Divine Drops Distilled from the Fountain of Holy Scripture, Part 21
Expoſitions and Obſervations on IUDE 19.
Senſual, not having the Spirit.
I Am not now in an Expounding way further then I muſt of neceſſity to ſhew who theſe are that are ſaid not to have the Spirit; but onelyonly I ſhall pick out a Leſſon for you, you may eaſily ſee if you reade the Chapter, they were a generation of Profeſſors, of whom Peter ſpeaks much, They deſpiſed Magiſtracy, they were ſpots in their feaſts of love, clouds carried about with every winde, Wells without water, Trees, whoſe fruit was withered, twice dead, and plucked up by the roots, for whom is reſerved the blackneſs of darkneſs. You ſee what their qualities were, and you may ſee what their miſery ſhould be; compare Jude with 2 Pet. 2. Among the reſt of their properties this is one, they have not the Spirit. This is the laſt of all that the Apoſtle names, They are ſenſual not having the Spirit. And he uſually reſerves the greateſt things laſt in his eloquence and way of ſpeaking. Now then the Leſſon is this, That
The greateſt difference (that I know) in all the Book of God, between Saints and Sinners is, that the one hath the Spirit, and the other hath not.
There are a thouſand differences even in Scripture, but they are none of them ſo ſubſtantial as this, that a Saint, is a man that hath the Spirit, and a Sinner is one that hath not the Spirit, one that is without the Spirit. Therefore the Apoſtles when they were Preaching, and met with any Diſciples, and Profeſſors, they asked preſently, Have ye received the Spirit? It is not meant onelyonly, nor chiefly of the common gifts of the Spirit, but certainly it is meant principally of the ſpirit of holineſs, Have you received the holy Ghoſt or no? So our Lord Chriſt ſpeaking of the world, and the Church (to ſee what a bleſſed thing it is to ſee heavenly things in the language of Scripture, a thing that if we could grow up to, we ſhould overthrow a thouſand diſtinctions in Divinity; we miſtake things, taking them in the old Notion) John 14. what is the difference between the world, and the people of Chriſt? I will ſend thc Spirit which the world cannot receive. The world are men that have not, nor cannot receive the Spirit of God, and the Saints are thoſe that do, and have received the Spirit of God. You read in 2 Joh. 2. 18. of men that had made a great profeſsion that were faln off, that were faln away, ſaith he, They went out from us, becauſe they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. There are many faln away, ſaith he, but they were not of us. Why? What are you? might ſome ſay: We (ſaith he) have received an unction, an anoynting, and it abides with us. And ye need not that any ſhould teach you, that will teach you all things. They that fall off, they were not of us. Why? they have not the Spirit of God, therefore they were not of us. So when the Apoſtles preached, ſometimes it is ſaid that ſome of them believed, and ſome did not; and at other times it is ſaid when they preached that the Spirit of God did fall upon the people, that is, they were converted, they were born again, they were made Saints. So in Rom. 8. where the Apoſtle ſpeaks of being in Chriſt, and out of Chriſt, which is the great point of all, and ſalvation and damnation hangs upon it. This is his language, they that are in Chriſt, walk not after the fleſh but after the Spirit. So in the language of the ſpirit of God, the maine thing that belongs to a Saint, it is not as we ordinarily account it: there are a hundred things that we call Religion that God doth not. A drunkard may be ſtricken with terrour in hearing the word, and we ſay ſuch a one is converted, and it may be not; and there are hundreds of other people that may pray twice a day, and hear Sermons, and repeat them, and out of a naturall principle of devotion may have affections: this is not Chriſtianity, or Goſpel Religion. There are abundance of profeſſours among us, that the Holy Ghoſt will not own, becauſe they have not the ſpirit.
Therefore the maine way whereby we may judge of a Saint or a ſinner, is whether he have the ſpirit of God in him or no. O ſuch a one doth great things, he prayes, and hears, and reads, and diſputes much: I but hath he the ſpirit, or no?
But you will ſay, How ſhall I look for that? How ſhall I know that?
I will tell you how; A man may know the ſpirit The Spirit in us to be known by its own evidence.in himſelf clearly by the evidence of the ſame ſpirit, And a man that hath the ſpirit may know the ſpirit in another by the ſpirit. There is a kind of Sagacity among the Saints, whereby they having the ſpirit are able (though not expreſly, and clearly) to behold the ſpirit in another.
We are the ſons of God, but the world knows us not: worldly men know not the Saints from Schiſmaticks, and Hereticks: and uſually ſpirituall people receive thoſe names from the world, Schiſmaticks, and Hereticks, and the like. But a man that hath the ſpirit of God, he can ſee as clearly as a natural man can with his eyes. How can a poor lamb know the dam among a thouſand? There is a Sagacitie in nature, and ſo there is here in grace, they have the ſame ſpirit. As when Elizabeth, and Mary were talking, the Babe in Elizabeths Womb leaped, hearing the words of Mary, that then had the Lord Jeſus conceived in her. I give you but a little reſemblance from naturall things. The Saints know it, and their fellowſhip is in the ſpirit. Our communion is in God, and not in ſuch a Covenant; or meerly in outward duties: but our communion is with the Father, and with his ſon Jeſus Chriſt, and in the ſpirit with all his Saints.
Therefore labor for the ſpirit of God. Truly, God is now coming, I am confident it is his deſigne in theſe latter times to exalt his ſpirit, and to pull, and throw down every thing that exalts it ſelf againſt the ſpirit, that ſtands in his light, and Eclipſeth the glory of it. And though the world which cannot receive the ſpirit of truth, do either blaſpheme, or elſe do ſet little by it, yet ſurely it is the will of God that all his children ſhould honour it. Theſe thouſand yeers learning, and naturall parts, and morall good works, and ſuperſticious good works have been exalted. Now in theſe later times, Our Sun ſhall be turned into darkneſs, and our Moon into blood. That is as the learned *Calvin.interpret it, all the glorious things that we had before the pouring out of the ſpirit, that we made Suns, and Moons of, God will blaſt them.
I ſpeak not againſt learning ſimply, it is uſefull, eſpecially in a Common-wealth: but as far as learning intrencheth upon the ſpirit of God, God will blaſt it: learned men ſhall be laid by as Cyphers, God will blaſt their labours, that we might honour the ſpirit. There is one place that comes to my heart with much ſweetneſs, Pſal. 119. 96. I have ſeen an end of all perfection, but thy law is very broad. We have ſeen an end of all perfection of learning, of common gifts, of naturall parts; we have ſeen God blaſt theſe one after another: but Gods law is very broad. The morall law, the law of the letter is broad, much more the law of the ſpirit of life in Chriſt, that is extolled more and more: therefore all muſt down to extoll the ſpirit of God.
Truly Religion is a hundred wayes miſtaken by people, I could give a hundred inſtances, eſpecially in your Catechiſmes, where it is asked; What is Religion? It is ſuch, and ſuch. Chriſtian Religion, or Goſpel Religion under the New Teſtament conſiſts of two things, Chriſt crucified, and the pouring out of the ſpirit of God. Theſe are the two pillars of our Religion in the New Teſtament. And this is all we have to preach to you, and as far as any thing hath not relation to theſe two things, it is not the Miniſtery of the Goſpel, it is not Goſpel Religion.
We ſpeak much of reformation, and it is to be deſired; but among other errours in Religion this is one: many think that the main point in Religion is the ſetting up of government; whereas our main reformation is in pulling down, and not in ſetting up: for we have a world of inſtitutions ſet up that will never hold. And among thoſe latter inſtitutions that good people have ſet up. I believe that there are not many will hold: but theſe will, the Doctrine of Chriſt crucified, and the pouring out of Gods ſpirit. And as many as tend to this; and flow from this, without ſcruple I think we may die for them. But when our Bibles have gone through the hands of Papiſts ſo many hundered yeers, when a man ſhall come to die for it, he is afraid that ſuch a thing may be crept into the text, & a thouſand ſuch thoughts of Athieſme will come upon a man: but when a man can ſay, this is Chriſt crucified, and Chriſt pouring out of his ſpirit, let the particles, and the words run as they will, this is the maine that will hold.
As the Goſpell was intended, and deſigned for ſimple men more then others, ſo (with reverence) the Goſpell is a more ſimple, plain thing then moſt men in the world conceive. The Goſpell needs not the thouſand part of the diſtinctions, and definitions, that the ſchoolmen have, and that men multiply. It is a ſimple ſtory concerning Chriſt crucified, and how the Holy Ghoſt was poured upon men, and this was preached by fiſhermen as God gave them utterance, and it was propheſied of before. If Religion be a ſimple thing, taught by fiſher-men▪ with the pouring out of the Spirit, then there need not all thoſe diſputes concerning the Arts, &c. For my part I think learning to be a very good thing to perfect a mans naturalls: but I think on the other ſide that a man that ſavingly, and clearly knows Chriſt crucified, and the pouring out of the ſpirit, he is the fitteſt man in the world to be a preacher.
We ſhould know things a thouſand fold better, and clearer then we do, if we would judg of things as God judgeth of them; if we would uſe the language of the Scripture, and the notions of the holy ſpirit in the Scripture. If we would know a Saint from a ſinner (as I ſaid) a man that is the Lords, and another that is not, this is the maine way, the chief eſſentiall difference, the one hath the ſpirit, the other hath not. It is not ſo much whether yonder man pray, or faſt, or preach, or repeat, or whether he doth many good outward morall things, but whether he hath the ſpirit of God; though it be now almoſt a ridiculous thing to name the ſpirit of God. We ſhould I ſay diſtinguiſh man from man by the ſpirit.
And labour in a ſpeciall manner to aſſure our ſelves that we have the ſpirit of God. We ſhould not reſt in this, that I have left ſuch ſins, or I do ſuch duties; but go on ſtill, till I come up to this, that with all humility, and thankfulneſſe I may ſay, God hath given to me of his holy ſpirit, the ſpirit of Jeſus Chriſt dwells in my heart▪ Paul was humble, and modeſt enough in his expreſsions, yet he could boldly ſay he had the ſpirit, We have the earneſt of the ſpirit. And Iohn could ſay ſo of other Saints, Ye have an unction, or an annointing, 1 Iohn 2. and that was the bleſſed ſpirit.
Truly (beloved) it is a comfortable thing (in reſpect of himſelf) for a poor creature to ſee many ſtumble at the word of God; whereas if we would reſolve to be wiſe in the wiſdom of God, and to ſpeak of things as the Scripture ſpeaks, to look on things as the Scripture looks on them, to uſe thoſe phraſes, and expreſsions, and thoſe notions, we ſhould underſtand many myſteries in godlineſſe, which now are little leſſe then ſtumbling blocks to us: becauſe there is a kind of thwarting wiſdom in us that is croſſe to that.
God is now (I told you) about to exalt the ſpirit, yet not in a way contrary to the Scripture, but the ſpirit in the Scripture I mean. Therefore learn this leſson, to ſtrive for this as the chief thing, to finde the ſpirit of God in you, dwelling and working in you, becauſe as in the Old Teſtament there was one great promiſe (to wit) of the Meſsias, the Lord Jeſus, that was the great promiſe, and all other promiſes belonged to that. So in the New Teſtament there is but one great promiſe, the promiſe of the father as Chriſt calls it, and that is the pouring out of the Spirit.
Therefore as the Lord hath been teaching us of late yeers to know his Son Chriſt crucified, the doctrine of juſtification, where our righteouſneſſe lies, &c. So let us not think theſe ſpeculations enough, but take the other maine thing that is as great as this, the doctrine of the ſpirit. That I may as well finde the ſpirit working in me, as to know without that Jeſus Chriſt died for me.
If Religion were ſtated aright, I mean Chriſtianity, Chriſtian Religion under the New Teſtament; not in books, but the life of Chriſtianty, it would be to know Chriſt crucified, and to enjoy the ſpirit of Chriſt: that when we read the New Teſtament, and caſt up the bill of account when we have done, there is the ſum of all; the two hinges that all goes on. Therefore take heed of being deceived by notionall knowledge of things onelyonly without you, though it be never ſo glorious. For if thou be a Saint, thou haſt the Spirit of God really dwelling in thee in its meaſure, as truly as in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, as it is in Epheſ. 1. the latter end, the ſpirit that works in them that believe.
O the ſpirit of God is a glorious thing. It is that that not only makes the grand difference between a Saint and a ſinner, but even in a godly man, the ſpirit is all in all in Religion. Let the ſpirit but ſtir in him, though he be never ſo dark yet all is light before him. Let the ſpirit come and comfort him, though he be in chains of Iron, though he be in the greateſt miſery in this world, yet he can ſing Pſalms. Let the ſpirit be given him, and then not only faith, and the promiſes, but graces, and common providences, every thing ſpeaks the love of God to his ſoul. But let the ſpirit withdraw from him, if the Lord take away his ſpirit but for a moment, even from the beſt Saint, his body and his ſoul are no better (If I may ſpeake it) then a meer carrion. I allude to that of Iames, The body without the ſoul is dead. So take the body and ſoul without the ſpirit of God, it is dead. Dead? What is that? Thus, take a living body (that I may follow the compariſon a little) there is no living body but he can do ſomething: though ſome can do more then others, yet every living body can do ſomething, he can ſit, or walk, or talk, &c. And as he can do ſome good, ſo he can reſiſt ſome evil. If a man be dying almoſt, if you go to poure water in his throat, he can turn his head aſide. But let the ſoul be away, he can neither do any good (I ſpeak now of naturall, civill good) or reſiſt evil. So it is with the ſoul, let the Lord take away his ſpirit, and we are quite flat: Let the Lord propoſe any good work to do, let any part of the will of God be preſented, there is no ſtirring at all in the ſoul towards it, the heart lyes gaping, and is dead; Let any luſt or ſin come, any temptation though it be never ſo poor and feeble, there is no reſiſtance, there is an inrode into the ſoul without any oppoſition, let pride, or frowardneſs, or filthineſs, or covetouſneſs and worldlineſs come, there is nothing to reſiſt it, becauſe the life of the ſoul is away, which is the ſpirit of God.
And is not this an excellent thing then, for a man to have the ſpirit of God dwelling in him? that when good is propoſed to him, the ſpirit may (as it were) ſwitch him, It is a homely expreſſion, but I have found it by experience. As a jade with a good ſwitch is ſet on to the journey, or to his buſineſſe; ſo when the ſoul of a man hath ſomewhat within to ſwitch him to cauſe him to cloſe with good things, to lay hold on them, to attempt them at leaſt: Whereas when the ſpirit is away, there is no ſtirring; the ſoul is as flat, and as dead; as water in a ſtinking ditch. This is the excellency of the ſpirit. Therefore you that have it, prize it. There are ſome that if they had it again as once they had, they would prize it, and praiſe God for it, and would now give a world for it. Therefore you that have theſe ſtirrings of the ſpirit in you to make you cloſe with good, and to reſiſt evil in ſome meaſure; bleſs God, and praiſe his name for it.
That is the thing I drive at, that you may ſee the uſe and worth, and excellency of the Spirit of God in your ſouls. When the Spirit of God is away from the ſoul, all the ſeals of Gods Love, and the ſigns of his Favor, they are cut off at one daſh as it were; I mean thus, when the Spirit of God dwels in the ſoul, you could read the love of God in every Ordinance, you could ſee it in every Grace, and in every Promiſe in the Word of God, in every thing: and you could ſee one while your election with joy, and another while Gods everlaſting love with joy, and another while the death of Chriſt, and another while your union with him, another while your Redemption, and Reconciliation, and Gods Love ſealed in all theſe; Nay, in every creature you could taſte the Love of God, in your cloathes, and your meat, and every thing: But let the Spirit of God be gone, and all theſe are gone: Take all Promiſes and Mercies, and Sacraments; they ſeal not one ſpark of the Love of God, but they are all dead, ſpeechleſs things, that ſignifie and ſpeak no comfort at the beſt, and it may be horror, that a man may read (I had almoſt ſaid) his Reprobation, in that which a few hours before he could have read his election in; and thoſe Scriptures all along that he could ſweetly have ſeen the Will of God in, and could ſay, that which neither eye hath ſeen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath entred into the hart of man, that I have ſeen, he can ſhut his Bible, and ſay, and almoſt ſwear that he underſtands not one tittle in it. That ſoul that when he had the Spirit could ſpring with joy unſpeakable and full of glory when he came before the Lord to call upon him, either in publick or in private, and could pour his ſoul into his fathers boſom, that could have prayed a whole year, if he had had time and ſtrength to continue, he is not able now to ſpeak one word to the Lord.
And more then ſo, he is not now deprived only of all light, of all Knowledg, of all aſſurance, of all comfort, of all ſtrength, either to do good, or to reſiſt evil: but there is poſitive horror in the heart, poſitive fear, and terror, and darkneſs: a bondage to unbelief ſeizing upon him; That as our Lord ſaith, The Spirit is like winde, that no man knows whence it comes, or whither it goes: So he feels a miſery in his ſoul, that he knows not whence it comes, or where it will end: As it was ſaid of the Powder plot, the Powder Treaſon, that there ſhould be a blow given that none ſhould know whence it was: ſo he ſees a blow given to his ſoul, and the life of it, and all that is good and excellent in it, and he knows not whence it is; he can ſay, that his ſoul is no other then a plain hell, for there is no poſitive evil in hell but it is there, and there is no privative evil, no evil of deprivation of any thing that is good, but he feels it there; ſo that in all our Religion, our Graces, and Duties, and Aſſurances, and Evidences, the Spirit of Ieſus Chriſt is the life of all.
Therefore no wonder that David (who was a Type of a Goſpel Chriſtian) ſhould ſay, Create in me, O Lord, a new heart, andrenew and reſtore thy holy Spirit: as if he had ſaid, ſince thy holy Spirit went away there is an annihilation, all that is in me is annihilated. He doth not ſay, mend, and repair, but create: I ſee not ſo much as a ſtump of Grace, a root, or a habit, or any thing, but all is pulled up, and thou muſt create in me a right ſpirit: Therefore learn that the life of all your Comfort and Aſſurance, and Profeſsion, and Graces, and Duties, and all, is the Spirit of God: It is but the turning of Gods hand to ſay, Come back my holy Spirit from ſuch a ſoul; leave him but one three hours, and then he will be according as I have told you: therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, we are not debtors to the fleſh, but to the Spirit. If ever you finde comfort in an Ordinance, you owe thanks to the Spirit, if ever you have a little aſſurance of Gods love, whom will ye thank for it? Ye are no debtors to the fleſh; he doth not mean you are not debtors to ſin, there is no man but he knows that he owes nothing to ſin; but, ſaith he, not to the fleſh, that is, principally to any thing that is not the Spirit, to fleſhly wiſdom, to natural parts, to our beſt abilities, and endeavours. If ever you have gotten any thing by Sabbaths, or Sermons, or the company of the Saints, it was not from your own wiſdom, or pains, but you are debtors to the Spirit of God, it is the Spirit that wrought it; therefore prize the Spirit of God you that have it: O if you could but borrow the eyes of poor ſouls that had it once, and have it not! O how happy creatures would you think you are notwithſtanding all outward miſeries, becauſe Jeſus Chriſt by his holy Spirit dwels in your hearts! but we know not the worth of it till we want it, and then we can prize it, and would give a world for it.
And then labor to pleaſe the bleſſed Spirit, take heed of provoking and grieving of him, the Spirit is a more dainty Spirit then you are aware of, you may eaſily vex, and grieve and fret it, do not dally with ſin: Chriſtians make a dallying with ſin, which is altogether unworthy of the Goſpel of Ieſus Chriſt: one dallies and flickers like the Fly about the Candle, with one laſt one while, and another with another, and ſtill the Spirit is grieved, and then you know where you are.
You little think when you are dallying and trifling with luſts, and do not ſet forth the ſtrength of Chriſt in you againſt them, little do you think what bitter fruit you have along with it: It may leave you ſo low, that you know not whether ever it will come again, and there is the miſery of all miſeries; how do I know but that God hath caſt me off, and left me, and will never ſee my ſoul more? becauſe when I was tempted to pride, and frowardneſs, or worldlineſs, I gave way, and did baſely, and ſpake unworthily. Have a care of this, this is the will of God, and it is for your warning, that ſince God hath made you happy, you would take heed that you make not your ſelves miſerable, but that you would be careful not to grieve the bleſſed Spirit whereby you are ſealed and comforted.
Sin is like that Italian Fig, that Phyſitians ſay (how true I know not) they can poyſon a man in a Fig, and take the poyſon, and it ſhall not work in a monethmonth, or, in two moneths after; So a poor Chriſtian ſins, and breaks into frowardneſs, to raile againſt his brother, and backbite, and yet he findes the comfort of the Spirit freſh, but it may be a week or a fortnight after when he goes to ſhake himſelf as Sampſom when he went againſt the Philiſtins, when he hath ſinned, and thinks to go with the ſame boldneſs to God in prayer, he finds his ſtrength weakned, and the Spirit gone, and then all is gone, his Life, and Prayers, and Seals, and Comforts, and Evidences, and Aſſurance, and there is nothing but a careaſs left made up of fleſh: And whatſoever is born of fleſh is fleſh. A man would think it were a ridiculous phraſe, we obſerve it not, fleſh is abominable to God. Fleſh, what is that? I have lately ſeen a dead horſe, one of the uglieſts ſights that ever I ſaw, it was full of huge, monſtrous Vermin, abominable, that I cannot fitly ſpeak of it, and I wondered why it ſhould be ſo, and I concluded becauſe it was fleſh, when the fleſh was gone there would be none of that ſtink, and filth left; ſo in your ſouls and minde, there is a piece of fleſh for every Vermin, and the devil may come with ſeven ſpirits worſe, and may ſay, there is ſuch a ſoul, there was the Spirit, but now there is nothing but fleſh, come fellow devils: Therefore beware of grieving the Spirit, it is eaſily grieved: It is not the greatneſs of our ſins that grieves the Spirit, but the baſeneſs of our hearts in ſinning in little things, it may be in wearing Apparel, or Lace, or Open breaſts, in trifling things with a ſinful diſpoſition; that which we account a trifling luſt may grieve the Spirit.
Therefore, I ſay, you that have it priſe the Spirit, and you that have it not, labor to have it, and endeavor to pleaſe and to entertain the Spirit: for the Spirit and Chriſt are the ſame as it were, they are taken one for another; Chriſt dwels in us, and the Spirit dwels in us, and ſaith the Spouſe in the Canticles, I will take my beloved, and bring him to my mothers Chamber, and let none call my beloved, or wake him till he pleaſe; Study to give all contentment to the Spirit of God, croſs him not, thwart him not, vex him not, but entertain him, for he is your life, and you are nothing but fleſh when he is gone.
It may be God hath other deſigns in it, otherwiſe when God takes away his Spirit, and leaves my ſoul in deſertion, if I did not think God had a deſign in it for his own glory and my good, I ſhould utterly ſink; Therefore God ſometimes takes away his Spirit, to the end that we may know the worth of the Spirit, how to prize it, and to pitty people that have it not, and to pleaſe it with more carefulneſs if God ever give it us again.