Choice and Practical Expositions on Four Select Psalms, Sermons on Psalm 51 · Sermon 12
SERMON XII.
PSAL. 51.11.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
If the evils and inconveniences of sin were but as well apprehended afore-hand, as they are discerned and felt afterward, men would not be so ready to commit it as for the most part they are. Now when lust is satisfied, and the acts of wickedness past, and the seeming and false pleasure and contentment of sin is once over, they have then leasure to meditate on the danger and mischief which is following upon it. And this is that which David does here in this present Text which we have now before us: He begins now to consider with himself what danger and hazard he was now in from those sins which he had hitherto committed, and falls to a seeking of God for the preventing and keeping it off from him, that it might not (as he knew he had deserved) happen unto him, Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
IN this present Verse before us, David deprecates the Judgments of God, which he feared might seize upon him; and those of two branches, which may make up the two Parts of the Text: First, Exclusion from the presence of God, Cast me not away from thy presence. And, Secondly, Deprivation of the Spirit of God, And take not thy holy Spirit from me.
Before we come to speak concerning these Parts distinctly, there is somewhat in general to be observed from them; and that is of the Nature of these Punishments, what they were, which (we may perceive) were still spiritual; These were those which David so declined. From whence we may collect thus much; That Spiritual Persons are commonly most afraid of Spiritual Judgments. There were divers other things besides, which David had cause to suspect as coming upon him, and so to tremble at them. He might have considered how God had dealt with his Predecessor Saul for the sins which were committed by him, how he had rent the Kingdom from him; and he might well think that he deserved as much from God himself. He might have considered also what God had threatned to himself by the Prophet Nathan, That the Sword should not depart from his House, 2 Sam. 12.10. And one would think that he should rather have carried his Petitions in such a way as this; Lord, Do not cast me out of my Kingdom; Lord, Do not destroy my Family; Lord, Do not take away from me those outward Comforts which as yet I partake of. This would have been the Prayer of some men in such a condition as David was now in; but we hear not a word of these from him: No, but that God would not deprive him of his presence, nor of his Spirit besides. This is that which affects holy Persons above any thing else, such evils as pinch them within the compass of Religion and Christianity, and which interrupt the freedom of their Communion with God Himself; this is more to them than all other evils besides which in this World are incident to them.
And the reason of it is this, namely, because they very well know, and are in their Judgments and Understandings convinced that these are the greatest evils of all. Evil men understand not Judgment, but they that seek the Lord understand all things, says Solomon, Prov. 28.5. The People of God they understand the Nature of Spiritual Judgments, that they are the greatest and saddest of any; which they are in a two-fold respect; First, As considered in themselves, and that mischief which is contained in them; and, Secondly, In regard of their influence and extent.
First, As for themselves, they are the greatest, as depriving of the greatest good, and carrying the greatest smart with them: This, those which are the Children of God know, and that upon this account, because they are so well acquainted with the contrary comfort. Every one prizes any loss according as he is any way sensible of the Gain which is lost by it. What's the reason that worldly men make so much of worldly losses, of Friends, and Honours, and Estates, and such things as these? (which may be lamented also in a moderate way, for Grace does not take away in us natural affection) but what is it, (I say) that makes men to be so much in these things? it is because they understand what they mean. Why now thus it is also in Spirituals: God's Children, because they know what it is to enjoy God's presence, therefore they are so afraid of being deprived of it. And agen, because they know what it is to have the Spirit of God bestowed upon them, therefore are they so apt to bewail the taking of it away from them; they know such Judgments as these to be very sad as considered in themselves. And then agen in regard of their influence; They know that such Judgments as these have other Judgments attending upon them; and so they have: First, As to Temporal Judgments, they are oftentimes fore-runners of them: As the Gospel comes not alone, so it goes not alone, nor the Comforts which belong unto it. When God afflicts men with Spiritual Judgments, which it may be they do not regard, he has other Judgments for them, following of them, which they are more sensible of, and those they usher in these; when David was cast out of God's presence, he was in danger of somewhat else with it; and so are others with him. It's safe to keep in good Terms with God; not only in reference to the advantage of our inward man, but likewise to the security of our outward, which is much hazarded from the want of the other.
And then especially as to Judgment to come. Spiritual Judgments where they are not prevented, they end in Eternal Judgments, and in their own Nature they tend unto them. Temporary casting out of God's presence, it tends to final and absolute rejection: And the loss of God's Spirit for a time, it tends to the loss of it for ever: this it does in its own Nature, however through the goodness of God it does not always take effect; as the firing but of one Room in an House, it speaks the firing of the whole Building; and the firing but of one House in particular, the destruction of the whole City, though God does graciously come between. Now the Children of God they consider things in themselves, and the Nature and tendency of them, as it becomes wise men to do, and accordingly judge of them; and hence are so much afraid of Spiritual Judgments.
This then serves to shew unto us the difference betwixt these and other men. As for men of the world, they never care for such things as these, nor are affected with them: as long as they may but enjoy the things of the world, their Corn, and Wine, and Oyl, and such things as these, they never care for the Light of God's Countenance to shine upon them. Tell them of being cast out of God's presence, and having his Spirit taken away from them; Alas, they know not what these things mean; and when they hear others complaining of them, and putting up Bills and praying against them, they do but scoff at it, and think it a fond and foolish business: but now the Servants of God they are really affected with these things, as knowing and finding the real evil and mischief of them.
Which therefore accordingly should serve to awaken men in this particular, to consider of things aright, that namely, These Spiritual Judgments are the worst Judgments of all; and these are those which God does now more especially dispence under the times of the Gospel, over what he did under the times of the Law, and less of his more immediate woundings. In former times we read of God's striking men presently dead in their sins, and afflicting them in their outward persons immediately; Er and Onan God slew them presently for their wicked and ungodly carriage; The Sodomites smitten with corporal blindness for their inordinate lusts; Nadab and Abihu offering strange fire, presently killed with fire from Heaven; and Ʋzzah stricken for laying hold on the Ark; we seldom or never hear of such things as these now. What's the reason of this? because the Judgments of God now are more Spiritual, and carried in a more Spiritual way. He has now other kind of punishments, giving them up to an hard heart, and a reprobate mind, and an obdurate sense, and a seared conscience, and vile affections, and the lusts of their own minds, to barrenness, unfruitfulness, unusefulness: These are his Judgments which he inflicts now, which are the worst and heaviest of any other, and which therefore accordingly we should learn to lay to heart, and to be affected with them, and to think if God should lay them upon us, we were but in a sad and woful condition, though we should have never so much of the World besides, Health, and Wealth, and Honour, and all the comforts we can think of, these spiritual evils would be most grievous to us of any other.
Again further, we may here occasionally take notice of the circumstances in which David was so afraid of these Spiritual Judgments; and that is, being now exempted from some others, David he should now indeed by the Law of God have suffered death for his Adultery; and it was that which did belong unto him: but he, whether by his Greatness or Policy, shifted off that; yea, but now he was from hence so much the more in danger from God. The less obnoxious any are to Temporal Judgments, the more in danger are they of Spiritual; and where they escape the hands of Publick Justice, they are more liable to punishment from God himself. This David knew well enough, and therefore would make all secure here as near as he could, as counting this far worse to him than the other: It was more tedious to him to think of being cast out of the presence of God, and to be deprived of his holy Spirit, than to lose either his Crown or his Life; which makes him to be so earnest and importunate in these Deprecations. But so much may suffice to have spoken of the words in the general, in the common drift and scope of them.
We come now to them in their particular parts; and here (as I said) there are two distinct Branches considerable of us: First, David's declining of expulsion from the presence of God: and, Secondly, David's declining of Deprivation of the Spirit of God.
We begin at this time with the first, as it lies here before us in the order of the words of the Text, his declining of expulsion from the presence of God, Cast me not away from thy presence. And here there are three Points which are naturally deducible from them: First, That there is a special and more peculiar presence which the people of God have with him, and he with them, Thy presence. Secondly, That it is a most sad and grievous condition for any to be cast out of this presence; David here earnestly begs and prays to God that he would not cast him out of it. Thirdly, That the guilt of some heinous and more notorious sin, does much indanger this casting out: whiles David was now conscious to himself of these great sins which he had committed, he was now justly and upon good ground afraid lest he should be cast out of the presence of God.
First, (I say) There is a special and more peculiar presence which the People of God have with him, and he with them, Thy presence. There's a common and general presence which God has with all his Creatures, which they cannot be removed from, viz. The presence of his Essence, whereby he fills all things: Do not I fill Heaven and Earth? says he, Jer. 23.24. And Psal. 139.7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into Heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in Hell, behold, thou art there, &c. Such a presence as this is, David did not mean in this place, but hereby he understands some presence more peculiar and appropriate, which we are now to inquire into what it is: In general, it is that presence of his Grace and special favour, which he had hitherto partaken of from him.
Now this it is of various Explication: First, There is a presence of Imployment, to be in the presence of God, i. e. To be serviceable to him, and to be imployed by him: This is an ordinary expression of such a matter as this is, as we shall find in the Language of Scripture. Thus Prov. 22.29. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before Kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Shall stand before them, i. e. shall do service to them. So 1 King. 10.8. Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom, the words of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, concerning those that attended upon him, where one phrase is explicated by another; those that stood before him, they were his Servants. So agen, Matth. 18.10. speaking of the Angels of the least Saints, They always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven: Behold his face, that is, they are ministring to him. And this is one way, in regard whereof we are said to be in the presence of God, namely, so far forth as we are used and imployed by him in any work which he commits to our trust, especially of Publick Service, whether in Church or Commonwealth. That's the first, The Presence of Imployment.
The second is the Presence of assistance in that work which God calls us to. God is not only present with any, when he is pleased to make use of them: but when he owns them, and draws near to them in it; when he helps them, and enables them to the performance of those services which he calls them unto, and in which he makes use of them; when he gives not only an opportunity of service, but also strength and present virtue for the discharge of it. Thus Luk. 5.17. when divers came to Christ with their Diseases, it is said, That the power of the Lord was present to heal them; i. e. God now shewed forth his power in Christ, who was ready to deliver them. So Act. 10.38. it is said of Jesus of Nazareth, that He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil; For God was with him; with him, as assisting him in that service, which as Mediator he had called him unto; according to that in Joh. 8.29. He that sent me is with me: The Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things which please him. And Joh. 16.32. I am not alone, because the Father is with me. This was that which God promised to Moses, when he sent him upon a special Imployment, Exod. 33.14. he said, My Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest; and Moses returned back agen upon him, Verse 15. of the same Chapter, If thy Presence go not with us, carry us not up hence, &c.
The third is the Presence of Admission to Worship and Divine Ordinances. The Tabernacle, and Temple, and Ark, and Sanctuary, they were special pledges of God's Presence, and so to be admitted hereunto; for the performance of solemn Worship and Service was reckoned to be in his Presence. Thus Psal. 132.7, 8. We will go into his Tabernacle, we will worship at his Footstool. Arise into thy rest, O Lord, Thou and the Ark of thy strength. And Verse 13, 14. The Lord hath chosen Zion, He hath desired it for his Habitation. This is my Rest for ever, here will I dwell, for I have desired it. Thus also Psal. 42.2. My Soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: O when shall I come and appear in the presence of God? In the presence of God, that is, in his Ordinances, wherein God does especially exhibit himself.
The fourth and last, which is the chiefest of all, and that which seems here chiefly to be intended, is the presence of God's gracious Acceptance and Communion with the Soul. Then we are said to be in God's presence after a special and peculiar manner, when he does reveal himself as near unto us, and as well pleased with us, and does also draw our hearts to a special delight and complacency in himself. Now such a thing as this there is within the compass of practical Christianity, not only when God does imploy his Servants, assist them, and admit them to his Ordinances; but also when he does so work upon their hearts, and vouchsafe such a gracious influence upon their spirits, as that they are now like Friends mutually present and conversing one with another: This is such a business as is not capable of demonstration to another, but is only known by sense and experience, but yet it is such as all the Servants of God have upon occasion made profession of.
Now therefore this is that which we should all labour to find in our selves at one time or other, nay, endeavour that it may be in us always. We should not content our selves with God's general presence, the presence of his Essence, in regard whereof he is said not to be far from every one of us; for in him we live, move, and have our being, Act. 17.27, 28. But we should endeavour after the presence of his Grace, that so in this sense we may not be foreign, Atheists, and without God in the world, as the Apostle expresses it in Ephes. 2.12. Seeing there is such a thing as this is, (as no question but there is, and as appears here by David's fear of being deprived of it) we should labour to be acquainted with it, and to have a share and interest in it, that it may be vouchsafed to our selves. That's the first Point, There is such a Presence, &c.
The second is, That it is a most sad and grievous condition for any to be cast out of this Presence: This is clear from David's so earnest deprecating and declining of it, Cast me not, &c. And it holds good according to all those senses and exceptions of God's Presence which we have hitherto mentioned to you; in which (if ye please) ye may consider it, and take notice of it to be so.
First, As to the Presence of Imployment, it is a miserable thing to be cast out of that, when God shall forbear to imploy a man, and to make use of him, shall lay him aside as a broken Vessel, wherein is no pleasure; this is very sad, and such as all men have cause to decline. For what is the Life of our Lives, and the main happiness of them? Is it not especially to be useful, and to be serviceable in our several Generations, to the Glory of God, and the comfort of his people? Is it not as much as may be to advance the publick good in our particular places? Yes, out of doubt it is, and the more we do it, so much the better. The greater opportunities God gives us of doing him service, the greater Honour he puts upon us, and we do not so much honour Him, as he honours us in these Dispensations. This is the Dignity of the Magistracy, and this is the Dignity of the Ministry, that they are Imployments wherein God is glorified; and those which are exercised in them, they do so far forth stand in the presence of God, and are said to do so in a special manner. These are the two Anointed Ones, that stand before the Lord of the whole Earth, Zech. 4.14. The nearer Imployment any have in reference to God, the more do they stand before him, and are said to be in his Presence, which is so much the greater Honour to them, and so should be accounted of by them: And as so, so the contrary dis-service is the greater disparagement. We count it a disgrace for men to be put out of the service of men like themselves; how much worse is it then for them to be cashiered and discarded of God's service? How should all men be afraid of this? and even in this sense pray to God that he would not cast them out of his Presence, but rather make them Vessels of Honour fit for their Master's use? Sometimes God does in a way of favour not put them properly out of service, but when they have done him a great deal of work, he gives them their Quietus est, and discharges them honourably: This is a very great Blessing, and does not come under this Notion of expulsion from his presence. But when God in anger and indignation does refuse either at all to imploy them, or by reason of some provocation does refuse to continue them in it, as the Lord with the unjust Steward in the Gospel, Give an account of thy Stewardship, for thou mayst be no longer Steward. This is sad and fearful.
And so is it very sad likewise upon the same account when men shall put out themselves, as there are some idle persons which care not to be serviceable in any lawful calling, others decline those services which God in Providence calls them to, and that sometimes out of base and unworthy Principles: what do those but with Jonah, flee from the presence of the Lord? as we find that expression used of him, Jonah 1.3. who when God would have sent him to Nineveh, ran to Tarshish; and so meet sometimes also with Jonah's success, a Tempest, and Storm by the way. It's ill to be cast out of the presence of God, by taking it for the Presence of Imployment. That's the first.
Secondly, By taking it for the Presence of Assistance; that's the second, and what necessarily belong to the other for the making of it compleat. For God to give a man opportunities of service, and not to give him abilities for it, that is to be absent from him, when he is present: Therefore this Presence must be taken in (I say) with that, and it is sad to be deprived of it, when God shall not own a man in that work which he takes in hand, but withdraw himself from him; do as in Pharaoh's Chariots when he took off the Wheels from them, that they moved heavily; this is very sad. For a Magistrate, when God shall take away the Spirit of Government from him, as he did from rejected Saul: Or for a Souldier, when God shall take away the Spirit of Strength and Fortitude from him, as he did for the time from Sampson: Or for a Minister, when God shall refuse to assist him, and go along with him in his work, as the Lord threatens the Priests in Malachy, that he would send a Curse upon them, and cast dung upon their faces; this is a very grievous condition. Indeed in all these Imployments assistance is not always alike, as to particular times and seasons; but when the Lord in the series and course of them shall withdraw it, this is the misery of it. Now therefore accordingly we should so reckon and esteem of it, not judge of our Imployment so much according to the presence of men with us, as from the presence of God, when he meets with us, and owns us in them. As in the Ministry, it is not so much the presence of people, a full and large Congregation, (though that have its opportunities with it) as rather the presence of God himself in it: If but two or three are gathered together in his Name, and he be amongst them, that may satisfie and suffice. What advantage is it then to have a full Church, and an empty Pulpit? to have the applause and approbation of men, unless God himself do testifie his gracious acceptance, and vouchsafe his comfortable assistance? which is all in all in such businesses as these are, and principally to be looked after by us.
Thirdly, Take it for God's Presence in his Ordinances, it is sad also to be cast out of this, to be denied the Priviledge of the Publick Assemblies: This was that which David sometimes bewailed more than any thing else, that he could not come to the House of God, nor enjoy Communion with him in those Dispensations; and so it is indeed a sad affliction in it self, and so to be reckoned. Indeed there are many that do not think it so, they find no miss of it at all, because they know not what belongs unto it: They that relish not the sweetness of the Ordinances then when they enjoy them, they make nothing of the loss of the Ordinances then when they want them. But David, and such as he was, have other apprehensions of these things, and that for good cause, whatever Atheistical persons, and such as have no tincture of Religion may esteem of it, it is a very great Judgment to be excluded from the Publick Assemblies, and the opportunities of meeting with God in such Dispensations as these are, wherein he imparts himself to his people.
And if it be such a Judgment to be deprived of them passively, what is it then to be so actively? what is it for People to deprive themselves of them by their own wilful neglect and contempt of them. This is the greatest Judgment of all for any to be given up hereunto; which yet is that which too many in these days are guilty of, and yet do not consider it; which Excommunicate themselves, and do wilfully put themselves out of such Priviledges as these.
Fourthly, and lastly, By taking God's Presence for the Testification of his special favour and good will, and respect to the Soul; it is sad also to be cast out of this; and this was that which David (as I conceive) meant in this place: David he had not now at this time that freedom in his accesses to God as sometimes he had had; God did not hold out his Golden Scepter to him when he came before him; when he put himself as it were upon God in his addresses and supplications to him, he was not so welcom to him as sometimes he had been, but God shut the door upon him, and carried himself as a stranger to him, and as one who would now have no more to do with him; this was that which was very grievous and irksom to this holy man, and therefore he cries now to him, O cast me not out of thy presence.
The Presence of God (for the clearing of this more fully to us) may be taken two manner of ways, either actively or passively; actively, for God's beholding of us; passively, for being beholden by us: now either of these did David look upon as a sad affliction to be deprived of, either of God's gracious looking upon him, or his comfortable looking upon God; and in reference to either does he say, Cast me not out of thy presence.
First, Taking it actively, for God's gracious looking upon him, he would not be deprived of that; he would not have God to express himself as a stranger to him, or to deny him his former freedom with him: this he does by all means deprecate and decline, as a very great mischief to him, and that which he was more sensible of than of any thing else besides. As an ingenuous Child looks at his Fathers putting him out of his sight as the greatest evil; when he shall turn him out of doors, and bid him be gone out of his presence, this is more to him than many Corrections: even so was it now with David, for God to deal in this manner with him, and to refuse to look pleasingly upon him. For why? The Presence of God is that which puts life into every thing, according to the Nature and Quality of it. Take it but in his ordinary Presence, that Presence which he vouchsafes to the Creatures, they have a liveliness and a refreshment from it; his Presence of support and sustentation, whereby they live, and move, and uphold, it is all from his Presence; and so it is proportionably, and more especially with the Presence of his Grace to his Children; it is that which quickens them, and puts spirit into them, when nothing else will, so that to be deprived and destitute of it, is a very great affliction, as for the World to be deprived of the Sun.
Agen, Secondly, Take it passively, for the comfortable beholding of God, it is sad also to be deprived of this, when they cannot see the beauty and glory of the Lord, Psal. 63.2. when they cannot behold him shining forth to them in the face of Jesus Christ: this is a grievous and miserable condition, yea, it is in a sort a representation of Hell it self. For what does Hell consist of? It consists but of two things, Poena sensus, & Poena damni; the punishment of sense in the feeling of exquisite torments, and the punishment of loss in being deprived of the Beatifical Vision and glorious sight of God himself. Now this latter is in the judgment of all Divines made to be the most lamentable, to be shut out of the Kingdom of God, and cast out of his presence: This is done partially, and representatively here in this life, which therefore David does here decline as a most sad and miserable condition, which indeed it is; and that's the second Observation.
The third is this, That the guilt of more notorious sins does hazard and endanger this: whiles David was conscious to himself of those great sins which he had now committed, he was afraid lest herefrom he should be cast out of God's presence. This it holds good as to all those particulars before spoken of in the foregoing point.
First, As to the presence of Imployment, it does endanger the exclusion from that; God will not in such cases as those vouchsafe to use men in his service, but lays them aside as persons of no worth, when they once fall into them. Therefore 1 Cor. 9.27. Paul says that he kept under his body, and brought it into subjection, lest when, as formerly, he had preached to others, foreign, he should at last become a cast-away, foreign, a man unacceptable for service. Such as these they are reprobate silver, and so shall be called, because the Lord has rejected them, Jer. 6.30.
There are some sins more especially which have an influence hereupon; as,
First, Pride and Self-conceitedness; those who are too high opinionated of their own worth, and think God beholding to them for their service, God scorns to make use of them, as taking a special delight in humble and lowly spirits.
Secondly, Idleness, and unfruitfulness, and unfaithfulness; when men do not imploy those Talents which God has given them, God takes away those Talents from them, or at least suspends the exercise of them; Be faithful in a little, &c.
Thirdly, Abuse of Gifts, and mispending them to the dishonour of God, either vainly or else corruptly; this provokes God in such a case to withdraw them: when men either play and trifle in sacred and serious matters, or else use their Wits at any time against God, then he blasts their Parts and Wits to them.
Fourthly, Base and sinister ends, when men have false and unworthy Principles, which act them, and set them on work; their own Gain, and Credit, and Vain Glory, and Popular Applauses, not Conscience and Respect to God's Glory: this is another thing which provokes God especially, who will not only have our work, but our hearts.
Secondly, As to the Presence of Assistance, it also forfeits that: Though God continue men's Imployments, yet he will not so frequently concur with them in them, when in this manner they withdraw from him: but he rather troubles them, and interrupts them in them; as Saul, though he still enjoyed his Government, yet he was forsaken as it were by God in it, and so expresses himself about it, 1 Sam. 22.7, 8. and 1 Sam. 28.6. God gave him answer no way, neither by Dreams, nor by Ʋrim, nor by Prophets.
Thirdly, As to the Presence of the Ordinances, there's an ejection also from them, sometimes in Divine Providence denying of an opportunity, sometimes in special exercise of Judgments, and the Censures of the Church, as the Incestuous Person who was amongst the Corinthians, was Excommunicated by the command of the Apostle, and so thereby was also cast out from the presence of God himself, that presence which he is pleased to vouchsafe to the Publick Assemblies.
Lastly, And especially still as to the presence of God's Grace and Favour exprest, Cast out of that: God knows not how to look favourably upon a rebellious Child; No, but as David to Absalom, He shall not see my face; and as Cain, he went out of God's presence. Those that venture upon such courses as these, they presume very far, and accordingly they smart for it. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight; Thou hatest all workers of iniquity, &c. Psal. 5.4, 5. That's the third Observation; and so much of the first general in the Text, viz. David's declining of expulsion from the presence of God, in these words, Cast me not out of thy presence.
The second is like unto it, (which therefore must not be separated from it, but yet we shall be briefer in it) as being somewhat relating to these words, And take not thy Holy Spirit from me. This is the second Judgment or Punishment, which David here so prays against. By the Holy Spirit of God here, we understand not so much the Person, as the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit: Now these are of two sorts; either common, or sanctifying; the Gifts of Holiness or Sanctification, or the Gifts of Service and Edification; either of these are the Holy Spirit of God in the Language of Scripture. The former, viz. The Gifts of Sanctification, they are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit of God, as making holy, and considered in his work of sanctifying: The Gifts of Edification, they are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit of God also, but Holy, as being Holy in himself, who has that Title justly fastened upon him, even there where he does not impart it, and communicate it to us. Now according to either of these senses and interpretations, may we conceive that David prayed against the taking of this Spirit from him.
First, The Spirit, that is, the Spirit of Holiness and Sanctification, considered precisely in that work; he prays against the taking away of that, not as in his Judgment, and dogmatically believing that it would absolutely be taken away from him; but out of his affection, expressing his desires still to retain it, and more particularly begging of God that he might not lose the measure and degrees of it in him, which he felt now to begin to decay; and in the nature of it, threatning the absolute extinction of it. For this we must add by the way, That when we teach that the Spirit of God cannot be quite taken away from Believers, we do not hereby deny but that of it self it is as well extinguishable as any other habit besides of the Soul; but we are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. And God does work Grace in his Children after such a manner, as that his seed remaineth in them; and it is as impossible to destroy in them absolutely the Principles of saving Grace, considered as Christians, as it is the Principle of Humane Nature considered as Men: but yet these Principles may be much weakned and abated in them, and the vigor of them taken away from them, which therefore David here begs of God that it might not be so done with him. And indeed this is such as every good Heart trembles at to think of, when it grows lower in the Graces of the Spirit, as having less love and delight in holy things, less savour and relish of God's Word, and less fervour and zeal of spirit for God and his Glory, which likewise commonly follows upon such presumptuous provocations. When Christians do at any time venture upon such notorious crimes as these are, they go the very next door to the absolute quenching and extinguishing of the Spirit of God in them, and to have it wholly taken from them.
But, Secondly, Take not thy holy Spirit from me; that is, in the common Gifts of it, the Gifts of Imployment and Edification; and there were common Gifts of the Spirit which David was now afraid might be taken away from him, according to a threefold capacity in which he was, 1. Of a King; 2. Of a Souldier; and, 3. Of a Prophet.
First, Of a King, and so take not away from me thy Spirit; i. e. Take not from me the Spirit of Government. David was afraid of this, that having provoked God as he had now done by his sin, God should have taken away this Spirit from him, as he did from Saul before him. When Saul came first to the Kingdom, The Spirit of the Lord came upon him; God gave him another Heart, and turned him into another man, as it is recorded of him, 1 Sam. 10.6, 9. But now having rebelled against God, he had this Spirit of God taken from him, 1 Sam. 16.14. The Spirit of the Lord departed from him, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him: He lost those Gifts of Authority, and Prudence, and wise Administration, which he had been before indued withal; and David was now afraid that the same case might have befallen himself, which he looked upon as a very great evil and inconvenience to him, as that which would make him contemptible, and lay him open in the eyes of the World, especially having been before so eminent for it.
Secondly, Take him in the capacity of a Souldier; Take not away thy Spirit from me; that is, the Spirit of Courage and Magnanimity; David feared lest upon these his miscarriages he might be deprived of that. David he was a Man of War, and exercised in Martial Affairs, from whence it was necessary for him to have a Warlike Spirit, as being the best Weapon of all: A Souldier when he loses his Courage, he loses his Cause, and there is nothing which does more bespeak the one than the other. Now this David was in great danger of by reason of his sin. There is nothing which does so easily daunt a man, and shake him, and take away his Courage, as a guilty Conscience; this it lays him flat, and possesses him with a Spirit of Horrour; as it is said of Him in Isai. 7.2. His Heart was moved, and the Heart of his People, as the Trees of the Wood are moved with the Wind; that is, They were full of trembling and astonishment. This is the effect and consequent of some more grievous and heinous miscarriage, and David was justly jealous of it.
Thirdly, Take him in the capacity of a Prophet, which (as I conceive) is here chiefly intended; and so Take not thy holy Spirit from me, is, Take not from me the Gift and Spirit of Prophecy, which I have been hitherto endowed withal. There are some who have imagined as if David had occasionally from this his sin lost the ability of making Psalms; but that is not so probable from this very Psalm which we have here before us, (unless we shall now look upon him as in his recovery and restauration:) but however, there is no question but there was some difference and alteration upon his Spirit in this respect; or if not actually inflicted, yet feared, and upon very good ground, which drew this prayer from him; and it shews us how sad a thing it is to be deprived of such kind of abilities. This is the common and general Conclusion which does result from all the former Explications. Take this Spirit of God in whatsoever Gifts of it ye please, whether of Government, or of Fortitude, or of Prophecy, or of whatever other ye can name, it is very sad to be deprived of them, and to have them taken away from those which have had them.
This it is, not only as an Argument and Symptom of God's displeasure, but also in the thing it self; which by how much the better it is, so much the worse is it to be deprived of it, and still as any Gift is of greater influence and improvement than other.
The Consideration whereof should be a warning to all Christians to take heed of that which gives ground and occasion hereunto; take heed of grieving, quenching, vexing the Holy Spirit of God, from whence there may be danger of having the Spirit taken away from you: This is done by living in some known and notorious sin; The Spirit of God will not vouchsafe to reside in such a mind as that is. If he does vouchsafe sometimes to impart himself in his common Gifts, as he does now and then even to the vilest sorts of men; yet he does but so much the more aggravate their Judgment and Condemnation from it, and now and then also he does very much impair them, and diminish them in them.
But especially as any have made more pretence to God and to Religion, they shall be sure to smart for it, and that in all kinds whatsoever, in the loss of their common gifts, and in the abatement of their sanctifying; there will be a mighty confusion and distraction upon them in this respect, and they will not be the same men as they have been in former times; nay, it is an hundred to one if they be not assaulted with a quite contrary spirit, as it was with Saul; for these two they go seldom asunder; when the Spirit of God departs from any, the Spirit of Satan comes in his stead; as on the other side it is said of our Saviour, That when the Devil left him, the Angels came and ministred to him, Matth. 4.11. But so much for that, viz. The second Spiritual Judgment which David here declined and prayed so against, which was the Deprivation of God's holy Spirit. And so much also of this whole eleventh Verse, Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not, &c.