The Silent Soul, Title page – Dedication
THE SILENT SOƲL, WITH, SOVERAIGN ANTIDOTES Againſt the Moſt Miſerable Exigents: OR, A Chriſtian with an OLIVE-LEAF in his mouth, when he is under the greateſt afflictions, the ſharpeſt and ſoreſt trials and troubles, the ſaddeſt and darkeſt providences and changes, with Anſwers to divers Queſtions and Objections that are of greateſt importance, all tending to win and work ſouls to bee ſtill, quiet, calm and ſilent under all changes that have, or may paſs upon them in this world, &c.
By Thomas Brooks Preacher of the Word at Margarets New Fiſh-ſtreet London, and Paſtor of the Church of Chriſt meeting there.
The Lord is in his holy Temple: let all the earth keep ſilence before him. Hab. 2. 20.
London, Printed by R. I. for John Hancock, to be ſold at the firſt ſhop in Popes-head-Alley next to Corn-hill. 1660.
Mr. BROOKS his MƲTE CHRISTIAN.
TO All afflicted, diſtreſſed, diſſatisfied, diſquieted, and diſcompoſed Chriſtians throughout the world.
Dear hearts,
THe choiceſt Saints are born to troubles, as thePſal. 34. 19 Job 5. 1 Pſa. 88. 3, 4 Qui non eſt crucianus, non eſt Chriſtianus. Luther. sparks fly upwards. Many are the troubles of the Righteous; if they were many, and not troubles, (then as it is in the Proverb) the more the merrier; or if they were troubles, and not many, then the fewer the better chear; but God who is infinite in wiſdome, and matchleſs in goodneſs, hath ordered troubles, yea many troubles to come trooping in upon us on every ſide. As our mercies, ſo our croſſes ſeldome come ſingle, they uſually come treading one upon the heels of another; they are like April ſhowers, no ſooner is one over, but another comes. And yet Chriſtians, it is mercy, it is rich mercy, that every affliction is not an execution, that every correction is not a damnation. The higher the waters riſe, the nearer Noahs Ark was lifted up to Heaven; the more thy afflictions are encreaſed, the more thy heart ſhall bee raiſed Heaven-wards.
Becauſe I would not hold you too long in the porch, I ſhall onelyonly indeavour two things; Firſt, To give you the reaſons of my appearing once more in Print; and Secondly, A little counſel and direction, that the following Tract may turn to your ſouls advantage, which is the white that I have in mine eye. The true reaſons of my ſending this piece into the world (ſuch as it is) are th…ſe,
Firſt, The afflicting hand of God hath been hard upon my ſelf, and upon my deareſt relations in this world, and upon many of my precious Chriſtian friends, whom I much love and honour in the Lord▪ which put mee upon ſtudying of the mind of God in that Scripture, that I have made the ſubject matter of this following diſcourſe. Luther could not understand ſome Pſalms, till hee was afflicted, the Chriſt-croſs is no letter in the book, and yet ſaith hee▪ it hath taught mee more than all the letters in the book, afflictions are a golden key, by which the Lord opens the rich treaſures of his word to his peoples ſouls; and this in ſome meaſure through graceJudg. 14. 9, 10. my ſoul hath experienced; when Sampſon had found honey, hee gave ſome to his Father and Mother to eat; ſome honey I have found in my following Text, and therefore I may not, I cannot bee ſuch a churl, as not to give them ſome of my honey to taſte, who have drunk deep of my gall and wormwood.Some have accounted nothing their own that they have not communicated to others. Auſtin obſerves on that, Pſal. 66. 16. Come and hear all yee that fear God, and I will declare what hee hath done for my ſoul. Hee do…h not call them (ſaith hee) to acquaint them with speculations, how wide the earth is, how far the Heavens are stretched out, what the number of the ſtars is, or what is the courſe of the Sun; but come, and I will tell you the wonders of his grace, the faithfulneſs of his promiſes, the riches of his mercy to my ſoul; gracious experiences are to be communicated; Lilmod Lelammed, we therefore learn, that wee may teach, is a proverb among the Rabbins; And I do therefore lay in and lay up, ſaith the Heathen, that I may draw forth again, and lay out for the good of many; when God hath dealt bountifully with us, others ſhould reap ſome noble good by us; the Family, the Town, the City, the Country, where a man lives, ſhould fare the better for his faring well; our mercies and experiences ſhould bee as a running ſpring at our doors, which is not onelyonly for our own uſe, but alſo for our neighbours, yea and for strangers too.
Secondly, What is written is permanent, litera ſcripta manet, and-ſpreads it ſelf further by far, for time, place and perſons than the voice can reach; the pen is an artificial tongue, it ſpeaks as well to abſent, as to preſent friends; it ſpeaks to them that are afar off, as well as thoſe that are near; it ſpeaks to many thouſands at once; it ſpeaks not onelyonly to the preſent age, but alſo to ſucceedingHeb. 11. 4 Zech. 1. 5 ages; the Pen is a kinde of Image of eternity, it will make a man live when hee is dead; though the Prophets do not live for ever, yet their labours may; a mans writings may preach, when hee cannot, when hee may not, and when by reaſon of bodily diſtempers, he… dares not; yea and that which is more, when hee is not.
Thirdly, Few men, if any, have Iron memories; how ſoon is a Sermon preach'd forgotten, when a Sermon written remains? Auguſtin writing toAuguſt. Epiſt. 1. ad Voluſ. Voluſian, ſaith, That which is written is alwaies at hand to bee read, when the reader is at leaſure; men do not eaſily forget their own names, nor their Fathers houſe, nor the wives of their boſomes, nor the fruit of their loins nor to eat their daily bread; and yet Ah! how eaſily do they forget that word of grace, that ſhould bee dearer to them than all? moſt mens memories, eſpecially in the great concernments of their ſouls are like a ſieve or bowlter, where the good Corn, and fine Flower goes thorow, but the ligh… chaff and courſe bran remains behinde; or like a ſtrainer, where the ſweet liquor is ſtrained out, but the dreggs are left behinde; or like a grate, that lets the pure water run away, but if there bee any ſtraws, ſticks, mud, or filth that it holds, as it were with Iron hands, moſt mens memories are very treacherous, especially in good things; few mens memories are a holy Ark, a heavenly Stare-houſe, or Magazine for their ſouls; and therefore they ſtand in the more need of a written word. But
Fourthly, Its marvelous ſuitableneſs and uſefulneſs under theſe great turns and changes that have paſt upon us. As every wiſe husbandman obſerves the fitteſt ſeaſons to ſow his ſeed; ſome hee ſows in the Autumn, and fall of the leaf, ſome, in the springIſa. 28. 25 of the year, ſome in a dry ſeaſon, and ſome in a wet, ſome in a moiſt clay, and ſome in a ſandy dry ground: So every ſpiritual husbandman muſt obſerve the fitteſt times to ſow his spiritual ſeed in, hee hath heavenly ſeed by him for all occaſions and ſeaſons, for ſpring and fall, for all grounds, heads and hearts; now whether the ſeed ſown in the following Treatiſe bee not ſuitable to the times and ſeaſons wherein wee are caſt, is left to the judgement of the prudent Reader to determine; if the Author had thought otherwiſe, this babe had been ſtifled in the womb.
Fifthly, The good acceptance that my other weak labours have found; God hath bleſt them, not onelyonly to theRom. 15. 21 Phil. 1. 9, 10, 11 conviction, the edification, confirmation, and conſolation of many, but alſo to the converſion of many. God is a free Agent to work by what hand hee pleaſes, and ſometimes hee takes pleaſure1 Cor. 1. 17,—29 to do great things by weak means, that no fleſh may glory in his preſence. God will not deſpiſe the day of ſmall things, and who or what art thou that dareſt deſpiſe that day? the Spirit breathes upon whoſe preaching and writing heeJohn 3 pleaſes, and all proſpers according as that wind blows.
Sixthly, That all afflicted and diſtreſſed Chriſtians may have a proper ſalve for every ſore, a proper remedy againſt every diſeaſe at hand▪ as every good man▪ ſo every good book is notProv. 25. 11 That remedy is no remedy, that is not proper to the diſ…aſe. fit to bee the afflicted mans companion, but this is, here hee may ſee his face, his head his hand his heart, his way his works; here hee may ſee all his diſeaſes diſcovered, and proper remedies propoſed and applied; here hee may finde Arguments to ſilence him, and means to quiet him, when it is at worst with him; in every ſtorm here hee may finde a tree to ſhelter him, and in every danger here hee may finde a City of Refuge to ſecure him, and in every d…fficulty here hee may have a light to guide him, and in every peril here hee may finde a buckler to defend him, and in every diſtreſs here hee may finde a cordial to ſtrengthen him, and in every trouble here hee may finde a ſtaff to ſupport him.
Seventhly, To ſatisfie ſome boſomefriends, ſome faithful friends; man is made to bee a friend▪ and apt for friendly offices; hee that is not friendly, is not worthy to have a friend, and hee that hath a friend, and doth …ot ſhew h…mſelf friendly, is not worthy to bee accounted a man; friendſhip is a kinde of life, without which there is no comfort of a mans life. Chriſtian friendſhip1 Sam. 22. 1, 2. 3. ties ſuch a knot, that great Alexander cannot cut: Summer friends I value not, but winter friends are worth their weight in gold, and wh… can deny ſuch any thing, eſpecially in th…ſe daies, wherein real, faithful, conſtant friends are ſo rare to bee found?O… my friends! I have never a friend, ſaid Socrates; a friend is a very mutable creature, ſaith Plato The friendſhip of moſt men in theſe daies, is like Jonahs Gourd; now very promiſing and flouriſhing, and anon fading and withering; it is like ſome plants in the water, which have broad leaves on the ſurface of the water, but ſcarce any root at all; their friendſhip is like Lemons, cold within, hot without; their expreſſions are high, but their affections are low, they speak much, but do little; as Drumms and Trumpets, and Enſigns in a battel make a great noiſe, and a fine ſhew, but act nothing: ſo theſe counterfeit friends will▪ complement highly, how hanſomely, ſpeak plauſibly, and promiſe luſtily, and yet have neither a hand nor a heart to act any thing cordially or faithfully; from ſuch friends it is a mercy to bee delivered: And therefore King Antigonus was wont to pray to God that hee would protect him from his friends, and when one of his Council asked him why hee prayed ſo, hee returned this anſwer, every man will ſhun and defend himſelf againſt his profeſſed enemies, but from our profeſſed or pretended friends, of whom few are faithful, none can ſafe-guard himſelf, but hath need of protection from Heaven; but for all this there are ſome that are real friends, faithful friends, active friends, winter friends, boſomefriends, faſt friends, and for their ſakes (eſpecially thoſe among them) that have been long, very long under the Smarting Rod, and in the fiery Furnace, and that have been often poured from veſſel to veſſel, have I once more appeared in Print to the world.
Eighthly and laſtly, There▪ hath not any Authors or Author come to my hand that hath handled this ſubject, as I have done, and therefore I do not know but it may bee the more grateful and acceptable to the world;1 Theſ. 1. 7, 8 2 Cor. 8. 10. ch. 9. 1, … and if by this aſſay others that are more able ſhall bee provoked to do more worthily upon this ſubject, I ſhall therein rejoyce; I ſhall onelyonly add, that though much of the following matter was preached upon the Lords viſitation of my dear yoak-fellow, my ſelf, and ſome other friends, yet there are many things of ſpecial concernment in the following Tract, that yet I have not upon any accounts communicated to the world. And thus I have given you a true and faithful account of the reaſons that have prevailed with m…e to publiſh this Treatiſe to the wo…ld, and to dedicate it to your ſelves.
Secondly, The ſecond thing promiſed was, the giving of you a little good … unſel▪ that you may ſo read the following diſcourſe, as that it may turn much to your ſouls advantage; for, as many fiſh and catch nothing, ſo many readLuke 5. 5 good books and get nothing, becauſe they rea… them over curſorily, ſlightly, ſuperficially, but hee that would read to profit, muſt then,
Firſt, Read, and look up for a bleſſing; Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but all will be to no purpoſe, except the Lord give the encreaſe. God muſt1 Cor. 3. 6, 7 do the deed, when all is done, or elſe all that is done will do you no good; if you would have this work ſucceſſeful and effectual, you muſt look off from man, and look up to God, who alone can make it a bleſſing to you. As without a bleſſingMicah 6. 14. from Heaven thy cloaths cannot warm thee, nor thy food nouriſh thee, nor phyſick cure thee, nor friends comfort thee: So without a bleſſing fromHag. 1. 6. Heaven, without the precious breathings and influences of the Spirit, what here is done, will do you no good, it will not turn to your account in the day of Chriſt; and therefore caſt an eye heavenwards. It is Sencca's obſervation, that the husbandmen in Egypt never look up to Heaven for Rain, in the time of drought, but look after the overflowing of the banks of Nilus, as the onelyonly cauſe of their plenty. Ah! how many are there in theſe daies, who when they go to read a book, never look up, never look after the Rain of Gods bleſſing, but onelyonly look to the River Nilus, they onelyonly look to the wit, the learning, the Arts, the parts, the eloquence, &c. of the Author, they never look ſo high as Heaven; and hence it comes to paſs, that though theſe read much, yet they profit little.
Secondly, Hee that would read to profit, muſt read and meditate; meditationAnimae viaticum eſt meditatio. Bern. Lectio ſine meditatione arida eſt, meditatio ſine lectione erronea eſt, oratio ſine meditatione livida eſt. Auguſt. is the food of your ſouls, it is the very ſtomach and natural heat whereby spiritual truths are digeſted. A man ſhall as ſoon live without his heart, as hee ſhall bee able to get good by what hee reads, without meditation. Prayer (ſaith Bernard) without meditation, is dry and formal, and reading without meditation is uſeleſs and unprofitable. Hee that would bee a wiſe, a prudent, and an able experienced ſtates-man, muſt not haſtily ramble and run over many Cities, Countries, Cuſtomes, Laws and Manners of People, without ſerious muſing and pondering upon ſuch things as may make him an expert States-man: So hee that would get good by reading, that would compleat his knowledge, and perfect his experience in spiritual things, muſt not ſlightly and haſtily ramble and run over this book, or that, but ponder upon what hee reads; as Mary pondered the ſaying of the Angel in her heart. Lord (ſaith Auſtin) the more I meditate on thee, the ſweeter thou art to mee: So the more you ſhall meditate on the following matter, the ſweeter it will be to you; they uſually thrive beſt, who meditate moſt; meditation is a ſoul-fatning duty, it is a grace-ſtergthning duty, it is a duty-crowning duty. Gerſon calls meditation the nurſe of prayer; Hier… calls it his Paradiſe Baſil calls it the treaſury where all the graces are lock'd up; Theophylact calls it the very gate and portal by which wee enter n…o glory and Ari…t…le, though a Heathen placeth felicity in the contemplation of the mind; you may read much, and …ear much, yet without meditation you will never bee excellent, you will never bee eminent Chriſtians.
Thirdly, Read and try what thou readeſt, take nothing upon truſt, but all upon trial: As thoſe Noble Bereans 1 Joh. 4. 10 Act. 17. 10, 11.did. You will try, and tell, and weigh gold, though it be handed to you by your Fathers; and ſo ſhould you all thoſe heavenly truths that are handed to you by your ſpiritual Fathers. I hope upon trial you will finde nothing, but what will hold weight in the ballance of the ſanctuary; and though all bee not gold that gliſters, yet I judge that you will finde nothing here to gliſter, that will not be found upon trial to be true gold.
Fourthly, Read and do, read and practiſe what you read, or elſe all yourAuguſtine ſpeaking of the Scripture, ſaith, verba vivenda, non legenda. reading will do you no good; hee that hath a good book in his hand, but not a leſſon of it in his heart, or life, is like that Aſs that carries rich burdens, and feeds upon thiſtles. In divine account a man knows no more than hee do…h; Profeſſion without practice will but make a man twice told a childe of darkneſs; to ſpeak well, is to ſound like a Cymbal,Iſiodorus. but to do well, is to act like an Angel; hee that practiſeth what hee reads, and underſtands, God will help him to underſtand,Joh. 7. 16, 17 Pſal. 119. 98, 99, 100 what he underſtands not; there is no fear of knowing too much, though there is much fear in practiſing too little; the moſt doing man, ſhall bee the moſt knowing man; the mightieſt man in practice, will in the end prove the mightieſt man in Scripture. Theory is the guide of practice, and practice is the life of Theory. Salvian relates,Salvianus de G. D. l. 4. how the Heathen did reproach ſome Chriſtians, who by their lewd lives made the Gosbel of Chriſt to bee a reproach; where (ſaid they) is that good Law which they do beleeve? where are thoſe rules of godlineſs which they do learn? they read the holy Goſpel, and yet are unclean; they hear the Apoſtles writings, and yet live in drunkenneſs; they follow Chriſt, and yet diſobey Chriſt; they proprofeſs a holy Law, and yet do lead impure lives: Ah! how may many Preacher stake up ſad complaints againſt many Readers in theſe daies? they read our works, and yet in their lives they denySeneca had rather bee ſick, than idle and do nothing our works, they praiſe our works, and yet in their converſations they reproach our works, they cry up our labours in their diſcourſes, and yet they cry them down in their practices: Yet I hope better things of you, into whoſe hands this Treatiſe ſhall fall. The Samaritan woman did not fill her pi…her with water, that ſhee might talkJoh. 4. 7. Gen. 30. 15 of it, but that ſhe might uſe it; and Rachel did not deſire the Mandrakes to hold in her hand, but that ſhee might thereby be the more apt to bring forth. The Application is eaſie. But
Fifthly, Read and apply; reading is but the drawing of the bow, application is the hitting of the white; the choiceſt truths will no further profit you, than they are applied by you; you wereThe plaiſter will nor heal, if it bee not applied. as good not to read, as not to apply what you read: No man attains to health by reading of Galen, or by knowing Hippocrates his Aphoriſms, but by the practical application of them; all the reading in the world will never make for the health of your ſouls, except you apply what you read; the true reaſon why many read ſo much, and profit ſo little, is, becauſe they do not apply and bring home what they read to their own ſouls. But
Sixthly and laſtly, Read and pray; hee that makes not conſcience of praying over what hee reads, will finde littlePrayer is porta caeli, …lav…s p…r…diſi. ſweetneſs or profit in his reading; no man makes ſuch earnings of his reading, as hee that praies ove… what hee reads. Luther profeſſeth, that hee profited more in the knowledge of the Scriptures by prayer in a ſhort ſpace, than by ſtudy in a longer. A… John by weeping got the ſealed book open: ſo certainly men would gain much more than they do, by reading good mens wo…ks, if they would but pray more over what they read. Ah Chriſtians! pray before you read, and pray after you read, that all may bee bleſt and ſanctified to you; when you have done reading, uſually cloſe up thus,
So let mee live, ſo let mee die,
That I may live eternally.
And when you are in the Mount fo… your ſelves, bear him upon your hearts, who is willing to ſpend and2 Cor. 12. 15 bee ſpent for your ſakes, for your ſouls. O pray for mee, that I may more and more bee under the rich influences, and glorious pourings out of the Spirit; that I may bee an able Miniſter of the New Teſtament,2 Cor. 3. 6 not of the Letter, but of the Spirit; that I may alwaies finde an everlaſting ſpring, and an overflowing fountain within mee, which may alwaies make mee faithful, conſtant, and abundant in the work of the Lord; And that I may live daily under thoſe inward teachings of the Spirit, that may inable mee to ſpeak from the heart, to the heart▪ from the co… ſcience, to the conſcience, and from experience, to experience; that I may bee a burning and a ſhining light; that everlaſting arms may bee ſtill under mee; that whilſt I live, I may bee ſerviceable to his Glory and his Peoples good; that no diſcouragements may diſcou…age mee in my work, and that when my work is done, I may give up my account with joy, and not with grief. I ſhall follow theſe poor labours with my weak prayers, that they may contribute much to your internal and eternal welfare; And ſo reſt
Your ſouls ſervant in our deareſt Lord, THOMAS BROOKS.
THE MUTE CHRISTIAN Under the SMARTING ROD.
PSAL. 39. 9.
I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, becauſe thou didſt it.
NOt to trouble you with a tedious Preface, wherein uſually is a flood of words, and but a drop of matter.
This Pſalm conſiſts of two parts, the firſt Exegetical or narrative, the ſecond Eutical or precative, a Narration and Prayer take up the whole: In the former you have the Prophets Diſeaſe diſcovered, and in the latter the Remedy applied. My Text falls in the latter part, where you have the way of Davids cure, or the means by which his ſoul was reduced to a ſtill and quiet temper. I ſhall give a little light into the words, and then come to the point that I intend to ſtand upon.
I was dumb, the Hebrew wordSome read it thus, I ſhould have been dumb, and not have opened my mouth, according to my firſt reſolution. verſ. 1, 2. foreign from foreign ſignifies to bee mute, tongue-tied, or dumb; the Hebrew word ſignifies alſo to binde, as well as to bee mute and dumb, becauſe they that are dumb, are as it were tonguetied, they have their lips ſtitcht and bound up: Ah the ſight of Gods hand in the afflictions that was upon him, makes him lay a law of ſilence upon his heart and tongue.
I opened not my mouth, becauſe thou didst it; hee looks thorow all ſecondary cauſes, to the firſt cauſe, and is ſilent, hee ſees a hand of God in all, and ſo ſits mute and quiet: the ſight of God in an affliction, is of an irreſiſtable efficacy, to ſilence the heart, and to ſtop the mouth of a gracious man. In the words you may obſerve three things.
1 The perſon ſpeaking, and that is David; David a King, David a Saint, David a man after Gods own heart, David a Chriſtian; and here we are to look upon David, not as a King, but as a Chriſtian, as a man whoſe heart was right with God.
2 The action and carriage of David under the hand of God, in theſe words, I was dumb, and opened not my mouth.
3 The reaſon of this humble and ſweet carriage of his, in thoſe words, becauſe thou didſt it; the Propoſition is this;
Doct. That it is the great duty and concernment of gracious ſouls, to bee mute and ſilent under the greateſt afflictions, the ſaddeſt providences, and ſharpest trials that they meet with in this world.
For the opening and clearing up of this great and uſeful truth, I ſhall enquire,
Firſt, What this ſilence is that is here pointed at in the Propoſition.
Secondly, What a gracious, a holy ſilence doth include.
Thirdly, What this holy ſilence doth not exclude.
Fourthly, The Reaſons of the point; and then bring home all by way of application to our own ſouls.