THE MUTE CHRISTIAN Under the SMARTING ROD.
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 [Page 2] 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 wordSome 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 tonguetied, 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 [Page 3] 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 [Page 4] 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 [Page 5] 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 ofJob 36. 13 Isa. 57. 1 a childe in the house bee no more [Page 6] to thee, than the loss of a Chick inHos. 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 H [...]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 hisEpist. 10. soul, and his m [...]ny more than Heaven; when hee had all the day [...] waited on his dying friend, [...] his friend was dead, hee re [...] his house▪ s [...]ps merrily, [...] himself quickly, goes to [...] his sorrows were [Page 7] 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 Children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? and they despised him, and brought him no presents; but hee held his peace, or was a [...] though hee had been deaf. This new King, being but newly entred upon [Page 8] his Kingly Government, and observing his condition to bee but mean and low, his friends but few, and his enemies many and potent, Sons of Belial, i. e. men without yoak (as the word signifies) men that were desperately wicked, that were mark'd out for hell, that were even incarnate Devils, who would neither submit to reason, nor Religion, nor bee governed by the Laws of Nature, nor of Nations, nor yet by the Laws of God; now this young Prince, to prevent sedition and rebellion,Hear, see, and be silent, if thou wilt live in peace, is a French Proverb. blood and destruction, prudently and politickly chuses rather to lay his hand upon his mouth, than to take a Woolf by the ear, or a Lion by the beard; hee wanted neither wit nor will to bee mute, hee turns a deaf ear to all they say, his unsetled condition requiring Silence.
Henry the sixth, Emperour of Germany, used to say (Qui nescit tacere, nescit loqui) hee that knows not how to bee silent, knows not [Page 9] how to speak. Saul knew this was a time for Silence, hee knew his work was rather to bee an Auditor, than an Oratour: But this is not the Silence the Proposition speaks of.
Thirdly, There is a foolish Silence: Some fools there bee that can neither do well, nor speak well; and because they cannot word it, neither as they would, nor as they should, they are so wise as to bee mute, Prov. 17. 28. Even a fool, when hee holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and hee that shutteth his lips, is esteemed a man of understanding. As hee cannot bee wise that speaks much, so hee cannot bee known for a fool that saies nothing. There are many wise fools in the world; there are many silly souls, who by holding their tongues, gain the credit and honour of being discreet men: Hee that doth not discover his want of wisdome by foolish babling, is accounted wise, though hee may bee [Page 10] otherwise. Silence is so rare a virtue, where wisdome doth regulate it, that it is accounted a virtue where folly doth impose it. Silence was so highly honoured among the old Romans, that they erected Altars to it. That man shall pass for a man of understanding, who so far understands himself, as to hold his tongue: For though it be a great misery to be a fool, yet it is a greater that a man cannot bee a fool, but hee must needs shew it: But this foolish silence is not the Silence here meant.
Fourthly, There is a sullen Silence: Many to gratifie an humour, a lust, are sullenly silent; these are troubled with a dumb Devil, which was the worst Devil of all the Devils you read of in the Scripture, Mark 9. 17,—28.
Pliny in his natural History makethLib. 7 cap. 2. mention of a certain people in the Indies upon the River Ganges, called Astomi, that have no mouth, [Page 11] but do onely feed upon the smell of herbs and flowers. Certainly there is a Generation amongst us, who when they are under the afflicting hand of God, have no mouths to plead with God, no lips to praise God, nor no tongues to justifie God; these are possessed with a dumb Devil, and this dumb Devil had possest Ahab for a time, 1 King. 21. 4. And Ahab came into his house, heavy and displeased, and laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. Ahabs ambitious humor, his covetous humor, being crost, hee is resolved to starve himself, and to dye of the sullens. A sullen Silence is both a sin and a punishment; no Devil frets and vexes, wears and wastes the spirits of a man, like this dumb Devil, like this sullen Silence.
Some write of a certain Devil whom they call Hudgin, who will not (they say) hurt any body, except hee bee wronged. I cannot speak so favourably of a sullen Silence, [Page 12] for that wrongs many at once, God and Christ, bodies and souls: But this is not the Silence here meant.
Fifthly, There is a forced Silence: Many are silent perforce; hee that is under the power of his enemie, though hee suffer many hard things, yet hee is silent under his sufferings, because hee knows hee is liable to worse; hee that hath taken away his liberty, may take away his life; hee that hath taken away his money, may take off his head; hee that hath let him blood in the foot, may let him blood in the throat, if hee will not bee still and quiet; and this works Silence perforce: So when many are under the afflicting hand of God, conscience tells them, that now they are under the hand of an enemy, and the power of that God whom they have dishonoured, whose Son they have crucified, whose Spirit they have grieved, whose righteous Laws [Page 13] they have transgressed, whose Ordinances they have despised, and whose People they have abused and opposed. And that hee that hath taken away one childe, may take away every childe; and hee that hath taken away the wife, might have taken away the husband; and hee that hath taken away some part of the estate, might have taken away all the estate; and that hee who hath inflicted some distempers upon the body, might have cast both body and soul into hell fire for ever; and hee that hath shut him up in his chamber, may shut him out of Heaven at pleasure: The thoughts and senseOculos quos peccatum claudit, paena aperit. Gr. The eye that sin shuts afflictions open. of these things, makes many a sinner silent under the hand of God; but this is but a forced Silence: And such was the Silence of Philip the second King of Spain, who when his invincible Armado that had been three years a fitting, was lost, hee gave command, that all over Spain, they should give thanks to God and the Saints, that [Page 14] it was no more grievous. As the cudgel forces the Dogg to be quiet and still; and the Rod forces the childe to bee silent and mute: so the apprehensions of what God hath done, and of what God may do, forces many a soul to bee silent, Jer. 3. 10. 1 King. 14. 5,—18. But this is not the silence here meant; a forced Silence is no Silence in the eye of God.
Sixthly, There is a despairing Silence: A despairing soul is Magor-Missabib, Psa. 94. 17 Psa. 28. 1 a terrour to himself, hee hath a hell in his heart, and horrour in his conscience. Hee looks upwards, and there hee beholds God frowning, and Christ bleeding; hee looks inwards, and there hee findes conscience accusing and condemning of him; hee looks on the one side of him, and there hee hears all his sins crying out, wee are thine, and wee will follow thee, wee will to the grave with thee, wee will to judgement with thee, and from [Page 15] judgement wee will to hell with thee; hee looks on the other side of him, and there hee sees infernal fiends in fearful shapes, amazing and terrifying of him, and waiting to receive his despairing soul as soon as shee shall take her leave of his wretched body; hee looks above him, and there hee sees the gates of Heaven shut against him; hee looks beneath him, and there hee sees hell gaping for him; and under these sad sights hee is full of secret conclusions against his own soul; there is mercy for others, saith the despairing soul, but none for mee; grace and favour for others, but none for mee; pardon and peace for others, but none for mee;As that despairing Pope said, the cross could do him no good, because hee had so often sold it. blessedness and happiness for others, but none for mee; there is no help, there is no hope, no, Jer. 2. 25. ch. 18. 1 [...]. (this seems to be his case who died with this desperate saying in his mouth, spes & fortuna v [...]lete▪ farewel life and hope together:) Now under these dismal [Page 16] apprehensions and sad conclusions about its present and future condition, the despairing soul sits silent, being filled with amazement and astonishment, Psal. 77. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak: But this is not the Silence here meant. But
Seventhly and lastly, There is a prudent Silence, a holy, a gracious Silence, a Silence that springs from prudent principles, from holy principles, and from gracious causes and considerations; and this is the Silence here meant: And this I shall fully discover in my Answers to the second Question, which is this,
Quest. 2 What doth a prudent, a gracious, a holy Silence include?
Answer 1 It includes and takes in these eight things.
First, It includes a sight of God, and an acknowledgement of God, as the author of all the afflictions [Page 17] that come upon us: And this you have plain in the Text, I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it. The PsalmistIn second causes, many times a Christian may see much envy, hatred, malice, pride, &c. But in the first cause he can see nothing but grace and mercy, sweetness and goodness. looks through secondary causes, to the first cause, and so sits mute before the Lord. There is no sickness so little, but God hath a finger in it, though it bee but the aking of the little finger. As the Scribe is more eyed, and properly said to write, than the pen; and hee that maketh and keepeth the Clock, is more properly said to make it go and strike, than the wheels and weights that hang upon it; and as every work-man is more eyed, and properly said to effect his works, rather than the tools which hee useth as his instruments: so the Lord who is the chief Agent and mover in all actions, and who hath the greatest hand in all our afflictions, is more to bee eyed and owned, than any inferiour or subordinate causes whatsoever. So Job, hee beheld God in all, Job 1. [Page 18] 21. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: Had hee not seen God in the affliction, hee would have cried out, Oh these wretched Chaldeans, they have plundred and spoiled mee! These wicked Sabeans, they have robbed and wronged mee. Job discerns Gods Commission in the Chaldeans and the Sabeans hands, and then laies his own hand upon his mouth. So Aaron beholding the hand of▪ God in the untimely death of his two sons, holds his peace, Levit. 10. 3. the sight of God in this sad▪ stroak, is a bridle both to his mind and mouth, hee neither mutters nor murmurs. So Joseph saw the hand of God, in his brethrens selling of him into Egypt, Gen. 45. 8. and that silences him.
Men that see not God in an affliction, are easily cast into a feaverish fit, they will quickly bee in a flame, and when their passions are up, and their hearts on fire, they will begin to bee sawcy, and make no bones of telling God to [Page 19] his teeth, that they do well to bee angry, Jonah 4. 8, 9. Such as will not acknowledge God to bee the author of all their afflictions, will bee ready enough to fall in with that mad principle of the Manachees, who maintained the Devil to bee the Author of all calamities. As if there could bee any evil (of affliction) in the City, and the Lord have no hand in it, Amos 3. 6. Such as can see the ordering hand of God in all their afflictions, will with David lay their hands upon their mouths, when the Rod of God is upon their backs, 2 Sam. 16. 11, 12. If Gods hand bee not seen in the affliction, the heart will do nothing but fret and rage under affliction.
Secondly, It includes and takes in some holy gracious apprehensions, of the Majesty, Soveraignty, Dignity, Authority, and presence of that God, under whose afflicting hand we are, Hab. 2. 20. But the Lord is in his holy Temple, let all the [Page 20] earth bee silent, or as the Hebrew reads it, bee silent all the earth before his face. When God would have all the people of the earth to bee husht, quiet, and silent before him, hee would have them to behold him in his Temple, where hee sits in state, in majesty, and glory. Zephan. 1. 7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God. Chat not, murmure not, repine not, quarrel not: Whist, stand mute, bee silent, lay thy hand on thy mouth, when his hand is upon thy back, who is (totus oculus) all-eye, to see, as well as all hand, to punish. As the eyes of a well-drawn picture, are fastened on thee which way soever thou turnest; so are the eies of the Lord; and therefore thou hast cause to stand mute before him.
Thus Aaron had an eye to the soveraignty of God, and that silencesLevit. 10. 3 Job 37. 23, 24. 1 Sam. 3. 11,—19. him. And Job had an eye upon the majesty of God, and that stills him. And Elie had an eye upon the authority and presence of God, and that quiets him. A man [Page 21] never comes to humble himself, nor to bee silent under the hand of God, till hee comes to see the hand of God to bee a mighty hand, 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God. When men look upon the hand of God as a weak hand, a feeble hand, a low hand, a mean hand, their hearts rise against his hand, Who is▪ the Lord, said Pharaoh, that I should obey his voice? Exod. 5. 2. And till Pharaoh came to see the hand of God, as a mighty hand, and to feel it as a mighty hand, hee would not let Israel go. When Tiribazus a Noble Persian was arrested, at first hee drew out his sword and defended himself, but when they charged him in the Kings name, and informed him that they came from the King, and were commanded to bring him to the King, he yeelded willingly. So when afflictions arrest us, we shall murmure, and grumble, and struggle and strive even to the death, before wee shall yeeld to that God that [Page 22] strikes, till wee come to see his majesty and authority, till wee comeIsa. 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 beingHerod. 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 quietnesseAnimus 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 [Page 23] 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 [Page 24] mind, and makes a man in patienceLuke 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 abstractedIsa. 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. [Page 25] Psal. 119. 49, 50. so that they sit Noah-like, quiet and still, and in peace possesse their own souls.
Fourthly, A prudent, a holyPlato 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 [Page 26] 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, [Page 27] 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, [Page 28] 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 [Page 29] 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, 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. [Page 31] 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. [...] 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 [Page 32] 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 lovetokens,Some say, if a knife or needle be touched with a loadstone of an Ironcolour, 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 [Page 34] 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 lo [...] 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, 'tis but a little cloud (said hee) and will quickly bee gone. There are none of Gods afflicted ones that have not their lucida intervalla, [Page 35] 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 [Page 36] 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 [Page 37] the drying, nipping, Northwind 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 gr [...]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 be [...] 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 Be [...]; the Bee yeeldeth hony of her own nature, but shee [Page 38] 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, [Page 39] 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 [...]or as the Hebrew hath it bee silent to the Lord) and wait patiently for him. I chargeMatth. 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 [Page 40] 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 afflictingPsal. 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 [Page 42] 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 [Page 43] a gracious soul, I cannot but make a resignation of my self unto thee. Lord, here I am, do with mee a [...] 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 [Page 44] 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 waitethJames 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 [Page 45] 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 [Page 46] 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 [Page 47] 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, [Page 48] 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 forIt 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 [Page 49] 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 [Page 50] bee not a time of supplication, 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. ButRead 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 [Page 51] 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, IVivaldus. 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 [Page 52] 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 [Page 53] 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 ofProv. 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 [Page 54] 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 [Page 55] 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▪ (Quand [...] sapiens loquitur, aulea animi [...]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, [Page 56] doth not exclude moderate mourning or weeping under thePsal. 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 hisPsal. 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 prevalencyAnd 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 cease, or as the Hebrew hath it, let not the daughters of thine eye bee silent (that which wee call the ball or apple of the eye, [Page 57] the Hebrews call the daughter of the eye, because it is as dear and tender to a man, as an onely daughter; and because therein appears the likenesse of a little daughter.) Upon which words, saith Bellarmine, Clames assidue ad Deum; non lingua, sed oculis; non verbis, sed lachrymis; ista enim est oratio, quae placare solet: Cry aloud, not with thy tongue, but with thine eyes; not with thy words, but with thy tears; for that is the prayer that maketh the most forcible entry into the ears of the great God of Heaven. When God strikes, hee looks that wee should tremble; when his hand is lifted high, hee looks that our hearts should stoop low; when hee hath the rod in his hand, hee looks that wee should have tears in our eyes; as you may see by comparing of these Scriptures together, Psal. 55. 2. Psal. 38. 6. Job 30. 26,—32. Good men weep easily, saith the Greek Poet; and the better any are, the more enclining to weeping, especially [Page 58] under affliction. As you may see in David (whose tears instead of Gemms, were the common ornaments of his bed) Jonathan, Job, Ezra, Daniel, &c. How (saith one) shall God wipe away my tears in Heaven, if I shed none on earth? and how shall I reap in joy, if I low not in tears? I was both with tears, and I shall die with tears; and why then should I live without them in this valley of tears?
There is as well a time to weep, as there is a time to laugh; and a time to mourn, as well as a time to dance, Eccles. 3. 4. The mourning garment among the Jews was the black garment, and the black garment was the mourning garment, Psal. 43. 2. Why go yee in mourning, the Hebrew word kadar signifies black, why go yee in black; sometimes Christians must put off their gay ornaments, and put on their black, their mourning garments, Exod. 33. 3, 4, 5, 6. But
Sixthly, A gracious, a prudent [Page 59] Silence, doth not exclude sighing,You may see much of this by comparing the following Scriptur [...], Lam. 1. 4. 11, 21, 22. Psal. 31. 10 Jer. 45. 3 Exod. 2. 24 Job 23. 2 Psal. 6. 6 groaning, or roarings under affliction. A man may sigh, and groan, and roar under the hand of God, and yet bee silent; it is not sighing, but muttering; it is not groaning, but grumbling; it is not roaring, but murmuring, that is opposite to a holy Silence, Exod. 2. 23. And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage. Job 3. 24. For my sighing cometh before I eat (or as the Hebrew hath it, before my meat) his sighing, like bad weather, came unsent for, and unsought for, Psal. 38. 9. Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee, Psal. 102. 5. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin. Job 3. 24. And my roarings are poured out like the waters. Psal. 38. 8. I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared, by reason of the disquietnesse of my heart. Psal. 22. 1. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee? why art thou so far from helping mee, and from the words of my roaring? Psal. 32. 3. [Page 60] When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roarings all the day long. Hee roars, but doth not rage, hee roars, but doth not repine; when a man is in extremity, nature prompts him to roar, and the law of grace is not against it; and though sighing, groaning, roaring, cannot deliver a man out of his misery, yet they do give some ease to a man under his misery. When Solon wept for his sons death, one said to him, weeping will not help, hee answered, Alass! therefore do I weep, because weeping will not help: So a Christian many times sighs, because sighing will not help; and hee groans, because groaning will not help; and hee roars, because roaring will not help. Sometimes the sorrows of the Saints are so great, that all tears are dried up, and they can get no ease by weeping; and therefore for a little ease they fall a sighing and groaning, and this may bee done, and yet the heart may bee quiet and silent before [Page 61] the Lord. Peter wept and snob'd, and yet was silent. Sometimes the sighs & groans of a Saint, do in some sort tell that which his tongue can in no sort utter. But
Seventhly, A holy, a prudent Silence, doth not exclude nor shut2 King. 5. 10,—14 Mat. 4. 6, 7. & ch. 22. 4, 5, 8 Luk. 14. 16,—24 Act. 27. 24, 25, 31 out the use of any just or lawful means, whereby persons may bee delivered out of their afflictions. God would not have his people so in love with their afflictions, as not to use such righteous means as may deliver them out of their afflictions. Mat. 10. 23. But when they persecute you in this City, flee yee into another. Act. 12. When Peter was in prison, the Saints thronged together to pray (as the original hath it) vers. 12. and they were so instant and earnest with God in prayer, they did so beseech and besiedge the Lord, they did so beg and bounce at Heavens gate, vers. 5. that God could have no rest, till by many miracles of power and mercy, hee had returned Peter as a bosome-favour [Page 62] to them, Act. 9. 23, 24, 25. And after that many daies were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul: and they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the Disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. The blood of the Saints is precious in Gods eye, and it should not bee vile in their own eyes. When providence opens a door of escape, there is no reason why the Saints should set themselves as marks and bu [...]s for their enemies to shoot at. 2 Thes. 3. 1, 2. The Apostles desire the Brethren to pray for them, that they may bee delivered from unreasonable ( [...] absurd) and wicked ( [...] villainous) men; for all men have not faith. It is a mercy worth a seeking, to bee delivered out of the hands of absurd, villainous, and troublesome men.
Afflictions are evil in themselves, and wee may desire and endeavour to bee delivered from them, James 5. 14, 15. Isa. 38, 18, 19, [Page 63] 20, 21. both inward and outward means are to bee used for our own preservation. Had not Noah built an Ark, hee had been swept away with the flood, though hee had been with Nimrod and his crew on the Tower of Babel, which wasHeylin. Cosm. l. 3 raised to the height of one thousand five hundred forty six p [...]ces, as Heylin reports. Though we may not trust in means, yet wee may and ought to use the means; in the use of them, eye that God that can onely bless them, and you do your work. 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 pi [...] ▪ one passing by, falls a questioning of [Page 64] 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, [Page 65] 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 blasphe [...]ous King of Assy [...]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 [Page 66] 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 [Page 67] 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 aSchola [...]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 [Page 68] 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 jealousJer. 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, theRom. 6. 20, 21. pleasure, the sweet that you have found in wandring from God? Ah soul! saith another twig, wasHos. 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, saithMicah 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 anotherRom. 14. 6, 7, 8 Gal. 6. 14. twig, wilt thou dye to▪ sin more than ever; and to the world more [Page 69] 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 [Page 70] 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 upward. And they shall look unto the earth▪ and behold, trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall bee driven to darkness. Ah how fretful and froward, how disturbed and distracted, how mad and forelorn are these poor wretches under the rebukes of God! they look upward and downward, this [Page 71] way and that way, on this side and on that, and finding no help, no succour, no support, no deliverance, like Bedlams, yea like incarnate Devils, they fall upon cursing of God and their King. Isa. 59. 11. Wee roar all like Bears, and mourn sore like Doves: wee look for judgement, but there is none; for The Bea [...], as Aristotle observeth, licketh her whelps into form, and loveth them beyond measure, and is most fierce roaring and raging when she is robbed of them. salvation, but it is far off from us. They express their inward vexation and indignation by roaring like Bears▪ when Bears are robbed of their whelps, or taken in a pit, O how dreadfully will they roar, rage, tear and tumble! So when wicked persons are fallen into the pit of affliction, O how will they roar, rage, tear, and cry out, not of their sins, but of their punishments: As Cain, my punishment is greater than I am able to bear. Isa. 51. 20. Thy Sons have fainted, they lye at the head of all the streets, as a wilde Bull in a net; they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. When the huntsman hath taken the wilde Bull in [Page 72] his toil, and so intangled him, that hee is not able to winde himself out: Oh how fierce and furious will hee bee! how will hee spend himself in strugling and striving to get out! Such wilde Bulls are wicked men. when they are taken in the net of affliction.
It is said of Marcellus the Roman General, that hee could not bee quiet (nec victor nec victus) neither conquered, nor conquerour; it is so with wicked men, they cannot bee quiet, neither full, nor fasting, neither sick, nor well, neither in wealth, nor want, neither in bonds, nor at liberty, neither in prosperity, nor in adversity, Jer. 51. 37, 38. And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for Dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without Amos 3. 8. an inhabitant. They shall roar together like Lions, they shall yell as Lions whelps. When the Lion roars, all the beasts of the field tremble:Ambrose. When the Lion roars, many creatures that could out-run him, are so amazed and astonied at the [Page 73] terrour of his roar, that they are not able to stir from the place: such roaring Lions are wicked men, when they are under the smarting rod, Rev. 16. 8,—12. They gnaw their tongues for pain, and they blaspheme the God of Heaven, because of those sores, pains, and plagues that are poured upon them, and they repented not of their deeds, to give him glory. And therefore gracious souls have cause to bee silent under their sorest trials, that they may difference and distinguish themselves from wicked men, who are like the troubled Sea, when it cannotIsa. 57. 20 rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. The verb [...] signifies to make a stir, to be exceeding busie, unquiet or troublesome. Ah what a stir do wicked men make, when they are under the afflicting hand of God! As the Sea is restless and unquiet when there is no storm, it cannot stand still, but hath his flux and reflux; so it is much less restless, when by tempest upon tempest it is made to roar and rage, to [Page 74] foam and cast up mire and dirt; the raging Sea is a fit emblem of a wicked man that is under Gods afflicting hand.
Reas. 3. A third reason why gracious souls should bee silent and mute under their sharpest trials, is, that they may bee conformable to Christ their head, who was dumbJustin Martyr being asked which was the greatest miracle that our Saviour Christ wrought, answered, Pattentia ejus tanta in laboribus tantis, his so great patience in so great troubles. and silent under his sorest trials, Isa. 53. 7. Hee was oppressed, and hee was afflicted, yet hee opened not his mouth: hee is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a Sheep before her shearers is dumb, so hee opened not his mouth. Christ was tongue-tied under all his sorrows and sufferings, 1 Pet. 2. 21, 22, 23. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that yee should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who when hee was reviled, reviled not again; when hee suffered, hee threatned not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. Christ upon the cross did not onely read us a lecture of [Page 75] patience and silence, but hee hath also set us [...], A Copy or Pattern of both, to bee transcribed and imitated by us; when we are under the smarting Rod: It will be our sin and shame if wee do not bear up with patience and silence under all o [...] sufferings, considering what an admirable copy Christ hath set before us. It is said of Autiochus, that being to fight with1 Macch. 6. 34. Judas Captain of the host of the Jews, hee shewed unto his Elephants the blood of the grapes and mulberries, to provoke them the better to fight. So the Holy Ghost hath set before us the injuries and contumelies, the sorrows and sufferings, the pains and torments, the sweat and blood of our dearest Lord, and his invincible patience, and admirable silence under all, to provoke us, and incourage us to imitate the Captain of our salvation, in patience and silence under all our sufferings.
Hiorome having read the life and death of Hilarion (one that lived [Page 76] graciously, and died comfortably) [...]olded up the book, saying, well, Hilarion shall bee the Champion that I will follow, his good life shall bee my example, and his good death my president. Oh! how much more should wee all say, wee have read how Christ hath been afflicted, oppressed, distressed, despised, persecuted, &c. and wee have read how dumb,The Arabians, if their King bee sick, or lame, they all feign themselves so. how tongue-tied, how patient, and how silent hee hath been under all. Oh! hee shall bee the Copy which wee will write after, the Pattern which wee will walk by, the Champion which wee will follow! But alass! alass! how rare is it to finde a man that may bee applauded with that Elogie of Salvian, singularis Domini, praeclarus imitator! An excellent Disciple, of a singular Master. The Heathens had this notion amongst them (as La [...]tantius reports) that the way to honour their Gods, was to bee like them; and therefore some would bee wicked, counting it a [Page 77] dishonour to their gods to bee unlike to them. I am sure, the way to honour our Christ, is in patience and silence, to bee like to Christ, especially when a smarting rod is upon our backs, and a bitter cup put into our hands.
Reas. 4. A fourth reason why the people of God should 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 [Page 78] 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 firstborn, one that resembles him toIren [...]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 hath1 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; [...]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, [Page 79] 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 Joa [...], 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 [Page 80] 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 [Page 81] 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 theThe Angels are most quiet and st [...]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, [Page 82] 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 [...] 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 [...] did swear to give it, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and [...] will give it you for an heritage; I am the Lord. The choicest [Page 83] 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 soulenlivening, soul-supporting, soulstrengthening, 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 thatNo 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 [Page 84] 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, nor Religion.
Reas. 6. A sixth Reason why gracious souls should bee silent under the smarting Rod, is this, viz. If Bedlams will not lye quiet, they are put into darker rooms, and heavier chains are put upon them. because it is fruitless, it is bootless to strive, to contest, or contend with God; no man hath ever got any thing by muttering or murmuring under the hand of God, except it hath been, more frowns, blows and wounds. Such as will not lye quiet and still when mercy hath tied them with silken cords, justice will put them in Iron chains; if Golden fetters will not hold you, Iron shall. If Jonah will vex, and fret, and fling, justice will fling him over-board, to cool him, and quell him, and keep him prisoner in the Whales belly, till his stomack bee brought [Page 85] down, and his spirit be made quiet before the Lord: What you get by strugling and grumbling, you may put in your eye, and weep it out when you have done, Jer. 7. 19. Do they provoke mee to anger, saith the Lord? do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? By provoking of mee, they do but provoke themselves, by angring of mee, they do but anger themselves, by vexing of mee, they do but fret and vex themselves. 1 Cor. 10. 22. Do wee provoke the Lord to jealousie? are wee stronger than hee?
Zanchy observes these two things from these words.
1 That it is ill provoking God to wrath, because hee is stronger than wee.
2 That though God be stronger than wee, yet there are those who provoke him to wrath; and certainly there are none that do more provoke him, than those who fume and fret when his hand is upon them: Though the cup bee bitter, [Page 86] yet it is put into your hand by your Father; though the Cross bee heavy, yet hee that hath laid it on your shoulders, will bear the heaviest end of it himself, and why then should you mutter? Shall Bears and Lions take blows and knocks from their keepers, and wilt not thou take a few blows and knocks from the Keeper of Israel? why should the Clay contend with the Potter, or the Creature with his Creator, or the servant with his Lord, or weakness with strength, or a poor nothing creature, with an omnipotent God? Can stubble stand before the fire? can chaff abide before the whirlewind? or can a worm ward off the blow of the Almighty? A froward and impatient spirit under the hand of God, will but add chain to chain, cross to cross, yoak to yoak, and burden to burden▪ the more men tumble and toss in their feaverish fits, the more they strengthen their distemper, and the longer it will bee before the cure [Page 87] bee effected: the easiest and the surest way of cure, is to lye still and quiet, till the poison of the distemper bee sweat out: Where patience hath its perfect work, there the cure will bee certain and easie; when a man hath his broken leg set, hee lies still and quiet, and so his cure is easily and speedily wrought; but when a horse his leg is set, hee frets and flings, he flou [...] ces and flies out, unjointing it again and again; and so his cure is the more difficult and tedious. Such Christians that under the hand of God are like the Horse or Mule, fretting and flinging, will but add to their own sorrows and sufferings, and put the day of their deliverance further off.
Reas. 7. A seventh Reason why Christians should bee mute and silent under their afflictions, is, because hereby they shall cross and frustrate Satans great design and expectation. In all the afflictions hee brought upon Job, his design [Page 88] was not so much to make Job a begger, as it was to make him a blasphemer; it was not so much to make Job outwardly miserable, as it was to make Job inwardly miserable, by occasioning him to mutter and murmure against the righteous hand of God: That so he might have had some matter of accusation against him to the Lord. Hee is the unwearied accuser of the brethren, Rev. 12. 10. The accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accuseth them before our God day and night. Satan is the great make-bate between God and his children; hee hath a mint constantly going in Hell, where, as an untired mint-master, hee is still a coining and hammering out of accusations against the Saints; first hee tempts and allures souls to sin, and then accuses them of those very sins hee hath tempted them to, that so hee may disgrace them before God, and bring them (if it were possible) out of favour with God; and though hee knows before-hand [Page 89] that God and his people are by the bond of the Covenant, and by the blood of a Redeemer, so closely united, that they can never bee severed, yet such is his rage and wrath, his envy and malice, that hee will endeavour that which hee knows hee shall never effect: Could hee but have made Job froward or fretful under the Rod, hee would have quickly carried the tydings to Heaven, and have been so bold, as to have asked God whether this was a carriage becomming such a person, of whom himself had given soThat devil that accused God to man, Gen. 3. and Christ to bee an Impostor, will make no bones to accuse the Saints, when they miscarry under the Rod. glorious a character. Satan knows, that there is more evil in the least sin, than there is in all the afflictions that can bee inflicted upon a person; and if hee could but have made a breach upon Jobs patience, Ah how would hee have insulted over God himself! could hee but have made Job a mutinere, hee would quickly have pleaded for Martial Law to have been executed upon him; but Job by remaining [Page 90] mute and silent under all his trials, puts Satan to a blush, and spoils all his projects at once. The best way to out-wit the Devil, is to be silent under the hand of God; hee that mutters is foiled by him but hee that is mute overcomes him; and to conquer a devil, is more than to conquer a world.
Reas. 8. The eighth and last Reason why Christians should be silent and mute under their sorest trials, is this, that they may bee conformable to those noble patterns that are set before them by other Saints, who have been patient and silent under the smarting Rod. As Aaron, Exod. 10. 3. So Elie, 1 Sam. 3. 18. So David, 2 Sam. 16. 7,—13. So Job, chap. 1. 21, 22. So Eliakim, Shebna, Praecepta do [...]ent, exempla movent, Precepts may instruct, but examples do perswade. and Joah, Isa. 36. 11, 21. So those Saints in that, Act. 21. 12, [...] 15 And that cloud of witnesses pointed at, in Heb. 12. 1. Gracious examples are more awakening, more convincing, more quickning, more provoking, and more encouraging [Page 91] than precepts; because in them wee see that the exercise of grace and godliness is possible, though it bee difficult. When wee see Christians (that are subject to like infirmities with our selves) mute and silent under the afflicting hand of God: Wee see that it is possible that wee may attain to the same noble temper of being tongue-tied under a smarting Rod; certainly it is our greatest honour and glory in this world to bee eying and imitating the highest and wo [...]thiest examples. What Plutarch said of Demosthenes, that hee was excellent at praising the worthy acts of his Ancestors, but not so at imitating them, may bee said of many in these daies; Oh they are very forward and excellent at praising the patience of Job, but not at imitating it; at praising the silence of Aaron, but not at imitating it; at praising Davids dumbness, but not at imitating it; at praising Elies muteness, but not at imitating it. It was the height of Caesars [Page 92] glory, to walk in the steps of Alexander, and of Selymus (a Turkish Emperour) to walk in Caesars steps, and of Themistocles, to walk in Miltiades steps. Oh how much more should wee account it our highest glory, to imitate the worthy examples of those worthies, of whom this world is not worthy! It speaks out much of God within, when men are striving to write after the fairest copies. And thus much for the Reasons of the Point. I come now to the Application.
You see beloved by what hath been said, That it is the greatest duty and concernment of Christians, to bee mute and silent under the greatest afflictions, the sadest providences, and the sharpest trials that they meet with in this world. If this bee so, then this truth looks sourely and wishly upon several sorts of persons. As
First, This looks sourely and sadly upon murmurers, upon such [Page 93] as do nothing but mutter and murmure under the afflicting hand of God: This was Israels sin ofExod. 16. 7, 8, 9 Numb. 12. 14, 27, 29. chap. 17. 5, 10. Exod. 15. 24 Deut. 1. 27 Psal. 106. 25. old, and this is Englands sin this day: Ah what murmuring is there against God! what murmuring against instruments! and what murmuring against providences is to bee found amongst us! Some murmure at what they have lost, others murmure at what they fear they shall lose; some murmure that they are no higher, others murmure because they are so low; some murmure because such a party rules, and others mutter because themselves are not in the saddle; some murmure because their mercies are not so many as others, and others murmure because their mercies are not so great as others are; some murmure because they are afflicted, and others murmure because such and such are not afflicted as well as they. Ah England, England! hadst thou no more sins upon thee, thy murmuring were enough to undo [Page 94] thee, did not God exercise much pitty and compassion towards thee: But more of this hereafter; and therefore let this touch for the present suffice.
Secondly, This truth looks sourely upon those that fret, chafe, and vex, when they are under the afflicting hand of God. Many when they feel the Rod to smart, ah how do they fret and fume! Isa. 8. 21. When they were hardly bestead and hungry, they fret themselves, and curse their King, and their God. Prov. 19. 3. The foolishness of man perverteth his way; and his heart fretteth against the Lord. The heart may bee fretful and2 King. 6. 33 Psal. 37. 1, 7, 8 froward, when the tongue doth not blaspheme. Folly brings man into misery, and misery makes man to fret; man in misery is more apt to fret and chafe against the Lord, than to fret and chafe against his sin that hath brought him into sufferings. A fretful soul dares let fly at God himself. When [Page 95] Pharaoh is troubled with the frets, hee dare spit in the very face o [...] God himself; Who is the Lord, that I should obey him? And when Jonah is in a fretting humour, hee dares tell God to his face, that hee doth well to bee angry. Jonah 4. 8. Jonah had done well if hee had been angry with his sin, but hee did very ill to bee angry with his God. God will vex every vein in that mans heart, before hee hath done with him, who fumes and frets, because hee cannot snap in sunder the cords with which hee is bound, Ezek. 16. 43. Sometimes good men are sick of the frets, but when they are, it costs them dear; as Job and Jonah found by experience. No man hath ever got any thing by his fretting and flinging, except it hath been harder blows, or heavier chains; therefore fret not when God strikes.
Thirdly, This truth looks sourely upon those who charge God foolishly, in the day of their [Page 96] adversity, Lam. 3. 39. Why doth a Lam. 1. 12 Psal. 77. 7,—12. Ezek. 18. 25. ch. 29. 33. 17, 20, 29. living man complain? Hee that hath deserved a hanging, hath no reason to charge the Judge with cruelty, if hee escape with a whiping: And wee that have deserved a damning, have no reason to charge God for being too severe, ifSome of the Heathens, as Homer observes, would lay the evils that they did incur by their own folly, upon their gods; so do many upon the true God. we escape with a fatherly lashing: Rather than a man will take the blame, and quietly bear the shame of his own folly, hee will put it off upon God himself, Gen. 3. 12. It is a very evil thing when wee shall go to accuse God, that wee may excuse our selves, and unblame our selves, that wee may blame our God, and lay the fault any where, rather than upon our own hearts and waies. Job was a man of a more noble spirit, Job 1. 22. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. When God charges many men home, then they presently charge God foolishly, they put him to bear the brunt and blame of all, but this will bee bitterness in the end: When thou [Page 97] art under affliction, thou mayest humbly tell God that thou feelest his hand heavy, but thou must not blame him because his hand is heavy. No man hath ever yet been able to make good a charge against God, and wilt thou bee able? surely no. By charging God foolishly in the day of thy calamity, thou dost but provoke the Lord to charge thee thorow, and thorow, more fiercely, and furiously, with his most deadly darts of renewed misery; it is thy greatest wisdome to blame thy sins, and lay thy hand upon thy mouth; for why should folly charge innocency? That man is far enough off from being mute and silent under the hand of God, who dares charge God himself for laying his hand upon him. ButExod. 32. 11 Psal. 10. 1 Psal, 22. 1, 2 Job 3. 11, 12. ch. 19. 11, 13, 14.
Fourthly, This truth looks sourely and sadly upon such as will not bee silent, nor satisfied under the afflicting hand of God, except the Lord will give them [Page 98] the particular reasons why hee laies his hand upon them. Good men sometimes dash their feet against this stumbling-stone, Jer. 15. 18. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable? &c. Though God hath alwaies reason for what hee doth, yet hee is not bound to shew us the reasons of his doings. Jeremiah's passion was up, his blood was hot, and now nothing will silence nor satisfie him, but the reasons why his pain was perpetual, and his wound incurable, So Job, chap. 7. 20. Why hast thou set mee as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to my self? It is an evil and a dangerous thing to cavil at, or to question his proceedings, who is the chief Lord ofRom. 9. 20 Dan. 4. 34, 35 all, and who may do with his own what hee pleaseth? Hee is unaccountable, and uncontroulable; and therefore who shall say what doest thou? As no man may question his right to afflict him, nor his righteousness in afflicting of him; so no man may question the [Page 99] reasons why he afflicts him. As no man can compel him to give a reason of his doings; so no man may dare to ask him the particular reasons of his doings. Kings think themselves not bound to give their subjects a reason of theirEccles. 8. 4 doings; and shall wee binde God to give us a reason of his doings? who is the King of Kings, andRev. 1. 5, 6 Lord of Lords, and whose will is the true reason, and onely rule of justice. The general grounds and reasons that God hath laid down in his word, why hee afflicts his people, as viz. for their profit, Heb. 12. 10. for the purging away of their sins, Isa. 1. 25. for the reforming of their lives, Psal. 119. 67. 71. and for the saving of their souls, 1 Cor. 11. 32. should work them to bee silent and satisfied under all their afflictions, though God should never satisfie their curiosity in giving them an account of some more hidden causes which may lye secret in the abyss of his eternal knowledge, and [Page 100] infallible will. Curiosity is the spiritual drunkenness of the soul; and look, as the drunkard will never bee satisfied, bee the cup never so deep, unless hee see the bottome of it; so some curious Christians, whose souls are over-spread with the leprosie of curiosity, they will never bee satisfied, till they come to see the bottome, and the most secret reasons of all Gods dealings towards them; but they are fools in folio, who affect to know more than God would have them: Did not Adams curiosity render him and his posterity fools in folio? and what pleasure can wee take to see our selves every day fools in print? As a man by gazing and prying into the body of the Sun may grow dark and dim, and see less than otherwise hee might: So many by a curious prying into the secret reasons of Gods dealings with them, come to grow so dark and dim, that they cannot see those plain reasons that God hath laid down in his word, why hee [Page 101] afflicts and tries the children of men.
I have read of one Sir William John Stows survey of London. Champney (in the Reign of King Henry the third) once living in Tower-street London, who was the first man that ever built a Turret on the top of his house, that hee might the better overlook all his neighbours; but it so fell out, that not long after hee was struck blind, so that hee who could not bee satisfied to see as others did see, but would needs see more than others, saw just nothing at all, through the just judgement of God upon him. And so it is a just and righteous thing with God, to strike such with spiritual blindness, who will not bee satisfied with seeing the reasons laid down in the word, why hee afflicts them, but they must bee curiously prying and searching into the hidden and more secret reasons of his severity towards them. Ah Christians! it is your wisdome and duty to sit silent and mute under the afflicting [Page 102] hand of God, upon the account of revealed reasons, without making any curious inquiry into those more secret reasons that art lock'd up in the golden Cabinet of Gods own breast. Deut. 29. [...]9.
Fifthly, This truth looks sourely and sadly upon those, who instead1 Sam. 21. 12,—ult. Gen. 12. 13,—20. chap. 20. 2,—14. ch. 26. 7, 8, 9, 10. Jonah 1. 1 Sam. 28. throughout of being silent and mute under their afflictions, use all sinful shifts and wayes to shift themselves out of their troubles, who care not though they break with God, and break with men, and break with their own consciences; so they may but break off the chains that are upon them; who care not by what means the prison door is opened, so they may but escape; nor by what hands their bolts are knock'd off, so they may bee at liberty. Job▪ 36. 21. Take heed, regard not iniquity, for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction. Hee makes but an ill choice, who chuses sin, rather than suffering; and yet such an ill choice good men [Page 103] have sometimes made (as you may see by the proofs in the Margint) when troubles have compassed them round about. Though no Lion roars like that in a mans own bosome, conscience, yet some to deliver themselves from troubles without, have set that Lion a roaring within. Some to deliver themselves from outward tortures, have put themselves under inward torments; hee purchases his freedome from affliction at too dear a rate, who buies it with the loss of a good name, or a good conscience.
Now because there is even in good men sometimes too great an aptnesse and pronenesse to sin, and shift themselves out of afflictions, when they should rather bee mute and silent under them: Give mee leave to lay down these six considerations to prevent it.
Frist, Consider, that there is infinitelyJames 3. 5,—11. more evil in the least sin, [Page 104] than there is in the greatest miseries and afflictions that can possibly come upon you; yea there is more evil in the least sin, than there is in all the troubles that ever came upon the world, yea than there is in all the miseries and tormentsProv. 8. 36 1 Joh. 3. 4 chap. 1. 7. Rev. 21. 8. of hell: the least sin is an offence to the great God, it is a wrong to the immortal soul, it is a breach of a righteous Law; itIf you consider sin strictly, there cannot be any little sin, no more than there can bee a little god, a little hell, or a little damnation, yet comparatively some sins may bee said to bee little. cannot bee wash'd away, but by the blood of Jesus; it can shut the soul out of Heaven, and shut the soul up a close prisoner in Hell for ever, and ever: The least sin is rather to bee avoided, and prevented, than the greatest sufferings; if this Cockatrice bee not crushed in the Egg, it will soon become a Serpent; the very thought of sin, if not thought on, will break out into action, action into custome, custome into habit, and then both body and soul are lost irrecoverably, to all eternity. The least sin is very dangerous; Caesar was stabbed with bodkins, [Page 105] Herod was eaten up of Lice, Pope Adrian was choaked with a Gnat. A Mouse is but little, yet killeth an Elephant, if hee gets up into his Trunck; a Scorpion is little, yet able to sting a Lion to death; though the Leopard bee great, yet hee is poisoned with a head of Garlick: the least spark may consume the greatest house; and the least leak sink the greatest ship: a whole arm hath been impostumated with the prick of a little finger; A little Postern opened, may betray the greatest City; A dram of poison diffuseth it self to all parts, till it strangle the vital spirits, and turn out the soul from the body; if the Serpent can but wriggle in his tail, by an evil thought, hee will soon make a surprisal of the soul, as you see in that great instance of Adam and Eve. The trees of the forrest (saith one in a Parable) held a solemn Parliament, wherein they consulted of the innumerable wrongs which the Axc had done [Page 106] them, therefore made an Act, that no tree should hereafter lend the Axe an helve, on pain of being cut down; The Axe travels up and down the forrest, begs wood of the Cedar, Oak, Ash, Elm, even of the Poplar, not one would lend him a chip: At last hee desired so much as would serve him to cut down the briers and bushes, alledging, that such shrubs as they did but suck away the juice of the ground, and hinder the growth, and obscure the glory of the fair and goodly trees; hereupon they were all content to afford him so much; hee pretends a thorow reformation, but behold a sad deformation; for when hee had got his Helve, down went both Cedar, Oak, Ash, Elm, and all that stood in his way. Such are the subtil reaches of sin, it will promise to remove the Briers and Bushes of afflictions and troubles, that hinder the soul of that juice, sweetnesse, comfort, delight and content that otherwise it might [Page 107] enjoy. Oh do but now yeeld a little to it, and instead of removing your troubles, it will cut down your peace, your hopes, your comforts, yea it will cut down your precious souls. What is the breathing of a vein, to the being let blood in the throat, or a scratch on the hand, to a stab at the heart? no more are the greatest afflictions to the least sins, and therefore Christians never use sinful shifts to shift your selves out of troubles, but rather bee mute and silent under them, till the Lord shall work out your deliverance from them. But,
Secondly, Consider, it is an impossible thing for any to sin themselves out of their troubles. Abraham, Job, and Jonah attempts it, but could not effect it: the devils have experienced this near this sixJer. 2. 36, 37. ch. 17. 5, 6, 11. thousand years, they had not been now in chains, could they but have sinned themselves out of their chains; could the damned sinJude 6. [Page 108] themselves out of everlasting burnings,Isa. 33. 14 there would have been none now a roaring in that devouring unquenchable fire: Hell would have no inhabitants, could they but sin themselves out of it. Ah Christians! devils and damned spirits shall as soon sin themselves out of Hell, as you shall bee able to sin your selves out of your afflictions: Christians! you shall as soon stop the Sun from running her course, contract the Sea in a Nut shell, compasse the earth with a span, and raise the dead at your pleasure, as ever you shall be able to sin your selves out of your sufferings▪ and therefore it is better to bee silent and quiet under them, than to attempt that which is impossible to accomplish; this second consideration will receive further confirmation by the next particular.
Thirdly, As it is an impossible thing, so it is a very prejudical, a very dangerous thing, to attempt [Page 109] to sin your selves out of your troubles; for by attempting to sin your selves out of one trouble, you will sin your selves into many troubles, as Jonah and Jacob did:1 Sam. 2 [...]. 5,—ult. and by labouring to sin your selves out of lesse troubles, you will sin your selves into greater troubles, as Saul did; and by endeavouring to sin your selves from under outward troubles, you will sin your selves under inward troubles and distresses, which are the sorest and saddest of all troubles; thus did Spira, Jerom of Prague, Bilney and others. Some there have been, who by labouring to sin themselves out of their present sufferings, have sinned themselves under such horrours and terrours of conscience, that they could neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, but have been ready to lay violent hands upon themselves.
And Cyprian in his Sermon de laps [...]s, speaks of divers, who forsaking the Faith to avoid sufferings, were given over to bee possessed [Page 110] of evil spirits, and died fearfully. Oh man! thou dost not know what deadly sin, what de [...]dly temptation, what deadly judgement, what deadly stroak thou mayest fall under, who attempts to sin thy self out of troubles: what is it to take Venice, and to bee hanged at the gates thereof? It is better to bee silent and mute under thy afflictions, than by using sinful shifts, to sin thy self under greater afflictions.
Fourthly, Consider, it is a very ignoble and unworthy thing, to go to sin your selves out of your troubles and straights; it argues a poor, a low, a weak, a dasterdly, and an effeminate spirit, to use base shifts, to shuffle your selves out of your troubles. Men of noble, couragious and magnanimous spirits, will disdain and scorn it. As you may see in the three children,Dan. 3. 8,—ult. ch. 6. Heb. 10. 34 Lactantius speaks of many such brave spirits. Daniel, and those worthies, in that 11th of the Hebrews, of whom this [Page 111] world was not worthy. Jerom writes of a brave woman, who being upon the rack, bad her persecutors do their worst, for shee was resolved to die, rather than lie. And the Prince of Conde being taken prisoner by Charles the ninth King of France, and put to his choice, whether hee would go to Masse, or bee put to death, or suffer perpetual imprisonment; his noble answer was, that by Gods help hee would never chuse the first, and for either of the latter hee left to the Kings pleasure, and Gods providence.
A soul truly noble, will sooner part with all, than the peace of aI might produce a cloud of witnesses from among the Primitive Christians, wh [...] have been noble and gallant this way. good conscience: Thus blesied Hooper desired to bee rather discharged of his Bishoprick, than yeeld to certain ceremonies.
I have read of Marcus Arethusus, an eminent servant of the Lords in Gospel work, who in the time of Constantine, had been the cause of overthrowing an Idol Temple; but Julian comming to [Page 112] bee Emperour, commanded the people of that place to build it up again; all were ready so to do; Onely hee refused it, whereupon his own people, to whom hee had preached, fell upon him, stript off all his cloaths, then abused his naked body, and gave it up to children and school-boies to be lanched with their pen-knives; but when all this would not do, they caused him to bee set in the Sun, having his naked body annointed all over with honey, that so hee might bee bitten and stung to death by Flies and Wasps; and all this cruelty they exercised upon him, because hee would not do any thing towards the rebuilding of that Idol Temple; nay, they came so far, that if hee would but give one half-penny towards the charge, they would release him, but hee refused it with a noble Christian disdain; though the advancing of an half-penny might have saved his life; and in so doing hee did but live up to that [Page 113] noble principle (that most commend, but few practise) viz. that Christians must chuse rather to suffer the worst of torments, than to commit the least of sins, whereby God should bee dishonoured, his Name blasphemed, Religion reproached, Profession scorned, weak Saints discouraged, and mens consciences wounded, and their souls endangered. Now tell mee Christians, is it not better to bee silent and mute under your sorest trials and troubles, than to labour to sin and shi [...]t your selves out of them, and so proclaim to all the world, that you are persons of very low, poor, and ignoble spirits? ButJer. 17. 5, 6, 11. Ezek. 7. 13, 14 1 Sam. 28. 5, 6, 7, &c. 1 King. 21. 18, 19. compared with chap. 22. 38
Fifthly, Consider, sinful shifts and means God hath alwaies curst and blasted; Achans golden wedge was but a wedge to cleave him, and his garment a shroud to shroud him▪ Ahab purchases a Vineyard with the blood of the owner, but presently it was watered with [Page 114] his own blood, according to the word of the Lord. Gehazi must needs have a talent of silver, and two changes of rayment, and that with a lye, I say with a lye; well, hee hath them, and hee hath with them a Leprosie that cleaved to him and his seed for ever, 2 King. 5. 22,—ult. With those very hands that Judas took money to betray his Master, with those very hands hee fitted a halter to hang himself. The rich and wretched glutton fared delicately, and went bravely every day, but the next news you hear of him, is of his being in hell, crying out for a drop, who when hee was on earth, would not give a crum. The Coal that the Eagle carried from the Altar to her nest, set all on fire.
Crassus did not long enjoy the fruit of his Coverousness, for the Parthians taking of him, poured melted gold down his throat.
Dionysius did not long enjoy the fruit of his Sacriledge, and tyranny, for hee was glad to change his [Page 115] Scepter into a Feruler, and turn School-master for his maintenance. Ah Christians! Christians, is it not far better to sit quiet and silent under your afflictions, than to use such sinful shifts and means which God will certainly blast and curse? But
Sixthly and lastly, Consider this, that your very attempting to sin, and shift your selves out of troubles and afflictions, will cost you dear; it will cost you many prayers, many tears, many sighs,A man may buy any thing too dear, but Christ, Grace, his own Soul, and the Gospel. many groans, many gripes, many terrours, and many horrours. Peter by attempting to sin himself out of trouble, sins himself into a Sea of sorrows, Matth. 26. ult. Hee went forth and wept bitterly.
Clement observes, That every night when hee heard the Cock crow, hee would fall upon his knees and weep bitterly, others say, that his face was furrowed with continual tears. Were Abraham, David, Jacob and Jonah [Page 116] now alive, they would tell you, that they have found this to bee a truth in their own experience. Ah Christians! it is far better to bee quiet and silent under your sufferings, than to pay so dear for attempting to sin, and shift your selves out of your sufferings. A man will not buy gold too dear, and why then should hee buy himself out of troubles at too dear a rate?
But now I shall come to that use that I intend to stand most upon, and that is an use of Exhortation: Seeing it is the great duty and concernment of Christians, to bee mute and silent under the greatest afflictions, the saddest providences, and sharpest trials that they meet with in this world: Oh that I could prevail with you Christians! to minde this great duty, and to live up, and live out this necessary truth, which that I may, give mee leave to propound some Considerations, to ingage your souls to [Page 117] bee mute and silent under your greatest troubles, and your sorest trials. To that purpose
Consider first, The greatnesse, soveraignty, majesty and dignityRev. 4. 10, 11. Jer. 10. 7. chap. 5. 22. 2 King. 2. chap. 3. 5. of God, and let that move thee to silence. Psal. 46. 8, 9, 10. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations hee hath made in the earth. Hee maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth: hee breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder, hee burneth the chariot in the fire. Bee still, and know that I am God: I will bee exalted among the Heathen, I will bee exalted in the earth. Who can cast his eye upon the greatness of God, the majesty of God, and not sit still before him? Zeph. 1. 7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God. Oh chat not, murmure not, fret not, but stand mute before him! Shall the childe bee hush'd before his Father, the servant before his Master, the subject before his Prince, and the guilty person before the Judge when hee [Page 118] majestically rises off his judgement seat, and composes his countenance into an aspect of terrour and severity, that his sentence may fall upon the offender with the greater dread? and shall not a Christian bee quiet before that God that can bathe his sword in Heaven, and burn the chariots on earth? Nay, shall the Sheep bee hush'd before the Wolf, Birds before the Hawk, and all the Beasts of the field before the Lion? and shall not wee bee hush'd and quiet before him, who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah? Rev. 5. 5. God is mighty in power, and mighty in counsel, and mighty in working, and mighty in punishing; and therefore bee silent before him. It appears that God is a mighty God, by the Epithite that is added unto El, which is Gibbor, importing that hee is a God of prevailing might; in Daniel hee is called El Elim, the mighty of mighties. Moses magnif [...]ing ofExod. 15. his might, saith, Who is like unto thee among the gods? Now certainly [Page 119] this Epithite should bee a mighty motive to work souls to that which Ha [...]akkuk perswades to, Hab. 2. ult. The Lord is in his holy Temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Upon this very consideration,Exod. 14. 13, 14 Moses commands Israel to hold their peace.
It is reported of Augustus theTurk. Hist. 236. 415. Emperour, and likewise of Tamberlain that war-like Scythian, that in their eyes sate such a rare Majesty, that many in talking with them, and often beholding of them, have become dumb. Oh my brethren! shall not the brightnesse and splendor of the Majesty of the great God, whose sparkling Glory and Majesty dazles the eyes of Angels, and makes those Princes of glory stand mute before him, move you much more to silence, to hold your peace, and lay your hands upon your mouths? Surely yes. But
Secondly, Consider, That all your afflictions, troubles and [Page 120] trials, shall work for your good, Rom. 8. 28. And wee know that all Afflictiones Benedictiones. Bern. Afflictions are blessings. Doubtless Manasseh would not exchange the good hee got by his Iron chains for all the gold chains that bee in the world. things shall work together for good to them that love God. Why then should you fret, fling, fume? seeing God designs your good in all. The Bee sucks sweet hony out of the bitterest herbs: so God will by afflictions teach his children to suck sweet knowledge, sweet obedience, and sweet experiences, &c. out of all the bitter afflictions and trials hee exercises them with; that scouring and rubbing which frets others, shall make them shine the brighter, and that weight which crushes and keeps others under, shall but make them like the palmtree, grow better and higher. And that hammer which knocks others all in peeces, shall but knock them the nearer to Christ the corner-stone. Stars shine brightest in the darkest night: Torches give the best light, when beaten: Grapes yeeld most Wine, when most pressed: Spices smell sweetest, when pounded; Vines are the [Page 121] better for bleeding; Gold looks the brighter for scouring; Juniper smells sweetest in the fire; Camomile, the more you tread it, the more you spread it; the Salamander lives best in the fire; the Jews were best, when most afflicted; the Athenians would never mend, till they were in mourning; the Christ's-cross (saith Luther) is no letter in the book, and yet (saith hee) it hath taught mee more than all the letters in the book. Afflictions are the Saints best benefactors to heavenly affections; where afflictions hang heaviest, corruptions hang loosest. And grace that is hid in nature, as sweet water in Rose-leaves, is then most fragrant, when the fire of affliction is put under to distill it out. Grace shines the brighter for scouring, and is most glorious, when it is most clouded.
Pliny in his natural history,Lib. 12. cap. 9. writeth of certain Trees growing in the red Seas, which being beat upon by the waves, stand like a [Page 122] rock, immoveable, and that they are bettered by the roughness of the waters. In the Sea of afflictions God will make his people stand like a rock, they shall bee immoveable, and invincible, and the more the waves of afflictions beat upon them, the better they shall bee, the more they shall thrive in grace and godliness. Now how should this ingage Christians to bee mute and silent under all their troubles and trials in this world, considering that they shall all work for their good? God chastises our carkasses, to heal our consciences, hee afflicts our bodies, to save our souls, hee gives us gall and wormwood here, that the pleasures that bee at his right hand may bee the more sweet hereafter; here hee layes us upon a bed of thorns, that wee may look and long more for that easie bed of down (his bosome) in Heaven.
As there is a curse wrapt up in the best things hee gives the wicked, [Page 123] so there is a blessing wrapt upPsa. 25. 10. Deut. 28 26 in the worst things hee brings upon his own. As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked mans health, so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly mans sickness: As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked mans strength, so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly mans weakness: As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked mans wealth, so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly mans want: As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked mans honour, so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly mans reproach: As there is a curse wrapt up in all a wicked mans mercies, so there is a blessing wrapt up in all a godly mans crosses, losses, and changes: and why then should hee not sit mute and silent before the Lord? But
Thirdly, Consider, That a holy silence is that excellent precious grace, that lends a hand of support to every grace. Silence isRom. 15. 4 [Page 124] Custos, the Keeper of all other virtues, it lends a hand to Faith, a hand to Hope, a hand to Love, a hand to Humility, a hand to Selfdenial, &c. A holy silence hath its influences upon all other graces that bee in the soul, it causes the Rose-buds of grace to blossome and bud forth. Silence is (virtus versata circa adversa) a grace that keeps a man gracious in all conditions; in every condition Silence is a Christians right hand; in prosperity, it bears the soul up under all the envy, malice, hatred and censures of the world; in adversity, it bears the soul up under all the neglect, scorn and contempt that a Christian meets with in the world; it makes every bitter sweet, every burden light, and every yoak easie. And this the very Heathen seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia, to shew, that silence under sufferings, was the ready way to attain true comfort, and make [Page 125] every bitter sweet. No man honours God, nor no man justifies God at so high a rate, as hee who layes his hand upon his mouth, when the Rod of God is upon his back. But
Fourthly, To move you to Silence under your sorest and your sharpest trials, consider, That youLam. 3. 39 Mic. 7. 7, 8, 9 have deserved greater and heavier afflictions than those you are under; hath God taken away one mercy? thou hast deserved to bee stript of all; hath hee taken away the delight of thine eyes? he might have taken away the delight of thy soul; art thou under outward wants? thou hast deserved to be under outward and inward together; art thou cast upon a sick-bed? thou hast deserved a bed in Hell; art thou under this ach and that pain? thou hast deserved to bee under all aches and pains at once; hath God chastised thee with whips? thou hast deserved to bee chastised with1 King. 12. 11, 14. Scorpions; art thou fallen from [Page 126] the highest pinacle of honour to be the scorn and contempt of men? thou hast deserved to bee scorned and contemned by God and Angels; art thou under a severe whipping? thou hast deserved an utter damning. Ah Christians! let but your eyes bee fixt upon your demerits, and your hands will bee quickly upon your mouths; whatever is less than a final separation from God, whatever is less than Hell, is mercy; and therefore you have cause to bee silent under the smartest dealings of God with you. But
Fifthly, Consider, A quiet silent spirit is of great esteem with God: God sets the greatest value upon persons of a quiet spirit, 1 Pet. 3. 4. But let it bee the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. A quiet spirit is a spark of the divine nature, it is a ray, a beam of glory, [Page 127] it is a heaven-born spirit: No man is born with a holy Silence in his heart, as hee is born with a tongue in his mouth: this is a flower of paradise, it is a precious Jem that God makes very great reckoning of. A quiet spirit speaks a man most like to God, it capacitates a man for communion with God, it renders a man most serviceable to God, and it obliges a man to most accurate walking with God: A meek and quiet spirit is an incorruptible ornament, much more valuable than gold.
First, There is a natural quietness, which proceeds from a good temper and constitution of body.
Secondly, There is a moral quietness, which proceeds from good education and breeding, which flows from good injunctions, instructions, and examples.
Thirdly, There is an artificial [Page 128] quietness; some have an art to imprison their passions, and to lay a Law of restraint upon their anger and wrath, when they are all in a flame within: As you may2 Sam. 13. 20,—33 see in Cain, Esau, Absalom, and Joab, who for a time cast a close cloak over their malice, when their hearts were set on fire of Hell: so Domitian would seem to love them best, whom hee willed least should live.
Fourthly, There is a gracious quietness which is of the spirits infusion, Gal. 5. 22,—25. Now this quietness of spirit, this spiritual frame of heart, is of great price in the sight of God. God values it above the world, and therefore who would not covet it more than the world, yea more than life it self? Certainly the great God sets a great price upon nothing but that which is of an invaluable price; what stretching, strugling and striving is there for those things that the great ones of the earth do highly [Page 129] prize? Ah what stretching of wits, interests, and consciences is there this day, to gain and hold up that which justice will cast down? how much better would it bee if all persons would in good earnest struggle and strive, even as for life, after a quiet and silent spirit, which the great and glorious God sets so great a price upon? this is a pearl of greatest price, and happy is hee that purchases it, though it were with the loss of all. But
Sixthly, Consider, that if you sit not quiet and silent under your greatest troubles, and your sorest trials, you will bee found fighters against your own prayers. How often have you prayed that the will of God may bee done, yea, that it may bee done on the earth as the Angels (those glistering Courtiers,Mat. 6. 10 those Princes of glory) do it now in Heaven? when troubles and afflictions come upon you, the will of God is done, his will is accomplished, why then should you fret, [Page 130] fling, and fume, and not rather quietly lye down in his will, whoseVoluntas Dei necessitas rei, every gracious soul should say Amen to Gods Amen; hee should put his fiat, his placet, to Gods, go it never so much against the hair with him. will is a perfect will, a just and righteous will, a wise will, an over-ruling will, an infinite will, a soveraign will, a holy will, an immutable will, an uncontroulable will, an omnipotent will, and an eternal will; certainly you will but add affliction to affliction, by fighting against your own prayers, and by vexing and fretting your selves when the will of God is done; it is sad to see a man to fight against his friends, it is sadder to see him fight against his relations, it is saddest of all to see him fight against his prayers, and yet this every Christian doth, who murmures and mutters when the Rod of God is upon him; some there be that pray against their prayers, as Augustine, who prayed for continency, with a proviso, Lord give mee continency, but not yet; And some there bee who fight against their prayers, as those who pray that the will of God may be [Page 131] done, and yet when his will is done upon them, they are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot rest, they are still fretting against the Lord. Ah Christians! have you not sins to fight against, and temptations to fight against, and a Devil to fight against yea a whole world to fight against? why then should you bee found fighting against your own prayers? But
Seventhly, Consider, A holy Silence under the heaviest burdens, the greatest afflictions, the saddest providences and changes, will make all tollerable, and easie to a Christian; the silent soul can bear a burden without a burden; those burdens and troubles that will break a froward mansMicah 7. 7, 8, 9, 10 Psal. 62. 1,—6 back, will not so much as break a silent mans sleep; those afflictions that lye as heavy weights upon a murmurer, will lye as light as a feather upon a mute Christian; that bed of sorrow, which is as a bed of thorns to a fr [...]tful soul, will [Page 132] bee as a bed of down to a silent soul; a holy Silence unstings every affliction, it takes off the weight of every burden, it adds sweet to every bitter, it changes dark nights into Sunshiny daies, and terrible storms into desirable calms; the smallest sufferings will easily vanquish an unquiet spirit, but a quiet spirit will as easily triumph over the greatest sufferings. As little mercies are great mercies, so great sufferings are but little sufferings in the eye of a silent soul; the silent soul never complains that his affliction is too great, his burthen too heavy, his cross too weighty, his sufferings too many; Silence makes him victorious over all; And therefore as ever you would have heavy afflictions light, and bee able to bear a burthen without a burthen, labour as for life after this holy silence. But
Eighthly, Consider, That a holy Silence under afflictions will [Page 133] bee your best armour of proof against those temptations that afflictions may expose you to; timesLuk. 22. 31,—34. Job 1. 3 Zach. 1. 2, 3, 4 Mat. 4. 1, 2, 3 of afflictions, often prove times of great temptation; and therefore afflictions are called temptations, James 1. 12. Blessed is the man which endureth temp [...]on, for when hee is tried, hee shall receive the Crown of life, &c. The Greek word [...], is to bee understood of temptations of probation, of afflicting temptations, and not of temptations of suggestion,James 4. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 9 of seduction, for they are not to bee endured, but resisted and abhorred. Now affliction is called temptation,
1 Because, as temptation tries what metal a Christian is made of, so do afflictions.
2 Because, as Satan usually hath a great hand in all the temptations that 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 [Page 134] 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 [...] lets flie, and makes his fiercest assaults upon him; now Satan tempts him to entertain hard thoughts of God, to distrust, to impatiency, to murmuringMany 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 [Page 135] 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 [Page 136] possession of his own soul, In patience possess your souls; now next to the possession of God, theLuk. 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 theProv. 16. 32 world. The Egyptian Goddesse they [Page 137] 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 [...]ord is in his holy Temple; let all the earth keep silence before him. Amos 5. 1 [...]. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in [...]hat [Page 138] 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. DivineObedientia 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 [Page 139] 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 [Page 140] 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 those golden commands last cited, shall bee of force to draw you to bee quiet and silent under the troubles and changes you meet with in this world? the Lord forbid.
Shall carnal and wicked persons [Page 141] bee so ready and willing to comply with the bloody, and senseless,Non parentum aut majorum authoritas, sed Dei docentis imperium. Jerom. The commands of God must out-weigh all authority and example of men. and superstitious commands of their superiours? and shall not Christians bee more ready and willing to comply with the commands of the great God? whose commands are all just and equal, and whose will is the perfect rule of Righteousness. Prior est autoritas imperantis, quam utilitas servientis. Tertul. The chief reason of obedience, is the authority of the Lord, not the utility of the servant. Ah Christians! when your hearts begin to fret and fume under the smarting Rod, charge one of those commands last cited upon your hearts, and if they shall mutter, charge another of those commands upon your hearts, and if after this they shall vex and murmure, charge another of those commands upon your hearts, and never leave charging and rubbing those commands one after another upon your hearts, till you are brought to lay your hands upon your [Page 142] mouths, and to sit silent before the Lord under your greatest straights, and your sorest trials.
Eleventhly, Consider, That mercy is nearest, deliverance andAct. 27. 20,—26 Dan. 9. 20,—24. Isa. 58. 8, 9. chap. 30. 19. & ch. 65. 24 salvation is at hand, when a Christian stands still, when hee sits quiet and silent under his greatest troubles, and his sorest trials. Exod. 14. They were in very great straights; Pharaoh with a mighty Army was behinde them, the Red Sea before them, Mountains on each hand of them, and no visible means to deliver them: But now they stand still to see the salvation of the Lord, vers. 13. and within a few hours their enemies are destroyed, and they are gloriously delivered, vers. 24,—ult. Psal. 39. 9. David is dumb, hee sits mute under his smart afflictions, but if you look to the second and third verses of the fortieth Psalm, you shall finde mercy draws near to him, and works salvation for him. Hee brought mee up [Page 143] also out of an horrible pit, out of the mire and clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And hee hath put a new song into my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. And so when Absalom had made a great conspiracie against him, and his subjects fell off from him, and hee was forced to flee for his life, his spirit was quiet and calm, 2 Sam. 15. 25, 26. And the King said unto Zadock▪ Carry back the Ark of God into the City: if I shall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord, hee will bring mee again, and shew mee both it, and and his habitation. But if hee thus say, I have no delight in thee, Behold here am I, let him do to mee as seemeth good unto him. And the same calmness and quietness of spirit was upon him, when Shimei bitterly cursed him, and railed upon him, chap. 16. 5,—14. And within a few daies, as you may see in the two following Chapters, the conspirators are destroyed, [Page 144] and Davids Throne more firmly established; mercy is alwaies nearest, when a man can in quietness possess his own soul; salvation is at hand, when a Christian comes to lay his hand upon his mouth; mercy will bee upon the wing, loving kindness will ride post, to put a period to that mans troubles, who sits silent in the day of his sorrows and sufferings. Ah Christians, as you would have mercy near, as you would see to the end of your afflictions, as you would have deliverance come flying upon the wings of the wind, sit mute and silent under all your troubles. As Wine was then nearest when the water-pots were filled with waterJohn 2. 1,—12. even to the brim: so when the heart is fullest of quietness and calmness, then is the Wine of mercy, the Wine of deliverance nearest.
The twelfth and last Motive to work you to silence under your greatest trials, is this, Seriously [Page 145] consider the hainous and dangerous nature of murmuring; now that you may, let mee propose these following particulars to your most sober consideration.
First, Consider, That murmuringHeb. 12. 15 Deut. 29 18. Heb. 3. 12 speaks out many a root of bitterness to bee strong in thy soul; murmuring speaks out sin in its power, corruption upon its Throne. As holy Silence argues true Grace, much Grace, yea Grace in its strength, and in its lively vigour; so murmuring, muttering under the hand or God, argues much sin, yea a heart full of sin, it speaks out a heart full of self-love, Exod. 15. 24. chap. 16. 7, 8. and full of slavish [...]ears, Numb. 13. 32, 33. chap. 14. 1, 2, 3. and full of ignorance, John 6. 41, 42, 61. and full of pride and unbeleef, Psal. 106. 24, 25. yea they despised the pleasant land,Psal. 78. 19, 20 Unbeleef is virtually all ill. or the land of desire (there is their pride) they beleeved not in his word, there is their unbeleef, what [Page 146] follows? they murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of God; they were sick of the fullens, and preferred Egypt before Canaan, a wilderness before a paradise. As in the first Chaos, there were the seeds of all creatures: so in the murmurers heart, there is not onely the seed of all sin, but a lively operation of all sin; sin is become mighty in the hearts of murmurers, and none but an Almighty God can root it out; those roots of bitterness have so spread and strengthened themselves in the hearts of murmurers,Isa. 26. 4 that everlasting strength must put in, or they will bee undone for ever. But
Secondly, Consider, That the Holy Ghost hath set a brand of infamy upon murmurers, hee hath stigmatized them for ungodly persons, Jude 15. 16. To execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they [Page 147] have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoker against him. But who are these ungodly sinners? They are murmurers, complainers walking after their own lusts, &c. vers. 16. When Christ comes to execute judgement upon ungodly ones, murmurers shall bee set in the front, they shall experience the firstness of his wrath, and the fierceness of his wrath, and the greatness of his wrath; the front you know is first assaulted, and most strongly assaulted, Christ will bond all his power and strength against murmurers, his little finger shall bee heavier [...]pon1 Kings 12. 11, 14 them, than his loins shall bee upon others, other sinners shall bee chastised with whips, but ungodly murmurers shall bee chastised with scorpions; if you can joy in that black character of ungodly sinners, bee murmurers still, if not, cease from murmurings; where murmuring is in its reign, in its dominion, there you may speak [Page 148] 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 [Page 149] 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 murmuringNumb. 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 [Page 150] 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 said1 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 yourEph. 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 [Page 151] 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, thanPsal. 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 [Page 152] onely to afflict, but also to destroyNumb. 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 havingSeneca. prepared a great feast for his Nobles and Friends, it so [...]ell out, that the day appointed was extream [...]oul, that nothing could be done to the honour of the meeting, whereupon hee was so displeased and enraged, that hee commanded [Page 153] 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▪ [...]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 he [...] saves; a soul cannot have a good look [Page 154] 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 thatGen. 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 to plunge [Page 155] man into the bottomeless gulf of sin and misery; hee knowing himself to bee damned, and lost for ever, would needs try all waies how to make happy man eternally unhappy. Mr. Howel tells it as a strange thing, that a Serpent was found in the heart of an Englishman when hee was dead; But alas! this old Serpent was by sad experience found to have too much power in the heart of Adam whilst alive, and whilst in the heighth of all his glory and excellency; murmuring is the first-born of the Devil, and nothing renders a man more like to him than murmuring. Constantines Sons did not more resemble their Father, nor Aristotles scholars their Master, nor Alexanders Souldiers their General, than murmurers do resemble Satan. And as murmuring i [...] Satans sin, so it is his punishment: God hath given him up to a murmuring spirit, nothing pleases him, all things go against him, hee is perpetually a muttering and [Page 156] murmu [...]ing, at persons or things: Now, Oh what a dreadful thing is it to bear Satans image upon us, and to bee given up to the Devils punishment! it were better not to bee, than thus to bee given up; and therefore cease from murmuring, and sit mute under your sorest trials. But
Sixthly, Consider, That murmuring is a mercy-imbittering sin, a mercy-souring sin. As put the sweetest things into a soure vessel, it soures them, or put them into a bitter vessel, and it imbitters them; murmuring puts gall and wormwood into every cup of mercy, that God gives into our hands. As holy silence gives a sweet taste, a delightful rellish to all a mans mercies; so murmuring imbitters all; the murmurer can taste no sweetness in his sweetest morsels, every mercy, every morsel tastesJob 6. 6. like the white of an Egge to him; this mercy, saith the murmurer, is not toothsome, nor that mercy is [Page 157] not wholesome; here is a mercy wants salt, and there is a mercy wants sauce. A murmurer can taste no sweet, hee can feel no comfort, hee can take no delight in any mercy hee injoyes. The murmurer writes Marah, that is, bitterness upon all his mercies, and hee reads and tastes bitterness in all his mercies. All the murmurers Grapes, are Grapes of Gall, and all their clusters are bitter, Deut. 32. 32. As to the hungry soul, every Prov. 27. 7 bitter thing is sweet: So to the murmuring soul, every sweet thing is bitter; the mute Christian can suck sweetness from every breast of mercy, but the murmurer cries out, Oh it is bitter! Oh these breasts of mercy are dry!
Seventhly, Consider, That murmuring is a mercy-destroying sin, a mercy-murthering sin; murmuring cuts the throat of mercy, it stabs all our mercies at the heart, it sets all a mans mercies a bleeding about him at once, Numb. 14. 30. [Page 158] Doubtless yee shall not come into the land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the Son Psal. 89. 30, 31. Deut. 31. 16, 17 of Jephunneh, and Joshua the Son of Nun. God promises them that they should possess the holy land upon the condition of their obedience; this condition they brake, and therefore God was not forsworn, though hee cut them off in the wilderness, and kept them out of Canaan; but what is the sin that provokes the Lord to bar them out of the land of Promise, and to cut them off from all those mercies that they enjoyed, which entred into the holy-land? why it was their murmuring, as you may see, in vers. 1, 2, 3, 26, 27, 28, 29. As you love your mercies, as you would have the sweet of your mercies, and as you would enjoy the life of your mercies, take heed of murmuring; murmuring will bring a consumption upon your mercies, it is a worm that will make all your mercies to wither. As there bee some that [Page 159] love their mercies into the grave, and others that plot their mercies into the grave: so there bee some that murmure their mercies into the grave. As you would have your mercies alwaies fresh and green, smiling and thriving, as you would have your mercies to bed and board with you, to rise up, and lye down with you, and in all conditions to attend you; murmure not, murmure not; the mute Christians mercies are most sweet, and most long-liv'd; the murmurers mercies, like Jonab's Gourd, will quickly wither. Murmuring hath cut the throat of national mercies, of domestical me [...] cies, and of personal mercies; and therefore Oh how should men fly from it, as from a Serpent! as from the avenger of blood! yea, as from Hell it self!
Eighthly, Consider, That murmuring unfits the soul for duty:Exod. 6. 6,—10 A murmurer can neither hear to profit, nor pray to profit, nor [Page 160] read to profit, nor meditate to profit; the murmurer is neither fit to do good, nor receive good; murmuring unfits the soul for doing of duties, it unfits the soul for delighting in duties, it unfits the soul for communion with God in duties; murmuring fills the1 Cor. 7. 33, 34, 35. soul with cares, fears, distractions, vexations; all which unfits a man for duty. As a holy quietness and calmness of spirit prompts a man to duty; as it makes every duty easie and pleasant to theProv. 3. 17 soul: so murmuring, that unhinges the soul, that indisposes the soul, that takes off the Chariot wheels of the soul, that the soul cannot look up to God, nor do for God, nor receive from God,Psal. 40. 12. nor wait on God, nor walk with God, nor act Faith upon God, &c. Oh therefore! as ever you would bee in a blessed preparedness,2 King. 6. 33 Isa. 26. 9, 10, 11 and a blessed fittedness for duty, take heed of murmuring, and [...]it mu [...]e and silent under the afflicting hand of God.
Ninthly, Consider, That murmuring unmans a man, it stripsIsa. 5. 18, 19, 20 him of his reason and understanding, it makes him call evil good, and good evil, it puts light for darkness, and darkness for light, bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter, it calls Saviours destroyers, and deliverers murtherers;Exod. 14, 15, 16. chapters. Lam. 5. 16 As you see in the murmuring Israelites; murmuring uncrowns a man, the murmurer may say, my Crown is fallen from my head; murmuring strips a man of all his glory, it spoils all his excellency, it destroies the nobility of man, it speaks him out to bee a base ignoble Creature; murmuring clouds a mans understanding, it perverts his judgement, it puts out the eye of reason, it stupifies his conscience, it soures the heart, it disorders the will, and distempers the affections, it be beasts a man, yea it sets him below the beast that perisheth; for a man were better bee a beast, than bee like a beast; the murmurer is the Hieroglyphick [Page 162] of folly, hee is a comprehensive vanity, hee is a man, and no man, hee is sottish and senseless, hee neither understands God, nor himself, nor any thing as hee should, hee is the man that must bee sent to school, to learn of the beasts of the field, and the birds of theIsa. 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 [Page 163] 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 tha [...] precious time, that some would redeem with a world. As QueenSumptus 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 theRev. 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 spendPlutarch in the life of Pericles. much of their time in making much of little Doggs and Monkies, [Page 164] 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 takePlutarch. away his life, & withall desires him [Page 165] 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 [Page 166] 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 andLam. 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? [Page 167] 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 quickenGod 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 he [...] 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 [Page 168] 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 [Page 169] 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 wi [...]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 this world.
I shall now address my self to answer those Objections, and to remove those Impediments which hinder poor souls from being silent and mute under the afflicting hand of God, &c.
Object. 1. Sir, did I but know that I were afflicted in love, I would hold my peace under my affliction, I would sit mute before the Lord, but Oh! how shall I come to understand that these stroaks are the stroaks of love, that these wounds are the wounds of a friend? I answer,
First, If thy heart bee drawn more out to the Lord by the affliction,Psal. 18. 1,—8. Psal. 116. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Psal. 119. 67, 71. Isa. 38. then the affliction is in love; if they are so sanctified, as that they draw out thy soul to love the Lord more, and to fear the Lord more, and to please the Lord more, and to cleave to the Lord more, and to wait on the Lord more, and to walk with the Lord more, then they are in love. Oh! then they are the wounds of a friend indeed. It is reported of the Lioness, that shee leaves her young whelps till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and yelling, and then at last gasp, when they have almost spent themselves, shee relieves them, and by this means they become more couragious; and so if the afflictions that are upon us do encrease our courage, strengthen our patience, raise our faith, inflame our love, and enliven our hopes: Certainly they are in love, and all our wounds are the wounds of a friend. But
Secondly, If you are more careful and studious how to glorifie God in the affliction, andDan. 3. & 6. chapters Heb. 11. how to bee kept from sinning under the affliction, than how to get out of the affliction, then certainly your affliction is in love: where God smites in love, there the soul makes it his work how to glorifie God, and how to lift up God, and how to bee a name and an honour to God; the daily language of such a soul under the rod, is this, Lord stand by mee that I sin not,Josh. 7. 7, 8, 9, 10 uphold m [...]e that I sin not, strengthen mee that I sin not; hee that will not sin to repair and make up his losses, though hee knew assuredly that the committing of such a sin would make up all again, hee may conclude that his affliction is in love.
I have read of a Noble man, whose Son and Heir was supposed to bee bewitched, and being advised to go to some wizard or cunning man (as they are called) to have some help for his Son, that [Page 172] hee might bee unwitched again, hee answered, Oh by no means! I had rather the Witch should have my Son, than the Devil; his Son should suffer, rather than hee would sin him out of his sufferings. Hee that will not break the hedge of a fair Command, to avoid the foul way of some heavy affliction, may well conclude, that his affliction is in love. Christians! what say you when you are in the Mount, do you thus bespeak the Lord? Lord take care of thy glory, and let mee rather sink in my affliction, than sin under my affliction; if this bee the bent and frame of thy heart, it is certain the affliction that is upon thee is in love; the primitive times afforded many such brave spirits, though this age affords but few.
Thirdly, If you enjoy the special presence of God with your spirits in your affliction, then yourPsal. 23. 4, 5, 6 affliction is in love. Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest thorow the waters, I [Page 173] will bee with thee, and thorow the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: The bush which was a type of the Church consumed not all the while it burned with fire, because God was in the midst of it when thou walkest thorow the fire, thou shalt not bee burnt, neither shall the flames kindle upon thee. Hast thou a special presence of God with thy spirit, strengthening of that, quieting of that, steeling of that, satisfying of that, chearing and comforting of that? Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts (that is, of my troubled, intricated, insnarled, intertwined, and perplexed thoughts (as the branches of a tree by some strong wind are twisted one within another, as the Hebrew word properly signifies) thy comforts delight my soul. Here's a presence of God with his soul, here's comforts and delights that reaches the soul, here's a cordial to strengthen his spirit. WhenKnoles. Turk. Hist. pag. 164 all things went cross with Andronicus the old Emperour of Constantinople, hee took a Psalter into his hand, and opening the same, hee lighted upon Psal. 68. 14. When the Almighty scattered Kings, they [Page 174] shall bee white as Snow in Salmon; which Scripture was a mighty comfort and refreshment to his spirit: Now you are to remember that Salmon signifies shady and dark, and so was this Mount by the reason of many lofty fair spread trees, that were neer it, but made lightsome by Snow that covered it: so that to bee white as Snow in Salmon, is to have joy in affliction, light in darkness, mercy in misery, &c. And thus God was to the Psalmist as Snow in Salmon in the midst of his greatest afflictions. When Paul would wish his dear Son Timothy the best mercy in all the world, the greatest mercy in all the world, the most comprehensive mercy in all the world, a mercy that carries the virtue, value and sweetness of all mercies in it, hee wishes the presence of God with his spirit, 2 Tim. 4. 22. The Lord Jesus Christ bee with thy spirit: in point of honour, in point of profit and pleasure, in point of safety [Page 175] and security, and in point of comfort and joy, it is the greatest blessing and happinesse in this world, to have the presence of God with our spirits, especially in times of trials, 2 Cor. 4. 16. For which cause wee faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. By the outward man you are to understand, not meerly our bodies, but our persons, estates, and outward condition in this world; and by the inward man you are to understand our souls, or persons, considered according to our spiritual estate. Now, when the inward man gains new strength by every new trouble, when as troubles, pressures, afflictions, and tribulations are increased, a Christians inward strength is increased also, then his afflictions are in love; when the presence of God is with our inward man, chearing, comforting, encouraging, strengthening and renewing of that, wee may safely conclude, that all these [Page 176] trials, though they are never so sharp and smart, yet they are in love.
I have read of a company of poor Christians that were banished into some remote parts, and one standing by, seeing them pass along, said, That it was a very sad condition those poor people were in, to bee thus hurried from the society of men; and to bee made companions with the beasts of the field; true said another, it were a sad condition indeed, i [...] 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 willHeb. 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 [Page 177] 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 conformableWitness Judas, Demas, and those in the 6th. of John, and many Q [...]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, [Page 178] in that 1 Pet. 2. 9. then certainlyExaggeilete, 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 stroaksIsa. 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 underJob 34. 31, 32 the inward teachings of God, doubtless thy afflictions are in love. Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man [Page 179] 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 [Page 178] [...] [Page 179] [...] [Page 180] 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, [Page 181] 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 toIsa. 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 heavyGen. 49. 23, 24. that God laies on, if hee put under his everlasting arms, all is in love. As Egypt had many venemous [Page 182] 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, I [...] thou art willing to lye in the furnace till thy dross bee consumed, if thou art willingJob 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 [Page 183] are able to bear, but they cry out, our punishment is greaterGen. 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 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 s [...]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 [Page 184] 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 exercisingThese 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 [Page 186] 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 theDeut. 32. 13. Rock, thy afflictions are in love. The Promises are full breasts, and God delights that Faith shouldAs 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 [Page 187] 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 paidPlutarch. 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 in2 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, [Page 188] 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 [Page 189] 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 [Page 190] 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 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 [Page 191] 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 [Page 192] raise all Italy in Arms, but let thePlutarch 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 [Page 193] 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 livingRom. 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 n [...] thing; such children and fools a [...]e most men, they are much taken with their mercies, but they make no improvement of their mercies; and therefore no wonder if [Page 194] 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, whoLib. 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 workingtools, 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, [Page 195] 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 [...]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? artJonah 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 [Page 196] 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 merciesJob 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 [Page 197] 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 [Page 198] 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 anLuk. 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 ofGen. 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 sou [...]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 [Page 199] Christs bed of lov [...]? your hearts, they being that bed wherein ChristCant. 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 [...]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 [Page 200] 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 [...]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 [Page 201] 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, yetGen. 42. 36, Heb. 13. 8 Jesus is, hee is yesterday and to day and the same for ever; thy union and communion with Christ remains1 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 [Page 202] still, and under the influences of Heaven still, &c. and why then shouldest thou mutter; and not rather hold thy peace? I have readJerom. 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, AhEphes. 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 grac [...] to adorn you? his promises to comfor [...] you, his ordinances to better you, and the hopes of Heaven to encourage you? and will you mutter? [Page 203] 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 Plutar [...]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 inj [...]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 [Page 204] adultery, by killing his endeared childe. There is some Dalilah, some darling, some beloved sin orPsa. 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 is in the body of man, that although in some degree or other, more or less, there bee a mixture of all the four elements, not any of them wholly wanting, yet there is some one of them predominant, that gives the denomination, in which regard some are said to be of a sanguin, some of a phlegmatick, some of a cholerick, and some of a melancholick constitution: So it is also in the souls of men, though there bee a general mixture and medly of all evil and corrupt qualities, yet is there some one usually that is Paramount, which [Page 205] like the Prince of Devils, is most powerful and prevalent, that swayeth and sheweth forth it self more eminently and evidently than any other of them do. And as in every mans body there is a seed and principle of death, yet in some there is a proneness to one kinde of disease more than other that may hasten death: So, though the root of sin and bitterness hath spread it self over all, yet every man hath his inclination to one kinde of sin, rather than another, and this may bee called a mans proper sin, his bosome sin, his darling sin. Now, it is one of the hardest works in this world to subdue and bring under this bosome sin. Oh! the prayers, the tears, the sighs, the sobs, the groans, the gripes that it will cost a Christian before hee brings under this darling sin!
Look upon a Rabbets skin, how well it comes off till it comes to the head, but then what haling and pulling is there before it stirs? So it is in the mortifying, in the crucifying [Page 206] of sin; a man may easily subdue and mortifie such and such sins, but when it comes to the head sin, to the master-sin, to the bosome-sin, Oh! what tugging and pulling is there? what striving and strugling is there, to get off that sin, to get down that sin? Now, if the Lord by smiting thee in some near and dear enjoyment shall draw out thy heart to fall upon smiting of thy master-sin, and shall so sanctifie the affliction, as to make it issue in the mortification of thy bosome corruption, what eminent cause wilt thou have rather to bless him, than to fit down and murmure against him? and doubtless, if thou art dear to God, God will, by striking thy dearest mercy, put thee upon striking at thy darling-sin; and therefore hold thy peace, even then when God touches the apple of thi [...]e eye.
Ninthly, Consider, That the Lord hath many waies to make up the loss of a near and dear mercy to [Page 207] thee; hee can make up thy loss inMat. 19. 27,—ult. something else that may bee better for thee, and hee will certainly make up thy loss, either in kinde, or in worth; hee took from David an Absalom, and hee gave him a Solomon, hee took from him a Michal, and gave him a wise Abigail, hee took from Job seven sonsThe first and last chapters of Job compared. Joh, 16. 7, 8. &c. Act. 2. and three daughters, and afterwards hee gives him seven sons and three daughters, hee took from Job a fair estate, and at last doubled it to him, hee removed the bodily presence of Christ from his disciples, but gave them more abundantly of his spiritual presence, which was far the greater and the sweeter mercy. If Moses bee taken away, Joshua shall bee raised in his room; if David bee gathered to his Fathers, a Solomon shall succeed him in his Throne; if John bee cast into prison, rather than the Pulpit shall stand empty, a greater than John, even Christ himself will begin to preach: hee that lives upon God in the loss of creature-comforts, shall finde all made [Page 208] up in the God of comforts, hee shall bee able to say, though my childe is not, my friend is not, my yoak-fellow is not, yet my God liveth, and blessed bee my Rock, Psal. 89. 46. though this mercy is not, and that mercy is not, yet covenant mercies, yet the sure mercies2 Sam. 23. 5. of David continue, these bed and board with mee, these will to the grave, and to glory with mee. I have read of a godly man, who living near a Philosopher, did often perswade him to become a Christian: Oh but said the Philosopher! I must, or may lose all for Christ; to which the good man replied, if you lose any thing for Christ, hee will bee sure to repay it a hundred fold; I but said the Philosopher, will you bee bound for Christ, that if he do not pay mee, you will? yes that I will, said the good man: So the Philosopher became a Christian, and the good man entred into bond for performance of covenants; sometime after it happened that the Philosopher [Page 209] fell sick on his death-bed, and holding the bond in his hand, sent for the party engaged, to whom hee gave up the bond, and said, Christ hath paid all, there is nothing for you to pay, take your bond and cancel it. Christ will suffer none of his children to go by the loss; he hath all, and hee will make up all to them; in the close Christ will pay the reckoning; no man shall ever have cause to say, that hee hath been a loser by Christ; and therefore thou hast much cause to bee mute, thou hast no cause to murmure, though God hath snatch'd the fairest and the sweetest flower out of thy bosome.
Tenthly, How canst thou tell, but that that which thou callest a near and dear mercy, if it had beenThe Lamentations of Jeremiah are a full proof of this. continued longer to thee, might have proved the greatest cross, the greatest calamity and misery that ever thou didst meet with in this world? Our mercies like choice Wines, many times turn into Vinegar; [Page 210] our fairest hopes are often blasted, and that very mercy which wee sometimes have said should be a staff to support us, hath proved a sword to peirce us; how often have our most flourishing mercies withered in our hands? and our bosome-contentments been turned into gall and wormwood? If God had2 Sam. 12. 16. continued the life of Davids childe to him, it would have been but a living Monument of his sin and shame, and all that knew the childe would have pointed at him, yonder goes Davids bastard, and soThis age affords many sad instances of this nature; who can think of Tiburn, & question it? and of killing & drowning, and say, how can this bee? have kept Davids wound still a bleeding; many Parents who have sought the lives of their children with tears, have lived afterwards to see them take such courses, and come to such dismal ends, as have brought their gray-hairs with sorrow to their graves. It had been ten thousand times a greater mercy to many Parents to have buried their children, as soon as ever they had been born, than to see them come to such unhappy ends as they [Page 211] often do. Well Christian! it may bee the Lord hath taken from thee such a hopeful son, or such a dear daughter, and thou sayest how can I hold 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 [Page 212] near and dear mercies might have proved, had they been longer continued.
Eleventhly, Thou canst not tell how bad thy heart might haveDeut. 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 [Page 213] 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 [Page 214] 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 presenceQui 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 [Page 215] 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 hath1 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 A [...]aricus, and taken, and all the Citizens rifled and made a [Page 216] 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▪ [Page 217] 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 havePsal. 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 [Page 218] 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 otherPsalms 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, witness the proofs in the Margin; thy afflictions are but as a moment, they are but as yesterday, if compared with the afflictions of other Saints, whose whole lives have been made up of sorrows and sufferings, as the life of Christ was; many a mans life hath been nothing but a lingring death, Job 21. 25. And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure. There are those that have never a good day all their daies, who have not a day of rest among all their daies of trouble, not a day of health among all their daies of sickness, nor a day of gladness among all their daies of sadness, nor a day of strength among all their daies of weakness, nor a day of honour among [Page 219] all their daies of reproach, whose whole life is one continued winters night, who every day drink gall and wormwood, who lye down sighing, who rise groaning, and who spend their daies in complaining, no sorrow to our sorrows, no sufferings to our sufferings; some there bee who have alwaies tears in their eyes, sorrows in their hearts, rods on their backs, and crosses in their hands, but it is not so with thee, therefore bee silent.
Thirdly, The longer thy affliction hath been, the sweeter will Heaven bee to thee at last; thePsal. 126. 1, 2, 5, 6. compared. longer the Israelites had been in the wilderness, the sweeter was Canaan to them at last; the longer the storm, the sweeter the calm; the longer the winter nights, the sweeter the summer▪ daies; long afflictions will much set off the glory of Heaven; the harbour is most sweet and desirable to them that have been long tossed upon [Page 220] the Seas: So will Heaven bee to those who have been long in a Sea of troubles. The new Wine of Christs Kingdome is most sweet toLuk. 22. 18 those that have been long a drinking of gall and vinegar, the Crown of glory will bee most delightful to them, who have been long in combating with the world, the flesh, and the devil. The longer our Journey is, the sweeter will be our end; and the longer our passage is, the sweeter will our Haven be; the higher the mountain, the gladder wee shall bee when wee are got to the top of it; the longer the heir is kept from his inheritance, the more delight hee will have when hee comes to possess it.
Fourthly, They are not long, but short, if compared to that eternity of glory that is reserved for the Saints, 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17, 18. If you turn to the words, you shallSee this largely opened in my String of Pearls. finde for affliction glory, for light afflictions, a weight of glory, and for short momentany afflictions, eternal [Page 221] glory; there will quickly be an end of thy sadnesse, but there will never be an end of thy happiness; there will soon bee an end of thy calamity and misery, there will never be and end of thy felicity and glory; the Kingdomes of this world are notPsal. 45. & 72. & 89. Isa. 9. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 4 2 Epist. 1. 11. lasting, much less are they everlasting, they have all their climacterical years, but the Kingdome of Heaven is an everlasting Kingdome, of that there is no end. There were seven sorts of Crowns that were that were in use among the Roman Victors, but they were all fading and perishing; but the Crown of glory that at last God will set upon the heads of his Saints, shall continue as long as God himself continues. Who can look upon those eternal Mansions that are above, and those everlasting pleasures that bee at Gods right hand, and say, that his affliction is long? Well Christian, let thy afflictions be never so long, yet one hours being in the bosome of Christ, will make thee forget both the length and [Page 222] strength of all thy afflictions.
Fifthly, The longer you have been afflicted, the more in spiritual experiences you have been enriched, 2 Cor. 1. 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. The lower the ebbe, the higher the tide, the more pain, the more gain, the more afflicted, the more comforted, the lower wee are cast, the higher we shall bee raised. Of all Christians, none so rich in spiritual experiences, as those that haveHeb. 12. 11 2 Cor. 12. 9 Job 33. 17,—22 been long in the school of affliction. Oh the blessed stories that such can tell of the power of God supporting them, of the wisdome of God directing them, of the favour of God comforting them, of the presence of God assisting them! Oh the love-tokens, the love-letters, the bracelets, the Jewels, that they are able to produce since they have been in the furnace of affliction! Oh the sins that long afflictions have discovered and mortified! O the [Page 223] temptations that long afflictions have prevented and vanquished! you shall as soon number the stars of Heaven, and the sands of the Sea, as you shall number up the heavenly experiences of such Christians that have been long under afflictions; the afflicted Christians heart is fullest of spiritual treasure; though hee may bee poor in the world, yetJames 2. 5 hee is rich in faith and holy experiences, and what are all the riches of this world to spiritual experiences? one spiritual experience is more worth than a world, and upon a dying-bed, and before a judgement seat, every man will bee of this opinion. The men of this world will with much quietness and calmness of spirit, bear much, and suffer much, I and suffer long, when they finde their sufferings to add to their revenues: and shall nature do more than grace? It is the common voice of nature, Who will shew us any Psal. 4. [...] good? how shall wee come to be great, and high, and rich in the world? wee care not what wee [Page 224] suffer, nor how long wee suffer, so wee may but add house to house,Isa. 5. 8 heap to heap, bagg to bagg, and land to land. Oh how much more then should Christians bee quiet and calm under all their afflictions? though they are never so long? considering that they do but add Jewels to a Christians Crown; they do but adde to his spiritual experiences; the long afflicted Christian hath the fullest and the greatest trade: and in the day of account will bee found the richest man.
Sixthly, Long afflictions sometimes are but preparatives to long liv'd mercies; Josephs thirteen years imprisonment, was but a preparative to fourscore years reigning like a King; Davids seven years banishment, was but a preparative to forty years reigning in much honour and glory; Jobs long afflictions were but preparatives to more long-lived mercies, as you may see in that last of Job; and those sad and sore trials that the Jews have been [Page 225] under for above this sixteen hundred years, are to prepare them for those matchless mercies, and thoseIsa. 62. 63. and ch. 66 endless glories (in some sense) that God in the latter daies will crown them with. Isa. 54. 11, 12, 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, [Page 226] 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 [Page 227] 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 [Page 228] 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. J [...]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 [Page 229] 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 toMatth. 25. 14. 26. God will reward his people, secundum labo [...]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 ofRom. 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 [Page 231] 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, selfdenial, 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 [Page 232] Christ, they have taken for the ground of no fable, they have not among all their fictions told us of any one of Jupiters Sons that was crucified, that acted his part upon the cross; many would wear the Crown with Christ, that do not care for bearing the cross with Christ. But
Eighthly, The longer they have been, the greater cause thou hast to bee silent and patient, for impatience will but lengthen out the day of thy sorrows; every impatient act adds one link more to the chain, every act of frowardness adds one lash more to those that have already been laid on, every act of muttering will but add stroak to stroak, and sting to sting; every act of murmuring will but add burden to burden, and storm to storm; the most compendious way to lengthen out thy long afflictions, is to fret, and vex, and murmure under them; as thou wouldest see a speedy issue of thy long afflictions, [Page 233] sit mute and silent under them.
Ninthly, Gods time is the best time; mercy is never nearer; salvation is at hand, deliverance is at theAct. 27. 13,—ult. door, when a mans heart is brought into such a frame, as to bee freely willing that God should time his mercy, and time his deliverance for him. The Physicians time is the best time for the patient to have ease; the impatient patient cryes out to his Physician, Oh Sir! a little ease, a little refreshment; Oh the pains, the torments that I am under! Oh Sir! I think every hour two, and every two ten, till comfort comes, till refreshment comes; but the prudent Physician hath turned the hourglass, and is resolved that his Physick shall work so long, though his patient frets, flings, roars, tears: So when wee are under afflictions, wee are apt to cry out, how long Lord shall it bee before ease comes? before deliverance comes? Oh the [Page 234] tortures! Oh the torments that wee are under! Lord a little refreshment; Oh how long are thesePsal. 6. 3. Psal. 13. 1, 2 Psal. 94. 9, 10 Rev. 6. 10 nights! Oh how tedious are these daies! but God hath turned our Glass, and hee will not hearken to our cry, till our Glass bee out; after all our fretting and flinging wee must stay his time, who knows best when to deliver us, and how to deliver us ou [...] of all our troubles, and who will not stay a moment when the Glass is out that hee hath turned. But
Tenthly and lastly, They shall last no longer than there is need, and then they shall work for thy good; it is with souls as it is with bodies, some bodies are more easily and more suddenly cured than others are, and so are some souls; God will not suffer the plaister to lye one day, no not one hour, no not a moment longer than there is need; some flesh heals quickly, proud flesh is long a healing; by affliction God quickly heals some, [Page 235] but others are long a healing, 1 Pet. 1. 6. If need bee yee are in heaviness through manifold temptations, or through various afflictions; the burden shall lye no longer upon thee than needs must, thy pain shall endure no longer than needs must, thy physick shall make thee no longer sick than needs must, &c. thy heavenly Father is a Physician as wise as hee is loving; when thy heart begins to grow high, hee sees there is need of some heavy affliction to bring it low; when thy heart grows cold, hee sees there is need of some fiery affliction to heal it and warm it; when thy heart grows dull and dead, hee sees there is need of some smart affliction to enliven and quicken it. And as thy afflictions shall continue no longer than there is need, so they shall last no longer than they shall work for thy good; if all along they shall work for thy good, thou hast no cause to complain that thy afflictions are long: that they shall thus work, I have fully proved in [Page 236] the former part of this book; and thus much for answer to the third Objection.
Object. 4. I would bee mute and silent under my afflictions, but my afflictions daily multiply and encrease upon mee; like the waves of the Sea, they come rouling one over the neck of another, &c. and how then can I hold my peace? how can I lay my hand upon my mouth, when the sorrows of my heart are daily encreased?
To this I answer thus, First, Thy afflictions are not so many as thy sins; thy sins are as the stars ofPsa. 40. 12 Heaven, and as the sands of the Sea, that cannot bee numbred;Psal. 16. ult. there are three things that no Christian can number; 1 His sins. 2 Divine favours. 3 The joys and pleasures that bee at Christs right hand; but there is no Christian so poor an accountant, but that hee may quickly sum up the number of his troubles and afflictions in this world; thy sins, Oh Christian! [Page 237] are like the Syrians that filled the Country, but thy afflictions are like the two little flocks of Kids, that pitched before them, 1▪ King. 20. 27. therefore hold thy peace.
Secondly, If such should not bee mute and silent under their afflictions, whose afflictions are increased and multiplied upon them, then there are none in the world who will bee found mute and silent under their afflictions: for certainly there are none who do not finde the waters of affliction to grow daily upon them; if this bee not so, what means the bleating of the Sheep, and the lowing of the1 Sam. 15. 14. Oxen? what means the daily sighs, groans, and complaints of Christians amongst us? if their troubles, like the waters in Ezekiels Sanctuary,Ezek. 47. 1,—20 bee not still encreasing upon them; every day brings us tidings of new straights, new troubles, new crosses, new losses, new trials, &c.
Thirdly, They are not so many [Page 238] as God might have exercised thee with; God could as easily exercise thee with ten, as with two, and with a hundred as with ten, and with a thousand as with a hundred; let thy afflictions bee neverLam. 3. 39. Luk. 23. 41 so many, yet they are not so many as they might have been; had God either consulted with thy sins, with thy deserts, or with his ownWhat are the number of Princes to the subjects that are under them, or what are the number of Generals, to the number of souldiers that are commanded by them? no more are thy afflictions to thy mercies justice; there is no comparison between those afflictions that God hath inflicted upon thee, and those that hee might have inflicted; thou hast not one burden of a thousand that God could have laid on, but hee would not; therefore hold thy peace.
Fourthly, Thy afflictions are not so many as thy mercies, nay, they are not to bee named in the day wherein thy mercies are spoken of, what are thy crosses to thy comforts, thy miseries to thy mercies, thy daies of sickness to thy daies of health, thy daies of weakness to thy daies of strength, thy [Page 239] daies of scarcity to thy daies of plenty? and this is that the wise man would have us seriously to consider, Eccles. 7. 14. In the day of adversity consider, but what must wee consider, that God hath set the one over against the other. As God hath set winter and summer, night and day, fair weather and foul, one over against another: So let us set our present mercies over against our present troubles, and wee shall presently finde that our mercies exceed our troubles, that they mightily over-ballance our present afflictions; therefore let us bee silent, let us lay our hands upon our mouths.
Fifthly, If you cast up a just and righteous account, you will findeRead but the ten persecutions, and thou wilt be full of this opinion. that they are not so many as the afflictions that hath befallen other Saints; have you reckoned up the afflictions that befell Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Asaph, Heman, the Prophets and Apostles; if you have, you will say that your afflictions [Page 240] are no afflictions to those that have befallen them; their lives were filled up with sorrows and sufferings, but so are not yours; therefore kiss the rod and bee silent. It may bee if thou lookest but upon thy relations, thy friends, thy neighbours, thou mayest finde many whose afflictions for number and weight do much ou [...] weigh thine; therefore bee silent, murmure not, hold-thy peace.
Sixthly, Not so many as attended our Lord Jesus, whose whole life, from the cradle to the crosse,Isa. 53. read the whole chapter. was nothing but a life of sufferings. Osorius writing of the Sufferings of Christ, saith, that the Crown of Thorns bored his head with seventy two wounds. Many seventy two afflictions did Christ meet with whilst hee was in this world; none can bee ignorant of this, who have but read the new Testament; he is called a man of sorrows, his whole life was filled up with sorrows, when hee was but a [Page 241] little past thirty years of age, sorrows, pains, troubles, oppositions, persecutions, had so worn him, that the Jews judged him towards fifty, John 8. 57. a man were as good compare the number of his b [...] some-friends with the stars of Heaven, as compare his afflictions and the afflictions of Christ together.
Seventhly, Muttering and murmuring will but add to the number; when the childe is under the rod, his crying and fretting doth but add lash to lash, blow to blow; but of this enough before.
Eighthly and lastly, Though they are many, yet they are not so manyPsal. 16. ult. Isa. 64. 4. 1 Cor. 2. 9 as the joys, the pleasures, the delights that bee at Christs right hand: as the pleasures of Heaven are matchless and endless, so they are numberless. Augustine speakingAugust. de Triplici habitu. cap. 4. concerning what we can say of heaven, saith, that it is but a little drop of the Sea, and a little spark of the [Page 242] great Furnace; those good things of eternal life, are so many, that they exceed number, so great, that they exceed measure, so precious, that they are above all estimation; [...]c Christus, nec coelum patitur hyperbolem, neither Christ nor Heaven can bee hyperbolized; for every affliction many thousand joyes and delights will attend the Saints in a glorified estate; what will that life bee, or rather what will not that life bee (saith one speaking of Heaven) since all good either is not at all, or is in such a life? Light which place cannot comprehend, Voices and musick which time cannot ravish away, Odours which are never dissipated, a Feast which is never consumed, a Blessing which eternity bestoweth, but eternity shall never see at an end; and let this suffice for answer to this fourth Objection.
Object. 5 My afflictions are very great, how then can I hold my peace? though they were many, yet if they [Page 243] were not great, I would bee mute, but alass, they are very, very great. Oh! how can I bee silent under them? how can I now lay my hand upon my mouth?
To this answer, First, Though they are great, yet they are not so great as thy sins, thy self beingRead Psa. 106. and Nehem. 9. Judge; therefore hold thy peace, Ezra. 9. 13. And after all that is come upon us, for our evil deeds, and for our great trespasse, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve. They that are under the sense and guilt of great sins, have cause to bee silent under their greatest sufferings. Never complain that thy afflictions are great, till thou canst say that thy sins are not great; it is but justice that great afflictions should attend great sins; therefore bee quiet: thy sins are like great Rocks, and mighty Mountains, but so are not thy afflictions; therefore lay thy hand upon thy mouth: the remembrance of great sins should cool and [Page 244] calm a mans spirit under his greatest troubles; and if the sense of thy great sins will not stop thy mouth, and silence thy heart, I know not what will.
Secondly, It may bee they are not great, if you look upon them with Scripture-spectacles; flesh and1 Pet. 5. 10 blood many times looks upon Mole-hills as Mountains, and scratches upon the hand as stabs at the heart wee make Elephants of Flies, and of little Pigmies wee frame Giants: Carnal reason often looks upon troubles through false glasses. As there are some glasses that will make great things seem little, so there are others that will make little things seem great, and it may be that thou lookest upon thy afflictions through one of them. Look upon thy afflictions in theIsa. 54. 7, 8. ch. 26. 20. glass of the word, look upon them in a Scripture dress, and then they will bee found to bee but little; hee that shall look into a Gospel-glass, shall bee able to say, heavy afflictions [Page 245] are light, long afflictions are short, bitter afflictions are sweet, and great afflictions are little, 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17, 18. It is good to make a judgement of your afflictions by a Gospel light, and by a Gospel rule.
Art [...]mon an Engineer, was afraid of his own shadow; men that look not upon their afflictions in a Scripture dress, will bee afraid even of the shadow of trouble, they will cry out, no affliction to our affliction, no burden to our burden, no cross to our cross, no loss to our loss; but one look into a Gospelglass would make them change their note. The Lion is not alwaies so great nor so terrible as hee is painted, neither are our troubles alwaies so great as wee fancy them to bee: when Hagars bottle of water was spent, shee sate down and fell a weeping, as if shee had been utterly undone, her provision and her patience, her bottle and herGen. 21. 17, 18, 19 hope were both out together; but her affliction was not so great as [Page 246] shee imagined, for there was a well of water near, though for a time shee saw it not: So many Christians, they eye the empty bottle, the cross, the burden that is at present upon them, and then they fall a weeping, a whining, a complaining, a repining, a murmuring, as if they were utterly undone, and yet a well of water, a well of comfort, a well of refreshment, a well of deliverance is near, and their case no waies so sad, nor so bad as they imagine it to be [...].
Thirdly, The greater thy afflictions are, the nearer is deliverance to thee; when these waters rise high, then salvation comes upon the wing; when thy troubles are very great, then mercy will rideScripture and History speaks fully to this head. post to deliver thee. Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants; when hee seeth that their power (or hand) is gone, and there is none shut up, and left. Israel of old, and England of late years, hath often experienced [Page 247] this truth. Wine was nearestJoh. 2. 1, 2, 3. when the water-pots were filled with water up to the brim: So oftentimes mercy is nearest, deliverance is nearest, when our afflictions are at the highest, when a Christian is brim-full of troubles, then the wine of consolation is at hand; therefore hold thy peace, murmure not, but sit silent before the Lord.
Fourthly, They are not great, if compared to the glory that shall bee revealed, Rom. 8. 18. For I 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17, 18 reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory that shall bee revealed in us, or upon us. The Apostle upon casting up of his accounts, concludes, that all the pains, chains, troubles, trials, and torments that they met with in this world, was not to bee put in the ballance with the glory of Heaven. As the Globe of the Earth, which after the Mathematicians account is many thousands of miles [Page 248] in compass, yet being compared unto the greatness of the starry skies circumference is but a center, or a little prick: So the troubles, afflictions, and sorrows of this life, in respect of eternal happiness and blessedness, are to bee reputed as nothing, they are but as the prick of a pin to the starry Heavens; they that have heard most of the glory of Heaven, have not heard one quarter of that which the Saints shall finde there; that glory is unconceivable, and unexpressable. Augustine in one of his Epistles hath this relation, that the very same day wherein Jerome died, hee was in his study, and had got Pen, Ink, and Paper, to write something of the glory of Heaven to Jerome, and suddenly hee saw a light breaking into his study, and a sweet smell that came unto him, and this voice hee thought hee heard. O Augustine! what doest thou? dost thou think to put the Sea into a li [...]tle vessel? when the Heavens shall cease from their continual [Page 249] motion, then shalt thou bee able to understand what the glory of Heaven is, and not before, except you come to feel it, as now I do. Nicephorus speaks of one Agbarus Eccles. Hist. a great man, that (hearing so much of Christs fame, by reason of the miracles hee wrought) sent a Painter to take his picture, and that the Painter when hee came was not able to do it, because of that radiancy and divine splendor which sate on Christs face; such is the splendor, the brightness, the glory, the happiness and blessedness that is reserved for the Saints in Heaven, that had I all the tongues of men on earth, and all the excellencies of the Angels in Heaven, yet should I not bee able to conceive, nor to express that vision of glory to you; it is best hastning thither, that wee may feel and enjoy that which wee shall never bee able to declare.
Fifthly, They are not great, if compared with the afflictions and [Page 250] torments of such of the damned, who when they were in this world1 Pet. 3. 18, 19, 20 Jude 6, 7. Mat. 10. 15. [...]h. 11. 23, 24 never sinned at so high a rate as thou hast done. Doubtless there are many now in Hell, who never sinned against such clear light as thou hast done, nor against such special love as thou hast done, nor against such choice means as thou hast done, nor against such precious mercies as thou hast done, nor against such singular remedies asIsa. 33. 14 The fire in hell, is like that stone in Arcadia, which being once kindled, could not be quenched. thou hast done; certainly there are many now a roaring in everlasting burnings, who never sinned against such deep convictions of conscience as thou hast done, nor against such close and strong reasonings of the Spirit as thou hast done, nor against such free offers of mercy, and rich tenders of grace as thou hast done, nor against such sweet wooings, and multiplied intreaties of a bleeding dying Saviour as thou hast done; therefore hold thy peace: What are thy afflictions, thy torments, to the torments of the damned, [Page 251] whose torments are numberless, easeless, remediless, and endless, whose pains are without intermission or mitigation, who have weeping served in for the first course, and gnashing of teeth for the second, and the gnawing worm for the third, and intollerable pain for the fourth (yet the pain of the body is but the body of pain, the very soul of sorrow, and pain, is the souls sorrow and pain) and an everlasting alienation and separation from God for the fifth? Ah Christian! how canst thou seriously think on these things, and not lay thy hand upon thy mouth, when thou art under the greatest sufferings? thy sins have been far greater than many of theirs, and thy greatest afflictions are but a flea-bite to theirs; therefore bee silent before the Lord.
Sixthly and lastly, If thy afflictions are so great, then what madness and folly will it bee for thee to make them greater by murmuring? [Page 252] every act of murmuring will but add load unto load,1 Cor. 10. 10. and burden to burden. The Israelites under great afflictions fell a murmuring, and their murmuring proved their utter ruine; as you may see in that, Numb. 14. Murmu [...]ing will but put God upon heating the furnace seven times hotter; therefore hold thy peace: But of this I have spoken sufficiently already.
Object. 6. Oh! But my afflictions are greater than other mens afflictions are, and how then can I bee silent? Oh! there is no affliction to my affliction, how can I hold my peace?
I answer, First, It may bee thy sins are greater than other mensJer. 3. 6,—12 sins; if thou hast sinned against more light, more love, more mercies, more experiences, more promises than others, no wonder if thy afflictions are greater than others; if this bee thy case, thou hast more cause to bee mute, than to [Page 253] murmure; and certainly, if thou dost but seriously look into the black book of thy conscience, thou wilt finde greater sins there than any thou canst charge upon any person or persons on earth; if thou shouldest not, I think thou wouldest justly incur the censure which that sowre Philosopher past upon Grammarians, viz. That theyDiogenes apud Laertium. l. 6 were better acquainted with the evils of Ulysses, than with their own: Never complain that thy afflictions are greater than others, except thou canst evidence that thy sins are lesser than others.
Secondly, It may bee thou art under some present distemper that dis-inables thee to make a right judgement of the different dealingsDeut. 28. 28. Good men are sometimes strangely besotted, and infatuated. of God with thy self and others: When the mind is distempered, and the brain troubled, many things seem to bee that are not, and then little things seem very great. Oh! the strange passions, the strange imaginations, the [Page 254] strange conclusions, that attend a distempered judgement.
I have read of a foolish Emperour, who to shew the greatness of his City, made shew of many Spiders; when the mind is disturbed, men many times say they know not what, and do they know not what; it may be when these clouds are blown over, and thy mind cleared, and thy judgement setled, thou wilt bee of another opinion. The supplicant woman appealed from drunken King Philip, to sober King Philip; it is good to appeal from a distempered mind, to a clear composed mind, for that is the way to make a righteous judgement of all the righteous dispensations of God, both towards our selves, and towards others.Nothing but strong vomits, strong purges, strong glisters will cure some.
Thirdly, It may bee that the Lord sees that it is very needful, that thy afflictions should be greater than others, it may bee thy heart is harder than other mens hearts, and prouder and stouter than other [Page 255] mens hearts; it may bee thy heart is more impure than others, and more carnal than others, or else more passionate and more worldly than others, or else more deceitful and more hypocritical than others, or else more cold and careless than others, or else more secure than others, or more formal and lukewarm than others; now if this bee thy case, certainly God sees it very necessary for the breaking of thy hard heart, and the humbling of thy proud heart, and the cleansing of thy [...]oul heart, and the spiritualizing of thy carnal heare, &c. that thy afflictions should bee greater than others; and therefore hold thy peace; where the disease is strong, the physick must bee strong, else the cure will never bee wrought. God is a wise Physician, and hee would never give strong physick,Jer. 30. 11. ch. 46. 28. if weaker could effect the cure. Isa. 27. 8. The more rusty the Iron is, the oftner wee put it into the fire to purifie it; and the more crooked it is, the more blows, and [Page 256] the harder blows wee give to straiten it; thou hast been long a gathering rust; and therefore if God deal thus with thee, thou hast no cause to complain.
Fourthly, Though thy afflictions are greater than this and that particular mans afflictions, yet doubtless there are many thousands in the world, whose afflictions are greater than thine: Canst thou seriously consider the sore calamities and miseries that the devouring sword hath brought upon many thousand Christians in forein parts, and say that thy afflictions are greater than theirs? surely no.Lib. 8 cap. 21. Pliny in his natural history writeth, that the nature of the Basilisk is to kill all trees and shrubs it breathes upon, and to scorch and burn allRead Josephus, and the history of the Bohemian persecution herbs and grass it passeth over. Such are the dismal effects of war; the sword knows no difference between Catholicks and Lutherans (as once the Duke of Medina Sidonia said) betwixt the innocent and [Page 257] the guilty, betwixt young and old, betwixt bond and free, betwixt male and female, betwixt the precious and the vile, the godly and the prophane; betwixt the Prince and the subject, betwixt the Noble man and the beggar; the sword eats the flesh, and drinks the blood of all sorts and sexes, without putting any difference betwixt one or the other. The poor Protestants under the Duke of Savoy, and those in Poland, Denmark, Germany, and several other parts have found it so. Many of their wounds are not healed to this day; Who can retain in his fresh and bleeding memory, the dreadful work that the sword of war hath made in this Nation, and not say, surely many thousands have been greater sufferers than my self; they have resisted unto blood, but so have not I, Heb. 12. 4. But
Fifthly, As thy afflictions are greater than other mens, so it may bee thy mercies are greater than other [Page 258] mens mercies, and if so, thou hast no cause but to hold thy peace; as Jobs afflictions were greater than other mens, so his mercies were greater that otherJob 1 mens; and Job wisely sets one against another, and then laies his hand upon his mouth. It may bee thou hast had more health than others, and more strength than others, and more prosperity than others, and more smiling providences than others, and more good daies than others, and more sweet and comfortable relations than others: And if this bee thy case, thou hast much cause to bee mute, thou hast no cause to murmure; if now thy winter nights bee longer than others, remember thy summer daies have formerly been longer than others; and therefore hold thy peace. But
Sixthly and lastly, By great afflictions the Lord may greaten thy graces, and greaten thy name andJames 5. 10, 11 fame in the world; by Jobs great [Page 259] afflictions, God did greaten his faith, and greaten his patience, and greaten his integrity, and greaten his wisdome and knowledge, and greaten his experience, and greaten his name and fame in the world, as you all know that have but read his book. Bonds and afflictionsAct. 20. 23. 2 Cor. 11. waited on Paul in every City; his afflictions and sufferings were very great, but by them the Lord greatned his spirit, his zeal, his courage, his confidence, his resolution, and his name and fame, both among sinners and Saints. Certainly, if thou art dear to Christ, hee will greaten thee in spirituals, by all the great afflictions that are upon thee; hee will raise thy faith, and inflame thy love, and quicken thy hope, and brighten thy zeal, and perfect thy patience, and perfume thy name, and make itProv. 22. 1 Eccles. 7. 1 like a precious ointment, like a preciou [...] ointment poured forth; so that good men shall say, and bad men shall say, Lo, here is a Christian indeed, here is a man more [Page 260] worth than the gold of Ophir; therefore hold thy peace, though thy afflictions are greater than others.
Object. 7. I would bee silent, but my outward affliction is attended with sore temptations; God hath not onely outwardly afflicted mee, but Satan is let loose to buffet mee; and therefore how can I bee silent? how can I hold my peace, now I am fallen under manifold temptations. To this I answer.
First, No man is the less beloved, because hee is tempted, nay, those that God loves best, are usuallyEph. 6. 12 tempted most; witness David, Job, Joshua, Peter, Paul, yea Christ himself,Matth. 4 who as hee was beloved above all others, so hee was tempted above all others; hee was tempted to question his sonship, hee was tempted to the worst Idolatry, even to worship the Devil himself; to the greatest infidelity, to distrust his Fathers providence, and to use [Page 261] unlawful means for necessary supplies; and to self-murder, cast thy self down, &c. Those that were once glorious on earth, and are now triumphing in Heaven, have been sorely tempted and assaulted; it is as natural and common for the choicest Saints to bee tempted, as it is for the Sun to shine, the Bird to flye, the Fire to burn. The Eagle complains not of her wings, norI am without set upon by all the world, and within, by the Devil and all his Angels, saith Luther. the Peacock of his train, nor the Nightingale of h [...]r voice, because these are natural to them; no more should Saints of their temptations, because they are natural to them. Our whole life, saith Austin, is nothing but a tentation; the best men have been worst tempted; therefore hold thy peace.
Secondly, Temptations resisted & bewailed, will never hurt you, nor harm you; distasted temptations seldome or never prevail, so long as the soul distastes them, and the will remains firmly averse against them, they can do no hurt; so [Page 262] long as the language of the soul is, Get thee behinde mee Satan, Mat. 16. the soul is safe; it is not Satans tempting, but my assenting, it isHee that can say, when hee is tempted as that young convert, ego non sum ego, is happy enough under all his temptations not his enticing, but my yeelding that mischiefs mee; temptations may bee troubles to my mind, but they are not sins upon my soul whilst I am in arms against them; if thy heart trembles, and thy flesh quakes when Satan tempts, thy condition is good enough; if Satans temptations bee thy greatest afflictions, his temptations shall never worsen thee, nor harm thee; and therefore if this bee thy case, hold thy peace.
Thirdly, Temptations are rather hopeful evidences that thy estate is good, that thou art dear to God, and that it shall go well with thee for ever, than otherwise. God had but one Son without corruption,Heb. 2. 17, 18 but hee had none without temptation. Pirats make the fiercest assaults upon those vessels that are most richly laden: So doth Satan [Page 263] upon those souls that are most richly laden with the treasures of grace, with the riches of glory. Pirats let empty vessels pass and repass, without assaulting them: so doth Satan let souls that are empty of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, of Grace, pass and repass without tempting or assaulting of them. When nothing will satisfie the soul but a full departure out of Egypt, from the bondage and slaveryExod. 14. 9 of sin and that the soul is firmly resolved upon a march for Canaan, then Satan Pharaoh-like, will furiously pursue after the soul with Horses and Chariots, that is, with a whole Army of Temptations. Well, a tempted soul, whenIsrael going into Egypt, had no opposition, but travelling into Canaan, they were never free. it is at worst with him, may safely argue thus, if God were not my friend, Satan would not bee so much my enemy; if there were not something of God within mee, Satan would never make such attempts to storm mee; if the love of God were not set upon mee, Satan would never shoot so many [Page 264] fiery darts to wound mee; if the heart of God were not towards mee, the hand of Satan would not bee so strong against mec. When Beza was tempted, hee made this answer, Whatsoever I was, Satan, I am now in Christ a new Creature, and that is it which troubles thee; I might have so continued long enough ere thou wouldest have vexed at it, but now I see thou dost envy mee the grace of my Saviour. Satans malice to tempt is no sufficient ground for a Christian to dispute Gods love upon, if it were, there is no Saint on earth that should quietly possess divine favour, a week, a day, an hour. The Jaylor is quiet, when his prisoner is in bolts, but if hee b [...]e escaped, then hee pursues him with hue and cry; you know how to apply it. Men hate not the picture of a Toad, the Wolf flies not upon a painted Sheep; no more doth Satan upon those he hath in chains; therefore hold thy peace, though thou art inwardly tempted, as [Page 265] well as outwardly afflicted.
Fourthly, Whilst Satan is temptingRom. 8. 34 1 John 2. 1, 2 Zach. 3. 1, 2, 3 of thee, Christ in the Court of glory is interceding for thee, Luk. 22. 31, 32. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that hee may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: Satan would fain have been shaking of him up and down, as wheat is shaken in a fan, but Christs intercession frustrates Satans designed temptations: when ever Satan stands at our elbows to tempt us, Christ stands at his Fathers to intercede for us, Heb. 7. 25. Hee ever lives to make intercession. Some of the learned think, that Christ intercedes onely by virtue of his merits, others think that it is done onely with his mouth, probably it may bee done both waies, the rather because hee hath a tongue (as also a whole glorified body) in Heaven, and is it likely that that mouth which pleaded so much for us on earth, should beJoh. 17. [Page 266] altogether silent for us in Heaven? Christ is a person of highest honour, hee is the greatest favourite in the Court of Heaven, hee alwaies stands betwixt us and danger, if there bee any evil plotted or designed against us by Satan (the great accuser of the brethren) hee foresees it, and by his intercession prevents it. When Satan puts in his pleas, and commences sute upon sute against us, Christ still undertakes our cause, hee answers all his pleas, and non-sutes Satan at every turn, and in despite of Hell hee keep us up in divine favour; when Satan pleads, Lord here are such and such sins that thy children have committed, and here are such and such duties that they have omitted, and here are such and such mercies that they have not improved, and here are such and such ordinances that they have slighted, and here are such and such motions of the Spirit, that they have quenched: divine Justice, answers, All this is true; but Christ hath appeared on [Page 267] their behalf, hee hath pleaded theirSaith Christ, Lord, here is wisdome for their folly, humility for their pride, heavenliness for their earthliness, holiness for their wickedness, &c. cause, hee hath fully and fairly answered whatever hath been objected, and given compleat satisfaction to the utmost farthing: So that there is no accusation nor condemnation that can stand in force against them; upon which account the Apostle triumphs in that, Rom. 8. 34. Who is hee that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Christs intercession should bee the souls Anchor-hold in time of temptation; in the day of thy temptation thou needest not be disturbed nor disquieted, but in peace and patience possess thine own soul, considering what a friend thou hast in the Court of glory, and how hee is most active for thee, when Satan is most busie in tempting of thee.
Fifthly and Lastly, All temptations that the Saints meet with, shall work much for their good, [Page 268] they shall bee much for their gain, the profit and advantage that will redound to tempted souls by all their temptations, is very great; now this will appear to bee a mostRom. 8. 28 Jam. 1. 12. certain truth, by an induction of particulars, thus:
First, By temptations God multiplies and encreases his childrens spiritual experiences; the encrease of which is better than the encreaseRom 5. 3, 4 Frequent engagements add to the souldiers skill, and much encrease his experiences. of gold; in the school of temptation God gives his children the greatest experience of his power supporting them, of his word comforting of them, of his mercy warming of them, of his wisdome counselling of them, of his faithfulness joying of them, and of his grace strengthening of them, 2 Cor. 12. 9. My grace shall bee sufficient for thee. Paul never experienced so deeply what Almighty power was, what the everlasting arms of mercy were, and what infinite grace and goodness, as when hee was under the buffetings of Satan.
Secondly, All their temptations shall bee physical, their temptations shall bee happy preventions of great abominations, 2 Cor. 12. 7. Lest I should bee exalted, lest I Those souldiers that are most in fighting, are least in sinning, and most free from diseases. should bee exalted, it is twice in that one verse, hee begins with it, and hee ends with it; if hee had not been buffeted, hee might have been more highly exalted in his own conceit, than hee was before in his exstacie. Ah tempted souls! you say you are naught, very naught, but had it not been for the school of temptation, you might have been stark naught before this time; you say you are sick, you are even sick to death, why your sicknesse had before this time killed you, had not temptations been physical to you; you are bad under temptation, but doubtless you would have been much worse, had not God made temptation a diet-drink to you.
Thirdly, Temptations shall much promote the exercise of [Page 270] grace, as the spring in the watch sets all the wheels a going; and as Solomons virtuous woman set all herProv. 30. 10,—ult. 1 Pet. 1. 6, 7 maidens to work: So temptation sets faith on work, and love on work, and repentance on work, and hope on work, and holy fear on work, and godly sorrow on work.Tapers burn clearest in the dark. As the wind sets the Mill at work, so the wind of temptation sets the graces of the Saints a going; now faith runs to Christ, now it hugs a promise, now it pleads the blood of Christ, now it looks to the recompence of reward, now it takes the sword of the Spirit, &c. nowCant. 3. 6, 7 love cleaves to Christ, now love hangs upon Christ, now love will fight it out to the death for Christ, now hope flies to the horns of the Sanctuary, now hope puts on her helmet, now hope casts her anchor upon that within the veil, &c.Heb. 6. 19 Grace is never more acted, than when a Christian is most tempted. Satan made a bow of Jobs wife (of his Rib, as Chrysostome speaks) and shot a tentation by her at Job, [Page 271] thinking to have shot him to the heart, curse God and dye, but the activity of Jobs graces was a breastplate that made him temptationproof; the Devil tempting Bonaventure, told him hee was a reprobate, and therefore perswaded him to drink in the present pleasures of this life (for saith hee) thou art excluded from the future joyes with God in Heaven (Bonaventures graces being active) hee answers, no, not so Satan, if I must not enjoy God after this life, let mee enjoy him as much as I can in this life.
Fourthly, By temptations the Lord will make you the more serviceable and usefu to others; none so fit and able to relieve temptedThe skilfulest commanders and leaders are of greatest service and use to the souldiers. souls, to sympathize with tempted souls, to succour tempted souls, to counsel tempted souls, to pitty tempted souls, to support tempted souls, to bear with tempted souls, and to comfort tempted souls, as those who have been in the school [Page 272] of temptations, 2 Cor. 1. 3, 4. Blessed bee God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that wee may bee able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith wee our selves are comforted of God. By temptations God trains up his servants, and fits and capacitates them to succour and shelter their fellow brethren. One tempted Christian, saith Luther, isLuther in Gen. 27. Rev. 2. 24 more profitable and useful to other Christians, than a hundred (I may add, than a thousand) that have not known the depths of Satan, that have not been in the school of temptation; hee that is Master of Arts in the school of temptation, hath learned an Art to comfort, to succour, and gently to handle tempted and distressed souls, infinitely beyond what all humane Arts can reach unto; no Doctor to him that hath been a Doctor in the school of temptation, all other Doctors are but illiterate dunces to him.
Fifthly, It is an honour to the Saints to bee tempted, and in the issue to have an honourable conquest ever the tempter; it was a great honour to David, that hee should be put to fight hand to hand1 Sam. 17. with Goliah, and in the issue to overcome him; but it was a far [...]ter honour to Job and Paul, Job 1. 2 Cor. 12. 7, 8, 9, 10 that they should bee put to combate in the open field with Satan himself, and in the close to gain a famous conquest over him, as they did; it was a very great honour to2 Sam. 23. 13,—18. Davids three mighty men▪ that in jeopardy of their lives they brake thorow the host of the Philistines, to bring water to David out of the well of Beth-lehem, and did effect it in spite of all the strength and power of their enemies, though it were to the extreamest hazard of their blood and lives; but it is a far greater honour to the Saints to bee furnished with a spirit ofRom. 8. 35,—ult. 1 John 1. 3, 4 strength, courage, and valour, to break thorow an army of temptations, and in the close [...] triumph [Page 274] over them, and yet this honour have all the Saints, 1 Cor. 10. 13. 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. Rom. 16. 20. And the God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly. 1 John 2. 13, 14. I write unto you Fathers, because yee have known him that is from the beginning; I write unto young men, because you have overcome the wicked one; I write unto you children, because yee have known the Father; I have written unto you Fathers, because yee have known him that is from the beginning; I have written unto you young men, because yee are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and yee have overcome the wicked one, 1 John 5. 18. Wee know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not (that is, that sin that is unto death, vers. 16. nor hee sinneth not as other men do, delightfully, greedily, customarily, resolvedly, impenitently, &c.) but hee that is begotten [Page 275] of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. The gloriousExod. 14. victory that the people of God had over Pharaoh, and his great Host, was a figure of the glorious victory that the Saints shall obtain over Satan and his instruments, which is clear from that, Rev. 15. 3. Where wee have the song of Moses, and of the Lamb; but why the song of Moses, and of the Lamb? but to hint this to us, that the overthrow of Pharaoh was a figure of the overthrow of Satan, and the triumphal song of Moses was a figure of that song which the Saints shall sing for their overthrow of Satan. As certainly as Israel overcame Pharaoh, so certainly shall every true Israelite overcome Satan. The Romans were worsted in many fights, but were never overcome in a set war, at the long run they overcame all their enemies; though a Christian may bee worsted by Satan in some particular skirmishes, yet at the long run hee is sure of an honourable conquest. God puts a great [Page 276] deal of honour upon a poor soul, when hee brings him into the open field to sight it ou [...] with Satan▪ by fighting hee overcomes, hee gains the victory, hee triumphs over Satan, and leads captivity captive. Augustine gives this reason why God permitted Adam at first to be tempted, viz. that hee might have had the more glory in resisting and withstanding Satans temptation; it is the glory of a Christian to bee made strong to resist, and to have his resistance crowned with a happy conquest.
Sixthly, By temptations the Lord will make his people more frequent and more abundant in the work of prayer; every temptation proves a strong alarm to prayer. When Paul was in the school of temptation, hee prayed2 Cor. 12. 8, 9 thrice, that is, often; daies of temptation, are daies of great supplication. Christians usually pray most, when they are tempted most; they are most busie with [Page 277] God, when Satan is most busie with them; a Christian is most upon his knees, when Satan stands most at his elbow.
Augustine was a man much tempted,So Bernard, Basil, G [...]rgonia, Trucilla, James, Jacob, Daniel. and a man much in prayer; holy prayer, saith hee, is a shelter to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to the Devil.
Luther was a man under manifold temptations, and a man much in prayer; hee is said to have spent three hours every day in prayer, hee used to say, that prayer was the best book in his study.
Chrysostome was much in the school of temptation, and delighted much in prayer; Oh! saith hee, it is more bitter than death to bee spoiled of prayer, and hereupon (as hee observes) Daniel chose rather to run the hazard of his life, than to lose his prayer. But
Seventhly, By temptations the Lord will make his people more and more conformable to the Image of his Son. Christ was muchLuk. 4, [Page 278] tempted, hee was often in the school of temptation; and the more a Christian is tempted, the more into the likeness of Christ hee will bee transformed▪ of all men in the world; tem [...]ted souls do most resemble Christ to the life, in meekness, low liness, holiness, heavenliness, &c. The Image of Christ is most fairly stampt upon temptedHeb. 12. 1, 2 2 Cor. 3. 18. Heb. 2. 17, 18 souls; tempted souls are much in looking up to Jesus, and every gracious look upon Christ changes the soul more and more into the Image of Christ; tempted souls experience much of the succourings of Christ, and the more they experience the sweet of the succourings of Christ, the more they grow up into the likeness of Christ; temptations are the tools by which the Father of spirits doth more and more carve, form and fashion his precious Saints into the similitude and likeness of his dearest Son.
Eighthly and lastly, (Take many things in one) God by temptations [Page 279] makes sin more hateful, and the world less delightful, and relations less hurtful: by temptations God discovers to us our own weakness, and the creatures insufficiency1 Pet. 5. 8 in the hour of temptation to help us, or succour us; by temptations God will brighten our ChristianEphes. 6. 10,—18 Armour, and make us stand more upon our Christian watch, and keep us closer to a succouring Christ; by temptations the Lord will make his ordinances to bee more highly prized, and Heaven to be more earnestly desired. Now, seeing2 Cor. 5. 1, 2, 3. that temptations shall work so eminently for the Saints good, why should not Christians bee mute and silent? why should they not hold their peace, and lay their hands upon their mouths, though their afflictions are attended with great temptations?
Object. 8 Oh! But God hath deserted mee, hee hath forsaken mee, and hee that should comfort my soul stands afar off, how can I bee silent? [Page 280] the Lord hath hid his face from mee? clouds are gathered about mee▪ God hath turned his back upon mee, how can I hold my peace? supposing that the desertion is real, and not in appearance only, as sometimes it falls out: I answer.
First, It hath been the common lot, portion and condition of the choicest Saints in this world, to be deserted and forsaken of God, Psal. 30. 6, 7. Psal. 77. and 88. Job 23. 8, 9. Cant. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. ch. 5. 6, 7. Isa. 8. 17. Micah. 7. 7, 8, 9. If God deal [...] no worse with thee than hee hath dealt with his most bosome friends, with his choicest Jewels, thou hast no reason to complain. But
Secondly, Gods forsaking of thee is onely partial, it is not total; God may forsake his people in part, but he never wholly forsakes them, he may forsake them in respect of his quickning presence, and in respect of his comfortingPsal. 9. 4. Gen. 49. 23, 24 presence, but hee never forsakes them in respect of his supporting [Page 281] presence, 2 Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness, Psal. 73. 23, 24. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and hee delighteth in his way. Though hee fall hee shall not bee utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his As the Nurse upholds the little childe, &c. hand. Gods supporting hand of grace is still under his people, Psal. 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth mee. Christ hath alwaies one hand to uphold his people, and another hand to embrace them, Cant. 2. 16. The everlasting arms of God are alwaies underneath his people, Deut. 33. 27. And this the Saints have alwaies found, witness David, Heman, Asaph, Job, &c.
Geographers write, that the City of Syracuse in Sicily, is so curiously situated, that the Sun is never out of sight: though the children of God sometimes are under some clouds of afflictions, yet the Sun of Mercy, the Sun of Righteousness, is never quite out of sight. But
Thirdly, Though God hath forsaken thee, yet his love abides and continues constant to thee; hee loves thee with an everlasting love, Jer. 31. 3. Where hee loves, hee loves to the end, John 13. 1. Isa. 49. 14, 15, 16. But Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken mee, and my Lord hath forgotten mee. But was not Zion mistaken? yes. Can a woman forget her The very Heathen hath observed that God doth not love his children with a weak affection, but with a strong masculine love. Seneca. sucking childe that shee should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before mee. Look as persons engrave the mark, name or picture of those whom they dearly love, and entirely affect, upon some stone that they wear at their breasts, or upon some ring that they wear on their finger: So, had God engraven Zion upon the palms of his hands, shee was still in his eye, and alwaies dear to his heart, though shee thought not so. As Josephs heart was full of love to his brethren, even then when heeGen. 42. [Page 283] spake roughly to them, and withdrew himself from them; (for hee was fain to go aside, and ease his heart by weeping) so the heart of God is full of love to his people, even then when hee seemes to bee most displeased with them, and to turn his back upon them; though Gods dispensations may be changeable towards his people, yet his gracious disposition is unchangeable towards them. When GodMal. 3. 6. puts the blackest veil of all upon his face, yet then his heart is full of love to his people, then his bowels are yearning towards them, Jer. 31. 18, 19, 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son? is hee a pleasant childe? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. The Mothers bowels cannot more yearn after the tender babe, than Gods doth after his distressed ones. As Moses his Mother, when shee had put him intoExod. 2. the Ark of Bul-rushes, wept to see [Page 284] the babe weep, and when shee was turned from him, shee could not but cast a weeping eye of love towards him: So when God turns aside from his people, yet hee cannot but cast an eye of love towards them. Hosea 11. 8. How shall I give thee up, O Ephraim? &c. Here are four several hows in the text, the like not to bee found in the whole book of God. I am even at a stand, justice calls for vengeance, but mercy interposeth; my bowels yearn, my heart melts: O! how shall I give thee up? O! I cannot give thee up, I will not give thee up. Gods love is alwaies like himself, unchangeable, his love is everlasting, it is a love that never decaies, nor waxes cold, it is like the stone Albestos, of which Solinus writes, that being once hot, it can never bee cooled again.
Fourthly, Though the Lord hath hid his face from thee, yet certainly thou hast his secret presence with thee. God is present, [Page 285] when hee is seemingly absent. The Psal. 23▪ 4 Psal. 139. Gen. 28. 16 Lord was in this place, and I knew it not, saith Jacob. The Sun many times shines when wee do not see it, and the husband is many times in the house when the wife doth not know it. God is in thy house, hee is in thy heart, though thou feest him not, thou feelest him not, though thou hearest him not, Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, or as it may bee rendred according to the Greek, I will not not leave thee, neither will I not not forsake thee. Art thou not now drawn out to prize God, and Christ, and his love, above all the world? yes; art thou not now drawn out to give the Lord many a secret visit,Cant. 2. 14 in a corner behinde the door, in some dark hole where none can see thee, nor hear thee but the Lord?Psal. 42. 1, 2, 3 Psal. 63. 1, 2, 3 yes; are there not strong breathings, pantings and longings after a clearer vision of God, and after a fuller fruition of God? yes; art thou not more affected and afflicted with the withdrawings of Christ, [Page 286] than thou art with the greatest afflictionsCant. 5. 6. that ever befell thee? yes, Austin upon that answer of God to Moses, Thou canst not see my face and Exod. 33. 20. live, makes this quick and sweet reply, then Lord let mee die, that I may see thy face. Dost thou not often tell God that there is no punishmentPsal. 30. 6, 7 to the punishment of loss, and no hell to that of being forsaken of God? yes; dost thou not finde a secret power in thy soul, drawing thee forth to struggle with God, to lay hold on God, and patiently to wait on God, till hee shall return unto thee, and lift up the light of his countenance upon thee? yes; well then, thou mayest bee confident that thou hast a secret and blessed presence of God with thee, though God in regard of his comfortable presence may bee departed from thee; nothing below a secret presence of God, with a mans spirit, will keep him waiting and working till the Sun of Righteousness shines upon him. If any vain persons should put that deridingMal. 4. 2. [Page 287] question to thee, where is thy God? thou mayest safely and boldly answer them, my God is here, hee is nigh mee, hee is round about mee, yea hee is in the midst of mee, Zeph 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, hee will save, hee will rejoyce over thee with joy, hee will rest in his love, hee will joy [...]ver thee with singing. The bush, which was a type of the Church, consumed not all the while it burned with fire, because God was in the midst of it. It is no Argument that Christ is not in the Ship, because tempests and storms arise.
Fifthly, Though God bee gone, yet hee will return again; though your Sun bee now set in a cloud, yet it will rise again; though sorrow may abide for a night, yet joyIsa. 17. 14 Psal. 30. 5. Psal. 40. 1, 2, 3 Psal. 5. 11 Psal. 42. 5, 8, 9, 11 comes in the morning. A Christians mourning shall last but till morning, Micah 7. 19. Hee will turn again, hee will have compassion upon us. Cant. 3. 4. It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found [Page 288] him whom my soul loveth; I held him, and I would not let him go, &c. Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of▪ my thoughts within mee, thy comforts delight my soul. Isa. 54. 7, 8, 10. For a moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer; for the mountains shall depart, and the hills bee removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee; neither shall the covenant of my peace bee removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. God will not suffer his whole displeasure to arise upon his people, neither will hee forsake them totally or finally; the Saints shall taste but some sips of the cup of Gods wrath, sinners shall drink the dreggs, their storm shall end in a calm, and their winter night shall be turned into a summers day. There was a woman who was thirteen years under desertion, which was so vehement, that for the most part [Page 289] of her time, shee was fain to keep her bed through weakness: A godly Minister, who was affected with her condition, went to comfort her, and to pray with her, but when hee came and offered to do it, shee shrieked out, utterly refusing and forbidding him to pray with her, for said shee, I have too many abused mercies to answer for already; yet hee would not bee put off, but prayed by her, and so prevailed with God on her behalf, that the next morning shee was delivered from all her fears, and had such exceeding joy, that the like hath rarely been heard of; the Lord that had been long withdrawn from her, returned at length in a way of singular mercy to her. There wasSo Mris. Honeywood, Mris. Katherine Breterg, and divers others. another precious woman, who was several years deserted, and hearing a precious godly Minister preach, shee of a sudden fell down overwhelmed with joy, crying out, O! hee is come whom my soul loveth! and for divers daies after shee was filled with such exceeding joyes, [Page 290] and had such gracious and singular ravishing expressions, so fluently coming from her, that many came to hear the rare manifestations of Gods grace in her, the lowest of her pious expressions did exceed the highest that ever the Minister had read in the book of Martyrs. But
Sixthly and lasty, Gods deserting, Gods forsaking of his people, shall many waies work for their good. As
First, God by withdrawing from his people, will prepare and fit them for greater refreshings, manifestations and consolations, Psal. 71. 11, 20, 21. Saying, God hath forsaken him, persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him. But shall this forelorn condition work for his good? yes. Thou which hast shewed mee great and sore troubles, shalt quicken mee again, and shalt bring mee up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt encrease my greatness, [Page 291] and comfort mee on every side. When Josephs brethren were inGen. 45. 1, 2, 3, 4 their greatest distress, then Joseph makes known himself most fully to them, so doth Christ our spiritual Joseph to his people. Hudson the Martyr, deserted at the stake, went from under his chain, and having prayed earnestly, was comforted immediately, and suffered valiantly.
2 By Gods withdrawing from his people, hee prevents his peoples withdrawing from him; and so by an affliction hee prevents sin: for God to withdraw from mee is butHeb. 10. 38, 39. Christ the Captain of our salvation will execute Martial Law upon all that withdraw from their colours, &c. my affliction, but for mee to withdraw from God, that is my sin; and therefore it were better for mee that God should withdraw a thousand times from mee, than that I should once withdraw from God: God therefore forsakes us, that wee may not forsake our God; God sometimes hides himself, that wee may cleave the cl [...]ser to him, and hang the faster upon him. As the [Page 292] Mother hides her self from the childe for a time, that the childe may cleave the closer, and hang the faster upon her all the day long; God sometimes hid himself from David, Psal. 30. 7. Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled, I was allamort; well, and is that all? no, vers. 8. I cried to thee O Lord, and unto the Lord I made supplication. Now hee cries louder, and cleaves closer to God than ever; so in that, Psal. 63. 1, 2. O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary. Well, and how do these withdrawings of God work? why this you may see in verse 8. My soul followeth hard after thee, or as the Hebrew reads it, my soul cleaveth after thee; look as the husband cleaves to his wife, so doth my soul cleave to the Lord, the Psalmist now follows God even hardGen. 2. 24 at heels, as wee say▪ But
Thirdly, The Lord by withdrawing from his people, will inhance and raise the price, and commend the worth, excellency, sweetness2 Pet. 1. 4 and usefulness of several precious promises, which otherwise would bee but as dry breasts, and as useless weapons to the soul. As that, Micah 7. 18, 19. Hee will turn again, hee will have compassion upon us, &c. and that, Isa. 54. 7, 8. but now opened; and that, Heb. 13. 5, 6. and that, Hab. 2. 3. and that,And that, John 14. 21, 23. and that, 1 Sam. 12. 20. Isa. 60. 19,—ult. Psal. 5. 12. For thou Lord wilt bless the Righteous; with favour thou wilt compass him (or crown him) as with a shield; the Lord will compass the righteous about with his favour, as the Crown compasses about the head, as the Hebrew imports; and that, Psal. 112. 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in darkness; hee is gracious and full of compassion, and righteous. And that, Jer. 3 [...] ▪ 37. Thus saith the Lord, if Heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed [Page 294] of Israel, for all that they have done, saith the Lord. As sure as Heaven cannot bee measured, nor the foundations of the earth searched by the skill or power of any mortal man: So sure and certain it is, that God will not utterly cast off his people, no no [...] for all the evil that they have done; now at what a rare doth a deserted sou [...] v [...]ue these precious promises? well, saith hee, thesePsal. 119. 103. 72. v. [...]sa. 19. 10 Pro. 8. 11 Jo [...] 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 deligh [...]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 [...]eserted souls the musick of the promises. That promise, 1 Tim. 1. [Page 295] 15. was musick to Bilny the Martyr; and that promise, John 10. 29. was musick to Ʋrsine; 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 e [...] 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 wil [...] bee inabled more feelingly, and more experimentally to sympathize with othersHeb. 5. 2 [Page 296] 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, thatPlin. 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 [Page 297] 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, [Page 298] 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, [Page 299] 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 favourChaimi. 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, [Page 300] 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 Shunamite2 King. 4. 15, 16 what hee should do for her, whether hee should speak for her to the King, or the Captain of the Hoast? she answered, I dwell among my people, that is, I dwell nobly and [Page 301] happily among my people, I have no need to make any sute to King or Captain; and this shee accounts her great happiness; and indeed it is the greatest happiness in this world to live much in the exercise of Faith; no man lives so free a life, so holy a life, so heavenly a life, so happy a life, as hee that lives a life of faith; by divine withdrawings the soul is put upon hanging upon a naked God, a nakedIsa. 50. 10 Christ, a naked Promise; Now, the soul is put upon the highest and the purest acts of Faith, viz. toChap. 63. 15, 16 cleave to God, to hang upon God, and to carry it sweetly and obedientially towards God, though hee frowns, though hee chides, though hee strikes, yea though hee kills. Those are the most excellent andJob. 13. 15 Faith acts in the most kingly way when it hangs upon a killing God. heroick acts of faith that are most abstracted from sense and reason; hee that suffers his reason to usurp upon his Faith, will never bee an excellent Christian; Hee that goes to school to his own reason, hath a fool to his school-master, and hee [Page 302] that suffers his faith to bee overruled by his reason, shall never want woe, where reason is strongest, faith usually is weakest, but now the Lord by forsaking of his people for a time, hee makes them skilful in the life of faith, which is the choicest and the sweetest life in this world. But
Seventhly, By divine withdrawingsPsal. 22. 1, 2 Christ was onely forsaken in regard of his humane nature, not in respect of his Godhead. you are made more conformable to Christ your head and husband, who was under spiritual desertion as well as you, Mat. 27. 46. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee? There is an hidden Emphasis in the Hebrew word, El signifies a strong God, Eli, Eli, My strong God, my strong God; the unity of Christs person was never dissolved, nor his graces were never diminished; in the midst of this terrible storm, his faith fortifieth and strengtheneth it self upon the strength of God; My God, my God; yet in respect of divine protection, and divine solace, hee was for a [Page 303] time forsaken of his Father▪ and if this bee thy case, thou art herein but made conformable to thy Lord and Master, nay, thou dost but sip of that bitter cup, of which Christ drank deep; thy cloud is no cloud to that which Christ was under. But
Eighthly and lastly, By these transient and partial forsakings,Psal. 71. 20, 21 the Lord will exceedingly sweeten the clear, full, constant and uninterrupted injoyments of himself in Heaven to all his people. Ah! how sweet and precious was the face and favour of the King to Absalom, after hee had for a time been banished, and at length restored to his royal favour again? Onesimus departed from Philemon for aPhil. 15. season, that he might receive him for ever: so the Lord departs from his people for a time, that they may receive him for ever; hee hides himself for a season, that his constant presence amongst his children in glory, may bee th [...] more sweet and [Page 304] delightful to them, &c.
Object. 9. Oh! but I am falselyaccused, and sadly reproached, and my good name, which should bee as dear or dearer to mee than my life, is defamed, and flye-blown, and things are laid to my charge that I never did, that I never knew, &c. and how then can I bee silent? how can I hold my peace? I cannot forget the proverb, oculus & fama non patiuntur jocos, a m [...]ns eye and his good name can bear no jeasts, and how then can I bee mute to see men make jeasts upon my good name? and every day to see men lade it with all the scorn and contempt imaginable, that they may utterly blast it? &c. To this I say,
First, That it must bee granted, that a good name is one of the choicest Jewels in a Christians Crown; though a great name many times is little worth, yet a good name is rather to bee chosen than great riches, it is better to have a good name abroad, than silver or [Page 305] gold laid up in a chest at home. A good name is better than precious ointment, Eccles. 7. 1. Precious ointments were greatly in use, and highly esteemed of among the Israelites, in those Eastern parts; theyIsa. 39. 2 A good renown is better than a golden girdle, saith the French Proverb. were laid up among the most precious things even in the Kings treasury. Sweet ointments can but affect the smell, and comfort the brain, and delight the outward man; they reach not the best part, the noble part, viz. the soul, the conscience of a Christian; but a good name doth both; what is the perfume of the nostrils, to the perfume of the heart?
I have read, that in some Countries they have a certain Art of drawing of Pigeons to their Dovehouses in those Countries by anointing the wings of one of them with sweet ointment, and that Pigeon being sent abroad, doth by the fragrancy of that ointment dequoy, invite, and allure others to that house where it self is a domestick; such is the fragrancy of a [Page 306] good name, that it draws other men after the savour thereof. Among all sorts and ranks of men in the world, a good name hath an attractive faculty; it is a precious ointment that draws hearers to attend good Preachers, Patients to attend Physicians, Clients to attend Lawyers, Scholars to attend School-masters, and Customers to attend Shopkeepers, who with Demetrius, 3 Joh. 12. hath a good report of all good men: Let a mans good name bee but up, and hee cannot easily want any thing that men or mony can help him to; a good name will bring a man into favour and keep a man in favour with all that are good; therefore saith the Moralists,
Whatsoever commodity you lose, bee sure yet to preserve that Jewel of a good name; a Christian [Page 307] should bee most chary of his good name, for a good name answers to all things, as Solomon speaks of mony, Ego si bonam famam servasso, sat dives ero; if I may but keep a good name, I have wealth enough saidPlaut. the Heathen; a Christian should rather forgo gold, than let go a good name, and hee that robs a Christian of his good name, is a worse thief, than hee that robs him of his purse, and better deserves a hanging than hee, &c. But
Secondly, It must bee granted, that a good name once lost, is very hardly recovered again, a man may more easily recover a lost friend, a lost estate, than a lost name; a good name is like a Princely structure, quickly ruined, but long a rearing; the Father of the Prodigal could say of his lost son,Luk. 15. ult. This my Son was lost, but is found, hee was dead, but is alive; but how few Christians can say, this my good name was lost, but is found, it was dead, but now it lives. As when [Page 308] Orpha once left Naomi, shee returnedRuth 1. 14 no more to her: so when once a good name leaves a man, it hardly returns to him again; a crack'd credit will hardly bee sodered anew; new Wine is rarely put into old bottles; a man should stand upon nothing more than the credit of his conscience, and the credit of hisAct. 24. 16 name.
In Japan the very children are so jealous of their reputation, that in case you lose a trifle, and say to one of them, sirrah, I beleeve you have stollen it, without any pause the boy will immediately cut off a joint from one of his fingers, and say, Sir, if you say true, I wish my finger may never heal again: Three things a Christian should stifly labour to maintain, 1 The honour of God. 2 The honour of the Gospel. 3 The honour of his own name; If once a Christians good name sets in a cloud, it will bee long before it rises again.
Thirdly, Though all this bee [Page 309] true, yet it hath been the portion of Gods dearest Saints and servants to bee slandered, reproached, vilified,Mat. 5. 10, 11, 12 1 Pet. 3. 14. ch. 4. 14 Psal. 69. 7 Gen. 39. Psal. 52. 2 Sam. 16. 11, 12. 6. 13. 15. ch. of Job. Jer. 51. 51 and falsely accused, Psal. 31. 18. Let the lying lips bee put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly, and contemptuously against the righteous: How sadly and falsely was Joseph accused by his wanton Mistress; David by Doeg and Shimei, Job of hypocrisie, impiety, inhumanity, cruelty, partiality, pride and irreligion? Job 22. Was not Naboth accused of speaking blasphemy against God and the King? did not Haman represent the Jews to theEsth. 3. King as Refractories and Rebels? was not Elias accused to bee the troubler of Israel, and Jeremy theJer. 20. 7, 8, 9. Rom. 3. 8 2 Cor. 6. 8 1 Cor. 4. 12, 13 trumpet of rebellion, the Baptist a stirrer up of sedition, and Paul a pestilent incendiary? were not the Apostles generally accounted deceivers and deluders of the people, and the off-scouring of the world? &c. Athanasius and Eustathius Act. & Mon. were falsely accused of Adultery; Adultery, Heresie and Treason [Page 310] were charged upon Cranmer, Parricide upon Philpot, sedition upon Latimer. As the primitive persecutors usually put Christians into Bears skins, and Dogs skins, and then baited them: so they usuallyAs Tertullian, Minutius, Faelix, and others declare. loaded their names and persons with all the reproach, scorn, contempt and false reports imaginable, and then baited them, and then acted all their malice and cruelty upon them. I think there is no Christian, but sooner or later, first or last, will have cause to say with David, Psal. 35. 11. False witnesses did rise up, they laid to my charge things that I knew not; they charged me with such things whereof I was both innocent and ignorant. It wasHippias. the saying of one, that there was nothing so intollerable as accusation, because there was no punishment ordained by Law for accusers, as there was for theeves, although they stole friendship from men, which is the goodliest riches men can have. Well Christians, seeing it hath been the lot of the dearest [Page 311] Saints to bee falsely accused, and to have their names and reputes in the world reproached and flie-blown; do you hold your peace, seeing it is no worse with you, than it was with them of whom this world was not world? TheKimchi. Rabbins say, that the world cannot subsist without patient bearing of reproaches. But
Fourthly, Our Lord Jesus Christ was sadly reproached, and falsely accused; his precious name (that deserves to bee alwaies writ in characters of gold, as the Persians usually write their Kings) was often eclipsed, before the Sun was eclipsed at his death; his sweet name, that was sweeter than all sweets, was often crucified before his body. Oh the stones of reproach that were frequently rowled upon that name by which wee must bee saved, if ever wee are saved! Oh the jears, the scoffs, the scorns that were cast upon that name that can onely bless us. The [Page 312] name of Jesus (saith Chrysostome) hath a thousand treasures of joy and comfort in it. The name of a Saviour (saith Bernard) is hony in the mouth, and musick in the ear, and a jubile in the heart; and yet where is the heart that can conceive, or the tongue that can express how much dung and filth hath been cast upon Christs names? and how many sharp arrows of reproach and scorn have been, and daily, yea hourly, are shot by the world at Christs name and honour? Such ignominious reproaches were cast upon Christ and his name in the time of his life, and at his death,It is a foolish thing, saith Cato, to hope for life by anothers death; the world practically speaks as much every day. that the Sun did blush, and masked her self with a cloud, that hee might no longer behold them, Mat. 11. 19. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, behold, a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners: but was hee such a one? no; wisdome is justified of her children: Wisdomes children will stand up and justifie her before all the world. [Page 313] Mat. 27. 63. Saying, Sir, Wee remember The Greek word signifies one who doth profess an Art of couzening people to their faces. that that deceiver said, while hee was yet alive, after three daies I will rise again; but was hee a deceiver of the people? no; hee was the faithful and true witness, Rev. 1. 5. chap. 3. 14. John 7. 20. The people answered and said, thou hast a Devil: who goeth about to kill thee? chap. 8. 48. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, say we not well that thou art a Samaritane, and hast a Devil? ch. 10. 20. And many of them said▪ he hath a Devil, and is mad, why hear ye him? It was a wonder of wonders that the earth did not open and swallow up these Monsters, and that God did not rain Hell out of Heaven upon these horrid blasphemers, but their blasphemous assertions were denied and disproved by some of wisdomes children, vers. 21. Others said, these are not the words of him that hath a Devil: can a Devil open the eyes of the blind? The Devil hath no such power, nor any such goodness as to create eyes to him that was born blind.
Will you yet see more scorn, dirt and contempt cast upon the Lord of glory? why then cast your eyes upon that, Luk. 16. 14. And the Pharisees also who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him; or as the Greek reads it, They blew their noses at him, in scorn and Exe mukterizon. Read that, Mark 15. 19. Isa. 57. 4. Mat. 27. 28, 29. derision. The Pharisees did not onely laugh, flear and jear at Christ, but they gave also external signs of scorn and derision in their countenance and gestures; they blew their noses at him, they contemned him as a thing of naught. And in ch. 23. 35. both people and Rulers blew their noses at him; for the original word is the same with that in the forementioned chapter, John 19. 12. hee is accused for being an enemy to Caesar. Now, who can seriously consider of the scorn, reproach and contempt that hath been cast upon the name and honour of our Lord Jesus, and not sit silent and mute under all the scorn and contempt that hath been cast upon his name [Page 315] or person in this world?
Fifthly, To bee well spoken of by them that are ill spoken of by God, to bee in favour with them,The tongues of wicked men are like the Duke of Medina, Sidonia's sword, that knew no difference between a Catholick and a Heretick, the lashes of lewd tongues is as impossible to avo [...]d, as necessary to contemn. who are out of favour with God, is rather a reproach than an honour to a man. Our Saviour himself restifieth that in the Church and Nation of the Jews, they that had the most general approbation and applause, they who were most admired and cried up, were the worst, not the best men; they were the false, not the true Prophets. Luk. 6. 26. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you; for so did their Fathers to the false Prophets. Austin feared the praises of good men, and detested the praises of evil men. I would not, saith Luther, have the glory and fame of Erasmus, my greatest fear is the praises of men. Phocion had not suspected his speech, had not the common people applauded it. Antisthenes mistrusted some ill in himself for the vulgar commendations. Socrates ever suspected [Page 316] that which past with the most general commendations. To bee praised of evil men (said Bion) is to bee praised for evil doing; so the better they speak of a man, the worse; and the worse, the better. The Lacedemonians would not have a good saying sullied with a wicked mouth; a wicked tongue soils all the good that drops from it; it is a mercy to bee delivered from the praises of wicked men; wicked mens applauses oftentimes becomes the Saints reproaches: the Heathen could say, Quid mali Socrates. feci? what evil have I done, that this bad man commends mee? there is a truth in that saying of Senica, Recti argumentum est, pessimis displicere. The worst men are commonly most displeased with that which is best. Who can seriously dwell on these things, and not bee mute and silent under all the reproaches and scorn that is cast upon his name and credit in this world?
Sixthly, There will come a day [Page 317] when the Lord will wipe off all the dust and filth that wicked men have cast upon the good names of his people; there shall be a resurrectionIsa. 65. 15. ch. 61. 7 Psa. 68. 13 Mal. 3. 17, 18. of names, as well as of bodies, their names that are now buried in the open sepulchres of evil throats shall surely rise again; their innocency shall shine forth as the light, and their righteousness as the noonday, Psal. 37. 6. Though the clouds may for a time obscure the shining forth of the Sun, yet the Sun will shine forth again as bright and glorious as ever. The Righteous shall bee had in everlasting remembrance. Though the malicious slanders, and false accusations of wicked men, may for a time cloud the names of the Saints, yet those clouds shall vanish, and their names shall appear transparent and glorious: God will take that care of his peoples good name, that the infamy, calumnies, and contumelies that is cast upon it shall not long stick.Mat. 27. ult. ch. 28. 2. The Jews rolled a stone upon Christ to keep him down, that hee might [Page 318] not rise again, but an Angel quickly rolls away the stone, and in despite of his keepers, hee rises in a glorious triumphant manner: So, though the world may roll this stone, and that of reproach and contempt upon the Saints good names, yet God will roll away all those stones, and their names shall have a glorious resurrection, in despite of men and devils: That God that hath alwaies one hand to wipe away his childrens tears from their eyes, that God hath alwaies another hand to wipe off the dust that lies upon his childrens names: wronged innocency shall not long lve under a cloud; dirt will not stick long upon Marble, nor statues of Gold. Well Christians, remember this, the slanders and reproaches that are cast upon you, they are but badges of your innocency and glory. Job 31. 35, 36. If mine adversary should write a book against mee, Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and binde it as a Crown to moe. All reproaches are [Page 319] pearls added to a Christians Crown. Hence Austin, Quisquis volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae, hee that willingly takes from my good name, unwillingly adds to my reward; and this Moses knew well enough, whichHeb. 11. 25, 26 made him prefer Christs reproach before Pharaohs Crown. That God that knows all his children by name, will not suffer their names to bee long buried under the ashes of reproach and scorn; and therefore hold thy peace; the more the foot of pride and scorn tramples upon thy name for the present, the more splendent and radiant it will bee. As the more men trample upon a figure graven in gold, the more lustrious they make it; therefore lye thy hand upon thy mouth. But
Seventhly, The Lord hath been a swift and a terrible witness against such that have falsely accused his children, and that have ladedIsa. 41. 11 Jude 15. their names with scorn, reproach [Page 320] and contempt. Ahab and Jezabel that suborned false witness1 King. 22. 1. 22 2 King. 9 against Naboth, had their bloods licked up by Doggs. Amaziah, who falsely accused the Prophet Amos to the King, met with this messageAmos 7. 17 from the Lord. Thy wife shall be an harlot in the City, thy sons and daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line, thou shalt dye in a polluted land. Haman, who falsely accused the Jews, was one day feasted with the King, and theEsth. 7. 10. ch. 9, 10 next day made a feast for Crows. The envious Courtiers, who falselyDan. 6. 24. accused Daniel, were devoured of Lions. Let mee give you a taste of the Judgements of God upon such persons out of histories.
Caiphas the High Priest, who gathered the Council, and suborned false witnesses against the Lord Jesus,Euseb. was shortly after put out of office, and one Jonathan substituted in his room, whereupon hee killed himself. John Cooper a godly man being falsely accused in Queen Maries Act. & Mon. daies, by one Grimwood, shortly [Page 321] after the said Grimwood being in perfect health, his bowels suddenly fell out of his body, and so hee died miserably.
Narcissus a godly Bishop of Jerusalem, was falsely accused by three men, of many foul matters, who sealed up with oaths and imprecations their false testimonies; but shortly after that, one of them withEuseb. his whole family and substance was burnt with fire: another of them was stricken with a grievous disease, such as in his imprecation hee had wished to himself; the third terrified with the sight of Gods judgements upon the former, became very penitent, and poured out the grief of his heart in such abundance of tears, that thereby hee became blinde.
A wicked wretch under Commodus Niceph. the Emperour, accused Apollonius a godly Christian to the Judges, for certain grievous crimes, which when hee could not prove, hee was adjudged to have his leggs broken, according to an antient [Page 322] Law of the Romans.
Gregory Bradway falsely accused one Brook, but shortly after through terrours of conscience, hee sought to cut his own throat, but being prevented, hee fell mad.
I have read of Socrates's two false accusers, how that the one was trodden to death by the multitude, and the other was forced to avoid the like by a voluntary banishment. I might produce a multitude of other instances, but let these suffice, to evidence how swift and terrible a witness God hath been against those that have been false accusers of his people, and that have laded their precious names with scorn and reproach; the serious consideration of which, should make the accused and reproached Christian to sit dumb and silent before the Lord.
Eighthly and lastly, God himself is daily reproached; men tremble not to cast scorn and contempt upon God himself; sometimes [Page 323] they charge the Lord that his waies are not equal, that it is aEzek. 18. 25. ch. 29. 33. 17. 20, 29. Jer. 2. 5, 6. wrong way hee goeth in; sometimes they charge God with cruelty, My punishment is greater than I am able to bear, Gen. 4. 13. Sometimes they charge God with partiality, and respect of persons, because here hee stroaks, and there hee strikes; here hee lifts up, and there hee casts down; here hee smiles, and there hee frowns; here hee gives much, and there hee gives nothing, here hee loves, and there hee hates; here hee prospersRom 9 Psal. 50. 21 It were very strange that I should please a world of men, when God himself doth not give every man content. Salv. one, and there hee blasts another. Mal. 2. 17. Where is the God of judgement? i. e. no where; either there is no God of judgement, or at least not a God of exact, precise and impar [...]ial judgement, &c. Sometimes they charge God with unbountifulness, that hee is a God that will set his people to hard work, to much work, but will pay them no wages, nor give them no reward, Mal. 3. 14. Yee have said, it is in [...] to serve God: and what profit is [Page 324] it, that wee have kept his ordinances, and that wee have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? Sometimes they charge God, that hee is a hard Master, and that hee reaps where hee hath not sown, and gathers where hee hath not strowed, Mat. 25. 24, &c. Oh the infinite reproach and scorn that is every day, that is every hour in the day cast upon the Lord, his name, his truth, his waies, his ordinances, his glory! Alass! all the scorn and contempt that is cast upon all the Saints, all the world over, is nothing to that which is cast upon the great God every hour, and yet hee is patient. Ah! how hardly do most men think of God? and how hardly do they speak of God? and how unhansomely do they carry it towards God? and yet hee bears: They that will not spare God himself, his name, his truth, his honour, shall wee think it much that they spare not us, or our names? &c. surely no. Why should wee look that those should give us good [Page 325] words, that cannot afford God a good word from one weeks end to another? yea from one years end to another? why should wee look that they should cry out Hosanna, Hosanna, to us, when as every day they cry out of Christ, crucifie him, crucifie him. Mat. 10. 25. It is enough for the Disciple that hee bee as his Master, and the servant as his Lord; if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub (or a Master-flye, or a dung-hill god, or the chief Devil) how much more shall they call them of his houshold? It is preferment enough for the servant to be as his Lord; and if they make no bones of staining and blaspheming the name of the Lord, never wonder if they flye-blow thy name; and let this suffice to quiet and silence your hearts, Christians, under all that scorn and contempt that is cast upon your names and reputations in this world.
The tenth and last Objection is this, Sir, In this my affliction I have [Page 326] sought to the Lord for this & that mercy, and still God delaies mee, and puts mee off; I have several times thought that mercy had been near, that deliverance had been at the door, but now I see it is afar off, how can I then hold my peace? how can I bee silent under such delaies and disappointments? To this Objection, I shall give you these Answers.
First, The Lord doth not alwaies time his Answers to the swiftness of his peoples expectations; hee that is the God of our mercies, is the Lord of our times; God hath delayed long his dearest Saints; times belonging to him, asPsal. 70. 5 Psal. 6. 13 Psal. 13, 1, 2 Psal. 94. 3, 4 Zech. 1. 12 well as issue, Hab. 1. 2. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? even cry out unto thee for violence, and thou wilt not help? Job 19. 7. Behold I cry out of violence, but I have no answer, I cry, but there is no judgement. Psal. 69. 3. I am weary of crying, my throat is dry, mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. Psal. 40. 17. Make no t [...]rying, O my God! [Page 327] Though God had promised him a Crown, a Kingdome, yet hee puts him off from day to day, and for all his haste hee must stay for it till the set time is come. Paul was delayed2 Cor. 1. 8, 9 Psal. 105. 17, 18, 19 so long, till hee even despaired of life, and had the sentence of death in himself. And Joseph was delayed so long, till the Irons entred into his soul. So hee delayed long the giving in of comfort to Mr. Glover, though hee had sought him frequently, earnestly, and denied himself to the death for Christ. Augustine being under convictions, a showre of tears came from him, and casting himself on the ground under a Fig-tree, hee cries out, O Lord! how long? how long shall I say to morrow, to morrow? why not to day Lord? why not to day? Though Abigail made haste to prevent Davids fury, and Rahab made haste to hang out her scarlet threed, yet God doth not alwaies make haste to hear and save his dearest children; and therefore hold thy peace, hee deals no [Page 328] worse with thee, than hee hath done by his dearest Jewels.
Secondly, Though the Lord doth defer and delay you for a time, yet hee will come, and mercy and deliverance shall certainlyDeut. 32. 36. [...]. Exod. 12. 17, 41, 42 51 come; hee will not alwaies forget the cry of the poor. Heb. 10. 37, For yet a little little while, and hee that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Hab. 2. 3. The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lye: though it tarry, wait for it. God will come, and mercy will come; though for the present thy Sun bee set, and thy God seems to neglect thee, yet thy Sun will rise again, and thy God will answer all thy prayers, and supply all thy necessities. Psal. 71. 20, 21. Thou which hast shewed mee great and sore troubles, shalt quicken mee again, and shalt bring mee up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt encrease my greatness, and comfort mee on every side, Three Martyrs being brought to the stake, [Page 329] and all bound, one of them slips from under his chain (to admiration) and falls down upon the ground, and wrastled earnestly with God, for the sense of his love, and God gave it in to him then, and so hee came and embraced the stake, and died chearfully a glorious Martyr. God delaies him, till hee was at the stake, and till hee was bound, and then sweetly lets out himself to him.
Thirdly, Though God do delay thee, yet hee doth not forget thee, hee remembers thee still, thou artIsa. 49. 14, 15, 16 Jer. 31. 20. Psal. 77. 9, 10 Isa. 54. 7, 8, 9, 10 Isa. 62. 3, 4, 5 still in his eye, and alwaies upon his heart; hee can as soon forget himself, as forget his people; the Bride shall sooner forget her ornaments, and the Mother shall sooner forget her sucking childe, and the Wife shall sooner forget her Husband, than the Lord shall forget his people. Though Sabin [...]s in Seneca could never in all his life time remember those three names of Homer, Ulysses and Achilles, yet [Page 330] God alwaies knows and remembers his people by name. Gen. 8. 1. ch. 19. 29. & 30. 31. 1 Sam. 1. 9. Jonah▪ 4. 10, 11, &c. therefore bee silent, hold thy peace, thy God hath not forgotten thee, though for the present hee hath delayed thee.
Fourthly, Gods time is alwaies the best time, God alwaies takes the best and fittest seasons to do us good, Isa. 49. 8. Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard th [...]e, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee. I could have heard thee before, and have help'd thee before, but I have taken the most acceptable time to do both. To set God his time, is to limit him, it is to exalt our selves above him, as ifPsal. 78. 41 wee were wiser than God; though wee are not wise enough to improve the times and seasons which God hath set us to serve and honour him in, yet wee are apt to think that wee are wise enough to set God his time, when to hear, and when to save, and when to deliver; [Page 331] to circumscribe God to our time, and to make our selves Lords of time, what is this but to devestAct. 1. 7. ch. 17. 26 God of his royalty and soveraignty of appointing times? it is but just and equal that that God that hath made time, and that hath the sole power to appoint and dispose of time, that hee should take his own time to do his people good; wee are many times humorous, preposterous and hasty, and now wee must have mercy or wee dye, deliverance or wee are undone, but our impatience will never help us to a mercy, one hour, one moment before the time that God hath set; the best God will alwaies take the best time to hand out mercies to his people [...] there is no mercy so fair, so ripe, so lovely, so beautiful, as that which God gives out in his own time, therefore hold thy peace, though God delaies thee, yet bee silent, for there is no possibility of wringing a mercy out of Gods hand, till the mercy bee ripe for us, and wee ripe for the mercy, Eccles. 3. 11.
Fifthly, The Lord in this life will certainly recompence, and make his children amends for allPsa. 90. 15 Psal. 70. 20, 21. & the first and last chapters of Job compared. the delaies and put offs that hee exercises them with in this world. As hee did Abraham in giving him such a Son as Isaac was; and Hannah, in giving her a Samuel; hee delayed Joseph long, but at length hee changes his Iron fetters into chains of gold, his rags into royal Robes, his stocks into a Chariot, his prison into a palace, his bed of thorns into a bed of down, his reproach into honour, and his thirty years of suffering into eighty years reigning in much grandeur and glory: so God delayed David long, but when2 Sam. 1 his suffering hours were out, hee is anointed, and the Crown of Israel is set upon his head, and hee is made very victorious, very famous and glorious for forty years together. Well Christians, God will certainly pay you interest upon interest for all the delaies that you meet with; and therefore hold your peace. But
Sixthly and lastly, The Lord never delaies the giving in of this mercy, or that deliverance, or th' other favour, but upon great and weighty reasons; and therefore hold thy peace.
Quest. But what are the reasons that God doth so delay and put off his people from time to time as wee see hee doth?
Answ. First, For the trial of his people, and for the differencingMat. 15. 21,—29. 1 Pet. 1. 7 Job 23. 8, 9, 10 Deut. 8. 2 and distinguishing of them from others. As the furnace tries gold, so delaies will try what metal a Christian is made of; delaies will try both the truth and the strength of a Christians graces; delaies are a Christian-touchstone, a lapis Lydius, that will try what metal men are made of, whether they bee gold or dross, silver or tin; whether they bee sincere or unsound, whether they bee real or rotten Christians. As a Father by crossing and delaying his children tries their dispositions, and makes a full discovery [Page 334] of them, so that hee can say, that childe is of a muttering and grumbling disposition, and that is of an humorous and wayward disposition, but the rest are of a meek, sweet, humble and gentle disposition: So the Lord by delaying and crossing of his children, hee discovers their different dispositions. The manner of the Psylli, Plin. lib. 28. (which are a kinde of people of that temper and constitution that no venome will hurt them) is, that if they suspect any childe to bee none of their own, they set an Adder upon it to sting it, and if it cry, and the flesh swell, they cast it away as a spurious issue, but if i [...] do not cry, if it do not so much as quatch, nor do not grow the worse for it, then they account it for their own, and make very much of it: So the Lord by delaies, which are as the stinging of the Adder, tries his children; if they patiently, quietly and sweetly can bear them, then the Lord will own them, and make much of [Page 335] them, as those that are near and dear unto him, but if under delaies they fall a crying, roaring, storming, vexing and fretting, the Lord will not own them, but reckon them as bastards, and no sons. Heb. 12. 8.
Secondly, That they may have the greater experience of his power, grace▪ love, and mercy in the close. Christ loved Martha and her Sisters and Lazarus, yetJoh. 11. 3, 5, 6, 17 hee defers his coming for several daies, and Lazarus must die, bee put in the grave, and lye there till hee stinks; and why so? but that they might have the greater experience of his power, grace and love towar [...] them.
Thirdly, To sharpen his childrens appetite, and to put a greater edge upon their desires, to makeCant. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4 Isa. 26. 8, 9, 16. them cry out as a woman in travel, or as a man that is in danger of drowning. God delaies, that his people may set upon him with [Page 336] greater strength and importunity▪ hee puts them off, that they may put on with more life and vigour; God seems to be cold, that hee may make us the more hot; hee seems to bee slack, that hee may make us the more earnest; hee seems to bee backward, that hee may make us the more forward in pressing upon him; the Father delaies the childe, that hee may make him the more eager, and so doth God his, that hee may make them the more divinely violent. When Balaam Numb. 22. 15 had once put off Balak, hee sent again (saith the Text) certain Princes more, and more honourable than they. Balaam's put off, did but make Balak the more importunate, it did but encrease and whet his desires; this is that that God aims at by all his put offs, to make his children more earnest, to whet up their spirits, and that they may send up more, and yet more honourable prayers after him, that they may cry more earnestly, strive more mightily, and wrestle more importunately [Page 337] with God, and that they may take Heaven with a more sacred violence. Anglers draw back the hook, that the fish may bee the more forward to bite; and God sometimes seems to draw back, but it is onely that wee may press the more on: And therefore as Anglers when they have long waited, and perceive that the fish do not so much as nibble at the bait, yet do they not impatiently throw away the Rod, or break the Hook and Line, but pull up, and look upon the bai [...], and mend it, and so throw it in again, and then the fish bites: so when a Christian praies, and praies, and yet catches nothing, God seems to bee silent, and Heaven seems to bee shut against him, yet let him not cast off prayer, but mend his prayer, pray more beleevingly, pray more affectionately, and pray more fervently, and then the fish will bite, then mercy will come, and comfort will come, and deliverance will come. But
Fourthly, God delaies and puts off his people many times, that hee may make a fuller discovery of themselves to themselves. Few Christians see themselves, and understand themselves; by delaies God discovers much of a mans sinfull self to his religious self, much of his worser part to his better part, of his ignoble part, to his most noble part. When the fire is put under the pot, then the scum appears: so when God delaies a poor soul, Oh! how doth the scum of pride, the scum of murmuring, the scum of quarrelling, the scum of distrust, the scum of impatience, the scum of despair,2 King. 6. 33 discover it self in the heart of a poor creature? I have read of a fool, who being left in a chamber, and the door locked, when hee was asleep, after hee awakes, and findes the door fast, and all the people gone, hee cries out at the window, O my self! my self! O my self! So when God shuts the door upon his people, when hee [Page 339] delaies them, and puts them off, Ah! what cause have they to cry out of themselves, to cry out of proud self, and worldly self, andPsal. 73. 21, 22 carnal self, and foolish self, and [...]roward self? &c. Wee are very apt, saith Seneca (utimur perspicillis magis quam speculis) to use spectacles to behold other mens faults, rather than▪ looking-glasses to behold our own; but now Gods delaies are as a looking-glass, in which God gives his people to see their own faults. Oh! that baseness, that vileness, that wretchedness, that sink of filthiness, that gulf of wickedness that God by delaies discovers to bee in the hearts of men! But
Fifthly, God delaies and puts off his people, to enhaunce, to raise the price of mercy, the price of deliverance; wee usually set the highest price, the greatest esteem upon such things that wee obtain with greatest difficulty; what we dearlyAct. 22. 28 Cant. 3. 4 buy, that we highly prize; the more [Page 340] sighs, tears, weepings, waitings, watchings, strivings, & earnest longings, this mercy and that deliverance, and the other favour costs us, the more highly wee shall value them; when a delaied mercy comes, it [...]astes more like a mercy, it sticks more like a mercy, it warms more like a mercy, it works more like a mercy, and it endears the heart to God like a mercy, more than any other mercy that a man enjoyes.
This is the childe (saith Hannah, 1 Sam. 1. 27. after God had long delayed her) for which I prayed; and the Lord hath given mee my petition which I asked of him. Delaied mercy is the cream of mercy; no mercy so sweet, so dear, so precious to a man, as that which a man hath gained after many put offs. Mr. Glover the Martyr sought the Lord earnestly and frequently for some special mercies, and the Lord delaied him long, but when hee was even at the stake, then the Lord gave in the mercies to him, [Page 341] and then as a man over joyed, hee cries out to his friend, hee is come, hee is come. But
Sixthly, The Lord delaies his people, that hee may pay them home in their own coin. God sometimes loves to retaliate. The Spouse puts off Christ, Cant. 5. 2. I have put off Prov. 1. 23, ult. Zach. 7. 13 my coat, how can I put it on? &c. And Christ puts her off, vers. 5, 6, 7, 8. Thou hast put off God from day to day, from month to month, yea from year to year; and therefore if God puts thee off from day to day, or from year to year, hast thou any cause to complain? surely no; thou hast often and long 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 [Page 342] 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 [Page 343] 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 theProv. 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. [Page 344] 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; [Page 345] 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 hisHos. 4. 14. 19 Ezek. 16. 42 Isa. 1. 5 Nihil est infaelicius [...]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. [Page 346] 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 HeavenLuke 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 [Page 347] 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 sinSee 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 [Page 348] triumph in the midst of the greatestRom. 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 BishopSo 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 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 [Page 349] 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 [Page 350] 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 ChristiansPsal. 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, [Page 351] 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 dwellThere 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 [Page 352] 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! [Page 353] 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, h [...]d need to have a good store-house in their heads to feed their tongues. Thirdly, For lyers, for they telling [Page 354] 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 silence2 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 [Page 355] 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 God, they will not leave him, nor [...]orsake him, they will to the grave, to glory with him.
In that famous battel at Leuctrum, where the Thebans got a signal victory, but their Captain Epaminondas a little before his death demanded whether his buckler were taken by the enemy, and when hee understood that it was safe, and that they had not so much as laid their hands on it, hee died most [Page 356] willingly, chearfully, and quietly. Well Christians, your shield of faith is safe, your portion is safe, your Royal Robe is safe, your Kingdome is safe, your Heaven is safe, your happiness and blessedness is safe; and therefore under all your afflictions and troubles, in patience possess your own souls. But
Sixthly, If you would be silent and quiet under your sorest troubles and trials, then set your selves in good earnest upon the mortification of your lusts; it is unmortifiedAustin saith, if thou kill not sin till it dye of it self, sin hath killed thee, and not thou thy sin. lusts which is the sting of every trouble, and which makes every sweet bitter, and every bitter more bitter; sin unmortified, adds weight to every burden, it puts gall to our wormwood, it adds chain to chain; it makes the bed uneasie, the chamber a prison, relations troublesome, and every thing vexatious to the soul. James 4. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not [Page 357] hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? So say I, from whence comes all this muttering, murmuring, fretting and vexing? &c. come they not hence, even from your▪ unmortified lusts? come they not from your unmortified pride, and unmortified selflove, and unmortified unbeleef, and unmortified passions? &c. Surely they do. Oh therefore! as ever you would be silent under the afflicting hand of God, labour for more & more of the grace of the Spirit, by which you may mortifie the lustsRom. 8. 13 of the flesh; it is not your strongest resolutions or purposes, without the grace of the Spirit, that can over-master a lust; a foul sore, till it bee indeed healed, will run, though wee resolve and say it shall not. It was the blood of the Sacrifice, and the Oil, that cleansed the Leper in the Law, and that by them was meant the bloud ofLevit. 14. 14, 15, 16 Mark 5. 25, 26, 27 Christ, and the grace of his Spirit, is agreed on all hands. It was a touch of Christs garment that cured [Page 358] the woman of her bloody Issue. Philosophy (saith Lacta [...]tius) it may hide a sin, but it cannot quench it, it may cover a sin, but it cannot cut off a sin, like a black patch in stead of a plaister, it may cover some deformities in nature, but it cures them not; neither is it the Papists purgatories, watchings, whippings, &c. nor St. Francis his kissing or licking of Lepers sores, which will cleanse the fretting leprosie of sin; in the strength of Christ, and in the power of the Spirit, set roundly upon the mortifying of every lust. Oh! hugg none, indulge none, but resolvedly set upon the ruine of all. One leak in a ship will sink it; one wound strikes Goliah dead, as well as three and twenty did Caesar; one Dalilah may do Sampson as much spight and mischief, as all the Philistines; one broken wheel spoils all the whole Clock; one veins bleeding will let out all the vitals, as well as more; one Fly will spoil a whole box of ointment; [Page 359] one bitter herb all the pottage; by eating one Apple, Adam lost Paradise; one lick of honey endangered Jonathans life; one Achan was a trouble to all Israel; one Jo [...]h raises a storm, and becomes lading too heavy for a whole ship; so one unmortified lust, will bee able to raise very strange and strong storms and tempests in the soul, in the daies of affliction; and therefore as you would have a blessed calm, and quietness in your own spirits under your sharpest trials, set throughly upon the work of mortification. Gideon had seventy sons,Judges 8. 30, 31. ch. 9. 1,—7. and but one bastard, and yet that bastard destroyed all his seventy sons. Ah Christian! thou dost not know what a world of mischief one unmortified lust may do; and therefore let nothing satisfie thee but the blood of all thy lusts.
Seventhly, If you would bee silent under your greatest afflictions, your sharpest trials, then make this [Page 360] consideration your daily companion, viz. That all the afflictions that come upon you, come upon you by and through that covenant of grace that God hath made with you; in the covenant of grace, God hath engaged himself to keep youJer. 32. 36,—ult. from the evils, snares and temptations of the world; in the covenant of grace God hath engaged himself to purge away your sins to brighten and encrease your graces, to crucifie your hearts to the world, and to prepare you, and preserve you to his heavenly Kingdome; and by afflictions hee effects all this, and that according to his covenant too, Psal. 89. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. If his children forsake my Law, and walk not in my commandements; If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandements; in these words you have a supposition, that the Saints may fall both into sins of commission, and sins of omission; in the following words you have Gods gracious promise, Then will I visit their transgressions [Page 361] with the rod, and their iniquities with stripes. God engages himself by promise and covenant, not onely to chide and check, but also to correct his people for their sins. Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. Afflictions are fruits of Gods faithfulness, to which the covenant bindes him; God would bee unfaithful, if first or last, more or less, hee did not afflict his people; afflictions are part of that gracious covenant which God hath madePsal. 119. 75 with his people; afflictions are mercies, yea covenant-mercies. Hence it is that God is called the terrible God, keeping covenant and mercy, Neh. 1. 5. Because by his covenant of mercy hee is bound to afflict and chastise his people. God by covenant is bound to preserve his people, and not to suffer them to perish, and happy are they that are preserved, whether in Salt and Vinegar, or in Wine and Sugar: All the afflictions that [Page 362] come upon a wicked man, come upon him by virtue of a covenant of works, and so are curst unto him; but all the afflictions that come upon a gracious man, they come upon him by virtue of a covenant of grace, and so they are blest unto him; and therefore hee hath eminent cause to hold his peace, to lay his hand upon his mouth.
Eighthly, If you would bee silent and quiet under afflictions, then dwell much upon this, viz. that all your afflictions do but reach the worser, the baser, and the ignobler part of a Christian, viz. his body, his outward man.2 Cor. 4. 16. Though our outward man decay, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. As Aristarchus the Heathen, said, when hee was beaten by the Tyrants, Beat on, it is not Aristarchus you beat, it is1 Tim. 5. 23 3 John 2. onely his shell. Timothy had a very healthful soul in a crazy body, and Gaius had a very prosperous [Page 363] soul in a weak distempered body. Epictetus and many of the more refined Heathens, have long since concluded, that the body was the organ (or vessel) the soul was the man and Merchandize. Now, all the troubles and afflictions that a Christian meets with, they do not reach his soul, they touch not his conscience, they make no breach upon his noble part; and therefore hee hath cause to hold his peace, and to lay his hands upon his mouth; the soul is the breath of God, the beauty of man, the wonder of Angels, and the envyHeb. 12. 9 Zach. 12. 1 of Devils, it is a caelestial plant, and of a divine off-spring; it is an immortal spirit; souls are of an Angelick nature, a man is an Angel cloathed in clay; the soul is a greater miracle in man, than all the miracles wrought amongst men; the soul is a demi-semi-God dwelling in a house of clay. Now, it is not in the power of any outward troubles and afflictions that a Christian meets with, to [Page 364] reach his soul; and therefore hee may well sit mute under the smarting Rod.
Ninthly, If thou wouldest bee silent and quiet under the saddest providences, and sorest trials, then keep up Faith in continual exercise; Now Faith in the exercise of it will quiet and silence the soul; thus,
1 By bringing the soul to sitJoh. 14. 8 Psa. 17. 15 down satisfied in the naked enjoyments of God.
2 By drying up the springs of pride, self-love, impatience, murmuring, unbeleef, and the carnal delights of this world.
3 By presenting to the soul greater, sweeter, and better thingsHeb. 11. 8, 9, 10, 14. Phil. 3. 7, 8 in Christ, than any this world doth afford.
4 By lessening the souls esteem of all outward vanities; do but keep up the exercise of Faith, and thou wilt keep silent before the Lord. No man so mute, as hee whose Faith is still busie about invisible objects.
Tenthly, If you would keep silent, then keep humble before the Lord. Oh! labour every day to bee more humble, and more low, and little in your own eyes; whoJob 7. 1, 18 am I, saith the humble soul, but that God should cross mee in this mercy, and take away that mercy, and pass a sentence of death upon every mercy? I am not worthy of the least mercy, I deserve not a crum of mercy, I have forfeitedProv. 13. 16 every mercy, I have improved never a mercy. Onely by pride comes contention; it is onely pride that puts men upon contending with God and men; an humble soul will lye quiet at the foot of God, it will bee contented with bare commons; As you see sheep can live upon the bare Commons, which a fat Oxe cannot. A Dinner of green herbs relisheth well with the humble mans palate, whereas a stalled Oxe is but a course dish to a proud mans stomack; an humble heart thinks none less than himself, nor none worse than himself; [Page 366] an humble heart looks upon smallGen. 32. 10, 11. Austin being asked what was the first grace? answered, humility; what the second? humility; what the third? humility. mercies, as great mercies, and great afflictions, as small afflictions; and small afflictions, as no afflictions; and therefore sits mute and quiet under all; do [...]ut keep humble, and you will keep silent before the Lord; pride kicks, and flings, and frets, but an humble man hath still his hand upon his mouth. Every thing on this side Hell is mercy, much mercy, rich mercy, to an humble soul; and therefore hee holds his peace.
Eleventhly, If you would keep silence under the afflicting hand of God, then keep close, hold fast these soul-silencing and soul-quieting maxims or principles. As
First, That the worst that God doth to his people in this world, is in order to the making of them a Heaven on Earth; hee brings them into a wilderness, but it is, that hee may speak comfortably to them: heHos. 2. 14 casts them into the fiery furnace, [Page 367] but it is, that they may have more of his company; doe the stones come thick and threefold about Stephens ears? it is but to knockAct. 7. him the nearer to Christ, the corner-stone, &c.
Secondly, If you would bee silent, then hold fast this principle, viz. That what God wills is best;Heb. 12. 10 when hee wills sickness, sickness is better than health; when hee wills weakness, weakness is better than strength; when hee wills want, want is better than wealth; when hee wills reproach, reproach is better than honour; when hee wills death, death is better than life. As God is wisdome it self, and so knows that which is best, so hee is goodness it self, and therefore cannot do any thing but that which is best; therefore hold thy peace.
Thirdly, If thou wouldest bee silent under thy greatest afflictions, then hold fast to this principle, viz. That the Lord will bear thee company [Page 368] in all thy afflictions, Isa. 41. 10, ch. 43. 2. Psal. 23. 4. Psal. 90. 15. Dan. 3. 25. Gen. 39. 20, 21. 2 Tim. 4. 16, 17. These Scriptures are breasts full of divine consolation; these wells of salvation are full; will you turn to them and draw out, that your souls may bee satisfied and quieted.
Fourthly, If you would bee silent under your afflictions, then hold fast this principle, that the Lord hath more high, more noble, and more blessed ends in the afflicting of you, than hee hath in the afflicting of the men of the world. The stalk and the ear of corn fall upon the threshing flore, under one and the same flail, but the one is shattered in peeces, the other is preserved; from one and the same Olive, and from under one and the same press is crushed out both Oil and dreggs, but the one is tunn'd up for use, the other thrown out as unserviceable; and by one and the same breath the fields are perfumed [Page 369] with sweetness, and annoyed with unpleasant savours: so, though afflictions do befall good and bad alike, as the Scripture speaks, yetEccles. 9. 2 the Lord will effect more glorious ends by those afflictions that befall his people, than hee will effect by those that befall wicked men; and therefore the Lord puts his people into the furnace, for their trial▪ but the wicked for their ruine; the one is bettered by affliction, the other is made worse; the one is made soft and tender by afflictions, the other is more hard and obdurate; the one is drawn nearer to God by afflictions, the other is driven further from God, &c.
Fifthly, If you would bee silent under your afflictions, then you must hold fast this principle, viz. Matth. 15. 21,—29 That the best way in this world to have thine own will, is to lye down in the will of God, and quietly to resign up thy self to the good will and pleasure of God. Luther was a man that could have any thing of [Page 370] God, and why? why because hee submitted his will to the will of God, hee lost his will in the will of God. Oh soul! it shall bee even as thou wilt, if thy will bee swallowed up in the will of God.
Sixthly and lastly, If thou wouldest bee silent under the afflicting hand of God, then thou must holdPsa. 94. 19 Dan. 9. 19,—24 Gen. 28. 7 Act. 16. & 27, ch. Hos. 2. 14 fast to this principle, viz. That God will make times of affliction, to be times of special manifestations of divine love and favour to thee. Tiburtius saw a Paradise when hee walked upon hot burning coals. I could confirm this by a cloud of witnesses, but that I am upon a close. Ah Christians! as ever you would be quiet and silent under the Smarting Rod, hold fast to these principles, and keep them as your lives. But
Twelfthly and lastly, To silence and quiet your souls under the afflicting hand of God, dwell much upon the brevity or shortness of [Page 371] mans life; this present life is not vita, sed via ad vitam, life, but a motion, a journey towards life▪ mans life, saith one, is the shadow of smoak, yea the dream of a shadow, saith another; mans life is so short, that Austin doubt [...]th whether to callAug. l. 1. Conf. it a dying life, or a living death; thou hast but a day to live, and perhaps thou mayest be now in the twel [...]th hour of that day; therefore hold out faith and patience, thy troubles and thy life will shortly end together▪ therefore hold thy peace; thy grave is going to bee made, thy Sun is near setting▪ death begins to call thee off o [...] the stage of this world, death stands at thy back, thou must shortly sail forth upon the Ocean of eternity; though thou hast a great deal of work to do, a God to honour, a Christ to close with, a soul to save, a race to run, a Crown to win, a Hell to escape, a pardon to beg, a Heaven to make sure, yet thou hast but a little time to do it in; thou hast one foot in the grave, [Page 372] thou art even a going a shore on eternity, and wilt thou now cry out of thy afflictions? wilt thou now mutter and murmure when thou art entring upon an unchangeable condition? what extream folly and madness is it for a man to mutter and murmure when hee is just a going out of prison, and his boults and chains are just a knocking off? Why Christian, this is just thy case; therefore hold thy peace; thy life is but short, thereforeRom. 8. 18 thy troubles cannot bee long; hold up, and hold out quietly and patiently a little longer, and Heaven shall make amends for all.