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A44931
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A practical discourse of silence and submission shewing that good men should possess their souls in patience under the severest providences : and particularly in the loss of dear relations : preached at St. Thomas's Hospital, Southwark / by William Hughes ...
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Hughes, William, b. 1624 or 5.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing H3345; ESTC R2599
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45,851
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98
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and if we will be good Souldiers must we not follow and be like unto our Leader O how unlikre him do we acquit our selves who court this World which he so scorn'd and trampled on and pamper the Body which he made drudge of to the Soul and in God's service Is' t probable at this rate when Poverty Sickness Persecution or Death assault and how near any of them may be to us who can tell we should be dumb and open not our mouth submitting quietly to his Father's Hand as he did constantly At least let 's labour to tread in his Apostle's steps keep under our body as it were by Club-law and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 that the vain Fancies and sond Appetites there may be restrain'd and curb'd and our Souls may fasten and abide on what will fully satisfie them and never can be rifled from them Direct 3. Lay not thy treasure up on earth but in the heavens Matth. 6.19 Excellent Counsel of our blessed Lord For where the Treasure is there will the Heart i. the Man himself be also And if a Man hath once his Heart viz. his Love Delight Desire and Hopes as high as Heaven with God and Jesus Christ above he can't be so concern'd with any Disaster here below as to be disorder'd greatly by the same As he that looketh down from some high Steeple sees every thing beneath him but as a small and little matter so Earthly Good and Bad must necessarily seem to one whose Conversation is in Heaven 'T is certain that there are those Mountains in the World whose tops will be serene and clear and calm when Thunder Storms and Lightning threaten to mix Heaven and Earth together at the lower parts thereof Could we take off our Affection from things Below to set and always keep them upon what 's Above how should we live as in a constant Sun-shine Nihil erus sentit in nervo cum animus in caelo est Tert. ad Mart. cap. 2. When Pestilence Famine Sword should range the Earth when Poverty Sickness Death should knock at our own Doors how little would the Disturbance be unto us Poor Archimedes was so intent upon his Mathematical Studies that he knew not when his City was storm'd and taken And verily as Christian that gets his Heart full bent towards Heaven will find the distracting Hurries of the Earth slip over him with but little observation by him The holy Apostle Paul was certified by the Holy Ghost in every City he pass'd through that bonds and afflictions waited for him at Jerusakm and yet he faith none of those things so much as moved him Acts 20.24 The Joy in finishing his Course and the Reward after it made even his life it self tho likely to be lost but a little matter with him We are very sure that Moses refused being a King's Grandson and chose rather an afflicted state with the People of God than sinful Pleasures in a Prince's Court valuing the Reproach for Christ as a Better Estate than the Exchequer of Egypt Heb 11.24 25 26. But what was that which betrayed so wise and good a Man into such a Paradox in the World's Opinion Why let them think so still but his Judgment was truly Orthodox notwithstanding For he had respect unto the recompence of reward Verse 26 fin And sure to be Heir apparent unto the Crown of Egypt deserves not to be compared with an undoubted Title to God's Kingdom And the Delights in Heaven are so surpassing that all Earthly Joys are not insipid only but nauseous fulsome Carrion and Poison to them Which having his Heart affected with by a Believing Prospect thereof what was 't to him to throw off the Courtier and take up the Clown Nay worse To skulk and hide a while for scaping of those Blood-hounds that were hunting after him And at the last to flee his Country and abide those many dangers and distresses that attend a Banish'd Outlaw Seculi hujus quem non decipit prosperit as non frangit adversit as S. Aug. de verb. Dom. Serm. 42. All that the Earth could do against him you see how little 't was unto him because his Treasure was in Heaven he had respect to the recompence of reward Were Christians heartily making after him although they should not fully overtake him how light and easie would their many great and heavy Burdens lye upon them To conclude The Author and Finisher of our Faith for the Joy above that was set before him endured the pain and despised the shame of the Bloody Cross whereon he suffer'd Heb. 12.2 And would the Christian duly look to Christ he surely would be like him much more than he is Direct 4. Lastly Let Sin be more uneasie and be sure thy Sufferings then will be easier far Wert thou worse able to endure Corruptions thou would'st be better to abide Afflictions When once Iniquity is our greatest Burden all others will be little felt The very reason why Distresses sometimes triumph is because we have not made a Conquest over our Transgressions They are these that bring Tribulations to us and make them sit more heavy on us when they are come Guilt is a most heavy Load to an Awarkened Mind although Another's Eye should not be able to espy so much as a light Feather on its back But the weight must needs be much increased when Actual Punishment cleaveth unto Guilt Whether the good Woman of Zarephath's words spoken to the Prophet Art thou come to call may Sins to remembrance and to slay my Son 1 King 17.18 do not imply that a fresh cognizance took by Conscience of her faultiness towards God had imbittered the Affliction to her tho it seem probable I will not determine But it is very plain that This added Chains as I may call them to the Confinement of Joseph's Brethren For their open Confession is We are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear THEREFORE IS THIS DISTRESS COME VPON VS Gen. 42.21 Whence it must follow would we be more Innocent we should be less Unhappy most certainly our Misery would pinch and gall us less What made our blessed Lord so Easy Patient and Submissive in those worst of Evils upon him Verily because He had the best of Souls within Him No Sin had ever thouched it and how should Sorrow fetch Blood from it O let us grow in Grace and then our bitter Cup shall have no Dregs to touch our Lips Those are reserved for the Graceless Ones to wring them out and drink them up Ps 75.8 But thriving Christians tho' they must have Burthens shall not sink under them Such wait upon the Lord to purpose and so renew their strength They are enabled to walk without fainting and run and not be weary Isa 40.31 Wherefore abound ye in the work of God and your labour will not be in vain 1 Cor. 15.58 Not only by a more diligent Attendance on all Ordinances but especially about increasing Faith inslaming Love confirming Hope perfecting Patience and setting and keeping the whole Heart on Heaven This would advance the Spirit to its due Soveraignty and reduce the Flesh to just Subjection And what can bring Disorders then This will draw back Sin 's Fuel and then its Fire goeth out of itself But the neglect hereof is throwing off our Armour instead of girding it close about us and then we are easily Shot ands fall Meer Nature with all the strength that Reason brings it proves a weak Creature at the last however But Grace and when like David waxing stronger and stronger overcomes all Difficulties in the way to Glory And tho' a Pharoah be behind a Sea before and a Wilderness on both sides it will bear up the Soul until it see the Salvation of its God The Sum of all my Advice is this 1. Make sure of Saving Grace and being Right at Heart 2. Be not indulgent to the Flesh nor fond upon thy Earthly Tabernacle 3. Lay not thy Treasure up on Earth but in the Heavens and let thy Heart be with it there 4. Lastly Let Sin be more Uneasie to thee and thy Sufferings will be easier far Grow but in Grace and thou shalt Out-grow all Grief that can possibly seize thee here For Then thou wilt be the fullest Eccho to the Psalmist I was dumb I opened not my mouth because c. FINIS BOOKS Printed for and Sold by J. Salusbury at the Rising-Sun over-against the Royal-Exchange in Coruhill THE Harmony of the Divine Attributes in the Contrivance and Accomplishment of Man's Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ by William Bates D. D. The Changeableness of this World with reflect to Nations Families and particular Persons with a Practieal Application thereâ—f to the various Conditions of this Mortal Life by Timothy Rogers M. A. A Mirror for Athiests being some Passages of the Life and Death of the Right Honourable John Earl of Rochester written by his own Direction on his Death-bed by Gilbert Burnet Lord Ep. of Sarum An end of Doctrinal Controversies which have lately troubled the Churches by Richard Baxter The Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits fully evinced by unquestionable Histories of Apparitions and Witchcrafts Voices proving the Immortality of Souls by Richard Baxter The Protestant Religion truly Stated and Justified by the late reverend Mr. Richard Baxter prepared for the Press sometime before his Death Whereunto is added some account of the learned Author by Mr. Daniel Willams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester The Christian's Coverse with God or the Insufficiency of Haman-friendship and the Improvements of Solitude in Converse with God with some of the Author's breathings after him by Richard Baxter Recemmended to the Readers serious Thoughts when at the House of Mourning and in Retirement by Mr. Matthew Sylvester The Mourners Memorial in two Sermons on the Death of the truly Pious Mrs. Susannah Soame with some account of her Life and Death by Timothy Wright and Robert Fleming
Caution to the Corinthians Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer 1 Cor. 10.10 We may conclude of this wherewith I close the Argument If we belong to God and are dissatisfied at his Dealings with us we lay a kind of force upon him Either to keep us longer in his Furnace or to remove us thence with our Dross upon us And surely the Choice is not the best on either side Wherefore we must rebuke Impatience and the rather for that Arg. 4. There is undoubted Good at the bottom of all Afflictions to the truly Godly Then what pretence for Discontentment under them Had they their rise from an Heart replete with Vengeance Rage and Fury towards us and were they the Blows of a bloody Enemy that aim'd at nothing less than our utter ruine our Case were then so sad that 't would be hard to find out Comfort for us and seem unequal to condemn a turbulent Carriage in Distresses But blessed be GOD things go at quite another rate The Cloud that is Darkness unto Egypt is Light to Israel Exod. 14.20 The Devil and his Angels who may be Executioners to the righteous and good Providence in our Sufferings are none otherwise than most malignantly disaffected to God's People Yet how bloodily soever they are bent and whatsoever Mischief they are permitted to effect that which happens is not what their Malice doth design but what God's Mercy doth direct The Axe never heweth but when and as the Carpenter strikes therewith And the sharpest Sword will fetch no Blood but from the Hand that wields and smiteth with it But Men and evil Spirits too are Tools which God as far as it is pleasing to him maketh use of And he lays them by again as he thinks good and then they must be quiet in spite of all their Cruelty The Condition of holy * Chap. 1 2. Ps 17.13 14. Es 10.5 6 7 15. Job doth make this evident And both the Psalmist and the Prophet Esay plainly declare as much So that who or whatever brings a Calamity to us we must conclude 't is sent of God for good And if we wisely attend our Duty 't will be with us as with ‖ He in his Excile living in greater state than his own Country could afford said to his Servants Sirs We had been Vndone if we had not been Vndone Plut. Them Themistocles Better in our trouble than without it This is not peradventure presently perceived by us in every Tryal Nor do the Sick or Wounded at the first or second or may be many applications of the most proper and soveraign Medecines to them forthwith receive a Cure or find Ease thereon However 't is better with them because they are in the ready way thereto And is it not egregious Folly to exclaim against or have hard thoughts of either Doctor or Surgeon for a griping Belly or a smarting Leg when 't is to save the Life and to recover Health Should Sufferers be so far from benefit in their Troubles that they do not yet so much as understand the meaning of them why they should know that the Golden Oar is cover'd with coarser Earth and it will ask both pains and patience to dig deep enough to reach it And our blessed Saviour's words to his Servant Peter are very applicable here What I do thou knowest not yet but shalt know hereafter Joh. 13.7 Wait then with quietness and thou wilt sooner find the Treasure But if thou quarrel with thy Medicines and storm at him that doth apply them it must be longer if e'er thou get a Cure when a submissive Spirit will soon be healed God must be met in his own way As he ‖ 1 Kings 19.11 comes not in a great strong Wind nor in the frightful Earthquake nor in the furious Fire but in the still small Voice we must attend him also with a still and quiet Spirit Turbulent Passions in the Soul are like loud Noises and deafning Clamours at the Ears These marr the Hearing and so the Understanding Hence 't is that in such a Lurry we cannot hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 so as to understand and receive the good God means us by it Yet good is surely meant thereby What prudent Father ever did correct his Child but for his benefit And how should Infinite Wisdom with equal Love have any other Aim Afflictions are God's File to rub off the rust of Sin that it may not rot our Souls His Fan to scatter far away the Dust and Chaff which are apt to bury our Grain in Uselesness Yea and his Furnace too where the Dross and Tin is sever'd that the Mettal may be pure and bright Are not all these for greatest good But the Apostle is express in saying That tho' some men correct for pleasure God chastens us for our profit Heb. 12.10 And the Psalmist had the proof upon himself for he professeth Psal 119.71 'T was good for him that he was afflicted For he was gone astray before that met him and brought him back to God And how far he might have wander'd to the utter losing of his Way had not his wild Carreer been stopt by the Rod of God who can tell Certain 't is that long Prosperity is a Bait to all Impiety and no Affliction oft-times proves the very worst Affliction Yea and Impunity the greatest Punishment Therefore God threatned in his high Displeasure Hosea 4.14 Esay 1.5 Hosea 4.17 Not to punish the daughters nor the wives in Israel for their whoredoms to strike Judah no more and let Ephraim alone in his idolatry When Providence smiting of a Pious Man with Lameness onely preventing his running away from God or with Bodily Sickness 't is for preserving his Soul in or recovering it to Health Such Mens Losses of Temporal Riches are for securing Eternal to them and Death's removal of their Earthly Friends is for renewing and faster setling their Friendship with the Heavenly Majesty Nay and their own approaching End serves for preparing them unto an Endless Bliss And where 's the Cause now of Complaining How great 's the reason rather of Rejoycing at least of Silence and Submission Especially when the 5th and last Argument shall be considered Arg. 5. Thou Lord didst it And this is what the Royal Psalmist urgeth in my Text. Which only tho our Proverb aptly saith Store's no Sore in mine opinion might be sufficient to give repose and quiet to a sincere Christian in his greatest troubles suppose it be considered in its just extent Should I pronounce it like the Tower of David builded for an Armory wherein there hung a thousand Bucklers all Shields of mighty Men it were not spoken much amiss I 'm sure 't is no Hyperbole instead of calling it a single Argument to say an Heap of those are lodg'd therein For with a little Patience you shall see it bringing forth at least One Decade of