Of Quenching the Spirit, Table of contents
THE Contents of the Several Chapters contained in the following Treatise.
CHap. 1. The ground of the ensuing Discourse. 1 Thes. 5.19. What meant by the Spirit. What by quenching the Spirit. The Spirit compared to fire in divers respects. The waies and means whereby the spirit is quenched. The Spirit must not bee quenched, but cherished. Reasons why the Spirit must not be quenched. Many guilty of quenching the Spirit. Such to be reproved.
Chap. 2. The evil of quenching the Spirit, in respect of the Causes, whereof it is an Effect. Several causes of it mentioned in particular. The evil of it as proceeding from those causes, discovered. The guilty expostulated with, and sharply rebuked.
Chap. 3. Other Causes of quenching the Spirit. The evil of it as proceeding from them, discovered. The guilty expostulated with, and rebuked as before.
Chap. 4. The evil of quenching the Spirit, in respect of the Effects, whereof it is a Cause. The first effect of quenching the Spirit. It grieves the Spirit. Instances of it in the Old Worlds quenching the Spirit, and in the Israelites quenching the Spirit. Not only the wicked, but the godly, do thus (sometimes) grieve the Spirit. That quenching the Spirit grieves the Spirit, further proved. Arguments for the proof of it mentioned in particular. The Arguments applyed. The evil of quenching the Spirit in this respect. Ephes. 4.30. The evil of grieving the Spirit, from thence argued. The evil of quenching the spirit, thereby discovered. Those that quench the spirit, thereupon expostulated with, and rebuked.
Chap. 5. The second effect of quenching the spirit. It gives advantage to corruption. Hence it is that corruption is so powerful and prevalent. There is nothing to hinder it, the spirit being quenched. Hence it is that it reigns still in some, and tyrannizeth in others. The evil of quenching the spirit, from hence argued. The Argument applyed.
Chap. 6. The third effect of quenching the spirit, It gives advantage to Sathan. This shewed both in the general and in particular. Ephes. 2.2. Children of disobedience; who are they. The Devil works effectually in such, hath them in his power, takes them captive at his will. 2 Tim. 2.26. Man by nature lower than Angels, by sin lower than Devils. Leaving God his only Soveraign, is given up to the Devil, his greatest enemy. The Law according to which he is thus given up to the Devil. Both soul and body, given to him as his house, and the powers and faculties of both, as his goods, to have, and use at his pleasure. Luk. 11.21, 24. Mat. 12.44. Explained. By quenching the spirit, the Devil hath advantage to tempt. The day of Israels quenching the spirit. That day a day of temptation, not only in respect of God, but of themselves. The Devil was continually tempting them in the wilderness. This applyed to those that quench the spirit. The reason why such are haunted with most abominable and horrid temptations. Those that do not quench the spirit, may be tempted; but the Devil hath not such advantage to be tempting of them. The Devil is in a twofold chain, of Justice and Providence. Is restrained from tempting, when men quench not the spirit. By quenching the spirit, the Devil hath advantage to overcome. He blindes the Understanding. Perswades the Will. Fills the heart. Leads men up and down as they lead beasts. By quenching the spirit, he hath advantage to accuse. None to answer his accusation, and plead their cause, that quench the spirit. Hereby he hath advantage to afflict. To afflict men in their souls, bodies and estates. If Satan hath an advantage he will take it. The folly of those, that by quenching the spirit give him advantage. The misery of such. The tryumph of the dead over them.
Chap. 7. The fourth effect of quenching the spirit, It gives advantage to the World. It gives advantage to the men of the world. It gives advantage to them to do wickedly themselves. They will do wickedly of themselves, much more, when they have advantage for so doing, given them by Professors. Professors give them advantage so to do, by their quenching of the spirit. Then they do not endeavour to restrain them, but give way to them, and encourage them. Are either the occasions, or causes of their sinning. The occasions by their evil example; the causes, by their inticements and allurements, or by their commands and threatnings. The evil of quenching the Spirit in this respect, discovered. Quenching of the Spirit gives advantage to the men of the world, to draw others to do wickedly with them. Hereby they have advantage to tempt, and to overcome by tempting. By this means, they have advantage to infect with wicked principles, and to seduce to wicked practises. Hereupon they have advantage to reproach and vilifie, and to oppress and persecute those whom they so seduce. Quenching of the spirit gives advantage to the things of the world. The spirit being quenched, men will be, and do any thing, though never so vile, for the getting and keeping of them. Satan and his instruments tempt efficiently; the things of the world objectively. God made man to be above the world; sin hath made the world to be above man. The world hath not only a tempting, but a prevailing and overpowering influence. Such an influence it hath over all the powers and faculties of the Soul, and over all the senses and members of the body. Hence men chuse sin rather than suffering, reject the Gospel, are man-pleasers, make shipwrack of faith, and a good conscience, &c. Worldly lusts. Why so called. The prevalency of worldly lusts, is from quenching the spirit. The evil of quenching the spirit in this respect.
Chap. 8. The fifth effect of quenching the spirit, It brings into a Consumption. A threefold consumption that it brings men into, a consumption of Estate, Body, and Soul. Estates gotten and spent in a way of quenching the spirit, come to nothing. Life the most excellent thing in nature. Because of mens quenching the spirit, God destroyes it. Consumptive diseases sent for this cause. Some Consumptive diseases come by sin, all come for sin. The consumption of the Soul, the worst consumption. It is sent as the other two, for quenching of the spirit. It consists in two things, the wasting and pining away of gifts and common grace. Quenching the spirit procures it as the meritorious cause, provoking God to inflict it, and it works and effects it of it self. Some distinctions concerning this consumption. It is either partial or total, gradual, or at once. There is a consumption in this life, and in the life to come.
Chap. 9. The sixth effect of quenching the spirit, It hinders mens working. It hinders their working in their particular callings. When the spirit is quenched, men are either idle, and do nothing at all, or slothful, and do nothing to purpose. This a great sin. The Apostle calls it disorderly walking. It was one of Sodomes sins, for which it was destroyed. It hinders their working in their general calling. It hinders the working out of their salvation. It disaffects them, so that they will not work, if they could. When the spirit is quenched, affections are gone. Both affections of liking, in respect of what is good, and affections of disliking, in respect of what is evil. Affections being gone, there is no will. It disenables them, so that they cannot work if they would. Sampson thought he could have done as before, but the spirit being quenched, he could do nothing. The evil of quenching the spirit in this respect.
Chap. 10. The seventh effect of quenching the spirit; It hinders mens work. Sometimes even when the spirit is quenched, there may be working; but then quenching of the spirit hinders the work. It hinders the perfection of it. A twofold perfection in opposition to that that is counterfeit, and that that is defective. Those that quench the spirit, can do nothing perfect, in opposition to that that is counterfeit. They can do nothing truly or really good. A twofold goodness, outward and inward. Though they may do that that's outwardly good, yet they can do nothing that's inwardly so. They can do nothing perfect, in opposition to that that is defective. There are many things lacking in all the duties they perform. They work continually, yet do nothing. The evil of this in divers particulars. It hinders the acceptance of it. God doth not accept of any thing, when the spirit is quenched. How to know when God doth not accept. If God doth not accept the work, he doth not accept the person. The evil of quenching the spirit in this respect.
Chap. 11. The eighth effect of quenching the spirit, It hinders mens suffering. This proved by that Exhortation of Paul to Timothy, 2 Tim. 1.6, 7, 8. The Argument the Apostle there makes use of, declared. The inference from it, applyed. If the spirit be quenched, either men will suffer nothing at all, or nothing as they ought to do, when God calls them to it. They will not suffer from a right principle. When the spirit is quenched, there is no right principle. They cannot suffer in a right manner. There will be no perseverance in suffering to the end. The evil of quenching the spirit in this respect. An Objection answered. Not only nature, but grace too teacheth to avoid suffering, when God doth not call unto it. When God calls unto it, it is not from grace that men decline it. Two cases wherein God calls unto suffering, mentioned. When men cannot endure to suffer when God calls unto it, what it argues. What conclusions it occasions wicked men to make. What suffering men make themselves liable to, by avoiding suffering. The evil of suffering from a false principle. The evil of not suffering in a right manner. The evil of not persevering in suffering, and holding out to the end.
Chap. 12. The nineth effect of quenching the spirit, It hinders mens Communion; that communion they might otherwise have with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. When God knocks at the door, by the motions of his Spirit, if men would open to him, he would sup with them, and they should sup with him. When they will not open to him, the spirit withdraws. What communion with God is. What communion with God is had, when the spirit is not quenched. No Communion to be had, when the spirit is quenched. No Communion then in Providences. None in comforts, and blessings which one enjoyes, none in afflictions and crosses which one suffers. No communion then in Ordinances. The sweetest and fullest communion that Saints have on this side heaven, is that which they have in Ordinances. This lost by quenching of the spirit. Two sorts of persons that this speaks to. The sad condition of such, as by reason of their quenching of the spirit, never had communion with God to this day. The sad condition of such as have had it, but have lost it again, by their quenching of the spirit. To be Excommunicated from the Church, dreadful. To be Excommunicated from God, much more dreadful. When communion with God is lost, all is nothing that one enjoyes, though it be never so much.
Chap. 13. The tenth effect of quenching the spirit. It hinders mens Peace. It hinders mens peace with God. They are not at peace with him; he is not at peace with them. The evil of this. It is from quenching the spirit. Their Misery in this respect. It hinders Peace with themselves. The evil of this, and of quenching the spirit in this respect. This speaks to two sorts of persons. It hinders their peace with men. It hinders their peace with the creatures.
Chap. 14. The eleventh effect of quenching the spirit, It hinders the efficacious working of the Ordinances. Ordinances are mighty through the spirit. They are weak through the flesh. They have no efficacy at all to do good, when the spirit is quenched, but are effectual only to do hurt in that case. They are dead without the spirit, and leave men dead. A twofold death, in opposition to life, and to liveliness. Some dead, some dying under Ordinances. Some twice dead. How quenching of the spirit hinders the efficacy of Ordinances. It hinders what is necessary to be done on mans part, and what is necessary to bee done on Gods part, to make them effectual. The evil of this. The miserable condition of such as quench the spirit in this respect. If Ordinances do no good, nothing will. If Ordinances bee not effectual to save, they will be effectual to damn. For Ordinances not to work effectually, a most dreadful Judgement. The more excellent the means, the more fearful and dangerous their estate is, that do not profit by them.
Chap. 15. An Exhortation to those that have Quenched the Spirit to bewail it. What a lamentable evil Quenching of the Spirit is. How much evil it argues to be in us, how much evil to be upon us. It is our duty to lament for every sin, even the smallest, much more for this that is so great. We shall never be serious in setting our selves to the practise of the contrary duty of cherishing the Spirit, till we be humbled for our sin first in quenching the spirit. Either we shall not practise it at all, or not to the end. To grieve and mourn for Quenching the Spirit, a sign that it is not utterly quenched. What to be done that we may grieve and mourn aright for it.
Chap. 16. An Exhortation to those that have quenched the spirit, to beware of it. If there be cause to grieve that this sin hath been committed, there must needs be cause to fear lest it should be commited. If the effects of it be considered, we shall see how much hurt it doth; if the causes be considered, we shall see how much we are inclined to it. The more we are inclined to any thing that may be the cause of doing so much hurt, the more we should beware of it. Nothing, the not doing whereof may quench the spirit, to be neglected. Nothing, the doing whereof may quench the spirit, to be done. The spirit not to be quenched in any degree.
Chap. 17. Men exhorted to beware of quenching the spirit in themselves. Example not to be followed in this case. It should make them the more to beware. Reasons why men should not quench the spirit in themselves. A threefold fire, the fire of Temptation, the fire of sin, and the fire of suffering. These fires may, and ought to be quenched, but not the fire of the spirit. If the fire of the spirit be utterly quenched, it can never be kindled again. Not by Saints. Not by Ordinances. What fire soever besides is kindled, it will not avail. Such a fire shall be kindled, for the punishing of it, as shall never be quenched. If it be quenched but a little, there is danger, lest it should be utterly quenched.
Chap. 18. Men exhorted to beware of quenching the spirit in others. It is possible they may quench the spirit in others, as well as in themselves. They are very prone to quench the spirit in others, as well as in themselves. Several cases wherein they are most prone to quench the spirit in others, mentioned in particular. Though they do not eventually quench the spirit in any; yet if intentionally they do it, it is in the sight of God, as if they did it eventually. Though they do not intend it, yet if they do any thing, that in its own nature tends unto it, they are guilty as if they did intend it. The natural consequences of actions must be considered. There is the end of the Agent, and the end of the Action. A sinful action cannot be ordinated to any good end whatsoever. Men guilty of quenching the spirit, as well by not doing that which should be done, to cherish and preserve it, as by doing that which puts it out. To quench the spirit in any one particular, in another, very sinful, though it be not utterly quenched in him. How many waies men quench the spirit in others. Arguments to disswade from it, and to perswade to beware of it.
Chap. 19. Men exhorted to beware that others do not quench the spirit in them. As there are many Incendiaries, to kindle the fire of the flesh; so, many extinguishers, to put out the fire of the spirit. Three sorts in this respect most dangerous; Carnal Friends, Wicked Adversaries, False Teachers. Arguments to perswade men to beware of them, that the spirit be not quenched by them. Directions to shew what is to be done, that the spirit may not bee quenched by them.