The Twenty-fifth Lecture · Robert Rollock
1. THESSA. CHAP. 5. vers. 18. 19.
18 In all thinges giue thankes for this is the vvill of God in Christ Iesus, tovvard you?
19 Quench not the Spirit.
THE last part of this Epistle (Brethren) which we haue in hand presently, stands in an exhortation to an holie lyfe and conuersation vvorthie of the Lord Iesus Christ. The last day, we shew you, there are three preceptes joyned together; the precepte of patience, to beare vvrong and injuries in this vvorlde patientlie, and not to rander euill for euill, as we are bent by nature, but, to do good for euill. Then next, the precept of joy, the inward joy, and peace of soule and conscience, that passes all vnderstanding that, euermore we shold rejoyce. And last, the precept of prayer, which standes in two partes, the one, in seeking at the hands of God; the other, in thanking him, for the grace receiued at his handes. We shew you that conjunction that is among these graces, patience, joy and prayer, patience is the effect of joy, and the inward joy that is heauenly and spirituall is the meane to enterteine patience, and to make a man beare patiently the wrongs he suffers in this present world; for, in a maner, it rauishes him vp aboue the world and all thinges in the world, and makes him to looke ouer all these earthly thinges and injuries that falles out in the world, as though they were not, and, in some measure, he hes his contemplation with God, in Heauen. So, that, the joy he hes will swallow vp all these earthly troubles, and the life of God in him will swallow vp mortalitie and death. Againe, praier is the meane to enterteine that joy we haue with God, for, it keeps Gods presence and the face of Iesus in our sight, and the face of Iesus is so joyfull, as no tongue can tell: For, all the light and joy we haue in our harts proceedes from the face of Iesus, and from the face of God in Christ, and then, it shynes on vs. And this face of Iesus it shines in the Gospell. And therefore, blessed were we, if we could looke euer in the mirrour of the Gospell, where we shall get this light and the face of Christ, that makes vs rejoyce: it appeares in a mirrour now, but, we shall see him face to face, when the body of Iesus shall be perfect; all is but a beginning now, that, we haue here, he is far from vs, and al the sight we haue of him is but a blenke; let euery one looke to experience; there are so many thinges goes in betweene vs and him, that we can skarcely keepe his face, in the which standes our joy. Alwaies, it is prayer, that enterteines this presence of God; looke to it by experience, take away prayer that men pray not to God, take away mediatation and thanking of God, take away this communing with God, it shall passe thy power, to haue any presence of him, and without his presence, no joy in him. Then, shortly, to come to the matter in hand: This prayer consistes in two parter. In asking and seeking at him, according to the needs and misters we haue, we are ful of wants and misters. There is none of vs all, from the greatest to the lowest, from the King to the begger but great is the need we haue; so, euery one of vs hes need to be begging: neuer was there a begger at our doore, that hes so great neede to beg, as we haue neede to beg at Gods hand: beg things spirituall and things temporall; things for this life, things for the life to come; for, if we beg not, we shall die for hunger and plaine want of grace, and we shall, not onely lose this lyfe present, but a better life, life euerlasting. The next part of Praier is thanksgiuing; we spoke the last day of seeking. Now, this day, first, in this text, we haue red, we haue to speak of thanksgiuing which we should rander to God.
The wordes are. In all thinges giue thankes; for, this is the vvill of God. When he hes said, pray continuallie, immediatlie he subjoynes, in all thinges giue thankes. Marke it. So he joynes these two together, Sec. part of prayer; thanksgiuing. Prayer, or, asking at God, and then, thanking of him. Brethren, I see, not onely in this present text these two thinges, Prayer and thankesgiuing joyned together, but, in sundrie other places, Philippi. chap. 4. verse 6. Be not carefull for any thing, but, in euerie thing let your requestes bee shovven foorth to God by prayer and supplication vvith thankesgiuing. To the Colossians 4 chap. 2. verse, Continue, sayes he, in prayer and vvatching, vvith thankesgiuing. there, they are conjoyned: Seking & thanksgiuing, euer ioined together. the one of these should not be seuered from the other; Prayer should not be seuered from thanksgiuing, thanksgiuing should not be seuered from prayer. The neede and necessity we haue in this world, that mooues vs to prayer, is not so great, but, euer there is matter of thanksgiuing to God, for the graces that is giuen euery moment of our lyfe, day and night: For, there are none of vs, but we haue experimented, in some measure, the bountifulnesse of our louing God; who dare say otherwaies, but in the greatest strate, that euer he was in, he fand by experience of the mercy of God, a measure of grace, for reliefe? Alas, if it wer no more, but this grace; in thy need, to get grace to seek grace, it is a speciall grace; thou art oblist to thanke God, for that grace, thou getst, to beg grace. Againe the blessing and mercy of God is neuer showen on vs in such aboundance in this world, but, in the me and lying thou hast neede and mister, and in the most floorishing estate, thou art in, thou standest in neede. The greatest Monarch, that is in his greatest floorishing, he standes in neede; and therefore, as he hes cause to thanke that God, that hes exalted him, so hes he cause, to be a begger, to seeke more: For, there is a Kingdome, that is aboue all Kingdomes; a glorie, aboue all this glorie; riches, aboue all these riches; a pleasure, aboue all earthlie pleasure; so, as long as thou art not come to this hight; yet, beg, for, none shall come to that hight, neyther King, nor, Monarch shall come there, but, by continuall begging. Ye see Dauid, in his Psalmes, he prayes and askes, when he is in neede and in his necessitie. But, at that same very tyme, he also thankes: Ye see, he will begin a Psalme with great heauinesse of hart, but, ere he come to the end, ye will see, in that same Psalme, how he will rejoce, and with joy he will thanke. Then, looke Paul, in the beginning of all his Epistles, he commonly sayes, I thank God for you; but what more? are ye in such estate, that, I need not pray for you? No. Therefore, he subjoynes, euer praying for you. As he would say, as I am thanking God for you; so, I am a begger for you. Brethren, learne to pray, by example of these old fathers, who were better learned, nor we. When thou seekest any thing at God, thanke him also; there is not a more forcible argument to God, to mooue God to graunt any thing, nor to thanke him: I cannot knowe what tune a prayer can haue, without thanking: For, effectuall prayer cannot be vvithout thanking. To let you see this, in one word. Read Rom. chap. 8. verse 36. and there, ye shall finde, that, the Spirit of Iesus interceedes for vs. Well, if the Spirit of Iesus raise vp in the hart sighes, and furnishes thee prayer, it shall not be without thanksgiuing. And if thy prayer be any thing worth, it must come from the Spirite of God. Many vvill make a forme of prayer, but, vvithout the Spirite, it is but prating: and therefore, their prayer is abhominable. Therefore, enter neuer to prayer, but aske the Spirite of Iesus to pray with. It is impossible to man to open his mouth to pray feruentlie, except the Lord open it by his Spirite. Dauid say in his 51. Psalme, verse 15. Lord, open thou my mouth and then, I shall preache thy praise. And Paul, to the Corinthians, sayes, None can name the name of Iesus and call him Lord, but by the holie Ghost. 1. Cor. 12. chap. 2. vers. if the Spirit open not thy mouth, thou may bable of that glorious name, but, to speake of it to thy comfort, and as thou should doe, without the Spirite teach thee, it is impossible. Now, to returne to the matter. If the prayer be any thing worth, if the Spirit of Iesus request for vs with sighes vnspeakable, then, impossible it is, but God must answere thee. The Spirit of Iesus sould neuer seeke any thing at God, without effect. If the Spirite furnish prayer to thee, it is impossible, but thou must resaue an answere. Rom. chap. 8. vers. 26. it is said, The spirt interceeds vvith sighes vnspeakable: And the Lord knovves the meaning of his ovvne spirite. A man sighes not so soone with the Spirite of God, but, as soone is the sigh conueyed vp to the presence of God. And to speake it plaine, the sigh touches not the hart of man so soone, but, as soone it touches the hart of God; so, of necessitie he must receiue an answere. The very prayer makes a way and accesse to the presence of God. And brethren, all the joy in this world is in that sight and presence of God. Thou neuer knew what joy was, that neuer got a sight of God, in Christ. Then, what must joy bring out? (Prayer to God gets Gods presence, the presence bringes joy) What must joy bring out? Of necessitie, an hart, that rejoyces, must burst out in thankfulnesse. If the hart rejoyce, the mouth must be opened to thanke. Go to experience. Your harts was neuer touched with joy, but, either hart, or, mouth bursted out in thanking. Ioy cannot be without thanking, and the proper effect of joy it thankfulnesse. Then, ye see, neither should these two, Prayer and thankfulnesse be seuered one from another, neither can they be seuered. It may be, our Spirit will make vs pray and vtter not thankes-giuing; but, all that is partling and vttering of griefe, and not prayer; but, the Spirit of God prayes not without thanking God, and againe, he thankes not, without prayer. Now, to go forward. I haue made you see how these two goes together. But, to come neerer the purpose: We said, whatsoeuer forte of prayer it be, whether it be asking or thanking, it serues to bring out joy, all tendes to joy; for, in joy is our blessednesse: I tould you the last day, the blessednesse of man is in rejoycing in God. So, that, he who hes not that spirituall joy, hes no blessednesse, if they had al the world. Then, we see, prayer bringes joy, asking bringes joy, so, also, vve see, thanking bringes joy, thanking of God rises on joy, thanking of God ends in joy, thanking of God standes in the midst. Prayer will begin with sorrow, and it ends in joy, vpon this joy commes thanking, vpon thanking commes joy againe. So, all endes in joy. Would ye haue this out of the Scripture? in that 4. Philipp. verse 7. drawes not Paul that peace of God, that passes all vnderstanding, our of prayer and thanksgiuing? In all things, let your requests be shovven to God vvith prayer and supplication, vvith thankesgiuing. Then, he subjoines, when ye haue prayed and thanked, that peace, sayes he, that passes all vnderstanding, shall guard your mindes in Christ. Then, peace rises on these two groundes, prayer and thanksgiuing to God. So, thanking brings joy, asvvell as prayer.
To go forward in the words. Thank him, sayes he, in all things. As he would say, in all thinges, that are incident and falles out in the world, thanke him. As all is matter of joy, Prosperity and aduersitie; vvell, vvoe; life, death; so, let all be matter of thanking, what euer he sends, thanke him. Is it a great matter, to thanke him in prosperitie, when thinges goes well with thee? But, I say, thou hast not the grace of thanksgiuing, except thou can thanke him asvvell in aduersitie, as prosperity, asvvell in death, as in life. Then, I see, these three thinges, joy, prayer and thanking, they haue a common propertie, which is continuance, without intermission, in all maner of thinges, in prosperitie, in aduersitie, in well, in woe, in life, in death rejoyce euermore; in prosperitie, in aduersitie, in well, in woe, in life, in death, pray euer. And last, in prosperitie, in aduersitie, in vvell, in vvoe, in life, in death, in all thinges thanke him: Will ye go through them. As for joy, thy estate can not be so euill in the world, if thou be in Christ, but thou hast matter of ioy: Then, againe, vvere thy estate in this vvorld neuer so good, yet, thou hast neede to pray; for, so long as thou remainst here, thou getst not all graces: And last, if thy estate vvere neuer so miserable, yet, if thou haue a grip of Christ, thou hast matter to thanke God. Then, if this be true, hes not the Apostle said well? Reioyce euermore. Then pray continually, then, in all thinges giue thankes to God: Let not therefore these thinges be vvords onely, but, practise them in lyfe. There is none of vs, but vve haue matter to practise our ioy. Who are in such a misery, but they haue some matter of ioy; yea, there are none of vs, but we haue cause, to vse all these preceptes; Rejoice euermore; pray continually; and in all things giue thankes.
Now, to come to the reason, in the next wordes. For, this is the vvill of God. In all thinges, in prosperitie, in aduersitie, thanke him. Wherefore? Because it is Gods will, that, ye should thanke him, aswell in aduersitie, as in prosperitie; in death, aswell as in life, it is his will, rest on his will. Yet, brethren, to speake one vvord of this vvill (I haue spoken of it sundrie tymes before) I say, and the Scripture sayes, The onely light of this vvorld is Gods vvill. Gods vvil, the onely thinge to be knovvn, & the only rule of our actions. And I say, the onely knowledge and wisdome, that a man can haue in this vvorld, is to knovve vvhat is Gods vvill. Fy on all the knowledge and vvisdome of men in this world, if they knowe not this. He will start vp, and he will be called a vvise man. All the Philosophers vvould be counted vvise men: but, vvhich of all the Philosophers did knovve vvhat vvas Gods vvill? And these tvvo partes of his vvill is speciallie toulds vs in the Scripturel First, vvhat vve should doe, that vve may serue him. And then, vvhat he vvill doe with vs. A vaine Philosopher hee knovves much of nature, but knovves he the vvill of God? Knovves he it not? Then, he is a plaine foole. Knovves he these thinges? Then, he is a vvyse man. Paul, to the Ephesians, chap. 5. verse 17. Be not fooles, but vnderstand vvhat is the vvill of God. Then, wherein standes wisdome? To knowe what is the will of God. Who is the foole? He that knowes not, what is the will of God. Who knowes Gods will is wise, and the end shall proue it. Then as the onely true knowledge and wisdome in this world is to know Gods will: so, the onely rule and square of our life in the world, is the rule of Godds will. There are two thinges, we haue to seeke, knowledge and action. Would thou haue knowledge? Know Gods will. Would thou haue action and do any thing that would merite any commendation? Do according to Gods will. The rule, of all actions that is truely commendable in Gods sight is his will: for, that man who hes the commendation of God, is onely the man, that should be commended; do any thing because God hes willed thee to do it; go not to thy, own will; for, thou do, thy wil & maners not being agreable with Gods wil, shall lead thee to Hel. Then, do nothing, but, according to Gods will. First, know what is Gods wil, and then, do nothing for al the world, but, that, which is agreable thereto. If thou doest thy own will, or, the will of any man, looke, that, it be conformable to Gods will and so, do it, otherwaies, not, and then, do it, because it is the will of God, and not because it is the will of man. Then, see ye not, how graue an argument, the Apostle sets downe, knowing it is Gods will, that, we should thank him ay, should we not repose on his will? It is Gods vvill, vvhich is the onely light and rule of all actiones. Whosoeuer knowes his will, they haue a faire light in all their actiones. A man will neuer wander wrong, who hes such a light before his eyes. If thou see, that, it be Gods vvill that thou goe through wildernesse, through darknesse, yea, through Hel, obey his will and take journey, and I promise thee, thou shalt finde the fairest outgait, that euer was. Count not of the way, if thou haue the light of the will of God before: It is not possible, that, Hell shall preuaile against that bodie, that settes the selfe to pleasure God. Well is him, that sets himselfe to pleasure him, who is Lord ouer all, and who onely is able to pleasure vs all. The world shall not pleasure thee, if God pleasure the not. What matter to displease all the world, if we set our selues to please him.
Marke, further, he sayes, It is the vvill of God, tovvardes you. This is a speciall will, that concornes all Christians, not a generall will, concerning the world, but, a speciall will, concerning you, that are Christians, vvho hes giuen your names to Christ, and are translated from this vvorld, that ye thanke him, in prosperitie and aduersitie, in vvell and vvoe, there is the meaning. Then, ye see, in this place, a speciall, vvill of God concerning this calling vve stand in, and the speciall, vvill of God, concerning vs Christians, is, that vve thanke him: Christian men and vvemen are most debtfull to thanke him, and ought, aboue all creatures, to thanke him: Fy on thee, that vvill take the name of Christ on thee and not thanke him. Thanke him in all things, he can lay before thee. It is his will, that thou thanke him, at least, striue to thanke him for well and woe, prosperity and aduersity, for death, aswell, as life. As for other men, Iewes, Turkes and Pagans, &c. that are not Christians, God craues not this thanksgiuing at them. A maruelous thing. The Turke he hes the glory and wealth of the vvorld, and yet the Lord sayes, I vvill haue no thankes of thee, neither in vvell, nor in vvoe, because thou art not in Christ, all my glory is in Christ, all the seruice I craue in the vvorld is in Christ. So, the pratling of the Turke and Ievv, that makes them to thanke God, is all but vanitie, he craues it not of them. O, hovv great a honour is it, to call a man to thanke and to serue him. No, neuer King got such great honour, as vve get, vvhen vve are called to thanke and to serue that King of Kings, all our glory standes in seruing and making homage to God; so blessed are they that are called to this honour, through Iesus Christ. Therefore, he sayes, through Christ, meaning, that, in Christ is the matter of all thanksgiuing. There is matter in Christ, of all thanksgiuing. In vvell and vvoe, Christ is to me aduantage, both in lyfe and death, sayes Paul. If thou hast aduantage in death, vvhy should not thou thanke him? In one word, where Christ is, there is matter of thanksgiuing to God, in the greatest misery we can be in the world. Againe, where Christ is not and who are not in him, as members of that glorious body, ioyned in society with that glorious head, if they had all this broad world, they haue no cause to be merie, nor to thanke, no, to open their mouth to praise. And to speak the trueth, they cannot be merie. They may laugh, but, the true ioy is in God, he is the Lord of ioy; a man may well laugh, but, he can haue no true ioy, except he haue Iesus in his hart. That man in aduersitie and in the point of death will laugh more sweetly and vtter greater ioy, nor the greatest worldly man in the midst of his prosperitie. So, I say, and I command thee, looke, that, thou reioice not, without Christ; I say, to all men, reioyce not, but, be sad, if thou hast not Christ. The Lord hes not ordeined thee to be glad, it is his will, onely that they, that are in Christ, reioyce, and be neuer glad vntill thou get Christ. I counsell you, if ye had all the world, if ye find not Christ in the hart be, neuer glad. What matter hast thou to be glad, when the great God turnes his back on thee? It may be, he will cast a kingdome to thee ouer his shoulder, as it were a bone casten to a dog, what is that to thee, if thou get not his ioyfull presence? Read Dauid, in all his Psalmes, he was neuer glad, but, when he had the presence of God.
Now, I come to the next precept. Quench not the spirit. The wordes are few, but, they conteyne great matter. Quench not the spirit, put not out the holy Spirit of Christ. Take heed. He Hes bene speaking before of the graces of God. What is patience in suffering wrong? What is joy? What is thankfulnesse, but the graces of the Spirit? He hes beene before speaking of his graces and recommending them to thee. Now he commes to that glorious person himselfe, vvho is the giuer and vvorker of all these graces, of Patience, of Joy, of Prayer and Thanks-giuing. The holie Spirit the third person of the Trinitie that God giues to me and thee, if thou be Gods seruant. It is vanity to think that a true Christian man gettes onely the graces of the Spirit: they get the verie Spirite. No, it is not the graces of the Spirite that will dwell in the hart and soule and bodie of a man; no, but the Spirit it selfe. The Spirit will dvvell as surelie vvithin thy hart as euer a man dvvelt in an house. That Comforter that Christ promised to his disciples when he was going vp to Heauen, was not the graces of the Spirit; no, but, the Spirite it selfe to dwell in our hart, and to work it in al the graces. So, it is not the graces, but, the spirit he speaks of, here, when he saies, quench not the spirit. Paul saies, Ephes. chap 4. vers. 30 Grieue not the holy spirit. It is a simple guestning to make thy guest sad, make not the spirit of Christ sad: Paul saies in another place, that the spirit is giuen thee as an arlispenny of thy saluation. Ephes. cha. 1. vers. 14. Thou loses the arlespennie, if thou make him sad. But to the wordes. The speache, when he saies, Quenching of the spirit. quenche not the Spirit appeares to be metaphoricall. It is borrovved and not proper and it is borrovved from a fyre or candle that vses to giue light and heate. Then if it must not be quenched: It must follovve that the Spirite of Christ must be a fyre vvithin vs; It must follovve, he must be a light inlightning our soules as a lanterne and lampe of light set vp within the darke and dead soule, to let the soule and affectiones haue light; and the Spirite of Iesus shynes vvithin the darke soule of a man, as a lanterne shynes in a darke night, and puttes out that masse of darknesse that is in the soule of man. And therefore because it is as a fyre, he sayes, Quench not, And Paul to Timothie 2. Epistle chap. 1. vers. 6. sayeth, stir vp or kindle the gift that is in thee, it is lyke a flamming fyre, the gift of it is but a light or flam that commes from this fyre. So he sayes, Stir vp, kindle vp the gift that thou hast receiued. Now ye see by experience, a fire or light is two maner of waies quenched; take me away coales timber, or such other matter to burne; take me away the nourishment that holdes in the fire, it will die out: Another way, cast water on it smore it, it will also die out, albeit ye take not burning thinges from it. So it is with this heauenly fire: First draw me away the meanes whereby the Spirit is fostered, and the fyre of the Spirit is holden in (for as the fire feeds on the subject, so the fire of the Spirit feeds on the own nutriture and foode) take me away this foode of the Spirit, as thou seest a fire die out, so he will die out. Take me avvay this word and prophecying, euen this word preached, take me away the ministrie, Means to entertein the spirit. in spyte of thy hart the Spirite shall die out. The world would faine haue this word away, but this is a maine violence done to Iesus, to put the light of Iesus out of the hart: O Lord vvhat count shall there be at that great day for the contempt of this word! But is there no more to be had but the hearing of this word, to enterteine the Spirit of Iesus? Yea. It will not be the hearing only that wil hold in the Spirit. Thy lyfe must be answerable to the word. Thou must feede him with holy motions and thoughts within the hart, feede him with holy speaches in the mouth. Paul Ephesians 4. chap. 29. verse, speaking of certaine vyces to be contempned, he meanes planely that rotten talke puts out the Spirit. Last, he is fed within the soule with holy actions, that holds in the light of Iesus Spirit: As the oile holds in the fire, take away these materials, the Spirit shall die within thee. The other meane to put him out is not onely to draw away from him the matter he feeds on, but to giue him as it were poison to feede on. An harlot poysons him with an harlatrous hart: A murtherer with a bloudie hart: A blasphemer with a blasphemous hart; we poyson him with foull thoughts in the hart, foull speaches in the mouth, wicked actions in the hands, this is water to put out the fire.
Then brethren learne one lesson. As euery one should take heed to the graces of the Spirit, to keepe patience joy, prayer, and thankfulnesse continually (these are the graces of the spirit) So specially and before all we should take heed to the worker of all, the holy Ghost that dwels in our soules as a temple. Take heed how thou treatst him, what enterteinment thou giuest him, looke that thou treat him well, doe euery thing thou thinkest may pleasure him absteine from all thinges may offend him. Set thy hart to please him, and let thy pleasure be in pleasing him, and pray euer, Lord if thou hast giuen me thy Spirit, giue me grace to enterteine him that I anger him not, Lord giue me grace to doe all thinges to please him, to doe nothing to offend him. Alas if a honourable man would come in thy house and take a nights ludging, thou would looke diligently that all the house and family were in good order. So hold thy bodie and soule in reuerence and order for the holy Spirits sake that dwels in thee, othervvaies he vvll not ludge with thee. Murtherer, fyle not thy hands vvith bloud if thou vvould haue him to dvvel vvith thee. Paul sayes 1. Cor. chap. 6. verse 19. 20. The Lord hes boght thee out of the deuils hands, out of thy ovvne hands, for thou vvould lose both thy soule and thy body, if it vvere in thy hand. He hes boght thee with the bloud of the immaculat Lambe, and to this purpose to be a ludging of the holy Spirit to dwell in. He is speaking to harlots, he sayes. Thou art not thy ovvn: Thou art boght vvith a pryce. God hes boght thee with the bloud of Christ to be a temple of the holy Spirit. Where the Spirit ludges, there is the Father and the Son, the whol Trinitie. So in effect the man boght with the bloud of Christ is a ludging to the Trinitie, the Father, Son and holy Ghost. Alas, if thou could looke to this, for all the world thou would not destroy that ludging of God. If once this trueth of God could sinke in mens harts, for all the world they would not quenche this Spirit and defyle this temple of God. Alas the blindnesse of men vvho knovves not vvhat estate they stand in for vvant of sight and attention, for want of regarding of the trueth we go to Hell. And if euer thing was to be deplored in this world, this is to be deplored that the Spirit of God is abused; when he commes to sanctifie men and wemen he gets villanie and wrong done to him: they wold pollute him when he commes to sanctify them. Indeed he is disludged of his ludging. These murtherers takes him by violence, as it were, and with their hands puts him out of their hart by the shoulders. God keepe vs from the sin against the holy Ghost. Goe thou on this way ay contemning the Spirit, thou shalt enter in this sin vvhich shall neuer be for giuen thee in this life nor in the lyfe to come.
Now to speake of the way how we may know that we haue this Spirit. These things cannot be told by words, thou must go to experience and there is none of you that hes had a taste of the sweetnesse of the Spirit, but ye will feill him dwell in you; if ye haue him, thou wilt knowe him aswell as euer thou knew any guest that ludged with thee, for he brings with him such a faire light, such a lyfe and joy, &c. that thou may easily know him. He commes in joy, in prayer, in thanks-giuing, thou wilt knowe him in these, but thou wilt finde him in experience; if thou growest in his seruice to honour and reuerence him as he dwels in thee. To treat him as thou wouldst treat a honorable man that ludges with thee; he will dwell with thee, but if thou be sluggish in these things, thou wilt finde he will draw himselfe to a nuke of thy soule, as it were, for a tyme, thou wilt find him cease from his working of regeneration within thee: if thou cease to enterteine him by praier godlines in hart, holy speaches in the mouth, holy actions in the hand, he will ly closse within thee for a time and do nothing. And then if the man be godly, he will be sad and sory: For no ioy in the godly but when he feeles the Spirit within him. Now if when he is not well [treated], he depart: How much more when we striue, as it were, to poyson him, when we bring vp euill motions in spite of him, when we fall out in euill language in mouth, euill deeds in the hand, shall he withdraw himselfe and depart, so that we will finde no sense of joy? When a man failes to harlotrie, he smores the Spirit. As for exemple, Dauid, if euer man felt the Spirit of Iesus in him, he felt him; yet when he fell to adulterie and murther the spirit lay so closse in him that he found him not. Then he wakens, and sayes. I haue bene sleeping. I find not the joy that I was wont, and so he saies, Restore to me thy spirit again. Psa. 51. verse 12. Would he haue said restore, except he had found the Spirit of God which he had before, withdrawen in working within him: What shall I say. No joy nor rest without this Spirit be enterteinde within vs. The Lord giue vs grace to enterteine him in soule and bodie, in holy speaches, thoughts and deeds. To this Lord be glorie and praise for euer.
AMEN.
