bee mute and silent under their afflictions is this because it is ten thousand times a greater judgement and affliction to bee given up to a fretful spirit a froward spirit a muttering or murmuring spirit under an affliction than it is to bee afflicted This is both the Devils sin and the Devils punishment God is still afflicting crossing and vexing of him and hee is still a fretting repining vexing and rising up against God no sin to the Devils sin no punishment to the Devils punishment A man were better to have all the afflictions of all the afflicted throughout the world at once upon him than to be given up to a froward spirit to a muttering murmuring heart under the least affliction When thou seest a soul fretting vexing and stamping under the mighty hand of God thou seest one of Satans first-born one that resembles him to Irenâ—us calleth such or a Diaboli the Devils mouth the life no childe can bee so much like the Father as this froward soul is like to the Father of lies though hee hath been in chains almost this six thousand years yet hee hath 1 Pet. 5. 8 never lain still one day nor one night no not one hour in all this time but is still a fretting vexing tossing and tumbling in his chains like a princely Bedlam â—ee is a Lion not a Lamb a roaring Lion not a sleepy Lion not a Lion standing still but a Lion going up and down hee is not satisfied with the prey hee hath got but is restless in his designs to fill hell with souls Hee never wants an Apple for an Eve nor a Grape for a Noah nor a change of rayment for a Gehezi nor a wedge of gold for an Achan nor a Crown for an Absolom nor a bagg for a Judas nor a world for a Demas if you look into one company there you shall finde Satan a dishing out his meat to every palate if you look into another company there you shall finde him a fitting a last to every shooe if you look into a third company there you shall finde him a suiting a garment to every back hee is under wrath and cannot but bee restless Here with Jael hee allures poor souls in with milk and murders them with a nail there with Joaâ— hee embraces with one hand and stabs with another here with Judas hee kisses and betraies and there with the Whore of Babylon hee presents a golden cup with poison in it hee cannot bee quiet though his bolts bee alwaies on and the more unquiet any are under the rebukes of God the more such resemble Satan to the life whose whole life is filled up with vexing and fretting against the Lord. Let not any think saith Luther that the Devil is now dead no nor yet asleep for as hee that keepeth Israel so hee that hateth Israel never slumbereth nor sleepeth But in the next place Reas 5. A fifth reason why gracious souls should bee mute and silent under the greatest afflictions and sharpest trials that do befall them is this because a holy a prudent silence under afflictions under miseries doth best capacitate and fit the afflicted for the receit of mercies When the rolling bottle lies still you may pour into it your sweetest or your strongest waters when the rolling tumbling soul lies still then God can best pour into it the sweet waters of mercy and the strong waters of divine consolation You read of the peaceable fruits of righteousness Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to bee joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Jam. 3. 18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace The still and quiet soul is like a Ship that lies still and quiet in the harbour you may take in what goods what commodities you please whilest the Ship lies quiet and still So when the The Angels are most quiet and stâ—ll and they take in most of God of Christ of Heaven soul is quiet and still under the hand of God it is most fitted and advantaged to take in much of God of Christ of Heaven of the Promises of Ordinances and of the Love of God the Smiles of God the Communications of God and the counsel of God but when souls are unquiet they are like a Ship in a storm they can take in nothing Luther speaking of God saith God doth not dwell in Babylon but in Salem Babylon signifies confusion and Salem signifies peace now God dwells not in spirits that are unquiet and in confusion but hee dwells in peaceable and quiet spirits Unquiet spirits can take in neither counsel nor comfort grace nor peace c. Psal 77. 2. My soul refused to bee comforted The Impatient Patient will take down no cordials hee hath no eye to see nor hand to take nor palate to rellish nor stomach to digest any thing that makes for his health and welfare when the man is sick and froward nothing will down the sweetest musick can make no melody in his ears Exod. 6. 6 7 8 9. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm and with great judgement And I will take you to mee for a people and I will bee to you a God and yee shall know that â— am the Lord your God which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians And I will bring you in unto the Land concerning the which â— did swear to give it to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob and â— will give it you for an heritage I am the Lord. The choicest cordials and comforts that Heaven or Earth could afford are here held forth to them but they have no hand to receive them Here Moses his lips drops hony-combs but they can taste no sweetness in them here the best of Earth and the best of Heaven is set before them but their souls are shut up and nothing will down here is such ravishing musick of paradise as might abundantly delight their hearts and please their ears but they cannot hear here are soul-enlivening soul-supporting soul-strengthening soul-comforting soul-raising and soul-refreshing words but they cannot hearken to them v. 9. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage They were under their aguish feaverish-fits and so could neither hear nor see taste nor take in any thing that No air agrees well with weak pevish sickly bodies might bee a mercy or a comfort to them they were sick of impatiency and discontent and these humours being grown strong nothing would take with them nothing would agree with them When persons are under strong pangs of passion they have no ears neither for Reason
13 14. O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with saphires And I will make thy windows of agates and thy gates of carbuneles and all thy borders of pleasant stones And all thy children shall bee taught of the Lord and great shall bee the peace of thy children Inrighteousness shalt thou bee established thou shalt bee far from oppression for thou shalt not fear and from terrour for it shall not come near thee Though they have been long afflicted and tossed yet they shall at last upon glorious foundations bee established God will not onely raise them out of their distressed estate wherein now they are but hee will advance them to a most eminent and glorious condition in this world they shall bee very glorious and outshine all the world in spiritual excellencies and outward dignities Isa 60. 14 15. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet and they shall call thee The City of the Lord The Zion of the holy One of Israel Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went thorow thee I will make thee an eternal excellency a joy of many Generations Ah Christians I do not mutter nor murmure under your long afflictions for you do not know but that by these long afflictions God may prepare and fit you for such favours and blessings that may never have end by long afflictions God many times prepares his people for temporal spiritual and eternal mercies if God by long afflictions makes more room in thy soul for himself his Son his Spirit his Word if by long afflictions hee shall crucifie thy heart more to the world and to thy relations and frame and fashion thy soul more for celestial enjoyments hast thou any cause to murmure surely no. But Seventhly The longer a Saint is afflicted on earth the more glorious hee shall shine in Heaven 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18 Mat. 5. 10 11 12 the more affliction here the more glory hereafter This Truth may bee thus made out First The more gracious souls are afflicted the more their graces are exercised and encreased Heb. 12. 10. Rom. 5. 3 4 5. Now the more grace here the more glory hereafter the higher in grace the higher in glory Grace differs nothing from glory but in name grace is glory in the bud and glory is grace at the full glory is nothing but the perfection of grace 2 Cor. 3. ult happiness is nothing but the perfection of holiness grace is glory in the seed and glory is grace in the flower grace is glory militant and glory is grace triumphant grace and glory differ non specie sed gradu in degree not kinde as the learned speak Now it is most certain that the more gracious souls are afflicted the more their graces are exercised and the more grace is exercised the more it is encreased as I have sufficiently demonstrated in this treatise already But Secondly The longer a gracious soul is afflicted the more his religious duties will bee multiplied Psal 109. 4. For my love they are my adversaries but I give my self unto prayer or as the Hebrew reads it But I am prayer or a man of Psa 42. 1 2 3 4 5. Psal 63. 1 2 3 8. Jâ—r 31. 18 19 Hos 5. ult with ch 6. 1 2 Psal 116. 3 4. and Psal 143. 6 7 prayer In times of affliction a Christian is all prayer hee is never so much a man of prayer a man given up to prayer as in times of affliction A Christian is never so frequent so fervent so abundant in the work of the Lord as when hee is afflicted Isa 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Now they do not onely pray but they pour out a prayer they were freely largely and abundantly in prayer when the rod was upon them Look as men plentifully pour out water for the quenching of a fire so did they plentifully pour out their prayers before the Lord and as affliction puts a man upon being much in prayer so it puts him upon other duties of Religion answerably Now this is most certain that though God will reward no man for his works yet hee will reward every man according to Matth. 25. 14. 26. God will reward his people secundum laboâ—em Bern. works 1 Cor. 15. ult Therefore my beloved Brethren bee yee stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 2 Cor. 9. 6. But this I say hee which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and hee which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully or hee which soweth in benedictions or blessings shall reap in benedictions as it runs in the original It is an excellent observation of Calvin upon Gods rewarding the Rechabites obedience Jer. 35. 19. God saith hee oft recompenceth the shadows and seeming appearances of virtue to shew what complacency hee takes in the ample rewards hee hath reserved for true and sincere piety Now if the longer a Christian is afflicted the more his religious services will bee multiplied and the more they are multiplied the more his glory at last will bee encreased then the longer a Saint is afflicted on earth the more glory he shall have when hee comes to Heaven But Thirdly The longer any Saint is afflicted the more into the image and likeness of Christ hee will bee transformed It is one of Rom. 8. 28 29 c. 2 Cor. 1 5 6 7 Phil. 3. 10 Heb. 2. 10 2 Tim. 2. 12. Gods great designs and ends in afflicting of his people to make them more conformable to his Son and God will not lose his end men often lose theirs but God never hath nor will lose his and experience tells us that God doth every day by afflictions accomplish this end upon his people the longer they are afflicted the more they are made conformable to Christ in meekness lowliness spiritualness heavenliness in faith love self-denial pitty compassion c. Now certainly the more like to Christ the more beloved of Christ the more a Christian is like to Christ the more hee is the delight of Christ and the more like to Christ on earth the nearer the soul shall sit to Christ in Heaven nothing makes a man more conformable to Christ than afflictions Justin Martyr in his second Apology for the Christians hath observed that there is scarce any prediction or prophecy concerning our Saviour Christ the Son of God to bee made man but the Heathen writers who were all after Moses did from thence invent some fable and feign it to have been acted by some one or other of Jupiters Sons onely the Prophecies about the cross of Christ they have taken for the
strip thee saith hee of all thy outward comforts yea but Christ is mine saith shee and you cannot strip mee of him Oh! the assurance that Christ was hers bore up her heart and quieted her spirit under all You may take away my life saith Basil but you cannot take away my comfort my head but not my Crown yea quoth hee had I a thousand lives I would lay them all down for my Saviours sake who hath done abundantly more for mee John Ardley professed to Bonner when hee told him of burning and how ill hee could endure it that if hee had as many lives as hee had hairs on his head hee would lose them all in the fire before hee would lose his Christ Assurance will keep a man from muttering and murmuring under the sorest afflictions Henry and John two Augustine Monks being the first that were burnt in Germany and Master Rogers the first that was burnt in Queen Maries daies did all sing in the flames A soul that lives in the assurance of divine favour and in its title to glory cannot but bear up patiently and quietly under the greatest sufferings that possibly can befall it in this world That Scripture is worth its weight in gold The Inhabitants of Sion shall not say Isa 33. 24 I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Hee doth not say they were not sick no but though they were sick yet they should not say they were sick but why should they forget their sorrows and not remember their pains nor be sensible of their sickness why the reason is because the Lord hath forgiven them their iniquities The sense of pardon took away the sense of pain the sense of forgiveness took away the sense of sickness Assurance of pardon will take away the pain the sting the trouble of every trouble and affliction that a Christian meets with no affliction will daunt startle or stagger an assured Christian assured Christians Psal 23. 1 4 5 6 7 will be patient and silent under all Melanchthon makes mention of a godly woman who having upon her death-bed been in much conflict and afterward much comforted brake out into these words Now and not till now I understand the meaning of these words Thy sins are forgiven the sense of which did mightily chear and quiet her Hee that hath got this Jewel of assurance in his bosome will be far enough off from vexing or fretting under the saddest dispensations that hee meets with in this world Fourthly If you would be quiet and silent under your present troubles and trials then dwell There was a good man that had got so much good by his afflictions that hee counted it his greatest affliction to want an affliction and therefore hee would sometimes cry out Oh my friends I have lost an affliction I have lost an affliction much upon the benefit the profit the advantage that hath redowned to your souls by former troubles and afflictions that have been upon you Eccles 7. 14. In the day of adversity consider Oh! now consider how by former afflictions the Lord hath discovered sin prevented sin and mortified sin consider how the Lord by former afflictions hath discovered to thee the impotency the mutability the insufficiency and the vanity of the world and all worldly concernments consider how the Lord by former afflictions hath melted thy heart and broken thy heart and humbled thy heart and prepared thy heart for clearer fuller and sweeter enjoyments of himself consider what pitty what compassion what bowels what tenderness and what sweetness former afflictions have wrought in thee towards others in misery consider what room former afflictions have made in thy soul for God for his word for good counsel and for divine comfort consider how by former afflictions the Lord hath made thee more partaker of his Christ his Spirit his Holiness his Goodness c. Consider how by former afflictions the Lord hath made thee to look towards Heaven more to minde Heaven more to prize Heaven more and to long for Heaven more c. Now who can seriously consider of all that good that hee hath got by former afflictions and not be silent under present afflictions who can remember those choice those great and those precious earnings that his soul had made of former afflictions and not reason himself into a holy silence under present afflictions thus Oh my soul hath not God done thee much good great good special good by former afflictions yes Oh my soul hath not God done that for thee by former afflictions that thou wouldest not have to do for ten thousand worlds yes and is not God Oh my soul as powerful as ever as faithful as ever as gracious as ever and as ready and willing as ever to do thee good by present afflictions as hee hath been to do thee good by former affliction yes yes why why then dost thou not sit silent and mute before him under thy present troubles Oh my soul It was the saying of one that an excellent memory was needful for three sorts of men first for trades men for they having many businesses to do many reckonings to make up many Irons in the fire had need of a good memory Secondly Great talkers for they being full of words hâ—d need to have a good store-house in their heads to feed their tongues Thirdly For lyers for they telling many untruths had need of a good memory lest they should be taken in their lying contradictions And I may add for a fourth viz those that are afflicted that they may remember the great good that they have gained by former afflictions that so they may be the more silent and quiet under present troubles Fifthly To quiet and silence 2 Tim. 1. 12 1 Tim. 1. 5 2 Tim. 4. 8 your souls under the sorest afflictions and sharpest trials consider that your choicest your chiefest treasure is safe your God is safe your Christ is safe your Portion is safe your Crown is safe your Inheritance is safe your royal Palace is safe and your Jewels your Graces are safe therefore hold your peace I have read a story of a man that had a sute and when his cause was to be heard hee applied himself to three friends to see what they would do for him one answered hee would bring him as far on his journey as hee could the second promised him that he would go with him to his journies end the third engaged himself to go with him before the Judge and to speak for him and not to leave him till his cause was heard and determined These three are a mans riches his friends and his graces his riches will help him to comfortable accommodations while they stay with him but they often take leave of a man before his soul takes leave of his body 1 Tim. 6. 18 19 his friends will go with him to the grave and then leave him but his graces will accompany him before
THE SILENT SOVL WITH SOVERAIGN ANTIDOTES Against the Most Miserable Exigents OR A Christian with an OLIVE-LEAF in his mouth when he 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 may pass upon them in this world c. By Thomas Brooks Preacher of the Word at Margarets New Fish-street London and Pastor of the Church of Christ meeting there The Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth keep silence before him Hab. 2. 20. London Printed by R. I. for John Hancock to be sold at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Corn-hill 1660. Mr. BROOKS his MVTE CHRISTIAN TO All afflicted distressed dissatisfied disquieted and discomposed Christians throughout the world Dear hearts THe choicest Saints are born to troubles as the Psal 34. 19 Job 5. 1 Psa 88. 3 4 Qui non est crucianus non est Christianus Luther sparks fly upwards Many are the troubles of the Righteous if they were many and not troubles then as it is in the Proverb the more the merrier or if they were troubles and not many then the fewer the better chear but God who is infinite in wisdome and matchless in goodness hath ordered troubles yea many troubles to come trooping in upon us on every side As our mercies so our crosses seldome come single they usually come treading one upon the heels of another they are like April showers no sooner is one over but another comes And yet Christians it is mercy it is rich mercy that every affliction is not an execution that every correction is not a damnation The higher the waters rise the nearer Noahs Ark was lifted up to Heaven the more thy afflictions are encreased the more thy heart shall bee raised Heaven-wards Because I would not hold you too long in the porch I shall onely indeavour two things First To give you the reasons of my appearing once more in Print and Secondly A little counsel and direction that the following Tract may turn to your souls advantage which is the white that I have in mine eye The true reasons of my sending this piece into the world such as it is are thâ—se First The afflicting hand of God hath been hard upon my self and upon my dearest relations in this world and upon many of my precious Christian friends whom I much love and honour in the Lord which put mee upon studying of the mind of God in that Scripture that I have made the subject matter of this following discourse Luther could not understand some Psalms till hee was afflicted the Christ-cross is no letter in the book and yet saith hee it hath taught mee more than all the letters in the book afflictions are a golden key by which the Lord opens the rich treasures of his word to his peoples souls and this in some measure through grace Judg. 14. 9 10. my soul hath experienced when Sampson had found honey hee gave some to his Father and Mother to eat some honey I have found in my following Text and therefore I may not I cannot bee such a churl as not to give them some of my honey to taste who have drunk deep of my gall and wormwood Some have accounted nothing their own that they have not communicated to others Austin observes on that Psal 66. 16. Come and hear all yee that fear God and I will declare what hee hath done for my soul Hee doâ—h not call them saith hee to acquaint them with speculations how wide the earth is how far the Heavens are stretched out what the number of the stars is or what is the course of the Sun but come and I will tell you the wonders of his grace the faithfulness of his promises the riches of his mercy to my soul gracious experiences are to be communicated Lilmod Lelammed we therefore learn that wee may teach is a proverb among the Rabbins And I do therefore lay in and lay up saith the Heathen that I may draw forth again and lay out for the good of many when God hath dealt bountifully with us others should reap some noble good by us the Family the Town the City the Country where a man lives should fare the better for his faring well our mercies and experiences should bee as a running spring at our doors which is not onely for our own use but also for our neighbours yea and for strangers too Secondly What is written is permanent litera scripta manet and-spreads it self further by far for time place and persons than the voice can reach the pen is an artificial tongue it speaks as well to absent as to present friends it speaks to them that are afar off as well as those that are near it speaks to many thousands at once it speaks not onely to the present age but also to succeeding Heb. 11. 4 Zech. 1. 5 ages the Pen is a kinde of Image of eternity it will make a man live when hee is dead though the Prophets do not live for ever yet their labours may a mans writings may preach when hee cannot when hee may not and when by reason of bodily distempers heâ— dares not yea and that which is more when hee is not Thirdly Few men if any have Iron memories how soon is a Sermon preach'd forgotten when a Sermon written remains Augustin writing to August Epist 1. ad Volus Volusian saith That which is written is alwaies at hand to bee read when the reader is at leasure men do not easily forget their own names nor their Fathers house nor the wives of their bosomes nor the fruit of their loins nor to eat their daily bread and yet Ah! how easily do they forget that word of grace that should bee dearer to them than all most mens memories especially in the great concernments of their souls are like a sieve or bowlter where the good Corn and fine Flower goes thorow but the lighâ— chaff and course bran remains behinde or like a strainer where the sweet liquor is strained out but the dreggs are left behinde or like a grate that lets the pure water run away but if there bee any straws sticks mud or filth that it holds as it were with Iron hands most mens memories are very treacherous especially in good things few mens memories are a holy Ark a heavenly Stare-house or Magazine for their souls and therefore they stand in the more need of a written word But Fourthly It s marvelous suitableness and usefulness under these great turns and changes that have past upon us As every wise husbandman observes the fittest seasons to sow his seed some hee sows in the Autumn and fall of the leaf some in the spring Isa 28. 25 of the year some in a dry season and some in
more bee under the rich influences and glorious pourings out of the Spirit that I may bee an able Minister of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6 not of the Letter but of the Spirit that I may alwaies finde an everlasting spring and an overflowing fountain within mee which may alwaies make mee faithful constant and abundant in the work of the Lord And that I may live daily under those inward teachings of the Spirit that may inable mee to speak from the heart to the heart from the coâ—science to the conscience and from experience to experience that I may bee a burning and a shining light that everlasting arms may bee still under mee that whilst I live I may bee serviceable to his Glory and his Peoples good that no discouragements may discouâ—age mee in my work and that when my work is done I may give up my account with joy and not with grief I shall follow these poor labours with my weak prayers that they may contribute much to your internal and eternal welfare And so rest Your souls servant in our dearest Lord THOMAS BROOKS THE MUTE CHRISTIAN Under the SMARTING ROD. PSAL. 39. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it NOt to trouble you with a tedious Preface wherein usually is a flood of words and but a drop of matter This Psalm consists of two parts the first Exegetical or narrative the second Eutical or precative a Narration and Prayer take up the whole In the former you have the Prophets Disease discovered and in the latter the Remedy applied My Text falls in the latter part where you have the way of Davids cure or the means by which his soul was reduced to a still and quiet temper I shall give a little light into the words and then come to the point that I intend to stand upon I was dumb the Hebrew word Some read it thus I should have been dumb and not have opened my mouth according to my first resolution vers 1 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to bee mute tongue-tied or dumb the Hebrew word signifies also to binde as well as to bee mute and dumb because they that are dumb are as it were tongue-tied they have their lips stitcht and bound up Ah the sight of Gods hand in the afflictions that was upon him makes him lay a law of silence upon his heart and tongue I opened not my mouth because thou didst it hee looks thorow all secondary causes to the first cause and is silent hee sees a hand of God in all and so sits mute and quiet the sight of God in an affliction is of an irresistable efficacy to silence the heart and to stop the mouth of a gracious man In the words you may observe three things 1 The person speaking and that is David David a King David a Saint David a man after Gods own heart David a Christian and here we are to look upon David not as a King but as a Christian as a man whose heart was right with God 2 The action and carriage of David under the hand of God in these words I was dumb and opened not my mouth 3 The reason of this humble and sweet carriage of his in those words because thou didst it the Proposition is this Doct. That it is the great duty and concernment of gracious souls to bee mute and silent under the greatest afflictions the saddest providences and sharpest trials that they meet with in this world For the opening and clearing up of this great and useful truth I shall enquire First What this silence is that is here pointed at in the Proposition Secondly What a gracious a holy silence doth include Thirdly What this holy silence doth not exclude Fourthly The Reasons of the point and then bring home all by way of application to our own souls For the first What is the Silence here meant I answer there is a sevenfold Silence First There is a Stoical Silence the Stoicks of old thought it altogether below a man that hath reason and understanding either to rejoyce in any good or to mourn for any evil but this Stoical Silence is such a sinful unsensibleness as is very provoking to a holy God Isa 26. 10 11. God will make the most insensible sinner sensible either of his hand here or of his wrath in Hell It is a Heathenish and a horrid sin to be without natural affections Rom. 1. 31. And of this sin Quintus Fabius Maximus seems to be foulely guilty who when hee heard that his Mother and Wife whom he dearly loved were slain by the fall of an house and that his younger son a brave hopeful young man died at the same time in Umbria hee never changed his countenance but went on with the affairs of the Common-wealth as if no such calamity had befallen him this carriage of his spoke out more stupidity than patience And so Harpalus was not at all appalled when hee saw two of his sons laid ready drest in a charger when Astyages had bid him to Supper this was a sottish insensibleness Certainly if the loss of Job 36. 13 Isa 57. 1 a childe in the house bee no more to thee than the loss of a Chick in Hos 7. 9 Balaams Asse reproves this dumbness the yard thy heart is base and sordid and thou mayest well expect some sore awakening judgement This age is full of such Monsters who think it below the greatnesse and magnanimity of their spirits to bee moved affected or afflicted with any afflictions that befalls them I know none so ripe and ready for Hâ—ll as these Aristotle speaks of Fishes that though they have spears thrust into their sides yet they awake not God thrusts many a sharp spear thorow many a sinners heart and yet hee feels nothing hee complains of nothing these mens souls will bleed to death Seneca reports of Senecio Cornelius who minded his body more than his Epist 10. soul and his mâ—ny more than Heaven when hee had all the day 〈◊〉 waited on his dying friend 〈◊〉 his friend was dead hee re 〈◊〉 his house sâ—ps merrily 〈◊〉 himself quickly goes to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his sorrows were ended and the time of his mourning expired before his deceased friend was interred Such stupidity is a curse that many a man lies under But this Stoical Silence which is but a sinful fullenness is not the Silence here meant Secondly There is a Politick Silence Many are silent out of policy should they not bee silent they should lay themselves more open either to the rage and fury of men or else to the plots and designs of men to prevent which they are silent and will lay their hands upon their mouths that others may not lay their hands upon their estates lives or liberties And Saul also went home to Giheah 1 Sam. 26. 27 and there went with him a band of men whose hearts God had touched But the
strikes till wee come to see his majesty and authority till wee come Isa 26. 11 12 Rev. 1. 5. to see him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords It is such a sight of God as this that makes the heart to stoop under his Almighty hand The Thracians being Herod ignorant of the dignity and majesty of God when it thundred and lightned used to express their madness and folly in shooting their arrows against Heaven threatning-wise As a sight of his grace chears the soul so a sight of his greatness and glory silences the soul But Thirdly A gracious a prudent Silence takes in a holy quietnesse Animus cujusque est quisque the mind is the man and calmnesse of mind and spirit under the afflicting hand of God A gracious Silence shuts out all inward heats murmurings frettings quarrellings wranglings and boilings of heart Psal 62. 1. Truly my soul keepeth silence unto God or is silent or still that is my soul is quiet and submissive to God all murmurings and repineings passions and turbulent affections being allayed tamed and subdued This also is clear in the Text and in the former instances of Aaron Ely and Job they saw that it was a Father that put those bitter cups into their hands and love that laid those heavy crosses upon their shoulders and grace that put those yoaks about their necks and this caused much quietnesse and calmnesse in their spirits Marius bit in his pain when the Chirurgian cut off his legg Some men when God cuts off this mercy and that mercy from them they bite in their pain they hide and conceal their grief and trouble but could you but look into their hearts you would finde all in an uproar all out of order all in a flame and however they may seem to be cold without yet they are all in a hot burning feaver within Such a feaverish fit David was once in Psal 39. 3. But certainly a holy Silence allaies all tumults in the mind and makes a man in patience Luke 21. 19. to possesse his own soul which next to his possession of God is the choicest and sweetest possession in all the world The Law of Silence is as well upon that mans heart and mind as it is upon his tongue who is truly and divinely silent under the rebuking hand of God As tongue-service abstracted Isa 29. 13. Mat. 15. 8 9. from heart service is no service in the account of God so tonguesilence abstracted from heartsilence is no silence in the esteem of God A man is then graciously silent when all is quiet within and without Terpander a Harper and a Poet was one that by the sweetnesse of his verse and musick could allay the tumultuous motions of mens minds As David by his Harp did Sauls When Gods people are under the Rod hee makes by his spirit and word such sweet musick in their souls as allaies all tumultuous motions passions and perturbations Psal 94. 17 18 19. Psal 119. 49 50. so that they sit Noah-like quiet and still and in peace possesse their own souls Fourthly A prudent a holy Plato calls God the horn of plenty and the Ocean of beauty without the least spot of injustice Silence takes in an humble justifying clearing and acquitting of God of all blame rigour and injustice in all the afflictions hee brings upon us Psal 51. 4. That thou mayest bee justified when thou speakest and bee clear when thou judgest that is when thou correctest Gods judging his people is Gods correcting or chastening of his people 1 Cor. 11. 32. When wee are judged wee are chastened of the Lord. Davids great care when he was under the afflicting hand of God was to clear the Lord of injustice Ah Lord saith hee There is not the least shew spot stain blemish or mixture of injustice in all the afflictions thou hast brought upon mee I desire to take shame to my self and to set to my seal that the Lord is righteous and that there is no injustice no cruelty nor no extremity in all that the Lord hath brought upon mee And so in that Psal 119. 75. 137. hee sweetly and readily subscribes unto the righteousness of God in those sharp and smart afflictions that God exercised him with I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted mee Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgements Gods judgements are alwaies just hee never afflicts but in faithfulnesse his will is the rule of justice and therefore a gracious soul dares not cavil nor question his proceedings the afflicted soul knows that a righteous God can do nothing but that which is righteous it knows that God is uncontroulable and therefore the afflicted man puts his mouth in the dust and keeps silence before him 2 Sam. 16. 10. Who dare say Wherefore hast thou done so The Turks when they are cruelly lashed are compelled to return to the judge that commanded it to kiss his hand give him thanks and pay the officer that whipped them and so clear the Judge and Officer of injustice Silently to kisse the Rod and the hand that whips with it is the noblest way of clearing the Lord of all injustice The Babylonish captivity was the sorest the heaviest affliction that ever God inflicted upon any people under Heaven witnesse that 1 Sam. 12. Daniel 9. 12 c. yet under those smart afflictions wisdome is justified of her children Neh. 9. 33. Thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but wee have done wickedly 1 Sam. 18. The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against him A holy Silence shines in nothing more than in an humble justifying and clearing of God from all that which a corrupt heart is apt enough to charge God with in the day of affliction God in that hee is good can give nothing nor do nothing but that which is good others do frequently hee cannot possibly saith Luther in Psal 120. Fifthly A holy Silence takes in gracious blessed soul-quieting Conclusions about the issue and event of those afflictions that are upon us Lam. 3. 27 34. In this choice Scripture you may observe these five soul-stilling Conclusions First And that more generally That they shall work for their good vers 27. It is good for a man that hee bear the yoak in his youth A gracious soul secretly concludes As stars shine brightest in the night so God will make my soul shine and glister like gold whilst I am in this furnace and when I come out of this furnace of affliction Job 23. 10. Hee knoweth the way that I take and when hee hath tried mee I shall come forth as gold Surely as the tasting of hony did open Jonathans eyes so this cross this affliction shall open mine eyes by this stroak I shall come to have a clearer sight of my sins and of my self and a fuller sight of my God Job 33. 27
I know not what is As there are two kinds of Antidotes against poison viz. hot and cold so there are two kinds of Antidotes against all the troubles and afflictions of this life viz. prayer and patience the one hot the other cold the one quenching the other quickning Chrysostome understood this well enough when hee cryed out O! saith hee it is more bitter than death to be spoiled of prayer and thereupon observes that Daniel chose rather to run the hazard of his life than to lose his prayer Well this is the second thing a holy Silence doth not exclude prayer But Read the 9th of Ezra the 9th of Nehemiah and the 9th of Daniel and Psalm 51. with that 7th chapter of Job Thirdly A holy a prudent Silence doth not exclude mens being kindly affected and afflicted with their sins as the meritorious cause of all their sorrows and sufferings Lam. 3. 39 40. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin Let us search and try our waies and turn again to the Lord. Job 40. 4 5. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I proceed no further Micah 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned In all our sorrows wee should read our sins and when Gods hand is upon our backs our hands should bee upon our sins It was a good saying of one I Vivaldus hide not my sins but I shew them I wipe them not away but I sprinkle them I do not excuse them but accuse them The beginning of my salvation is the knowledge of my transgression When some told Prince Henry that delitiae generis humani that darling of mankind that the sins of the people brought that affliction on him O no said hee I have sins enough of mine own to cause that I have sinned saith David but what have these poor sheep done When a Christian is under the afflicting hand of God hee may well say I may thank this proud heart of mine this worldly heart this froward heart this formal heart this dull heart this backsliding heart this self-seeking heart of mine for that this cup is so bitter this pain so grievous this loss so great this disease so desperate this wound so incurable it is mine own self mine own sin that hath caused these floods of sorrows to break in upon mee But Fourthly A holy a prudent Silence doth not exclude the teaching and instructing of others when wee are afflicted the words of the afflicted stick close they many times work strongly powerfully strangely savingly upon the souls and consciences of others Many of Pauls Epistles were written to the Churches when hee was in bonds viz. Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Philemon hee begot Onesimus in his bonds Phil. 10. And many of the brethren in the Lord waxed bold and confident by his bonds and were confirmed and made partakers of grace by his Ministery when hee was in bonds Phil. 1. 7. 13 14. As the words of dying persons do many times stick and work gloriously so many times doth the words of afflicted persons work very noblely and efficaciously I have read of one Adrianus who seeing the Martyrs suffer such grievous things in the cause of Christ hee asked what that was which inabled them to suffer such things and one of them named that 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him This word was like Apples of Prov. 25. 11 Gold in Pictures of Silver for it made him not onely a Convert but a Martyr too And this was the means of Justin Martyrs conversion as himself confesseth Doubtless many have been made happy by the words of the afflicted the tongue of the afflicted hath been to many as choice silver the words of the afflicted many times are both pleasing and profitable they tickle the ear and they win upon the heart they slide insensibly into the hearers souls work efficaciously upon the hearers hearts Eccles 10. 12. The words of a wise mans mouth are gracious or Grace as the Hebrew hath it and so Hierome reads it Verba oris sapientis gratia the words of the mouth of a wise man are grace They minister grace to others and they win grace and favour from others gracious lips make gracious hearts gracious words are a grace an ornament to the speaker and they are a comfort a delight and an advantage to the hearer Now the words of a wise mans mouth are never more gracious than when hee is most afflicted and distressed Now you shall finde most worth and weight in his words Now his lips like the Spouses are like a threed of Scarlet they are red with talking much of a crucified Christ and they are thin like a thred not swell'd with vain and unprofitable discourses Now his mouth speaketh wisdome and his tongue talketh judgement for the Law of the Lord is in his heart Psal 37. 30. now his lips drop hony-combs Cant. 4. 10. now his tongue is as a tree of life whose leaves are medicinable Prov. 12. 18. Numb 10. 10 As the silver Trumpets sounded most joy to the Jews in the day of their gladnesse so the mouth of a wise man like a silver Trumpet sounds most joy and advantage to others in the daies of his sadnesse The Heathen man could say Quandâ— sapiens loquitur aulea animi â—perit when a wise man speaketh hee openeth the rich treasures and wardrobe of his mind so may I say when an afflicted Saint speaks Oh the pearls the treasures that hee scatters But Fifthly A holy a prudent Silence doth not exclude moderate mourning or weeping under the Psal 6. 6. Psa 39. 12. Jer. 9. 1 2 Lam. 1. 2. chap. 2. 11. 18. afflicting hand of God Isa 38. 3. And Hezekiah wept sore or as the Hebrew hath it wept with great weepings But was not the Lord displeased with him for his great weeping no vers 5. I have heard thy prayer I have seen thy tears behold I will add unto thy daies fifteen years God had as well a bottle for his Psal 56. 8 tears as a bagg for his sins There is no water so sweet as the Saints tears when they do not overflow the banks of moderation tears are not mutes they have a voice and their oratory is of great prevalency And the Greeks call the apple of the eye the damsel of the eye the girle of the eye and the Latines call it the babe of the eye with the Almighty God And therefore the weeping Prophet calleth out for tears Lam. 2. 18. Their heart crieth unto the Lord O wall of the daughter of Zion let tears run down like a river day and night give thy self no rest let not the apple of thine eye
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
they go to read a book never look up never look after the Rain of Gods blessing but onely look to the River Nilus they onely look to the wit the learning the Arts the parts the eloquence c. of the Author they never look so high as Heaven and hence it comes to pass that though these read much yet they profit little Secondly Hee that would read to profit must read and meditate meditation Animae viaticum est meditatio Bern. Lectio sine meditatione arida est meditatio sine lectione erronea est oratio sine meditatione livida est August is the food of your souls it is the very stomach and natural heat whereby spiritual truths are digested A man shall as soon live without his heart as hee shall bee able to get good by what hee reads without meditation Prayer saith Bernard without meditation is dry and formal and reading without meditation is useless and unprofitable Hee that would bee a wise a prudent and an able experienced states-man must not hastily ramble and run over many Cities Countries Customes Laws and Manners of People without serious musing and pondering upon such things as may make him an expert States-man So hee that would get good by reading that would compleat his knowledge and perfect his experience in spiritual things must not slightly and hastily ramble and run over this book or that but ponder upon what hee reads as Mary pondered the saying of the Angel in her heart Lord saith Austin the more I meditate on thee the sweeter thou art to mee So the more you shall meditate on the following matter the sweeter it will be to you they usually thrive best who meditate most meditation is a soul-fatning duty it is a grace-stergthning duty it is a duty-crowning duty Gerson calls meditation the nurse of prayer Hier 〈…〉 calls it his Paradise Basil calls it the treasury where all the graces are lock'd up Theophylact calls it the very gate and portal by which wee enter nâ—o glory and Ariâ—tâ—â—le though a Heathen placeth felicity in the contemplation of the mind you may read much and â—ear much yet without meditation you will never bee excellent you will never bee eminent Christians Thirdly Read and try what thou readest take nothing upon trust but all upon trial As those Noble Bereans 1 Joh. 4. 10 Act. 17. 10 11. did You will try and tell and weigh gold though it be handed to you by your Fathers and so should you all those heavenly truths that are handed to you by your spiritual Fathers I hope upon trial you will finde nothing but what will hold weight in the ballance of the sanctuary and though all bee not gold that glisters yet I judge that you will finde nothing here to glister that will not be found upon trial to be true gold Fourthly Read and do read and practise what you read or else all your Augustine speaking of the Scripture saith verba vivenda non legenda reading will do you no good hee that hath a good book in his hand but not a lesson of it in his heart or life is like that Ass that carries rich burdens and feeds upon thistles In divine account a man knows no more than hee doâ—h Profession without practice will but make a man twice told a childe of darkness to speak well is to sound like a Cymbal Isiodorus but to do well is to act like an Angel hee that practiseth what hee reads and understands God will help him to understand Joh. 7. 16 17 Psal 119. 98 99 100 what he understands not there is no fear of knowing too much though there is much fear in practising too little the most doing man shall bee the most knowing man the mightiest man in practice will in the end prove the mightiest man in Scripture Theory is the guide of practice and practice is the life of Theory Salvian relates Salvianus de G. D. l. 4. how the Heathen did reproach some Christians who by their lewd lives made the Gosbel of Christ to bee a reproach where said they is that good Law which they do beleeve where are those rules of godliness which they do learn they read the holy Gospel and yet are unclean they hear the Apostles writings and yet live in drunkenness they follow Christ and yet disobey Christ they proprofess a holy Law and yet do lead impure lives Ah! how may many Preacher stake up sad complaints against many Readers in these daies they read our works and yet in their lives they deny Seneca had rather bee sick than idle and do nothing our works they praise our works and yet in their conversations they reproach our works they cry up our labours in their discourses and yet they cry them down in their practices Yet I hope better things of you into whose hands this Treatise shall fall The Samaritan woman did not fill her piâ—â—her with water that shee might talk Joh. 4. 7. Gen. 30. 15 of it but that she might use it and Rachel did not desire the Mandrakes to hold in her hand but that shee might thereby be the more apt to bring forth The Application is easie But Fifthly Read and apply reading is but the drawing of the bow application is the hitting of the white the choicest truths will no further profit you than they are applied by you you were The plaister will nor heal if it bee not applied as good not to read as not to apply what you read No man attains to health by reading of Galen or by knowing Hippocrates his Aphorisms but by the practical application of them all the reading in the world will never make for the health of your souls except you apply what you read the true reason why many read so much and profit so little is because they do not apply and bring home what they read to their own souls But Sixthly and lastly Read and pray hee that makes not conscience of praying over what hee reads will finde little Prayer is porta caeli â—lavâ—s pâ—râ—disi sweetness or profit in his reading no man makes such earnings of his reading as hee that praies oveâ— what hee reads Luther professeth that hee profited more in the knowledge of the Scriptures by prayer in a short space than by study in a longer Aâ— John by weeping got the sealed book open so certainly men would gain much more than they do by reading good mens woâ—ks if they would but pray more over what they read Ah Christians pray before you read and pray after you read that all may bee blest and sanctified to you when you have done reading usually close up thus So let mee live so let mee die That I may live eternally And when you are in the Mount foâ— your selves bear him upon your hearts who is willing to spend and 2 Cor. 12. 15 bee spent for your sakes for your souls O pray for mee that I may more and
28. Job 40. 4 5. chap. 42. 1 7. Surely this affliction shall issue in the purging away of my drosse Isa 1. 25. Surely as plowing of the ground killeth the weeds and harrowing breaketh hard clots so these afflictions shall kill my sins and soften my heart Hos 5. ult chap. 6. 1 2 3. Surely as the plaister draws out the core so the afflictions that are upon mee shall draw out the core of pride the core of self-love the core of envy the core of earthlinesse the core of formality the core of hypocrisie Psal 119. 67 71. Surely by these the Lord will crucifie my heart more and more to the world and the world to my heart Gal. 6. 14. Psal 131. 1 2 3. Surely by these afflictions the Lord will hide pride from my soul Job 33. 14 21. Surely these afflictions are but the Lords pruning-knives by which hee will bleed my sins and prune my heart and make it more fertil and fruitful they are but the Lords potion by which hee will clear mee and rid mee of those spiritual diseases and maladies which are most deadly and dangerous to my soul Affliction is such a potion as will carry away all ill humours better than all the benedicta medicamenta as Physicians call them Zach. 13. 8 9. Surely these shall encrease my spiritual experiences Rom. 5. 3 4 Surely by these I shall bee made more partaker of Gods holinesse Heb. 12. 10. As black sope makes white cloaths so doth sharp afflictions make holy hearts Surely by these God will communicate more of himself unto mee Hos 2. 14. Surely by these afflictions the Lord will draw out my heart more and more to seek him Isa 26. 16. Tatianus told the Heathen Greeks that when they were sick then they would send for their gods to be with them as Agamemnon did at the siege of Troy send for his ten Counsellors Hos 5. 15. In their afflictions they will seek mee early or as the Hebrew hath it they will morning mee in times of affliction Christians will industriously speedily early seek unto the Lord. Surely by these trials and troubles the Lord will fix my soul more than ever upon the great concernments of another world Joh. 14. 1 2 3. Rom. 8. 17 18. â— Cor. 4. 16 17 18. Surely by these afflictions the Lord will work in mee more tendernesse and compassion towards those that are afflicted Heb. 10. 34. chap. 13. 3. As that Tyrian Queen said Evils have taught mee to bemoan All that afflictions make to groan The Romans punished one that was seen looking out at his window with a Crown of Roses on his head in a time of publick calamity Bishop Bonner was full of guts but empty of bowels I am afraid this age is full of such Bonners Surely these are but Gods love-tokens Some say if a knife or needle be touched with a loadstone of an Iron-colour it will cut or enter into a mans body without any sense of pain at all so will afflictions when touched with the loadstone of divine love Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Seneca perswaded his friend Polybius to bear his affliction quietly because hee was the Emperours favourite telling him that it was not lawful for him to complain whilst Caesar was his friend So saith the holy Christian O my soul bee quiet bee still all is in love all is a fruit of divine favour I see hony upon the top of every twig I see the rod is but a Rosemary-branch I have sugar with my gall and wine with my wormwood therefore bee silent O my soul And this general Conclusion that all should bee for good had this blessed effect upon the Church vers 28. Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because hee hath born it upon him Afflictions abase the loveliness of the world without that might entice us It abates the lustiness of the flesh within which might else ensnare us And it abates the spirit in his quarrel against the flesh and the world by all which it proves a mighty advantage unto us Secondly They shall keep them humble and low vers 29. Hee putteth his mouth in the dust if so bee there may bee hope Some say that these words are an allusion to the manner of those that having been conquered and subdued lay their necks down at the conquerours feet to bee trampled upon and to lick up the dust that is under the conquerours feet Others of the learned look upon the words as an allusion to poor petitioners who cast themselves down at Princes feet that they may draw forth their pitty and compassion towards them As I have read of Aristippus who fell on the ground before Dionysius and kissed his feet when hee presented a petition to him and being asked the reason answered Aures habet in pedibus hee hath his ears in his feet take it which way you will it holds forth this to us That holy hearts will bee humble under the afflicting hand of God When Gods Rod is upon their backs their mouths shall bee in the dust A good heart will lye lowest when the hand of God is lifted highest Job 42. 1 7. Act. 9. 1 8. Thirdly The third soul-quieting Conclusion you have in vers 31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever the Rod shall not alwaies lye upon the back of the righteous At even-tide loâ— there is trouble but afore morning it is gone Isa 17. 14. As Athanasius said to his friends when they came to bewail his misery and banishment Nubecula est cito transibit 't is but a little cloud said hee and will quickly bee gone There are none of Gods afflicted ones that have not their lucida intervalla their intermissions respites A little storm as one said of Julians persecution and an eternal calm follows breathing-whiles yea so small a while doth the hand of the Lord rest upon his people that Luther cannot get diminutives enough to extenuate it for hee calls it a very little little cross that wee bear Isa 26. 20. Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment or for a little space a little while until the indignation bee overpast The indignation doth not transire but pertransire pass but over-passe The sharpnesse shortnesse and suddenness of the Saints afflictions is set forth by the travel of a woman John 16. 21. which is sharp short and sudden Fourthly The fourth soul-silencing Conclusion you have in vers 32. But though hee cause grief yet will hee have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies in wrath God remembers mercy Hab. 3. 2. Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Psal 30. 5. their mourning shall last but till morning God will turn their winters night into a summers day their sighing into singing their grief into gladness their mourning into musick their bitter into sweet their
wilderness into a paradise the life of a Christian is filled up with interchanges of sickness and health weakness and strength want and wealth disgrace and honour crosses and comforts miseries and mercies joyes and sorrows mirth and mourning all hony would harm us all wormwood would undo us a composition of both is the best way in the world to keep our souls in a healthy constitution it is best and most for the health of the soul that the South-wind of mercy and the North-wind of adversity do both blow upon it And though every wind that blows shall blow good to the Saints yet certainly their sins die most and their graces thrive best when they are under the drying nipping North-wind of calamity as well as under the warm cherishing South-wind of mercy and prosperity Fifthly The fifth soul-quieting Conclusion you have in vers 33. For hee doth not afflict willingly or as the Hebrew hath it from his heart nor grâ—eve the children of men The Church concludes that Gods heart was not in their afflictions though his hand was hee takes no delight to afflict his children it goes against the hair and the heart it is a grief to him to bee grievous to them a pain to him to beâ— punishing of them a death to him to bee striking of them hee hath no will no motion no inclination no disposition to that work of afflicting of his people and therefore hee calls it his work his strange work Isa 28. 21. Mercy and punishment they flow from God as the hony and the sting from the Beâ— the Bee yeeldeth hony of her own nature but shee doth not sting but when shee is provoked hee takes delight in shewing of mercy Micah 7. 18. hee takes no pleasure in giving his people up to adversity Hosea 11. 8. Mercy and kindness floweth from him freely naturally hee is never severe never harsh hee never stings hee never terrifies us but when hee is sadly provoked by us Gods hand sometimes may lye very hard upon his people when his heart his bowels at those very times may bee yerning towards his people Jer. 31. 18 19 20. No man can tell how the heart of God stands by his hand his hand of mercy may bee open to those against whom his heart is set As you see in the rich poor fool and Dives in the Gospel and his hand of severity may lye hard upon those on whom hee hath set his heart as you may see in Job and Lazarus And thus you see those gracious blessed soul-quieting Conclusions about the issue and event of afflictions that a holy a prudent Silence doth include Sixthly A holy a prudent Silence includes and takes in a strict charge a solemn command that conscience laies upon the soul to bee quiet and still Psal 37. 7. Rest in the Lord â—or as the Hebrew hath it bee silent to the Lord and wait patiently for him I charge Matth. 8. 25 26. The Heathen could say A recta conscientia ne latum quidem unguem discedendum man may not depart an hairs breadth all his life long from the dictates of a good conscience thee O my soul not to mutter not to murmure I command thee O my soul to bee dumb and silent under the afflicting hand of God As Christ laid a charge a command upon the boisterous winds and the roaring raging Sea bee still and there was a great calm so conscience laies a charge upon the soul to bee quiet and still Psal 27. ult Wait on the Lord bee of good courage and hee shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Peace O my soul bee still leave your muttering leave your murmuring leave your complaining leave your chasing and vexing and lay your hand upon your mouth and bee silent Conscience allaies and stills all the tumults and uproars that bee in the soul by such like reasonings as the Clerk of Ephesus stilled that uproar Act. 19. 40. For wee are in danger to bee called in question for this daies uproar there being no cause whereby wee may give an account of this concourse O my soul bee quiet bee silent else thou wilt one day bee called in question for all those inward mutterings uproars and passions that are in thee seeing no sufficient cause can bee produced why you should murmure quarrel or wrangle under the righteous hand of God Seventhly A holy a prudent Silence includes a surrendring a resigning up of our selves to God whilst wee are under his afflicting Psal 27. 8. James 4. 7 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. Act. 21. 13. 14 c. hand the silent soul gives himself up to God the secret language of the soul is this Lord here am I do with mee what thou pleasest write upon mee as thou pleasest I give up my self to bee at thy dispose There was a good woman who when shee was sick being asked whether shee were willing to live or dye answered which God pleaseth but said one that stood by if God should refer it to you which would you chuse truly said shee if God should refer it to mee I would even refer it to him again this was a soul worth gold Well saith a gracious soul the ambitious man gives himself up to his honours but I give up my self unto thee the voluptuous man gives himself up to his pleasures but I give up my self to thee the covetous man gives himself up to his bagges but I give up my self to thee the wanton gives himself up to his minion but I give up my self to thee the drunkard gives himself up to his cups but I give up my self to thee the Papist gives up himself to his Idols but I give up my self to thee the Turk gives up himself to his Mahomet but I give up my self to thee the Heretick gives up himself to his heretical opinions but I give up my self to thee Lord lay what burden thou wilt upon mee onely let thy everlasting arms bee under mee Strike Lord Luther strike and spare not for I am lyen down in thy will I have learned to say Amen to thy Amen thou hast a greater interest in mee than I have in my self and therefore I give up my self unto thee and am willing to bee at thy dispose and am ready to receive what impression thou shalt stamp upon mee O blessed Lord hast thou not again and again said unto mee as once the King of Israel said to the King of Syria I am 1 King 20 14. thine and all that I have I am thine O soul to save thee my mercy is thine to pardon thee my blood is thine to cleanse thee my merits are thine to justifie thee my righteousness is thine to cloathe thee my Spirit is thine to lead thee my grace is thine to enrich thee and my glory is thine to reward thee and therefore saith a gracious soul I cannot but make a resignation of my self unto thee Lord here I am do with mee
aâ— seemeth good in thine own eyes I know the best way to have my own will is to resign up my self to thy will and to say Amen to thy Amen I have read of a Gentleman who meeting with a Shepherd in a misty morning asked him what weather it would bee it will bee saith the Shepherd what weather pleaseth mee and being courteously requested to express his meaning Sir saith hee it shall bee what weather pleaseth God and what weather pleaseth God pleaseth mee When a Christians will is moulded into the will of God hee is sure to have his will But Eighthly and lastly A holy a prudent Silence takes in a patient waiting upon the Lord under our afflictions till deliverance comes Psal 40. 1 2 3. Psal 62. 5. My soul wait thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly or as the Hebrew hath it silently wait for the salvation of the Lord. The Husbandman patiently waiteth James 5. 7 8. for the precious fruits of the earth the Mariner patiently waiteth for wind and tide and so doth the watch-man for the dawning of the day and so doth the silent soul in the night of adversity patiently wait for the dawning of the day of mercy the mercies of God are not stiled the swift but the sure mercies of David and therefore a gracious soul waits patiently for them And thus you see what a gracious a prudent Silence doth include The second thing is to discover what a holy a prudent Silence under affliction doth not exclude Now there are eight things that a holy patience doth not exclude First A holy a prudent Silence under affliction doth not exclude and shut out a sense and feeling of our afflictions Psal 39. though he was dumb and laid his hand upon his mouth vers 9. yet hee was very sensible of his affliction vers 10 11. Remove thy stroak away from mee I am consumed by the blow of thine hand When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth Surely every man is vanity Hee is sensible of his pain as well as of his sin and having prayed off his sin in the former verses hee labours here to pray off his pain diseases aches sicknesses pains they are all the daughters of sin and hee that is not sensible of them as the births and products of sin doth but add to his sin and provoke the Lord to add to his sufferings Isa 26. 9 10 11. No man shall ever bee charged by God for feeling his burden if hee neither fret nor faint under it grace doth not destroy nature but rather perfect it grace is of a noble off-spring it neither turneth men into stocks nor to Stoicks the more grace the more sensible of the tokens frowns blows and lashes of a displeased Father Though Calvin under his greatest pains was never heard to mutter nor murmure yet hee was heard often to say How long Lord how long A religious Commander being shot in battel when the wound was search'd and the bullet cut out some standing by pittying his pains hee replied though I groan yet I bless God I do not grumble God allowes his people to groan though not to grumble It is a God-provoking sin to bee stupid and senseless under the afflicting hand of God God will heat that mans furnace of affliction sevenfold hotter who is in the furnace but feels it not Isa 42. 24 25. Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the Robbers did No judgement to a stupid spirit a hardned heart and a brazen brow not the Lord he against whom we have sinned for they would not walk in his waies neither were they obedient unto his Law Therefore hee hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and he hath set him on fire round about yet hee knew not and it burned him yet hee laid it not to heart Stupidity laies a man open to the greatest fury and severity The Physician when hee findeth that the potion which hee hath given his patient will not work hee seconds it with one more violent and if that will not work hee gives another yet more violent If a gentle plaister will not serve then the Chirurgion applies that which is more corroding and if that will not do then hee makes use of his cauterizing knife So when the Lord afflicts and men feel it not when hee strikes and they grieve not when hee wounds them and they awake not then the furnace is made hotter than ever then his fury burns then hee laies on Irons upon Irons bolt upon bolt and chain upon chain until hee hath made their lives a hell Afflictions are the Saints dyet-drink and where do you read in all the Scripture that ever any of the Saints drunk of this dyet-drink and were not sensible of it Secondly A holy a prudent Silence doth not shut out prayer for It is an old saying Qui nescit or are discat navigare Hee that would learn to pray let him go to Sea deliverance out of our afflictions though the Psalmist layes his hand upon his mouth in the Text yet hee prayes for deliverance vers 10 Remove thy stroak away from mee and vers 11 12. Hear my prayer O Lord and give ear unto my cry hold not thy peace at my tears For I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my Fathers were O spare mee that I may recover strength before I go hence and bee no more James 5. 13. Is any among you afflicted let him pray Psal 50. 15. Call upon mee in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Times of affliction by Gods own injunction are special times of supplication Davids heart was more often out of tune than his harp but then hee prayes and presently cries Return to thy rest O my soul Jonah praies in the Whales belly and Daniel praies when among the Lions and Job praies when on the dunghil and Jeremiah praies when in the dungeon c. Yea the Heathen Mariners as stout as they were when in a storm they cry every man to his God Jonah 1. 5 6. to call upon God especially in times of distress and trouble is a lesson that the very light and law of nature teaches The Persian Messenger though an Heathen as Aeschiles observeth saith thus When the Graecian forces hotly pursued our host and wee must needs venture over the great water Strymon frozen then but beginning to thaw when a hundred to one wee had all died for it With mine eies I saw saith hee many of those Gallants whom I had heard before so boldly maintain There was no God every one upon his knees and devoutly praying that the Ice might hold till they got over And shall blinde nature do more than grace If the time of affliction bee not a time of supplication
As a Pilot that guides the Ship hath his hand upon the Rudder and his eye on the Star that directs him at the same time so when your hand is upon the means let your eye bee upon your God and deliverance will come Wee may tempt God as well by neglecting of means as by trusting in means it is best to use them and in the use of them to live above them Augustine tells of a man that being fallen into a piâ— one passing by falls a questioning of him what hee made there and how hee came in O! saith the poor man ask mee not how I came in but help mee and tell mee how I may come out The Application is easie But Eighthly and lastly A holy a prudent Silence doth not exclude a just and sober complaining against the Authors contrivers abettors or instruments of our afflictions 2 Tim. 4. 14. Alexander the Copper-Smith did mee much evil the Lord reward him according to his works This Alexander is conceived by some to bee that Alexander that is mentioned Act. 19. 32. who stood so close to Paul at Ephesus that hee run the hazard of losing his life by appearing on his side yet if glorious professors come to bee furious persecutors Christians may complain 2 Cor. 11. 24. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one They inflict saith Maimonides no more than forty stripes though hee bee as strong as Sampson but if hee bee weak they abate of that number They scourged Paul with the greatest severity in making him suffer so oft the utmost extremity of the Jewish Law when as they that were weak had their punishment mitigated Vers 25. Thrice was I beaten with Rods that is by the Romans whose custome it was to beat the guilty with Rods. If Pharaoh make Israel groan Israel may make his complaint against Pharaoh to the keeper of Israel Exod. 2. If the proud and blaspheâ—â—ous King of Assyâ—ia shall come with his mighty Army to destroy the people of the Lord Isa 37. 14 21. Hezekiah may spread his letter of blasphemy before the Lord. It was the saying of Socrates that every man in this life had need of a faithful friend and a bitter enemy the one to advise him and the other to make him look about him and this Hezekiah found by experience Though Josephs bow abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob yet Joseph may say that the Archers or the Arrow-masters as the Hebrew hath it have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him Gen. 49. 23 24. And so David sadly complained of Doeg Psal 109. 1 21. yea Christ himself who was the most perfect pattern for dumbness and silence under sorest trials complains against Judas Pilate and the rest of his persecutors Psal 69. 20 30 c. yea though God will make his peoples enemies to bee the workmen that shall fit them and square them for his building to bee Gold-Smiths to add Pearls to their Crown to bee Rods to beat off their dust skullions to scoure off their rust fire to purge away their dross and water to cleanse away their filthiness fleshliness and earth liness yet may they point at them and pour out their complaints to God against them Psal 142. 2 ult This truth I might make good by above a hundred Texts of Scripture but it is time to come to the Reasons of the point Why must Christians bee mute and silent under the greatest afflictions the saddest providences and sharpest trials that they meet with in this world I answer Reas 1. That they may the better hear and understand the voice of the Rod. As the word hath a Schola â—rucis est Schola lucis voice the spirit a voice and conscience a voice so the Rod hath a voice Afflictions are the rod of Gods anger the rod of his displeasure and his rod of revenge hee gives a commission to this rod to awaken his people to reform his people or else to revenge the quarrel of his Covenant upon them if they will not beat the rod and kiss the rod and sit mute and silent under the rod. Micah 6. 9. The Lords voice crieth unto the City and the man of wisdome shall see thy name hear yee the Rod and who hath appointed it Gods Rods are not mutes they are all vocal they are speaking as well as smiting every twig hath a voice Ah soul saith one twig thou sayest it smarts well tell mee is it good provoking of a jealous Jer. 4. 18. God Ah soul saith another twig thou sayest it is bitter it reacheth to thy heart but hath not thine own doings procured these things Ah soul saith another twig where is the profit the Rom. 6. 20 21. pleasure the sweet that you have found in wandring from God Ah soul saith another twig was Hos 2. 7 it not best with you when you were high in your communion with God and when you were humble and close in your walking with God Ah Christian saith Micah 6. 8 another twig wilt thou search thy heart and try thy waies Lam. 3. 40 and turn to the Lord thy God Ah soul saith another Rom. 14. 6 7 8 Gal. 6. 14. twig wilt thou dye to sin more than ever and to the world more than ever and to relations more than ever and to thy self more than ever Ah soul saith another twig wilt thou live more to Christ than ever and cleave closer to Christ than ever and prize Christ more than ever and venture further for Christ than ever Ah soul saith another twig wilt thou love Christ with a more enflamed love and hope in Christ with a more raised hope and depend upon Christ with a greater confidence and wait upon Christ with more invincible patience c. Now if the soul bee not mute and silent under the rod how is it possible that it should ever hear the voice of the rod or that it should ever hearken to the voice of every twig of the rod the rod hath a voice that is in the hands of earthly Fathers but children hear it not they understand it not till they are hush'd and quiet and brought to kiss it and sit silently under it no more shall wee hear or understand the voice of the rod that is in our heavenly Fathers hands till wee come to kiss it and sit silently under it But Reas 2. Gracious souls should bee mute and silent under their greatest afflictions and sharpest trials that they may difference and distinguish themselves from the men of the world who usually fret and fling mutter and murmure curse and swagger when they are under the afflicting hand of God Isa 8. 21 22. And they shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to pass that when they shall bee hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look
come upon us so hee hath a great hand in all the afflictions that befall us As you see in that great instance of Job 3 Because as temptations drive to God 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. so doe afflictions Isa 26. 16. Hosea 5. ult but mainly because Satan chuses times of afflictions as the fittest season for his temptations when Job was sorely afflicted in his estate children wife life then Sa 〈…〉 le ts flie and makes his fiercest assaults upon him now Satan tempts him to entertain hard thoughts of God to distrust to impatiency to murmuring Many Saints have experienced this truth when they have been upon their sick and dying beds and muttering As when Israel was feeble faint and weary Amaleck assaulted them and smote the hindmost of them Deut. 25. 17 18. So when Christians are most afflicted then usually they are most tempted Luther found this by experience when hee said I am without set upon by all the world and within by the Devil and all his Angels Satan is a coward and loves to strike us and trample upon us when afflictions have cast us down When besiedged Towns Cities and Castles are in greatest straights and troubles then the besiedgers make their fiercest assaults So when Christians are under the greatest straights and trials then Satan assaults them most like a roaring Lion Now silence under afflictions is the best antidote and preservative against all those temptations that afflictions lay us open to Silence in afflictions is a Christians armour of proof it is that shield that no spear or dart of temptation can peirce whilst a Christian lies quiet under the Rod hee is safe Satan may tempt him but hee will not conquer him hee may assault him but hee cannot vanquish him Satan may entice him to use sinful shifts to shift himself out of trouble but hee will chuse rather to lye yea dye in trouble than to get out upon Satans terms But Ninthly Consider That holy Silence under afflictions and trials will give a man a quiet and peaceable possession of his own soul In patience possess your souls now next to the possession of God the Luk. 21. 19. Vide Greg. in Evangel Hom. 35. possession of a mans own soul is the greatest mercy in this world A man may possess honours riches and dear relations and the favour and assistance of friends under his trials but hee will never come to a possession of his own soul under his troubles till hee comes to bee mute and to lay his hand upon his mouth Now what are all earthly possessions to the possession of a mans own soul he that possesses himself possesses all he that possesses not himself possesses nothing at all hee possesses not the use the sweet the comfort the good the blessing of any thing hee enjoyes who enjoyes not himself that man that is not Master of himself hee is Master of nothing holy Silence gives a man the greatest Mastery over his own spirit and Mastery over a mans own spirit is the greatest Mastery in the Prov. 16. 32 world The Egyptian Goddesse they paint upon a rock standing in the Sea where the waves come roaring and dashing upon her with this Motto Semper eadem storms shall not move mee A holy Silence will give a man such a quiet possession of his own soul that all the storms of afflictions shall not move him it will make him stand like a Rock in a Sea of troubles let a man but quietly possess himself and troubles will never trouble him But Tenthly Consider the commands and injunctions that God in his word hath laid upon you to bee silent to bee mute and quiet under all the troubles trials and changes that have or may pass upon you Zach. 21. 3. Bee silent O all flesh before the Lord for hee is raised Gods commands are like those of the Medes that cannot bee changed up out of his holy habitation Isa 41. 1. Keep silence before mee O Islands Hab. 2. 20. The â—ord is in his holy Temple let all the earth keep silence before him Amos 5. 1â— Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in â—hat time for it is an evil time Psa 46. 10. Be still and know that I am God Psa 4. 4. Commune with your heart and be still Exod. 14. 13. Stand still and see the salvation of God 2 Chron. 20. 17. Stand yee still and see the salvation of the Lord with you O Judah and Jerusalem Job 37. 14. Hearken unto this O Job stand still and consider the wondrous works of God It is a dangerous thing for us to neglect one of his commands who by another is able to command us into nothing or into Hell at pleasure to act or run cross to Gods express command though under pretence of revelation from God is as much as a mans life is worth as you may see in that sad story 1 King 13. 24 c. Divine Obedientia non discutit Dei mandata sed facit Prosper Rom. 7. 12 14 commands must bee put in speedy execution without denying or delaying without debating or disputing the difficulties that may attend our subjection to them Gods commands are spiritual holy just and good and therefore to bee obeyed without muttering or murmuring Divine commands are backed with the strongest reason and attended with the highest encouragements Shall the servant readily obey the commands of his Master the subject the commands of his Prince the souldier the commands of his General the child the commands of his Father the wife the commands of her husband and shall not a Christian as readily obey the commands of his Christ nay shall vain men readily and willingly obey the sinful and senseless commands of men and shall not wee bee willing to obey the commands of God 2 Sam. 13. 28 29. Now Absalom had commanded his servants saying Mark yee now when Amnons heart is merry with Wine and when I say unto you Smite Amnon then kill him fear not have not I commanded you be couragious and be valiant And the servants of Absolom did unto Amnon as Absolom had commanded they made no bones of obeying the bloody commands of Absolom against all Law Reason and Religion I have read of one Johannes Abbas Cassian de Institut renunciant lib. 4. cap. 24 who willingly fetched water neer two miles every day for an whole year together to pour upon a dry stick upon the bare command of his Confessor I have also read of the old Kings of Peru that they were wont to use a tassel or fringe made of red wool which they wore upon their heads and when they sent any Governour to rule as Vice Roy in any part of their Country they delivered unto him one of the threeds of the tassel and for one of those simple threeds hee was as much obeyed as if hee had been the King himself Now shall one single threed bee more forcible to draw Infidels to obedience than all
if not cease from murmurings where murmuring is in its reign in its dominion there you may speak and write that person ungodly let murmurers make what profession they will of godliness yet if murmuring keeps the Throne in their hearts Christ will deal with them at last as ungodly sinners a man may bee denominated ungodly as well from his murmuring if hee lives under the dominion of it as from his drunkenness swearing whoring lying stealing c. A murmurer is an ungodly man hee is an ungodlike man no man on earth more unlike to God than the murmurer and therefore no wonder if when Christ comes to execute judgement hee deals so severely and terribly with him In the wars of Tamberlain one having found a great pot of Gold that was hid in the earth hee brought it to Tamberlain who asked whether it had his Fathers stamp upon it but when hee saw it had not his Fathers stamp but the Roman stamp upon it he would not own it but cast it away The Lord Jesus when hee shall come with all his Saints to execute judgement Oh hee will not own murmurers nay hee will cast them away for ever because they have not his Fathers stamp upon them Ah souls souls as you would not go up and down this world with a badge of ungodliness upon you take heed of murmuring Thirdly Consider That murmuring Numb 16. 41. ch 17. 10. is a mother sin it is the Mother of harlots the Mother of all abominations a sin that breeds many other sins viz. disobedience contempt ingratitude impatience distrust rebellion cursing carnality yea it charges God with folly yea with blasphemy Judg. 17. 2. the language of a murmuring a muttering soul is this Surely God might have done this sooner and that wiser and the other thing better c. As the River Nilus bringeth forth many Crocodiles and the Scorpion many Serpents at one birth so murmuring is a sin that breeds and brings forth many sins at once Murmuring is like the Monster Hydra cut off one head and many will rise up in its room Oh! therefore bend all thy strength against this Mother sin As the King of Syria said 1 Kings 22. 31. to his Captains Fight neither with small nor great but with the King of Israel So say I fight not so much against this sin or that but fight against your murmuring which is a Mother sin make use of all your Eph. 6. 10 11. Christian armour make use of all the ammunition of Heaven to destroy the Mother and in destroying of her you will destroy the daughters When Goliah was slain the Philistians fled when a General in an Army is cut off the common souldiers are easily and quickly routed and destroyed So destroy but murmuring and you will quickly destroy disobedience ingratitude impatience distrust c. Oh! kill this Mother sin that this may never kill thy soul I have read of Senacherib that after his Army was destroyed by an Angel Isa 37. and hee returned home to his own Country hee enquired of one about him what hee thought the reason might bee why God so favoured the Jews hee answered that there was one Abraham their Father that was willing to sacrifice his Son to death at the command of God and that ever since that time God favoured that people well said Senacherib if that bee it I have two Sons and I will sacrifice them both to death if that will procure their God to favour mee which when his two Sons heard they as the story goeth slew their Father Isa 37. 38. chusing rather to kill than bee killed So do thou chuse rather to kill this Mother sin than Psal 137. 8 9 to bee killed by it or by any of those vipers that are brought forth by it Fourthly Consider That murmuring is a God-provoking sin it is a sin that provokes God not onely to afflict but also to destroy Numb 26. ult Numb 12. 10 Rev. 16. 8 9 10 11 a people Numb 14. 27 28 29. How long shall I bear with this evil Congregation which murmure against mee I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel which they murmure against mee Say unto them As truly as I live saith the Lord as yee have spoken in mine ears so will I do to you Your carkasses shall fall in this wilderness and all that were numbred of you according to your whole number from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against mee 1 Cor. 10. 10. Neither murmure yee as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer All our murmurings do but provoke the Lord to strike us and destroy us I have read of Caesar that having Seneca prepared a great feast for his Nobles and Friends it so â—ell out that the day appointed was extream â—oul that nothing could be done to the honour of the meeting whereupon hee was so displeased and enraged that hee commanded all them that had bows to shoot up their arrows at Jupiter their chief God as in defiance of him for that rainy weather which when they did their arrows fell short of Heaven and full upon their own heads so that many of them were very sorely wounded So all our mutterings and murmurings which are as so many arrows shot at God himself they will return upon our pates hearts they reach not him but they will hit us they hurt not him but they will wound us therefore it is better to bee mute than to murmure it is dangerous to provoke a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult Irenaeus calleth murmurers ora diaboli the Devils mouth Job 1. 8 9 Luk. 22. 31 -34 2 Cor. 12. 8 9 10 Fifthly Consider That murmuring is the Devils Image sin and punishment Satan is still a murmuring â—hee murmures at every mercy that God bestows at every dram of grace hee gives hee murmures at every sin hee pardons and at every soul heâ— saves a soul cannot have a good look from Heaven nor hear a good word from Heaven nor receive a Love-letter from Heaven but Satan murmures at it he murmures and mutters at every act of pittying grace and at every act of preventing grace and at every act of supporting grace and at every act of strengthening grace and at every act of comforting grace that God exercises towards poor souls hee murmures at every sip at every drop at every crum of mercy that God bestows Cyprian Aquinas and others conceive that the cause of Satans banishment from Heaven was his grieving and murmuring at the dignity of man whom hee beheld made after Gods own Image insomuch that Gen. 3. hee would relinquish his own glory Satan can never bee quiet nec victor nec victus neither conquered nor conquerour to devest so noble a Creature of perfection and rather bee in Hell himself than see Adam placed in Paradise But certainly after his fall murmuring and envy at mans innocency and felicity put him upon attempting
field and the birds of the Isa 3. 8 Jer. 7. 6. Mat. 6 Prov. 6. air and the creeping things of the earth how to cease from murmuring and how to bee mute Ah Sirs as you would have the name the honour the reputation of being men I say men Take heed of murmuring and sit silent before the Lord. Tenthly Murmuring is a timedestroying sin Ah the precious time that is buried in the grave of murmuring when the murmurer should bee a praying hee is a murmuring against the Lord when hee should bee a hearing hee is a murmuring against divine providences when hee should bee a reading hee is a murmuring against instruments the murmurer spends much precious time in musing in musing how to get out of such a trouble how to get off such a yoak how to bee rid of such a burden how to revenge himself for such a wrong how to supplant such a person how to reproach those that are above him and how to affront those that are below him and a thousand other waies murmurers have to expend thaâ— precious time that some would redeem with a world As Queen Sumptus pretiocissimus tempus Time is of precious cost saith Theophrastus Elizabeth on her death-bed cryed out time time a world of wealth for an inch of time the murmurer lavishly and profusely trifles away that precious time that is his greatest interest in this world to redeem Ephes 5. 16. every day every hour in the day is a talent of time and God expects the Rev. 2. 21 1 Pet. 4. 2. 5 improvement of it and will charge the non-improvement of it upon you at last Caesar observing the Ladies in Rome to spend Plutarch in the life of Pericles much of their time in making much of little Doggs and Monkies asked them whether the women in that Country had no children to make much of Ah murmurers murmurers you who by your murmuring trifle away so many golden hours and seasons of mercy have you no God to honour have you no Christ to beleeve in have you no hearts to change no sins to bee pardoned no souls to save no Hell to escape no Heaven to seek after Oh! if you have why do you spend so much of your precious time in murmuring against God against men against this or that thing Eternity rides upon the back of Time Hoc est momentum this is the moment Aut male aut nihil aut aliud agendo if it bee well improved you are made for ever if not you are undone for ever I have read of Archias a Lacedemonian that whilst hee was rioting and quaffing in the midst of his cups one delivers him a letter purposely to signifie that there were some that lay in wait to take Plutarch away his life withall desires him to read it presently because it was a serious business and matter of high concernment to him Oh! said hee seria cras I will think of serious things to morrow but that night hee was slain Ah murmurer cease from murmuring to day or else thou mayest bee for ever undone by murmuring to morrow the old saying was nunc aut nunquam now or never So say I now or never now or never give over murmuring and let it swallow up no more of your precious time what would not many a murmurer give for one of those daies yea for one of those hours which hee hath trifled away in murmuring when it is a day too late The Rabbins glory in this conceipt that a man hath so many bones as there bee latters in the Decalogue and just so many joints and members as there bee daies in the year to shew that all our strength and time should bee expended in Gods service Ah murmurers you will gain more by one daies faithful serving of God than ever you have gained by murmuring against God But Eleventhly Consider this Christians that of all men in the world you have least cause yea no cause to bee murmuring and Lam. 3. 24 Ephes 3. 8 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 muttering under any dispensations that you meet with in this world is not God thy portion Chrysostome propounds this question Chrysost Hom. 4. de patientia Job was Job miserable when hee lost all that God had given him and gives this answer no hee had still that God who gave him all Is not Christ thy treasure is not Heaven thine inheritance and wilt thou murmure hast thou not much in hand and more in hope hast thou not much in possession but much more in reversion and wilt thou murmure hath not God given thee a changed heart a renewed nature and a sanctified soul and wilt thou murmure hath hee not given thee himself to satisfie thee his Son Omne bonum in summo bono to save thee his Spirit to lead thee his grace to adorn thee his covenant to assure thee his mercy to pardon thee his righteousness to cloathe thee and wilt thou murmure hath he not made thee a friend a son a brother a bride an heir and wilt thou murmure hath not God often turned thy water into wine thy brass into silver and thy silver into gold and wilt thou murmure when thou was dead did not he quicken God is all in all and all without all thee and when thou wast lost did not hee seek thee and when thou wast wounded did not heâ— heal thee and when thou wer't falling did not hee support thee and when thou wer 't down did not hee raise thee and when thou wer't staggering did not hee establish thee and when thou wer't erring did not hee reduce thee and when thou wer 't tempted did not hee succour thee and when thou wer 't in dangers did not hee deliver thee and wilt thou murmure what thou that art so highly advanced and exalted above many thousands in the world Murmuring is a black garment and it becomes none so ill as Saints Twelfthly and lastly Consider That murmuring makes the life of man invisibly miserable every murmurer is his own executioner Murmuring vexes the heart it wears and tears the heart it inrages and inflames the heart it wounds and stabs the heart every murmurer is his own Martyr every murmurer is a murtherer hee kills many at once viz. his joy his comfort his peace his rest his soul no man so inwardly miserable as the murmurer no man hath such inward gripes and grief as hee such inward bitterness and heaviness as hee such inward contentions and combustions as hee every murmurer is his own tormentor murmuring is a fire within that will burn up all it is an earthquake within that will overturn all it is a disease within that will infect all it is poison within that wiâ—l prey upon all And thus I have done with those motives that may perswade us not to murmure nor mutter but to be mute and silent under the greatest afflictions the saddest providences and sharpest trials that wee meet with in
said another it were a sad condition indeed iâ— they were carried to a place where they should not finde their God but let them bee of good chear God goes along with them and will exhibit the comforts of his presence whithersoever they go the presence of God with the spirits of his people is a breast of comfort that can never bee drawn drye it is an everlasting spring that will Heb. 13. 5 6 Isa 40. 29 30 31 never fail Well Christian thou art under many great troubles many sore trials but tell mee doth God give into thy soul such cordials such supports such comforts and such refreshments that the world knows not of O then certainly thy affliction is in love Fourthly If by your affliction you are made more conformable Witness Judas Demas and those in the 6th of John and many Qâ—akers and other deluded people among us this day to Christ in his virtues then certainly your afflictions are in love many are conformable to Christ in their sufferings that are not made conformable to Christ in his virtues by their sufferings many are in poverty neglect shame contempt reproach c. like to Christ who yet by these are not made more like to Christ in his meekness humbleness heavenliness holiness righteousness faithfulness fruitfulness goodness contentedness patience submission subjection Oh but if in these things you are made more like to Christ without all peradventure your afflictions are in love If by afflictions the soul bee led to shew forth or to preach forth the virtues of Christ as that word imports in that 1 Pet. 2. 9. then certainly Exaggeilete publickly to set forth those afflictions are in love for they never have such an operation but where they are set on by a hand of love when God strikes as an enemy there all those stroaks do but make a man more an enemy to God as you see in Pharaoh and others but when the stroaks Isa 26. 8 9 10 Jer. 5. 3. Amos 6. 1 ult of God are the stroaks of love Oh then they do but bring the soul nearer Christ and transform the soul more and more into the likeness of Christ if by thy afflictions thou art made more holy humble heavenly c. they are in love Every afflicted Christian should strive to bee honoured with that Elogie of Salvian singularis domini praeclarus imitator An excellent Disciple of a singular Master But Fifthly If by outward afflictions thy soul bee brought more under Job 34. 31 32 the inward teachings of God doubtless thy afflictions are in love Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law All the chastening in the world without divine teaching will never make a man blessed that man that findes correction attended with instruction and lashing with lessoning is a happy man If God by the affliction that is upon thee shall teach thee how to loathe sin more and how to trample upon the world more and how to walk with God more thy afflictions are in love if God shall teach thee by afflictions how to dye to sin more and how to dye to thy relations more and how to dye to self-interest more thy afflictions are in love if God shall teach thee by afflictions how to live to Christ more how to lift up Christ more and how to long for Christ more thy afflictions are in love If God shall teach thee by afflictions to get assurance of a better life and to bee still in a gracious readiness and preparedness for the day of thy death thy afflictions are in love if God shall teach thee by afflictions how to minde Heaven more how to live in Heaven more and how to fit for Heaven more thy afflictions are in love if God by afflictions shall teach thy proud heart how to lye more low and thy hard heart how to grow more humble and thy censorious heart how to grow more charitable and thy carnal heart how to grow more spiritual and thy froward heart how to grow more quiet c. thy afflictions are in love When God teaches thy reins as well as thy brains thy heart as well as thy head these lessons or any of these lessons thy afflictions are in love Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 18. Pambo an illiterate dunce as the Historian terms him was a learning that one lesson I said I will take heed to my waies that I sin not with my tongue nineteen years and yet had not learned it Ah! it is to bee feared that there are many who have been in the school of affliction above this nineteen years and yet have not learned any saving lesson all this while surely their afflictions are not in love but in wrath where God loves hee afflicts in love and where-ever God afflicts in love there hee will first or last teach such souls such lessons as shall do them good to all eternity But Sixthly If God suit your burdens to your backs your trials to Isa 27. 8 Jer. 30. 11. ch 46. 28 your strength according to that golden promise 1 Cor. 10. 13. Your afflictions are in love There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to bee tempted above that yee are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that yee may bee able to bear it When Gods stroaks and a Christians strength are suited one to another all is in love let the load bee never so heavy Gen. 49. 23 24. that God laies on if hee put under his everlasting arms all is in love As Egypt had many venemous creatures so it had many antidotes against them when God shall lay antidotes into the soul against all the afflictions that befall a Christian then they are all in love it is no matter how heavy the burden is if God gives a shoulder to bear it all is in love it is no matter how bitter the cup is if God give courage to drink it off it is no matter how hot the furnace is if God gives power to walk in the midst of it all is in love Seventhly Iâ— thou art willing to lye in the furnace till thy dross bee consumed if thou art willing Job 23. 10 Mic. 7. 9 that the plaister should lye on though it smart till the cure bee wrought if thou art willing that the physick should work though it makes thee sick till the humors bee expelled all is in love Cain and Saul and Pharaoh were all for the removing away of the stroak the affliction they cry not out our sins are greater than wee are able to bear but they cry out our punishment is greater Gen. 4. 13 Isa 28. 1 6. ch 59. 9 17 Exod. 7 8 9 10. chapters than wee are able to bear they cry not out Lord take away our sins but Lord remove the stroak of thy hand Oh! but when an
reasonable that God who is Lord Paramount should do with his own as hee pleases dost thou beleeve that the great God may do in Heaven what hee pleases and on the Seas what hee pleases and in the Nations and Kingdomes of the world what hee pleases and in thy heart what hee pleases and dost thou not beleeve that God may do in thy house what hee pleases and do with thy mercies what hee pleases Job 9. 12. Behold Job plainly alludes to Gods taking away his children servants and cattel hee taketh away or hee snatcheth away it may bee a husband a wife a childe an estate who can hinder him who will say unto him what doest thou Who dares cavil against God who dares question that God that is unquestionable that chief Lord that is uncontroulable and who may do with his own what hee pleaseth Dan. 4. 35. And all the Inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and hee doth according to his will in the Army Isa 45. 9 of Heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what doest thou Where is the Prince the Peasant the Master the Servant the Husband the Wife the Father the Child that dares say to God what doest thou In matters of Arithmetical accounts set one against ten ten against a hundred a hundred against a thousand a thousand against ten thousand although there bee great odds yet there is some comparison but if a man could set down an infinite number then there could bee no comparison at all because the one is finite the other infinite so set all the Princes and Powers of the earth in opposition to God they shall never bee able to withstand him It was once the saying of Pompey that with one stamp of his foot hee could raise all Italy in Arms but let the Plutarch in vita Pompei great God but stamp with his foot and hee can raise all the world in Arms to own him to contend for him or to revenge any affronts that by any are put upon him and therefore who shall say unto him what doest thou water is stronger than earth fire stronger than water Angels stronger than men and God stronger than them all and therefore who shall say unto God what doest thou when hee takes their nearest and their dearest mercies from them But Fourthly It may bee thou hast not made a happy improvement of thy near and dear mercies whilst thou injoyest them thou hast been taken with thy mercies but thy heart hath not been taken up in the improvement of them there are many who are very much taken with their mercies who make no conscience of improving their mercies have thy near and dear mercies been a star to lead thee to Christ have they been a cloud by day and a pillar of light by night to lead thee towards the heavenly Canaan have they been a Jacobs Ladder to thy soul hast thou by them been provoked to give up thy self to God as a living Rom. 12. 1 Sacrifice hast thou improved thy near and dear mercies to the enflaming of thy love to God to the strengthening of thy confidence in God to the raising of thy communion with God and to the engaging of thy heart to a more close and circumspect walking before God c. if thou hast not thus improved them thou hast more cause to bee mute than to murmure to bee silent than to be impatient to fall out with thy self than to fall out with thy God Children and fools are taken with many things but improve nâ—thing such children and fools aâ—e most men they are much taken with their mercies but they make no improvement of their mercies and therefore no wonder if God strip them of their mercies The candle of mercy is set up not to play by but to work by Pliny speaks of one Cressinus who Lib. 18. cap. 6. improved a little peece of ground to a far greater advantage than his neighbours could a greater quantity of land thereupon hee was accused of witch-craft but hee to defend himself brought into the Court his servants and their working-tools and said Veneficia mea Quirites haec sunt these are my witch-crafts O yee Romans these servants and these working-tools are all the witch-craft that I know of when the people heard this plea with one consent they acquitted him and declared him not guilty and so his little peece of ground was secured to him there is no way to secure your mercies but by improving of them there is nothing that provokes God to strip you of your mercies like the non-improvement of them Matth. 25. 24 31. Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him which hath ten talents By some stroak or other God will take away the mercy that is not improved if thy slothfulness hath put God upon passing a sentence of death upon thy dearest mercy thank thy self and hold thy peace Fifthly If in this case God had made thee a president to others thou must have held thy peace how much more then shouldst thou bee mute when God hath made many others presidents to thee Did not God smite Aaron in his dear and near enjoyments Levit. 10. 1 2. and doth hee not hold his â—eace did not God smite David in his Absalom and Abraham in his Sarah and Job in his sons daughters estate and body and Jonah in his Guard art Jonah 4. 6 7 8. thou more beloved than these no hast thou more grace than these no hast thou done more for divine glory than these no art thou richer in spiritual experiences than these no hast thou attained to higher enjoyments than these no hast thou been more serviceable in thy Generation than these no hast thou been more exemplary in thy life and conversation than these no c. then why shouldest thou murmure and fret at that which hath been the common lot of the dearest Saints Though God hath smitten thee in this or that near and dear enjoyment it is thy wisdome to hold thy peace for that God that hath taken away one might have taken away all Justice writes a sentence of death upon all Jobs mercies Job 1. at once and yet hee holds his peace and wilt not thou hold thine though God hath cropt the fairest Flower in all thy garden Anytus a young spark of Athens came revelling into Alcibiades house and as hee sate at supper with some strangers hee rose on a sudden and took away one half of his plate thereupon the Guests stormed and took on at it he bade them bee quiet and told them that hee had dealt kindly with him since that hee had left the one half whereas hee might have taken all so when our hearts begin to storm and take on when God smites us in this neer mercy and in that dear enjoyment Oh! let us lay the Law of silence upon our hearts let us charge our souls to bee
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
my peace but heark Christian heark canst thou tell mee how long thou must have travelled in birth again with them before they had been born again before they had been twice born would not every sin that they had committed against thy gracious God cause a new throw in thy soul would not every temptation that they had fallen before been as a dagger at thy heart would not every affliction that should have befallen them been as a knife at thy throat what are those pains and pangs and throws of child-birth to those after pains pangs and throws that might have been brought upon thee by the sins and sufferings of thy children Well Christians hold your peace for you do not know what thorns in your eyes what goads in your sides nor what spears in your hearts such near and dear mercies might have proved had they been longer continued Eleventhly Thou canst not tell how bad thy heart might have Deut. 32. ult 5. to the end Jer. 5. 7 8 9. ch 2. 31. ch 22. 21. Hosea 4. 7 proved under the enjoyment of those near and dear mercies that now thou hast lost Israel were very bad whilst they were in the wilderness but they were much worse when they came to possesse Canaan that Land of desires mans blood is apt to rise with his outward good In the winter men gird their cloaths close about them but in the Summer they let them hang loose in the winter of adversity many a Christian girds his heart close to God to Christ to Gospel to Godliness to Ordinances to Duties c. who in the summer of mercy hangs loose from all I have read of the Pine-tree that if the bark bee pulled off it will last a long time but if it continue long on it rots the tree Ah! how bad how rotten how base would many have proved had not God pulled off their bark of health wealth friendship c near and dear relations they stick as close to us as the bark of a tree sticks to the tree and if God should not pull off this bark how apt should wee be to rot and corrupt our selves therefore God is fain to bark us and peel us and strip us naked and bare of our dearest enjoyments and sweetest contentments that so our souls like the Pine-tree may prosper and thrive the better who can seriously consider of this and not hold his peace even then when God takes a Jewel out of his bosome Heap all the sweetest contentments and most desirable enjoyments of this world upon a man they will not make him a Christian heap them upon a Christian they will not make him a better Christian many a Christian hath been made worse by the good things of this world but where is the Christian that hath been bettered by them therefore bee quiet when God strips thee of them Twelfthly and lastly Get thy heart more affected with spiritual losses and then thy soul will bee less afflicted with those temporal losses that thou mournest under Hast thou lost nothing of that presence Qui te non habet Domine Deus totum perdidit Bern. of God that once thou hadst with thy spirit hast thou lost none of those warmings meltings quicknings and chearings that once thou hadst hast thou lost nothing of thy communion with God nor of the joyes of the spirit nor of that peace of conscience that once thou enjoyedst hast thou lost none of that ground that once thou hadst got upon sin Satan and the world hast thou lost nothing of that holy vigour and heavenly heat that once thou hadst in thy heart if thou hast not which would bee a miracle a wonder why doest thou complain of this or that temporal loss for what is this but to complain of the loss of thy purse when thy gold is safe if thou art a loser in spirituals why dost thou not rather complain that thou hast lost thy God than that thou hast lost thy gold and that thou hast lost thy Christ than that thou hast lost thy Husband and that thou hast lost thy Peace than that thou hast lost thy Childe and that thou art damnified in spirituals than that thou art damnified in temporals Dost thou mourn over the body the soul hath left mourn rather over the soul that God hath 1 Sam. 15. 35 forsaken as Samuel did for Saul saith one I have read of Honorius a Roman Emperour who was simple and childish enough when one told him Rome was lost hee was exceedingly grieved and cried out Alass Alass for hee supposed it was his Hen that was called Rome which Hen hee exceedingly loved but when it was told him it was his imperial City of Rome that was besiedged by Aâ—aricus and taken and all the Citizens rifled and made a prey to the rude enraged souldiers then his spirits were revived that his loss was not so great as hee imagined now what is the loss of a husband a wife a childe a friend to the loss of God Christ the Spirit or the least measure of Grace or Communion with God c. I say What are all such losses but the loss of a Hen to the loss of Rome and yet so simple and childish are many Christians that they are more affected and afflicted with the loss of this and that poor temporal injoyment than they are with the loss of their most spiritual attainment Ah Christians bee but more affected with spiritual losses and you will bee more quiet and silent under temporal losses let the loss of Rome trouble you more and then the loss of your Hen will not trouble you at all Let these things suffice for answer to the second Objection Object 3. Oh but my afflictions my troubles have been long upon mee and how then can I hold my peace were they but of yesterday I would bee quiet but they are of a long continuance and therefore how can I bee silent c. To this I answer First Thou canst not date thy affliction from the first day of thy pollution thou hast been polluted from the womb but thou hast not been afflicted from the womb many have Psal 51. 5 Rom. 5. 12 been the daies the years since thou wast born in sin few have been the daies the years that thou hast experienced sorrow thou canst not easily number the daies of thy sinning thou canst easily number the daies of thy suffering thou canst not number thy daies of mercy thou canst easily number thy daies of calamity thou canst not number thy daies of health but thou canst easily tell over thy daies of sickness Secondly Thy afflictions are not so long as the afflictions of other Saints compare thy winter nights and other Saints winter nights together thy storms and troubles and other Saints storms and troubles together thy losses and other Psalms 77 88. Gen. 15. 12 13. Exod. 12. 40 41 42 Jer. 25. 11 12. Saints losses together thy miseries and other Saints miseries together
now at what a rare doth a deserted souâ— vâ—â—ue these precious promises well saith hee these Psal 119. 103. 72. v. â—sa 19. 10 Pro. 8. 11 Joâ— 23. 12 promises are sweeter than the hony or the hony-comb they are more precious than gold than fine gold than much gold than all the gold in the world I prefer them before my food before my delighâ—ul food yea before my necessary food before my appointed portion As Alexander laid up Homers Iliads in a Cabinet embroidered with gold and pearls so deserted souls will lay up these precious promises in the Cabinet of their hearts as the choicest treasure the world affords Dol 〈…〉 ns they say love musick so do â—eserted souls the musick of the promises That promise 1 Tim. 1. 15. was musick to Bilny the Martyr and that promise John 10. 29. was musick to Vrsine and that promise Isa 57. 15. was musick to another and that promise Isa 26. 3. was musick to another and that to another Mat. 11. 28 c. promises that are suited to a deserted mans condition make the sweetest musick in his car and are the most soveraign cordials to bear up his spirits that God can give or Heaven afford or the soul desire Deut. 32. 13. Hee made him to ride on the high places of the earth that hee might eâ—â— the fruits of the field and hee made him to suck hony out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock Ah the hony the oil that deserted souls suck out of such promises that speak home and close to their conditions Fourthly By Gods hiding his face and withdrawing himself from thee thou wilâ— bee inabled more feelingly and more experimentally to sympathize with others Heb. 5. 2 and to have compassion on others that are or may bee in the dark and forsaken of God as now thou art Heb. 13. 2. Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body It is observed of the Bees that Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 11. cap. 17 when one is sick they all mourn and of the Sheep that if one of them bee faint the rest of the flock will stand between it and the Sun until it bee revived in the natural body if one member grieve and is in pain all suffer with it when a thorn is got into the foot how doth the back bow and the eyes pry and the hands go to pluck the thorn out none so compassionate towards deserted souls as those who have been deserted and forsaken of God themselves Oh! they know what an evil a bitter thing it is to bee left and forsaken of God and therefore their bowels their compassions run out much to such yea most to such they know that there is no affliction no misery no hell to that of being forsaken of God Anaxagoras seeing himself old Plutarch and forsaken of the world laid himself down and covered his head close determining to starve himself to death with hunger but alass what is it to bee forsaken of the world to a mans being forsaken of God were there as many worlds as there bee men in the world a man were better bee forsaken by them all than to bee forsaken of God There is a great truth in that saying of Chrysostome Chrysost ad Pop. Antioch Hom. 47. in Mat. Hom. 24. viz. That the torments of a thousand hells if there were so many come far short of this one to wit to bee turned out of Gods presence with a non novi vos I know you not Mat. 7. 23. The schools have long since concluded that paena sensus the pain of loss is far greater than paena damni the pain of sense what a grief was it to Absolon to see the Kings face clouded and how sadly was Eli and his daughter affected with the loss of the Ark which was but a testimony of Gods presence but Oh how much more is a Christian affected and afflicted with the loss of the face and favour of God the remembrance of which makes his heart to melt and his bowels to yearn towards those whose Sun is set in a cloud Fifthly Hereby the Lord will teach his people to set a higher price upon his face and favour when they come to enjoy it Cant. Austin saith Lord I am content to suffer any pains and torments in this world if I might see thy face one day at such a rate did he prize the face of God 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. No man sets so high a price upon Christ as hee that hath lost him and found him again Jesus in the China tongue signifies the rising Sun and so hee is Mal. 4. 2. especially to souls that have been long clouded The poor Northern Nations in Strabo who want the light of the Sun for some months together when the tearm of his return approaches they climb up into the highest mountains to spie it and hee that spies it first was accounted the best and most beloved of God and usually they did chuse him King at such a rate did they prize the return of the Sun Ah! so it is with a poor soul that for some months years hath been deserted Oh how highly doth hee prize and value the Sun of Righteousness his returning to him and shining upon him Psa 63. 3. Thy loving kindness is better than life or better than lives as the Hebrew hath it divine favour Chaimi is better than life it is better than life with all its revenues with all its appurtenances as honours riches pleasures applause c. yea it is better than many lives put together Now you know at what a high rate men value their lives they will bleed sweat vomit purge part with an estate yea with a limb yea limbs to preserve their lives As hee cried out give mee any deformity any torment any misery so you spare my life Now though life bee so dear and precious to a man yet a deserted soul prizes the returnings of divine favour upon him above life yea above many lives many men have been weary of their lives as is evident in Scripture and History but no man was ever yet found that was weary of the love and favour of God no man sets so high a price upon the Sun as hee that hath lain long in a dark dungeon c. But Sixthly Hereby the Lord will train up his servants in that precious life of faith which is the most honourable and the most happy life in all the world 2 Cor. 5. 7. For wee walk by faith and not by sight The life of sense the life of reason is a low life a mean life the life of faith is a noble life a blessed life when Elisha demanded of the Shunamite 2 King 4. 15 16 what hee
put off the motions of his Spirit the directions of his word the offers of his grace the entreaties of his Son and therefore what can be more just than that God should delay thee for a time and put thee off for a season who hast delaied him and put off him daies without number if God serves thee as thou hast often served him thou hast no reason to complain But Seventhly and lastly The Lord delaies his people that Heaven may be the more sweet to them at last here they meet with many delaies and with many put offs but in Heaven they shall never meet with one put off with one delay here many times they call and cry and can get no answer Lam. 3. 8 44 here they knock and bounce and yet the door of grace and mercy opens not to them but in Heaven they shall have mercy at the first word at the first knock there whatever heart can wish shall without delay be enjoyed here God seems to say sometimes souls you have mistaken the door or I am not at leasure or others must be served before you or come some other time c. But in Heaven God is alwaies at leasure and all the sweetness and blessedness and happiness of that state presents it self every hour to the soul there God hath never God will never say to any of his Saints in Heaven come to morrow such language the Saints sometimes hear here but such language is no waies suitable to a glorified condition and therefore seeing that the Lord never delaies his people but upon great and weighty accounts let his people bee silent before him let them not mutter nor murmure but be mute And so I have done with the Objections I shall come now in the last place to propound some helps and directions that may contribute to the silencing and stilling of your souls under the greatest afflictions the sharpest trials and the saddest providences that you meet with in this world and so close up this discourse First All the afflictions that come upon the Saints they are the Prov. 3. 12 Jer. 9. 7 fruits of divine love Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten bee zealous therefore and repent Heb. 12. 6. For whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom hee receiveth Job 5. 17. Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty ch 7. 17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him And that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment Isa 48. 10. Behold I have refined thee but not with silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction When Munster lay sick and his friends asked him how hee did and how hee felt himself hee pointed to his sores and ulcers whereof hee was full and said these are Gods Gems and Jewels wherewith hee decketh his best friends and to mee they are more precious than all the gold and silver in the world A Gentleman highly prizes his Hawk hee feeds her with his own hand hee carries her upon his fist hee takes a great deal of delight and pleasure in her and therefore hee puts vervells upon her leggs and a hood upon her head hee hood-winks her and fetters her because hee loves her and takes delight in her So the Lord by afflictions hood-winks and fetters his children but all is because hee loves them and takes delight and pleasure in them there cannot be a greater evidence of Gods hatred and wrath than his Hos 4. 14. 19 Ezek. 16. 42 Isa 1. 5 Nihil est infaelicius â—o cui nil unquam contigit adversi Seneca refusing to correct men for their sinful courses and vanities why should you bee smitten any more you will revolt more and more where God refuses to correct there God resolves to destroy there is no man so near the Axe so near the flames so near Hell as hee whom God will not so much as spend a Rod upon God is most angry where hee shews no anger Jerome writing to a sick friend hath this expression I account it a part of unhappiness not to know adversity I judge you to bee miserable because you have not been miserable nothing saith another Demetrius seems more unhappy to mee than hee to whom no adversity hath hapned God afflicts thee O Christian in love and therefore Luther cries out strike Lord strike Lord and spare not who can seriously muse upon this and not hold his peace and not bee silent under the most smarting Rod Secondly Consider that the trials and troubles the calamities and miseries the crosses and losses that you meet with in this world is all the Hell that ever you shall have here you have your Hell hereafter you shall have your Heaven this is the worst of your condition the best is to come Lazarus had his Hell first his Heaven Luke 16. 19 29 last but Dives had his Heaven first and his Hell at last thou hast all thy pains and pangs and throws here that ever thou shalt have thy ease and rest and pleasure is to come here you have all your bitter your sweet is to come here you have your sorrows your joyes are to come here you have all your winter nights your summer daies are to come here you have your passion week your Ascension day is to come here you have your evil things your good things are to come death will put a period to all thy sins and to all thy sufferings and it will bee an inlet to those joyes delights and contents that shall never have end and therefore hold thy peace and be silent before the Lord. Thirdly Get an assurance that Christ is yours and pardon of sin See my Treatise called Heaven on Earth yours and divine favour yours and Heaven yours and the sense of this will exceedingly quiet and silence the soul under the sorest and the sharpest trials a Christian can meet with in this world hee that is assured that God is his portion wil never mutter nor murmure under his greatest burdens hee that can groundedly say nothing shall separate mee from the love of God in Christ hee will be able to triumph in the midst of the greatest Rom. 8. 33 ult Cant. 2. 16 tribulations hee that with the Spouse can say My Beloved is mine and I am his will bear up quietly and sweetly under the heaviest afflictions In the time of the Marian Act. Mon. Persecution there was a gracious woman who being convened before bloody Bonner then Bishop So John Noyes Alice Driver Mr. Bradford Mr. Taylor and Justin Martyr with many more of London upon the trial of Religion hee threatned her that hee would take away her husband from her saith shee Christ is my husband I will take away thy childe Christ saith shee is better to mee than ten Sons I will