Of Quenching the Spirit, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
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 be quenched by them.
SECT. 1.
THus having Exhorted you to take heed not to quench the Spirit in others, I shall now exhort you to take heed, that others do not quench it in you. As there are manie Incendiaries to kindle the fire of Sin and Satan in you; so there are manie Extinguishers to put out the fire of the spirit; manie that will break the bruised reed, and quench the smoaking flax.
SECT. 2.
No wonder the Scripture doth so abound with Cautions, Beware of men, take heed that no man deceive you, take heed what you hear, let no man deceive you with vain words, let no man beguile you of your reward, let no man take thy crown, &c. And with Exhortations, "To stand fast in one spirit, and with one minde, striving together for the faith of the Gospel, to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints; to watch, and stand fast in the faith, and to hold fast that which is good. No wonder I say, that the Scripture so abounds with such Cautions and Exhortations; for, for this reason it is, because there are so manie everie where, that are Quenchers of the Spirit; so that without great care and watchfulness, it will be onlie not impossible for the Spirit not to be quenched by them.
SECT. 3.
As you may quench the spirit in others (as you have heard) several waies, so may they in you by the same waies; As by evil Counsels, evil Examples, sinful Objections, carnal reasonings, and the rest that I mentioned.
SECT. 4.
And three sorts of persons there are, by whom (more especiallie) above others, you may bee in danger (unless you take heed) to have the Spirit quenched in you by them. Namelie, Carnal Friends, Wicked Adversaries, and False Teachers. These are all great Quenchers of the Spirit, and therefore most dangerous persons. The one by Flatteries, the other by Frowns, and the third by Falshoods, will endeavour to quench the spirit in you. The two former by working upon your affections, your hopes and fears; the latter by working upon your judgements: Those by motives, these by arguments, therefore beware. To perswade you, I shall desire you to consider,
SECT. 5.
1. You are bound to endeavour self-preservation, to save your selves to the uttermost. Save your selves from this untoward Generation, Act. 2.40. And thence those Cautions above named, Let no man deceive you, &c. Therefore let no man quench the spirit in you; because else, you cannot save your selves, unless you save the spirit. If that be destroied, you will be destroied too.
2. How careful are you, not to suffer others to hurt you in other matters! You will not suffer any to hurt you (in the least) if you can help it; but this is to hurt you in the greatest. He that seeks your blood, to have your blood from you, you count he seeks your life. And so hee that seeks the spirit, to have that from you, he seeks your life, and (indeed) the life of lives, your eternal life. Now will you beware of one who would deprive you of a temporal life, and not of him that will deprive you of an eternal? Why then will you suffer any to quench the spirit in you?
3. It will be no excuse that it was quenched by others, if so be you suffer them. You will say, you were counselled, and perswaded; but what saith the Word? Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Psal. 1.1. And, My Son, if sinners intice thee, consent thou not, Prov. 1.10. If you have evil counsel from men, you have other counsel from God; if you follow theirs, you reject Gods, and what a charge will that be against you at the last? Oh that Israel had hearkned, &c. saith God, but they would none of me, Psal. 81.11. You will say you were threatned and terrified; but what saith the Word? Who art thou, that thou shouldest bee afraid of man, whose breath is in his nostrils, and forgettest the Lord thy Maker? &c. Isa. 51.12, 13. Therefore the fearful and unbeleiving, shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, Rev. 21.8. You will say you had example and president for it; but what saith the Word? See Jer. 44.17, 26, 27. and Mic. 6.16. Therefore this will not excuse you.
SECT. 6.
4. Consider, why will you let them? why will you let them do that which may quench the spirit, or let the spirit be quenched by wh…t they do?
1. Perhaps you may think they do not intend it, that they mean you no hurt, and therefore do not hurt you; that they do not intend to quench the spirit in you, therefore do not quench it. But this is preposterous, to judge of mens actions by their intentions; whereas you should judge of their intentions, rather by their actions. If their Actions have a tendencie to the quenching of the spirit in you, then, what ever they intend, you may say, there's cause to beware. There's the intention of the Actor, and the intendment of the Act. The Mad man throws fire brands, and saith, Am I not in sport? Prov. 26.18, 19. but who is it will believe him?
2. You may think with your selves, What if they do? Yet you'l look to your selves well enough. You are so well grounded and resolved, that 'tis impossible they should ever change you. But this is to run your selves into a temptation; yea, it is a tempting of God, and therefore a thousand to one, but you miscarrie. Christ said unto Peter, thou canst not follow me now; but Peter would not believe Christ, and therefore would needs follow into the High Priests Hall: He thought (it may bee) hee would look to himself well enough; but see the issue, notwithstanding his self-confidence hee was overcome. This is, as if a man should walk among snares, and then look to himself, that he be not intangled; whereas the best way is, to look to himself that he do not come amongst them. Therefore the Holie Ghost prescribes this care. Prov. 4.14, 15. and elsewhere.
3. You may think that to quench such and such particular principles and practices, is not to quench the spirit, especiallie so long as you keep up your Profession in the general. But are they principles and practises of godliness? then, to quench them, must needs be a quenching of the spirit. To quench but the least truth, the least good principle, is a quenching of the spirit. See Ephes. 5.4-6.
SECT. 7.
5. In suffering them, you do but give place to the Devil, and what a thing is that? Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath, saith the Apostle, neither give place to the Devil, Ephes. 4.27. Now this is a giving place to the Devil; for are they not acted by the Devil? Is it not the Devil that sets them a work to quench the spirit in you? So Christ said to Peter, when he would have quencht his zeal, in resolving to suffer at Jerusalem, Mat. 16.23. Therefore he would not give place to him; Get thee behinde me Satan, saith he, thou shalt not stand in my way to let and hinder mee, thou shalt not make mee go back. You will not give place to an Enemie if you can help it, and will you give place to the Devil? No, you should resist him. Be sober, and watchful, because of your adversary the Devil, whom resist stedfast in the faith, 1 Pet. 5.8, 9.
6. The more you yield to them, the more they will assault you; as you may see in Peters case, when he began (once) to yield in the high Priests Hall.
7. They will but glorie in your flesh, that is, in your Corruption, your Atheism, Infidelitie, carnal Fear, Hipocrisie, &c. boast how they have overcome you, having prevailed with you to quench the spirit; as Gal. 6.3.
8. 'Tis great follie; and they do but bewitch you, Gal. 3.1.
9. When they have quenched it, you will have no comfort nor relief from them. No more than Judas had in the chief Priests and Elders, Mat. 27.3, 4.
10. Those that cannot hurt you any other way, yet may hurt you this way. As Balaam, though he could not by his enchantments prevail against Israel, yet this way hee did, by quenching of the spirit in them. And how hee did it, see Rev. 2.14. with Hos. 4.11.
SECT. 8.
11. Consider, that stronger is the spirit that is in Gods children, than the spirit that is in the world, 1 Joh. 4.4. and therefore what evidence do you give of having such a spirit, if you suffer it to be quenched in you? For we have not received a spirit of fear (saith the Apostle) but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound minde. How then doth it appear that we have such a spirit, if we suffer it to be quenched? For
12. Hereby we discover abundance of weakness. If thou faint in the day of adversity (and so in the day of temptation) thy strength is small, Prov. 24.10. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees. Heb. 12.12.
13. If you suffer any to quench it in you, how do you obey that precept, of forsaking Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, &c. and of not living to the will of man, but of God? 'Tis not enough that you profess you must do thus, but you must do it, else all your profession is in vain.
14. If you suffer them to quench the spirit in you, you suffer them to beguile you of your reward, and to take your crown, i. e. You suffer them to undo you, and that (if they should utterlie quench the spirit in you) everlastinglie. And therefore unless you would lose your reward, unless you would lose your crown, strive hard, strive that you may overcome.
15. Who would not strive to overcome? Is not victorie pleasing and delightful? what more delightful thing in the world? But of all victories, none more delightful than this, none in respect of the glorious triumph it shall have afterwards. See the promises, Rev. cap. 2. & 3. therefore as Heb. 4.1. if this will not move them.
SECT. 9.
16. Consider, when they have quenched the spirit in you, they may do any thing with you, make slaves and vassals of you, and so they will; as they did of Sampson, For of whomsoever a man is overcome, of the same he is brought into bondage, 2 Pet. 2.19. Therefore as Gal. 5.1.
17. By suffering them to quench the spirit in you, you incourage them to quench it in others too; and so ruine not onlie your selves, but are the occasion of ruining manie others.
18. You suffer them by the same means to ruine themselves, whereas if hee did not yield, it might be a great conviction to them, and in time (perhaps) prove their conversion.
19. You see they will not suffer you to quench the spirit that is in them, that worldlie superstitious, sensual spirit they are acted with. Oh how will they watch against it! and strive against it, if you go about to quench it in them! And shall they be more careful of such a spirit, a worldlie, superstitious, sensual spirit? an earthlie, sensual, and devillish spirit, than you will bee of a Divine and Heavenlie spirit?
20. Do but consider how careful you are of other fire, that it be not put out. How do you strive to keep in the Candle, when the wind is like to blow it out? how do you guard it, and cover it with your hand or garment? And will you bee so careful of that, and not as much, nay, much more careful of the spirit, the Candle of the Lord? The Romans to encourage one another against the common enemie, would crie, Pro aris, & focis; They would fight for their Altars and Hearths, that they might not be destroied. And will you bee so careful of the fire on your hearths, and not of the fire in your hearts? Oh therefore let none quench it in you!
SECT. 10.
What is to be done then? You'l say. Why if you finde that any are Quenchers of the spirit,
1. Do not affect to bee in their companie. See Prov. 22.24, 25, and 1 Cor. 5.11. Wherefore come out from among them, and bee yee separate, 2 Cor. 6.17. Paul separated the Disciples, Acts 9.9.
2. Do not affect to have them in your companie. Say as David, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, Psal. 6.8. A froward heart shall depart from me, Psal. 101.4. Depart from mee yee evil doers, &c. Psal. 119.115.
3. Give no advantage to them. Remember what hath been said of giving advantage to the men of the world.
4. Pray hard. So David because of his enemies, Psal. 5.8.
5. Labour to discern Satan in them at the first on-set. So Christ in Peter, Matthew 16.23.
6. Earnestlie contend for the spirit, wrestle hard, as, Ephes. 6.12.
7. Beware of flatteries. Such an one is a friend, Sed magis amicus spiritus, the spirit is more a friend. Call understanding thy kinswoman, Prov. 7.4.
8. Remember they cannot quench it in you, but by you.
9. When once you have experience of them, be not deceived twice.
10. Remember they are verie cunning and subtle. See Ephes. 4.14. — by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lye in wait to deceive.
11. Bee as forward to kindle the spirit in them, as they be to quench it in you.
SECT. 11.
By these means you may keep your selves, so, that they shall not bee able to quench the spirit in you. And remember hee that is born of God doth so; hee keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not, 1 John 5.18. Consider, Job would not suffer his Wife to quench the spirit in him, Job 2.10. nor David, 2 Sam. 6.22. Jonathan would not suffer his Father to quench the spirit in him, 1 Sam. 20.32. Christ would not suffer his Disciple to quench the spirit in him, Mat. 16.23. Therefore stand upon your guard and bee resolute. If others will do you good, let them; accept of any help that way: Though thou bee a Torch, yet bee willing (if need bee) to bee lighted by a little Candle. But if they will do you hurt, and you can prevent it (as you may in this case, if you bee careful) do not suffer them, do not let them quench the spirit in you.
Especiallie, if it bee much quenched alreadie, and there is but a little left of what there was formerlie, then you are more especiallie concern'd to beware. The Woman of Tekoah complained, So shall they quench my coal which is left, 2 Sam. 14.7. Oh shee was loath, that having but one poor coal left, it should bee quenched. S…ee was loath, and so should you. And therefore thus reason, If I yield to them in this, So shall they quench my coal, and go to God (as this Woman did to the King) and complain, Lord, such and such are risen up against mee, and say, Deliver up thy Judgement, and we will destroy Conscience also, and so they shall quench my coal that is left, and I shall utterly perish. Therefore help O God.
FINIS.
AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.
BEsides what thou hast here of the Evil of Quenching the Spirit, there are divers other things that the Authour hath intended to handle concerning it, which hereafter, God willing, he may possibly present thee with, in another Treatise. In the mean while make use of this, (which the importunity of some friends, hath gotten from him for the present) and take heed of quenching the Spirit in the reading of it. Farewel.