those golden commands last cited shall bee of force to draw you to bee quiet and silent under the troubles and changes you meet with in this world the Lord forbid Shall carnal and wicked persons bee so ready and willing to comply with the bloody and senseless Non parentum aut majorum authoritas sed Dei docentis imperium Jerom. The commands of God must out-weigh all authority and example of men and superstitious commands of their superiours and shall not Christians bee more ready and willing to comply with the commands of the great God whose commands are all just and equal and whose will is the perfect rule of Righteousness Prior est autoritas imperantis quam utilitas servientis Tertul. The chief reason of obedience is the authority of the Lord not the utility of the servant Ah Christians when your hearts begin to fret and fume under the smarting Rod charge one of those commands last cited upon your hearts and if they shall mutter charge another of those commands upon your hearts and if after this they shall vex and murmure charge another of those commands upon your hearts and never leave charging and rubbing those commands one after another upon your hearts till you are brought to lay your hands upon your mouths and to sit silent before the Lord under your greatest straights and your sorest trials Eleventhly Consider That mercy is nearest deliverance and Act. 27. 20 26 Dan. 9. 20 24. Isa 58. 8 9. chap. 30. 19. ch 65. 24 salvation is at hand when a Christian stands still when hee sits quiet and silent under his greatest troubles and his sorest trials Exod. 14. They were in very great straights Pharaoh with a mighty Army was behinde them the Red Sea before them Mountains on each hand of them and no visible means to deliver them But now they stand still to see the salvation of the Lord vers 13. and within a few hours their enemies are destroyed and they are gloriously delivered vers 24 ult Psal 39. 9. David is dumb hee sits mute under his smart afflictions but if you look to the second and third verses of the fortieth Psalm you shall finde mercy draws near to him and works salvation for him Hee brought mee up also out of an horrible pit out of the mire and clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings And hee hath put a new song into my mouth even praise unto our God many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord. And so when Absalom had made a great conspiracie against him and his subjects fell off from him and hee was forced to flee for his life his spirit was quiet and calm 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. And the King said unto Zadock Carry back the Ark of God into the City if I shall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord hee will bring mee again and shew mee both it and and his habitation But if hee thus say I have no delight in thee Behold here am I let him do to mee as seemeth good unto him And the same calmness and quietness of spirit was upon him when Shimei bitterly cursed him and railed upon him chap. 16. 5 14. And within a few daies as you may see in the two following Chapters the conspirators are destroyed and Davids Throne more firmly established mercy is alwaies nearest when a man can in quietness possess his own soul salvation is at hand when a Christian comes to lay his hand upon his mouth mercy will bee upon the wing loving kindness will ride post to put a period to that mans troubles who sits silent in the day of his sorrows and sufferings Ah Christians as you would have mercy near as you would see to the end of your afflictions as you would have deliverance come flying upon the wings of the wind sit mute and silent under all your troubles As Wine was then nearest when the water-pots were filled with water John 2. 1 12. even to the brim so when the heart is fullest of quietness and calmness then is the Wine of mercy the Wine of deliverance nearest The twelfth and last Motive to work you to silence under your greatest trials is this Seriously consider the hainous and dangerous nature of murmuring now that you may let mee propose these following particulars to your most sober consideration First Consider That murmuring Heb. 12. 15 Deut. 29 18. Heb. 3. 12 speaks out many a root of bitterness to bee strong in thy soul murmuring speaks out sin in its power corruption upon its Throne As holy Silence argues true Grace much Grace yea Grace in its strength and in its lively vigour so murmuring muttering under the hand or God argues much sin yea a heart full of sin it speaks out a heart full of self-love Exod. 15. 24. chap. 16. 7 8. and full of slavish â—ears Numb 13. 32 33. chap. 14. 1 2 3. and full of ignorance John 6. 41 42 61. and full of pride and unbeleef Psal 106. 24 25. yea they despised the pleasant land Psal 78. 19 20 Unbeleef is virtually all ill or the land of desire there is their pride they beleeved not in his word there is their unbeleef what follows they murmured in their tents and hearkened not unto the voice of God they were sick of the fullens and preferred Egypt before Canaan a wilderness before a paradise As in the first Chaos there were the seeds of all creatures so in the murmurers heart there is not onely the seed of all sin but a lively operation of all sin sin is become mighty in the hearts of murmurers and none but an Almighty God can root it out those roots of bitterness have so spread and strengthened themselves in the hearts of murmurers Isa 26. 4 that everlasting strength must put in or they will bee undone for ever But Secondly Consider That the Holy Ghost hath set a brand of infamy upon murmurers hee hath stigmatized them for ungodly persons Jude 15. 16. To execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoker against him But who are these ungodly sinners They are murmurers complainers walking after their own lusts c. vers 16. When Christ comes to execute judgement upon ungodly ones murmurers shall bee set in the front they shall experience the firstness of his wrath and the fierceness of his wrath and the greatness of his wrath the front you know is first assaulted and most strongly assaulted Christ will bond all his power and strength against murmurers his little finger shall bee heavier â—pon 1 Kings 12. 11 14 them than his loins shall bee upon others other sinners shall bee chastised with whips but ungodly murmurers shall bee chastised with scorpions if you can joy in that black character of ungodly sinners bee murmurers still
is in the body of man that although in some degree or other more or less there bee a mixture of all the four elements not any of them wholly wanting yet there is some one of them predominant that gives the denomination in which regard some are said to be of a sanguin some of a phlegmatick some of a cholerick and some of a melancholick constitution So it is also in the souls of men though there bee a general mixture and medly of all evil and corrupt qualities yet is there some one usually that is Paramount which like the Prince of Devils is most powerful and prevalent that swayeth and sheweth forth it self more eminently and evidently than any other of them do And as in every mans body there is a seed and principle of death yet in some there is a proneness to one kinde of disease more than other that may hasten death So though the root of sin and bitterness hath spread it self over all yet every man hath his inclination to one kinde of sin rather than another and this may bee called a mans proper sin his bosome sin his darling sin Now it is one of the hardest works in this world to subdue and bring under this bosome sin Oh! the prayers the tears the sighs the sobs the groans the gripes that it will cost a Christian before hee brings under this darling sin Look upon a Rabbets skin how well it comes off till it comes to the head but then what haling and pulling is there before it stirs So it is in the mortifying in the crucifying of sin a man may easily subdue and mortifie such and such sins but when it comes to the head sin to the master-sin to the bosome-sin Oh! what tugging and pulling is there what striving and strugling is there to get off that sin to get down that sin Now if the Lord by smiting thee in some near and dear enjoyment shall draw out thy heart to fall upon smiting of thy master-sin and shall so sanctifie the affliction as to make it issue in the mortification of thy bosome corruption what eminent cause wilt thou have rather to bless him than to fit down and murmure against him and doubtless if thou art dear to God God will by striking thy dearest mercy put thee upon striking at thy darling-sin and therefore hold thy peace even then when God touches the apple of thiâ—e eye Ninthly Consider That the Lord hath many waies to make up the loss of a near and dear mercy to thee hee can make up thy loss in Mat. 19. 27 ult something else that may bee better for thee and hee will certainly make up thy loss either in kinde or in worth hee took from David an Absalom and hee gave him a Solomon hee took from him a Michal and gave him a wise Abigail hee took from Job seven sons The first and last chapters of Job compared Joh 16. 7 8. c. Act. 2. and three daughters and afterwards hee gives him seven sons and three daughters hee took from Job a fair estate and at last doubled it to him hee removed the bodily presence of Christ from his disciples but gave them more abundantly of his spiritual presence which was far the greater and the sweeter mercy If Moses bee taken away Joshua shall bee raised in his room if David bee gathered to his Fathers a Solomon shall succeed him in his Throne if John bee cast into prison rather than the Pulpit shall stand empty a greater than John even Christ himself will begin to preach hee that lives upon God in the loss of creature-comforts shall finde all made up in the God of comforts hee shall bee able to say though my childe is not my friend is not my yoak-fellow is not yet my God liveth and blessed bee my Rock Psal 89. 46. though this mercy is not and that mercy is not yet covenant mercies yet the sure mercies 2 Sam. 23. 5. of David continue these bed and board with mee these will to the grave and to glory with mee I have read of a godly man who living near a Philosopher did often perswade him to become a Christian Oh but said the Philosopher I must or may lose all for Christ to which the good man replied if you lose any thing for Christ hee will bee sure to repay it a hundred fold I but said the Philosopher will you bee bound for Christ that if he do not pay mee you will yes that I will said the good man So the Philosopher became a Christian and the good man entred into bond for performance of covenants sometime after it happened that the Philosopher fell sick on his death-bed and holding the bond in his hand sent for the party engaged to whom hee gave up the bond and said Christ hath paid all there is nothing for you to pay take your bond and cancel it Christ will suffer none of his children to go by the loss he hath all and hee will make up all to them in the close Christ will pay the reckoning no man shall ever have cause to say that hee hath been a loser by Christ and therefore thou hast much cause to bee mute thou hast no cause to murmure though God hath snatch'd the fairest and the sweetest flower out of thy bosome Tenthly How canst thou tell but that that which thou callest a near and dear mercy if it had been The Lamentations of Jeremiah are a full proof of this continued longer to thee might have proved the greatest cross the greatest calamity and misery that ever thou didst meet with in this world Our mercies like choice Wines many times turn into Vinegar our fairest hopes are often blasted and that very mercy which wee sometimes have said should be a staff to support us hath proved a sword to peirce us how often have our most flourishing mercies withered in our hands and our bosome-contentments been turned into gall and wormwood If God had 2 Sam. 12. 16. continued the life of Davids childe to him it would have been but a living Monument of his sin and shame and all that knew the childe would have pointed at him yonder goes Davids bastard and so This age affords many sad instances of this nature who can think of Tiburn question it and of killing drowning and say how can this bee have kept Davids wound still a bleeding many Parents who have sought the lives of their children with tears have lived afterwards to see them take such courses and come to such dismal ends as have brought their gray-hairs with sorrow to their graves It had been ten thousand times a greater mercy to many Parents to have buried their children as soon as ever they had been born than to see them come to such unhappy ends as they often do Well Christian it may bee the Lord hath taken from thee such a hopeful son or such a dear daughter and thou sayest how can I hold
this world I shall now address my self to answer those Objections and to remove those Impediments which hinder poor souls from being silent and mute under the afflicting hand of God c. Object 1. Sir did I but know that I were afflicted in love I would hold my peace under my affliction I would sit mute before the Lord but Oh! how shall I come to understand that these stroaks are the stroaks of love that these wounds are the wounds of a friend I answer First If thy heart bee drawn more out to the Lord by the affliction Psal 18. 1 8. Psal 116. 1 2 3 4 5. Psal 119. 67 71. Isa 38. then the affliction is in love if they are so sanctified as that they draw out thy soul to love the Lord more and to fear the Lord more and to please the Lord more and to cleave to the Lord more and to wait on the Lord more and to walk with the Lord more then they are in love Oh! then they are the wounds of a friend indeed It is reported of the Lioness that shee leaves her young whelps till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and yelling and then at last gasp when they have almost spent themselves shee relieves them and by this means they become more couragious and so if the afflictions that are upon us do encrease our courage strengthen our patience raise our faith inflame our love and enliven our hopes Certainly they are in love and all our wounds are the wounds of a friend But Secondly If you are more careful and studious how to glorifie God in the affliction and Dan. 3. 6. chapters Heb. 11. how to bee kept from sinning under the affliction than how to get out of the affliction then certainly your affliction is in love where God smites in love there the soul makes it his work how to glorifie God and how to lift up God and how to bee a name and an honour to God the daily language of such a soul under the rod is this Lord stand by mee that I sin not Josh 7. 7 8 9 10 uphold mâ—e that I sin not strengthen mee that I sin not hee that will not sin to repair and make up his losses though hee knew assuredly that the committing of such a sin would make up all again hee may conclude that his affliction is in love I have read of a Noble man whose Son and Heir was supposed to bee bewitched and being advised to go to some wizard or cunning man as they are called to have some help for his Son that hee might bee unwitched again hee answered Oh by no means I had rather the Witch should have my Son than the Devil his Son should suffer rather than hee would sin him out of his sufferings Hee that will not break the hedge of a fair Command to avoid the foul way of some heavy affliction may well conclude that his affliction is in love Christians what say you when you are in the Mount do you thus bespeak the Lord Lord take care of thy glory and let mee rather sink in my affliction than sin under my affliction if this bee the bent and frame of thy heart it is certain the affliction that is upon thee is in love the primitive times afforded many such brave spirits though this age affords but few Thirdly If you enjoy the special presence of God with your spirits in your affliction then your Psal 23. 4 5 6 affliction is in love Isa 43. 2. When thou passest thorow the waters I will bee with thee and thorow the rivers they shall not overflow thee The bush which was a type of the Church consumed not all the while it burned with fire because God was in the midst of it when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flames kindle upon thee Hast thou a special presence of God with thy spirit strengthening of that quieting of that steeling of that satisfying of that chearing and comforting of that Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts that is of my troubled intricated insnarled intertwined and perplexed thoughts as the branches of a tree by some strong wind are twisted one within another as the Hebrew word properly signifies thy comforts delight my soul Here 's a presence of God with his soul here 's comforts and delights that reaches the soul here 's a cordial to strengthen his spirit When Knoles Turk Hist pag. 164 all things went cross with Andronicus the old Emperour of Constantinople hee took a Psalter into his hand and opening the same hee lighted upon Psal 68. 14. When the Almighty scattered Kings they shall bee white as Snow in Salmon which Scripture was a mighty comfort and refreshment to his spirit Now you are to remember that Salmon signifies shady and dark and so was this Mount by the reason of many lofty fair spread trees that were neer it but made lightsome by Snow that covered it so that to bee white as Snow in Salmon is to have joy in affliction light in darkness mercy in misery c. And thus God was to the Psalmist as Snow in Salmon in the midst of his greatest afflictions When Paul would wish his dear Son Timothy the best mercy in all the world the greatest mercy in all the world the most comprehensive mercy in all the world a mercy that carries the virtue value and sweetness of all mercies in it hee wishes the presence of God with his spirit 2 Tim. 4. 22. The Lord Jesus Christ bee with thy spirit in point of honour in point of profit and pleasure in point of safety and security and in point of comfort and joy it is the greatest blessing and happinesse in this world to have the presence of God with our spirits especially in times of trials 2 Cor. 4. 16. For which cause wee faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day By the outward man you are to understand not meerly our bodies but our persons estates and outward condition in this world and by the inward man you are to understand our souls or persons considered according to our spiritual estate Now when the inward man gains new strength by every new trouble when as troubles pressures afflictions and tribulations are increased a Christians inward strength is increased also then his afflictions are in love when the presence of God is with our inward man chearing comforting encouraging strengthening and renewing of that wee may safely conclude that all these trials though they are never so sharp and smart yet they are in love I have read of a company of poor Christians that were banished into some remote parts and one standing by seeing them pass along said That it was a very sad condition those poor people were in to bee thus hurried from the society of men and to bee made companions with the beasts of the field true
fall a weeping a whining a complaining a repining a murmuring as if they were utterly undone and yet a well of water a well of comfort a well of refreshment a well of deliverance is near and their case no waies so sad nor so bad as they imagine it to beâ— Thirdly The greater thy afflictions are the nearer is deliverance to thee when these waters rise high then salvation comes upon the wing when thy troubles are very great then mercy will ride Scripture and History speaks fully to this head post to deliver thee Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall judge his people and repent himself for his servants when hee seeth that their power or hand is gone and there is none shut up and left Israel of old and England of late years hath often experienced this truth Wine was nearest Joh. 2. 1 2 3. when the water-pots were filled with water up to the brim So oftentimes mercy is nearest deliverance is nearest when our afflictions are at the highest when a Christian is brim-full of troubles then the wine of consolation is at hand therefore hold thy peace murmure not but sit silent before the Lord. Fourthly They are not great if compared to the glory that shall bee revealed Rom. 8. 18. For I 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18 reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory that shall bee revealed in us or upon us The Apostle upon casting up of his accounts concludes that all the pains chains troubles trials and torments that they met with in this world was not to bee put in the ballance with the glory of Heaven As the Globe of the Earth which after the Mathematicians account is many thousands of miles in compass yet being compared unto the greatness of the starry skies circumference is but a center or a little prick So the troubles afflictions and sorrows of this life in respect of eternal happiness and blessedness are to bee reputed as nothing they are but as the prick of a pin to the starry Heavens they that have heard most of the glory of Heaven have not heard one quarter of that which the Saints shall finde there that glory is unconceivable and unexpressable Augustine in one of his Epistles hath this relation that the very same day wherein Jerome died hee was in his study and had got Pen Ink and Paper to write something of the glory of Heaven to Jerome and suddenly hee saw a light breaking into his study and a sweet smell that came unto him and this voice hee thought hee heard O Augustine what doest thou dost thou think to put the Sea into a liâ—tle vessel when the Heavens shall cease from their continual motion then shalt thou bee able to understand what the glory of Heaven is and not before except you come to feel it as now I do Nicephorus speaks of one Agbarus Eccles Hist a great man that hearing so much of Christs fame by reason of the miracles hee wrought sent a Painter to take his picture and that the Painter when hee came was not able to do it because of that radiancy and divine splendor which sate on Christs face such is the splendor the brightness the glory the happiness and blessedness that is reserved for the Saints in Heaven that had I all the tongues of men on earth and all the excellencies of the Angels in Heaven yet should I not bee able to conceive nor to express that vision of glory to you it is best hastning thither that wee may feel and enjoy that which wee shall never bee able to declare Fifthly They are not great if compared with the afflictions and torments of such of the damned who when they were in this world 1 Pet. 3. 18 19 20 Jude 6 7. Mat. 10. 15. â—h 11. 23 24 never sinned at so high a rate as thou hast done Doubtless there are many now in Hell who never sinned against such clear light as thou hast done nor against such special love as thou hast done nor against such choice means as thou hast done nor against such precious mercies as thou hast done nor against such singular remedies as Isa 33. 14 The fire in hell is like that stone in Arcadia which being once kindled could not be quenched thou hast done certainly there are many now a roaring in everlasting burnings who never sinned against such deep convictions of conscience as thou hast done nor against such close and strong reasonings of the Spirit as thou hast done nor against such free offers of mercy and rich tenders of grace as thou hast done nor against such sweet wooings and multiplied intreaties of a bleeding dying Saviour as thou hast done therefore hold thy peace What are thy afflictions thy torments to the torments of the damned whose torments are numberless easeless remediless and endless whose pains are without intermission or mitigation who have weeping served in for the first course and gnashing of teeth for the second and the gnawing worm for the third and intollerable pain for the fourth yet the pain of the body is but the body of pain the very soul of sorrow and pain is the souls sorrow and pain and an everlasting alienation and separation from God for the fifth Ah Christian how canst thou seriously think on these things and not lay thy hand upon thy mouth when thou art under the greatest sufferings thy sins have been far greater than many of theirs and thy greatest afflictions are but a flea-bite to theirs therefore bee silent before the Lord. Sixthly and lastly If thy afflictions are so great then what madness and folly will it bee for thee to make them greater by murmuring every act of murmuring will but add load unto load 1 Cor. 10. 10. and burden to burden The Israelites under great afflictions fell a murmuring and their murmuring proved their utter ruine as you may see in that Numb 14. Murmuâ—ing will but put God upon heating the furnace seven times hotter therefore hold thy peace But of this I have spoken sufficiently already Object 6. Oh! But my afflictions are greater than other mens afflictions are and how then can I bee silent Oh! there is no affliction to my affliction how can I hold my peace I answer First It may bee thy sins are greater than other mens Jer. 3. 6 12 sins if thou hast sinned against more light more love more mercies more experiences more promises than others no wonder if thy afflictions are greater than others if this bee thy case thou hast more cause to bee mute than to murmure and certainly if thou dost but seriously look into the black book of thy conscience thou wilt finde greater sins there than any thou canst charge upon any person or persons on earth if thou shouldest not I think thou wouldest justly incur the censure which that sowre Philosopher past upon Grammarians viz. That they Diogenes apud Laertium l. 6
of a good man are ordered by the Lord and hee delighteth in his way Though hee fall hee shall not bee utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his As the Nurse upholds the little childe c. hand Gods supporting hand of grace is still under his people Psal 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth mee Christ hath alwaies one hand to uphold his people and another hand to embrace them Cant. 2. 16. The everlasting arms of God are alwaies underneath his people Deut. 33. 27. And this the Saints have alwaies found witness David Heman Asaph Job c. Geographers write that the City of Syracuse in Sicily is so curiously situated that the Sun is never out of sight though the children of God sometimes are under some clouds of afflictions yet the Sun of Mercy the Sun of Righteousness is never quite out of sight But Thirdly Though God hath forsaken thee yet his love abides and continues constant to thee hee loves thee with an everlasting love Jer. 31. 3. Where hee loves hee loves to the end John 13. 1. Isa 49. 14 15 16. But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken mee and my Lord hath forgotten mee But was not Zion mistaken yes Can a woman forget her The very Heathen hath observed that God doth not love his children with a weak affection but with a strong masculine love Seneca sucking childe that shee should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before mee Look as persons engrave the mark name or picture of those whom they dearly love and entirely affect upon some stone that they wear at their breasts or upon some ring that they wear on their finger So had God engraven Zion upon the palms of his hands shee was still in his eye and alwaies dear to his heart though shee thought not so As Josephs heart was full of love to his brethren even then when hee Gen. 42. spake roughly to them and withdrew himself from them for hee was fain to go aside and ease his heart by weeping so the heart of God is full of love to his people even then when hee seemes to bee most displeased with them and to turn his back upon them though Gods dispensations may be changeable towards his people yet his gracious disposition is unchangeable towards them When God Mal. 3. 6. puts the blackest veil of all upon his face yet then his heart is full of love to his people then his bowels are yearning towards them Jer. 31. 18 19 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son is hee a pleasant childe for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. The Mothers bowels cannot more yearn after the tender babe than Gods doth after his distressed ones As Moses his Mother when shee had put him into Exod. 2. the Ark of Bul-rushes wept to see the babe weep and when shee was turned from him shee could not but cast a weeping eye of love towards him So when God turns aside from his people yet hee cannot but cast an eye of love towards them Hosea 11. 8. How shall I give thee up O Ephraim c. Here are four several how 's in the text the like not to bee found in the whole book of God I am even at a stand justice calls for vengeance but mercy interposeth my bowels yearn my heart melts O! how shall I give thee up O! I cannot give thee up I will not give thee up Gods love is alwaies like himself unchangeable his love is everlasting it is a love that never decaies nor waxes cold it is like the stone Albestos of which Solinus writes that being once hot it can never bee cooled again Fourthly Though the Lord hath hid his face from thee yet certainly thou hast his secret presence with thee God is present when hee is seemingly absent The Psal 23 4 Psal 139. Gen. 28. 16 Lord was in this place and I knew it not saith Jacob. The Sun many times shines when wee do not see it and the husband is many times in the house when the wife doth not know it God is in thy house hee is in thy heart though thou feest him not thou feelest him not though thou hearest him not Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee or as it may bee rendred according to the Greek I will not not leave thee neither will I not not forsake thee Art thou not now drawn out to prize God and Christ and his love above all the world yes art thou not now drawn out to give the Lord many a secret visit Cant. 2. 14 in a corner behinde the door in some dark hole where none can see thee nor hear thee but the Lord Psal 42. 1 2 3 Psal 63. 1 2 3 yes are there not strong breathings pantings and longings after a clearer vision of God and after a fuller fruition of God yes art thou not more affected and afflicted with the withdrawings of Christ than thou art with the greatest afflictions Cant. 5. 6. that ever befell thee yes Austin upon that answer of God to Moses Thou canst not see my face and Exod. 33. 20. live makes this quick and sweet reply then Lord let mee die that I may see thy face Dost thou not often tell God that there is no punishment Psal 30. 6 7 to the punishment of loss and no hell to that of being forsaken of God yes dost thou not finde a secret power in thy soul drawing thee forth to struggle with God to lay hold on God and patiently to wait on God till hee shall return unto thee and lift up the light of his countenance upon thee yes well then thou mayest bee confident that thou hast a secret and blessed presence of God with thee though God in regard of his comfortable presence may bee departed from thee nothing below a secret presence of God with a mans spirit will keep him waiting and working till the Sun of Righteousness shines upon him If any vain persons should put that deriding Mal. 4. 2. question to thee where is thy God thou mayest safely and boldly answer them my God is here hee is nigh mee hee is round about mee yea hee is in the midst of mee Zeph 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty hee will save hee will rejoyce over thee with joy hee will rest in his love hee will joy â—ver thee with singing The bush which was a type of the Church consumed not all the while it burned with fire because God was in the midst of it It is no Argument that Christ is not in the Ship because tempests and storms arise Fifthly Though God bee gone
is renewed day by day As Aristarchus the Heathen said when hee was beaten by the Tyrants Beat on it is not Aristarchus you beat it is 1 Tim. 5. 23 3 John 2. onely his shell Timothy had a very healthful soul in a crazy body and Gaius had a very prosperous soul in a weak distempered body Epictetus and many of the more refined Heathens have long since concluded that the body was the organ or vessel the soul was the man and Merchandize Now all the troubles and afflictions that a Christian meets with they do not reach his soul they touch not his conscience they make no breach upon his noble part and therefore hee hath cause to hold his peace and to lay his hands upon his mouth the soul is the breath of God the beauty of man the wonder of Angels and the envy Heb. 12. 9 Zach. 12. 1 of Devils it is a caelestial plant and of a divine off-spring it is an immortal spirit souls are of an Angelick nature a man is an Angel cloathed in clay the soul is a greater miracle in man than all the miracles wrought amongst men the soul is a demi-semi-God dwelling in a house of clay Now it is not in the power of any outward troubles and afflictions that a Christian meets with to reach his soul and therefore hee may well sit mute under the smarting Rod. Ninthly If thou wouldest bee silent and quiet under the saddest providences and sorest trials then keep up Faith in continual exercise Now Faith in the exercise of it will quiet and silence the soul thus 1 By bringing the soul to sit Joh. 14. 8 Psa 17. 15 down satisfied in the naked enjoyments of God 2 By drying up the springs of pride self-love impatience murmuring unbeleef and the carnal delights of this world 3 By presenting to the soul greater sweeter and better things Heb. 11. 8 9 10 14. Phil. 3. 7 8 in Christ than any this world doth afford 4 By lessening the souls esteem of all outward vanities do but keep up the exercise of Faith and thou wilt keep silent before the Lord. No man so mute as hee whose Faith is still busie about invisible objects Tenthly If you would keep silent then keep humble before the Lord. Oh! labour every day to bee more humble and more low and little in your own eyes who Job 7. 1 18 am I saith the humble soul but that God should cross mee in this mercy and take away that mercy and pass a sentence of death upon every mercy I am not worthy of the least mercy I deserve not a crum of mercy I have forfeited Prov. 13. 16 every mercy I have improved never a mercy Onely by pride comes contention it is onely pride that puts men upon contending with God and men an humble soul will lye quiet at the foot of God it will bee contented with bare commons As you see sheep can live upon the bare Commons which a fat Oxe cannot A Dinner of green herbs relisheth well with the humble mans palate whereas a stalled Oxe is but a course dish to a proud mans stomack an humble heart thinks none less than himself nor none worse than himself an humble heart looks upon small Gen. 32. 10 11. Austin being asked what was the first grace answered humility what the second humility what the third humility mercies as great mercies and great afflictions as small afflictions and small afflictions as no afflictions and therefore sits mute and quiet under all do â—ut keep humble and you will keep silent before the Lord pride kicks and flings and frets but an humble man hath still his hand upon his mouth Every thing on this side Hell is mercy much mercy rich mercy to an humble soul and therefore hee holds his peace Eleventhly If you would keep silence under the afflicting hand of God then keep close hold fast these soul-silencing and soul-quieting maxims or principles As First That the worst that God doth to his people in this world is in order to the making of them a Heaven on Earth hee brings them into a wilderness but it is that hee may speak comfortably to them he Hos 2. 14 casts them into the fiery furnace but it is that they may have more of his company doe the stones come thick and threefold about Stephens ears it is but to knock Act. 7. him the nearer to Christ the corner-stone c. Secondly If you would bee silent then hold fast this principle viz. That what God wills is best Heb. 12. 10 when hee wills sickness sickness is better than health when hee wills weakness weakness is better than strength when hee wills want want is better than wealth when hee wills reproach reproach is better than honour when hee wills death death is better than life As God is wisdome it self and so knows that which is best so hee is goodness it self and therefore cannot do any thing but that which is best therefore hold thy peace Thirdly If thou wouldest bee silent under thy greatest afflictions then hold fast to this principle viz. That the Lord will bear thee company in all thy afflictions Isa 41. 10 ch 43. 2. Psal 23. 4. Psal 90. 15. Dan. 3. 25. Gen. 39. 20 21. 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. These Scriptures are breasts full of divine consolation these wells of salvation are full will you turn to them and draw out that your souls may bee satisfied and quieted Fourthly If you would bee silent under your afflictions then hold fast this principle that the Lord hath more high more noble and more blessed ends in the afflicting of you than hee hath in the afflicting of the men of the world The stalk and the ear of corn fall upon the threshing flore under one and the same flail but the one is shattered in peeces the other is preserved from one and the same Olive and from under one and the same press is crushed out both Oil and dreggs but the one is tunn'd up for use the other thrown out as unserviceable and by one and the same breath the fields are perfumed with sweetness and annoyed with unpleasant savours so though afflictions do befall good and bad alike as the Scripture speaks yet Eccles 9. 2 the Lord will effect more glorious ends by those afflictions that befall his people than hee will effect by those that befall wicked men and therefore the Lord puts his people into the furnace for their trial but the wicked for their ruine the one is bettered by affliction the other is made worse the one is made soft and tender by afflictions the other is more hard and obdurate the one is drawn nearer to God by afflictions the other is driven further from God c. Fifthly If you would bee silent under your afflictions then you must hold fast this principle viz. Matth. 15. 21 29 That the best way in this world to have thine own will is
on the other side of him and there hee sees infernal fiends in fearful shapes amazing and terrifying of him and waiting to receive his despairing soul as soon as shee shall take her leave of his wretched body hee looks above him and there hee sees the gates of Heaven shut against him hee looks beneath him and there hee sees hell gaping for him and under these sad sights hee is full of secret conclusions against his own soul there is mercy for others saith the despairing soul but none for mee grace and favour for others but none for mee pardon and peace for others but none for mee As that despairing Pope said the cross could do him no good because hee had so often sold it blessedness and happiness for others but none for mee there is no help there is no hope no Jer. 2. 25. ch 18. 1â— this seems to be his case who died with this desperate saying in his mouth spes fortuna vâ—lete farewel life and hope together Now under these dismal apprehensions and sad conclusions about its present and future condition the despairing soul sits silent being filled with amazement and astonishment Psal 77. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak But this is not the Silence here meant But Seventhly and lastly There is a prudent Silence a holy a gracious Silence a Silence that springs from prudent principles from holy principles and from gracious causes and considerations and this is the Silence here meant And this I shall fully discover in my Answers to the second Question which is this Quest 2 What doth a prudent a gracious a holy Silence include Answer 1 It includes and takes in these eight things First It includes a sight of God and an acknowledgement of God as the author of all the afflictions that come upon us And this you have plain in the Text I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it The Psalmist In second causes many times a Christian may see much envy hatred malice pride c. But in the first cause he can see nothing but grace and mercy sweetness and goodness looks through secondary causes to the first cause and so sits mute before the Lord. There is no sickness so little but God hath a finger in it though it bee but the aking of the little finger As the Scribe is more eyed and properly said to write than the pen and hee that maketh and keepeth the Clock is more properly said to make it go and strike than the wheels and weights that hang upon it and as every work-man is more eyed and properly said to effect his works rather than the tools which hee useth as his instruments so the Lord who is the chief Agent and mover in all actions and who hath the greatest hand in all our afflictions is more to bee eyed and owned than any inferiour or subordinate causes whatsoever So Job hee beheld God in all Job 1. 21. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Had hee not seen God in the affliction hee would have cried out Oh these wretched Chaldeans they have plundred and spoiled mee These wicked Sabeans they have robbed and wronged mee Job discerns Gods Commission in the Chaldeans and the Sabeans hands and then laies his own hand upon his mouth So Aaron beholding the hand of God in the untimely death of his two sons holds his peace Levit. 10. 3. the sight of God in this sad stroak is a bridle both to his mind and mouth hee neither mutters nor murmurs So Joseph saw the hand of God in his brethrens selling of him into Egypt Gen. 45. 8. and that silences him Men that see not God in an affliction are easily cast into a feaverish fit they will quickly bee in a flame and when their passions are up and their hearts on fire they will begin to bee sawcy and make no bones of telling God to his teeth that they do well to bee angry Jonah 4. 8 9. Such as will not acknowledge God to bee the author of all their afflictions will bee ready enough to fall in with that mad principle of the Manachees who maintained the Devil to bee the Author of all calamities As if there could bee any evil of affliction in the City and the Lord have no hand in it Amos 3. 6. Such as can see the ordering hand of God in all their afflictions will with David lay their hands upon their mouths when the Rod of God is upon their backs 2 Sam. 16. 11 12. If Gods hand bee not seen in the affliction the heart will do nothing but fret and rage under affliction Secondly It includes and takes in some holy gracious apprehensions of the Majesty Soveraignty Dignity Authority and presence of that God under whose afflicting hand we are Hab. 2. 20. But the Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth bee silent or as the Hebrew reads it bee silent all the earth before his face When God would have all the people of the earth to bee husht quiet and silent before him hee would have them to behold him in his Temple where hee sits in state in majesty and glory Zephan 1. 7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God Chat not murmure not repine not quarrel not Whist stand mute bee silent lay thy hand on thy mouth when his hand is upon thy back who is totus oculus all-eye to see as well as all hand to punish As the eyes of a well-drawn picture are fastened on thee which way soever thou turnest so are the eies of the Lord and therefore thou hast cause to stand mute before him Thus Aaron had an eye to the soveraignty of God and that silences Levit. 10. 3 Job 37. 23 24. 1 Sam. 3. 11 19. him And Job had an eye upon the majesty of God and that stills him And Elie had an eye upon the authority and presence of God and that quiets him A man never comes to humble himself nor to bee silent under the hand of God till hee comes to see the hand of God to bee a mighty hand 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God When men look upon the hand of God as a weak hand a feeble hand a low hand a mean hand their hearts rise against his hand Who is the Lord said Pharaoh that I should obey his voice Exod. 5. 2. And till Pharaoh came to see the hand of God as a mighty hand and to feel it as a mighty hand hee would not let Israel go When Tiribazus a Noble Persian was arrested at first hee drew out his sword and defended himself but when they charged him in the Kings name and informed him that they came from the King and were commanded to bring him to the King he yeelded willingly So when afflictions arrest us we shall murmure and grumble and struggle and strive even to the death before wee shall yeeld to that God that
a rare Majesty that many in talking with them and often beholding of them have become dumb Oh my brethren shall not the brightnesse and splendor of the Majesty of the great God whose sparkling Glory and Majesty dazles the eyes of Angels and makes those Princes of glory stand mute before him move you much more to silence to hold your peace and lay your hands upon your mouths Surely yes But Secondly Consider That all your afflictions troubles and trials shall work for your good Rom. 8. 28. And wee know that all Afflictiones Benedictiones Bern. Afflictions are blessings Doubtless Manasseh would not exchange the good hee got by his Iron chains for all the gold chains that bee in the world things shall work together for good to them that love God Why then should you fret fling fume seeing God designs your good in all The Bee sucks sweet hony out of the bitterest herbs so God will by afflictions teach his children to suck sweet knowledge sweet obedience and sweet experiences c. out of all the bitter afflictions and trials hee exercises them with that scouring and rubbing which frets others shall make them shine the brighter and that weight which crushes and keeps others under shall but make them like the palm-tree grow better and higher And that hammer which knocks others all in peeces shall but knock them the nearer to Christ the corner-stone Stars shine brightest in the darkest night Torches give the best light when beaten Grapes yeeld most Wine when most pressed Spices smell sweetest when pounded Vines are the better for bleeding Gold looks the brighter for scouring Juniper smells sweetest in the fire Camomile the more you tread it the more you spread it the Salamander lives best in the fire the Jews were best when most afflicted the Athenians would never mend till they were in mourning the Christ's-cross saith Luther is no letter in the book and yet saith hee it hath taught mee more than all the letters in the book Afflictions are the Saints best benefactors to heavenly affections where afflictions hang heaviest corruptions hang loosest And grace that is hid in nature as sweet water in Rose-leaves is then most fragrant when the fire of affliction is put under to distill it out Grace shines the brighter for scouring and is most glorious when it is most clouded Pliny in his natural history Lib. 12. cap. 9. writeth of certain Trees growing in the red Seas which being beat upon by the waves stand like a rock immoveable and that they are bettered by the roughness of the waters In the Sea of afflictions God will make his people stand like a rock they shall bee immoveable and invincible and the more the waves of afflictions beat upon them the better they shall bee the more they shall thrive in grace and godliness Now how should this ingage Christians to bee mute and silent under all their troubles and trials in this world considering that they shall all work for their good God chastises our carkasses to heal our consciences hee afflicts our bodies to save our souls hee gives us gall and wormwood here that the pleasures that bee at his right hand may bee the more sweet hereafter here hee layes us upon a bed of thorns that wee may look and long more for that easie bed of down his bosome in Heaven As there is a curse wrapt up in the best things hee gives the wicked so there is a blessing wrapt up Psa 25. 10. Deut. 28 26 in the worst things hee brings upon his own As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked mans health so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly mans sickness As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked mans strength so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly mans weakness As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked mans wealth so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly mans want As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked mans honour so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly mans reproach As there is a curse wrapt up in all a wicked mans mercies so there is a blessing wrapt up in all a godly mans crosses losses and changes and why then should hee not sit mute and silent before the Lord But Thirdly Consider That a holy silence is that excellent precious grace that lends a hand of support to every grace Silence is Rom. 15. 4 Custos the Keeper of all other virtues it lends a hand to Faith a hand to Hope a hand to Love a hand to Humility a hand to Self-denial c. A holy silence hath its influences upon all other graces that bee in the soul it causes the Rose-buds of grace to blossome and bud forth Silence is virtus versata circa adversa a grace that keeps a man gracious in all conditions in every condition Silence is a Christians right hand in prosperity it bears the soul up under all the envy malice hatred and censures of the world in adversity it bears the soul up under all the neglect scorn and contempt that a Christian meets with in the world it makes every bitter sweet every burden light and every yoak easie And this the very Heathen seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia to shew that silence under sufferings was the ready way to attain true comfort and make every bitter sweet No man honours God nor no man justifies God at so high a rate as hee who layes his hand upon his mouth when the Rod of God is upon his back But Fourthly To move you to Silence under your sorest and your sharpest trials consider That you Lam. 3. 39 Mic. 7. 7 8 9 have deserved greater and heavier afflictions than those you are under hath God taken away one mercy thou hast deserved to bee stript of all hath hee taken away the delight of thine eyes he might have taken away the delight of thy soul art thou under outward wants thou hast deserved to be under outward and inward together art thou cast upon a sick-bed thou hast deserved a bed in Hell art thou under this ach and that pain thou hast deserved to bee under all aches and pains at once hath God chastised thee with whips thou hast deserved to bee chastised with 1 King 12. 11 14. Scorpions art thou fallen from the highest pinacle of honour to be the scorn and contempt of men thou hast deserved to bee scorned and contemned by God and Angels art thou under a severe whipping thou hast deserved an utter damning Ah Christians let but your eyes bee fixt upon your demerits and your hands will bee quickly upon your mouths whatever is less than a final separation from God whatever is less than Hell is mercy and therefore you have cause to bee silent under the smartest dealings of God with you But Fifthly Consider A quiet silent spirit is of great
affliction comes in love upon a soul the language of that soul is this Lord remove the cause rather than the effect the sin rather than the punishment my corruption rather than my affliction Lord what will it avail mee to have the sore skinned over if the corrupt matter still remains in there is no evil Lord to the evil of sin and therefore deliver mee rather from the evil of sâ—n than the evil of sufferings I know Lord that affliction cannot bee so displeasing to mee as sin is dishonourable and displeasing to thee and therefore Lord let mee see an end of my sin though in this world I should never see an end of my sorrows Oh! let mee see an end of my corruptions though I should never see an end of my corrections Lord I had rather have a cure for my heart than a cure for my head I had rather bee made whole and sound within than without I had rather have a healthy soul than a healthy body a pure inside than a beautiful outside if this bee the setled frame and temper of thy spirit certainly thy afflictions are in love There was one who being under marvelous great pains and torments in his body occasioned by many sore diseases that were upon him cryed out had I all the world I would give it for ease and yet for all the world I would not have ease till the cure bee wrought sure his afflictions were in love the first request the great request and the last request of a soul afflicted in love is a cure Lord a cure Lord a cure Lord of this wretched heart and this sinful life and all will bee well all will bee well Eighthly and lastly If you live a life of Faith in your afflictions then your afflictions are in love Now what is it to live by Faith in affliction but to live in the exercising These following promises have been choice cordials to many Christians under sore distresses Isa 57. 15 ch 41. 10 1 Tim. 1. 15 Joh. 10. 27 28 29 Isa 26. 3 Mat. 11. 28 1 Joh. 3. 14 of Faith upon those precious promises that are made over to an afflicted condition God hath promised to bee with his people in their afflictions Isa 43. 2 3. hee hath promised to support them under their afflictions Isa 41. 10. hee hath promised to deliver his people out of their afflictions Psal 50. 15. hee hath promised to purge away his peoples sins by affliction Isa 1. 25. hee hath promised to make his people more partakers of his holiness by affliction Heb. 12. 10. hee hath promised to make afflictions an inlet to a more full and sweet enjoyment of himself Hosea 2. 14. hee hath promised that hee will never leave nor forsake his people in their afflictions Heb. 13. 5 6. hee hath promised that all their afflictions shall work for their good Zech. 13. 9. Rom. 8. 28. Now if thy Faith bee drawn forth to feed upon these promises if these bee heavenly Manna to thy Faith and thy soul lives upon them and sucks stre 〈…〉 〈◊〉 sweetness from them und 〈…〉 〈◊〉 trials and troubles that 〈◊〉 〈…〉 on thee thy afflictions are in love A Bee can suck honey out of a flower which a Flie cannot if thy Faith can extract comfort and sweetness in thy saddest distresses out of the breasts of precious promises and gather one contrary out of another Honey out of the Deut. 32. 13. Rock thy afflictions are in love The Promises are full breasts and God delights that Faith should As the mother delights that the childe should draw hers draw them they are pabulum fidei anima fidei the food of Faith and the very soul of Faith They are an everlasting spring that can never bee drawn dry they are an inexhaustible treasure that can never bee exhausted they are the garden of Paradise and full of such choice flowers that will never fade but bee alwaies fresh sweet green and flourishing and if in the day of affliction they prove thus to thy soul thy afflictions are in love Sertorius paid Plutarch what hee promised with fair words but so doth not God men many times eat their words but God will never eat his all his promises in Christ are Yea and in 2 Cor. 1. 20. him Amen hath hee spoken it and shall it not come to pass if in all thy troubles thy heart bee drawn forth to act Faith upon the promises thy troubles are from love and thus much by way of answer to the first Objection Object 2 Oh but Sir The Lord hath smitten mee in my nearest and dearest comforts and contentments and how then can I hold my peace God hath taken away a husband a wife a childe an onely childe a bosome friend and how then can I bee silent c. Answ To this I Answer First If God did not strike thee in that mercy which was near and dear unto thee it would not amount to an affliction that is not worthy the name of an affliction that doth not strike at some bosome mercy that trouble is no trouble that doth not touch some choice contentment that storm is no storm that onely blows off the leaves but never hurts the fruit that thrust is no thrust that onely touches the cloaths but never reaches the skin that cut is no cut that onely cuts the hatt but never touches the head neither is that affliction any affliction that onely reaches some remote enjoyment but never reaches a Joseph a Benjamin c. Secondly The best mercy is not too good for the best God the best of the best is not good enough for him who is goodness it self the best childe the best yoak-fellow the best friend the best Jewel in all thy Crown must bee readily resigned to thy best God Isa 43. 22 25. Mal. 1. 13 14. there is no mercy no enjoyment no contentment worthy of God but the best the milk of mercy is for others the cream of mercy is due to God the choicest the fairest and the sweetest flowers are fittest for the bosome of God if hee will take the best flower in all thy garden and plant it in a better soil hast thou any cause to murmure wilt thou not hold thy peace Thirdly Your near and dear mercies were first the Lords before they were yours and alwaies the Lords more than they were yours when God gives a mercy hee doth not relinquish his own right in that mercy 1 Chron. 29. 14. All things come of thee and of thine own have wee given thee The sweet of mercy is yours but the sovereign right to dispose of your mercies is the Lords Quicquid es debes creanti quicquid potes debes redimenti Bern. Whatsoever thou art thou owest to him that made thee and whatsoever thou hast thou owest to him that redeemed thee You say it is but just and reasonable that men should do with their own as they please and is it not just and
quiet for that God that hath taken away one childe might have took away every childe and hee that hath taken away one friend might have taken away every friend and hee that hath taken away a part of thy estate might have taken away thy whole estate therefore hold thy peace let who will murmure yet bee thou mute Sixthly It may bee thy sins have been much about thy near and dear injoyments it may bee thou hast over-loved them and over-prized them and over-much delighted thy self in them it may bee they have often had thy heart when they should have had but thy hand it may bee that care that fear that confidence that joy that should have been expended upon more noble objects hath been expended upon them thy heart Oh Christian is Christs bed of spices and it may bee thou hast beded thy mercies with thee when Christ hath been put to lye in an Luk. 2. 7 out-house thou hast had room for them when thou hast had none for him they have had the best when the worst have been counted good enough for Christ It is said of Gen. 49. 4. Ruben that hee went up to his Fathers bed Ah! how often hath one creature-comfort and sometimes another put in between Christ and your souâ—s how often have your dear injoyments gone up to Christs bed It is said of the babylonians that they came in to Aholah Ezek. 23. 17. and Aholibahs bed of love may it not hee said of your near and dear mercies that they have come into Christs bed of lovâ— your hearts they being that bed wherein Christ Cant. 3. 7 delights to rest and repose himself Now if a husband a childe a friend shall take up that room in thy soul that is proper and peculiar to God God will either imbitter it remove it or bee the death â—f it if once the love of a wife runs out more to a servant than to her husband the Master will turn him out of doors though otherwise hee were a servant worth gold The sweetest comforts of this life they are but like treasures of Snow now do but take a handful of Snow and crush it in your hands and it will melt away presently but if you let it lye upon the ground it will continue for some time and so it is with the contentments of this world if you grasp them in your hands and lay them too near your hearts they will quickly melt and vanish away but if you will not hold them too fast in your hands nor lay them too close to your hearts they will abide the longer with you There are those that love their mercies into their graves that hug their mercies to death that kiss them till they kill them Many a man hath slain his mercies by setting too great a value upon them many a man hath â—unk his ship of mercie by taking up in it over-loved mercies are seldome long-liv'd Ezek. 24. 21. when I take from them the joy of their glory the desire of their eyes and that whereupon they set their minds their sons and their daughters the way to lose your mercies is to indulge them the way to destroy them is to fix your minds and hearts upon them thou mayest write bitterness and death upon that mercie first that hath first taken away thy heart from God Now if God hath stript thee of that very mercy with which thou hast often committed spiritual Adultery and Idolatry hast thou any cause to murmure hast thou not rather cause to hold thy peace and to be mute before the Lord Christians your hearts are Christs royal Throne and in this Throne Christ will bee chief as Pharaoh said to Joseph Gen. 41. 40. hee will endure no competitor if you shall attempt to throne the creature bee it never so near and dear unto you Christ will dethrone it hee will destroy it hee will quickly lay them in a bed of dust who shall aspire to his royal Throne But Seventhly Thou hast no cause to murmure because of the loss of such near and dear enjoyments considering those more noble and spiritual mercies and favours that thou still enjoyest grant that Joseph is not and Benjamin is not yet Gen. 42. 36 Heb. 13. 8 Jesus is hee is yesterday and to day and the same for ever thy union and communion with Christ remains 1 Joh. 3. 9. still the immortal seed abides in thee still the Sun of Righteousness shines upon thee still thou art in favour with God still and thou art under the anointings of the Spirit still and under the influences of Heaven still c. and why then shouldest thou mutter and not rather hold thy peace I have read Jerom. of one Dydimus a godly Preacher who was blind Alexander a godly man once ask'd him whether hee was not sore troubled and afflicted for want of his sight Oh yes I said Dydimus it is a great affliction and grief unto mee then Alexander chid him saying hath God given you the excellency of an Angel of an Apostle and are you troubled for that which Rats and Mice and brute beasts have So say I Ah Ephes 1. 3 4 Christians hath God blessed you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places hath the Lord given you himself for a portion hath hee given you his Son for your redemption and his Spirit for your instruction and will you murmure hath hee given his gracâ— to adorn you his promises to comforâ— you his ordinances to better you and the hopes of Heaven to encourage you and will you mutter Paulinus Nolanus when his City was taken from him prayed thus Lord said hee let mee not bee troubled at the loss of my gold silver honour c. for thou art all and much more than all these unto mee in the want of all your sweetest enjoyments Christ will bee all in all unto you my Jewels are my husband said Phocion's wife Col. 3. 11 Plutarâ—h in vita Phocion my ornaments are my two sons said the Mother of the Gracchi my treasures are my friends said Constantius and so may a Christian under his greatest losses say Christ is my richest Jewels my chiefest treasures my best ornaments my sweetest delights look what all these things are to a carnal heart a worldly heart that and more is Christ to mee Eighthly If God by smiting thee in thy nearest and dearest injâ—yments shall put thee upon a more thorow smiting and mortifying of thy dearest sins thou hast no cause to murmure God cures David of adultery by killing his endeared childe There is some Dalilah some darling some beloved sin or Psa 18. 23 Heb. 12. 1 other that a Christians calling condition constitution or temptations leads him to play withall and to hug in his own bosome rather than some other As in a ground that lieth untilled amongst the great variety of weeds there is usually some master-weed that is rifer and ranker than all the rest And as it
witness the proofs in the Margin thy afflictions are but as a moment they are but as yesterday if compared with the afflictions of other Saints whose whole lives have been made up of sorrows and sufferings as the life of Christ was many a mans life hath been nothing but a lingring death Job 21. 25. And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul and never eateth with pleasure There are those that have never a good day all their daies who have not a day of rest among all their daies of trouble not a day of health among all their daies of sickness nor a day of gladness among all their daies of sadness nor a day of strength among all their daies of weakness nor a day of honour among all their daies of reproach whose whole life is one continued winters night who every day drink gall and wormwood who lye down sighing who rise groaning and who spend their daies in complaining no sorrow to our sorrows no sufferings to our sufferings some there bee who have alwaies tears in their eyes sorrows in their hearts rods on their backs and crosses in their hands but it is not so with thee therefore bee silent Thirdly The longer thy affliction hath been the sweeter will Heaven bee to thee at last the Psal 126. 1 2 5 6. compared longer the Israelites had been in the wilderness the sweeter was Canaan to them at last the longer the storm the sweeter the calm the longer the winter nights the sweeter the summer daies long afflictions will much set off the glory of Heaven the harbour is most sweet and desirable to them that have been long tossed upon the Seas So will Heaven bee to those who have been long in a Sea of troubles The new Wine of Christs Kingdome is most sweet to Luk. 22. 18 those that have been long a drinking of gall and vinegar the Crown of glory will bee most delightful to them who have been long in combating with the world the flesh and the devil The longer our Journey is the sweeter will be our end and the longer our passage is the sweeter will our Haven be the higher the mountain the gladder wee shall bee when wee are got to the top of it the longer the heir is kept from his inheritance the more delight hee will have when hee comes to possess it Fourthly They are not long but short if compared to that eternity of glory that is reserved for the Saints 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. If you turn to the words you shall See this largely opened in my String of Pearls finde for affliction glory for light afflictions a weight of glory and for short momentany afflictions eternal glory there will quickly be an end of thy sadnesse but there will never be an end of thy happiness there will soon bee an end of thy calamity and misery there will never be and end of thy felicity and glory the Kingdomes of this world are not Psal 45. 72. 89. Isa 9. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 4 2 Epist 1. 11. lasting much less are they everlasting they have all their climacterical years but the Kingdome of Heaven is an everlasting Kingdome of that there is no end There were seven sorts of Crowns that were that were in use among the Roman Victors but they were all fading and perishing but the Crown of glory that at last God will set upon the heads of his Saints shall continue as long as God himself continues Who can look upon those eternal Mansions that are above and those everlasting pleasures that bee at Gods right hand and say that his affliction is long Well Christian let thy afflictions be never so long yet one hours being in the bosome of Christ will make thee forget both the length and strength of all thy afflictions Fifthly The longer you have been afflicted the more in spiritual experiences you have been enriched 2 Cor. 1. 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. The lower the ebbe the higher the tide the more pain the more gain the more afflicted the more comforted the lower wee are cast the higher we shall bee raised Of all Christians none so rich in spiritual experiences as those that have Heb. 12. 11 2 Cor. 12. 9 Job 33. 17 22 been long in the school of affliction Oh the blessed stories that such can tell of the power of God supporting them of the wisdome of God directing them of the favour of God comforting them of the presence of God assisting them Oh the love-tokens the love-letters the bracelets the Jewels that they are able to produce since they have been in the furnace of affliction Oh the sins that long afflictions have discovered and mortified O the temptations that long afflictions have prevented and vanquished you shall as soon number the stars of Heaven and the sands of the Sea as you shall number up the heavenly experiences of such Christians that have been long under afflictions the afflicted Christians heart is fullest of spiritual treasure though hee may bee poor in the world yet James 2. 5 hee is rich in faith and holy experiences and what are all the riches of this world to spiritual experiences one spiritual experience is more worth than a world and upon a dying-bed and before a judgement seat every man will bee of this opinion The men of this world will with much quietness and calmness of spirit bear much and suffer much I and suffer long when they finde their sufferings to add to their revenues and shall nature do more than grace It is the common voice of nature Who will shew us any Psal 4. â— good how shall wee come to be great and high and rich in the world wee care not what wee suffer nor how long wee suffer so wee may but add house to house Isa 5. 8 heap to heap bagg to bagg and land to land Oh how much more then should Christians bee quiet and calm under all their afflictions though they are never so long considering that they do but add Jewels to a Christians Crown they do but adde to his spiritual experiences the long afflicted Christian hath the fullest and the greatest trade and in the day of account will bee found the richest man Sixthly Long afflictions sometimes are but preparatives to long liv'd mercies Josephs thirteen years imprisonment was but a preparative to fourscore years reigning like a King Davids seven years banishment was but a preparative to forty years reigning in much honour and glory Jobs long afflictions were but preparatives to more long-lived mercies as you may see in that last of Job and those sad and sore trials that the Jews have been under for above this sixteen hundred years are to prepare them for those matchless mercies and those Isa 62. 63. and ch 66 endless glories in some sense that God in the latter daies will crown them with Isa 54. 11 12
yet hee will return again though your Sun bee now set in a cloud yet it will rise again though sorrow may abide for a night yet joy Isa 17. 14 Psal 30. 5. Psal 40. 1 2 3 Psal 5. 11 Psal 42. 5 8 9 11 comes in the morning A Christians mourning shall last but till morning Micah 7. 19. Hee will turn again hee will have compassion upon us Cant. 3. 4. It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and I would not let him go c. Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within mee thy comforts delight my soul Isa 54. 7 8 10. For a moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer for the mountains shall depart and the hills bee removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace bee removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee God will not suffer his whole displeasure to arise upon his people neither will hee forsake them totally or finally the Saints shall taste but some sips of the cup of Gods wrath sinners shall drink the dreggs their storm shall end in a calm and their winter night shall be turned into a summers day There was a woman who was thirteen years under desertion which was so vehement that for the most part of her time shee was fain to keep her bed through weakness A godly Minister who was affected with her condition went to comfort her and to pray with her but when hee came and offered to do it shee shrieked out utterly refusing and forbidding him to pray with her for said shee I have too many abused mercies to answer for already yet hee would not bee put off but prayed by her and so prevailed with God on her behalf that the next morning shee was delivered from all her fears and had such exceeding joy that the like hath rarely been heard of the Lord that had been long withdrawn from her returned at length in a way of singular mercy to her There was So Mris. Honeywood Mris. Katherine Breterg and divers others another precious woman who was several years deserted and hearing a precious godly Minister preach shee of a sudden fell down overwhelmed with joy crying out O! hee is come whom my soul loveth and for divers daies after shee was filled with such exceeding joyes and had such gracious and singular ravishing expressions so fluently coming from her that many came to hear the rare manifestations of Gods grace in her the lowest of her pious expressions did exceed the highest that ever the Minister had read in the book of Martyrs But Sixthly and lasty Gods deserting Gods forsaking of his people shall many waies work for their good As First God by withdrawing from his people will prepare and fit them for greater refreshings manifestations and consolations Psal 71. 11 20 21. Saying God hath forsaken him persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him But shall this forelorn condition work for his good yes Thou which hast shewed mee great and sore troubles shalt quicken mee again and shalt bring mee up again from the depths of the earth Thou shalt encrease my greatness and comfort mee on every side When Josephs brethren were in Gen. 45. 1 2 3 4 their greatest distress then Joseph makes known himself most fully to them so doth Christ our spiritual Joseph to his people Hudson the Martyr deserted at the stake went from under his chain and having prayed earnestly was comforted immediately and suffered valiantly 2 By Gods withdrawing from his people hee prevents his peoples withdrawing from him and so by an affliction hee prevents sin for God to withdraw from mee is but Heb. 10. 38 39. Christ the Captain of our salvation will execute Martial Law upon all that withdraw from their colours c. my affliction but for mee to withdraw from God that is my sin and therefore it were better for mee that God should withdraw a thousand times from mee than that I should once withdraw from God God therefore forsakes us that wee may not forsake our God God sometimes hides himself that wee may cleave the clâ—ser to him and hang the faster upon him As the Mother hides her self from the childe for a time that the childe may cleave the closer and hang the faster upon her all the day long God sometimes hid himself from David Psal 30. 7. Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled I was all-amort well and is that all no vers 8. I cried to thee O Lord and unto the Lord I made supplication Now hee cries louder and cleaves closer to God than ever so in that Psal 63. 1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary Well and how do these withdrawings of God work why this you may see in verse 8. My soul followeth hard after thee or as the Hebrew reads it my soul cleaveth after thee look as the husband cleaves to his wife so doth my soul cleave to the Lord the Psalmist now follows God even hard Gen. 2. 24 at heels as wee say But Thirdly The Lord by withdrawing from his people will inhance and raise the price and commend the worth excellency sweetness 2 Pet. 1. 4 and usefulness of several precious promises which otherwise would bee but as dry breasts and as useless weapons to the soul As that Micah 7. 18 19. Hee will turn again hee will have compassion upon us c. and that Isa 54. 7 8. but now opened and that Heb. 13. 5 6. and that Hab. 2. 3. and that And that John 14. 21 23. and that 1 Sam. 12. 20. Isa 60. 19 ult Psal 5. 12. For thou Lord wilt bless the Righteous with favour thou wilt compass him or crown him as with a shield the Lord will compass the righteous about with his favour as the Crown compasses about the head as the Hebrew imports and that Psal 112. 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in darkness hee is gracious and full of compassion and righteous And that Jer. 3â— 37. Thus saith the Lord if Heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. As sure as Heaven cannot bee measured nor the foundations of the earth searched by the skill or power of any mortal man So sure and certain it is that God will not utterly cast off his people no noâ— for all the evil that they have done
by one Grimwood shortly after the said Grimwood being in perfect health his bowels suddenly fell out of his body and so hee died miserably Narcissus a godly Bishop of Jerusalem was falsely accused by three men of many foul matters who sealed up with oaths and imprecations their false testimonies but shortly after that one of them with Euseb his whole family and substance was burnt with fire another of them was stricken with a grievous disease such as in his imprecation hee had wished to himself the third terrified with the sight of Gods judgements upon the former became very penitent and poured out the grief of his heart in such abundance of tears that thereby hee became blinde A wicked wretch under Commodus Niceph. the Emperour accused Apollonius a godly Christian to the Judges for certain grievous crimes which when hee could not prove hee was adjudged to have his leggs broken according to an antient Law of the Romans Gregory Bradway falsely accused one Brook but shortly after through terrours of conscience hee sought to cut his own throat but being prevented hee fell mad I have read of Socrates's two false accusers how that the one was trodden to death by the multitude and the other was forced to avoid the like by a voluntary banishment I might produce a multitude of other instances but let these suffice to evidence how swift and terrible a witness God hath been against those that have been false accusers of his people and that have laded their precious names with scorn and reproach the serious consideration of which should make the accused and reproached Christian to sit dumb and silent before the Lord. Eighthly and lastly God himself is daily reproached men tremble not to cast scorn and contempt upon God himself sometimes they charge the Lord that his waies are not equal that it is a Ezek. 18. 25. ch 29. 33. 17. 20 29. Jer. 2. 5 6. wrong way hee goeth in sometimes they charge God with cruelty My punishment is greater than I am able to bear Gen. 4. 13. Sometimes they charge God with partiality and respect of persons because here hee stroaks and there hee strikes here hee lifts up and there hee casts down here hee smiles and there hee frowns here hee gives much and there hee gives nothing here hee loves and there hee hates here hee prospers Rom 9 Psal 50. 21 It were very strange that I should please a world of men when God himself doth not give every man content Salv. one and there hee blasts another Mal. 2. 17. Where is the God of judgement i. e. no where either there is no God of judgement or at least not a God of exact precise and imparâ—ial judgement c. Sometimes they charge God with unbountifulness that hee is a God that will set his people to hard work to much work but will pay them no wages nor give them no reward Mal. 3. 14. Yee have said it is in 〈◊〉 to serve God and what profit is it that wee have kept his ordinances and that wee have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Sometimes they charge God that hee is a hard Master and that hee reaps where hee hath not sown and gathers where hee hath not strowed Mat. 25. 24 c. Oh the infinite reproach and scorn that is every day that is every hour in the day cast upon the Lord his name his truth his waies his ordinances his glory Alass all the scorn and contempt that is cast upon all the Saints all the world over is nothing to that which is cast upon the great God every hour and yet hee is patient Ah! how hardly do most men think of God and how hardly do they speak of God and how unhansomely do they carry it towards God and yet hee bears They that will not spare God himself his name his truth his honour shall wee think it much that they spare not us or our names c. surely no. Why should wee look that those should give us good words that cannot afford God a good word from one weeks end to another yea from one years end to another why should wee look that they should cry out Hosanna Hosanna to us when as every day they cry out of Christ crucifie him crucifie him Mat. 10. 25. It is enough for the Disciple that hee bee as his Master and the servant as his Lord if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub or a Master-flye or a dung-hill god or the chief Devil how much more shall they call them of his houshold It is preferment enough for the servant to be as his Lord and if they make no bones of staining and blaspheming the name of the Lord never wonder if they flye-blow thy name and let this suffice to quiet and silence your hearts Christians under all that scorn and contempt that is cast upon your names and reputations in this world The tenth and last Objection is this Sir In this my affliction I have sought to the Lord for this that mercy and still God delaies mee and puts mee off I have several times thought that mercy had been near that deliverance had been at the door but now I see it is afar off how can I then hold my peace how can I bee silent under such delaies and disappointments To this Objection I shall give you these Answers First The Lord doth not alwaies time his Answers to the swiftness of his peoples expectations hee that is the God of our mercies is the Lord of our times God hath delayed long his dearest Saints times belonging to him as Psal 70. 5 Psal 6. 13 Psal 13 1 2 Psal 94. 3 4 Zech. 1. 12 well as issue Hab. 1. 2. O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry out unto thee for violence and thou wilt not help Job 19. 7. Behold I cry out of violence but I have no answer I cry but there is no judgement Psal 69. 3. I am weary of crying my throat is dry mine eyes fail while I wait for my God Psal 40. 17. Make no tâ—â—rying O my God! Though God had promised him a Crown a Kingdome yet hee puts him off from day to day and for all his haste hee must stay for it till the set time is come Paul was delayed 2 Cor. 1. 8 9 Psal 105. 17 18 19 so long till hee even despaired of life and had the sentence of death in himself And Joseph was delayed so long till the Irons entred into his soul So hee delayed long the giving in of comfort to Mr. Glover though hee had sought him frequently earnestly and denied himself to the death for Christ Augustine being under convictions a showre of tears came from him and casting himself on the ground under a Fig-tree hee cries out O Lord how long how long shall I say to morrow to morrow why not to day Lord why not to day Though Abigail made haste to
prevent Davids fury and Rahab made haste to hang out her scarlet threed yet God doth not alwaies make haste to hear and save his dearest children and therefore hold thy peace hee deals no worse with thee than hee hath done by his dearest Jewels Secondly Though the Lord doth defer and delay you for a time yet hee will come and mercy and deliverance shall certainly Deut. 32. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 12. 17 41 42 51 come hee will not alwaies forget the cry of the poor Heb. 10. 37 For yet a little little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry Hab. 2. 3. The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it God will come and mercy will come though for the present thy Sun bee set and thy God seems to neglect thee yet thy Sun will rise again and thy God will answer all thy prayers and supply all thy necessities Psal 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed mee great and sore troubles shalt quicken mee again and shalt bring mee up again from the depths of the earth Thou shalt encrease my greatness and comfort mee on every side Three Martyrs being brought to the stake and all bound one of them slips from under his chain to admiration and falls down upon the ground and wrastled earnestly with God for the sense of his love and God gave it in to him then and so hee came and embraced the stake and died chearfully a glorious Martyr God delaies him till hee was at the stake and till hee was bound and then sweetly lets out himself to him Thirdly Though God do delay thee yet hee doth not forget thee hee remembers thee still thou art Isa 49. 14 15 16 Jer. 31. 20. Psal 77. 9 10 Isa 54. 7 8 9 10 Isa 62. 3 4 5 still in his eye and alwaies upon his heart hee can as soon forget himself as forget his people the Bride shall sooner forget her ornaments and the Mother shall sooner forget her sucking childe and the Wife shall sooner forget her Husband than the Lord shall forget his people Though Sabinâ—s in Seneca could never in all his life time remember those three names of Homer Ulysses and Achilles yet God alwaies knows and remembers his people by name Gen. 8. 1. ch 19. 29. 30. 31. 1 Sam. 1. 9. Jonah 4. 10 11 c. therefore bee silent hold thy peace thy God hath not forgotten thee though for the present hee hath delayed thee Fourthly Gods time is alwaies the best time God alwaies takes the best and fittest seasons to do us good Isa 49. 8. Thus saith the Lord in an acceptable time have I heard thâ—e and in a day of salvation have I helped thee I could have heard thee before and have help'd thee before but I have taken the most acceptable time to do both To set God his time is to limit him it is to exalt our selves above him as if Psal 78. 41 wee were wiser than God though wee are not wise enough to improve the times and seasons which God hath set us to serve and honour him in yet wee are apt to think that wee are wise enough to set God his time when to hear and when to save and when to deliver to circumscribe God to our time and to make our selves Lords of time what is this but to devest Act. 1. 7. ch 17. 26 God of his royalty and soveraignty of appointing times it is but just and equal that that God that hath made time and that hath the sole power to appoint and dispose of time that hee should take his own time to do his people good wee are many times humorous preposterous and hasty and now wee must have mercy or wee dye deliverance or wee are undone but our impatience will never help us to a mercy one hour one moment before the time that God hath set the best God will alwaies take the best time to hand out mercies to his peopleâ— there is no mercy so fair so ripe so lovely so beautiful as that which God gives out in his own time therefore hold thy peace though God delaies thee yet bee silent for there is no possibility of wringing a mercy out of Gods hand till the mercy bee ripe for us and wee ripe for the mercy Eccles 3. 11. Fifthly The Lord in this life will certainly recompence and make his children amends for all Psa 90. 15 Psal 70. 20 21. the first and last chapters of Job compared the delaies and put offs that hee exercises them with in this world As hee did Abraham in giving him such a Son as Isaac was and Hannah in giving her a Samuel hee delayed Joseph long but at length hee changes his Iron fetters into chains of gold his rags into royal Robes his stocks into a Chariot his prison into a palace his bed of thorns into a bed of down his reproach into honour and his thirty years of suffering into eighty years reigning in much grandeur and glory so God delayed David long but when 2 Sam. 1 his suffering hours were out hee is anointed and the Crown of Israel is set upon his head and hee is made very victorious very famous and glorious for forty years together Well Christians God will certainly pay you interest upon interest for all the delaies that you meet with and therefore hold your peace But Sixthly and lastly The Lord never delaies the giving in of this mercy or that deliverance or th' other favour but upon great and weighty reasons and therefore hold thy peace Quest But what are the reasons that God doth so delay and put off his people from time to time as wee see hee doth Answ First For the trial of his people and for the differencing Mat. 15. 21 29. 1 Pet. 1. 7 Job 23. 8 9 10 Deut. 8. 2 and distinguishing of them from others As the furnace tries gold so delaies will try what metal a Christian is made of delaies will try both the truth and the strength of a Christians graces delaies are a Christian-touchstone a lapis Lydius that will try what metal men are made of whether they bee gold or dross silver or tin whether they bee sincere or unsound whether they bee real or rotten Christians As a Father by crossing and delaying his children tries their dispositions and makes a full discovery of them so that hee can say that childe is of a muttering and grumbling disposition and that is of an humorous and wayward disposition but the rest are of a meek sweet humble and gentle disposition So the Lord by delaying and crossing of his children hee discovers their different dispositions The manner of the Psylli Plin. lib. 28. which are a kinde of people of that temper and constitution that no venome will hurt them is that if they suspect any childe to bee none of their own they
set an Adder upon it to sting it and if it cry and the flesh swell they cast it away as a spurious issue but if iâ— do not cry if it do not so much as quatch nor do not grow the worse for it then they account it for their own and make very much of it So the Lord by delaies which are as the stinging of the Adder tries his children if they patiently quietly and sweetly can bear them then the Lord will own them and make much of them as those that are near and dear unto him but if under delaies they fall a crying roaring storming vexing and fretting the Lord will not own them but reckon them as bastards and no sons Heb. 12. 8. Secondly That they may have the greater experience of his power grace love and mercy in the close Christ loved Martha and her Sisters and Lazarus yet Joh. 11. 3 5 6 17 hee defers his coming for several daies and Lazarus must die bee put in the grave and lye there till hee stinks and why so but that they might have the greater experience of his power grace and love towar 〈…〉 them Thirdly To sharpen his childrens appetite and to put a greater edge upon their desires to make Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4 Isa 26. 8 9 16. them cry out as a woman in travel or as a man that is in danger of drowning God delaies that his people may set upon him with greater strength and importunity hee puts them off that they may put on with more life and vigour God seems to be cold that hee may make us the more hot hee seems to bee slack that hee may make us the more earnest hee seems to bee backward that hee may make us the more forward in pressing upon him the Father delaies the childe that hee may make him the more eager and so doth God his that hee may make them the more divinely violent When Balaam Numb 22. 15 had once put off Balak hee sent again saith the Text certain Princes more and more honourable than they Balaam's put off did but make Balak the more importunate it did but encrease and whet his desires this is that that God aims at by all his put offs to make his children more earnest to whet up their spirits and that they may send up more and yet more honourable prayers after him that they may cry more earnestly strive more mightily and wrestle more importunately with God and that they may take Heaven with a more sacred violence Anglers draw back the hook that the fish may bee the more forward to bite and God sometimes seems to draw back but it is onely that wee may press the more on And therefore as Anglers when they have long waited and perceive that the fish do not so much as nibble at the bait yet do they not impatiently throw away the Rod or break the Hook and Line but pull up and look upon the baiâ— and mend it and so throw it in again and then the fish bites so when a Christian praies and praies and yet catches nothing God seems to bee silent and Heaven seems to bee shut against him yet let him not cast off prayer but mend his prayer pray more beleevingly pray more affectionately and pray more fervently and then the fish will bite then mercy will come and comfort will come and deliverance will come But Fourthly God delaies and puts off his people many times that hee may make a fuller discovery of themselves to themselves Few Christians see themselves and understand themselves by delaies God discovers much of a mans sinfull self to his religious self much of his worser part to his better part of his ignoble part to his most noble part When the fire is put under the pot then the scum appears so when God delaies a poor soul Oh! how doth the scum of pride the scum of murmuring the scum of quarrelling the scum of distrust the scum of impatience the scum of despair 2 King 6. 33 discover it self in the heart of a poor creature I have read of a fool who being left in a chamber and the door locked when hee was asleep after hee awakes and findes the door fast and all the people gone hee cries out at the window O my self my self O my self So when God shuts the door upon his people when hee delaies them and puts them off Ah! what cause have they to cry out of themselves to cry out of proud self and worldly self and Psal 73. 21 22 carnal self and foolish self and â—roward self c. Wee are very apt saith Seneca utimur perspicillis magis quam speculis to use spectacles to behold other mens faults rather than looking-glasses to behold our own but now Gods delaies are as a looking-glass in which God gives his people to see their own faults Oh! that baseness that vileness that wretchedness that sink of filthiness that gulf of wickedness that God by delaies discovers to bee in the hearts of men But Fifthly God delaies and puts off his people to enhaunce to raise the price of mercy the price of deliverance wee usually set the highest price the greatest esteem upon such things that wee obtain with greatest difficulty what we dearly Act. 22. 28 Cant. 3. 4 buy that we highly prize the more sighs tears weepings waitings watchings strivings earnest longings this mercy and that deliverance and the other favour costs us the more highly wee shall value them when a delaied mercy comes it â—astes more like a mercy it sticks more like a mercy it warms more like a mercy it works more like a mercy and it endears the heart to God like a mercy more than any other mercy that a man enjoyes This is the childe saith Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 27. after God had long delayed her for which I prayed and the Lord hath given mee my petition which I asked of him Delaied mercy is the cream of mercy no mercy so sweet so dear so precious to a man as that which a man hath gained after many put offs Mr. Glover the Martyr sought the Lord earnestly and frequently for some special mercies and the Lord delaied him long but when hee was even at the stake then the Lord gave in the mercies to him and then as a man over joyed hee cries out to his friend hee is come hee is come But Sixthly The Lord delaies his people that hee may pay them home in their own coin God sometimes loves to retaliate The Spouse puts off Christ Cant. 5. 2. I have put off Prov. 1. 23 ult Zach. 7. 13 my coat how can I put it on c. And Christ puts her off vers 5 6 7 8. Thou hast put off God from day to day from month to month yea from year to year and therefore if God puts thee off from day to day or from year to year hast thou any cause to complain surely no thou hast often and long
to lye down in the will of God and quietly to resign up thy self to the good will and pleasure of God Luther was a man that could have any thing of God and why why because hee submitted his will to the will of God hee lost his will in the will of God Oh soul it shall bee even as thou wilt if thy will bee swallowed up in the will of God Sixthly and lastly If thou wouldest bee silent under the afflicting hand of God then thou must hold Psa 94. 19 Dan. 9. 19 24 Gen. 28. 7 Act. 16. 27 ch Hos 2. 14 fast to this principle viz. That God will make times of affliction to be times of special manifestations of divine love and favour to thee Tiburtius saw a Paradise when hee walked upon hot burning coals I could confirm this by a cloud of witnesses but that I am upon a close Ah Christians as ever you would be quiet and silent under the Smarting Rod hold fast to these principles and keep them as your lives But Twelfthly and lastly To silence and quiet your souls under the afflicting hand of God dwell much upon the brevity or shortness of mans life this present life is not vita sed via ad vitam life but a motion a journey towards life mans life saith one is the shadow of smoak yea the dream of a shadow saith another mans life is so short that Austin doubtâ—th whether to call Aug. l. 1. Conf. it a dying life or a living death thou hast but a day to live and perhaps thou mayest be now in the twelâ—th hour of that day therefore hold out faith and patience thy troubles and thy life will shortly end together therefore hold thy peace thy grave is going to bee made thy Sun is near setting death begins to call thee off oâ— the stage of this world death stands at thy back thou must shortly sail forth upon the Ocean of eternity though thou hast a great deal of work to do a God to honour a Christ to close with a soul to save a race to run a Crown to win a Hell to escape a pardon to beg a Heaven to make sure yet thou hast but a little time to do it in thou hast one foot in the grave thou art even a going a shore on eternity and wilt thou now cry out of thy afflictions wilt thou now mutter and murmure when thou art entring upon an unchangeable condition what extream folly and madness is it for a man to mutter and murmure when hee is just a going out of prison and his boults and chains are just a knocking off Why Christian this is just thy case therefore hold thy peace thy life is but short therefore Rom. 8. 18 thy troubles cannot bee long hold up and hold out quietly and patiently a little longer and Heaven shall make amends for all FINIS A TABLE Shewing the Principal things in this TREATISE THe words opened and the Doctrine raised viz. That it is the great duty and concernment of gracious souls to be mute and silent under the greatest afflictions the saddest providences and sharpest trials they meet with in this world from p. 1 to 4. For the opening of the point First 1 There is a sevenfold silence p. 4 to 16. 2 What doth a prudent a gracious a holy silence include shewed in eight things p. 16 44. 3 What a prudent a holy silence under afflictions doth not exclude shewed in eight things p. 44 67. 4 Eight Reasons why Christians must bee mute and silent under their greatest afflictions c. p. 67 92. Vse This Truth looks sourely upon five sorts of persons p. 92 102 Six considerations to prevent men from using sinful shifts and courses to deliver themselves out of their afflictions c. p. 102 116. Twelve considerations to prevail with Christians to bee mute and silent under the sharpest afflictions c. that they meet with in this world p. 116 145 The hainous and dangerous nature of murmuring discovered in twelve particulars p. 145 169 Object 1 Did I but know that my afflictions were in love I would bee quiet I would hold my peace c. Answered eight waies p. 169 187 Object 2 The Lord hath smitten mee in my nearest and dearest comforts and contentments and how then can I hold my peace Answered twelve waies p. 187 116 Object 3 Oh! But my afflictions my troubles have been long upon mee and how then can I hold my peace Answered ten waies p. 216 236 Object 4 I would bee mute and silent under my afflictions but they daily multiply and encrease upon me c. how then can I bee silent Answered eight waies p. 236 242 Object 5 My afflictions are very great how then can I hold my peace c. Answered six waies p. 242 252 Object 6 Oh! But my afflictions are greater than other mens c. how then can I bee silent Answered six waies p. 252 260 Object 7. I would hold my peace but my outward afflictions are attended with sore temptations c. how then can I bee silent Answered five waies wherein eight advantages are discovered that Saints gain by their temptations p. 260 279 Object 8 Oh! But God hath deserted mee hee hath forsaken mee and hid his face from mee c. how can I then bee silent Answered six waies Also eight advantages the Saints gain by their being clouded p. 279 304 Object 9 Oh! But I am falsely accused and sadly charged and reproached in my good name c. how then can I bee silent Answered ten waies p. 304 325 Object 10 I have sought the Lord in this my affliction for this and that mercy and still the Lord delaies mee and puts mee off c. how can I then hold my peace how can I bee silent c. Answered six waies p. 325 333 Quest But what are the reasons that God doth so delay and put off his people Answered seven waies p. 333 343 Quest What are the means that may help persons to bee silent and quiet under their greatest afflictions their sharpest trials c. Answered from p. 343. to the end of the book ERRATA Page 67. l. 20. read hear for bare pag. 235. l. 17. r. heal for heat p. 258. l. 5. r. that for than â—p 268. l. 26. add was p. 274. l. 12. add you p. 276. l. 3. r. sight for fight p. 299. Margent read Chaiim p. 311. l. 7. r. world for worthy Books printed and are to be sold by John Hancock at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill A Book of Short-writing the most easie exact lineal and speedy method fitted to the meanest capacity composed by Mr. Theophilus Metealf Professor of the said Art Also a School-Master explaining the Rules of the said Book Another Book of new Short-hand by Thomas Cross A Coppy-book of the newest and most useful hands with Rules whereby those that can read may quickly learn to write To which is added Brief Directions for true spelling and cyphering c. Six Books lately published by Mr. Thomas Brooks Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets New Fish-street 1 Precious Remedies against Satans Devices OR Salve for Beleevers and Unbeleevers Sores being a companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ that sleight or neglect Ordinances under a pretence of living above them that are growing in spirituals or decaying that are tempted or deserted afflicted or opposed that have assurance or want it on the ad of the Corinthians the 2d and the 11th 2 Heaven on Earth OR A serious Discourse touching a well-grounded Assurance of mens everlasting happiness and blessedness discovering the nature of Assurance the possibility of attaining it the Causes Springs and Degrees of it with the resolution of several weighty questions on the 8th of the Romans 32 33 34 verses 3 The Vnsearchable Riches of Christ OR Meat for strong Men and Milk for Babes held forth in two and twenty Sermons from Ephesians 3. 8. preached on his Lecture-nights at Fish-street-hill 4 His Apples of Gold for Young Men and Women And A Crown of Glory for Old Men and Women Or the Happiness of being Good betimes and the Honour of being an Old Disciple clearly and fully discovered and closely and faithfully applied 5 A String of Pearls OR The Best Things reserved till last Delivered in a Sermon preached in London June 8. 1657. at the Funeral of that Triumphant Saint Mris. Mary Blake late Wife to his worthy friend Mr. Nicholas Blake Merchant 6 The Silent Soul with Soveraign Antidotes against the most miserable Exigents OR A Christian with an Olive-leaf in his mouth when hee is under the greatest afflictions the sharpest and sorest trials and troubles the saddest and darkest providences and changes with answers to divers Questions and Objections that are of greatest importance all tending to win and work souls to bee still quiet calm and silent under all changes that have or that may pass upon them in this world c. Altum Silentium OR Silence the Duty of Saints under every sad Providence An Occasional Sermon preached after the Death of a Daughter by her Father viz. By John Durant Preacher of the Gospel in Christ's-Church Canterbury The Godly Mans Ark OR City of Refuge in the day of his Distress discovered in divers Sermons The first of which was preached at the Funeral of Mris. Elizabeth Moore Whereunto are annexed Mris. Moores Evidences for Heaven composed and collected by her in the time of her health for her comfort in the time of sickness By Ed. Calamy B. D. and Pastor of the Church at Aldermanbury The Scriptures Stability OR The Scripture cannot be broken Proved explained and several waies applied whereby all Scripture may with singular advantage come to bee improved By Robert Perrot Minister of Gods Word at Deane in Bedfordshire The Expert Physician Learnedly treating of all Agues and Feavers essential whether simple or compound confused Erratick and Malignant shewing their different Nature Cause Sign and Cure written originally by that famous Doctor in Physick Bricius Bauderon and translated into English by Doctor Wells Licentiate in Physick by the University of Oxford To bee sold by John Hancock at the first Shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill