Quench not the spirit.
] By which is meant, not the person of the Spirit, but either the
graces of the spirit, which may be compared to light, and fire,
and heat, to which the allusion is in the text; such as faith,
which is a light in the soul, a seeing of the Son, and an
evidence of things not seen; and love, which gives a vehement
flame, which many waters cannot quench; and zeal, which is the
boiling up of love, the fervency of it; and spiritual knowledge,
which is also light, and of an increasing nature, and are all
graces of the spirit: and though these cannot be totally
extinguished, and utterly put out and lost, yet they may be
greatly damped; the light of faith may become dim; and the flame
of love be abated, and that wax cold; the heat of zeal may pass
into lukewarmness, and an indifference of spirit; and the light
of knowledge seem to decline instead of increasing; and all
through indulging some sin or sins, by keeping ill company, and
by neglecting the ordinances of God, prayer, preaching, and other
institutions of the Gospel; wherefore such an exhortation is
necessary to quicken saints, and stir them up to the use of those
means, whereby those graces are cherished and preserved in their
lively exercise; though rather the gifts of the Spirit are
intended. The extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, bestowed on the
apostles at the day of Pentecost, are represented under the
symbol of fire, to which perhaps the apostle may here have
respect; and the more ordinary gifts of the Spirit are such as
are to be stirred up, as coals of fire are stirred up, in order
that they may burn, and shine the brighter, and give both light
and heat, ( 2 Timothy
1:6 ) and which may be said to be quenched, when they are
neglected, and lie by as useless; when they are wrapped up in a
napkin, or hid in the earth; or when men are restrained from the
use of them; or when the use of them is not attended to, or is
brought into contempt, and the exercise of them rendered useless
and unprofitable, as much as in them lies. And even private
persons may quench the Spirit of God, his gifts of light and
knowledge, when they hold the truth in unrighteousness, imprison
it, and conceal it, and do not publicly profess it as they ought.