Of Quenching the Spirit, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
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 outwardlie good, yet they can do nothing that's inwardlie 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.
SECT. 1.
7. IT hinders your work. Even then, when it doth not hinder your working (I mean so as to take you off from working) but you wil be doing somthing; either out of forme and fashion, or custome, or to answer your Convictions, and satisfie Conscience, because you look upon it to be your duty; yet even then, I say, it hinders your work.
SECT. 2.
Sometimes even when the Spirit is quenched, there may be working, and striving very much. Nay 'tis seldome the Spirit is so quenched in Professors, as that a man gives over all, and does nothing; sometimes it is so indeed that a man falls quite away, being twice dead, and withered up by the roots, being so far from bearing any good fruit, from having one or two berries in some of the uttermost branches, that he hath not so much as one leaf of profession left. But though this be sometimes so, and there are now and then some rare Examples of it; yet ordinarily we see, that people keep their forme of godliness, though they lose the power of it; and those that have a forme of godliness, will do something; as pray in the Family, sometimes read the Word, and pray alone by themselves, and frequent publick Ordinances.
SECT. 3.
This is the custome generally of all sorts of Professors, to be exercising themselves (in some manner or other) in the practice of some duties or other of Religion, though the spirit be never so much quenched in them; of publick Duties especially, because else, there would be no face or appearance of Religion in their Conversations and therefore all (we see) do something or other, though they be otherwise earthly and sensual, many of them having not the Spirit.
SECT. 4.
It must be granted then that even where the Spirit is quenched, there may be Working. Nay sometimes there may be working and striving, where the spirit is quenched (as I said) very much. Even such persons may have great and powerful convictions still left, great fears and terrours in their Consciences: or there may be some stinging affliction upon their persons, or relations, or estates, and these may put them upon working and striving very hard. As Saul (you know even after the spirit was departed from him, he works hard in time of his distress) runs from Duty, to Duty, from Ordinance, to Ordinance to seek God: Seeks by Urim and Visions, and Dreams, 1 Sam. 28.6. Yea, God tells of people that have sinned to an exceeding height, in casting his word behinde their backs, and quenching the motions, and resisting the strivings of his Spirit; that yet in time of their distress, when tribulation and anguish comes upon them, will seek him early and cry unto him for mercy and pardon, as you may see, Prov. 1.27, 28. And Jer. 2.21. he saith, They have turned the back unto me, and not the face, but in time of their trouble they will say, arise and save us. These things and such like, may put men upon doing and Working, though they have quench'd the Spirit.
SECT. 5.
But now Beloved, pray mark; Though they labour and strive, and work never so much, yet in this case, while the Spirit is quenched in them, 'tis as if they did not labour or work at all. For though their quenching of the Spirit do not hinder them from working and endeavouring in the practice of some duties, yet it hinders their work, as you may see in the story of Saul and others. Saul sought several waies, but, saith he, God answers me no more. And you may see how God threatens those Quenchers of the Spirit, Prov. 1.28, &c. Those also, Isa. 58.2. They did many things, took delight in approaching to God, fasted, &c. And they thought very well of what they had done, they thought they were good works, and that they deserved by the doing of them; but their quenching of the spirit made all of none effect, God took no notice, he regarded them not; as they most unjustly complain, Wherefore have we fasted, and thou takest no knowledge, &c. They fasted, but it was not such a Fast as God had chosen; So that though they were not hindred from working, yet their work was hindred. So you, Beloved, though your quenching of the Spirit, doth not wholly take you off from Duties, from Praying, Hearing, Meditating, and other religious duties, but you practice them still, and perhaps at times, do more than ordinarily busie your selves in them: though this be so, I say, that it doth not wholly take you off from working in these and other Duties, yet it hinders your work in them. It hinders the work that should be done, and it hinders the work that is done; So that 'tis in effect, as if you did nothing at all in such Duties, it may be in some respect far worse.
SECT. 6.
How this sin of quenching the Spirit hinders your work, you may see in these two Particulars.
1. It hinders the Perfection of it.
2. It hinders the Acceptance of it.
1. It hinders the Perfection of it. Quenching the Spirit hinders the perfection of your work, so that when you have quenched the Spirit, you can make nothing perfect. The Apostle expostulates and chides with the Galatians for being so foolish, as not to consider it. Gal. 3.3. Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are yee now made perfect by the flesh? What by the Flesh? Saith he; that makes nothing perfect, neither person nor thing. There is no middle between these two. When the Spirit is quenched, there is nothing to make perfect, but the Flesh; but to think to be made perfect by the flesh, is the greatest folly imaginable. And therefore, Are ye so foolish? saith the Apostle, are ye so foolish, as to think ye can be made perfect by the Flesh?
SECT. 7.
There is a two-fold perfection.
1. There's a perfection in opposition to that that is counterfeit. So that that hath its essential parts, whatever essentially belongs unto it, is perfect. Thus true Gold is perfect Gold in opposition to Copper or that which is onelyonly gilt.
2. There's a perfection in opposition to that which is Defective; So that is perfect which hath all the integral parts of it, which is intire, and lacking nothing, as Jam. 1.4. Thus a body that hath all its members, is a perfect body. Now when the Spirit is quenched, you can do nothing perfect, either of these waies.
SECT. 8.
1. You can do nothing perfect, in opposition to what is counterfeit. As Christ, told them of Sardis, that he had not found their works perfect before God, Rev. 3.2. No, for they were Hypocritical, having a name to live, but were dead, and therefore their works were dead too; they were not filled up with the lively actings of Grace, and so were dead works. And this was through their quenching of the Spirit, there were things that remained, but they were ready to dye. Thus it is with you, sirs, when you quench the Spirit: then all you do is counterfeit and Hypocritical. It may look like a good work, but it is evil. It is not a good work, it doth but only seem to be so. There's a two-fold goodness in every good work.
1. An outward goodness.
2. An inward goodness.
Now the outward goodness without the inward is nothing. Duties may be outwardly fair, but without the inward goodness, there's no perfection in them, they are but Pharisaical and Hypocritical. There is the Hypocrisie of a person, and the Hypocrisie of an action. Works and Actions without the inward goodness, are but Pharisaical, or Hypocritical. The inward goodness of Duties is the spiritualness of them. If that be wanting, how fair and amiable, or lovely soever they be in outward appearance; they have no goodness in them; and this must needs bee wanting when the Spirit is quenched. If the Spirit be quenched in the habit, it must needs be quenched in the operation also; therefore there can be no spiritualness in your actions at such a time. And what bee they then? They are but flesh. If they be not works of the Spirit, they are the works of the flesh (for one, or the other they must needs be.) Now works of the flesh are not good works. And not onelyonly Drunkenness, Swearing, Lying, &c. but Praying, Hearing, Reading, Repeating of Sermons, &c. are works of the flesh, if without the Spirit. Oh consider this; let it sink into your hearts. The fire of the Spirit is quenched, and that hinders the perfection of your works in opposition to that which is counterfeit. You may perhaps think you do well, but the thing you do is not of the right kinde. There is that like to gold, that is not gold; your gold is but Copper.
SECT. 9.
2. When the Spirit is quenched, you can do nothing perfect, in opposition to that that is defective. But may it not be said of the most spiritual actions that they are not thus perfect? though there be never so much of the Spirit, is there not defectiveness in them? Yes, but not such as is opposed to integrity, such as ariseth from quenching of the spirit. See for this, Luke 8.14. There Christ tells of the seed that fell among Thorns, meaning thereby Hearers, that choak the Word and Spirit by earthly and sensual Lusts, that they bring forth nothing to perfection. There is something indeed towards it, as there is in the seed that springs among thorns, there is the blade, and somewhat like an ear; but it doth not ripen unto perfection. It is like the Corn that groweth upon the house tops, wherewith the Mower filleth not his hand, there is something or other still wanting in their Duties. Christ saith to such souls, as to the Church of Sardis, I have not found thy works perfect before me. There is a two-fold perfection, before men, and before God. Your works may be perfect before men; I finde such an ones work perfect, may an eminent Christian say, but so doth not Christ; I do not finde it perfect before me, saith Christ. When the Spirit is quenched every thing is defective. There are many things lacking in all the Duties thou performest, thou offerest the blinde, and the lame unto God; that which is rent, and torne, and mangled, thou resentest to him: thou comest with clipt, and curtail'd Duties, just as poor men pay their debts, in clipt mony, broken groats, any thing they can get. And no wonder, slothfulness and carnallity can produce no better. If thou hast quencht the spirit, every thing thou dost is marr'd in the doing, thou spoilest whatever thou takest in hand.
When thou wantest abilitie or opportunitie to work, thou supposest, that if thou could'st but work, thou should'st do something; but now thou triest and canst do nothing. If a man have never so good materials to work upon, yet if he have not that which is necessary to work by, then he can make nothing of it. If an Artificer be without fire, he cannot form his Iron into any thing as he should, because hee wants that whereby it should be done. So it is with a Professor, when he hath put out the fire of the spirit; he hath excellent gifts, precious opportunities and advantages, but he can make nothing of his duties, because he wants the spirit whereby he should do them, and without which they cannot possiblie bee done. Without the spirit wee can do nothing. That helps our infirmities, else we have so many infirmities that we can do nothing. Oh consider, you are to be working continuallie, all the day long, and so it may be you are, but if the spirit be quenched, you do no work. You work, and yet do no work, as the Apostle saith of them, 2 The. 3.11. foreign, they were very busie, yet did nothing. Children are very busie all day long, and take great pains according to their strength, yet do nothing; so you without the spirit. You cannot do any work without the spirit, but what is a work of the flesh. You cannot do the works of God. Therefore at such a time every thing you do is spoiled.
SECT. 10.
Now I beseech you consider the evil of this.
1. When any thing you do is spoiled, you can take no comfort in it, you are troubled to think of it. So here, you lose the comfort, and are troubled to think of what you do. It is said of God, all his works are perfect, exceeding good they appear when reflected on; but when thou reflectest on what thou hast done, all appears exceeding bad, stark naught; there being so much of the flesh, and nothing of the spirit to be found in it. Hence thou concludest thou art not a good Tree, because thou bearest not good Fruit.
2. Thou must undo all that thou hast done. All that hath been mis-done, must bee undone. Thou must pluck up what thou hast planted, pull down what thou hast built up; i. e. thou must repent of it, that whereas others must repent of their sins, their prophaneness, intemperance, uncleanness, &c. thou must repent of thy duties, thy praying, hearing, and attending on Ordinances, &c. And how sad is this!
3. Thou must do all over again. Repent, and do thy first works; all that thou hast done, stands for nothing; they are but so many Ciphers. Thou maiest now pray and hear, as if thou hadst never praied and heard, and so do other duties, as if thou hadst never done them at all. Believe again, repent again, be converted again.
4. Thou gainest nothing by what thou dost, no more than a man getteth by counterfeit monie when discovered.
5. It is great folly to begin and not bee able to finish, not to bring to perfection.
6. It brings a curse. The wicked work a deceitful work, God curseth such as do his work deceitfullie. Cursed be the deceiver that offers to God a corrupt or maimed thing. And thus of the first particular, to shew how this sin of quenching the spirit, doth hinder your work in respect of the perfection of it.
SECT. 11.
2. It hinders your work in respect of the acceptance of it. And this doth necessarily follow upon the former; your works being not perfect, God will not accept them. Therefore Christ bids the Angel of the Church of Ephesus repent, because he had not found his works perfect before God. God will not accept of flesh instead of spirit. They that are in the flesh cannot please God. And works of the flesh are an abomination to him. But all your works, if they be not the works of the spirit, are (as you have heard) works of the flesh, and therefore must needs be an abomination to God. God is a Spirit, and seeketh for such to worship him, as worship him in Spirit and in Truth. If not in spirit, not in truth; your worship is but counterfeit, therefore he will not accept it. We put no confidence therefore in the flesh, saith Paul, but worship God in the Spirit. Phil. 3.3. Many persons put great confidence in their Duties, not considering they are but flesh, and so, that in being confident of them, they do but put confidence in the flesh, which is vain confidence. We have no ground to put confidence in that which God will not accept; but he will not accept of flesh, therefore not of those Duties that are not spiritual, in which the fire of the spirit is quenched. God would not accept of any fire but that which came down from Heaven, Nadab and Abihu were punished for offering strange fire. God will not accept of any fire but the fire of the spirit, all other fire is strange fire; if that therefore be quenched, then though we do never so much, God doth not regard it, nay he loaths and abhorres it. The Apostle Heb. 9.14. distinguisheth betwixt dead works, and the service of the living God. Dead works are not the service of the living God. Now your works without the spirit, are dead works. The Spirit is the only principle of life, both in persons and actions. Persons without the spirit are dead, and so are actions. You know an Engine doth work as well as a living Creature, and doth a great deal of work; but there's a great difference betwixt their work, and the work of living Creatures, that work from an inward principle. So many Professors do a great deal of work, but they are acted by plummets, and external weights, and therefore their works are dead works. The works of an Engine are dead works, only the works of living Creatures are living works.
SECT. 12.
Oh then consider of this. If God will render to every one according to his works, what will become of thee, whose works are onelyonly works of the flesh, and consequently dead works, as being destitute of the Spirit? All your actions are seed: If you sow not to the Spirit, you sow to the flesh, and what then wil your crop be? nothing but destruction. O consider of this, every action of y…urs is eit…er an action of the flesh or of the spirit. This should startle us all. Look to your seed, what seed you sow; take heed you do not sow from, and to the flesh. As your Seed is, such will your Harvest be. It is folly to think you may sow to t…e flesh, and yet reap life eternal. God will say to some that pray, and prophesie, &c. Depart, I know you not, you are workers of iniquity. The Flesh worketh not the Righteousness of God. Therefore, whoever works from the flesh, he is a worker of iniquity. Is not God a spirit? and were it not a contradiction to the being of God, for him to accept of a service that is not like himself? There is nothing of God in the flesh, nothing of God in sin: And should God accept of that, in which there is nothing of God? It may be thou canst hear this without any regret of Conscience now, but when Conscience comes to be awakened, how wilt thou be able to bear it, that God doth not accept of thy works? How full of indignation and trouble was Cain, and those in Isa. 58. because God did not accept of their works? This will fill thee with indignation and anguish, when thou comest to take notice of it. I… thou findest that God doth not accept of thy works now, how dost thou think he will do it at the last? canst thou think he will accept of them when thou comest to dye, and to bee judged?
SECT. 13.
Quest. But how shall I know that God doth not accept of my works?
Answ. 1. It may be they are not pleasing to thy own Conscience, but thy Conscience condemns thee for them. And if thy Conscience condemns thee for them, much more doth God. God is greater, and more exact than thy Conscience. If what thou doest will not pass in the Court of Conscience here below, much lesse will it pass, when there is a review in the higher Court above. Art thou one that couldst never satisfie thy Conscience to this day, but thy Conscience ever and anon cryeth out; O thou Hypocrite! thou deceitful Worker? Oh what cause hast thou then to fear and tremble?
2. It may be what thou dost, doth not satisfie Saints. It is not accepted of the Saints, but they have jealousies and fears of thee, and do very much suspect thee; nay they do not only suspect thee, but on good grounds, on visible evidences, condemn thee. They see thy duties are not perfect before men, much less are they perfect before God. I have read the story of one, who being led forth to Execution, met by the way a great person that had Apostatized; but the poor man would not look upon him; and that was the means of his recovery. He thought, If such an one will not look upon me, how will God?
3. It may be, what thou dost will not satisfie the men of the world. They find thou comest short of them, whereas thou shouldst do some singular thing. Even carnal men are ashamed of what thou dost. And if it be so evil, as not to please them, how can it please God? See Mal. 1.8. Offer it now unto the Governour: will he be pleased with thee, and accept thy person, saith the Lord of Hosts? In these cases it appears God doth not accept of thy Works.
SECT. 14.
Now then to conclude; If God doth not accept of thy work, how canst thou think he doth accept of thy person? what comfort then canst thou take in any of thy enjoyments? Solomon saith, Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works. That's matter of joy indeed, because the acceptance of the work is an evidence of the acceptance of the person. But one may say to thee, as God to the Prophet; Eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy wine with astonishment, for God doth not accept of thy works. Let his Prayer become sin, was a dreadful imprecation of Judgement upon Judas, and this Judgement is on thee. Every thing thou dost, is an abomination unto God. God will not take an Offering at thy hands. And what then will become of thee? Manoah's Wife argued, that if the Lord were pleased to kill them, he would not have received a burnt offering at their hands: but thou maist argue the quite contrary, that therefore 'tis to be feared he will kill thee, beca…e hee doth not accept an offering at thy hands. Thou a…t another Saul, whither wilt thou go but to the Devil? God will not own nor rece…ve thee. Thou seekest him in several Duties, but the Scripture tells thee, (and that is as sure as if thou wert told by a voice from Heaven) God accepts thee not. This argues thy Hypocrisie. David argued that he regarded not Iniquity in his heart, because God heard him; but thou must make the contrary conclusion from the contrary premises; God doth not hear thee, therefore thou regardest iniquity in thy heart, and therefore art an Hypocrite: See then what an evil thing this is.
SECT. 15.
And for a close, take notice of this. Some have so quenched the Spirit, that God hath accepted of nothing to this day; they have opposed the work of the Spirit in order to Conversion to this day, and so have been working out their own damnation to this day. It is high time for such to awake: their damnation is nearer, than when they first had any convictions. Others have the spirit, but have quench it, and then all they do at that time is hindred, both as to its perfection and acceptance. Oh beg of God that hee would give you faith to believe these things, that as you hate this evil effect, so you may hate the evil cause thereof.