Book III. TgE WORD OF GOD COMPARED TO FIRE. METAPHOR. our, to the Damage of thofe for v.:b.om it was kindled. METAPHOR. I. FIRE is an exte.irial Element, and only ufeful for the Profit and Comfort of the outward Mao. U. Fire is a bad Mafter, when_ it ha$ got to a head and violently breaks otti; it doth much Mu– chief, and deftroys wonderfully. PARALLEL. Hurt and Damage of Chriilians. ff<!.unch not the Spirit, I 'I'hcf!. v. '9· D IS P A RI T Y. 1. THE Spirit of God and his Word are d{vine; facred, and heavenly; profitable to the Soul of Man; II. The Word and Spirit of God never hurts br injur~s thofe that it gets the Maftery and Victory over; if it deilroy it is only Sin, and fuch Things that would ruin and fpoil the Soul ; happy are thofe, in whom the \¥ord of God and his Spirit doth reign and predominate. ~ ~ t R E N C E ~ . I F this be fo, take heed you do not quench the Word or Spirit of God; which yoti - may be faid to do : I. By abating of the Spirit's Heat in its bperatiohs, or by dimini/hing or lelfening the Graces and good Motions thereof, when the Spirit lofes the Vigor of his Operations, as when Zeal decays, Convitlion~ wear ofr: and AffeEtions die; this is like Oacking the Heat, and lelfening the Burning of Fire. 11. When Men do nor only diminilh and lelfen the Burnings and Operations of the Spirit in the Graces, Influences, and Mo.tions thereof, but yield to Sin and the Devil, fa far as to put the Fire quire out: The common Motions and Operations of the Spirit may be quite extingni01ed. Give us of your Oil, for our Lamps are gom out, Mall. xxv. " We reod offome twice dead, plucked up by the Roots. Q;.tejl. Which way may the Spirit atld the Word of God be queiiched? _ An_f-<11. I. By with-holding of Fuel. Where 110 Wood is, the Fire goes out\ P;·ov. xxvi. 20. We feed that Fire which we would not have ~xtinguifi1ed, y;e labor ro add fir Matter to it, that we may keep up the Heat and Burning of it. Perfons may be faid to quench the Spirit, when they negletl the Means which God hath appointed for the keeping, feeding and preferving of it in its full Vigor, Heat, and Operations in the Soul; wlien they negle{t Prayer, Reading, Hearing of the Word, Meditations, tile Fire of the Spirit, Zeal and Fervency foon decays. · 2. The Spiri• of God may be quenched, by neglecting to ftit it tlp, Paul exhorts Timothy ro ftir up the Gift that was in him. If Fire b~ not ftirred and blown up, it will foon lelfen its Burning, and go out. No Man flirreth up himfelf to take hold of tbce, Ifa. lxiv. 7· his not enou"h to pray, read, and heat the Word; but to flir up ourfelves to dp thefe Duties of Religion fervently: If there be never fo much Woocl on •he Fire, yet, if it be not blown and ftirred up, the dead Alhes will obftmc'l: the Eurniog. So in like manner, though Men be never fo much in the Performance of religious Duties, ye• if they let the Aihes of Formality and Deadnefs remain upon their Hearts, the Fire of the Spirit decays. g. Fir~ is quenched by oppoling fomewhat of a contrary Nature and ~Jality to it, as Water, or the like. Fire and Water are contrary the one to the orher, by reafon of their contrary Q.yalities; a little Water will weaken and lelfen the burning of Fire, and if a Man pour in much of it, it will foon quite excinguifi1 it ; fo in like man/let the Word and Spirit, by fuffering a little Sin and Corruption to remain in the H;eart or Life, will foon decay in its Operations. Sin is )lnto the Spirit, as ·water to the Fire. '!'he Flejh lufleth againfl the Spirit, and the Spirit againfttbe Flejh, .and tbefo two arc contrary the one to the other, Gal. iii. I 7· · But now, if a Man yield to lame Sins, to fome l1einous Sins, or once lay tl)e Reins Joofe as it were upon .tbe Neck of his Lufls, plotteth and premeditates Sin ; regards j<, lilies it, and watcheth an Opportunity to Sin; this will foon, like much )Vater, quench the Fire; alfo Sin r.ei~erated and often committed, though not fo notorious or fc.andalous, hath the like Elfetl. The frequent aEting of Sin, is like a c<;>ntinu~l dropping upon the Fire, nothing more dangerous than a Trade in Sin. That
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