Now a degree in grieving the Spirit this way is, when men will not be thoroughly convinced of their own sinful condition, and of the infinite love and mercy of God in Christ, in the pardoning of them. If God by his Spirit in the ministr}', or in a particular reproof, come to men and discover their natural condition, and tell them they are worse than they take them- selves to be, they will oppose it and study revenge, as St Paul saith : * Am I become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?' Gal. iv. 16. This must needs grieve the Spirit.
Again, The Holy Spirit is grieved when ye have a corrupt judgment of things, not weighing them in the right balance, nor value them according to their worth. When we esteem any knowledge rather than divine know- ledge, any truths but truths that concern Christ, when men look upon grace as contemptible, and prefer other things above it ; make a tush at holiness — Give us, say they, gifts and parts — alas, what are all gifts and parts with- out a gracious heart ? Have not the devils greater parts than any man ? Are they not called da;mones,\irom. the largeness of their understanding ? (c) If parts and gifts were best, the devils were better than we. — What an indignity is this to the Holy Spirit, to think it better to be accounted witty and politic, than to be holy and gracious !
Again, Those sins wherein there is plotting and contriving exceedingly grieve the Spirit, because they are done in cold blood. David deeply wounded his conscience, and grieved the Spirit, in plotting the death of Uriah, which was the diminution of the credit of David, that the Scripture saith, he was good in all things, except in the matter of Uriah, 1 Kings xv. 5. Why ? Because therein he grieved the Spirit most, in plotting and contriving the cruel murder of so good a man. How can they think they have the Spirit of God, that plot and undermine men's estates, to have their wills in unjust courses ? or if they have the Spirit, can this be without grieving it ? for the Spirit will perpetually suggest the contrary.
Again, We grieve the Holy Spirit when we commit such sins as we might
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avoid, snch sins as we liave some helps against and least provocation unto. It is a general rule, Qiianto major facililas, &c. (d). The more the facility of not sinning, the greater the sin. Therefore, when wo aro tempted to sin, consider what conscience saith : I have been an hearer of the word ; what hath the Spirit of God revealed and discovered ;iuto me '? lie hath shewed that this is a sin. Whom do I grieve by the commission of it ? The Spirit of God, and wound my own conscience. And then consider, will that that I sin for countervail this ? Do I not buy my sin too dear ? Sins are dearly bought with the grieving of the Spirit of God. Therefore, wisely think beforehand what sin will cost.
Men grieve the Spirit l»j caviUmrj o'/ainst the truth. The heathen man could say, It is an ill custom to be cavilling against religion, whether in good earnest or in jest {e). Yet we have a sect, a generation of men, that are of all religions, of no religion ; men of a contradictory spirit, that always take the opposite part, that cavil at the truth to shew their parts. This is too ordinary among the wits of the world.
This grieves the Holy Spirit also, ichcn men take the office of the Spirit from, him; that is, when ire will do thinr/s in. our own strength and bij our oun light, as if we were gods to ourselves. Man naturally affects a kind of divinity. It was the fault of Adam. And till God drive him out of him- self by his Spirit, and by afflictions, he sets much by his ov.-n parts and wit, and thereupon neglects prayer and dependence on God, as if the Spirit had nothing to do with his regiment.- When men set upon actions in the strength of natural parts, perhaps they may go on in their course as civil f men, but never as Christians, to have comfort of their actions, because they Tr'ill be guides and gods to themselves. If a man belong to God, God will cross him in such ways wherein he refuseth to honour God and to give him his due place. He shall miscarry, when, perhaps, other men shall have success, though it be to harden them to destruction. This is a subtle way by which Satan abuseth men. The life of a Christian is dependent on an higher principle than himself, to rule and guide him.
Another way whereby we commonly grieve the Spirit of God is, xvhen the mind is troubled with a multittule of business; when the soul is like a mill, where one cannot hear another, the noise is such as takes away all intercourse. It diminisheth of our respect to the Holy Spirit when we give way to a multitude of business ; for multitude of business begets mul- titudes of passions and distractions ; that when God's Spirit dictates the best things that tend to our comfort and peace, we have no time to heed what the Spirit adviseth. Therefore we should so moderate our occasions and afiairs, that we may be always ready for good suggestions. If a man will be lost, let him lose himself in Christ and in the things of heaven ; for if we be drowned in the world, it will breed discomfort.