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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

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 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 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 six Jer. 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 sin Jude 6. 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 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 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 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 a I 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 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

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 apprehensions and sad conclusions about its present and future condition the despairing soul sits silent being filled with amazement and astonishment Psal 77. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak But this is not the Silence here meant But Seventhly and lastly There is a prudent Silence a holy a gracious Silence a Silence that springs from prudent principles from holy principles and from gracious causes and considerations and this is the Silence here meant And this I shall fully discover in my Answers to the second Question which is this Quest 2 What doth a prudent a gracious a holy Silence include Answer 1 It includes and takes in these eight things First It includes a sight of God and an acknowledgement of God as the author of all the afflictions that come upon us And this you have plain in the Text I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it The Psalmist In second causes many times a Christian may see much envy hatred malice pride c. But in the first cause he can see nothing but grace and mercy sweetness and goodness looks through secondary causes to the first cause and so sits mute before the Lord. There is no sickness so little but God hath a finger in it though it bee but the aking of the little finger As the Scribe is more eyed and properly said to write than the pen and hee that maketh and keepeth the Clock is more properly said to make it go and strike than the wheels and weights that hang upon it and as every work-man is more eyed and properly said to effect his works rather than the tools which hee useth as his instruments so the Lord who is the chief Agent and mover in all actions and who hath the greatest hand in all our afflictions is more to bee eyed and owned than any inferiour or subordinate causes whatsoever So Job hee beheld God in all Job 1. 21. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Had hee not seen God in the affliction hee would have cried out Oh these wretched Chaldeans they have plundred and spoiled mee These wicked Sabeans they have robbed and wronged mee Job discerns Gods Commission in the Chaldeans and the Sabeans hands and then laies his own hand upon his mouth So Aaron beholding the hand of God in the untimely death of his two sons holds his peace Levit. 10. 3. the sight of God in this sad stroak is a bridle both to his mind and mouth hee neither mutters nor murmurs So Joseph saw the hand of God in his brethrens selling of him into Egypt Gen. 45. 8. and that silences him Men that see not God in an affliction are easily cast into a feaverish fit they will quickly bee in a flame and when their passions are up and their hearts on fire they will begin to bee sawcy and make no bones of telling God to his teeth that they do well to bee angry Jonah 4. 8 9. Such as will not acknowledge God to bee the author of all their afflictions will bee ready enough to fall in with that mad principle of the Manachees who maintained the Devil to bee the Author of all calamities As if there could bee any evil of affliction in the City and the Lord have no hand in it Amos 3. 6. Such as can see the ordering hand of God in all their afflictions will with David lay their hands upon their mouths when the Rod of God is upon their backs 2 Sam. 16. 11 12. If Gods hand bee not seen in the affliction the heart will do nothing but fret and rage under affliction Secondly It includes and takes in some holy gracious apprehensions of the Majesty Soveraignty Dignity Authority and presence of that God under whose afflicting hand we are Hab. 2. 20. But the Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth bee silent or as the Hebrew reads it bee silent all the earth before his face When God would have all the people of the earth to bee husht quiet and silent before him hee would have them to behold him in his Temple where hee sits in state in majesty and glory Zephan 1. 7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God Chat not murmure not repine not quarrel not Whist stand mute bee silent lay thy hand on thy mouth when his hand is upon thy back who is totus oculus all-eye to see as well as all hand to punish As the eyes of a well-drawn picture are fastened on thee which way soever thou turnest so are the eies of the Lord and therefore thou hast cause to stand mute before him Thus Aaron had an eye to the soveraignty of God and that silences Levit. 10. 3 Job 37. 23 24. 1 Sam. 3. 11 19. him And Job had an eye upon the majesty of God and that stills him And Elie had an eye upon the authority and presence of God and that quiets him A man never comes to humble himself nor to bee silent under the hand of God till hee comes to see the hand of God to bee a mighty hand 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God When men look upon the hand of God as a weak hand a feeble hand a low hand a mean hand their hearts rise against his hand Who is the Lord said Pharaoh that I should obey his voice Exod. 5. 2. And till Pharaoh came to see the hand of God as a mighty hand and to feel it as a mighty hand hee would not let Israel go When Tiribazus a Noble Persian was arrested at first hee drew out his sword and defended himself but when they charged him in the Kings name and informed him that they came from the King and were commanded to bring him to the King he yeelded willingly So when afflictions arrest us we shall murmure and grumble and struggle and strive even to the death before wee shall yeeld to that God that

if not cease from murmurings where murmuring is in its reign in its dominion there you may speak and write that person ungodly let murmurers make what profession they will of godliness yet if murmuring keeps the Throne in their hearts Christ will deal with them at last as ungodly sinners a man may bee denominated ungodly as well from his murmuring if hee lives under the dominion of it as from his drunkenness swearing whoring lying stealing c. A murmurer is an ungodly man hee is an ungodlike man no man on earth more unlike to God than the murmurer and therefore no wonder if when Christ comes to execute judgement hee deals so severely and terribly with him In the wars of Tamberlain one having found a great pot of Gold that was hid in the earth hee brought it to Tamberlain who asked whether it had his Fathers stamp upon it but when hee saw it had not his Fathers stamp but the Roman stamp upon it he would not own it but cast it away The Lord Jesus when hee shall come with all his Saints to execute judgement Oh hee will not own murmurers nay hee will cast them away for ever because they have not his Fathers stamp upon them Ah souls souls as you would not go up and down this world with a badge of ungodliness upon you take heed of murmuring Thirdly Consider That murmuring Numb 16. 41. ch 17. 10. is a mother sin it is the Mother of harlots the Mother of all abominations a sin that breeds many other sins viz. disobedience contempt ingratitude impatience distrust rebellion cursing carnality yea it charges God with folly yea with blasphemy Judg. 17. 2. the language of a murmuring a muttering soul is this Surely God might have done this sooner and that wiser and the other thing better c. As the River Nilus bringeth forth many Crocodiles and the Scorpion many Serpents at one birth so murmuring is a sin that breeds and brings forth many sins at once Murmuring is like the Monster Hydra cut off one head and many will rise up in its room Oh! therefore bend all thy strength against this Mother sin As the King of Syria said 1 Kings 22. 31. to his Captains Fight neither with small nor great but with the King of Israel So say I fight not so much against this sin or that but fight against your murmuring which is a Mother sin make use of all your Eph. 6. 10 11. Christian armour make use of all the ammunition of Heaven to destroy the Mother and in destroying of her you will destroy the daughters When Goliah was slain the Philistians fled when a General in an Army is cut off the common souldiers are easily and quickly routed and destroyed So destroy but murmuring and you will quickly destroy disobedience ingratitude impatience distrust c. Oh! kill this Mother sin that this may never kill thy soul I have read of Senacherib that after his Army was destroyed by an Angel Isa 37. and hee returned home to his own Country hee enquired of one about him what hee thought the reason might bee why God so favoured the Jews hee answered that there was one Abraham their Father that was willing to sacrifice his Son to death at the command of God and that ever since that time God favoured that people well said Senacherib if that bee it I have two Sons and I will sacrifice them both to death if that will procure their God to favour mee which when his two Sons heard they as the story goeth slew their Father Isa 37. 38. chusing rather to kill than bee killed So do thou chuse rather to kill this Mother sin than Psal 137. 8 9 to bee killed by it or by any of those vipers that are brought forth by it Fourthly Consider That murmuring is a God-provoking sin it is a sin that provokes God not onely to afflict but also to destroy Numb 26. ult Numb 12. 10 Rev. 16. 8 9 10 11 a people Numb 14. 27 28 29. How long shall I bear with this evil Congregation which murmure against mee I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel which they murmure against mee Say unto them As truly as I live saith the Lord as yee have spoken in mine ears so will I do to you Your carkasses shall fall in this wilderness and all that were numbred of you according to your whole number from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against mee 1 Cor. 10. 10. Neither murmure yee as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer All our murmurings do but provoke the Lord to strike us and destroy us I have read of Caesar that having Seneca prepared a great feast for his Nobles and Friends it so ●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 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 from Heaven nor hear a good word from Heaven nor receive a Love-letter from Heaven but Satan murmures at it he murmures and mutters at every act of pittying grace and at every act of preventing grace and at every act of supporting grace and at every act of strengthening grace and at every act of comforting grace that God exercises towards poor souls hee murmures at every sip at every drop at every crum of mercy that God bestows Cyprian Aquinas and others conceive that the cause of Satans banishment from Heaven was his grieving and murmuring at the dignity of man whom hee beheld made after Gods own Image insomuch that Gen. 3. hee would relinquish his own glory Satan can never bee quiet nec victor nec victus neither conquered nor conquerour to devest so noble a Creature of perfection and rather bee in Hell himself than see Adam placed in Paradise But certainly after his fall murmuring and envy at mans innocency and felicity put him upon attempting

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 of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not The glorious Exod. 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 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 prayed 2 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 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 much Luk. 4 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 tempted Heb. 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 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 insufficiency 1 Pet. 5. 8 in the hour of temptation to help us or succour us by temptations God will brighten our Christian Ephes 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 seeing 2 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 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 comforting Psal 9. 4. Gen. 49. 23 24 presence but hee never forsakes them in respect of his supporting 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

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 Orpha once left Naomi shee returned Ruth 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 his Act. 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 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 the Esth 3. King as Refractories and Rebels was not Elias accused to bee the troubler of Israel and Jeremy the Jer. 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 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 usually As 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 was Hippias 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 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 The Kimchi 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 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 wine-bibber 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 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