A Directory for Youth, Sermon · Remedies 8
Remedies againſt that Youthful Sin of Quenching the Spirit.
I Have ſhewed you how prone Youth is to quench the Motions of the Spirit of God, ſtifling thoſe inward Convictions that are wrought in them of their loſt and undone eſtate by Nature, of the neceſſity of Converſion, and the New Birth, and of their indiſpenſible Duty to uſe the means both publick and private, that God hath appointed in order to their Converſion; there are not a few of London's Youth that are guilty in a high degree of this Sin. Wherefore to prevent it for time to come, attend to theſe following directions.
Firſt, Underſtand wherein this Sin of Quenching the Spirit ſtands, and that's the firſt ſtep to Reformation in this point. Quenching is a metaphorical part of Speech, it is borrowed from a Fire or Lamp, that uſeth to give light and heat; now this applied to the Spirit, it muſt follow that the Spirit is a Fire heating, and Light enlightning the Soul; and therefore in reference hereunto, the Apoſtle in the 1. Theſ. 5. 19. ſaith, Quench not the Spirit: how that is done, may be gathered from the metaphor thus, a Fire or Light is two manner of ways quenched, (1.) By withdrawing of Fuel from it: (2.) By caſting of Water upon it. So it is here with this heavenly Fire, (1.) When we withdraw from the means, as Prayer, and the Word, and Holy Watchfulneſs, theſe are as materials to keep in the Fire; and when we decline, or reſtrain theſe, we quench the Spirit in his Influences, they decay and dye away within us: Miſcarriages of this kind Divines call Omiſſions. (2.) When (though we do not decline Ordinances) we adventure upon commiſſions of Sin; this now extinguiſheth, and directly quencheth the Spirit's light and heat; this is as water caſt on, it preſently puts out the Fire.
O that young ones would attend hereunto, for want of regarding theſe things many periſh, and go to Hell. If ever any thing was to be deplored in this world, this is to be deplored, that the Spirit of God, when he comes with his Light and Heat to ſanctifie and ſave us, we grieve him, reſiſt him, tempt him, vex him, quench him, theſe are all Scripture expreſſions. O Lord, what account ſhall there be at that great and terrible Day for theſe things! Learn hence young ones, that when you have this bleſſed Spirit, either in Sermon-time, or other times, like a Sun riſing and ſhining into your dark Soul's, ſhewing you as clear as Noon-day, that your Courſes have been naught, that thus, and thus, haſt thou done; and that without the New Creature, Faith, Repentance, &c. thou art undone for ever; and ſhewing thee farther, that thou haſt before thee a bleſſed offer of Chriſt, and the great Salvation, purchaſed with his Blood, aſuring thee if thou caſt away thy Trangreſſions, and come in, and accept the Grace offered, thou ſhalt not periſh, but have Everlaſting Life; and probably this bleſſed Spirit goes on further, awakening thy Conſcience, ſtirring up thy Affections, that thou goeſt from the Sermon ſmitten, wounded as with an Arrow ſticking within thee; ſo that thou haſt ſome Light and Heat too: (a mercy thou canſt never enough value.) If now thou trifleſt, and groweſt careleſs of means, and through neglect of Prayer, and omiſſion of other Duties, ſuffereſt theſe Sparks to dye in the Embers; then thou art verily guilty of this horrible Sin, of quenching the Spirit: much more if (inſtead of calling for the Bellows, and blowing while there is a Fire) thou adventureſt to caſt on Water, i. e. to run into Evil Company, to yield to thy vile Corruptions, to drink the poyſoned Cup, and eat of the forbidden murdering Morſels; then be ſute with an high hand, with a witneſs, you are guilty of quenching the Spirit. O the unſpeakable miſery this brings! O that ever you can hear theſe things without Trembling! This is the firſt direction, to get a true Knowledge what this Sin is.
2. When you know it, ſtudy the grievous and hainous nature of it, that your wanton Hearts may be awed, and affrighted from the leſt approaches towards it for time to come. O young people, is it now a time of the Spirit's ſtriving in you, ſtirring of you▪ and ſtriving with you? O take heed, for now is Satan moſt converſant, and inſtant to pick out your Eyes, to blow out the Light, And this he can never do without thy own agency, and compliance with him; though he is a Creature full of Malice, Subtilty, and of great Power, yet (bleſſed be God, he cannot force you; oppoſe you he will, you muſt expect it now more than ever, for now he is afraid of loſing you. Luke 11. 42. therefore look for your ſhare: but though he hath an oppoſing Power, yet he hath not an enforcing Power. Hence in James 4. 7. Reſiſt the Devil, and he will flee. But now if inſtead of reſiſting the evil Spirit, you ſhould reſiſt the Good Spirit, for both may be reſiſted; O the grievous and hainous Nature of this Sin, words can't expreſs it: without all queſtion it's greatly influential towards the filling up the Meaſure of Sin, and the Vials of God's Wrath. And it may be ſaid of ſuch, as the Apoſtle hath it in 2 Pet. 2. 21. It had been better they had never known the Way of Righteouſneſs, than having known it, to turn away from the Holy Commandment given to them. They are in danger of theſe threatned Judgments, John 12. 40. and Prov. 1. 28. and Pſal. 81. 12. and Hoſ. 4. 17. and Ezek. 24. 13. and Heb. 3. 11. and Heb. 6. 4, 5, 6. O that young ones, would read and tremble at theſe Scriptures, to deter them from quenching the Spirit, as they would ever eſcape having their lot and portion, in ſuch dreadful and tremendous Judgments, as are contained in thoſe places. O take warning, Young Men, leſt you be hardned to deſtruction: God hath removed many a one of your Equals already; neglected Talents have been taken away from many Drones and Dallyers, according to that 13. Matth. 12. Whoſoever hath not, (i. e. improves not,) from him ſhall be taken away, that which he ſeems to have. There is no prevention of this Judgment, but by improving your Talents, and knowing the things of your Peace in your day.
3. Never reſt in Convictions, till they bring you to reſt in Chriſt. Many, when under ſome ſenſe of Sin and Miſery, and ſome apprehenſions of Mercy, they will go and pray, and may be weep too; and upon this (without real union to and application of Chriſt and his Blood) they grow well again, and think now all the danger is over, I am a new man; I was Prayerleſs, now I Pray; I was a careleſs wretch, careleſs of God, and my Soul; but now I bleſs God things are quite otherwiſe with me, and my Houſe is ſwept and garniſhed, and the unclean Spirit that is gone, will return no more, &c. Here multitudes take up their Reſt ſhort of Chriſt, patching up a Righteouſneſs of their own, hoping by their pedling Wares to maintain themſelves, and all this while ignorant of Chriſt, and his Righteouſneſs, or at leaſt ſee no ſuch abſolute neceſſity of him; ſo that the Peace and Reſt they get, is not from Chriſt's Blood, but their own Prayers and Tears; not from his attonement, but their own amendment, &c. And as multitdes take up their ſtand here, ſo from hence may they date their fatal fall. Wherefore I beſeech you reſt not in any thing of your own, ſhort of Chriſt; and to the end you may not, I add in the next place,
4. Study that great Scripture, in Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath ſet forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood: and what followeth, pray mark, twice it's expreſſed, to declare his Righteouſneſs in Remiſſion of Sins: and in the cloſe of the 26. verſe, That God might be juſt, in juſtifying the Sinner that believes in Chriſt. For the opening of this a little, I beſeech you conſider, the caſe between God and man ſtood thus, God made man upright, man ſins, falls under the ſanction of that Law he broke, viz. In the Day thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt dye. Now ſuch is the Holineſs of God's Nature, that he cannot but hate Sin, and ſuch is the Impartiality of his Juſtice and Righteouſneſs, that Heaven and Earth may ſooner paſs away, than the leaſt Jot or Tittle of his Law paſs away unaccompliſhed, though fooliſh Sinners make nothing of breaking it: Well then, the great caſe is, How ſhall Sin be pardoned, and the Sinner ſaved? If Juſtice come upon the Sinner for ſatisfaction, it will ſwallow him up in the Gulf of eternal miſery: Therefore had this queſtion been put to the innumerable Hoſt of Angels in Heaven, what way ſinful man could be ſaved, and yet Juſtice ſatisfied, and the Law fulfilled? They would have been everlaſtingly puzled and pos'd; no leſs then the infinite Wiſdom of God could ever have found it out, which is called Wiſdom in a Myſtery. Now that Myſtery is revealed in this glorious Text, God the Father hath ſent, and ſet forth his own Son in our Natures, to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood, to declare his Righteouſneſs and Juſtice, as well as his Grace and Mercy, in pardoning and ſaving ſuch, and only ſuch as believe in Jeſus. So that if you neglect Chriſt, and Faith in his Blood, do what you will, you will be ſtill under the Curſe of the Law, and the Wrath of God, you can never eſcape Condemnation, it's impoſſible it ſhould be otherwiſe: without the ſhedding of Blood, there can be no Remiſſion, Heb. 9. 22. It cannot be the Blood of a meer Creature that can take away Sin; it muſt be the Blood of that Immaculate Lamb of God: And when all this is underſtood, there is another great Truth you muſt know, and that is, that there muſt be Faith in this Blood, or there can be no actual Remiſſion of your Sins: and therefore in vain do Sinners ſupport their hopes of pardon in Heaven, with their own Righteouſneſs, ſaying, We have ſinned, but God is merciful, and we now repent and reform, and turn to God, &c. Alas poor Soul, can theſe make Satisfaction, and make up a Ranſom and Price for a Sinner's Redemption; what need Chriſt have ſhed his Blood then? It's true, theſe Duties are excellent in their due place, and muſt be performed: but will you put them in Chriſt's room, and make Saviours of them, then you put an undoing Cheat upon your poor Souls, and will miſcarry for ever under your Convictions, and amidſt all your Performances; for he that believeth not, the Wrath of God abideth on him, and he ſhall not ſee Life. And therefore if you would not quench the bleſſed Spirit, and periſh after all his ſtrivings with you, and ſhewing you your Sin and Miſery. I add in the next Direction.
5. Prayer, this is an excellent means, to prevent miſcarrying under the operations, and workings of the Spirit of God. O let nothing be able to keep God, and your Souls aſunder: Are you under the Convictions of the Spirit, and don't know what courſe to take for Peace with God, and freedom from Condemnation? Away to the Throne of Grace, and there pour out thy Complaints into the Boſom of God, and ſay,
O Lord! I am a ſinful wretched vile miſerable Creature, I have deſtroyed my ſelf; time was I was ignorant, and knew it not, but now thy Spirit has awakened my Conſcience, and opened my blind Eyes to ſee my Sin and Miſery; ſo that I am now convinc'd, that I muſt be damned without Faith in a crucified Chriſt; but alas, Lord, I have ſuch a curſed baſe deceitful hard and unbelieving Heart in me, that I can't tell what in the world to do for an Intereſt in Chriſt. Lord, I am without ſtrength, I beſeech thee to pity a poor undone Sinner, that is now driven to thy Door by want and miſery.
And here plead hard, and make Supplication for an Heart to believe, and that in ſpite of all Diſcouragements; firſt tell him, what thou haſt heard of his Benignity and tender Compaſſion, That the King of Iſrael is a merciful King, and that thou haſt heard of an Eternal Deſign of Grace to poor Sinners, and how in the Fulneſs of Time he ſent his Son to ſeek and to ſave what was loſt, and opened a Fountain of Grace, and eſtabliſhed an everlaſting Covenant of Grace in the Blood of Chriſt, and now has ſet forth in the Goſpel his Son to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood, and has made proclamation to all rebellious Sinners to come in, and accept of Mercy through Chriſt, and commanded upon pain of Damnation to take Chriſt, and with him all ſaving good. Then plead thy compliance with the Goſpel-Call, and ſay, O bleſſed Lord! in obedience to thy Call, lo I am come here, a poor trembling ſtarving Beggar, that of all that ever came in, and knocked at thy Door; none more in need of a Saviour and Salvation than I.
Now here ſuggeſt thy Wants, and ſay, Lord I want Faith, I have (through thy Mercy) awakenings of Conſcience, but I want to be in Chriſt, that my Nature may be renewed: I ſee my undone ſtate without him, but I want union with him. Lord! while I am without Chriſt, I am without ſtrength. O draw me, O let it be the Day of thy Power; haſt thou not ſaid, no man can come except thou draw? and dear Lord, I find the impotency of my own cannot; O let me find the Efficacy of thy own Power, and feel the vertue of thy Almighty Arm drawing me to Chriſt. Lord, perſwade me; make my Heart to ſtoop, ſubdue my ſtrong Corruptions, diſpoſſeſs and diſarm that malignant party in my Soul, demoliſh thoſe ſtrong Holds of Sin and Hell there. O Lord! this is a ſad condition, to be unreconciled to thee, and uneſpouſed to Chriſt. O pity and help one that ſeeth reaſon enough to believe, but has not ſtrength enough; my Inſufficiencies are equal with my Neceſſities, though I can never get to Heaven without Faith and Holineſs; and though I know I want both, yet Lord thou knoweſt, I am no more able to change my ſinful nature, and be the Author of Faith to my ſelf, than I am to create a World, or quicken and raiſe the Dead; but if thou wilt make bare thy Arm, it will ſoon be done, my proud Heart ſhall ſoon be humble, my hard Heart ſhall ſoon become ſoft, my unbelieving Heart be made believing: O ſpeak but the Word, and a poor Sinner that has fear'd burning in Hell hundreds of times, ſhall ſing thy Praiſe; O thou that commandeſt me to turn, Turn thou me, and I ſhall be turned.
And here plead his Promiſe, and Chriſt's Purchaſe after ſome ſuch manner as this.
Bleſſed Lord! haſt thou not promiſed, that thou wilt not caſt out him that cometh to thee; and that thou wilt give thy holy Spirit to him that aſks, and that it ſhall be opened to him that knocks; and that thou wilt take away the Heart of Stone, and give a Heart of Fleſh, and give a New Heart, and remember Sin no more: Lord, if theſe be not thine own Promiſes, I'll be content to go away empty. And are not all thy Promiſes yea, and Amen? Is it not one of thy Titles, God who cannot lye hath promiſed. And thou never yet didſt break thy Word with any poor Sinner, nor ſuffer the Word that has gone out of thy Mouth to fail, but art the ſame to day, yeſterday, and for ever, in whom there is no variableneſs, nor ſhadow of turning. O remember thy Word, wherein and whereon thou haſt made me to hope; and remember me a poor Sinner now at thy Feet, laden with Iniquity, groaning and labouring under a burthen, too heavy for me to bear: and O remember thy Son's Blood, and if that be not ſufficient to diſcharge all I owe, and procure all I want, then let Juſtice ſeize me. Tell God, He will be better paid with Chriſt's Blood, than thy own, and that his Juſtice will have more Glory in ſaving thee for the ſake of Chriſt's Obedience, than in damning thee for the ſake of thy own diſobedience; that if he throw thee into the Priſon of Hell, to pay what thou oweſt, he will never have a full ſatisfaction; but if the ſave thee, and take thee up to Heaven, upon the account of Chriſt's Blood, he will have all paid at one ſum, and receive a plenary ſatisfaction. And tell him, That thou art reſolved never to leave him to the laſt gaſp, until he Bleſs thee with the Grace and Mercy thou needeſt, till it be out of doubt that thou art in Chriſt, and throughly converted, ſay, This I muſt have, there is no enduring of it, I will mourn, and be in bitterneſs, while I have a being, till I find this Grace in thy ſight; O I will never depart from thy Door, whither ſhould I go, thou alone haſt the Words of Eternal Life.
And know for thy Comfort, that when once it cometh to this, never queſtion it, thou ſhalt have an anſwer of Grace to thy comfort and content. God's bowels will yern towards you, as they did to Ephraim, and the Prodigal Son at his return.
And thus now I have done, and I know that e're long God will bring me and you by Death to Judgment; but whether ever he will bring me to this place to ſpeak more, or you to hear more, I know not: I have endeavoured to warn you, and wooe you, and win you to Chriſt; I have told you again, and again, this can never be, except you flee your youthful Luſts: I have deſcribed them to you, and laid down Directions how to Flee theſe Luſts, excepting the five laſt, Atheiſm, and Ridiculing ſerious Godlineſs, Swearing, Time-waſting Ʋncleanneſs: and, which is laſt, a Woful giddineſs and greedineſs of temper to drink down Errours. But having not in publick as yet inſiſted on theſe at large, I forbear the Printing of them.
Wherefore in the concluſion, I demand of you, Young People, what is your reſolution? Dare any of you maintain a league and friendſhip with your Luſts, in rebellion againſt the expreſs Command and Call of God; to flee them; if ſo, O remember theſe Truths once Preached, and now Printed (as deſpiſed as they are now) will be a ſwift and fearful Witneſs againſt you another day, and confound you, like as the appearance of the Fingers of a man's Hand on the Wall, did that ſtout Sinner Belſhazar. For who ever hardened himſelf againſt God and proſpered?
Well, once more, and may be no more for ever, I ask you, in the Name of him that made you, and will judge you, will you flee your Luſts or no? Will you lay down theſe Weapons, and take Jeſus, and be ruled by him or no? O let thy Voice be with the Prodigal, I will ariſe and go to my Father, and ſay, I have ſinned. Or with Ephraim, What have I any more to do with Idols? Behold thou art the Lord our God, we come, we come. O that God would make me the happy Inſtrument of converting Grace, this day, while it's called to day. O who can endure to ſee Satan get Souls to Hell from under our Pulpit. O awake, awake, up and be doing, it may be the laſt knock Chriſt by me will give: I am wounded to think of leaving any of you in Hell's way: The Lord give you underſtanding in all things.
FINIS.
End of the text · Samuel Pomfret, A Directory for Youth (1693)