SERMONS UPON EXODUS IV. 21. 237
of the Spirit as they had before : 2 Chron. xvii. 3, ' Jehoshaph.it walked in the first waj's of his father David,' as liaving some note of blemish n his latter ways. These sins, in short, as a wound in the body, let ut our blood and strength. As a prodigal, that hath once broken after he hath been set up, is not trusted with a like stock again, so God's children may not recover that largeness of spirit and fulness of inward strength and comfort which they had before ; as many after a great disease do not regain that pitch of health which formerly they had. but may carry the fruits of their disease with them to their graves. Partly because acts are intermitted. When the soul is distempered, it is unfit for action. Either duties are omitted, or else done in such an overly manner as doth increase our distemper, and harden us the more. In what a sorry fashion did David worship till God awakened his con- science by Nathan ! Prayer is interrupted: 1 Peter iii. 7, 'As heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.'
[2.] Grieving the Spirit: Eph. iv. 30, 'And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. All. sin is a grief to the Spirit, especially filthiness and bitterness. Com- pare this with ver. 29, 31, ' Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking be put away from you, with all malice.' Now the grieving of the Spirit makes a great breach in our grace and comfort, as the Spirit is our sanctifier and comforter. To speak only of the last : When the Spirit is grieved, we have not f<uch a sense of God's love : ' For the love of God is shed abroad in our liearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us,' Rom. v. 5. We have not that liberty and confidence in prayer we once had : 1 John iii. 21, ' Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.' Nor those lively hopes of glory and final redemption, in that text, Eph. iv. 30, ' Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby je are sealed unto the day of redemption.' Nor that comfort in re- proaches, nor courage in afilictions, nor strength to resist sin, nor that readiness and cheerfulness in obedience that once they had. So that a christian is like Sampson when his locks are gone ; all delightful com- munion with God is suspended, and a christian doth not act like a ser- vant that is in his master's favour.
[3.] Carnal liberty. When a man giveth too much contentment to the flesh, the spirit or better part is in bonds : Ps. cxix. 37, ' Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way.' A man that lets loose the reins to worldly vanity will soon find hardness coming on his heart, and see a need to ask quickening grace : Luke xxi. 34, ' Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life.' Worldly comforts over-afi'ected or immoderately used clog and enslave the heart, and so we are more unpersuadable and disobedient to the motions of his Spirit, and the counsels of his grace. Therefore, if we will take heed that our hearts be not hardened, let them not out too freely to worldly things, lest they be withdrawn from God ; but rejoice here as if you rejoiced not, that you may keep up your liberty to God.
238 SERMONS UPON EXODUS IV. 21.
[4.] Pride and self-sufficiency : 2 Chron. xxxii. 31, ' Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.' Paul was permitted to be buffeted, that he might be kept humble : 2 Cor. xii. 7, 'And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the mes- senger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.' W lien you trust to yourselves, God leavethyou to yourselves ; and then we are as a glass without a bottom, broken as soon as out of hand : James iv. 6, ' God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.' It is not so much understood of a moral humility, or a lowly carriage towards men, as of an evangelical humility, which consists in broken- ness of heart, or a sense of our unworthiness and weakness ; these are influenced by grace, but others are left to fall and miscarry by their own presumptuous confidence. And therefore, if we would not incur any degree of this judgment, we must take heed of pride and spiritual secui'ity. Those that feel the daily and hourly necessity of grace have more of the supplies of the Spirit, they are of tener waiting upon God : Ps. XXV. 5, * On thee do I wait all the day.' Christ hath taught us to beg daily bread, daily pardon, and daily strength against temptations^ that he might engage us to be often with God, and keep in a constant dependence on him, that the heart might be kept more awful, tender, and serious.