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
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
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
for it So I may say of Gods Spirit yet a little while he is with thee yet a little while hee is striving with thy conscience and urging thee seriously to labour for grace yet a little while he is with thee knocking and rapping at the doore of thine heart yet a little while he is with thee to woe thee to allure thee to worke on thee in the Word and the rest of the ordinances But if thou quench him in these his gracious dealings with thee hee will goe unto him that sent him And then thou shalt seeke him oh that I had but one of those gracious motions I was wont to have that I might but once more once more heare the voyce of Gods Spirit thus shalt thou seeke him but shalt not finde him for ever a world if thou couldst give it shall not purchase one whisper more not a syllable more from the Spirit of grace so unkindly quenched Consider now how dangerous such a case will bee and as thou wouldest feare it should be thy case so feare to quench the Spirit It is a great mercy of God to give us his Spirit in this kinde to have these Eagles wings fluttering over us Nehem. 9.19 20. Why then for God to call home his Spirit and to forbid him to strive with us to call upon us to instruct us how heavie a judgement is it It is a judgement to have a good Minister silenc'd what is it then to have the Spirit of God silenc'd It is a sad thing to have Ministers mouthes stopped what is it then to have the Spirits mouth stopt Quenching the Spirit will prove silencing the Spirit Quenching the Spirit will prove the stopping of his mouth So much for the danger of quenching the Spirit in the motions 2. Second danger of quenching the Spirit The Spirit being quenched in the graces thereof is quenched in the offices therof is in quenching the graces of the Spirit And the dangers of quenching in this kinde are many 1. The Spirit quencht in the graces thereof is quēcht in the offices therof The spirit of God doth us many good offices which hee will cease to doe if hee be quencht 1. First the Spirit of God is a spirit of prayer Hee is called the Spirit of grace and supplications The Spirit helpes to pray Zech. 12.10 Jude 20. praying in the Holy Ghost and Rom. 8.25 26. It helpes our infirmities it makes intercessions for us with groanings c. Prayer is a worke which cannot bee done without helpe not without the helpe of the Spirit 1. The Spirit affects our hearts with the sense of our own wants 2. It sheds Gods love into our hearts that so with boldnesse wee may appeare before him 3. It excites and confirmes those graces in us which are required in prayer as faith humility fervency zeale by this his work assistance inlarges our hearts 4. Hee suggests holy meditations and kindles holy desires in the act of praying 5. It restraines Satan and the flesh that they molest interrupt and distract us not All these helpes wee have from the Spirit of God in prayer Therefore saying v. 17. Pray continually he addes vers 19. Quench not the spirit Now quench the spirit and all this helpe is lost and this assistance is lost Hee is a spirit of grace and supplications Zech. 12. Quench him as a spirit of grace and you quench him as a spirit of supplicaon Quench him and you quench him from making intercessions quench him and you quench him from crying Abba father and stop his mouth from crying And if he cry not we cannot cry and if wee cry not wee pray not So dangerous a thing in that respect it is to quench the spirit 2. Secondly The Spirit assures us of audience the acceptance of our prayers the spirit of God doth not onely help us to pray and doe us that good office but he doth us another gratious office in assuring us of audience and the acceptance of our prayers 1 Joh. 5.15 Therefore Gods people may know that God heares them and accepts their services David Psal 6. begins it with a sad complaint but yet see how on a sudden his heart cheeres vers 8 9. and that upon this that he knew God heard and accepted his prayers So then men may come to know that God accepts their prayers Now how come men to know it Answ I finde that God hath assured his servants of the hearing of their prayers these severall wayes 1. First sometimes by the testimony of an Angel sent from heaven Luc. 1. Zachary thy prayers are heard Acts 10. Cornelius thy prayers are come up in remembrance c. 2. Secondly sometimes by the testimony of a Prophet Isa 38.5 Goe and say to Hezekiah J have heard thy prayer 3. Thirdly sometimes by a visible sign as Act. 4.31 And whē they had prayed the place was shaken That was a signe from heaven assuring acceptance of prayer And so God did assure by fire comming downe from heaven So God gave evidence of acceptance when the first sacrifice was offered on the Altar in the Tabernacle Levit. 9.12 And thus it is thought that God by fire from Heaven did shew his acceptance of Abels offering before Caines And to that former alludes that prayer for the King Ps 20.4 The Lord turne thy burnt offering into Ashes which is translated The Lord accept c. because God had sometimes witnessed his acceptance by sending downe fire to burne the Sacrifice Now wee must not thinke that God deales not as well with his people now as hee was wont hee is still as gracious as ever in assuring his people of his Acceptance Now looke what God was wont to doe by Angel Prophet or visible fire hee now doth the same by his spirit His Spirit sayes as the Angel and the Prophet thy prayers are heard God sayes to his Spirit Goe to such a man and say I have heard thy prayer God assures men of his acceptance of their prayers by fire sent downe from heaven When a man in prayer feeles his heart mightily inlarged when hee feels his heart set on fire with fervency of holy affections this is the fire of the spirit And this fire this fervency and heate of the spirit with which the heart burnes in prayer is fire that comes downe from Heaven a sensible testimony of Gods acceptance thus God turnes our Sacrifices into ashes And when it is thus with a man how comfortable a condition it is Thus David knew that God heard him Psal 6.8 9. Fire came downe from Heaven and burnt his Sacrifice and by that inward fire in his heart he as well knew that God accepted his prayer as Abel by that visible fire knew that God accepted his Sacrifice Surely when a man feeles this fire burning in his heart in prayer well may it be said unto him as Eccles 9.7 But now on the other side when a man shall pray and shall have
of earnestnesse and contention of spirit Cold formall dead-hearted prayer is not Gods price it is too low a price to fetch so rich a commodity What must I give you say wee when wee come to buy a commodity So if wee would know here My sonne give mee thine heart In prayer for grace give God thine heart The tongue the lippes the voyce is too low a price God must bee prayed to seriously with the heart Is that all No there is more yet that same Psal 119.145 I cryed with my whole heart That 's the whole price and full price in the point of prayer Not some of the heart but the whole heart must bee given to God in this duty It is not enough to heare the Word to get grace and the truth but men must so heare as God requires with such preparation with such affection with such attention with such after endeavours as God commands Ezek. 40.4 Sonne of man behold with thine eyes and heare with thine eares and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee Eyes and eares and heart must all be set on worke in the duty Those Ezek. 33. heard the Word but they gave not the full price the price that God asked Their hearts were running after their covetousnesse It is not enough to reade but it must be such reading as God requires that will helpe a man to the truth and to grace It must be reading with industry diligence heedfulnesse and much paines-taking Therefore Christ bids us not barely Reade the Scriptures but to search the Scriptures A man must set his head and his heart on worke both in reading the Word Prov. 2.4 5. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for treasures Then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God There is the full price What paines doe men take to seeke and search for treasures hid in the earth for silver in the Mynes They dig thorow rockes dig wonderfull deepe follow every veyne and search every cranny where the silver lyes It costs a great deale of paines and labour in searching and digging for silver and so it must cost a great deale of paines and industry in the reading of the Word and searching of the Scriptures that 's Gods full price in this particular if we will buy the truth Slight and overly formall use of these meanes are not price enough to buy the truth If a man aske ten pounds for a commodity and one bid him but tenne pence hee cannot buy that commodity The buyer and seller will never meete at such a distance God hee askes diligence painfulnesse industry and labour of spirit in the use of meanes Now if wee come with our dead and cold formalities and make prayer but a lip-labour hearing but an eare-labour reading but an eye-labor this is to offer God but ten pence nay but ten tokens when hee sets the price ten pounds And they that come so short of Gods price are never like to buy God must have his full price his whole price and they are never like to buy that doe not give him his whole price that offer him not halfe his price Here is that which keepes men off from buying because they are loth to goe to the full price to bee at all that paines that must be taken in the use of the meanes If prayer hearing reading would doe it they would not stick at that but if so much paines and labour must bee taken in these they thinke it too deare at such prices rates they will forbeare See Prov. 24.7 Wisedome is too high for a foole It is too high prizd in a fooles conceit and therefore he buyes it not The Wise-man speakes in the fooles language Wisedomes in the plurall are too high As if he had said fooles when they look upon this commodity of wisedome Oh say they it is Wisedomes oh what a multitude is there of these truthes what a deale of paines will it require to know all these things and besides They be high points deepe matters what a deale of study what beating of a mans braines will they aske what a deale of striving in prayer before wee shall attain to them there is no medling with them as good goe without them as take them at such a deare price And thus fooles lose a good bargaine because they thinke it too deare upon those tearmes because they will not give the full price It is otherwise with an understanding man that understands the worth of Truth Prov. 15.14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge Hee seekes or pursues it There bee many difficulties to be overcome ere he can have it it will cost much paines but he yet for all that seekes and pursues after it hee stickes not at that price And againe The heart of him c. seekes Hee doth not onely speake of it or heare others speake of it but his heart and his minde is upon it And though a commodity be deare yet if a man have a minde to it he will have it though he pay the price A man that hath an heart and a minde seeking Truth thogh the price of it be so much pains labour and industry in the use of means yet he will buy it at that price he will give the full price of it So that when he bids us Buy the truth hee bids us not onely pray but pray hard pray earnestly with thy whole heart not onely heare but heare with all diligence attention and intention of spirit not onely reade but reade searchingly diligently This is Gods price this is to give the full price Give that and then wee buy Secondly in a cheerefull parting with and giving for the Truth such things as are deare to us or of price and worth to us These may be referred to three heads First our lusts and corruptions which are deare to us which we count so dearely of as our right hands and our right eyes And yet as deare as they be to us these must bee given and parted with for the getting and buying of the truth Gods full price is that these must bee given and bee all sold and made off to buy this purchase So the merchant that findes the pearle of great price Matth. 13.46 hee goes and sells all that he had and bought it All that hee had was the full price of the pearle and he came to the full price parts with all that hee had and so bought Hee sold not some of that he had that was but a pinne of the price not halfe that hee had that was but halfe the price but hee comes to the full price All that hee had and bought it A man that will have Christ and buy his Truth must part with all his lusts and give them all for this bargaine Some man likes Christ and the Truth so well that hee could bee content to part with this and that lust hee could as Herod
to afford us light for doing our workes The Sunne was not created till the fourth day and yet there was light all the three first dayes which some conceive to have beene from the element of fire under the sphere of the Moone which gave light unto the world So Exod. 13.21 They had a piller of fire by night to give them light Fire and light goe together So is it with the Spirit of God It is a Spirit of light Ephes 1.17 18. All spirituall illumination comes from this fire Gods Spirit is an inlightning spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceiveth not the things of God neither can he because they be spiritually discerned viz. by the light of the Spirit which Spirit a naturall man wanting hee is in the darke for the want of light that should shew unto him divine truths The Spirit of God is fire that brings light with it wheresoever Gods Spirit comes there comes light 2. Secondly fire as it gives light so it also gives heate fire and heate are inseparable when our bodies are pinched with cold in the winter comming to the fire wee are warmed and heated fire warmes and heates that which is cold and by the heat of it thawes and melts that which is frozen Thus is it with the Spirit of God it is an heating warming Spirit it warmes and heates the affections our hearts that are frozen and cold in prayer hearing it heates and warmes them it melts and inlarges them It kindles both affections of love zeale Joy The Spirit of God will make a mans heart burne within in the hearing of the Word Luke 24. Did not our hearts burne within us when he opened the Scriptures It will make a mans heart glow and flame in prayer it will melt a mans heart and make it drop at a mans eyes as Ice thawes and drops against the fire 3. Thirdly Fire as it heates and warmes so it also burnes and consumes whatever combustible matter it lights and layes hold upon It feedes upon combustible matter and leaves not till it have brought it into ashes Prov. 30.16 Fire is one of the foure things that never sayes it is enough A little sparke of fire burnes downe and consumes whole houses and Townes It is ever in action and eating up and consuming what it lights upon So is it with the Spirit of God and the graces of it When the Spirit of God comes once into a mans heart looke what combustible matter it findes there it consumes and eates it up it will consume and burne up our lusts and corruptions It will doe with the body of sinne as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom Am. 2.1 He burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lyme as the Papists did with Gods servants in Queen Maries dayes burnes the body thereof into ashes It is like the fire that came downe from Heaven at the firâ— sacrifice in the Tabernacle that turne the sacrifices into ashes Like the firâ— that came downe upon Elias sacrifice it burnt not onely the Sacrifice bâ— licked up all the water in the ditch â—bout the Alter The Spirit of Goâ— when it is kindled in a mans heart makes sore worke amongst a mans coâ—ruptions It eates and lickes theâ— up strangely A man may see theâ— hath beene fire by the cinders anâ— ashes 4. Fourthly Fire is a purging pâ—rifying refining element It purgâ— water of the scum it separates drosseâ— baggage from the metals And as theâ— is a naturall purifying property in firâ— so there was a ceremoniall purificatioâ— by fire Numb 31.23 Thus is it witâ— the Spirit of Grace And that whicâ— is said of prayer is true of the Spiriâ— Malach. 3.2 3. For prayer purifies bâ— his spirit therefore faith is said to pâ—rifie the heart Act. 9. and hope is saiâ— to purge 1 John 3. Gods Spirit is purging purifying fire that fetcheâ— drosse and scum out of a mans soule The fire of the Spirit this is the true Purgatory fire and the Purgatory fire that every one must passe that ever meanes to come to heaven By all this may men try themselves whether they have the Spirit of God in them or not If any man have not the Spirit of prayer the same is none of his Rom. 8. Therefore it concernes us as much to know whether we have the Spirit as to know whether we be Christs If men have the spirit of grace in them their understandings are enlightned they have a piller of fire that lights them in their way to Canaan Is the spirit in them they have their hearts warmed and heated in holy duties of prayer c. inlarged hearts in ordinances They have their lusts consumed turned into ashes they have their scum and drosse of earthlinesse covetousnesse purged out If thus it is a signe of these effects of fire that they have the Spirit of God But these things shew that men are generally fleshly not having the Spirit Jude 19. If thou have Gods Spirit in thee hoâ— is it thou hast no more light of knowledge in thee Thou art in the dark therfore no fire in thee for then woulâ— there be light in thee How cold an formall and frozen is thine heart a Prayer Sermon Sacrament Certainely if there were fire in thee therâ— would be heate in thee also no heatâ— therefore no fire All thy lusts anâ— the body of sinne is untouch'd unhurâ— thy lusts as strong thy corruptions a potent as ever Alas it may be said oâ— thee as of the three children Dan. 3 when they came out of the fiery furnace not an haire of their head was singed not the smell of fire upon their garments Just so with thee Alas whaâ— dost thou talke of having the Spirit oâ— God in thee See Prov. 6.27 28 Can a man take fire in his bosome and hâ— clothes not be burnt Can one goe upoâ— hot coales and his feet not be burnt So in this case It were impossiblâ— but if this fire were in thee but thy corruptions should be burnt and consumed And what purity of heart oâ— life is wrought in thee The drosse and scum of thine oaths thy rotten speech is still in thy mouth the drosse of the world is still in thine hands By this it appeares that men doe but vainely boast of having the spirit of Grace in their hearts when they have neither light in their hands nor heat in their hearts nor mortification and holinesse in their lives Their fire is a fire without light blinde darke fire a fire without heat cold fire a fire that doth not burne that doth not flame It is but false fire it is but a painted fire It is a signe Gods Spirit and that fire from heaven is not come downe into their hearts Now to come to the maine point of the Text The lesson it teaches is that it must be the speciall care of a Christian that Gods Spirit and the graces thereof be not quenched nor damped in him The Spirit of
befalles him that 's threatned to him that curses Father and Mother Prov. 20.20 His lampe or his candle is put out in obscâ—â— darkenes His lamp go out and then fâ—lowes not only darkenesse but obscâ—â— darkenesse He not onely growes igâ—â—rant but sottishly grosely ignoraâ—â— But how come this candle this laâ— to bee quenched and to bee put ouâ— obscure darkenesse Hee hath puâ— under a bed or under a bushell 〈◊〉 hath had more minde of his bed aâ— his bushell of his ease and profits thâ— of giving and communicating his ligâ— to others Sloth and coveteousnesse haâ— made him neglect the use and exerâ—â— of his gifts and so the bed and the 〈◊〉 shell have put out his lampe in obscâ—â— darkenesse these put out their canâ— and make them goe out like the snuâ—â— of the candle with a stinke and anâ— savour A candle may bee put 〈◊〉 though it be not blowne out thouâ— water not cat cast into it by the pâ—ting of an extinguisher over it Negligence and slothfulnesse in not excâ—cising the gifts of the spirit is an eâ—tinguisher put upon the candle aâ— flame of the spirit that quenches aâ— puts it out Zech. 11.17 Woe to the Idole shepheards And who is the Idole shepheard That leaves his flocke Therefore an Idle shepheard that doth not exercise his gifts with his flocke hee is an Idol shepheard And what is the woe that shall befall him A sword upon his Arme and upon his right eye Hee did not stretch out his arme all the day long to gather in his flocke therefore his arme shall bee withered He did not use his eye would not bee a seer to instruct his people therefore his right eye shall not be dimmed but utterly darkened The spirit should bee quenched in him Hee had made himselfe an Idle shepheard and therfore God makes him an Idoll shepheard Of Idols it is said Psalme 115. Mouthes they have and speake not eyes they have and see not Hee made himselfe an Idoll a mouth hee had and spake not gifts he had and used them not hee leaves his flocke and therefore God will make an Idoll of him too eyes he shall have and not see his right eye shall be utterly darkened He leaves his flocke and Gods giftâ— leave him So dangerous a quencheâ— of the Spirit is the not using of gifts whether by Ministers or others 2. Secondly in the gift and grace of faith The way to keepe faith in vigour in life to keepe it from quenching in the desire to make it grow and increase is to put faith to it to keepe it in action to keepe it in exercise and to make it put forth it selfe in frequent acts So long as faith is on the increasing hand so long no feare of its quenching or decaying so long as faith is acted and in exercise so long it is on the increasing hand every new and fresh act of faith adds growth and increase to it the use of faith increases faith and the more fresh acts of beleeving the more the habit of beleeving is increased Many acts strengthen and increase habits Marke how that man speakes Mark 9. Christ tells him if hee can beleeve hee can heale his childe Lord sayes he helpe my unbeliefe as if hee should say Lord I would faine beleeve I finde much unbeliefe helpe me to overcome it I but first sayes he Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeliefe That act of his in putting forth his faith to beleeve as he could was the way to overcome his unbeliefe and to come to beleeve as he would The way to have the faith we would have is to use and set on worke the faith we already have See John 1.48 49 50 51. as if he should say Since thou art so ready to beleeve upon so small a ground therefore thou shalt see greater things then these Great matters shall be revealed unto thee that shall set thy faith on worke in a great measure The way then to keepe faith in vigour and in life is to set faith frequently on worke and to have it ready and forward to beleeve Take the promises and set them before thee and put thy faith on worke upon them and stirre up thine heart to beleeve them strive to act thy faith in beleeving them and this will keepe thy faith lively and vigorous When faith is not exercised and set and kept to work it breeds a spiritual torpor in ouâ— faith and so quenches it that when wâ— may have most need of it it can doe uâ— no service nor comfort Lu. 24. O foole and slow of heart to beleeve God woulâ— have men quicke and ready forwarâ— to beleeve Now when faith is noâ— held to it and kept in action then is 〈◊〉 slow and backward to doe that worlâ— which God requires of it 3. Thirdly in the gift of prayeâ— The gift of prayer when a man câ—â— powre out his heart to God it is aâ— excellent gift and grace of the spirit And a man once having obtained thâ— grace should have a care to keepe up and increase it and no better waâ— to doe it then to be frequent in the â—â—ercise of it and to be often in tâ—â— worke Hezekiahs phrase to Isaiah 〈◊〉 that he should lift up a prayer Isa 3â— 4. A man that would be good at liâ—ting must often use himselfe to liftinâ— and the oftner he lifts the easilier heâ— lifts Lift up a prayer sayes Hezekiah lift up mine heart or my soule unâ—â— thee sayes David A man that doâ— not use to lift heavy burdens how hardly doth he lift what adoe hath he to get up an heavie burden when he comes to it But he that uses every day to be exercised in lifting it is an easie thing to him hee hath by his frequent use gotten a dexterity an handinesse at the worke To lift up a mans soule to God to lift up a mans heart so high as heaven is from the earth is an hard matter Oh how heavie a mans heart is by nature and how hard to lift it up to lift it up so high If a man be not practised and daily exercised in it a man will as soone lift up a mil-stone yea a mountaine unto Heaven But a man that is every day and upon every occasion at the worke he will finde the worke thereby facilitated and will get up his heart with much readinesse Prayer is a running to God A man that is to run must be in breath have his winde at command He that runs every day is every day the fitter to run yesterdayes running prepares for to day to dayes running for to morrow But put a man to run that hath not done for many yeeres he is so pursey and so presently out oâ— breath that hee is faine presently tâ— give out There is nothing so quenches thâ— Spirit of prayer as dis-use of the duty I cannot goe in these sayes David foâ— I am not accustomed to them And sâ— want of accustoming and exercising oâ— themselves
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
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
had knocked by his Spirit vers 2. It is the voyce of my Wel-beloved that knocks open unto me Christ knocks and she opened not the Spirit is quencht upon it and now she knocks and Christ opens not Shee is paid with her owne coyne served in her owne kinde She shal be taught to her smart and sorrow what a dangerous thing it is to quench the Spirit she shall finde to her griefe that being quenched it will not so easely be kindled againe It shall cost her seeking and calling much paines much prayer and yet not presently recover it neither They that do not open when the Spirit knocks and so quench the Spirit They shall knocke and knocke hard and knocke long before they recover the Spirit if ever they doe recover him I sought him but I could not finde him I called but hee gave me no answer Here was a deepe silence no answer Nay that 's not all but vers 7. shee is yet brought into further straits she is smitten and she is wounded by the Watch-men and her veyle taken from her by the Keepers of the Walls Thus though at last she recovered the presence of Christ and his Spirit againe yet wee see after her quenching the Spirit with what adoe with what toyle and difficulty it is recovered Such a danger is there in quenching the Spirit in the motions of it Take heed of it The Spirit quencht in the motions thereof is not recovered without much tugging and toyling it may make every veyne in thine heart ake againe or ever thou recover it many a bitter teare many a wrestling prayer many a sad sigh many a strong cry many a drooping day many a disconsolate night may it cost thee before thou mayst recover that gratious worke of the Spirit againe This is sad but there is a more sad thing yet behind Therefore 2. Secondly The Spirit quēcht in the motions thereof may bee quenched for ever the Spirit of God quencht in the motions thereof may be quencht for ever The Spirit of God moves in thine heart and sollicites thee to beleeve to repent c. Thou putst him off as Foelix did Paul When thou hast more convenient leasure thou wilt heare more of him thou neglectest and disregardest his counsels and motions and so thou hast quenched the Spirit Well what canst thou tell whether ever he will come to thee any more whether ever thou shalt heare that voyce behinde thee any more It may be that he will never sollicite thee more A neglected motion may be the last motion that ever he will make The Angel moved at a certaine season Joh. 5.4 and whosoever tooke the advantage of the motion was healed of his disease hee that stept in presently upon the Angels motion of the water had cure infallibly Now suppose a man had neglected to take the advantage of the present motion and had said with himselfe Now indeed the Angel moves the waters but yet I will not step in now he will move againe ere long it may be to morrow he will move againe and I will come againe to morrow and I will step into the water then when he moves next time Now how could such a man tell whether ever the Angel would move againe or no There was a time when that miracle ceased there was a motion of the Angel which was his last motion There was a motion after which there was never any motion more Now then how could such a man tell but that motion which hee neglected might be the last For ought he could tell the Angel might never descend into the Poole more might never make a motion in the waters more So when we neglect and quench the Spirit of God in the motions thereof who can tell whether ever the Spirit of God will doe him that favour any more whether he will ever dart any of those sparkes of that heavenly fire into his heart or no when he hath so foolishly quencht them The quenching of the spirit may justly provoke him to cease his worke and to stirre no more It is a sure thing that the Spirit of God unkindly used will forbeare and will be gone Isa 30. Yee shall heare a word behind you c. The stopping of our eares against his motions will at last prove the stopping of his mouth As in the case of the Ministry so God deales in this case Eze. 3.26 J will make thy tongue cleave to the roofe of thy mouth that thou shalt be dumb shalt not be to them a reproofe for they are a rebellious house Deafe hearts make Ministers dumbe and rather then disobedient people shall have the Ministry of the Word God himselfe will silence his Ministers as in Jeremies case God did not onely forbid him to pray for that people but he forbad him to preach to that people Jer. 36.5 Just so will God deale in this case When hee sends his Spirit to direct us reprove us and he comes and woes us allures us urges us to this and that duty and we slight his motions dis-regard and disobey them God when he sees us deaf he will make his Spirit dumb and hee will stop his Spirits mouth when wee stop our eares Hee shall no longer instruct us direct us reprove us but hee will suspend and silence his Spirit from doing these offices It suites just with that Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man As if he should say My Spirit hath striven with them for a long time hath striven in the motions thereof to bring them to repentance but he shall not alwayes strive with them there shall come a time that he shall strive no longer So then God would have his Spirit at last to forbeare striving And what was the cause of it That wee shall see by that place 1 Pet. 3.19 20. The Spirit of Christ went along then with the Ministry of Noah and seconded it by his sollicitations How were his sollicitations entertained They were disobedient They listened not to the gracious motions of the Spirit and so they quenched the Spirit And how did they quench it My Spirit shall not alwayes strive They so quenched it that it should not onely cease striving but it should cease for ever hee should never strive more with them but give them up for ever goe your wayes doe as you will yee shall never have a good motion from my Spirit more See how Christ speakes to the Pharisees Joh. 7.33.34 Yet a little while J am with you and then I goe unto him that sent me And what then Yee shall seeke me and shall not finde mee Christ was with them a little while striving with them to doe them good But they rejected the counsell of God and would none of him Well sayes Christ I am a little while with you and then I goe c. and then ye shall seek c. yee shall not finde me though ye would never so faine though ye would give all the world
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
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
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
beames of these be hindred yet there are coales of fire in the heart and the body of these is there The flame of the spirit the feeling sense of it may be quenched for a time in the seconda-graces thereof but yet the spirit it selfe and the cardinall graces thereof remaine still in the heart It may bee in this as in that case Isa 6.13 As a Teyle Tree and as an Oake whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves An Oake may be greene and flourishing all the Summer but when Winter comes it casts and loseth the leaves but yet when the leaves are gone the life is not gone the substance and the sap is in it still though the leafe be gone Faith Hope Love these are the sap and substance of a Christian joy confidence zeale these are his leaves There may come a Winter when a Christian may cast his leaves may lose his joy c. but yet even then his substance and his sap of faith hope and love is in him It is one thing to lose life another thing to lose a leafe A Christian may be a Teyle Tree or an Oke without a leafe but not without life This we shall see plaine in Davids case Psal 51.11 12. Take not away thine holy spirit from me Restore to me the joy salvation It is cleer therefore that though David had the joy of the spirit quenched yet the spirit still unquenched The spirit quenched in regard of the joy of the flame but not quenched in regard of the fundamentall graces thereof not in regard of the fire of it The flame was downe but the fire was alive That the flame was quenched it appeares because he prayes Restore to me the joy of thy salvation as if he should say Lord kindle this flame againe therefore the flame was quencht But yet the spirit was not taken away in the fundamentall graces thereof for he saith Take not away thy spirit from me If that had beene taken away he would have said Restore to me thy spirit againe as he doth his joy which his sin had quencht but saying Take not away that argues that hee still had the spirit though the joy was gone He was still as an Oake which had cast her leafe he had his substance in him he had lost his leafe his joy was gone but hee had not lost his life Gods Spirit was still in him untaken from him Object But this may be a Doctrine of security what care I for quenching the flame so long as the fire goes not out what care I for my joy if I lose not my faith c. Answ This Doctrine is no ground at all for security For 1. it must be a mans care not onely to maintaine fire but to maintaine flame not only to have substance but to have his leafe greene The righteous must be a tree not only bringing forth fruit but a Tree also whose leafe must not wither Psal 1.3 2. There is little comfort in life when there wants a leafe little comfort in faith when by sinne we quench our joy A man when he is a colde takes no pleasure in a fire that burnes not flames not it does him no good to see the coales lye smothering under green wood Though a man have the radicall graces yet little comfort in them during the want of the other Because whilst these secondary grace are wanting it brings the conscience to question the presence and truth of the primary ones The want of the leafe makes the conscience question the life of grace If there were any comfort in such a case what needed David having the spirit beg to have his Joy restored And what makes afflicted consciences in time of tentation call into question the truth of their fundamentall graces but the want of their flame of their leafe So that this gives no way at all to carnall securitie 2. According to the second Distinction First there are the infused habits of Faith Hope Love these habits cannot be lost and so in regard of these habits the spirit cannot be quencht Secondly there is the act use and exercise of them In that regard the spirit may be quenched For though the habit of faith cannot be killed yet the act use and exercise of it may bee deaded so as it may not for the present act and worke and a man not use it A man in his drunkennesse loseth the use but not the faculty of Reason A man in his sleepe loseth the use but not the faculty of his sense Sinne and temptation may as much distemper the soule as Wine and strong drinke may doe the braine 3. For the measure and degree in that regard the spirit may be quencht A man may come to have a lesse degree of faith hope love a lesse degree of joy and zeale The degrees of these may be abated and yet the things themselves remaine Apoc. 2.4 It is laid to the charge of the Angel of Ephesus That he had lost his first love he sayes not he had lost his love or all his love but his first love that degree of love he had at first he had love still but it was not so fervent as before it was abated in the degree of it and so the spirit was quenched in degree So then looke upon the habits of grace and in regard of the habit there is no amission of grace Looke upon the act and in regard of the act there may bee an intermission of it Looke upon the degree and in regard of the degree there may be a remission A remission of degrees an intermission of acts but no utter amission of habits of fundamentall saving sanctifying grace And thus having opened and cleared the Text come wee now to some observations And here first begin with the metaphor Quench not the spirit And out of it learne The nature of the Spirit of God and spirit of grace That the spirit of God is of the nature of fire so much the word quench implyes for nothing is properly quenched but fire Quench not the spirit is as much as quench not the fire of the spirit The Spirit of God then is of the nature of fire Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is with the Holy Spirit which is as fire Mar. 9.49 Every man shall be salted with fire what fire As the fire of afflictions and the the fire of the word so the fire of the spirit Act. 2.3 4. There appeared to them cloven tongues with fire and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost Sometimes the Spirit is compared to water Isa 44.3 And sometimes againe to fire As the Word of God is a fire Jer. 23. Is not my Word a fire so is his Spirit a fire Is not my Spirit a fire And the Spirit is compared to fire in these regards 1. First Fire it gives light And therefore in the want of the light of the Sunne we make use of fire
God is of a fiery nature and is as fire in a man Now a mans care must be to keepe this fire alwayes burning and flaming and to take heed that he doe nothing that may extinguish and put out either the flame or the fire either the light or the heat of it It is a rule in the exposition of the Commandements that alwayes the negative includes the contrary affirmative as when we are forbidden to kill wee are also by all meanes commanded to preserve our neighbors life So here when we are forbidden to quench the spirit we are not onely forbidden the quenching but we are commanded withall to kindle and keepe it alive to keepe it flaming and burning in us This negative comprehends that affirmative 2 Tim. 1.6 stirre up the grace of God in the. He puts him in minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to blow up and to kindle and keepe alive the grace of God in him It must be with the Spirit of God and the fire of it as it was with the Lamps of the Sanctuary Ex. 27.20 they shall bring oyle for the light to cause the Lampe to burne alwayes It must alwayes be kept burning This fire must not sometime be burning and somtimes out but a mā must have a care to keep it burning alwayes See what the Canon was for the fire on the Alter Levit. 6.12.13 And the Jewes say that he that quenched the fire of the Altar was to be beaten yea though he quenched but one coale yea if he quenched but one coale that was downe from upon the Altar yet hee was to be beaten Thus should it bee with us in our care for preserving the fire of the Spirit in our hearts alive This fire should be alwayes burning it should not be put out and men should have a care that not one coale of it no not one sparke of it should be quencht It should burne and never bee put out Quench not the spirit Quench not the flame the coales the sparkes That which is the good huswifes commendation in one kinde Prov. 31.18 that her candle goes not out by night should in this kinde be the praise of a Christian that his fire and candle goe not out but are ever kept burning Lu◠12.35 let the lights be burning The participle notes the continuance that is alwayes burning We know who they were that said Give us of your oyle for our Lampes are quenched they were none of the wisest Matth. 25.8 The foolish Virgins said unto the wise c. They bee foolish Virgins that suffer their Lampes to quench The wise Virgins slept but yet their Lampes were burning But the foolish Virgins they had their eyes and their Lampes out And wee see that Hezekiah reckons this amongst other transgressions of their fathers 2 Chron. 29.6 7. Our Fathers have trespassed and have done that which is evill in the sight of the Lord. And what was that trespasse and what was one evill they had done in the eyes of the Lord They have put out or quenched the Lampes To quench the Lampes of the Temple was a trespasse and a thing evill in the eyes of the Lord. And so is it no lesse a trespasse a thing no lesse evill in the eyes of the Lord to quench this Lamp and to put out this fire of our Spirit Now for the further prosecution of this point consider 3. things 1. First The meanes and wayes to keep it from quenching to keepe it kindled burning and flaming in our hearts 2. Secondly The things that doe quench it which must be avoided 3. Thirdly The danger of quenching the Spirit that may make us afraid to quench it 1. First The meanes to keepe us from quenching and to kindle and keepe it alive and burning in us are these I. First to be carefull and watchfull not to quench it but to cherish it in the first motions thereof Quench not the Spirit Quench not the first motions thereof Quench not the spirit that is foster cherish and make much of the first motions of the Spirit In the first creation Gen. 1.2 it is said the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water or was moving Incubabat aquis sayes Junius viz. as Birds upon their egges or young They sit and are moving upon them to hatch them and bring them forth and when they are hatcht they still sit and move upon them to cherish and sustaine them with their heate and warmth till they bring them to perfection So the Spirit of God did sit or move upon that face of the deepe by his motion or incubation to hatch and bring forth out of that vast masse the severall kinds of creatures he by an effectuall and comfortable motion cherished that matter till he brought forth the severall creatures till hee hatcht them and brought them to perfection Now looke as the Spirit in the creation moved upon the waters just in the same manner the Spirit moves in mens hearts that by the gracious motions of his Spirit hee may hatch and bring forth graces and good workes in us and may bring them to perfection The same word is used of God againe Deut. 32.11 As the Eagle flutters over her young so the Lord alone c. The Lord as an Eagle over her young flutter'd over his people or moves As the Eagle stirres up her nest that is her young ones The Eagle shee stirres up her young ones and rowses them up with her cry and not onely sits upon them but flutters over them with her wings to awaken them So did God stirre up Israel to goe out of the land of Aegypt Ezek. 20.5 6 7. So that before God brought them out of Aegypt he first stirred them up to be gone He said unto them Cast away every man his abomination Now how did God stirre them up Not onely by Moses and Aaron in their Ministery but by the gracious motions and sollicitations of his Spirit and those motions by which hee stirred them up and called upon them to bee gone and to cast away their abominations those were the Eagles stirrings of her nest these were the Eagles flutterings with her wings As the Eagle stirres up her nest how stirres she up her nest her young ones She rowses them by her cry So the Spirit rowses excites and stirres up men by his voyce in the motions thereof And therefore those motions are called a voyce though not a voyce audible to the bodily eare yet audible and sensible to the soule Isa 30.20 Thine eares shall heare a word behind thee Behind thee as Iohn Apoc. 1.10 I heard a voyce behind me not before me as implying that the Spirit of God comes and calls upon us being secure passing by and not regarding those things it calls for It is a voyce that many times comes all on a sudden Cant. 2.8 The voyce of my Beloved behold hee comes It is a secret whispering voyce breathing holy motions into our hearts stirring us up to some good But
yet it is a pressing voyce that followes a man and presses him close to what it calls for Act. 18.5 Paul was pressed in spirit and testified c. The Spirit of God moved him and stirred up his spirit and forcibly and strongly moved him so as his spirit was pressed to doe All this was that he had strong and vehement motions from Gods Spirit to doe that which he did Now then when we have such motions such breathings stirrings flutterings then should our care be not to quench these but to cherish kindle and uphold these motions The Spirit of God is fire the motions of the spirit are the sparkes of this fire now our care should be not to quench these sparkes not to let them goe out but to kindle and cherish them unto a great fire unto flame It is said of Christ That he will not quench the smoaking flaxe That if there be in a mans heart but a small sparke of grace so small that it burnes not but onely makes a little smoake and a poore smother yet he will not quench it but he will make much of it cherish and foster it till it kindle and grow to a great fire So should it be with us when the Spirit of God injects and casts into our hearts but the sparkes of fire in the gracious motions thereof quench not those sparkes cherish and kindle those sparkes keepe them from quenching and dying and going out Now for the doing of these two things are required First have a care to take notice of the motions of the Spirit watch where hee moves and stirres that a good motion may no sooner stirre in thine heart but thou maist presently be able to say This is Gods Spirit these be the flutterings of the Eagles wings this good motion is from Gods Spirit Thus doth the Church Cant. 2.8 whilst she is in that holy discourse she findes a good motion stirring and abruptly she breakes off and sayes The voyce of my welbeloved Now Christ speakes by the good motions of his Spirit Excellent is that Apoc. 1.10 I heard a voyce behind me and vers 12. And I turned to see the voyce that spake with me The voyce was behinde him at his backe now when he heares the voyce behinde him he does not goe on and never minde and not vouchsafe once to looke backe and to heed it but hee turnes him about to see the voyce that spake with him to take more speciall notice of what was said So when we heare that voyce of the Spirit in the motions of it and heare it behinde us we should not goe on negligently and carelesly and leave and cast it behinde our backes but turne about to see the voyce take speciall and serious notice of it Doe as the people did at the poole of Bethesda they sate watching for the mooving of the waters by the Angel that the waters could no sooner move but presently they saw it observed it tooke notice of it and all cryed out the Angel moves in the waters So should we watch when at any time the spirit of God moves in our hearts and take speciall notice of it and say now Gods spirit speakes to mee this is the voyce of the spirit That when a good motion stirres in our hearts we might be able to say as Jacob upon his dreame surely God is here surely Gods spirit is here This were a great meanes to kindle the spirit in us and to make him continue his gratious counsells to us as the contrary is a shrewd meanes to quench the spirit If a man speake to us and give us good counsell and advise for our benefit if we hearken and give eare to him and take notice of what he sayes then he will go on and give us further information and direction but if hee perceives that we regard him not that we heare him with an oscitancy of spirit and that wee are minding otheâ— matters and are talking and twatlinâ— with other idle persons that are bâ— us the man hath done he wil not trouble him hee will not lose his sweeâ— words he will have the witt to holâ— his peace and let him alone Iust so here If Gods spirit speakes to us anâ— counsells us in the holy motions therâ—of if we will minde him observe him and give him audience then will hee goe on and give us further counsell and continue his directions to us Wee shall see 1 Sam. 3. that God called Samuel three times and Samuel thought it had beene Ely and doth not take notice of it that it was the Lord And all that while that hee takes not notice of it to bee the Lord all that while God is silent sayes no more to him coÌ„municates not his mind to him But at the fourth call when Samuel answers verse 10. Speake Lord for thy servant heares then the Lord goes on reveales his mind to him tells him all that in the verses following and all that chapter 2.27 ad finem which is there set downe by way of Anticipation So when the Spirit of God calls and wee minde it and note it and say Lord I minde and marke that thou movest in my heart and thou beginnest to speake to me speake Lord thy servant heareth thee and takes notice of thee then the Spirit of God wil goe on will continue his counsels and will reveale his minde further to us But if Gods Spirit stirre in his motions and we are â—eedelesse and supine and regard him â—ot he will cease and breake off we may be long enough ere wee heare of him againe Apoc. 3. I stand at the doore and knocke Hee knockes in the motions of his Spirit every motion of the Spirit is a knock a rap at the doore of our hearts to have us open Now wee see if one of us come to a mans doore and we knocke once twice c. â—nd either they within doe not heare â—s or if they doe yet regard not our â—nocking what care they knock let him â—hen we will away and knocke no longer when it may be we come upon an errand that might be beneficiall to tâ— family So if the raps and knocking 's the Spirit at the doores of our heaâ—â— be neglected and disregarded he wâ— have done knocking and knocke 〈◊〉 longer though hee knocke and coâ—â— upon an errand for our owne gooâ— The observation of the motions of tâ—â— Spirit is an excellent kindler and tâ— neglect and discontinuance of them a very dangerous quencher of the Sâ—â—rit As therefore wee would keeâ— the Spirit of God from quenching we would keep it alive and burning us so have a care to take notice of aâ— to observe the first motions of it in oâ— hearts Give present obedience to the Spirits motions 2. Secondly The motions of tâ— Spirit observed and notice taken them in the second place be carefull give present obedience to them aâ— to close with them and to doe tâ—â— thing for which the spirit of Gâ—â—
moves and excites thee to Doe as thâ— at Bethesda they not onely watchâ— when the Angel moved but every oâ— laboured to step in and step in preseâ—â— â—y into the waters whilest the motiâ—n was on foot So soone as the Spirit â—trikes these sparkes into our hearts to â—ave our hearts as tinder to catch those â—parkes and to have them take fire in â—ur hearts Sparkes smitten into tinâ—er the tinder takes fire and by it a â—andle is lighted and so a greater fire A little spark that lyes in the ashes if it â—e let alone it soone dies and goes out â—ut if other small coales or small sticks â—e layed to it and it be gently and softâ—y blown it at length will kindle to a â—reat fire So deale with the motions of the spirit suffer them not to dye in â—he ashes but foster and cherish them till by little and little they grow from â—otions to actions and from many Actions to an Habit. The motions of â—he spirit are the knocking 's and rappings at the doore of the heart I stand at the doore and rap Now when one â—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 tâ—â— spirit knockes suffer him not to staâ— knocking too long but make haste open the doore and give him eâ—trance The motions of the spirit are tâ— strivings of the spirit Gen. 6. My sâ—â—rit shall no longer strive with man 〈◊〉 strives in them to bring us to soâ— good or to know some evill Nâ— when wee finde him striving with we should not strive against those mâ—tions we should strive with our selâ— to let the spirit of God overcome in his strivings We should close wâ— him and doe what hee calles for aâ— second his counsells by our obeâ—â—ence Wee see Marriners at sea if tâ—â— wind serves not how they are lookiâ—â— at their top saile to see and watâ— when the winde turnes and blowes fâ—â— them And when the winde blowâ— from the point they desire they prâ—sently take notice of it Now say thâ— the winde blowes faire but yet that not all so soone as they see they haâ— a faire gaile of winde they presentâ—â— 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 wheÌ„ 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 coÌ„forts and joy of the spirit Therefore take heed of this How to save the Spirit froÌ„ 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 coÌ„municating 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 maâ— trades away his stocke and loseth alâ— hee hath by trading but when a maâ—ties his money up in a napkin bindeâ— it he seemes to take a sure course foâ— keeping of it But yet not so in thiâ— trading in the gifts of the spirit They that traded gained more pounds kepâ— and increased their gifts he that tradeâ— not he lost his gifts verse 24. Takâ— from him the pound Hee hath quench the Spirit he lost his gifts And how comes he to lose them because heâ— imployed them not because hee lapâ— 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 thaâ— dries up the streames and fountaines oâ— grace And the oyle stayed saies thâ— text verse 6. When stayed the oyleâ— not when she was powring but wheâ— shee stayed powring shee first stayeâ— 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 â—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 â—n an oven or a still it dies and goes â—ut but if it hath ayre and vent then â—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 â—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
Gods love the coales of it are as coales of fire the flame of Jah Cant. 8.6 The fire of God the fire of the spirit Now marke then where the fire of the spirit is and the fire of the love of God there will bee pillars of smoake there the Affections Desires Thoughts of the heart will bee rising and reeking heaven-ward This a discription of a Christian he is one cum elationibus fumi But yet marke when these pillars of smoake rise and so marke when the fire of Jah burnes Who is this that comes up that ascends out of the wildernesse therefore then this fire burnes this smoake ascends in pillars when a man comes up ascends out of the wildernesse Then the spirit of God and the fire of God burnes when a man hath his heart comming out of the world forsaking and renouncing the world If then a man descend into the wildernesse the pillars of smoake fall because then the fire goes out A descent into the wildernesse takes away the pillars of smoake puts out the fire Cant. 8.3 much waters c. that is many afflictions tribulations and persecutions cannot quench the love of God nor abate it That is meant oftē in Scripture by waters But yet many times a little earth may doe that which many waters cannot doe A little inordinate love of the World may doe more mischiefe in abating cooling and quenching the love of God then all the malignity of the world can doe The hatred of the world against a Christian is not so dangerous to quench the love of God as is our owne inordinate love of the world Persecutions kindle the spirit Whilest the persecutors in Queen Maries dayes kindled the fires it did withall kindle the fire of the Spirit in love and zeale the more in their hearts But the loving of the world that damps and extinguishes this fire As therefore wee would take heede of quenching the Spirit so take we heede of the love of the world if once that creepe upon you and get hold on you you are in great danger of quenching the spirit What is the reason that it is with many Christians as it was with Nebuchadnezzars Jmage Dan. 2.32.33 This Jmages head was of fine gold his feete part of yron part of clay a great deale of difference betweene the head of the Jmage and the feete of it So you have many in their young time in their first beginnings that seemed to bee golden Christians full of life full of zeale full of good But in their elder age are cold dead brazen little life or vigour in them their feet part of yron part of clay What is the reason that they that began with a golden head have feete of clay Because they came to have hearts of clay and they did loade themselves with thick clay Hab. 2. They by degrees suffered the earth and the love of it to creepe into their hearts And so having clayie hearts their golden heads have had clayie feet The love of the world being therefore gotten into their hearts hath quencht the Spirit of God in them and they have growne cold and dead hearted in their old age in which the trees of Gods plantation use to bee most fruitfull Therefore as we would take heede of quenching the Spirit so take wee heede of an earthly heart of the besotting and bewitching love of the world Formality in Religion a quencher of the spirit 2. Secondly Formality in Religion and holy performances God requires in all duties of religion and holy performances that wee doe them as David danced before the Arke 2 Sam. 6.14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might If in such a service David put forth himself with all his might how much more think ye would he do it in other cases If he danced before the Lord with all his might how much more thinke we did he pray unto the Lord with all his might Hee that sets all his limbes on worke and puts forth the utmost of his strength in dancing before the Lord how much more would hee set all the powers and faculties of his soule on worke and put out the strength of them all in praying in hearing c. So should men pray heare receive the Sacrament doe duties of obedience to God as Sampson bowed himselfe in pulling downe the house Judg. 16.30 He bowed himselfe with all his might So when men pray they should pray with all their might Psal 119.58.145 So when men heare they should doe it with all their might Ezech. 40.4 And of all duties of Religion and obedience that may goe for a rule Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thine hand findes to doe doe it with thy might Though it be spoken in an ill sense of the Epicure yet it is a good rule to live by in holy performances what ever duties wee have to doe doe them with all our might And that is a speciall meanes to make the Spirit kindle glowe and burne in our hearts that preserves and keepes alive the vigour of the Spirit in us Judg. 5.31 Let them that love the Lord bee as the sunne when he goes forth in his might When the sunne breakes forth and shines in his strength and full force what a deale of heate there is And so they that love the Lord they are like the Sunne shining and going forth in his might because they doe all they doe with all their might and that fills them with heate But on the other side when men pray heare c. and doe duties slothfully sluggishly and with formality of Spirit that quenches and damps and cooles the spirit of grace in a man Formality is slothfulnesse and slothfulnesse is a quencher Rom. 12.11 Not slothfull in worke fervent in spirit Fervency of Spirit and slothfulnesse in holy businesse stand in opposition and it implies thus much That where men are slothfull there will not they be fervent in spirit that slothfulnesse will quench the spirit and where men are formall in duties they are slothfull for formality is spirituall slothfulnesse The Apostles counsell to Timothy is to stirre up the grace of God that was in him 2 Tim. 1.7 so long as it is stirred up it is out of danger of quenching and dying There is a complaint Is 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy Name and that stirres up himselfe to lay hold upon thee There were that did call upon God but did not stirre up themselves in the performance of the duty They prayed but they did it sluggishly and formally Now when men doe pray and stirre not up themselves to prayer they pray formally And when men pray and doe not stirre up themselves and stirre not up their affections they stirre not up the grace of God in them and when they stirre not up the grace of God in them they quench the Spirit Fire stirred up gives the greater heate but fire not stirred up cooles and quenches There is no stirring in formality and so
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
therefore from the dread and apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure the onely thing that can ease the conscience is the hope and sense of Gods favour let but God give a man a good looke but smile lovingly upon him and that favor of God eases the conscience of all trouble Prov. 16.14 15. The wrath of a King is as the messengers of death so Gods wrath much more and when messengers of death come how is a mans heart troubled and disquieted But a wise man will pacifie it And what if it be pacified Then in the light of the Kings countenance is life So when God lifts up the light of his countenance then there is life and then the conscience is full of peace and ease I but when is it that the light and Sun-shine of Gods face breakes out thus That is done in the pardon of sinne When sinne is pardoned then comes peace and comfort Matth. 9. Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee That is the onely thing that can comfort the conscience and ease it because that is an infallible evidence of Gods favour Pardon of sinne never comes but out of love and favour Outward mercies a man may receive from an angry God but pardon of sinne never comes but from favour and love And therefore pardon of sinne being the evidence of a God reconciled shewing a man the light of Gods countenance is the onely thing that can ease the trouble of conscience Thirdly sinnes are debts And a man that is in his guilt is in his debt and so in danger before God Now a man that is deepely in debt cannot be without much trouble of heart It may be he may make a shift and set a face upon it before men I but yet the thoughts of his debts give him many a secret nip many a close pinch He may set up an high sayle and brave it out in apparell but yet for all this his debts vex him and many a night hee takes but little rest because still the thoughts of his debts trouble him Now when a man is in this trouble of heart and disquiet of spirit with his debts there is no way for a man to have his heart eased but either to get his debts paid or to get his debts pardoned And if they be such as hee is never able to pay then no way to ease him of his cares and feares but to have his debts pardoned Now a sinner is in debt to God and when conscience is troubled about these debts what ever face a man may set upon it yet his heart will be miserably troubled about his debts hee will live in a continuall feare of being arrested by Gods anger of being drag'd by the throat to hell For such debts they are as a man can never pay Luc. 7. Two debtors that had nothing to pay So therefore there is no other way to give a mans conscience ease but by the pardon of his sinnes because that is the pardoning of his debts Therefore pardon of sinne is called blotting out iniquity Psal 51. It is the drawing crosse lines over all our debts it is the blurring out all our sinnes in Gods debt-booke Pardon of debts is the onely way to ease a disquieted debtor pardon of sinne is the pardon of debts and therefore the onely way to ease our consciences To teach us in trouble of Conscience and under the smitings of heart what course to take for ease and peace viz. to make out presently as David does for pardon of sin make hast to God and sue for pardon and give God and thy selfe no rest till thou hast got thy pardon If thine heart smite thee and thy conscience pinch thee fall presently to this course I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquitie of thy servant As Solomon speakes in the case of suretieship Prov. 6.1 5. So doe thou If thou hast sinned and thy conscience have stricken thee with the hand doe this now my son and deliver thy selfe from the painful and smarting buffetings of thy conscience So humble thy selfe and make sure thy friend see and humble thy selfe by confession and by begging and getting thy pardon make God thy friend and make him thy sure friend and do this quickly as verse 4 5. This is the onely way to get ease this is the only way to get rest in thy bones It is strange how men in paine of Conscience will sharke for ease and try all conclusions before they will take the right course to come and sue to God for ease by pardon The Prodigall was in want Luke 15. why doth hee not so soone as he is pincht goe to his Father no hee will try other conclusions first Hee joynes to a citizen it may bee he may finde helpe that way Hee will keepe swine it may be he may fil his belly with the huskes But when he hath done all that will give him no ease hee must come to this at last I will goe to my Father I will goe beg mercy And he never finds ease till he be in his fathers Armes in his Fathers house till his Father kisses him and cloathes him So men in trouble of conscience are loth to make out to Gods pardoning mercy Some will try what company will doe some will try what pleasures will doe it may bee they may drinke away their trouble and drowne it that way it may bee they card and dice it away it may be they may it may bee they may hauke and hunt it away it may be superstitious penance a pilgrimage a Popes pardon will doe the deede it may be multitude and variety of imploymēt may take off the heart so that it shal not beat leasure to trouble them with accusations and torments How vaine are all these This is nothing but arrand sharking All such courses will not doe It is in that case as in that Hos 5.13 When Ephraim saw his sicknesse and Juda saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb yet could hee not heale you not cure you of your wound So when men see their spirituall sicknesse and feele the wounds of conscience the smart and the anguish of them then go they to this shift and that to this sharking course and that they go to their merriments companions sports plaies imployments superstitions and yet can they not heale them nor cure them of their wounds their wounds bleed still smart still their consciences throb with anguish still and for all this as with them there vers 14. Conscience is as a Lion unto them and roares and teares still Men must come to God for pardon at last if they wil have ease And were not a man as good come at first and save so much lost labour Had not the Prodigall as good have come to his father at first as to goe the furthest away about Sin leaves a sting in the conscience When a man is stung with an Hornet it afflicts the place
but they stay in their place they doe not spread Are thy lusts mortified be of good comfort thy person is justified Is the commanding power taken away be of good comfort the condemning power is taken away This sayes unto thee as Christ to Ioshua I have passed by thine iniquity But by this may many see that their sinnes are not pardoned If pardoned why under the power of habituall covetousnesse drunkennesse uncleanenesse How is it that thy loose lusts have such command over thee Thy lusts subdue thee they are not subdued therefore not pardoned The spot spreads much abroad in thy skin it is not a large bile it is a plague Thou art undone thou art in thy guilt thy sinne is unpardoned Apoc. 1.5 6. They who are washed in Christs blood are made Kings and Priests They that are pardoned have their iniquities so subdued that they reigne over as Kings and sacrifice the bed of sinne in mortification as Priests But now if sinne and lust be the King and that reigne over thee that be the King and thou be the slave and the drudge then art thou not washed in Christs blood then are not thy sinnes pardoned Take it for a sure truth that sinne unmortified is sinne unpardoned Sinne in the throne is sinne unforgiven Secondly By the sanctification of a mans heart and spirit When God takes away iniquity hee furnishes that man with all sanctifying graces of his Spirit Zech. 3 4. I have caused thine iniquity to passe from thee There is the pardon of sinne And J will cloath thee with change of rayment I will furnish thee with the graces of sanctification That as Ezek. 16.9 10 11. Then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy blood from thee and anointed thee with oyle I cloathed thee also with broidered worke and shod thee with Badgers skin and I girded thee about with fine linnen and I covered thee with silke I decked thee also with ornaments and J put bracelets upon thine hands and a chaine on thy necke So in this case So that wheresoever a man findes true sanctifying grace in his heart it is an evidence that his sinnes are pardoned The love of Christ and the love of God it is a grace of sanctification and therefore it is a signe of pardon of sin See Luc. 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee Her sinnes which are many are forgiven for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Where the particle for is not causall not shewing the cause of her remission but onely a signe of her remission vers 39. The Pharisee findes fault with Christ for suffering a sinner to be so familiar with him Christs answer is shee is no sinner He proves it because her sinnes were forgiven her but how proves hee that For she loved much As if hee should say This grace of love is an evidence that declares her sinne is pardoned So 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbeleife And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love in Christ Jesus Therefore as love to God so love to our brethren and delight in their communion and society is made a signe of pardon Zech. 3.9 10. I will take away the iniquity of that Land in one day The iniquity of that Land that is the guilt of the Churches iniquities for by the Land of Canaan was typified the Church or people of God and this I will doe in one day that is by the alone and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ offered up once for ever In that day saith the Lord of Hosts shall ye call every man his neighbour under the Vine and under the Fig-tree In that day namely when as the people of God should by that onely sacrifice so offered up to God for sinne through the alone justification of faith come to enjoy the true spirituall and inward peace themselves then should they expresse so much love and charity towards others as to call in them who were unconverted to come and partake of the same good with them By this try Is thy love to God and to Christ and to his Saints A good signe But on the contray the unholinesse of mens hearts and lives argues how it is with them To have sinne pardoned is to be under grace Rom. 6.14 For yee are not under the Law but under Grace Can a man bee under Grace and have no grace Can a man bee under Grace and gracelesse Certainely gracelesse persons are not under Grace have not their sinnes pardoned Such have never yet aright sought for much lesse obtained the taking away of their iniquity FINIS THE RIGHT EATING AND DIGESTING OF THE WORD By IER DYKE Minister of Epping in Essex HEB. 4.2 The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it ROM 6.17 But ye have obeyed from the heart that forme of Doctrine which was delivered you August in Psal 141. Enarrat Unde admoneamus charitatem vestram ut ea quae audiendo tanquam ventre memoria conditis rursus revolvendo cogitando quodammodo ruminetis LONDON Printed by Tho. Paine for L. Fawne and S. Gellibrand at the brazen Serpent in Paules Church-yard 1640. THE RIGHT EATING AND DIGESTING OF THE WORD JER 15.16 Thy words were found by mee and I did eate them c. THE Prophet complaines vers 10. of the course entertainment that he had amongst the people that hee was a man of contention to the whole earth hee was counted a contentious fellow and so hated and cursed as a man contentious That hath alwayes beene the lot of Gods servants and Saints to have that imputation laid upon them A man may strive in his Ministery to bring men to repentance Gen. 6. My Spirit shall strive no longer with man Therefore Gods Spirit strives in the Ministery of his servants whilest hee sets them on to make them strive to bring men to God And men may strive and contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints Iude 4. And yet this makes not men men of contention in an ill sense Indeed the world counts such contentious men But who they be that truly deserve that censure wee see Rom. 2.8 But unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath Therefore such as doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse they are the contentious persons Well but yet the Prophet must goe for a contentious man and so a man odious What 's the matter It may be hee was an usurious oppressor and therefore contentious and cursed Hee purges himselfe from that vers 10. I have neither lent on usury nor have men lent to mee on usury Therefore it must be some what else Hee therefore layes downe the true cause why hee was so judged and so hated And that in these words vers 15. latter end
68.11 The Lord gave the Word great was the company of them that published it Wee have had preaching and Preachers and this spirituall food Gods plenty wisdome cryes out to men as Prov. 9.5 Come eate of my bread And Christ calls upon men as Cant. 5.1 Eate O friends and fall to and take your filles And yet men sit and looke on and regard neither this food nor these invitations but deale with the Lord as Salomon wishes men to deale with a churle Prov. 23.6 7. Eate not the bread of him that hath an evill eye neither desire his dainty meates eate and drinke saith he but his heart is not with thee Just so deale men with the Lord when he calls upon them to eate the Word as if God had an evill eye as if his heart were not with them whereas as the Word and food is good so also is his eye good and his heart is with us and it would be meate and drinke to him to see us fall to and eate heartily Such carriage at our Neighbours Tables would be construed a discurtesie and men would force themselves to eate against their stomackes rather then to give their discontent at his Table And yet wee stand not upon giving the Lord such grosse disgusts as not to eate when he layes and sets meate before us There is much preaching and yet but little eating Many instead of eating the Word could finde in their hearts to eat the Minister And what thinke we is the reason that men eate the word no more then they doe It is from these three causes First from fulnesse The full soule loathes the honey combe Prov. 27.7 When a mans belly is full hee hath not onely no minde to eate but hee loathes to eate and that not onely course and common foode but the daintiest and sweetest food hee treadeth under foot the honey combe The Word is honey and this honey is to be eaten when it is found Prov. 24.13 And yet when men finde it they eate it not but loath it and tread upon it And the reason is because they are already full Such a fulnesse as that Rom. 1.29 Being filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse full of envy murther debate deceit malignity whâ—sperers Their hearts are cram'd full of their lusts And their hearts being already filled with carnall and worldly lusts they loath these honey combes Some feed so full upon that hony Pro. 5.3 The honey which drops from the lips of a strange woman that they tread this honey combe under foot There be a great many that eate as the Serpent doth Gen. 3.14 Dust shalt thou eate all the dayes of thy life All worldly hearts are of the Serpents dyet they eate dust and so fill themselves with the dust of the earth that they loath to eate the Word Because mens hearts are stuft with this baggage and base food therefore will not men eate this Angels food this bread of Heaven Secondly from lingring and hankring after some other food Such a disposition takes off the stomack from wholsome food The Israelites had Angels food the bread of Heaven and yet at last this food would not down with them nay they loathed their Manna And a man will not eate what hee loathes But what was the cause that they cared not to eate manna See Numb 11.4 They fell a lusting or they lusted a lust and said who shall give us flesh to eate and vers 5. fish to eate and they long after the garlicke and onyons of Egypt and therefore now this Manna will not downe with them So men when once they begin to lust a lust after novelties in doctrine the wholsome savoury truth of God they begin to loath they are weary of it quite cloyed with it then no wonder it is not eaten When once mens lippes hang after Egyptian food popish and corrupt doctrine then truth will not downe by any meanes Isa 44.20 He feedeth on ashes That is but strange food a mad dyet for a man to live and feed on ashes But what makes him feed so fondly A deceived heart hath turned him aside So with many deceived heart hath turned them aside and then they fall to eating of ashes and therefore like those that have the greene sicknesse their mindes hang after ashes and such trash and so no mind to the wholsome food of sound Doctrine See the case cleare 2 Tim. 4.3 4. They will not endure it therefore not eate it not indure it as a man cannot indure the meate he loathes But why not indure it They have itching eares that itch after novelties and therefore shall turn away their eares c. Thirdly from sicknesse or if yee will from deadnesse Sicke men forsake their meate and refuse their meat Men are spiritually sicke and have some diseases upon them that make them eate nothing at all or else they doe but piddle and trifle as good never a whit as never the better Nay men are dead void of the life of God and that 's a maine reason that they eat not Dead men cannot eate Secondly since it is a duty that must be done therefore let people examine themselves whether they doe it or not whether the Word be eaten by them or not Quest How may one know whether he eates the Word or not Answ By these things First By spirituall cheerefulnesse livelinesse and quickning When a man hath eaten it makes him cheerefull and lively Act. 14.17 He fills our heart with food and gladnesse A man when hee hath fasted and long forborne his meate his spirits waste and decay but when hee eates that repaires his spirits and renewes them and so makes a man come to himselfe and makes him fresh and lively See Jonathans case 1 Sam. 14.27 29 30. Hee was faint and his spirits spent so that his eyes began to grow dimme through faintnesse and want of spirit and he doth but eate a little honey and his spirits are refresht and repaired that his eyes were enlightned And if but a taste of the honey did so much How much more sayes Jonathan if the people had eaten freely had they beene cheered and repaired Wee finde a man 1 Sam. 30.12 that had eaten nothing in three dayes and three nights by reason of which his spirits were quite gone and hee was even a dead man But see vers 11. 12. And when he had eaten his spirit came againe unto him It was in a manner gone from him before but now hee had eaten hee was so refresht and cheered that hee was alive againe his spirit came againe So it is in this eating it fills the soule with cheerefulnesse and livelinesse A man that eates the Word indeed findes his heart finely cheered filled with spirits Thy words were found by me and I did eate them How did that appeare And it was unto me the joy and rejoycing of mine heart Oh how mine heart was cheered within mee oh how my spirit was refresht Prov. 24.