A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Part 2 · Section 45 – Section 47
Sect. XLV.
VVHerefore, good Reader, ſay as David, Thy Spirit is good, Pray for the Spiritand Pray as David, O take not thy holy Spirit from me, Pſa. 143.10. & 51, 11, 12but uphold me with thy free Spirit, Pray and wait for the Spirit having put the Promiſes in ſuit by Prayer. Acts 1, 4Survey his daily workings,Survey his Workings and work thou with him, for the Word himſelf uſeth as to his helping our Infir…yes foreign is a Me…aphor taken from two that lift together one over against another at …he ſame ſtone or piece of timber …o lay it in the Building.Rom. 8, 24
Moreover, prize his Evidence,Prize his Witneſſings …or as he worketh,Verſe 16, 17 ſo he witneſſeth with our Spirit that We are the children of God, Act… …,and if Children, then He rs, &c. wa k in the comfort of the Holy-Ghoſt (as Scripture ſpeaks) even of his Evidence who is both Earnest, Seal, and Witneſs.
Liſten to the Spirit, who never bids us to our hurt,Liſtens to his motion. the ſpirit ſai h come, take of the water of Life freely▪ Rev: 22, …0His Charmings are Wiſe, his Reproofs an excellent Oyl, his Convictions, Kindneſs; and all his motions,James 3 17 Rev: 2 7, 2, …9 dictates and Counſels are firſt pure, and then peaceable, He that hath an Ear, let him hear what the Spirit ſaith to the Churches, ch… 3, 6.13 …2'tis 6 time over in 2 Chapters; it ſeems We are dull of hearing when Our beſt friend is ſpe…king▪ We could hear the S…pents firſt l ſſi…g, liſten to Satan when he d…th but whiſper to us, but whe… the Spirit ſpe…ks ſo loud that Al… ſhould hear, even to the Churches He finds deaf ears growing upo… o…r Hearts; a…d when h… … …ſo us by his ſweet inſin…ation we tr…t this Heavenly Meſſenger, as Hanun did King Davids, cutting of his motions in the middle, 2 Sam …, 4and ſo we ſend him grieved back, to the high provocation of God that ſends him. But the Spirit is (as his Finit is) Long ſuff ring, or elſe He would not ſo long ſtrive with Man, with frow…d and ſtubborn m…n, but yet think He will not alwayes do it, as God roundly tould the Old World. But Wo, Wo unto thee if thou Sin away the Spirit, for caſting away from Gods preſence is inſeperably annexed ſo the taking away his holy Spirit,, Pſal. 5….…(as it is in the Pſalmiſt) and thoſe Spirits are ſad proofs of it, to whom God went and Preached by this Spirit in the dayes of Noah,1 Pet. 3 18 …9, 20 for being then diſobedient, ther are now in Priſon; And ſure We cannot but think …t juſt and reaſonable that we carefully hearken to him, whenever he comes on Gods errand to us, Who (if ever we would ſpeed) muſt go on Our Errand to God, and make Interceſsion for us.Rom. 8.26
Grieve not the Spirit.And oh how diſingenuous and injurious muſt we needs think it, on the other hand, to grieve him that Comforts us, which the Apoſtle ſaith we do, when we put not off, Epheſ. 4, 22 to 25, 26concerning the former Converſation, the Old Man which is corrupt according to deceiptful Lusts, & put not on the new Man, How that may be&c. when we put not away lying, corrupt Communication, By Commiſſions,undue courſes for a Livelyhood (inſtead of diligence in our lawful Calling,) anger, bitterneſs, Evil ſpeaking, and all Malice; even by All ſuch undue Affections, Words and Actions; Nay that We ſhould Vex, yea Reſiſt him,Iſaia, 63, 10 as the uncircumciſed in Heart & Ears; Acts 7, 51nay quench the Spirit, with exceſs of Wine, &c. as is ſaid before, put him quite out (as Saul ſaid,… Sa. 28, 15 God is departed from me and anſwereth me no more) now Fire is put out as effectually by not putting on of Fuel, Omiſſionsas by putting on of Water, and the holy Spirit quenched by Sins of Omiſsion as of Commiſſion, by Contempt and wilful neglecting of holy Duties, Means and Ordinances; and therefore Pray without ceaſing, give thanks in every thing is put into the front, and Deſpiſe not Propheſyings comes up in the rear,1 Theſ. 5, 17 18, 19 of that Apoſtolical grant Caveat Quench not the Spirit. Rather let us (as made by Chriſt Prieſts unto God) keep alwayes burning upon our Hearts this holy Fire; Revel 5, 10and ſtir it up by meditation,How to cheriſh the Spirit Pſalm 39:3 while I was muſing ſaith David, the Fire burned; and blow it up by Prayer, Teach me to do thy will, O God, Pſa. 143, 10thy Spirit is good, &c. Eſpecially let us Pray and watch and wait (as the Primitive Diſciples) for the Lords Spirit on the Lords day; Revel. 1.10And let us adde the Fewel of diligent and induſtrious Obſervation to all his fervent motions, when we hear the ſound of his goi…gs then l…t us beſti… our ſelves; …am 5:24When the Holy-Ghoſt ſaith to day if ye will hear his voice, Hebr 3, 8let us not harden our hearts, nor put him off till to morrow, for the Spirit (is as the Wind that) bloweth where and when he liſteth; John 3 …when the Spirit ſaith Come let the Bride ſa… Come, Rev 22, 17and let him that heareth ſay Come. Let us not harbour any Ca…nal Low,Harbour no baſe thought of the Spirit. Act. 8.19, 20 baſe Thoughts of this glorious Spirit, this was Simon Magus his ſin. Eſpecially let us not by cloſe Hypocriſie or ſecret diſſimulation agree to lie to the Holy-Ghoſt. and ſo to tempt the Spirit of the Lord, Acts 5▪ …this was Ananias & Saphira's ſin, and it coſt them dear, and they are peculiarly ſaid to tempt the Spirit, becauſe it is his peculiar work to ſearch All things,… Cor. … 10
Sect. XLVI.
ANd now to ſhut up all, what Holy Fe r and Love of this Holy Spirit may at once fill Our THOUGHTS when we conſider th…t alth…ugh HOLINES▪ The wonderful condeſcention of the Holy ſpirit in e work of ſalvation,be the peculiar Attribute of the Spirit, from which he receives his Denomination (even as Greatneſs is peculiarly aſcribed to the Father (who is therefore ſaid to be in Heaven, and Kingd m, Power, Mat. 6.9 3Rom. 16 24and Glory to be his) and Grace to be the Son) in reſpect of which ſpecial property of the Spirit,1 Co. 16 23 Gala, 6, 13All ſin agai ſt God is ſaid,Phil. 4 …3 na ſpecial manner, to …ex the Spirit, 2 Theſ 3, …yet ſuch is the rich Me cy of this Holy Spirit in Cond…cention to poor mans Salvation, that He undertakes it (as his p…culiar Office & work) to come into mans H art unfitted, and unfurniſhed, when Zijm, Ochim, and I…m have dwelt there, when vain Thought, have lodged there, into a very ſink of ſin, a houſe without windows, a heap without order, a very Hell of curſed Confuſion and of every hateful and hurtful luſt, and that when there was none to go before him, or to prepare for him, Whereas though herein God commended his love to us in that while We were Enemyes Chriſt dyed for us, yet would not the Son be born to die, or lodge in a Womb, or come into the world, till this Spirit went before him, to prepare a p…ce for him, and to fit a Body to him, Hebr. 10, 5 Avi… the Marg…for ſo may the word be rendred, a Body hast thou prepared me, or a Body haſt thou fitted me.
O ſweet Spirit! what tongue can praiſe, or heart prize thee according to thy glorious Grace to poor ſinners? When God firſt breathed into man the breath of Life, Geneſis 2, 7He was a lump of inn…cent Clay; but when thou comeſt to breath the breath of New Life into ſinful man, thou breatheſt into a noyſome Carkaſe,1 Kin. 8, 28 an heart full of Rotteneſs, and takeſt up thy Dwelling in that very part where his Plague ſore runs.2 Chro. 6, 29 And now ſeeing Thou doſt not ſhun thoſe that have the Plague of the Heart, come in, thou bleſſed of the Lord, to this Heart of mine, Thou art a Fire that can purge my Droſs,Mat: 3, 11 Iſaia: 44, 3 and not be impaired; a Water that can waſh away all my filth, and not be defiled; Now to thee, Bleſſed Spirit, with the Father & the Son, be Glory for ever. Amen
Sect. XLVII.
FINALLY,Thoughts for God muſt be by ſcripture rule As our Thoughts of God, ſo our Thoughts For God are onelyonly Right when agreeable to Scripture Rules, For as the ſecond Commandment forbids all IMAGES,…ee Bp. Andrews on the ſecond Commandment ſo alſo …ll IMAGINATIONS in the things of God that are not warrantable by the word of God.Imago & Imaginatio, … C gaa… The Hebrews expreſs both by one word, …or Thoughts are the Images of things in our minds. What the Apoſtle calls Will Worſhip, Col. … 23Our Saviour c…lls Vain Worſhip, Mat. 25.9 S…e Biſhop Tailors Diff…ive, p. 48 I. 2…, 3 …4though the things may have a ſhew of wiſdo… and humility, w…re the fear towards God is taught (as in Popery) by the Precepts of Men.
When David took up thoughts of Building God an Ho…ſe, … Sam. 7, 2h… conſulted Nathan the Prophet, which when Solomon was allowed to accompliſh, it is ſaid, Now theſe are the things wherein Solomon was inſtructed for the Buildi…g of the Houſe of God; 2 Chro. 3, 3and 29, 25which when Hezekiah did reſtore, 'tis ſaid alſo, he ſet the Levites in the houſe of the Lord with Cymbals, with Pſalteryes, and with Ha…ps according to the Commandment of David, and of Gad the Kings S…er, and of Nathan the Prophet, for ſo was the COMMANDMENT of the LORD by his Prophets.
Zeal without Knowledge is Heat without Light, Rom. 10, …which is ſo like Hell that it c nnot be pleaſing to the God of H…aven; for Hell is a Fire that never goes out, and yet Outer Darkneſs. Wherefore, Reader,Mark 9, 4… Mat. 25, …0 whenever thou thinkeſt to do any thing for God, Ask his Word firſt, whether it will be w ll taken. How lamentable is it to think how perniciouſly Our Thoughts for God may mi…carry for want of this. Some kill Gods Saints, yet think they do God good ſervice, and ſ…ith Paul, John 16, 2 Acts 26, 7I verily thought with my ſelf that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Ieſus of N zareth. Poor Vzzah, 2 Sam. 6, 6, 7no doubt, thought to do God a good piece of ſervice when He put forth his hand to stay the Ark, Pp. Taylors Preface to his Diſſuaſive, The Roman Church can never juſtify her ſelf from Idolatry, yet if it were but ſuspitious, God is jealous & will not endure any cauſes of ſuſpition or motives of jealo ſ…. Things like Idolatry can no ways be excuſed, Bp· Taylors Diſſuaſive from Popery pag. 57 Levit, 20, …when the Oxen ſhook it, but God ſmote him for his Errour that he dyed; A ſevere puniſhment, may ſome man think, and a ſlender errour, eſpecially conſidering that the Man meant well; But when we conſider that of all the Decalogue, the mention of Gods jealouſy is onelyonly annexed to the ſecond Commandment, (now jealouſy hath a ſharp Eye not onelyonly upon the down right Act, but alſo upon every thing that comes near it, or leads to it, or looks like it,) We cannot wonder at the formidable inſtances of Gods ſeverity recorded in Scripture, ſuch as Vzzah here, and Nadab and Abihu were, who offered ('tis not ſaid Forbidden Fire, but) ſtrange Fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not, and there went out a Fire from the Lord and devoured them. OnelyOnly juſt in the Verſe before there was Holy Fire upon the Altar, chapt: 9.24which God ſent down from Heaven in the ſight of the People, and God would have this Fire preſerved, Lev. 6, 13, 5and (it ſeems) onelyonly made uſe of in the caſe of holy Offerings. I ſhall ſhut up this head with that remarkable Text of Scripture, Shew them (ſaith God to the Prophet Ezek.)Ezek. 43, … the form of the Houſe and the faſhion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings In thereof, and, all the forms thereof, and all the Ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the Laws thereof; and write it in their ſight, that they may keep the whole form and all the Ordinances theoref, and do them.