Of Quenching the Spirit, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
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.
SECT. 1.
2. IT gives great advantage to Corruption. As when the fire is quenched the smoak ariseth; so when the fire of the spirit is quenched, then a man becomes either smoaking Flax, or a stinking snuff. When natural heat is decayed, diseases grow; as you may see in old men: so when spiritual heat is decayed, spiritual diseases multiply, as you may see in some old Prof…ssors, yea, and in some young ones too; that have left their first love. Thou wonderest it may be, that thy lusts are so potent and prevalent in thee; that the out-breaking of thy corruptions, is like the breaking forth of mighty Waters, that run with such force, as nothing is able to stop them; nor light, nor knowledge, nor convictions, nor perswasions, are able to stop the current; but they bear down all before them. Time was, when thou couldst deny thy self, but now thou canst hardly deny thy self in any thing; thy corruptions will not be said nay; and therefore hast thy conversation according to the course of this world, in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires and wills of the flesh, and of the minde, Ephes. 2.3. Thou hadst e…caped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; but now art again intangled therein, and overcome, and thy latter end is worse with thee, than thy begi…ning. Thou wonderest at this it may bee, but this is the reason, thou has… quenched the s…i…t. Hence it is that thou ar… relapsed again into thy former disease. Hence it is, that thou art grown a Formalist; Hence that thou art become a Sensualist, as Epist. Jude 19. These bee they that separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit. Marke it, sensual, having not the spirit. q. d. this is the reason, why they turn bruitish and sensual, 'tis because they have not the spirit.
SECT. 2.
Oh if you would walk in the spirit, you should not fulfil the lusts of the flesh; so s…ith the Apostle, Gal. 5.16. This I say, walk in the spirit, i. e. exercise the Graces, and follow the motions of the spirit, and then, you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. For the spirit is contrary, and will not give way; but you quench the spirit, do not exercise the graces, do not obey the motions of the spirit; and then there is nothing to hinder, but that you should be ca…ryed away by your corruptions. [See my Treatise of self-denial, Direct. 16.] There is nothing contrary to the flesh, but the spirit; if therefore there be nothing of the spirit to oppose, as there is not; when it is quenched, then there is nothing at all; and if there …e nothing at all to oppose the flesh, it must needs ha…e advantage against you. Then is the adv…n…age of an enemy, when there is none to oppo…▪ Then the advantage of a disease, when noth…g to resist: and so in like manner, then is the advantage of corruption, when nothing of the spirit to withstand it.
SECT. 3.
This is such an advantage to corruption, that it Reigns still in some, and Tyrannizeth in others. Who could have told, hadst thou not quenched the spirit, hadst thou not sinn'd away thy enlightnings and convictions, &c. Who could have told I say, but that thou shouldest have been set free, and brought into …he glorious liberty of the sons of God long before this; that the reigning power of sin should long since have been broken; but now it hath dominion over thee still unto this day; thou art still in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity; sin rules and reigns in thee; thy pride reigns, and thy passion reigns: thy covetousness and earthliness and thy lasciviousness reigns; thy carnal fear, thy enmity to the Cross, thy secret hatred of the strictness and power of godliness; thy hardness of heart, thy presumption, thy impenitency; all these, and all else, as so many Kings do reign in thee, and thou yeildest thy self a servant to them, having a form of Godlinesse, but denying the power of it; and all this is from thy quenching of the spirit. Oh what advantage hath thy corruption then by this means gotten over thee?
SECT. 4.
Again, as for others, it may be the reigning power of sin is broken; Sin has not dominion over you, for that you are not under the Law, but under Grace; Oh! but how doth it Tyrannize over you many times? You do not so quench the Spirit, as to give it a quiet and peaceable possession of the Throne for ever; but how often do you by quenching of the Spirit suffer it to usurp an actual possession of it for a time? How often do you suffer it to usurp, so that you can hardly tell any difference betwixt sin remaining, and reigning in you? For the time you yeild subjection to it, act as if you were the Servants of corruption, and you walk as men having not the Spirit.
SECT 5.
Now what a vile thing is this that by quenching of the Spirit, you should give such advantage to your corruptions? It should bee your care to be still mortifying your lusts, and keeping under your corruptions. How is it then, that thou dost give advantage to them? Is not that evil, that strengthens thy Disease? If thou wert sick of some deadly Disease, wouldst thou not think so? is not the strength of the disease, the weaknesse of the body? nay, is it not often the death of it? Therefore, whatever is a friend to thy disease, thou lookest upon it as an enemy to thy life; and if thou hast any thing that is good against thy disease, oh how tender art thou of it? what a losse dost thou think it is, when it is spilt or wasted? Why then, see hence what an evil this quenching of the Spirit is; for sin is the sicknesse, the deadly sicknesse of thy soul, and there is nothing but the Spirit good against it.