Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	abide_v	john_n	love_v	2,518	5	7.0114	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

of a good man are ordered by the Lord and hee delighteth in his way Though hee fall hee shall not bee utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his As the Nurse upholds the little childe c. hand Gods supporting hand of grace is still under his people Psal 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth mee Christ hath alwaies one hand to uphold his people and another hand to embrace them Cant. 2. 16. The everlasting arms of God are alwaies underneath his people Deut. 33. 27. And this the Saints have alwaies found witness David Heman Asaph Job c. Geographers write that the City of Syracuse in Sicily is so curiously situated that the Sun is never out of sight though the children of God sometimes are under some clouds of afflictions yet the Sun of Mercy the Sun of Righteousness is never quite out of sight But Thirdly Though God hath forsaken thee yet his love abides and continues constant to thee hee loves thee with an everlasting love Jer. 31. 3. Where hee loves hee loves to the end John 13. 1. Isa 49. 14 15 16. But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken mee and my Lord hath forgotten mee But was not Zion mistaken yes Can a woman forget her The very Heathen hath observed that God doth not love his children with a weak affection but with a strong masculine love Seneca sucking childe that shee should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before mee Look as persons engrave the mark name or picture of those whom they dearly love and entirely affect upon some stone that they wear at their breasts or upon some ring that they wear on their finger So had God engraven Zion upon the palms of his hands shee was still in his eye and alwaies dear to his heart though shee thought not so As Josephs heart was full of love to his brethren even then when hee Gen. 42. spake roughly to them and withdrew himself from them for hee was fain to go aside and ease his heart by weeping so the heart of God is full of love to his people even then when hee seemes to bee most displeased with them and to turn his back upon them though Gods dispensations may be changeable towards his people yet his gracious disposition is unchangeable towards them When God Mal. 3. 6. puts the blackest veil of all upon his face yet then his heart is full of love to his people then his bowels are yearning towards them Jer. 31. 18 19 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son is hee a pleasant childe for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. The Mothers bowels cannot more yearn after the tender babe than Gods doth after his distressed ones As Moses his Mother when shee had put him into Exod. 2. the Ark of Bul-rushes wept to see the babe weep and when shee was turned from him shee could not but cast a weeping eye of love towards him So when God turns aside from his people yet hee cannot but cast an eye of love towards them Hosea 11. 8. How shall I give thee up O Ephraim c. Here are four several how 's in the text the like not to bee found in the whole book of God I am even at a stand justice calls for vengeance but mercy interposeth my bowels yearn my heart melts O! how shall I give thee up O! I cannot give thee up I will not give thee up Gods love is alwaies like himself unchangeable his love is everlasting it is a love that never decaies nor waxes cold it is like the stone Albestos of which Solinus writes that being once hot it can never bee cooled again Fourthly Though the Lord hath hid his face from thee yet certainly thou hast his secret presence with thee God is present when hee is seemingly absent The Psal 23 4 Psal 139. Gen. 28. 16 Lord was in this place and I knew it not saith Jacob. The Sun many times shines when wee do not see it and the husband is many times in the house when the wife doth not know it God is in thy house hee is in thy heart though thou feest him not thou feelest him not though thou hearest him not Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee or as it may bee rendred according to the Greek I will not not leave thee neither will I not not forsake thee Art thou not now drawn out to prize God and Christ and his love above all the world yes art thou not now drawn out to give the Lord many a secret visit Cant. 2. 14 in a corner behinde the door in some dark hole where none can see thee nor hear thee but the Lord Psal 42. 1 2 3 Psal 63. 1 2 3 yes are there not strong breathings pantings and longings after a clearer vision of God and after a fuller fruition of God yes art thou not more affected and afflicted with the withdrawings of Christ than thou art with the greatest afflictions Cant. 5. 6. that ever befell thee yes Austin upon that answer of God to Moses Thou canst not see my face and Exod. 33. 20. live makes this quick and sweet reply then Lord let mee die that I may see thy face Dost thou not often tell God that there is no punishment Psal 30. 6 7 to the punishment of loss and no hell to that of being forsaken of God yes dost thou not finde a secret power in thy soul drawing thee forth to struggle with God to lay hold on God and patiently to wait on God till hee shall return unto thee and lift up the light of his countenance upon thee yes well then thou mayest bee confident that thou hast a secret and blessed presence of God with thee though God in regard of his comfortable presence may bee departed from thee nothing below a secret presence of God with a mans spirit will keep him waiting and working till the Sun of Righteousness shines upon him If any vain persons should put that deriding Mal. 4. 2. question to thee where is thy God thou mayest safely and boldly answer them my God is here hee is nigh mee hee is round about mee yea hee is in the midst of mee Zeph 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty hee will save hee will rejoyce over thee with joy hee will rest in his love hee will joy ●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

28. Job 40. 4 5. chap. 42. 1 7. Surely this affliction shall issue in the purging away of my drosse Isa 1. 25. Surely as plowing of the ground killeth the weeds and harrowing breaketh hard clots so these afflictions shall kill my sins and soften my heart Hos 5. ult chap. 6. 1 2 3. Surely as the plaister draws out the core so the afflictions that are upon mee shall draw out the core of pride the core of self-love the core of envy the core of earthlinesse the core of formality the core of hypocrisie Psal 119. 67 71. Surely by these the Lord will crucifie my heart more and more to the world and the world to my heart Gal. 6. 14. Psal 131. 1 2 3. Surely by these afflictions the Lord will hide pride from my soul Job 33. 14 21. Surely these afflictions are but the Lords pruning-knives by which hee will bleed my sins and prune my heart and make it more fertil and fruitful they are but the Lords potion by which hee will clear mee and rid mee of those spiritual diseases and maladies which are most deadly and dangerous to my soul Affliction is such a potion as will carry away all ill humours better than all the benedicta medicamenta as Physicians call them Zach. 13. 8 9. Surely these shall encrease my spiritual experiences Rom. 5. 3 4 Surely by these I shall bee made more partaker of Gods holinesse Heb. 12. 10. As black sope makes white cloaths so doth sharp afflictions make holy hearts Surely by these God will communicate more of himself unto mee Hos 2. 14. Surely by these afflictions the Lord will draw out my heart more and more to seek him Isa 26. 16. Tatianus told the Heathen Greeks that when they were sick then they would send for their gods to be with them as Agamemnon did at the siege of Troy send for his ten Counsellors Hos 5. 15. In their afflictions they will seek mee early or as the Hebrew hath it they will morning mee in times of affliction Christians will industriously speedily early seek unto the Lord. Surely by these trials and troubles the Lord will fix my soul more than ever upon the great concernments of another world Joh. 14. 1 2 3. Rom. 8. 17 18. ● Cor. 4. 16 17 18. Surely by these afflictions the Lord will work in mee more tendernesse and compassion towards those that are afflicted Heb. 10. 34. chap. 13. 3. As that Tyrian Queen said Evils have taught mee to bemoan All that afflictions make to groan The Romans punished one that was seen looking out at his window with a Crown of Roses on his head in a time of publick calamity Bishop Bonner was full of guts but empty of bowels I am afraid this age is full of such Bonners Surely these are but Gods love-tokens Some say if a knife or needle be touched with a loadstone of an Iron-colour it will cut or enter into a mans body without any sense of pain at all so will afflictions when touched with the loadstone of divine love Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Seneca perswaded his friend Polybius to bear his affliction quietly because hee was the Emperours favourite telling him that it was not lawful for him to complain whilst Caesar was his friend So saith the holy Christian O my soul bee quiet bee still all is in love all is a fruit of divine favour I see hony upon the top of every twig I see the rod is but a Rosemary-branch I have sugar with my gall and wine with my wormwood therefore bee silent O my soul And this general Conclusion that all should bee for good had this blessed effect upon the Church vers 28. Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because hee hath born it upon him Afflictions abase the loveliness of the world without that might entice us It abates the lustiness of the flesh within which might else ensnare us And it abates the spirit in his quarrel against the flesh and the world by all which it proves a mighty advantage unto us Secondly They shall keep them humble and low vers 29. Hee putteth his mouth in the dust if so bee there may bee hope Some say that these words are an allusion to the manner of those that having been conquered and subdued lay their necks down at the conquerours feet to bee trampled upon and to lick up the dust that is under the conquerours feet Others of the learned look upon the words as an allusion to poor petitioners who cast themselves down at Princes feet that they may draw forth their pitty and compassion towards them As I have read of Aristippus who fell on the ground before Dionysius and kissed his feet when hee presented a petition to him and being asked the reason answered Aures habet in pedibus hee hath his ears in his feet take it which way you will it holds forth this to us That holy hearts will bee humble under the afflicting hand of God When Gods Rod is upon their backs their mouths shall bee in the dust A good heart will lye lowest when the hand of God is lifted highest Job 42. 1 7. Act. 9. 1 8. Thirdly The third soul-quieting Conclusion you have in vers 31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever the Rod shall not alwaies lye upon the back of the righteous At even-tide 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 't is but a little cloud said hee and will quickly bee gone There are none of Gods afflicted ones that have not their lucida intervalla their intermissions respites A little storm as one said of Julians persecution and an eternal calm follows breathing-whiles yea so small a while doth the hand of the Lord rest upon his people that Luther cannot get diminutives enough to extenuate it for hee calls it a very little little cross that wee bear Isa 26. 20. Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment or for a little space a little while until the indignation bee overpast The indignation doth not transire but pertransire pass but over-passe The sharpnesse shortnesse and suddenness of the Saints afflictions is set forth by the travel of a woman John 16. 21. which is sharp short and sudden Fourthly The fourth soul-silencing Conclusion you have in vers 32. But though hee cause grief yet will hee have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies in wrath God remembers mercy Hab. 3. 2. Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Psal 30. 5. their mourning shall last but till morning God will turn their winters night into a summers day their sighing into singing their grief into gladness their mourning into musick their bitter into sweet their

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

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 will Heb. 13. 5 6 Isa 40. 29 30 31 never fail Well Christian thou art under many great troubles many sore trials but tell mee doth God give into thy soul such cordials such supports such comforts and such refreshments that the world knows not of O then certainly thy affliction is in love Fourthly If by your affliction you are made more conformable Witness Judas Demas and those in the 6th of John and many 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 in that 1 Pet. 2. 9. then certainly Exaggeilete publickly to set forth those afflictions are in love for they never have such an operation but where they are set on by a hand of love when God strikes as an enemy there all those stroaks do but make a man more an enemy to God as you see in Pharaoh and others but when the stroaks Isa 26. 8 9 10 Jer. 5. 3. Amos 6. 1 ult of God are the stroaks of love Oh then they do but bring the soul nearer Christ and transform the soul more and more into the likeness of Christ if by thy afflictions thou art made more holy humble heavenly c. they are in love Every afflicted Christian should strive to bee honoured with that Elogie of Salvian singularis domini praeclarus imitator An excellent Disciple of a singular Master But Fifthly If by outward afflictions thy soul bee brought more under Job 34. 31 32 the inward teachings of God doubtless thy afflictions are in love Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law All the chastening in the world without divine teaching will never make a man blessed that man that findes correction attended with instruction and lashing with lessoning is a happy man If God by the affliction that is upon thee shall teach thee how to loathe sin more and how to trample upon the world more and how to walk with God more thy afflictions are in love if God shall teach thee by afflictions how to dye to sin more and how to dye to thy relations more and how to dye to self-interest more thy afflictions are in love if God shall teach thee by afflictions how to live to Christ more how to lift up Christ more and how to long for Christ more thy afflictions are in love If God shall teach thee by afflictions to get assurance of a better life and to bee still in a gracious readiness and preparedness for the day of thy death thy afflictions are in love if God shall teach thee by afflictions how to minde Heaven more how to live in Heaven more and how to fit for Heaven more thy afflictions are in love if God by afflictions shall teach thy proud heart how to lye more low and thy hard heart how to grow more humble and thy censorious heart how to grow more charitable and thy carnal heart how to grow more spiritual and thy froward heart how to grow more quiet c. thy afflictions are in love When God teaches thy reins as well as thy brains thy heart as well as thy head these lessons or any of these lessons thy afflictions are in love Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 18. Pambo an illiterate dunce as the Historian terms him was a learning that one lesson I said I will take heed to my waies that I sin not with my tongue nineteen years and yet had not learned it Ah! it is to bee feared that there are many who have been in the school of affliction above this nineteen years and yet have not learned any saving lesson all this while surely their afflictions are not in love but in wrath where God loves hee afflicts in love and where-ever God afflicts in love there hee will first or last teach such souls such lessons as shall do them good to all eternity But Sixthly If God suit your burdens to your backs your trials to Isa 27. 8 Jer. 30. 11. ch 46. 28 your strength according to that golden promise 1 Cor. 10. 13. Your afflictions are in love There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to bee tempted above that yee are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that yee may bee able to bear it When Gods stroaks and a Christians strength are suited one to another all is in love let the load bee never so heavy Gen. 49. 23 24. that God laies on if hee put under his everlasting arms all is in love As Egypt had many venemous creatures so it had many antidotes against them when God shall lay antidotes into the soul against all the afflictions that befall a Christian then they are all in love it is no matter how heavy the burden is if God gives a shoulder to bear it all is in love it is no matter how bitter the cup is if God give courage to drink it off it is no matter how hot the furnace is if God gives power to walk in the midst of it all is in love Seventhly I● thou art willing to lye in the furnace till thy dross bee consumed if thou art willing Job 23. 10 Mic. 7. 9 that the plaister should lye on though it smart till the cure bee wrought if thou art willing that the physick should work though it makes thee sick till the humors bee expelled all is in love Cain and Saul and Pharaoh were all for the removing away of the stroak the affliction they cry not out our sins are greater than wee are able to bear but they cry out our punishment is greater Gen. 4. 13 Isa 28. 1 6. ch 59. 9 17 Exod. 7 8 9 10. chapters than wee are able to bear they cry not out Lord take away our sins but Lord remove the stroak of thy hand Oh! but when an

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 them as those that are near and dear unto him but if under delaies they fall a crying roaring storming vexing and fretting the Lord will not own them but reckon them as bastards and no sons Heb. 12. 8. Secondly That they may have the greater experience of his power grace love and mercy in the close Christ loved Martha and her Sisters and Lazarus yet Joh. 11. 3 5 6 17 hee defers his coming for several daies and Lazarus must die bee put in the grave and lye there till hee stinks and why so but that they might have the greater experience of his power grace and love towar 〈…〉 them Thirdly To sharpen his childrens appetite and to put a greater edge upon their desires to make Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4 Isa 26. 8 9 16. them cry out as a woman in travel or as a man that is in danger of drowning God delaies that his people may set upon him with greater strength and importunity hee puts them off that they may put on with more life and vigour God seems to be cold that hee may make us the more hot hee seems to bee slack that hee may make us the more earnest hee seems to bee backward that hee may make us the more forward in pressing upon him the Father delaies the childe that hee may make him the more eager and so doth God his that hee may make them the more divinely violent When Balaam Numb 22. 15 had once put off Balak hee sent again saith the Text certain Princes more and more honourable than they Balaam's put off did but make Balak the more importunate it did but encrease and whet his desires this is that that God aims at by all his put offs to make his children more earnest to whet up their spirits and that they may send up more and yet more honourable prayers after him that they may cry more earnestly strive more mightily and wrestle more importunately with God and that they may take Heaven with a more sacred violence Anglers draw back the hook that the fish may bee the more forward to bite and God sometimes seems to draw back but it is onely that wee may press the more on And therefore as Anglers when they have long waited and perceive that the fish do not so much as nibble at the bait yet do they not impatiently throw away the Rod or break the Hook and Line but pull up and look upon the 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 delaies them and puts them off Ah! what cause have they to cry out of themselves to cry out of proud self and worldly self and Psal 73. 21 22 carnal self and foolish self and ●roward self c. Wee are very apt saith Seneca utimur perspicillis magis quam speculis to use spectacles to behold other mens faults rather than looking-glasses to behold our own but now Gods delaies are as a looking-glass in which God gives his people to see their own faults Oh! that baseness that vileness that wretchedness that sink of filthiness that gulf of wickedness that God by delaies discovers to bee in the hearts of men But Fifthly God delaies and puts off his people to enhaunce to raise the price of mercy the price of deliverance wee usually set the highest price the greatest esteem upon such things that wee obtain with greatest difficulty what we dearly Act. 22. 28 Cant. 3. 4 buy that we highly prize the more sighs tears weepings waitings watchings strivings earnest longings this mercy and that deliverance and the other favour costs us the more highly wee shall value them when a delaied mercy comes it ●astes more like a mercy it sticks more like a mercy it warms more like a mercy it works more like a mercy and it endears the heart to God like a mercy more than any other mercy that a man enjoyes This is the childe saith Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 27. after God had long delayed her for which I prayed and the Lord hath given mee my petition which I asked of him Delaied mercy is the cream of mercy no mercy so sweet so dear so precious to a man as that which a man hath gained after many put offs Mr. Glover the Martyr sought the Lord earnestly and frequently for some special mercies and the Lord delaied him long but when hee was even at the stake then the Lord gave in the mercies to him and then as a man over joyed hee cries out to his friend hee is come hee is come But Sixthly The Lord delaies his people that hee may pay them home in their own coin God sometimes loves to retaliate The Spouse puts off Christ Cant. 5. 2. I have put off Prov. 1. 23 ult Zach. 7. 13 my coat how can I put it on c. And Christ puts her off vers 5 6 7 8. Thou hast put off God from day to day from month to month yea from year to year and therefore if God puts thee off from day to day or from year to year hast thou any cause to complain surely no thou hast often and long

put off the motions of his Spirit the directions of his word the offers of his grace the entreaties of his Son and therefore what can be more just than that God should delay thee for a time and put thee off for a season who hast delaied him and put off him daies without number if God serves thee as thou hast often served him thou hast no reason to complain But Seventhly and lastly The Lord delaies his people that Heaven may be the more sweet to them at last here they meet with many delaies and with many put offs but in Heaven they shall never meet with one put off with one delay here many times they call and cry and can get no answer Lam. 3. 8 44 here they knock and bounce and yet the door of grace and mercy opens not to them but in Heaven they shall have mercy at the first word at the first knock there whatever heart can wish shall without delay be enjoyed here God seems to say sometimes souls you have mistaken the door or I am not at leasure or others must be served before you or come some other time c. But in Heaven God is alwaies at leasure and all the sweetness and blessedness and happiness of that state presents it self every hour to the soul there God hath never God will never say to any of his Saints in Heaven come to morrow such language the Saints sometimes hear here but such language is no waies suitable to a glorified condition and therefore seeing that the Lord never delaies his people but upon great and weighty accounts let his people bee silent before him let them not mutter nor murmure but be mute And so I have done with the Objections I shall come now in the last place to propound some helps and directions that may contribute to the silencing and stilling of your souls under the greatest afflictions the sharpest trials and the saddest providences that you meet with in this world and so close up this discourse First All the afflictions that come upon the Saints they are the Prov. 3. 12 Jer. 9. 7 fruits of divine love Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten bee zealous therefore and repent Heb. 12. 6. For whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom hee receiveth Job 5. 17. Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty ch 7. 17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him And that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment Isa 48. 10. Behold I have refined thee but not with silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction When Munster lay sick and his friends asked him how hee did and how hee felt himself hee pointed to his sores and ulcers whereof hee was full and said these are Gods Gems and Jewels wherewith hee decketh his best friends and to mee they are more precious than all the gold and silver in the world A Gentleman highly prizes his Hawk hee feeds her with his own hand hee carries her upon his fist hee takes a great deal of delight and pleasure in her and therefore hee puts vervells upon her leggs and a hood upon her head hee hood-winks her and fetters her because hee loves her and takes delight in her So the Lord by afflictions hood-winks and fetters his children but all is because hee loves them and takes delight and pleasure in them there cannot be a greater evidence of Gods hatred and wrath than his Hos 4. 14. 19 Ezek. 16. 42 Isa 1. 5 Nihil est infaelicius ●o cui nil unquam contigit adversi Seneca refusing to correct men for their sinful courses and vanities why should you bee smitten any more you will revolt more and more where God refuses to correct there God resolves to destroy there is no man so near the Axe so near the flames so near Hell as hee whom God will not so much as spend a Rod upon God is most angry where hee shews no anger Jerome writing to a sick friend hath this expression I account it a part of unhappiness not to know adversity I judge you to bee miserable because you have not been miserable nothing saith another Demetrius seems more unhappy to mee than hee to whom no adversity hath hapned God afflicts thee O Christian in love and therefore Luther cries out strike Lord strike Lord and spare not who can seriously muse upon this and not hold his peace and not bee silent under the most smarting Rod Secondly Consider that the trials and troubles the calamities and miseries the crosses and losses that you meet with in this world is all the Hell that ever you shall have here you have your Hell hereafter you shall have your Heaven this is the worst of your condition the best is to come Lazarus had his Hell first his Heaven Luke 16. 19 29 last but Dives had his Heaven first and his Hell at last thou hast all thy pains and pangs and throws here that ever thou shalt have thy ease and rest and pleasure is to come here you have all your bitter your sweet is to come here you have your sorrows your joyes are to come here you have all your winter nights your summer daies are to come here you have your passion week your Ascension day is to come here you have your evil things your good things are to come death will put a period to all thy sins and to all thy sufferings and it will bee an inlet to those joyes delights and contents that shall never have end and therefore hold thy peace and be silent before the Lord. Thirdly Get an assurance that Christ is yours and pardon of sin See my Treatise called Heaven on Earth yours and divine favour yours and Heaven yours and the sense of this will exceedingly quiet and silence the soul under the sorest and the sharpest trials a Christian can meet with in this world hee that is assured that God is his portion wil never mutter nor murmure under his greatest burdens hee that can groundedly say nothing shall separate mee from the love of God in Christ hee will be able to triumph in the midst of the greatest Rom. 8. 33 ult Cant. 2. 16 tribulations hee that with the Spouse can say My Beloved is mine and I am his will bear up quietly and sweetly under the heaviest afflictions In the time of the Marian Act. Mon. Persecution there was a gracious woman who being convened before bloody Bonner then Bishop So John Noyes Alice Driver Mr. Bradford Mr. Taylor and Justin Martyr with many more of London upon the trial of Religion hee threatned her that hee would take away her husband from her saith shee Christ is my husband I will take away thy childe Christ saith shee is better to mee than ten Sons I will