Of Quenching the Spirit, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
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 sloathful, and do nothing to purpose. This is a great sin. The Apostle calls it disorderly walking. It was one of Sodoms 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.
SECT. 1.
6. IT hinders your working. When the fire is quenched you grow cold, and if there bee nothing else (as sometimes there is not) whereby you may get heat, you are so chill'd and benumm'd with the cold, that you can do nothing. Why just so it is when the Spirit is quenched. For though there are many things besides fire whereby (ordinarily) you may get bodily heat, yet there is nothing besides the spirit, whereby you may get spiritual heat; so that when the spirit is quenched, you are so chill'd and benumm'd (many times) with a Spiritual cold, that you do nothing, either nothing at all, or nothing to purpose, as is to be seen both in your particular Callings, and in your general.
SECT. 2.
1. In your particular Callings. God requires you should every one have a particular Calling, and that you should work in your particular Callings, and follow them diligently. Let every man abide in the same Calling wherein he was called, 1 Cor. 7.20. And let every man wherein he is called, therein abide with God; v. 24. It is one special part of your walking with God, to walk with him in your particular Callings. Thus it should be; but now when the spirit is quenched it is otherwise; for then either you are idle, and do nothing at all, as those the Apostle speaks of, 2 Thes. 3.11. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies; or else you are sloathful, and do nothing to purpose, as he, Prov. 18.9. He also that is sloathful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waster. Thus it is when the Spirit is quenched, and therefore sloathful in business, and fervent in spirit are opposed, Rom. 12.11. Not sloathful in business— Be ye not sloathful in business, saith the Apostle: what should they be then? Why fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. So that those that are fervent in spirit, will not be sloathful in business, but do what-ever their hand findes to do, with all their might, serving the Lord in their Callings faithfully, to the uttermost of their ability and opportunity.
SECT. 3.
It is from being luke-warme then, and from being cold, then men put out the fire of the spirit in themselves, that they are idle, and lazy, and sloathful, and do not follow their callings with diligence. One that is spiritual makes conscience of redeeming the time, and of finishing the work God hath given him to do: wherein he is called, he will therein abide with God; and not onelyonly so, as not wholly to give over, but so, as not to give it over for a time, viz. such time as God requires he should abide with him in it. But now, when a man grows carnal and sensual, having quench'd the spirit, then he hath no minde to abide in his calling, but to be taking his pleasure, and following his s…orts and pastimes, wandring up and down from house to house, and seeking some like himself to idle away the time together with them. Then he is for smoaking and drinking rather than working; foolish talking and jesting, hearing and telling of news, and idle tales and stories, are far more pleasing and delightful: and he will busie himself about any thing, rather than that which is his business; how often art thou idling at the work-house, while thy heart is at the Play-House? How often art thou trifling in the shop, while thy minde is at the Ale-house? The heart of fools is in the house of mirth, saith Solomon, Eccles. 7.4. and so is thine; and therefore thou canst not endure to abide at thy work. Oh what a weariness is it? Oh how dost thou long to be gone? How readily dost thou close with any handsome divertisement? How readily dost thou accept of an invitation from any of thy Companions, that come to call thee away? How often doth Conscience tell thee that this is not thy business, this is not the place God expects thou shoulst be in, and yet thou wilt not be gone? How often doth thy Minister, thy Master, thy Neighbour call upon thee, and yet thou wilt not reform? how often dost thou set about thy business, but a spirit of sloathfulness hinders thee from following it?
SECT. 4.
Now see what evil this is, that thou shouldst be thus hindred from working in thy particular calling, I say thus hindred. For to be hindred by forcible restraint, or by sickness or weakness, is onelyonly thy affliction, but to be thus hindred, viz. by a spirit of sloathfulness (as when the spirit is quenched thou art) this is thy sin. And it is a very great sin. The Apostle calls it disorderly walking, 2 Thes. 3.11. and the Prophet tells, that it was one of the sins of the Sodomites, for which God destroyed them by fire from Heaven, Ezek. 16.49. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her, and in her Daughters. Mark it, abundance of idleness. Thou scarce thinkest idleness (it may be) to be a sin, at least, to be so hainous a sin; but had it not been so hainous, it would not have been so provoking; so provoking as to have procured such a judgement and vengeance to bee inflicted upon the Sodomites, as thereby to be set forth for an example of suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, Jude 7. They are set forth saith the Apostle, for an example: So that if they must be an example to thee in respect of their sin, they shall be an example to thee also in respect of their suffering. See then what an evil the neglect of your particular Callings is: and see what an evil your quenching of the spirit is, that is the cause of it, as hindring you from working as you ought in them. This is bad that it hinders you thus in your particular Callings; but there is that which is farre worse, that it hinders you,
SECT. 5.
2. In your general Calling. It hinders your working, not only as men, but as Saints; not only in reference to the things pertaining to this life, but in reference also to the things that pertain to the life to come. It hinders the working out of your salvation. It hinders you in the use of all the means of grace. It hinders you in the exercise of all graces, the performing of all duties, the improving of all Ordinances. It hinders you from them, it hinders you in them. It hinders you from praying, and hearing, and meditating, and examining your selves, and it hinders you in praying, and hearing, and meditating, and examining your selves, and all other spiritual Duties whatsoever. And this it doth two waies.
1. It disaffects you, so that you will not if you could.
2. It disenables you, so that you cannot if you would.
SECT. 6.
1. It disaffects you; so that you will not if you could. You could do more, you could hear, and read, and meditate more; you could watch more, and pray more, and exercise your selves to all manner of Godliness more, but (in this case) you will not. You want not many times abilities, nor opportunities, but when the spirit is quenched, you want affections; you love not such duties, you delight not in them. Your affections are all gone. First, your affections of liking are gone. Your love is gone, your desire gone, your delight gone. Your affections of liking are all gone in respect of what is good. Time was, when you could say: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, &c. as David did, Psal. 63.1, 2. but now you are ready to say, depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy waies. Time was, when you counted it all joy to have an opportunity; O blessed season! O welcome hour! and your heart did revive, and even leap within you at the very first mention of a good duty; I but now it causeth even a kinde of heart-qualm to come upon you, so that your affections of liking are gone, in respect of what is good. And Secondly, your affections of disliking gone too, in respect of what is evil. Your hatred gone, your fear gone, your godly sorrow, godly shame, and holy indignation gone. Time was, when you even loathed and abhorred such and such evils: You could not endure the thinking, much less the naming of them; you thought they should not be so much as named amongst Saints, much less acted; I but now, you are so far from loathing and abhorring them, that you do secretly like them, nay, are ready to express it by speaking and pleading for them. Time was, when you feared the least occasion that might lead you to the commission of such and such sins, but now you are bold and venturous, you are not afraid at all. Time was, when, if you had committed such a sin, it was a grief of heart, yea, even a heart-breaking to you, and you were greatly ashamed, yea, even confounded in your selves; but now instead of grieving, you rejoyce; instead of being ashamed, you glory, and make your boast. Time was, when you were angry, yea, what indignation was there? as the Apostle speaks; but now you are grown very milde and meek; Oh deal gently with Absolom for my sake, deal gently with such a sin, such a lust, if it be reproved, you know not how to bear it, nay, if it be not countenanced and respected; if you be not flattered and soothed up in it, you cannot bear it. So that all your affections of disliking, in respect of what is evil, are gone too.
SECT. 7.
Thus it is when you have quenched the spirit, your affections are gone, so that you have no minde, no heart, either to the performance of your duty, or the opposing of your sin contrary thereunto. And it cannot be otherwise, for where there's no affection, there's no will. You cannot be willing to that, that you do not love, nor desire, nor delight in: nor unwilling to that, that you do not hate nor fear, and which you apprehend will neither be grief, nor shame unto you. This then must needs be a great hindrance to your working. Oh there is nothing to a willing minde, we say: Where there is willingness there will be doing; a will is all in all for the most part. But on the contrary, where there wants a will, there nothing will be done. Nothing but upon force and constraint, and so I grant, that upon some terrible convictions, and frightful providences, whereby thou art made afraid of the wrath and vengeance of God, thou mayest be willing; so Pharaoh was, so Herod was, and did many things, because he was afraid: but such doings last not long. When Pharaoh saw there was respite, he returned to his obstinacy again: and so Herod, so thou. This is but a violent motion, and nothing violent is perpetual; so that this must needs bee a great hindrance to your working that you want a will. And whence is it, but from your quenching of the Spirit?
SECT. 8.
That you want a will, that you want affection, powerfully and sweetly to constrain you to do what God requires, I say it is from your quenching of the spirit. Oh saith Christ the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. If you had the spirit, if you were fervent in spirit, then you would be full of love, full of desire, full of joy, and delight; if you were spiritual, you would be all for spiritual things, nothing would be so pleasing and acceptable to you; Did not our hearts burn within us? said they, &c. now what was the effect of it? why, they would not let Christ depart; he made as if he would be gone, but they constrained him to tarry. Oh his discourse, his preaching was so sweet, they could never have enough of it. Thus it would be, if the spirit were not quenched, you would not dispise prophesying, praying, conference, &c. no, but you would prize them exceedingly, and every good thing whatsoever. Thus it is when the spirit is not quenched. But when the spirit is quenched, then the stream of your affections is turned, and runs the quite contrary way, to the works of sin, the works of the flesh. Then you will be rich, you will go to such and such a place, to buy, and sell, and get gain; whether God will or no; you never consider of that. Instead of being with the godly, you will be with the wicked, instead of frequenting Church-assemblies, you will forsake the assembling of your selves together, though it be the drawing back to perdition. Though Conscience call upon you never so much from within, and your Minister never so much from without, to bee instant in season and out of season, to watch, and pray, and hear, and strive, and endeavour to your uttermost, yet you will not endeavour any thing; and how can it be otherwise while you want affection? Pray, it may be, you do once a day, or twice a day, perhaps now and then with the Family, but scarce once in two or three daies alone by your selves. The pretence is want of light, you are not convinced it is a Duty, but what is the cause? Is it not want of Love? want of affection? Oh how I love thy Law, said David, it is my meditation all the day long. If you did love, you would pray; Why? hast thou not as much light as David? as Daniel? nay, thou hast more, but here's the misery, or rather the mischief, thou hast not as much love. Therefore thou a…t so far from praying three times a day, that thou scarce prayest three times a week. And is not this from thy quenching of the spirit? Oh remember the spirit is willing; if any thing be weak or unwilling, it is the flesh. Thus you see, that quenching of the spirit hinders you by dis-affecting you, so that you will not if you could. 'Tis not because you cannot, when you do not work in your general Calling, when you stir not up your selves, and labour not more abundantly, (you have abilities, you have opportunities;) but because you will not. You will not come, saith Christ, that you might have life. you say: We are Lords, we will not come at thee. This the effect of your quenching the Spirit. Sometimes indeed, even when the spirit is not quenched, there may be some abatement of spiritual activity for a season, as in case of bodily infirmity, or other necessity, but then there is desire, as in David, who longed to be at the Tabernacle, when he could not come thither; but when the Spirit is quenched, then the abatement is voluntary, and the heart willingly laies down the strength of holy endeavours, and a man cannot in this case because hee will not; i. e. because he hath lost his affection. His quenching of the Spirit dis-affects him, so that he will not, if he could.
SECT. 9.
2. It disenables you so, that you cannot if you would. It doth not onelyonly take away your will, but your power, or if it doth not take away your will, yet it doth your power. To will is present it may be, (though that is rare) but how to perform you know not, when you have quencht the spirit. If you have convictions and affections, as sometimes you have, so that you resolve to make trial of your strength, yet when it comes to the tryal, you can do nothing; like wounded men, that trie to rise, but they fall down presently again; offer to strike, but their blow fails in the mid-way. Sampson thought he could have done as before, but hee wist not that the Spirit was departed from him. Hee had done great and wonderful things by his strength, while he had the spirit, had slain …he Philistims, heaps upon heaps, and carried away the gates of Gaza upon his shoulders, yet when he had quencht the Spirit, then he could do nothing. The Philistims came upon him, and bound him, and put out his eyes, and made him grinde in a Mill; and the Text saith, he wist not that the spirit was departed from him. So you, while the Spirit is with you, you are able to do great things for God, able to denie your selves, and perform the most difficult duties, the most tedious and irksome duties to flesh and blood, able to resist strong temptations, and to overcome strong corruptions; but when the spirit is departed from you, you are able to do nothing. You think you will do at such a time as formerlie, hear as formerlie; pray as formerlie; but you know not that the spirit is departed from you, and that therefore you cannot do it. As Old men they think they will do, as they could when they were Young, but they consider not, that natural heat is decaied. When natural heat and vigour decaies, a man cannot go, nor ride, nor work as before; so here, when the spirit is quenched, principles are decaied; action must needs decay too. And thus you see how the quenching of the spirit hinders your working.
SECT. 10.
Now see what an evil it is in this respect, that it hinders your working. You that are Work-men and Day-labourers, because your livelihood depends upon your work, you think it a very great evil to bee hindred from working; as if you be wounded, or lamed, or weakned by sickness, so that you cannot work, you count it a great evil. Oh why do you not count this an evil? Is it an evil that you cannot work in your particular calling, and is it not much more an evil that you cannot work in your general calling? Is it evil that you cannot plow, and sow, &c. and is it not much more evil that you cannot hear, and pray, and meditate? When you cannot work in your particular callings, then you consider what you lose in the mean time; so much you count you might gain if you could work; so many shillings, so many pounds, so many bushels I might gain, thou saiest, all which I now loose, oh I shall bee undone. But why dost thou not consider what thou dost loose, when thou canst not work in thy general calling? When thou canst not hear, nor pray, nor commune with thy own heart, &c? why, thy loss in respect of the neglect of these duties, is not a little, it is the greatest loss in the world, it's an eternal loss.
SECT. 11.
Oh the precious season thou dost now loose! the rich gain thou dost now miss! When you may get some great, some extraordinarie matter by the day, for your work, you then prize a working disposition, and abilitie. Oh, if I could now work (thou saist) it would be worth to thee a great matter; so many shillings, so many pounds. I but if thou could'st work in thy general calling, it would be worth thee far more; so much grace, so much peace, so much joy in the holie Ghost: it would bee worth thee heaven, and eternal glorie and happiness there. Whereas, the spirit being now quenched, thou canst do nothing, canst not pray, canst not hear: canst not exercise any one grace, canst not perform any one dutie; and so canst not gain one smile, one whisper; one smile from God, one whisper from the spirit of God, to assure thy heart before him. Oh what an evil then is this quenching of the spirit, that hinders thee thus from working!
SECT. 12.
Besides, do but consider the condition thou art in. If thou canst not work thou diest for't; like one that is cast over board, if he cannot swim; or they in a Ship that leaks, if they cannot work at the pump, they must sink, must bee drowned without remedie. That slothful servant that could not work, and improve his Talent, not only lost it, but was cast into utter darkness. He that loiters in the Vineyard looseth his pennie. He that sows sparinglie, reaps sparinglie; hee that sows not at all, reaps nothing at all, and besides shall be damned for his slothfulness.