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
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
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
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
here to be defective J shall desire your honour to understand that though the author had otherwise finished this worke yet this accomplishment as a thing lesse necessary he did procrastinate and so by immature death was of his purpose herein frustrate I know that to your Ladiship or any other iudicious reader it will be neverthelesse welcome because it wants this lace Who that is wise would refuse to see his face in a glasse because the verges are not guilded or the sides painted The arguments that induced mee to make that publike which I might have ingrossed for mine owne private good whether they are more or more perswasive I know not The intention of the authour and the necessity of the duties herein handled gave me not only a toleration but a command to print it it treates of the purchase of the most precious commodity the truth Of the Digestion of the most salubrious foode the word Of the suite for the most soveraigne balme pardon of sin And lastly of not quenching the spirit and if it be the duty of every man to cherish this holy flame in his owne soule for mee not to kindle it in others as farre as in me lay I held it piacular Jt is true indeede Philosophy tells us that elementary fire needs no fewell but that culinary doth experience informeth us The spirit of God consider it in it selfe is so far from needing any helpes to cherish the heate thereof that it is the originall of all both health and life in the soule but consider it as it worketh in the frigid soule of corrupted man So though the spirit of God neede no auxiliary excitations yet our deadnesse and coldnesse doth which considerations with a kinde of command enforced mee to bring this worke to the presse beeing nothing else but the fiery language of those Cloven Tongues which did rest on the head of that apostolicall divine the authour hereof which I hope being perused will cause your Ladiship to say it had beene pitty at the least if not impiety to have deprived the altars of so many Christian hearts of this sacred fewell Many other inducements J had to publish these Treatises and among many this not the least to testifie my readinesse to acknowledge your Honours noble love and favours to my selfe that J might not be of the ungratefull number of those that Seneca Quidam furtiué gratias agunt in angulo in aurem non est ista verecundia sed inficiandi genus Sen. de benef lib. 2. cap. 23. speakes of that love to conceale received benefits by private acknowledgements to acquit my selfe of which sinne I have thought fit to tell the world that I was never so sensible of my owne poverty as since your Honour brought me so farre in debt that when I thinke of repayment I finde a bottomlesse sea to fathom Madam with your leave J shall say to your Honour as Hanc unam habeo injuriam tuam effecisti ut viverem morerer ingratus Sen. de benef lib. 2. Cap. 21. Furnius to Augustus this is the onely wrong you have done me that I must live and die unthankefull and yet that my good will might bee seene I was glad to snatch this occasion to testifie both my thankes and duty to your Honour and since J finde not any thing to present unto you by way of retribution as Aeskines said to Socrates that one thing which I have I give you even my selfe to be your servant and sollicitour in the Court of Heaven not so much that I think my selfe worthy as bound to pray for your Honour and all your most noble Family that as God hath made you an exemplary peece of piety heere so hee would long and long continue you an encourager of Christianity a comfort of Christians a refresher of the members of Christ till the time of your refreshing shall come when triumph shall bee your recompence glory your reward Angels your company God your glory Which shall be the dayly prayer of your Honours humble and devoted servant DANIEL DIKE OF QVENCHING AND NOT QVENCHING OF THE SPIRIT By IER DYKE Minister of Epping in Essex REVEL 2.4 5. I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first workes Dicit Apostolus Spiritum nolite extinguere non quia ille extingui potest sed quantum in ipsis est extinctores merito dicuntur qui sic agunt ut extinctum velint August Epistol Lib. Epistol 23. Interea partes nostrae sunt petere a domino ut lampadi accensae oleum suppeditet servet purum Ellychnium atque etiam promoveat Calv. in Epistol Pauli ad Thess 1. LONDON Printed by Tho Paine for John Rothwell and are to be sold at the signe of the Sun in Pauls Church-yard 1640. OF QVENCHING AND NOT QVENCHING OF THE SPIRIT 1 THES 1.19 Quench not the Spirit IN the 16. Vers the Apostle had exhorted the Thessalonians to rejoyce evermore That is that they should carry themselves so holily circumspectly they should walke so closely with God that they might have continuall joy in the Holy Ghost from the sence of Gods love and favour For it is a sure thing that a Christian so demeaning himselfe as his rule guides him may live the most comfortable life of any man in the world He may keepe a continuall feast and a feast is made for laughter Eccl. 10. Dayes of feasting are dayes of joy and so a Christian may make all his dayes festivall and joyfull like the dayes of the Jewes Purim Ester 9. dayes of feasting and of joy If it be not so with a Christian it is most what his owne fault and comes from some fayling and miscarriage in himselfe that hee doth not that which he should to maintaine his heart in this happie frame The Apostle therefore having advised hereto he layes downe some rules and meanes in certaine precepts for the procuring and preserving of this spirituall joy 1. The First Precept vers 17. pray continually He that would rejoyce continually must pray continually he that would rejoyce evermore must pray evermore As is our conscience of and constancy in the duty of prayer such is the constancie of our joy Prayer neglected intermitted brings an Eclips an Intermission and Interruption of our joy Seldome praying and constant rejoycing will never stand together 2. The second Precept is this vers 18. In al things give thankes He that would rejoyce in all estates and conditions must be thankefull in all estates and conditions He that would rejoyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether in every thing or in every time must be thankefull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The more thankefull wee are to God the more cause of joy we shall have in God 3. The third Precept is this verse 19. Quench not the spirit He that would rejoyce evermore must keepe the spirit unquench'd The way to keep ones self warme
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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