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cause_n	body_n	soul_n	world_n	1,708	5	4.6899	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77618	The silent soul, with soveraign antidotes against the most miserable exigents: or, A Christian with an olive-leaf in his mouth, when he is under the greatest afflictions, the sharpest and sorest trials and troubles, the saddest and darkest providences and changes, with answers to divers questions and objections that are of greatest importance, all tending to win and work souls to bee still, quiet, calm and silent under all changes that have, or may pass upon them in this world, &c. / By Thomas Brooks preacher of the Word at Margarets New Fish-street London, and pastor of the Church of Christ meeting there.	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4962A; Thomason E1876_1; ESTC R209789	146,060	409

this world I shall now address my self to answer those Objections and to remove those Impediments which hinder poor souls from being silent and mute under the afflicting hand of God c. Object 1. Sir did I but know that I were afflicted in love I would hold my peace under my affliction I would sit mute before the Lord but Oh! how shall I come to understand that these stroaks are the stroaks of love that these wounds are the wounds of a friend I answer First If thy heart bee drawn more out to the Lord by the affliction Psal 18. 1 8. Psal 116. 1 2 3 4 5. Psal 119. 67 71. Isa 38. then the affliction is in love if they are so sanctified as that they draw out thy soul to love the Lord more and to fear the Lord more and to please the Lord more and to cleave to the Lord more and to wait on the Lord more and to walk with the Lord more then they are in love Oh! then they are the wounds of a friend indeed It is reported of the Lioness that shee leaves her young whelps till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and yelling and then at last gasp when they have almost spent themselves shee relieves them and by this means they become more couragious and so if the afflictions that are upon us do encrease our courage strengthen our patience raise our faith inflame our love and enliven our hopes Certainly they are in love and all our wounds are the wounds of a friend But Secondly If you are more careful and studious how to glorifie God in the affliction and Dan. 3. 6. chapters Heb. 11. how to bee kept from sinning under the affliction than how to get out of the affliction then certainly your affliction is in love where God smites in love there the soul makes it his work how to glorifie God and how to lift up God and how to bee a name and an honour to God the daily language of such a soul under the rod is this Lord stand by mee that I sin not Josh 7. 7 8 9 10 uphold 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 hee might bee unwitched again hee answered Oh by no means I had rather the Witch should have my Son than the Devil his Son should suffer rather than hee would sin him out of his sufferings Hee that will not break the hedge of a fair Command to avoid the foul way of some heavy affliction may well conclude that his affliction is in love Christians what say you when you are in the Mount do you thus bespeak the Lord Lord take care of thy glory and let mee rather sink in my affliction than sin under my affliction if this bee the bent and frame of thy heart it is certain the affliction that is upon thee is in love the primitive times afforded many such brave spirits though this age affords but few Thirdly If you enjoy the special presence of God with your spirits in your affliction then your Psal 23. 4 5 6 affliction is in love Isa 43. 2. When thou passest thorow the waters I will bee with thee and thorow the rivers they shall not overflow thee The bush which was a type of the Church consumed not all the while it burned with fire because God was in the midst of it when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flames kindle upon thee Hast thou a special presence of God with thy spirit strengthening of that quieting of that steeling of that satisfying of that chearing and comforting of that Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts that is of my troubled intricated insnarled intertwined and perplexed thoughts as the branches of a tree by some strong wind are twisted one within another as the Hebrew word properly signifies thy comforts delight my soul Here 's a presence of God with his soul here 's comforts and delights that reaches the soul here 's a cordial to strengthen his spirit When Knoles Turk Hist pag. 164 all things went cross with Andronicus the old Emperour of Constantinople hee took a Psalter into his hand and opening the same hee lighted upon Psal 68. 14. When the Almighty scattered Kings they shall bee white as Snow in Salmon which Scripture was a mighty comfort and refreshment to his spirit Now you are to remember that Salmon signifies shady and dark and so was this Mount by the reason of many lofty fair spread trees that were neer it but made lightsome by Snow that covered it so that to bee white as Snow in Salmon is to have joy in affliction light in darkness mercy in misery c. And thus God was to the Psalmist as Snow in Salmon in the midst of his greatest afflictions When Paul would wish his dear Son Timothy the best mercy in all the world the greatest mercy in all the world the most comprehensive mercy in all the world a mercy that carries the virtue value and sweetness of all mercies in it hee wishes the presence of God with his spirit 2 Tim. 4. 22. The Lord Jesus Christ bee with thy spirit in point of honour in point of profit and pleasure in point of safety and security and in point of comfort and joy it is the greatest blessing and happinesse in this world to have the presence of God with our spirits especially in times of trials 2 Cor. 4. 16. For which cause wee faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day By the outward man you are to understand not meerly our bodies but our persons estates and outward condition in this world and by the inward man you are to understand our souls or persons considered according to our spiritual estate Now when the inward man gains new strength by every new trouble when as troubles pressures afflictions and tribulations are increased a Christians inward strength is increased also then his afflictions are in love when the presence of God is with our inward man chearing comforting encouraging strengthening and renewing of that wee may safely conclude that all these trials though they are never so sharp and smart yet they are in love I have read of a company of poor Christians that were banished into some remote parts and one standing by seeing them pass along said That it was a very sad condition those poor people were in to bee thus hurried from the society of men and to bee made companions with the beasts of the field true

is renewed day by day As Aristarchus the Heathen said when hee was beaten by the Tyrants Beat on it is not Aristarchus you beat it is 1 Tim. 5. 23 3 John 2. onely his shell Timothy had a very healthful soul in a crazy body and Gaius had a very prosperous soul in a weak distempered body Epictetus and many of the more refined Heathens have long since concluded that the body was the organ or vessel the soul was the man and Merchandize Now all the troubles and afflictions that a Christian meets with they do not reach his soul they touch not his conscience they make no breach upon his noble part and therefore hee hath cause to hold his peace and to lay his hands upon his mouth the soul is the breath of God the beauty of man the wonder of Angels and the envy Heb. 12. 9 Zach. 12. 1 of Devils it is a caelestial plant and of a divine off-spring it is an immortal spirit souls are of an Angelick nature a man is an Angel cloathed in clay the soul is a greater miracle in man than all the miracles wrought amongst men the soul is a demi-semi-God dwelling in a house of clay Now it is not in the power of any outward troubles and afflictions that a Christian meets with to reach his soul and therefore hee may well sit mute under the smarting Rod. Ninthly If thou wouldest bee silent and quiet under the saddest providences and sorest trials then keep up Faith in continual exercise Now Faith in the exercise of it will quiet and silence the soul thus 1 By bringing the soul to sit Joh. 14. 8 Psa 17. 15 down satisfied in the naked enjoyments of God 2 By drying up the springs of pride self-love impatience murmuring unbeleef and the carnal delights of this world 3 By presenting to the soul greater sweeter and better things Heb. 11. 8 9 10 14. Phil. 3. 7 8 in Christ than any this world doth afford 4 By lessening the souls esteem of all outward vanities do but keep up the exercise of Faith and thou wilt keep silent before the Lord. No man so mute as hee whose Faith is still busie about invisible objects Tenthly If you would keep silent then keep humble before the Lord. Oh! labour every day to bee more humble and more low and little in your own eyes who Job 7. 1 18 am I saith the humble soul but that God should cross mee in this mercy and take away that mercy and pass a sentence of death upon every mercy I am not worthy of the least mercy I deserve not a crum of mercy I have forfeited Prov. 13. 16 every mercy I have improved never a mercy Onely by pride comes contention it is onely pride that puts men upon contending with God and men an humble soul will lye quiet at the foot of God it will bee contented with bare commons As you see sheep can live upon the bare Commons which a fat Oxe cannot A Dinner of green herbs relisheth well with the humble mans palate whereas a stalled Oxe is but a course dish to a proud mans stomack an humble heart thinks none less than himself nor none worse than himself an humble heart looks upon small Gen. 32. 10 11. Austin being asked what was the first grace answered humility what the second humility what the third humility mercies as great mercies and great afflictions as small afflictions and small afflictions as no afflictions and therefore sits mute and quiet under all do ●ut keep humble and you will keep silent before the Lord pride kicks and flings and frets but an humble man hath still his hand upon his mouth Every thing on this side Hell is mercy much mercy rich mercy to an humble soul and therefore hee holds his peace Eleventhly If you would keep silence under the afflicting hand of God then keep close hold fast these soul-silencing and soul-quieting maxims or principles As First That the worst that God doth to his people in this world is in order to the making of them a Heaven on Earth hee brings them into a wilderness but it is that hee may speak comfortably to them he Hos 2. 14 casts them into the fiery furnace but it is that they may have more of his company doe the stones come thick and threefold about Stephens ears it is but to knock Act. 7. him the nearer to Christ the corner-stone c. Secondly If you would bee silent then hold fast this principle viz. That what God wills is best Heb. 12. 10 when hee wills sickness sickness is better than health when hee wills weakness weakness is better than strength when hee wills want want is better than wealth when hee wills reproach reproach is better than honour when hee wills death death is better than life As God is wisdome it self and so knows that which is best so hee is goodness it self and therefore cannot do any thing but that which is best therefore hold thy peace Thirdly If thou wouldest bee silent under thy greatest afflictions then hold fast to this principle viz. That the Lord will bear thee company in all thy afflictions Isa 41. 10 ch 43. 2. Psal 23. 4. Psal 90. 15. Dan. 3. 25. Gen. 39. 20 21. 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. These Scriptures are breasts full of divine consolation these wells of salvation are full will you turn to them and draw out that your souls may bee satisfied and quieted Fourthly If you would bee silent under your afflictions then hold fast this principle that the Lord hath more high more noble and more blessed ends in the afflicting of you than hee hath in the afflicting of the men of the world The stalk and the ear of corn fall upon the threshing flore under one and the same flail but the one is shattered in peeces the other is preserved from one and the same Olive and from under one and the same press is crushed out both Oil and dreggs but the one is tunn'd up for use the other thrown out as unserviceable and by one and the same breath the fields are perfumed with sweetness and annoyed with unpleasant savours so though afflictions do befall good and bad alike as the Scripture speaks yet Eccles 9. 2 the Lord will effect more glorious ends by those afflictions that befall his people than hee will effect by those that befall wicked men and therefore the Lord puts his people into the furnace for their trial but the wicked for their ruine the one is bettered by affliction the other is made worse the one is made soft and tender by afflictions the other is more hard and obdurate the one is drawn nearer to God by afflictions the other is driven further from God c. Fifthly If you would bee silent under your afflictions then you must hold fast this principle viz. Matth. 15. 21 29 That the best way in this world to have thine own will is

field and the birds of the Isa 3. 8 Jer. 7. 6. Mat. 6 Prov. 6. air and the creeping things of the earth how to cease from murmuring and how to bee mute Ah Sirs as you would have the name the honour the reputation of being men I say men Take heed of murmuring and sit silent before the Lord. Tenthly Murmuring is a timedestroying sin Ah the precious time that is buried in the grave of murmuring when the murmurer should bee a praying hee is a murmuring against the Lord when hee should bee a hearing hee is a murmuring against divine providences when hee should bee a reading hee is a murmuring against instruments the murmurer spends much precious time in musing in musing how to get out of such a trouble how to get off such a yoak how to bee rid of such a burden how to revenge himself for such a wrong how to supplant such a person how to reproach those that are above him and how to affront those that are below him and a thousand other waies murmurers have to expend tha● precious time that some would redeem with a world As Queen Sumptus pretiocissimus tempus Time is of precious cost saith Theophrastus Elizabeth on her death-bed cryed out time time a world of wealth for an inch of time the murmurer lavishly and profusely trifles away that precious time that is his greatest interest in this world to redeem Ephes 5. 16. every day every hour in the day is a talent of time and God expects the Rev. 2. 21 1 Pet. 4. 2. 5 improvement of it and will charge the non-improvement of it upon you at last Caesar observing the Ladies in Rome to spend Plutarch in the life of Pericles much of their time in making much of little Doggs and Monkies asked them whether the women in that Country had no children to make much of Ah murmurers murmurers you who by your murmuring trifle away so many golden hours and seasons of mercy have you no God to honour have you no Christ to beleeve in have you no hearts to change no sins to bee pardoned no souls to save no Hell to escape no Heaven to seek after Oh! if you have why do you spend so much of your precious time in murmuring against God against men against this or that thing Eternity rides upon the back of Time Hoc est momentum this is the moment Aut male aut nihil aut aliud agendo if it bee well improved you are made for ever if not you are undone for ever I have read of Archias a Lacedemonian that whilst hee was rioting and quaffing in the midst of his cups one delivers him a letter purposely to signifie that there were some that lay in wait to take Plutarch away his life withall desires him to read it presently because it was a serious business and matter of high concernment to him Oh! said hee seria cras I will think of serious things to morrow but that night hee was slain Ah murmurer cease from murmuring to day or else thou mayest bee for ever undone by murmuring to morrow the old saying was nunc aut nunquam now or never So say I now or never now or never give over murmuring and let it swallow up no more of your precious time what would not many a murmurer give for one of those daies yea for one of those hours which hee hath trifled away in murmuring when it is a day too late The Rabbins glory in this conceipt that a man hath so many bones as there bee latters in the Decalogue and just so many joints and members as there bee daies in the year to shew that all our strength and time should bee expended in Gods service Ah murmurers you will gain more by one daies faithful serving of God than ever you have gained by murmuring against God But Eleventhly Consider this Christians that of all men in the world you have least cause yea no cause to bee murmuring and Lam. 3. 24 Ephes 3. 8 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 muttering under any dispensations that you meet with in this world is not God thy portion Chrysostome propounds this question Chrysost Hom. 4. de patientia Job was Job miserable when hee lost all that God had given him and gives this answer no hee had still that God who gave him all Is not Christ thy treasure is not Heaven thine inheritance and wilt thou murmure hast thou not much in hand and more in hope hast thou not much in possession but much more in reversion and wilt thou murmure hath not God given thee a changed heart a renewed nature and a sanctified soul and wilt thou murmure hath hee not given thee himself to satisfie thee his Son Omne bonum in summo bono to save thee his Spirit to lead thee his grace to adorn thee his covenant to assure thee his mercy to pardon thee his righteousness to cloathe thee and wilt thou murmure hath he not made thee a friend a son a brother a bride an heir and wilt thou murmure hath not God often turned thy water into wine thy brass into silver and thy silver into gold and wilt thou murmure when thou was dead did not he quicken God is all in all and all without all thee and when thou wast lost did not hee seek thee and when thou wast wounded did not 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 deliver thee and wilt thou murmure what thou that art so highly advanced and exalted above many thousands in the world Murmuring is a black garment and it becomes none so ill as Saints Twelfthly and lastly Consider That murmuring makes the life of man invisibly miserable every murmurer is his own executioner Murmuring vexes the heart it wears and tears the heart it inrages and inflames the heart it wounds and stabs the heart every murmurer is his own Martyr every murmurer is a murtherer hee kills many at once viz. his joy his comfort his peace his rest his soul no man so inwardly miserable as the murmurer no man hath such inward gripes and grief as hee such inward bitterness and heaviness as hee such inward contentions and combustions as hee every murmurer is his own tormentor murmuring is a fire within that will burn up all it is an earthquake within that will overturn all it is a disease within that will infect all it is poison within that 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

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 dealings Deut. 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 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 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 luke-warm 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 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 all Read 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 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 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 other Job 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 and James 5. 10 11 fame in the world by Jobs great 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 afflictions Act. 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 it Prov. 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 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 usually Eph. 6. 12 tempted most witness David Job Joshua