 27.20 But then there must be somewhat to feede and maintaine it burning therefore see what is commanded Command the children of Israel to bring their pure oyle olive to cause the Lampe to burne alwaies There must bee oyle to feede the fire and to cause it to burne The word is the oyle olive that causes the Lampe of the Spirit to burne alwaies that feedes and maintaines it that it quench not The fire upon the Altar must ever burne and not bee put out Levit. 6.12 13. but verse 12. middle And the Priest shall burne wood on it every morning There must bee a care had that there should bee fuell to keepe the fire burning Prov. 29.26 where no wood is though there be no water the fire goes out but verse 21. wood kindles fire As coales are to burning coales ●nd wood to fire so is a contentious man to kindle strife so is the word to ●indle the spirit and to keepe it from Quenching The word is the wood and the fuell that keepes the Spirit from quenching Therefore marke here the Apostle having said quench not the spirit they might happily aske what must wee doe that wee may not quench the Spirit see what the next words are Despise not prophecying the preaching of the word as if he should say the way not to quench the spirit but to kindle it and to keepe it alive in you is to make much of and to attend upon the Ministy of the word If once you despise and sligt that ye wil quickly quench the Spirit And to the same purpose is that Isa 30.20 31. Thine eyes shall see thy teachers and thine eares shall heare a voyce behind thee saying c. The way then to have our eares open to heare the words behinde us is to have our eyes open to see our teachers before us If

is to keepe the fire burning It is a fond thing for a man to quench his fire and then thinke to keepe himselfe still warme It is no wonder that this man complaines of cold that hath let his fire goe out or hath himselfe quench'd and extinguisht it And thus we have the coherence of these words with the former Now for the words Quench not the spirit In them there is a Metaphor and a Metonymie The metaphor in the word Quench Quenching properly is of fire when the light and heate of fire is abated and put out wee use to say it is quenched And hence is this word borrowed to signifie the abating decaying or extinguishing of the spirit The Metonymie is in the word Spirit Spirit is taken I. For the essence of the Deity So John 4. God is a Spirit It is not so taken here II. For the third person in the Trinity the Holy Ghost 1 John 5.7 The Father the Word and the holy Spirit This is not meant here III. For the gifts of the Spirit And thus it is here meant Quench not the gifts and graces of the Spirit Now the Spirit in this sense is taken diversly 1. First for the gift of Prophesie 1 Sam. 10.6.10 Then the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee And the spirit of the Lord came upon him viz. upon Saul 2. For Gifts and Abilities to discharge any calling whether it bee extraordinary or heroicall and this is called the Spirit of fortitude and courage Judg. 14.6 The spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson Judg. 3.10 Vpon Othniel and upon Saul against Nahash 1 Sam. 11.6 Or whether it bee ordinary gifts of government by which a man is fitted for Magistracy 1 Sam. 10.6 or for Ministeriall gifts Or for art and skill in any mechanicall trade Exod. 31.3 Bezaliel was filled with the Spirit of God to finde out curious workes to worke in gold 3. For the gifts and common graces of Illumination as knowledge of the doctrine of religion understanding of the truthes of the Gospel and other such common graces as Reprobates may have Thus it is taken Heb. 4.6 have tasted of the heavenly gift and made partakers of the holy Ghost That is if they had their understandings inlightned their judgemēts convinced of the Gospel if they were inlightned by the work of the Spirit of God 4. Fourthly It is taken for the graces of sanctification for the sanctifying gifts of the spirit And therefore it is that the name of the spirit is given to diverse graces as Isa 11.2 The spirit of meeknesse Ephes 1.17 The spirit of faith 1 Cor. 4.13 And the spirit of love 2 Tim. 1.17 that is the gift of meeknesse faith love infused by the Holy Ghost Now concerning these graces of sanctification we must remember two Distinctions Distinct 1. Some sanctifying graces are radicall originall fundamentall graces primary graces as they may be called which are the immediate worke of the spirit as faith hope love others are secondary graces issuing and flowing from these which though the Spirit workes too yet it workes by these such is joy which arises from faith Rom. 14. Fill your hearts with joy in all beleeving such is confidence arising from hope such is zeale and fervour of spirit arising from love These are as it were the lustre the shine the radiancy of the radicall fundamentall graces They are the flame of them There is a difference between the coales of fire that lye on the harth and the flame of the fire which is kindled from the coals on the harth When a mans faith causes joy then faith flames when his hope breedes confidence then hope flames and when a mans love makes him zealous then his love flames and burnes out They are like the body of the Sunne and the beames of the Sunne Faith Hope Love they the body Joy Confidence Zeale they the beames of the Sunne 2. Distinct Wee must consider in the sanctifying graces of the Spirit 3. things 1. There are the gifts themselves the habits infused the habits of faith hope and love 2. There is the use and exercise and act of them 3. There are the degrees and severall measures of them 4. The Spirit of God signifies the motions and holy suggestions of the spirit those gracious excitements to dutie The Spirit blowes where it listeth The motions of the spirit are the breathings and the blasts of it And this is also here meant Now seeing what Spirit signifies we are to inquire in what sense and after what sort the Spirit may be quenched Quenched it may be or else the counsell is in vaine not to quench it And againe if it may be quenched it may be an uncomfortable thing what comfort can a man have in having Gods Spirit if it may be lost what comfort to have this fire kindled in our hearts if so be it be a quenchable fire Therefore for the clearing of this point wee must know 1. First take the Spirit for the spirit of prophecie that may be quencht and lost and so for the gifts of government Ministery c. This Spirit may be quenched A man may have such gifts much decayed and abated yea a man may wholly lose such gifts As it is said of Saul that the spirit of the Lord came upon him so it is said of him that ihe Spirit of the Lord departed from him 1 Sam. 16.14 Secondly Take the Spirit for the gifts common graces of illumination and so the spirit may be quencht and utterly extinguished so as such may quite lose that grace that look'd like grace and came very neere a saving grace If they fall away Heb. 6. Therefore men may have all that there is spoken of which fall away Thirdly take the Spirit for the sanctifying Spirit and then make use of this first distinction And according to it the radicall and fundamentall graces of the spirit such as faith hope love cannot be wholly totally extinguished where once they are wrought in the heart but yet their lustre their radiancie their shine and flame may bee quenched A man though he cannot lose his faith yet he may lose and want and quench his joy A man though he cannot lose his hope yet may lose his comfort and confidence A man though he cannot lose his love yet may coole his zeale and fervour Wee see in a fire the wood may bee burnt out and so the flame abated and quite quenched but yet there remains still an heap of coales on the harth and there may be a good fire still though the flame be quenched The beames of the Sunne doe not alwayes shine out a cloud may be interposed that may intercept the beames of the Sun and the bright and comfortable radicie and splendour of them but yet the body of the Sunne is in heaven still though the beames be intercepted So joy confidence zeale may for a time be quenched lost abated but though the flame of these be downe and the

moves and excites thee to Doe as th● at Bethesda they not onely watch● when the Angel moved but every o● laboured to step in and step in prese●● ●y into the waters whilest the moti●n was on foot So soone as the Spirit ●trikes these sparkes into our hearts to ●ave our hearts as tinder to catch those ●parkes and to have them take fire in ●ur hearts Sparkes smitten into tin●er the tinder takes fire and by it a ●andle is lighted and so a greater fire A little spark that lyes in the ashes if it ●e let alone it soone dies and goes out ●ut if other small coales or small sticks ●e layed to it and it be gently and soft●y blown it at length will kindle to a ●reat fire So deale with the motions of the spirit suffer them not to dye in ●he ashes but foster and cherish them till by little and little they grow from ●otions to actions and from many Actions to an Habit. The motions of ●he spirit are the knocking 's and rappings at the doore of the heart I stand at the doore and rap Now when one ●aps at the doore wee doe not onely take notice that one knockes but wee command the doore to be opened we are angry with our servants if they goe not presently and open the doore So that is it wee should doe when t●● spirit knockes suffer him not to sta● knocking too long but make haste open the doore and give him e●trance The motions of the spirit are t● strivings of the spirit Gen. 6. My s●●rit shall no longer strive with man 〈◊〉 strives in them to bring us to so● good or to know some evill N● when wee finde him striving with we should not strive against those m●tions we should strive with our sel● to let the spirit of God overcome in his strivings We should close w● him and doe what hee calles for a● second his counsells by our obe●●ence Wee see Marriners at sea if t●● wind serves not how they are looki●● at their top saile to see and wat● when the winde turnes and blowes f●● them And when the winde blow● from the point they desire they pr●sently take notice of it Now say th● the winde blowes faire but yet that not all so soone as they see they ha● a faire gaile of winde they present●● get every man to his tackling and as fast as they can hoyse up their sayles So when the Spirit blowes in the motions of it we should not onely take notice of the blasts and faire gailes but presently hoyse up sayle set upon that thing the motion calls for Doe as God commands David 1 Chron. 14 15. The motions of the Spirit are the sound of his goings the footsteps of his anointed Psal 89. verse 51. The motions of the Spirit sometimes are for direction Isa 30.20 The Spirit sollicites a man to beleeve to repent to pray to good duties this is a good duty doe it Sometimes they are for correction and reproofe Jon. 4. Then said the Lord Doest thou well to be angry Doest thou well to sweare Doest thou well to break the Sabbath Doest thou well to neglect prayer in thy family c. Now then where motions are for direction take that good way they point to whē they are for correction avoid that evill way they plucke from thus hearken to them and this will kindle and keep alive the Spirit in thine heart If I see a man will follow my counsels and reproofes I will follow him with counsels and reproofes still he encourages me to be forward to doe him that good office So here follow the motions of the Spirit and the Spirit will delight to follow thee with good motions still I stand at the doore and knocke if any will open What then I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me As if he should say if any will hearken to these motions of the Spirit he shall have the sweet worke and the sweet consolations of the Spirit in him the Spirit shall come in shall cheere and refresh him He that will make much of these sparkes shall have a comfortable fire kindled at which hee shall warme and comfortably refresh himselfe See how the cherishing of the motious of the Spirit keepes it from quenching and causes it to flame and burne But on the contrary when a man neglects the knockes of the Spirit and yeelds not obedience to them opens not the doore that causes a sad quenching of the Spirit See an example Cant. 5.2 It is the voyce of my Beloved that knocks saying open to mee my sister There be the motions of the spirit of Christ And she takes notice of them therein she did aright It is the voyce of my beloved that knocks But she failed in the second thing she doth not arise presently and open but shee shuckes and shuffles vers 3. and hath her put offs I have put off my coat c. Well what is the issue vers 5. she arose to open to her beloved after her heart smote her for not opening before I but it was too late for vers 6. See how for want of obedience to the motions of the spirit she quenched the cōforts and joy of the spirit Therefore take heed of this How to save the Spirit frō quenching if we would save the spirit from quenching Have a care of these two things The neglect of these will quench the Spirit It is with the Spirit of God as with the Spirit of Satan It should be our care and endeavour to quench the spirit of the Divell Ephes 6.16 Wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked The darts of the Divell are fiery ones we must looke to quench them Now how may one quench the fiery darts of Satan The onely way to quench them is to quench them in the first motions when the first motions come minde them not dis-regard them slight them yeeld no obedience to them and then that fire of Hell will goe out and dye Just so is the spirit of grace also quenched Therefore the way to keepe it from quenching is to cherish it in the first motions 2. Second meanes to kindle and keepe alive this fire and to keepe it from quenching is to keep the graces and gifts of the spirit in action and exercise The gifts and graces of the spirit kept in action and exercise kindles and increases the fire of the spirit in us it so keepes the flame from quenching that it increases and blowes it up It is as with our naturall spirits when a man sits still and stirres not walkes not workes not is not in action his naturall spirits dampe and hee growes lumpish and livelesse But let a man in such a case be in action be in exercise let him walke or worke and that raises and recovers and increases his spirits in him So in this case the setting grace on worke the exercising of it doth so keepe it from

decaying and dying as that it increases and addes to it Gal. 5.25 If we live in the spirit let us also walke in the spirit That 's sure that the life of the spirit is to be evidenced by the workes of the spirit the life of grace by the workes of grace And what if a man doe so Then it may be said as truly If we walke in the spirit we shall also live in the spirit and the spirit live in us Walking in the spirit acting and exercising the gifts and graces of it will cause the spirit to live and keepe it from quenching in the gifts and graces of it And this is that which Paul wishes Timothy to doe 2 Tim. 1.6 to stirre up the gift of God that was in him Hee speakes of his Ministeriall gifts Now how are they to bee stirred up and to be kindled and increased Amongst other wayes this is one to be in action in exercise of them and not out of sloth or out of feare vers 7. to let his gifts lye idle Vse legges sayes our Proverbe and have legges and use gifts and graces and have gifts and graces Wee shall see it true in particulars The way to keepe the gifts of the spirit from dying and decaying 1. First for the gifts of the Spirit in knowledge and utterance The way to keep them from dying and decaying is to be in action in the exercise and communication of them It heates keepes them alive and increases them See Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy selfe c. as if he should say Take heed of quenching the Spirit When a man forgets that which God hath taught him and knowledge of God departs from a mans heart that 's a flat quenching of the spirit It is the putting out of the light of the fire of the Spirit Take heed of that sayes God Well but what course may be taken to keepe these gifts to keepe a man from decaying in his knowlege Teach them thy sonnes and thy sonnes sonnes The exercising of those gifts in teaching others should keepe alive their gifts in themselves Hee that in that kinde endeavours to kindle Gods Spirit in others doth at the same time and in the same action kindle it in himselfe There be lippes that Salomon calls Lippes of knowledge Prov. 20.15 and he sayes that they are a precious Jewell Now a man if hee have such lippes should be as carefull to keep them as he would be to keepe a precious Jewell How carefull is a man to keepe a precious Jewell hee would not by any meanes lose such a Jewell As carefull should a man be to keepe the lippes of knowledge And what are lippes of knowledge when they are such as Prov. 5.2 that thy lippes may keepe knowledge Those lippes are lippes of knowledge those lippes are a precious Jewell that keepe knowledge Well but how should a man come to have his lippes keepe knowledge When he doth as Prov. 10.21 The lippes of the righteous feede many When a man uses and exercises his gifts of knowledge and communicates them to others by feeding others with the knowledge he hath his feeding lippes shall prove keeping lippes Communication of knowledge and truth is the preservation and our keeping of it and the keeping our selves from losing it It is in this as in that case Gen. 22.16 17. Because thou hast done this thing and hast not with held thy sonne in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed So if men withhold not their gifts but use and exercise them in instructing others and teaching others God will in blessing blesse our gifts God will in multiplying multiply our gifts and exceedingly increase them The loaves did not multiply whilst they were in the basket nor whilst they were whole but when they were breaking and distributing under the breaking and distribution it was they multiplyed Gifts of knowledge are not spent in distribution but increase and multiply thereby It is true here which Salomon speakes Pro. 11.24.25 The scattering of knowledge makes it increase and watering others with those waters will but make way for the more abundant watering of himselfe The gifts that God gives men are pounds he gives them And hee gives a pound to a man not to be put into his purse but to be put into the banke He gives men a pound with a command to trade Luke 19.12 Trade till I come And what was the issue Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds Lord thy pound hath gained five pounds Trading therefore with the gifts of Gods spirit is the increasing of the gifts of the spirit On the contrary the want of exercise of gifts the not imploying them in cōmunicating our knowledge decayes them quenches the Spirit In the former parable wee finde some servants trading with their pounds and another servant layes up his pound in a napkin Now one would thinke that this servant had tooke the onely sure course to have kept his pound Trading we see often proves hazardous and uncertaine and many a ma● trades away his stocke and loseth al● hee hath by trading but when a ma●ties his money up in a napkin binde● it he seemes to take a sure course fo● keeping of it But yet not so in thi● trading in the gifts of the spirit They that traded gained more pounds kep● and increased their gifts he that trade● not he lost his gifts verse 24. Tak● from him the pound Hee hath quench the Spirit he lost his gifts And how comes he to lose them because he● imployed them not because hee lap● his pound in a napkin We see 2 King 4. that the oyle ceased and stayd not till for want of vessels the widdow powred not out It is not powring out but want of powring out tha● dries up the streames and fountaines o● grace And the oyle stayed saies th● text verse 6. When stayed the oyle● not when she was powring but whe● shee stayed powring shee first staye● powring before the oyle stayed running No man when a candle is light puts it under a bushell The putting of a candle under a close bushell or any other close vessell may quench the ●ight and put out the candle which would have continued burning if it had beene set upon the table The Mothers milke dries not up with drawing out her brest and giving suck but it dryes up with being kept up with not giving suck quench not the spirit Fire is quencht not onely by water but by want of vent If fyre bee shut close up ●n an oven or a still it dies and goes ●ut but if it hath ayre and vent then ●t lives and burnes And what is it that more quenches the spirit in this kinde then our not using and exercising of mens gifts No man when he lights a candle puts it under a bed or under a bushell The spirit of God ●ights many a mans candle gives him much light hee hath a faire burning lampe and yet the same things

our eyes see not our teachers we cannot expect wee should heare the voyce behind us The way to have the spirit follow us with his motions and worke of grace is for us to follow the word The hearing of the word then is a speciall meanes to cherish the spirit of grace in our hearts It is the oyle and the wood that keepes this fire burning It is also the bellowes that blowes and stirres up this fire in our hearts When a man would kindle a firc hee takes the bellowes and by their helpe hee makes the fire burne with a great flame and heate that before burnt little or nothing When a fire is quencht and is almost out the bellowes will quickly raise the flame againe The ministry of the word is the bellowes that blowes up and kindles the fire of the Spirit in us and makes it flame Ier. 6.29 All the preaching of the Prophets is in vaine it will not prevaile with them Therefore when the word is preached then the Bellowes blowes to kindle the fire Now when there is fire and fuell and bellowes blowing there is no danger of the fyre going out there is no question but that the fire will burne and be kept alive And the ministry of the word being fire fuell and bellowes it must needs bee a speciall meanes to keepe the Spirit from quenching to kindle and keepe it alive in us And therefore such as would take heede of quenching as would kindle and preserve this fire burning they must come to this fire and catch fire at it must lay on this wood must come under the blast of these bellowes that is they must come to and attend upon the ministry of the word And what is it that more and sooner quenches the Spirit then the want and neglect of the ministry of the word Many that have had faire lamps blazing faire fires burning yet it comes to passe that it may be said of them as Isa 43.17 They are extinct they are quenched as towe When wood burnes after quenches yet for some good time after there remaine some coales and some fire still but when burning towe quenches it leaves no fire or heate at all it goes suddenly quite out So many not onely quench in degree but quench altogether quench as towe Quench so as God in another sense threatens to quench the wicked Iob 18.5.6 Their light is quenched and the sparke of their fire doth not shine So quenched that all sparkes of goodnes are quenched in them Now whence came this mischiefe and where began this evill let it be considered if it had not its first rise from the neglect of the ministry The taking away and the losse of the ministry must needes bee a great cause of Quenching the Spirit in mens hearts When the lampes in the Temple are quencht 2 Cron. 29.7 the lampe of the spirit must needes quench in mens hearts Heb. 30.20.21 Thy teachers shall not be removed any more into any corner but thine eyes c. and thine eares c. Therefore when teachers are removed into corners then no voyce of the Spirit is to bee heard then the spirit is quenched As the quenching of the spirit is the cause sometimes of the quenching the fire of the word Apoc. 2. Thou hast left thy first love I will remove the candlesticke Thou hast left thy love There is quenching of the Spirit I will remove the candlestick there is the quenching of the light of the Gospel Thou hast quenched the fire of thy zeale I will quench the fire of the Gospel I will remove the candlesticke and quench and put out the candle the striving and burning light of the Ministry So also the quenching of the candle and light of the Ministry is infallibly a cause of quenching the spirit in mens hearts When once Preaching is taken frō men there must needes be a decay and a languishing of grace without wood the fire must needes goe out The want or losse of the meanes is a quenching But now when men shall voluntarily of themselves through negligence and disrespect of the meanes slight them this is a farre more dangerous cause of quenching the spirit for then there is a double cause of quenching First The want of fuell the withdrawing of the wood And Secondly Gods Justice who when hee sees men begin to neglect and shift the meanes hee will in his wrath smite them with the losse of those gifts and graces they had As ever therefore thou wouldest keepe the Spirit from quenching as ever thou wouldest kindle it and keepe it flaming and burning so diligently and conscionably attend upon the Ministry of the Word 2. Communion of Saints Communion of Saints a meanes to keep the Spirit frō quenching and the exercise of the duties of that Communion in mutuall exhortation mutuall provocation to love and good workes mutuall quickning and exciting each other unto good This is a speciall meanes to keepe the Spirit from quenching to keep the spirit burning and flaming and to increase the gifts and graces of the Spirit in us As of contentious men so is it true of gracious men and godly men in this sense Prov. 26.21 As coales are to burning coales and wood to fire so is a godly and gracious man to kindle the spirit Coales laid to burning coales doe mutually communicate heate each to other and make each others heate the greater A few stickes laid on the fire and that lye asunder too they make but a poore fire it gives but little heate but when a good company of stickes are laid on together and laid on close then the fire burnes to the purpose Wee see that smal stickes will kindle great ones In blowing of the fire the smaller wood takes fire first and that being fired it fires the greater wood Many times men that have greater measures of gifts and knowledge may want heat and be short in their fervour and zeale and they by their communion with Christians of meaner ranke and meaner gifts than themselves may bee warmed and heated and have the fire of love and zeale kindled in them We see that greene wood will hardly burn alone lay that on the fire alone and what a deale of blowing and stirring must there be ere it will take fire and if it doe take fire it will hardly burne any longer than it is blowne and but poorly then neither But now lay green wood on the fire with dry wood and the dry wood not onely burnes it selfe but sets the greene wood on fire also and makes it burne to the purpose Some mens hearts are exceeding dead and cold and it may be they use all private helpes by themselves and blow what they can but their solitary indeavours will not doe it If once they doe but joyne themselves in society with such as are godly and hold communion with them that will get heate into their hearts and those burning coales will set them on fire A live cole thrown out