This care will be helped by spiritual wisdom, whereby we may discern both wherein we have grieved the Spirit, and wherein for the time to come we may. We cannot maintain friendship in perfect and sweet terms wdth any whose dispositions we know not ; what will please or displease them. Therefore we should study the nature and dcHght of the Spirit, and wherein we are prone both to forget ourselves and the Spirit. We esteem not much the friendship of those who are so much friends to themselves, as they pass* not much whether friends be contented or discontented. The Spirit dwells most largely in that heart that hath emptied itself of itself. The Israelites felt not the sweetness of the manna till they had spent their flesh- pots and other provision of Egypt. The nature of God's Spirit is holy ; as it is holy, so [it] delighteth only in holy temples. Those, therefore, that set up any ' idol of jealousy' in their souls against God, that do not ' preserve their vessels in holiness,' cannot think of any communion with the Spirit. The Spirit is jealous of our afiections, and will have nothing set up in the heart above God. Though the Spirit stoops to dwell in us, yet we must not forget the respect due to so great a superior, but reverently entertain whatever comes from him. Eeverence and obedience is the carriage due to a superior, and where the distance is not kept a breach will follow. We should reverence ourselves for the Spirit's sake, and think ourselves too good for any base lust to lodge in. The heart that the Spirit hath taken for itself should turn off all the contrary motions with abomination. What should pride and envy and passion do in an heart consecrated to the Spii'it of meekness and holiness ?
Upon any breach we must look by renewing repentance and faith in Christ, to renew our peace with God, before we can expect the grace and comfort of the Spirit. For as the Spirit cometh from the Father and the Son, and is procured by the death and satisfaction of the Son to the Father, without which we could never have expected the gift of the Spirit, so still we must have an eye to this satisfaction by Christ, and reconciliation through it, before we can recover communion with the Spirit, as being the best fruit of the love of God reconciled through Christ. We see David in the 51st Psalm first importunes God for mercy again and again, and then ' for the Spirit,' and for ' the joy of salvation.'
And take heed that nothing come in nor go out of our souls that may grieve the Spirit of God. Some things come in to us that grieve the Spirit, the corruptions we receive from others. Some things come out of our hearts that grieves God's Spirit, as corrupt thoughts and speeches. That indeed is the scope of this place, ' Let no corrupt communication come out * That is, ==»= consider. — G.
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of your mouths,' Sec. and then follows, ' And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.' And after again he saith, ' Let all bitterness, and wrath, and clamour be laid aside,' insinuating that one way of grieving the Spirit is by ill and corrupt language. We can never talk with company that is not spiritual, but they will either vex and grieve us, or taint and defile us, unless it be in such exigencies of our calling as requires our converse with them. But I speak of a voluntary choice of such as favour not good things. Many men, to please their own carnal spirits, and the carnal spirits of others, they vent that that is against conscience, and against that that is higher than conscience, a more divine principle, the Holy Spirit of God ; loose carnal speakers are people void of the power of religion.
Obj. Let no man saj'. Here is ado, indeed ! duty upon duty. This will make our life troublesome.
Alts. The life of a Christian is an honourable, a comfortable, sweet life. Indeed, it requires the most care and watchfulness of any life in the world, being the best life. It is begun here, and accomplished in an everlasting life in heaven. Nothing in this world, neither our estates nor our favour Avith great persons, can be preserved without watchfulness ; and shall we think to preserve the chief happiness of our souls without it, having so many enemies without and within, that labour to draw us into a cursed condition ?
Therefore, to stir us up to the practice of these duties, that we may give contentment to so sweet a guest, consider what reason we have to regard the Spirit and his motions, from the good we have by them.
The Holy Spirit of God is our guide. Who will displease his guide, a sweet comfortable guide, that leads us through the wilderness of this Vi'orld ? As the cloud before the Israelites by day, and the pillar of fire by night, so he conducts us to the heavenly Canaan. If we grieve our guide, we cause him to leave us to ourselves. The Israelites would not go a step further than God by his angel went before them. It is in vain for us to make toward heaven without our blessed guide. We cannot do, nor speak, nor think anything that is holy and good without him. Whatsoever is holy and pious, it grows not in our garden, in our nature, but it is planted by the Spirit,