no assurance that God accepts his prayers alas what a comfortlesse service is that from such prayers may a man rise with a sad Spirit Goe and eate thy bread with sorrow and drinke thy wine with a sad heart for God accepts not thy prayer God answers not with fire Now what is it that brings a man into this condition This is nothing else but a sad fruit of quenching the Spirit of Grace Because men quench the spirit therefore the Spirit burnes not in prayer and so gives no assurance of Gods acceptance What wonder that fire burns not when it is quencht Thou hast quenched it in the graces and degrees of it and therefore it is quenched in the comfort of it and now it gives thee no testimony of acceptance As therfore wee would feare to want fire to give us assurance of Gods acceptance so take wee heed that we before-hand doe not quench the fire 3. The Spirit makes our prayers accepabe The Spirit of God doth us this good office to make our prayers acceptable Prayer is not acceptable unlesse it be fervent Jam. 5. It is fervent prayer that prevailes therefore it is fervent prayer that is acceptable There is a phrase Am. 5.21 I will not smell in your solemne assemblies What that meanes see vers 22. I will not accept When incense was offered upon the Golden Altar if the Priest had layed incense upon it upon the cold Altar if there had been no fire there had beene no smell it must burne before it could smell For as in that case Ex. 29.41 For a sweet savor an offering made by fire unto the Lord so this it must be fire that must make an offering of sweet savour So all our prayers if there be no fire they have no smell they have no acceptance Now if we quench the spirit we quench the acceptance of our prayers our incense is not accepted if it doe not smell it cannot smell unlesse it burne and how can wee thinke it should burne when wee have quencht the fire of the Spirit by which our incense should burne The Spirit gives us a comfortable assurance of our good condition before God 4. Fourthly the Spirit of God doth us this good office to give us a comfortable assurance of our good condition before God Rom. 8.16 The same spirit beareth witnesse c. yea it seales to us our adoption 2 Cor. 1.21 ye were sealed with the spirit But now if the spirit be quenched where is that comfort of Adoption Can a quenched spirit be a witnessing spirit Can a quenched spirit be a sealing spirit Can a quenched spirit be an assuring spirit Can a quenched spirit be a spirit of consolation It is a dangerous thing to quench the spirit it is the quenching of his witnesse it is the blurring and defacing of his seale it is the quenching of a mans own comfort 5. Fifthly The Spirit guides us in the way of truth the Spirit of God doth us this good office to leade and guide us in the wayes of truth and life Joh. 16.13 The Spirit will leade you into all truth and 1 Cor. 12.3 No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Spirit It is he that by his light guides us and shewes us what is truth Hee is as the pillar of fire Exod. 30.11 to give light to goe by day and by night Wee live here in the darke and if we have not the light of the Spirit wee cannot but wander and goe amisse And this is a danger of quenching the spirit that it being quenched wee are in danger of being in the darke and being in the darke of miscarrying of falling into dangerous and foule errours It seemes that sometimes Israel did travell by night by that place Exod 30.21 and there was no danger of going out of their way or falling into pits c. because they had the pillar of fire to give them light to goe by night If they had gone by night and had not had the pillar of fire in what danger had they gone They had been in danger of being wilderd of losing their way of falling into holes and pits into which they might have broken their neckes So here so long as wee have the light of the Spirit to guide us we are safe from such danger but if once wee quench the spirit wee quench the light of it and then are in danger of being wilderd and losing our way of falling into this and that dangerous errour Experience lets us see the truth of it Wee see some that have beene very forward in godlinesse and Religion very Zealous and active and who but they But after they have abated their zeale and fervour fallen off from good society and duties they have quenched the Spirit And what hath become of them Why not one odde opinion stirring in a Country not any dangerous errour abroach but they fall presently into it and are ensnared And no wonder that such fall into the ditch for the light of the Spirit is quencht And thus the Spirit is quenched in the offices thereof when quenched in the graces 2. Secondly To quēch Gods Spirit kindles the divels a second danger of quenching the spirit in the graces thereof is this The quenching of Gods Spirit is oftentimes the kindling of the spirit of the Divell Saving and sanctifying graces though they cannot bee quenched in their habits yet wee saw before that they may bee quencht in their acts and operations may be quencht in their measures and degrees And the quenching of sanctifying grace though but in the act and degree yet it makes way for the kindling of the fire of the spirit of satan Wee are counselled Ephes 6. to quench the fiery darts of satan Now when wee quench the spirit of God in the acts and degrees of grace wee are farre from quenching the spirit of satan nay wee doe certainely thereby give so much the more advantage for the tentations of satan to prevaile and the fire of them to kindle so much the easilier But now when the spirit is quenched in the common gifts and graces thereof such as reprobates may have then the quenching of the spirit of God is the kindling of the spirit of the Divell so as hee enters with so much the more power to carry men into all manner of sinne with greedinesse Marke that passage 1 Sam. 16.14 But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul There was the spirit of the Lord quenched And what was the issue Was that all No marke the danger that followed upon it And an evill spirit from the Lord troubled him Gods Spirit goes and the Divels spirit comes Yea hee came so that Saul was carryed into horrible and fearefull sinnes Hee proved unreasonably malignant and malicious against David Hee commits a most barbarous and cruell murder 1 Sam 22.16 Thou shalt dye Ahimelech thou and all thy Fathers house It was a bloudy act to put Ahimelech to death
but the flame and fire of hell scorching and burning his conscience It quenches the Spirit in the degrees of grace so as a man after sinne cannot doe as he did before See Judg. 16.20 He thought to doe as at other times Poore man hee was deceived he rises from Delilahs knees and communicates the secrets of his heart to her and now he hath quencht the Spirit and cannot doe as at other times So with men have committed some foule sinne they will goe to prayer to heare the Word to receive the Sacrament and they thinke to doe as they have done in former times to pray heare and receive as at other times but the Spirit of God that was wont to helpe and assist them that is quenched and departed and they cannot pray as they were wont nor heare nor receceive as they were wont to doe Their strength and graces are so decayed in their degrees that they are nothing the men that they were David went to the Temple no question and to the Sacrifices all the while that he lay in his sinne but what a difference did David finde in himselfe How farre did he finde himselfe from being able to doe in prayer and other holy duties as hee was wont to doe Sinne quenches the heate and warmth of the Spirit They that will quench the light of the Spirit in sinning against the light of it shall quench it in the heate and warmth of it Such a man may pray heare receive but alas how coldly and with what deadnesse they doe these things Their hearts that were wont to burne and to be heated and thorowly warmed in these duties are now key colde no heate nor warmth at all They doe these duties as the poore man gave thankes that gave thankes for his stolne mutton With what affection life heate and warmth of Spirit could he give thankes for that meate he had stolne Just such is the case of such as commit grosse sinnes against conscience and the light of the Spirit Sinning and praying cannot stand together If praying doe not hinder from sinning sinning will hinder from praying And as wee see it true in Davids foule sinne of adultery so it is in other foule sinnes they are all water cast on the fire The sin of drunkennesse it is a swinish sinne a man that commits that sinne casts water upon the fire of the Spirit it quenches the Spirit in the gifts of it The Prophet complains of the Priests and Prophets in his time that they had lost the knowledge of the truth that light was quencht But how came it so Isa 28.7 they were a company of drunken sots So Isa 57.10.12 They were a company of pot-companions fitter for a cellar and a pot then for a Church and a Pulpit therefore their gifts were quencht therefore they were blinde ignorant c. Some Prophets spirits are spirits of the cellar of the Taverne they be pot-Divines Mic. 2.11 and the spirit of God quenches and dyes where there is such a spirit And so it is in other men as well as Prophets the spirit of the Ale-house and the spirit of God will never sort together And we see many whose Apostacie hath had its beginning at the pot there began their first quenching of the spirit And this is that the Apostle points at Ephes 5.18 Be not drunk with wine but be filled with the spirit As if a man must needs bee empty of the spirit that will be filled with wine Drunkennesse wee often see quenches the very spirits of nature and makes men sodden-headed sots therefore no wonder if it quench the spirit of grace Gods spirit will not dwell in a Beere or Ale-barrell As therefore we would not quench the spirit of God so take we heed of committing any sinne but especially of sinnes against knowledge and conscience of foule grosse sinnes Water must needs quench fire But though all sinnes are quenchers of the Spirit yet there be some speciall sinnes that are not so grosse and scandalous that a Christian may bee subject to and have creeping upon him and are dangerous quenchers of the Spirit And they are these Worldlinesse though no scandalous sin yet it is a dangerous quencher of the spirit 1. First Worldlinesse an Inordinate desire of and affection to earthly things The inordinate love of the world is a dangerous quencher of the Spirit Demas quencht the Spirit hee had made zealous profession of the Gospel and Religion but hee fell off from the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and hence came Demas to quench the Spirit Demas hath forsaken us and hath embraced or he loved as he made it this present world It was Demas his worldlinesse and earthlinesse that quenched the Spirit see 1 Iohn 2.16 Love not the world nor the things of the world But why not If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him The love of the world quenches the love of God and so the Spirit for the love of God is a grace of the Spirit The love of the world quenches the love of the word Mat. 13.22 The world choakes the word Worldlinesse is a choaker and a quencher of the Spirit A man may put out and quench fire not only with water but with earth earth cast upon a fire though dry earth wil quench fire It is with the love of the earth as it is with the Dampe of the earth They that worke in Coale-mines and in the earth observe a dampe to rise out of the earth and when the dampe rises it will quench and put out their candles They burne dimme at first and so by little and little they quench and goe quite out with the dampe So is it with the love of the world when it prevailes in the heart it dampes the spirit of grace and quenches the spirit of God in the heart of a man And our Saviour having spoken against worldlinesse Mattew 6.19 20 21. hee comes verse 22 23. to shew the mischiefe of it and the mischiefe and danger of it is that it is a Dampe that puts out the candle quenches a mans light and so leaves him full of dangers Marke that discription of the Church Cant. 3.6 Who is this that ascends out of the wildernesse with pillars of smoake Elationibus fumi A christian therefore is a man ascending out of the wildernesse with pillars of smoake By the wildernesse is meant the world a Christian is a man not descending into but ascending up out of the wildernesse a man that is comming up out of the world And he comes up like pillars of smoak His affections his desires his thoughts they are the pillars of smoake now smoake goes upwards it rises and goes towards heaven So his thoughts affections desires they reeke and rise upwards they smoake heaven-wards Now we know there is no smoake but there is some fire what is then the fire from whence these pillars of smoake come There is in a Christians heart the fire of
for want of stirring the fire formality quenches the fire and lets it goe out if it puts it not out There be two severall paces in Religion and performance of religious duties and we finde them both together Prov. 4.12 When thou goest thy steps shall not be straightned and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble There is a going pace and there is a running pace A man must first goe before hee can run and when a man begins with a going pace and rises to a running pace that 's commendable When a man begins to practise and performe duties it is a going but when he comes to be zealous and fervent in duties of obedience and service that 's running running is the pace of zeale Now so long as a man keepes running so long he keepes warmth and heate in him though it be cold weather So long as a man is zealous in the profession of Religion and performance of duties so long the fire of the spirit burnes and is not quenched But if a man leave running and slacks his pace and contents himselfe with a going pace his spirituall heate abates and is cooled and quenched And when a man hath beene zealous in profession and zealous in performances and afterwards falls to formality that 's to turne running into going and that 's the way to coole and quench the spirit It is formality in Religion that undoes men that 's the cause the spirit kindles not in some that the spirit is quenched in others Men content themselves with a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof men come to Church heare pray receive but there is no life no zeale no heate in their profession and performances and therefore the spirit kindles not and therefore the spirit is quenched We know what Isaac said to his Father as he was going to mount Moriah Gen. 12.7 My father behold the fire and the wood but where is the Lambe for the burnt offering But we may say to many Behold the wood and the Lambe but where is the fire Here is profession and here is praying and hearing and receiving but where is the fire where is the zeale the heat the life that these duties should bee done withall God was displeased with Nadab and Abihu because they offered with strange fire It is a provocation to God to offer with no fire as well as with strange fire And because men come to offer without fire because they performe duties formally Et solent non de pietate De diversis Serm. 120. sed de solennitate concurrere as Austin speakes therefore is the spirit of God not kindled therefore is the spirit of God quenched As therefore we would feare to quench the spirit so take we heed of formality in holy performances bring fire with your offerings bring fire with your incense what is fire without incense and what is incense without fire If you professe professe powerfully If you pray pray earnestly pray with your whole heart If we doe performe holy duties stirre we up our selves to doe them with all our might But if we doe holy duties onely for forme and satisfie our selves in the bare ceremony of the worke done wee shall never kindle the Spirit if it be not kindled and we shall quench the spirit if it be kindled He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 3. We are all baptized with water but yet a Christian should looke to it that hee be not onely baptized with water but with fire also And all that are truely baptized are baptized with fire as well as with water How many are baptized with water that were never baptized with fire Their coldnesse and formality in Religion shewes that they were baptized with water alone that there was not a sparke of fire in their baptisme Nay were it that men were baptized with fire yet coldnesse and formality in Religion and holy performances would make their baptisme a meere watry baptisme nay it would prove water to quench and put out that fire with which they had beene baptized Formality is water that will quench the fire of the Holy Ghost 3. Thirdly An opinion of sufficiency of grace is a quencher of the Spirit a conceit and an opinion of sufficiencie of grace and godlinesse When men once say of grace Religion and godlinesse as Esau said of his goods and wealth Gen. 33.9 And Esau said I have enough my brother c. As profane a person as hee was there be but a few that are of his minde and that can tell when they have enough It was well said of Esau in that kinde But when men come to say so of grace and godlinesse I have enough and entertaine a conceit of a sufficiencie of grace that they have knowledge enough they have faith enough zeale enough and that they need trouble themselves no more to increase their knowledge faith zeale they are in a direct and a dangerous course of quenching the spirit The next way to quench the spirit is to quench a mans cares desires and endeavours after more grace When a man desires no more grace than hee hath endeavours and labours for no more than he hath grace will dye and decay and so the spirit will quench Now there is nothing so quenches a mans cares desires and endeavours after grace as the conceit and opinion that a man is well that hee hath enough and that more is more than needes If a man have a good estate yet if he thinks that he hath not yet enough but hee yet wants so much and so much that very opinion that he hath not enough quickens his cares for his desires of his endeavours after more and so makes him ply his trading ply his Markets yet to get more And his desires and endeavours quickned by that opinion makes the mans estate grow makes him thrive and increase his wealth So a man that hath good measures of grace already yet if hee thinke that hee is short of that hee should be and have he hath not yet those measures of knowledge faith zeale c. he should have that very thought quickens his cares desires and endaavours to get more and these endeavours increase his stocke Paul Phil. 3. pressed hard forward to the marke that was set before him and so runne on still desired yet to goe further in grace and Religion But what made him doe it I forget the things which are behinde Hee did not looke at what he had already done as if hee had done enough hee did not thinke he had enough or had done enough and therefore he desired to have more to doe more When a man thinkes hee hath enough goods and riches enough for him and his he cares not for any more he will not ride and runne about and be early up and late downe hee will not be so eager in his trading but give it quite up Soule thou hast much goods laid up for many yeeres take thine
ease plod no more bustle about no more And so when a man ceases his paines and endeavours sits still and takes his ease then his goods come not in and increase not as they did before but he spends of his stock Just so here when a man thinkes he hath grace enough he will not doe as they Dan. 12.4 Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased Indeede when men finde a want of knowledge and so of other graces they will runne to and fro for it and take paines for it and these paines shall not be in vaine their knowledge and their grace shall bee increased But when men thinke they have enough they will not run to and fro they will sit still and let fall all endeavours and then knowledge and grace shall not be increased but be decreased the stocke will waste and the spirit will be quenched The Church of Laodicea had questionlesse beene zealous and had the spirit kindled in a most goodly measure but yet see to what a temper she was come Apoc. 3.15 16. Thou art neither hot nor cold thou art luke-warme To have beene hot and to come to this not to be hot to have beene zealous and fervent and to come to be luke-warme this is a quenching of the spirit Luke-warme Christians are quenched Christians luke-warme Christians are quenchers of the spirit thus had Laodicea quenched he Spirit But how came Laodicea to quench the spirit Thou art neither hot nor cold thou art luke-warme vers 15 16. But when came this luke-warmnesse see vers 17. Because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have neede of nothing Here was an opinion of sufficiency I have enough and this quencht her indeavours of increasing grace and this brought her to luke-warmnesse and so to the quenching of the Spirit Prov. 10.4 He that dealeth with a slacke hand becommeth poore He doth not say he shall not be rich but becomes poore though he had a good estate before yet he becomes poore It stands in opposition to the latter part of the verse The hand of the diligent not keeps riches but makes rich though otherwise at first but poore So a slacke hand makes a man poore that was rich Now when a man hath had spirituall riches of grace and sinkes in his estate and decayes that man quenches the spirit Now what brings a man to decay and to become poore when a man deales with a slacke hand He remits of his diligence and of his paines in using meanes to increase his spirituall riches And what is a maine thing that makes a man slack his hand No one thing more then a conceit that a man hath enough a sufficiency of grace Once admit an opinion that thou hast enough and then thou wilt deale with a slacke hand and wilt abate of thy paines and endeavors for grace And paines abated grace abates and grace abated the Spirit is quenched Once thinke thou hast grace enough faith knowledge zeale enough and it will quickly come to passe that thou thou shalt bee sure to have little enough No sooner is the Moone come to the full but it presently decreases and abates of her light And no sooner is a man come to be full to a fulnesse in his conceit but he presently inclines to the wane and is on the decreasing hand Therefore as we would feare to quench the spirit so take we heed of nourishing yea of entertaining such a conceit of a sufficiency of grace Remember the Spirit is here compared to fire and fire is one of the foure things that never sayes It is enough Prov. 30.16 It is a fire on the quenching hand and a fire that will soone be quencht that sayes It is enough There is nothing that so speedily and so dangerously beggers a Christian and decayes Abrupt over-sudden breaking off from holy duties a quencher of the Spirit and decreases the Spirit of grace in him as a conceit of riches and sufficiency 4. Fourthly an abrupt and over-sudden breaking off from holy duties in which wee have found our hearts heated and inlarged When a man in prayer hearing or receiving hath found spirituall heate raised and fire kindled he should have a care to keepe up that heate warming him and that fire burning in him so long as may be It is not possible after holy duties be ended to keep the fire in that heate and the heate in that frame it had in the performance of the duties but yet a man should keep it up so long as may bee and though that fire goe out yet it should not suddenly be quencht and put out so soone as the duty is over but it should goe out leasurely gradually When David found that holy and good frame of heart in the people 1 Chron. 29.18 See how he prayes for them He finds in them a float of good affections and he desires that this frame of heart may be upheld and kept in them for ever Not that that flame and float of good affections should alwayes bee in that heate and height that then they were in but that such a frame of heart might alwayes habitually be in them that upon all good occasions the like good affections might be raised and the like fire might flame Now the way to doe that is to keepe them up so long as may be and when they doe sinke yet to let them sinke so gradually that they may leave in the heart an habituall disposition and inclination to the like frame againe when occasion shall be The string of a Lute or a Violl if it have beene wound up to an high note if afterwards it be let downe a note or so yet it will of it selfe be rising again so when our hearts have beene inlarged in prayer hearing c. and our affections have been wound and skrewed up to a good height when we goe off from the duty yet should we goe off with a bent of the heart to the duty still and wee should doe our best to keepe our hearts as long as may bee in that holy and good frame in which holy duties left them And when this frame goes downe leasurely and by degrees it will leave in the heart an habituall disposition and preparation for these duties againe And this is that which causes a great quenching of the Spirit Men it may be have their hearts sweetly inlarged and heated in prayer hearing receiving and as soone as prayer is done the Sermon and Sacrament is done they chop suddenly off from these duties breake then off abruptly and fall to talke of the world too too suddenly so as the holy frame of heart got in these duties is suddenly gone and the fire immediately quencht When a man is very hot if he presently strip himselfe and throw off his clothes hee is in great danger to take such a cold as may quench the very life of him So such a sudden and immediate chopping from holy duties to matters of
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
in prayer makes men utterly to seeke in prayer when theiâ— necessities are most urgent Many aâ— their death beds and upon other urgent occasions would faine pray and alas when they try to drive they drawâ— 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 froÌ„ 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 â—nd wood to fire so is a contentious man to kindle strife so is the word to â—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
of the fire dies and quenches presently A dead cole cast into the fire amongst coales that are alive presently is on fire And this very thing Salomon intends Eccl. 4.11 If two ly together then they have heat There is a mutuall contribution and communication of heate from each to other One gives heate to another Alter caelidus alter frigidus Calidus frigidum accendat qui parum ardet optet augmentu Aug. de divino serm ser 87. and one receives heate from another each are the better and the warmer by the others society But how can one be warme alone especially if hee be naturally cold and withall the weather and the time be cold A man that is then alone must needs be cold Wee see when David grew old his naturall heate abated and decayed and hee grew cold withall 1 Reg. 1.1 And they used meanes to make him hot they covered him with clothes but yet he gat no heate clothes must bee first heated from a principle of heate in the body before they can heat and warme the body But vers 2.3 Abishag lying in Davids bosome hee gat heate and warmth Cloathes were dead cherishers they could not warm David but Abishag having naturall and living heat this helpt David to warmth So here if men doe use meanes in private by themselves and have not exercise nor communion with others all meanes so used will be but covering with clothes by which wee shall neither get nor keepe heate Holy conference a duty of this communion It kindles and stirres up the spirit it refreshes it cheeres the spirit in us Ephes 4.29.30 Corrupt communication grieves him And whatsoever grieves doth quench the Spirit Now as evill speech and communication grieves and quenches so holy speech and conference it cheeres and so kindles the Spirit in us But if a man have communion with such as have spirituall life in them the fire of the Spirit in them the vigour and warmth of Grace in them have society with them in prayer conference mutuall excitations unto God this will be an excellent meanes to keepe our heate from cooling and quenching yea to increase and adde to it Me thinkes there is somewhat in that Act. 2. If wee consider when the Holy Ghost came upon them and that there were cloven tongues of fire upon them And when was it vers 1. they were all with one accord in one place met together in an holy communion and about duties of holy communion And then followed that vers 2 3 4. How much mutuall communion of Saints quickens the life of Grace and the heate of it we may see in one particular 2 John 12. That our joy may be full An Apostles graces furthered and quickned by the graces of a woman When such Grandies in grace have benefit by communion of Saints how much more may they whose measures are lesse It is certaine that the neglect of this communion and the duties of it is a great quencher of the Spirit When men fall off by Apostacie that is a quenching of the Spirit The highest degree of quenching the Spirit is in the great sinne against the Holy Ghost And it is a cleere case that the letting fall of this communion and the neglect of that is one of the first steps to Apostacie and the sinne against the Holy Ghost Heb. 10.23 24 25 26. By which he implyes that as a speciall meanes to keep men from such a quenching of the Spirit as makes way to the sinne against the Holy Ghost is to uphold the practise of the duties of the communion of Saints so a speciall cause of such quenching as makes way unto that sinne is the neglect and throwing up of the practise of the duties of the communion of Saints 3. Thirdly the duty of meditation Though there be wood and fire yet if they be not laid one to another there will be no flame nor heate but when they are laid and applyed each to other that kindles and makes the fire burne especially when the fire is blowne upon the wood being laid on Meditation layes wood and fire together it blowes the fire also and raises the flame All the prodigall sonnes graces began at this I will arise said hee he said it in his heart in his thoughts in his meditations and goe to my Father He was in serious meditation what a great man his Father was what an excellent house he kept what a miserable case he himselfe was in and this meditation quickned his heart to this I will arise and goe to my Father So mens bethinking themselves is made an excellent helpe unto repentance 1 Reg. 8.47 That is when men seriously use to meditate and use to thinke with themselves what they have done how God is offended with them how great their misery is where remedy is to be had c. This is an excellent helpe to make way for the spirit of repentance It is a great measure of grace the godly man attaines to Psal 1.3 But marke what is a great meanes conducing to these measures of grace and the spirit verse 2. To bee spiritually minded is life Rom. 8.6 This is in one sense to be spiritually minded when the mind is imployed in spirituall meditations and this is life also in this sense in that it breedes and maintaines the life of grace and the spirit in us The want and neglect of this duty doth exceedingly chill and coole and danger the graces of the Spirit in us therefore as we would not quench but keepe alive the graces of God in us so exercise we our hearts often in the duty of meditation Prayer a meanes to keepe the spirit from quenching 4. Fourthly the duty of prayer It is a speciall meanes to keepe the Spirit from quenching ye to cause the spirit to kindle and increase in us to bee frequent and feruent in prayer It is that by which we get the Spirit encreased in us Luke 11.17 how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that aske him which is not to bee understood so much of the first infusion and gift of the Spirit as of the increases of the graces of this Spirit For a man to speake properly cannot pray till he have the Spirit and then when a man hath the Spirit and sets that Spirit on worke in the duty of prayer then the spirit which was given before is given in a larger measure in greater abundance in the graces thereof The Apostles had the spirit of God in them before Christs death and after his resurrection Iohn 20. he breathed upon them and sayd Receive ye the Holy Ghost And yet after this it is said that they were filled with the Holy Ghost that is at that time the Holy Ghost came upon them afresh But when was it that they were afresh filled with the Holy Ghost Prayer brought downe a fulnesse of the Spirit That speech Cant. 4.16 is conceived to bee the speech of
Christ as if he should say oh my spirit blow upon the hearts of my people that their graces may abound in them and increase in them worke abundance of grace in them It is sure that the spirit of God must blow upon the garden before the spices thereof can flow out before the graces can increase and abound But yet there must bee somewhat done before the North winde doth awake and this South winde blowes Not only the voyce of Christ must stirre up and raise this winde but the voyce of prayer on our parts must raise the winde The spirit blowes where it lists but yet there is a way to raise this winde so to blow that spices may flow out Then when we are frequent and earnest in prayer then when our hearts are enlarged in prayer then Christ stirres up his spirit to blow then hee raises that winde to make the spices flow out If spices flow not out if graces abound not it is because the North and South winde blowes not If they blow not it is because Christ stirres not nor awakens them As hee rebuked the windes and they were still Mar. 4. so when hee commandes these windes they blowe And if Christ awake not this wind it is because wee awake not him by prayer when they awakened him Mar. 4. hee stilled those windes and when we awaken him hee will Awaken and stirre up this winde to blow so as the sweet spices of his graces may flow out All rises to this that the more wee have our hearts enlarged in prayer the more will the Lord enlarge his hands in the graces of the Spirit Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 The wide mouth proves the full mouth the wider the fuller The more our hearts and desires are enlarged in prayer the fuller of the graces of the spirit shall our hearts bee Prayer will helpe us to every grace and cause every grace to increase in us It will helpe us to a spirit of knowledge and understanding Dan. 9.21.22 Iohn 16.25 26. It helpes to a spirit of Repentance and godly sorrow Zech. 12.10 11. They should powre out their soules in mourning for their sinnes There should be a great mourning great measures of the grace of the spirit but how should they come to such measures of the spirit of Repentance I will powre upon them the spirit of grace and supplication Hee would powre a spirit of prayer upon them and then should that spirit kindle and increase the spirit of Repentance It is that which helpes to spirituall wisdome James 1.5 and to the increase of faith The Apostles Luke 17. tooke a right way for the increase of faith whilest they prayed Lord increase our faith It was wee saw before a great meanes of kindling and keeping the Spirit from quenching to keepe the graces of the spirit in action Now prayer that keepes grace in action it sets the graces of the spirit on worke exercises them and so keepes them in vigour It sets faith on worke love on worke humility on worke hope on worke and so keepes and increases life in them all As therefore wee would keepe the spirit from quenching as wee would keepe it alive and increase it so we must be frequent diligent fervent in the duty of prayer grace cānot abate nor decay or dye so long as we keepe alive a spirit of prayer The neglecting and letting fall this duty hath beene it that hath quenched many a mans graces that lets them dye and come to nothing lay the seventeenth and the ninteenth verses together Pray without ceasing Quench not the Spirit As the way to pray without ceasing is not to quench the spirit so the way not to quench the spirit is to pray without ceasing As when the spirit ceases burning men cease praying so when men cease praying the spirit ceases burning 2. Point Such things as quench the Spirit wee must be carefull to avoide And they are these 1. First Sinne in generall Sinne a meanes to quench the spirit the committing of sinne against knowledge and light this quenches the Spirit as water quenches fire There is a quenching of fire by subduction of fuell Prov. 26.20 But it is a worse quenching of fire by casting on water it is a more sudden and a more sure quenching and such a quenching as gives not way so soone to kindling againe Fowle sins committed against conscience they are like the casting of water upon the fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Chrysostome upon this place and he illustrates it by a similitude taken from the Lampe that he was preaching by As sayes hee if a man should take water or earth and put upon the light of this Lampe hee quenches the light thereof c. His similitude is so much the more worth noting because it lets us see that it was Chrysostomes practise to preach in the afternoone and by candle light though he were a great Bishop It is no new thing to have afternoone Sermons it was an ancient and great Bishops practice Well then sinne to the Spirit of God is as water cast on fire It quenches the Spirit Sin committed against conscience quenches the Spirit in the sparkes of it A man hath had many motions and sollicitations against a sinne from the Spirit of God a man against these commits the sin The Spirit of God upon this is sadded and grieved yea quenched hee lets a man alone and leaves him a long time ere he shall heare of him againe No question but when David was in that tentation to adultery but Gods Spirit did his part and plyed him with many sollicitations to the contrary yet David does it And what followed but a long and a sad silence of the Spirit and a suspension of that worke he lyes almost a yeere in that sinne till Nathan comes to him and never heares more of the Spirit of God no sollicitations nor motions to repentance for surely had the Spirit of God followed him he would have beene awakened ere that time And therefore no marvell that David not onely prayes Psal 51. Restore unto me the joy of thy Spirit but Lord take not thine holy spirit from me Lord uphold me with thy free spirit vers 11 12. Hee had found so long a silence of the spirit after his sinne that hee began to feare the losse of the spirit it selfe and that God would take it quite away It quenches the flame of the Spirit So David after his sinne twice prayes vers 8.12 Make mee to heare joy and gladnesse Restore unto me the joy of thy Spirit Before his sinne the Spirit flamed in him O what joy and peace what sence and assurance of Gods love but now that he had adventured to commit that foule sinne he had cast water on this fire had put out the flame Now his joy was gone his peace was gone his assurance of Gods love was gone now he felt no other flame nor fire burning in him
the world especially to matters of vanity it quenches not only the fire and heate but quenches the frame of heart so as it is not easie to bring it to such a frame againe it exceedingly indangers the quenching of the life of grace When a man hath bin at a Sermon and hath had his heart affected with it and hee presently goes from the Sermon and holds not his heart in any thoughts of it no nourishing of his spirituall heate by meditation prayer or conference but he falls instantly upon the world is instantly up to the eares in the businesse of the world it brings a mighty dampe upon the Spirit It is as if a man should fetch fire out of the Sanctuary and as soone as ever he comes at the doore should cast it into water Psal 5.3 I will direct my prayer unto thee and will looke up That when his heart had done praying yet his eyes were praying he was still looking up the bent of his heart still stood heaven-ward But when we pray and presently looke downe scarce up from off our knees but our tongues are running upon the world or our vanities when we heare wee are scarce out of the Church doores but sheepe and Oxen and such things take up our thoughts and discourses we doe take water and flash it upon the fire that was kindled in our hearts in holy duties Take heed therefore of such a chopping off from holy duties and keepe a bent of heart still to them for a time after we come from them 3. Point The danger of quenching the Spirit There is a great deale of danger in quenching the Spirit so great as may make any wise man fearefull how he doth it David being in battell with the Philistines and being in danger of being slaine by Ishbi-benob the Gyant was rescued by Abishai which danger being escaped The men of David sware unto him saying Thou shalt goe no more with us out to battell that thou quench not the light of Israel 2 Sam. 21.17 It had beene a sad and a dangerous thing to have had the light of Isfrael quenched and therefore they would provide wisely another time against that danger And it is no little danger that followes upon the quenching of the Spirit It is good therefore to know the danger of it that the danger of it being knowne we may take the greater heed thereof and feare the more to quench the Spirit The danger of quenching the Spirit in the motions and sollicitations of it that is two-fold First Quenching the Spirit deprives us of Gods help and assistance when a man quenches the Spirit in the motions of it either by not observing them or not obeying them that he doth not marke them and yeeld a present obedience to them hee then looses the helpe and assistance of the Spirit which he might have had in the doing of those things hee was moved to which helpe he might have had if he had then listned to the motions of the Spirit This is a sure truth that whensoever the Spirit of God moves a man to any good duty as to beleeve to repent to pray to heare to performe any difficult duty of obedience that whensoever he moves to such duties he also offers his helpe and assistance so as to enable us unto them and to carry us thorow them as if he should say Doe that which I move you to set upon it and goe about it now I call upon you to doe it and I that move you will also helpe you Hearken to my counsell and you shall have mine helpe to carry you thorow the work though it be an hard worke If you will close with me in my motion I will close with you in the action The motions of the Spirit are not bare motions but there is alwayes annext to them offers of helpe and the motions being hearkned to the helpe of the spirit goes along with them Motions of grace have offers of grace motions of the Spirit have the helpe of the Spirit offered with them The Spirit of God moves a man to beleeve repent to pray c. Now when he moves thee to doe these things at the same time he offers his helpe for the doing of them he offers his helpe and assistance to beleeve to repent to pray And a man that takes the advantage of the motions of the Spirit hath also his helpe and is enabled by him to doe these things As in that case Luk. 5.17 As he was teaching the power of God was present to heale them So it is in the motions of the Spirit as he is teaching urging pressing us to any duty the power of the Lord is just then present to helpe a man and the man that hearkens to the counsell of the Spirit shall be sure to have that helpe of the power of God that is then present As there in that case The power of the Lord was present then to heale them as he was teaching And see what followed upon it vers 18. And behold men brought in a bed a man taken with the palsey When did they bring him Just then when the power of God was present to heale They tooke the very inch of time And how sped they He that was brought in his bed walkes away with his bed and goes away whole So happy a thing it is to take the advantage of Gods helpe when his power is present to helpe Just so it is in the motions of the Spirit when he moves to repentance his power is present to help a man to repent And let a man then bestirre himselfe and though he have as little power to repent as the palsey man had to walke yet the power of God which is present at the motion made will doe as much for his soule as it did for that mans body See 1 Chr. 14.15.16 When David should heare a sound of going in the tops of the Mulberry Trees then he must goe out to battell for then God was present with his power to smite the Philistines Well David did so as God commanded him just when he heares the sound of goings hee goes out just then and what was the successe And they smote the Host of the Philistines Hee tooke the advantage of Gods presence and power that was then present to helpe him and so hee did the deede went thorow happily with the worke When we have motions from Gods Spirit to beleeve repent pray these be the sound of his goings why then set upon these duties But alas they be hard things alas I have no power to beleeve no power to pray to repent I but when thou hearest the sound of the goings of the spirit in his motions then is the Spirit of God going out before thee to helpe thee against thine hardnesse of heart to smite thine hard heart and to soften it and then is the time to set upon the worke of repentance prayer c. Doe therefore as the spirit of God moves thee
after so just an answer made by him But suppose Ahimelech were guilty yet what had his fathers house done Suppose Ahimelech were guilty yet what had all the rest of the Priests done why must the throates of 85. Priests be cut vers 18. why must Nob a Citie of the Priests both men and women children and sucklings Oxen Asses and Sheepe why must all these be so bloodily butchered what a fury and barbarous madnesse is this All this shewed that now the Spirit of God was quenched the spirit of the Divell was entred and kindled For Gods Spirit being quenched the spirit of the Divell is so kindled that it carries him to monstrous foule and horrible wickednesse without all measure Now the Spirit of God was quenched in Saul the spirit of the Divell is not only kindled but so kindled that he growes outragious in his wickednesse And againe after this hee goes to consult with a Witch hee goes and seeks to the Divell himselfe When men once play the Apostataes and quench Gods Spirit the spirit of the Divell not onely enters but enters with a witnesse so as hee hurries them as his slaves into all excesse of wickednesse They doe not sinne the common sinnes of men Psal 53.3 Every one of them is gone backe they are become altogether filthy They not onely grow dead and cold carelesse and loose but become altogether filthy filthy swearers filthy adulterers filthy drunkards notorious malignant persons against godlinesse It is with such persons as in that case Levit. 13.18 19 20. If a man had a bile and that was healed and after the healing it brake out againe it proved the plague of leprosie It proved worse a more filthy and loathsome disease than before A leprosie was a thousand times worse than before Men that quench Gods spirit kindle the Divels spirit in them and so kindle the spirit of the Divell in them that they who before were but bily persons they after the quenching of the spirit prove leprous persons stinking and filthy loathsome lepers they become altogether filthy See 2 Pet. 2.20.22 they not onely turne swine but filthy swine swine wallowing in the myre not besprinkled with myre not onely falling into the myre but swine wallowing and tumbling in the myre For when men quench the spirit and fall off by Apostacy not onely the spirit of Satan comes in but there is a further matter See Matth. 12.43 45. where observe these things 1. First that in a case of Apostacy the spirit being quencht the Divell doth not enter single but he takes seven other spirits more wicked than himselfe Christ cast seven Divels out of Mary Magdalen Mar 16.9 these have seven Divels enter with the former old Divell and they be worse Divels than himselfe To teach that when men quench the spirit by falling away the Divell not onely comes againe but he comes so that hee makes them seven times worse than ever they were before 2. Secondly those 7. Divels not only enter but dwell there not onely lodge there for a night and away but they dwell there It notes that upon the departure and quenching of Gods Spirit the Divell is not onely present in their hearts but hath his abode and residence there as in that case Zech. 5.11 Where a man dwels there is his setled abode and residence And that 's not all but that hee also was there as a Lord and Master as Esth 1.22 So that it teaches that when the Spirit is quenched not onely the spirit of Satan comes in his roome but he comes powerfully and efficaciously to reigne in their hearts and so to make them baser vassals to himselfe than ever they were before so that their latter end shall be worse than their beginning not onely in regard of their misery but of their guilt and pollution This is the dreadfull danger of quenching Gods spirit It makes way for the re-entry of Satans spirit yea for seven spirits worse than himselfe As therefore wee dread such a condition and such a danger so let us beware of such a sinne as quenching the spirit A third danger of quenching the Spirit wee may doe it finally and totally 3. Thirdly a third danger is that a man quenching the spirit in the graces of it may quench it finally and totally the quenching of the spirit may prove totall and finall Indeed the sanctifying Spirit and grace of God wee saw before cannot be so quenched but yet the flame of that fire may bee so quenched that a man may sit a cold a long while after and such a fire kindled in his conscience withall as may make him rue his folly that doth it Yea the acts and opperations of grace so damped as not easily brought to life againe and the degrees and measures of grace so quenched as possibly never recovered againe though the habits remaine And that 's such a danger as may make any wise man take heed of quenching the spirit so But now for common graces they may be so quenched as quenched totally and finally Totally Psal 53.3 They are gone backward they are altogether become filthy Altogether they are altogether quencht not a spark of good or grace left in them Luk. 19.24 Take from him his pound not part of his pound not halfe of his pound but take the whole pound from him Luk. 8.18 Finally like the fire that came from Heaven Levit. 9. after it was quencht at the destruction of the Temple it was finally quencht it was never kindled more For as for that story about that fire 2 Maccab. 1. it is but an Apocryphall fable They have made ship-wrack of faith 1 Tim. 1.19 When a Shippe wrackes at Sea the goods are utterly lost without all recovery Goods cast away at Sea are lost for ever As he of Saul 2 Sam. 1.10 so here it is a question and it proves too sure that such live not after they are fallen Because they fall as Eli fell 1 Sam. 4.18 hee fell backward and his necke brake and hee dyed When men fall backward they breake their neckes and dye they fall fatally and finally 4. Fourthly the quenching of the Spirit makes dangerous way to the dreadfull and unpardonable sinne against the Holy Ghost Woe to that soule that commits that sinne that man is past the helpe of prayer His damnation is irreversibly sealed up There bee diverse sinnes against the Spirit of God 1. There is quenching the spirit as here 2. There is grieving of the spirit Eph. 4 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. There is resisting the spirit Act. 7.51 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. There is a vexing of the spirit Isa 63.10 5. A doing despight to the spirit of grace Heb. 10.29 And this last is that which wee call the sinne against the Holy Ghost And marke that the first step to this sinne is the quenching of the spirit Here that sinne begins Though every one that quenches the spirit sinnes not against the Holy Ghost yet every
one that sinnes against the Holy Ghost begins his sin at quenching the spirit These five bee the five stayres downe to Hell and to damnation unquestionable And this sinne of the quenching the spirit is the first stayre of the fire A danger able to make our hearts tremble Is it not dangerous to step one stayre downe towards Hell If thou wilt adventure to goe downe one step what canst thou tell but thou mayst goe downe the second the third c. If thou wilt adventure to quench the spirit thou mayst come to the sinne of grieving the spirit and when thou hast urged it thou mayst come to despight the spirit of grace And when thou art there where art thou then As surely damn'd as irrecoverably gone as if thou wert in Hell already Would we then avoid the danger of that sinne of despighting why then take heede of vexing if not vex take heed of resisting if not resist take heede of grieving if of grieving take heede of quenching Hee that keepes himselfe from quenching shall never come to a despighting of the spirit of grace But if thou wilt be too bold to meddle with the first take heed that thou come not to the last 5. Fifthly the quenching of Gods spirit and the fire of it will prove the kindling of the fire of GODS wrath 1. First it may kindle the fire of his wrath to bring temporall judgements As when a Nation and a Church shall quench the spirit shall forsake the truth of God and the zealous profession of his Name such a quenching will kindle a fire that will not be quenched See 2 Reg. 22.17 Because they have forsaken mee and have burnt incense unto other gods that they might provoke mee to anger with all the workes of their hands therefore my wrath shall bee kindled against this place and shall not bee quenched Gods Spirit you may quench but yee cannot so easily quench the fire of his wrath that will consume a Nation with temporall judgements 2. Secondly it may kindle the fire of his wrath to bring spirituall judgements in the removall of his Ordinances of his Ministers Ephesus quenched the spirit Apoc. 2.4 I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Thou hast quenched the spirit in that thou hast not that zeale and fervency in the profession of the Gospel c. Well what followes Lest I come and remove thy Candle-sticke vers 5. As if hee should say Because thou hast quenched the spirit therefore I will quench the Candle and the light of the Ministry Hezekiah complaines that the Lampes of the Temple were quencht 2 Chron. 29. God doth it often hee causes the Lampes and lights of the Temple to be quencht and people they complaine of it and finde fault with it But let them consider whilst they complaine of others whether they have not most cause to complaine of themselves Have not they quencht the spirit have not they quencht their love to and zeale for the truth therefore it is just with God to quench light as you quench heate You put out the Lampe of the spirit therefore God puts out the Lampes of the Temple As you feare this so look that you keep the spirit burning and you shall keepe the Lampes burning But quench the spirit and looke for it and bee sure of it God will quench the Candles and remove the Candle-sticke 3. Thirdly it may and will kindle the fire of his wrath in eternall judgements Did yee never reade of a fire that shall never be quencht that can never be quencht If not see Mark 9.43.46.48 into the fire that shall never be quencht Now then if ye will make no conscience of quenching the Spirit yet remember there is a fire that shall never be quencht And that the quenching of the fire of the Spirit puts you in danger of bringing you into the fire of Hell that shall never be quencht If you can quench the fire of Hell then quench the spirit and feare not But if when you have quencht the fire of the Spirit you cannot quench the fire of Hell then as you feare the vnquenchable fire of Hell so feare the Quenching of the Spirit FINIS THE HEART-SMITTEN SINNER'S SVITE FOR PARDON By IER DYKE Minister of Epping PSAL. 21.1 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquitie for it is great Rogandus est deus ut nos aspiciat avertat autem faciem suam a peccatis nostris ut deleat ea Quae enim non aspicit delet quae deleverit ea a memoria sepelientur Ambros Lib de Apolog. David cap. 8. LONDON Printed by Tho Paine for Iohn Rothwell and are to be sold at the Sun in Pauls Church-yard 1640. THE HEART-SMITTEN SINNERS SVITE FOR PARDON 2 SAM 24.10 And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant WEE read in these two Books of Samuel that Davids heart twice smote him once 1 Samuel 24. and another time in this 2 Samuel 24. there before here after the Lord had set him upon the Throne of his Kingdome there for cutting off the skirt of Sauls garment here for the numbring of the people And Davids heart smote him saith the Text after that hee had numbred the people Which smiting of Davids heart here is me thinks most like to the smiting of Moses when hee smote the Rocke Numb 20.11 whereupon the water came out abundantly so here Davids heart had no sooner smote him but the water came out abundantly hee thereupon First confessing his sinne when hee said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done Wherein you see First peculiarity in respect of the object person to whom hee made confession which was not Gad though a Prophet and his Seer but the Lord And David said unto the Lord I have sinned Secondly Particularity in respect of the object thing the sinne hee made confession of when hee said unto the Lord I have sinned in that I have done Thirdly impartiallity towards himselfe the delinquent in the thing And David said unto the Lord not I have sinned only or I have sinned in that I have done but I have sinned greatly Secondly upon such his confession hee falls immediately to deprecation and begging pardon of sinne the second thing that his hearts smiting of him wrought upon him here And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant Where you see the substance of his deprecation is the taking away of his iniquity Take away that is Lord pardon and forgive the sinne of thy servant His heart smites him his conscience accuses and prickes him and hee falls to begging of pardon and forgivenesse Whence learne First Doct. That the onely thing that can give ease and quiet to a smiting accusing troubled conscience is the pardon and forgivenesse of sinne Nothing can ease and quiet a troubled and a smiting heart but pardon of sinne As nothing can trouble and pinch the conscience but sinne
Upon the condition of their repentance hee would give them the pardon of their sinnes And upon the same condition is the same promise Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and hee will have mercy upon him and to our God for hee will abundantly pardon hee will multiply to pardon And wee finde that God upon such condition hath made good his promise Psal 32.5 I acknowledged my sinne unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne That is I did repent and humble my soule in the confession of my sinne and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Not that repentance fetches in pardon by way of merit as monie buyes pardons at Rome nor yet that repentance layes hold on pardon which is the worke of faith alone But for two reasons pardon followes upon repentance First Because the faith that lookes on Christs blood lookes at the same time on its owne sinne and every beleeving sinner is at the same time a repenting sinner Zech. 12.10 They shall see him whom they have pierced and they shall mourne So that faith not onely sees Christ but sees him pierced pierced by its owne sinne They not onely see Christ pierced but Christ who they themselves have pierced They see him and mourne Faith lookes upon him with a mourning eye The faith that lookes upon Christ is a repenting faith and never repents and mournes more then when it lookes most on Christ So that repentance being so necessary attendant upon faith therefore the promise of remission is made to repentance Secondly the want of assurance of pardon doth no lesse disquiet the heart then the want of pardon it selfe Now suppose a man upon his faith have his pardon yet hee cannot bee assured of it till hee doe repent Upon repentance God gives the assurance and seales it to the conscience And therefore upon repentance it is that pardon is promised So then would wee have the pardon of sinne would wee have iniquity taken away See then what is to be done As thou wouldest have pardon so fall close to the taske of repentance So humble thy selfe for thy sinnes mourne and be in bitternesse of spirit judge thy selfe and turne from thy sinnes and God will then shew mercy to thee in thy pardon So long as thou livest and lyest in thy sinnes and goest on in thine impenitency and hardnesse of heart thou canst not have the pardon nor the hope of pardon of thy sinne You have many that hope their sins are pardoned and that God hath taken away their injquity and why so Why they thanke God they beleeve in Christ and that with all their hearts It is well if they doe so But yet they that will have pardon must repent as well as beleeve You thanke God you beleeve but in the meane time where is your repentance Though I had all faith so as I could remove mountaines and yet have not love I am nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 So in this case though thou hadst all faith so as thou couldest remove mountaines yet if you want repentance in this case thou art nothing thou hast not nor canst have any pardon at Gods hand Thou sayest thou beleevest and therefore thou hopest thou hast thy pardon I but the faith that helpes to pardon is a repenting and a mourning faith Thy faith is no such faith Thou sayest thou beleevest I but yet thou art a drunkard a swearer an uncleane a covetous person Thy faith is a swearing faith thy faith is a drunken faith thy faith is a whoring faith a covetous faith Now doest thou thinke that a whoring drunken swearing faith is a faith that will help thee to the pardon of thy sinne No such matter In that day a fountaine shall be opened for sinne Zech. 13.1 But in what day They shall see him whom they have pierced and they shall mourne and be in bitternesse Not simply in that day when they have a faith to see him but in that day when they shall see him and mourne for him the promise is not made to any faith but to a mourning faith to a repenting faith Doe but marke that passage Act. 8.13 Then Simon himselfe beleeved also yea and was baptized and continued and kept company with Philip. Here was a faith that Simon Magus had But see vers 22. Repent thee of this thy wickednesse if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee and vers 23. Therefore there is a faith that men may have and yet they may be guilty of wickednesse there is a faith that men may have and yet be in the gall of bitternesse yet be in the bonds of iniquity And such a faith will not serve for pardon but if men will have pardon they must repent of their wickednesse The faith that must helpe to the pardon of sinne must be a repenting faith And though thou talke of faith whilest thine heart akes yet if thy faith be not a mourning repenting faith thy sinnes are not pardoned thine iniquity is not taken away Apoc. 2.17 To him that overcomes I will give a white stone that is I will give him the pardon of his sinne as a white stone was a token of absolution and discharge to a man questioned for his life So long as men live in their sins they are all blacke and filthy they are Ethiopians in their blacke skins Doe you thinke that God will give the white stones to such as have blacke soules They must be white that will have the white stone How shall men become white Dan. 11.39 They shall be afflicted that they may bee brought to repentance and so be made white Repentance makes white and when men are made white by repentance then God gives them the white stone seales to them the pardon of their sinnes Therefore as ever wee desire to get the pardon of sinne so be wee humbled and repent for sinne Vse 2 Secondly if pardon of sinne bee a thing so much to be looked after and of such concernement then give thy soule no rest till thou hast gotten assurance of the pardon of sinne and till thou knowest that thy sinne is taken away For God doth not onely pardon sinne but God assures a sinner of his pardon not onely gives but seales a pardon and this is properly the white stone the seale and token of absolution and pardon What is a man the better for a pardon if he know it not A condemned Malefactor may have a pardon but so long as hee knowes it not he is in as much feare and perplexity of spirit as another Malefactour that hath none There is no difference betweene them in regard of quiet and peace of spirit Therefore the Lord not onely pardons sinners but when hee pardons them hee makes it known unto them and assures their consciences of it that so they