The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Of grieving the ſpirit, cauſing deſertion.
GRieving the ſpiritſRes delicata eſt ſpiritus Dei. Tert.; this cauſeth God to withdraw; yea, it works not onelyonly an eclipſe of favour, but diſſavour; they vexed his holy ſpirit, therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and be fought againſt them, Eſay 63.10. we muſt not conceive that there is any paſſion in God, therefore that we may cleare this matter, note, that the ſpirit may be conſidered, as having a dwelling in us or others, ſo it is ſubject to paſſion, that is, that which is of God, that renewed and heavenly quality in the Saints may be moleſted, oppreſſed, vexed; ſo the Saints may grieve themſelves, and they may grieve others, doing that which brings diſquietneſſe of ſpirit, and though this ſpirit be humane, yet in a ſort it is divine; and when the renewed part is grieved, we may ſay the ſpirit is grieved, as that unpardonable ſinne, which is a malicious oppoſing of the knowne truths, and heavenly graces in others, is called the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt:How the ſpirit is ſaid to be grieved. as it is in it ſelfe, and ſo it is impaſſible, but yet it is ſaid to be grieved.
1 Becauſe thoſe things that are the effects of griefe in a man, are ſometimes done by him, as God is ſaid to repent, Gen. 6. and it is ſaid he cannot repent, Numb. 23.19. that is, the forme of repentance which is a change of minde, cannot be in him who is unchangeable, but the effects of repentance are wrought by God, and theſe being ſignes of repentance; when God doth them, he is ſaid to repent: as when a man undoeth what he had done, it is a ſigne he repents; ſo when God was about to pull downe the fabricke which he had raiſed, it is ſaid that God repented that he had made it: In like ſort God is ſaid to be grieved, when he doth that which men grieved by others uſe to doe, that is, when he chides, rebukes withdrawes, &c.
2 Becauſe the ſpirit may have cauſe of griefe; that may be done which gives juſt cauſe of griefe, and which uſually with men works griefe; now it is not every ſinne which is ſaid to grieve, as every offence with man works a diſplicencie, but onelyonly greater offences, and evils, worke griefe.
Now the things by which the ſpirit is grieved,Spirit grieved by, may be referred to two heads:
1 Diſhonour.
2 Diſobedience.
1 Diſhonour: honour is a tender thing,Diſhonour and by how much the greater it is, by ſo much the more diſhonour grieves.tMalim de me dici nullum eſſe Plutarchum quam Plutarchum eſſe malum, et pejus duco mala de Deo ſentire quam Deum eſſe negare. De ſuperſtit. We diſhonour the Spirit: 1. Negatively, when we give not that eſteeme to his graces, comforts, ordinances, promiſes, influences, that we owe, eſpecially if our defect be common, as a King would take himſelfe dis honoured, if his proclamations, embaſſes, pardons, favours, ſhould not be entertained with high reſpect, eſpecially by ſuch as are not onelyonly ſubjects to his power, but the objects of his ſpeciall grace and favour; when the Sabbaths are not our delight, the word duplicate page duplicate page our treaſure, the promiſe our joy, Chriſt our life; then is diſhonour done to God, who made theſe ours by his Sons bloud, and reveales, offers, and ſeales them by his ſpirit.
2.Spirit diſhonoured, Firſt directly, Poſtively, ſo we may be guilty of diſhonour two wayes.
1. Directly,
2. Occaſionally.
1. Directly, 1. When we have low eſteemes of the counſells and comforts of the Spirit,By low eſteeme of it. when we accept them not gladly, keepe them not diligently, being ſuch precious fruits, of ſo ineſtimable mercy; if a friend ſend to his friend, his counſells of love, and the tokens of amity, and they be rejected, he counts himſelfe diſhonoured, much more in this caſe doe we diſhonour him who is ſo glorious and ſo gracious.
2. When we preferre other thing… before him,Preferring other things before it. as the wiſedome of the fleſ… before his counſells, and ſinfull contentments, beggerly treaſures, vaniſhing trifles before his comforts; what greate diſhonour then that the things of the world ſhould ſit in the throne, and the things of God in the foot-ſtoole, that the ſlave, yea the enemy ſhould have more reſpect than the ſupreame Lord?
3. When we charge our failings upon the ſpirit,Charging our failings on him. as if a ſubject ſhould father his baſtard upon the Prince; falſe opinions, boaſting that we are taught of God; raſh and precipitant fierceneſſe, calling it the zeale of the ſpirit; licencious walking, ſtyling it Chriſtian liberty; lumpiſh unchearfulneſſe, titleing it godly ſorow; and preſumptuous peace, naming it the comfort of the ſpirit: what is this, but to father errour, madneſſe, wickedneſſe, and dull or ſullen ſadneſſe upon the ſpirit, which is a ſpirit of truth, a ſpirit of holineſſe, and a ſpirit of comſort?Putting ſpirituall things to baſe employments
4. When men put ſpirituall things to baſe imployments, as when we uſe our knowledge, or any gifts of ability ſpiritually to pride, covetouſneſſe, fraud or any worldly end;uLucernam ſur accrndit ex ara ſovis, &c. repentè vocem ſancta miſit rebgio; ſceleſte ſpiritu, culpam lues. in phaedr. fab. l. 4.68. this is as if the ſacred veſſels in the temple ſhould be put to common employments, or as if we ſhould uſe the royall robes of a King to act a play. This was Simon Magus his ſin, Acts 8. who would gladly have purchaſed thoſe rare gifts of the ſpirit,Themiſtocles graecum a pud perſas interpretem interſici juſſit, iniquum ratus graecam linguam in ieſum Barbarorum convertere. Plu. in Them. that he might ſeeme ſome body, and enrich himſelfe, and thus many even of the godly doe much offend, putting forth their parts too much to their owne advantage; now what is this but to ſerve thy ſelfe, of thy God, and to make ſpirituall gifts the price of worldly vanities? and what diſhonour is this?
5. When we are aſhamed of the ſpirit before men,When aſhamed of him. as when we diſſemble and hide our graces, leſt we ſhould be ſcorned, when we count it a diſhonout to us to be judged and called ſpirituall, or perſons walking in the ſpirit: were it not a diſhonour to a Prince that a ſubject and ſervant ſhould be aſhamed of his maſter, his livery, and ſervice? this is greatly threatned; Whoſoever ſhall be aſhamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and ſinfull generation, of him alſo ſhall the Sonne of man bee aſhamed, when he commeth in the glory of his Father with the holy Angells. Mark 8.38.
2. As the Spirit may be thus diſhonoured directly, The Spirit diſhonoured indirectly: when we occaſion others todiſhonor him.ſo alſo he may be diſhonoured by us when we doe ſuch things as occaſion it: As when by our faulty and unholy converſation we occaſion men to thinke and ſpeake evilly of God; thus did they whom God taxeth, Ezech. 36.20, 23. Rom. 2.23, 24. theſe things ſeldome goe unpuniſhed; if blaſphemy be ſo heynous, then it muſt needes be a great ſin to cauſe it. Now when we walke ſo as that we doe either directly or occaſionally worke diſhonour to the ſpirit, we grieve the ſpirit, and ſo procure the effects of offence and grievance; Gods withdrawing himſelfe from us, and leaving us to the unhappy ſtate of a withering and languiſhing ſpirit.