The Silent Soul, Conclusion
I ſhall come now in the laſt place to propound ſome helps and directions, that may contribute to the ſilencing and ſtilling of your ſouls under the greateſt afflictions, the ſharpeſt trials, and the ſaddeſt providences that you meet with in this world; and ſo cloſe up this diſcourſe.
Firſt, All the afflictions that come upon the Saints, they are theProv. 3. 12 Jer. 9. 7 fruits of divine love. Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chaſten, bee zealous therefore, and repent. 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 hisHoſ. 4. 14. 19 Ezek. 16. 42 Iſa. 1. 5 Nihil eſt infaelicius …o, cui nil unquam contigit adverſi. Seneca. refuſing to correct men for their ſinful courſes and vanities; why ſhould you bee ſmitten any more? you will revolt more and more; where God refuſes to correct, there God reſolves to deſtroy; there is no man ſo near the Axe, ſo near the flames, ſo near Hell, as hee whom God will not ſo much as ſpend a Rod upon. God is moſt angry where hee ſhews no anger. Jerome writing to a ſick friend, hath this expreſſion, I account it a part of unhappineſs not to know adverſity; I judge you to bee miſerable, becauſe you have not been miſerable; nothing (ſaith another)Demetrius. ſeems more unhappy to mee, than hee to whom no adverſity hath hapned. God afflicts thee, O Chriſtian in love; and therefore Luther cries out, ſtrike Lord, ſtrike Lord, and ſpare not; who can ſeriouſly muſe upon this, and not hold his peace, and not bee ſilent under the moſt ſmarting Rod?
Secondly, Conſider, that the trials and troubles, the calamities and miſeries, the croſſes and loſſes that you meet with in this world, is all the Hell that ever you ſhall have; here you have your Hell, hereafter you ſhall have your Heaven; this is the worſt of your condition, the beſt is to come. Lazarus had his Hell firſt, his HeavenLuke 16. 19,—29 laſt; but Dives had his Heaven firſt, and his Hell at laſt; thou haſt all thy pains, and pangs, and throws here that ever thou ſhalt have, thy eaſe, and reſt, and pleaſure is to come; here you have all your bitter, your ſweet is to come; here you have your ſorrows, your joyes are to come; here you have all your winter nights, your ſummer daies are to come; here you have your paſſion week, your Aſcenſion day is to come; here you have your evil things, your good things are to come; death will put a period to all thy ſins, and to all thy ſufferings, and it will bee an inlet to thoſe joyes, delights and contents that ſhall never have end; and therefore hold thy peace, and be ſilent before the Lord.
Thirdly, Get an aſſurance that Chriſt is yours, and pardon of ſinSee my Treatiſe called Heaven on Earth. yours, and divine favour yours, and Heaven yours, and the ſenſe of this will exceedingly quiet and ſilence the ſoul under the ſoreſt and the ſharpeſt trials a Chriſtian can meet with in this world; hee that is aſſured that God is his portion, wil never mutter nor murmure under his greateſt burdens; hee that can groundedly ſay nothing ſhall ſeparate mee from the love of God in Chriſt, hee will be able to triumph in the midſt of the greateſtRom. 8. 33,—ult. Cant. 2. 16 tribulations; hee that with the Spouſe can ſay, My Beloved is mine, and I am his, will bear up quietly and ſweetly under the heavieſt afflictions. In the time of the Marian Act. & Mon.Perſecution, there was a gracious woman, who being convened before bloody Bonner (then BiſhopSo John Noyes, Alice Driver, Mr. Bradford, Mr. Taylor, and Juſtin Martyr, with many more. of London) upon the trial of Religion, hee threatned her that hee would take away her husband from her; ſaith ſhee, Chriſt is my husband; I will take away thy childe, Chriſt, ſaith ſhee, is better to mee than ten Sons; I will ſtrip thee, ſaith hee, of all thy outward comforts, yea but Chriſt is mine, ſaith ſhee, and you cannot ſtrip mee of him. Oh! the aſſurance that Chriſt was hers bore up her heart, and quieted her ſpirit under all. You may take away my life, (ſaith Baſil) but you cannot take away my comfort, my head, but not my Crown, yea, quoth hee, had I a thouſand lives, I would lay them all down for my Saviours ſake, who hath done abundantly more for mee. John Ardley profeſſed to Bonner, when hee told him of burning, and how ill hee could endure it, that if hee had as many lives, as hee had hairs on his head, hee would loſe them all in the fire before hee would loſe his Chriſt, Aſſurance will keep a man from muttering and murmuring under the ſoreſt afflictions. Henry and John (two Auguſtine Monks) being the firſt that were burnt in Germany, and Maſter Rogers the firſt that was burnt in Queen Maries daies, did all ſing in the flames. A ſoul that lives in the aſſurance of divine favour, and in its title to glory, cannot but bear up patiently and quietly under the greateſt ſufferings that poſſibly can befall it in this world. That Scripture is worth its weight in gold. The Inhabitants of Sion ſhall not ſay, Iſa. 33. 24I am ſick, the people that dwell therein ſhall be forgiven their iniquity. Hee doth not ſay they were not ſick, no, but though they were ſick, yet they ſhould not ſay they were ſick; but why ſhould they forget their ſorrows, and not remember their pains, nor be ſenſible of their ſickneſs? why, the reaſon is, becauſe the Lord hath forgiven them their iniquities. The ſenſe of pardon took away the ſenſe of pain, the ſenſe of forgiveneſs took away the ſenſe of ſickneſs. Aſſurance of pardon will take away the pain, the ſting, the trouble of every trouble and affliction that a Chriſtian meets with; no affliction will daunt, ſtartle or ſtagger an aſſured Chriſtian; aſſured ChriſtiansPſal. 23. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 will be patient and ſilent under all. Melanchthon makes mention of a godly woman, who having upon her death-bed been in much conflict, and afterward much comforted, brake out into theſe words, Now, and not till now, I underſtand the meaning of theſe words, Thy ſins are forgiven; the ſenſe of which did mightily chear and quiet her: Hee that hath got this Jewel of aſſurance in his boſome, will be far enough off from vexing or fretting under the ſaddeſt diſpenſations that hee meets with in this world.
Fourthly, If you would be quiet and ſilent under your preſent troubles and trials, then dwellThere was a good man that had got ſo much good by his afflictions, that hee counted it his greateſt affliction to want an affliction; and therefore hee would ſometimes cry out, Oh my friends! I have loſt an affliction, I have loſt an affliction. much upon the benefit, the profit, the advantage that hath redowned to your ſouls by former troubles and afflictions that have been upon you, Eccleſ. 7. 14. In the day of adverſity conſider. Oh! now conſider how by former afflictions the Lord hath diſcovered ſin, prevented ſin, and mortified ſin; conſider how the Lord by former afflictions hath diſcovered to thee the impotency, the mutability, the inſufficiency, and the vanity of the world, and all worldly concernments; conſider how the Lord by former afflictions hath melted thy heart, and broken thy heart, and humbled thy heart, and prepared thy heart for clearer, fuller, and ſweeter enjoyments of himſelf; conſider what pitty, what compaſſion, what bowels, what tenderneſs, and what ſweetneſs former afflictions have wrought in thee towards others in miſery; conſider what room former afflictions have made in thy ſoul for God, for his word, for good counſel, and for divine comfort; conſider how by former afflictions the Lord hath made thee more partaker of his Chriſt, his Spirit, his Holineſs, his Goodneſs, &c. Conſider how by former afflictions the Lord hath made thee to look towards Heaven more, to minde Heaven more, to prize Heaven more, and to long for Heaven more, &c. Now, who can ſeriouſly conſider of all that good that hee hath got by former afflictions, and not be ſilent under preſent afflictions? who can remember thoſe choice, thoſe great, and thoſe precious earnings that his ſoul had made of former afflictions, and not reaſon himſelf into a holy ſilence under preſent afflictions? thus, Oh my ſoul! hath not God done thee much good, great good, ſpecial good by former afflictions! yes; Oh my ſoul! hath not God done that for thee by former afflictions, that thou wouldeſt not have to do for ten thouſand worlds? yes; and is not God, Oh my ſoul! as powerful as ever, as faithful as ever, as gracious as ever, and as ready and willing as ever to do thee good by preſent afflictions, as hee hath been to do thee good by former affliction? yes, yes; why, why then doſt thou not ſit ſilent and mute before him under thy preſent troubles, Oh my ſoul? It was the ſaying of one, that an excellent memory was needful for three ſorts of men; firſt, for trades men, for they, having many buſineſſes to do, many reckonings to make up, many Irons in the fire, had need of a good memory. Secondly, Great talkers, for they being full of words, h…d need to have a good ſtore-houſe in their heads to feed their tongues. Thirdly, For lyers, for they telling many untruths, had need of a good memory, leſt they ſhould be taken in their lying contradictions; And I may add for a fourth, viz, thoſe that are afflicted, that they may remember the great good that they have gained by former afflictions, that ſo they may be the more ſilent and quiet under preſent troubles.
Fifthly, To quiet and ſilence2 Tim. 1. 12 1 Tim. 1. 5 2 Tim. 4. 8 your ſouls under the ſoreſt afflictions, and ſharpeſt trials; conſider, that your choiceſt, your chiefeſt treaſure is ſafe, your God is ſafe, your Chriſt is ſafe, your Portion is ſafe, your Crown is ſafe, your Inheritance is ſafe, your royal Palace is ſafe, and your Jewels, your Graces are ſafe; therefore hold your peace.
I have read a ſtory of a man that had a ſute, and when his cauſe was to be heard, hee applied himſelf to three friends, to ſee what they would do for him; one anſwered, hee would bring him as far on his journey as hee could; the ſecond promiſed him that he would go with him to his journies end; the third engaged himſelf to go with him before the Judge, and to ſpeak for him, and not to leave him till his cauſe was heard and determined. Theſe three are a mans riches, his friends, and his graces; his riches will help him to comfortable accommodations, while they ſtay with him, but they often take leave of a man, before his ſoul takes leave of his body;1 Tim. 6. 18, 19 his friends will go with him to the grave, and then leave him; but his graces will accompany him before God, they will not leave him, nor …orſake him, they will to the grave, to glory with him.
In that famous battel at Leuctrum, where the Thebans got a ſignal victory, but their Captain Epaminondas a little before his death demanded whether his buckler were taken by the enemy, and when hee underſtood that it was ſafe, and that they had not ſo much as laid their hands on it, hee died moſt willingly, chearfully, and quietly. Well Chriſtians, your ſhield of faith is ſafe, your portion is ſafe, your Royal Robe is ſafe, your Kingdome is ſafe, your Heaven is ſafe, your happineſs and bleſſedneſs is ſafe; and therefore under all your afflictions and troubles, in patience poſſeſs your own ſouls. But
Sixthly, If you would be ſilent and quiet under your ſoreſt troubles and trials, then ſet your ſelves in good earneſt upon the mortification of your luſts; it is unmortifiedAuſtin ſaith, if thou kill not ſin till it dye of it ſelf, ſin hath killed thee, and not thou thy ſin. luſts which is the ſting of every trouble, and which makes every ſweet bitter, and every bitter more bitter; ſin unmortified, adds weight to every burden, it puts gall to our wormwood, it adds chain to chain; it makes the bed uneaſie, the chamber a priſon, relations troubleſome, and every thing vexatious to the ſoul. James 4. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your luſts that war in your members? So ſay I, from whence comes all this muttering, murmuring, fretting and vexing? &c. come they not hence, even from your▪ unmortified luſts? come they not from your unmortified pride, and unmortified ſelflove, and unmortified unbeleef, and unmortified paſſions? &c. Surely they do. Oh therefore! as ever you would be ſilent under the afflicting hand of God, labour for more & more of the grace of the Spirit, by which you may mortifie the luſtsRom. 8. 13 of the fleſh; it is not your ſtrongeſt reſolutions or purpoſes, without the grace of the Spirit, that can over-maſter a luſt; a foul ſore, till it bee indeed healed, will run, though wee reſolve and ſay it ſhall not. It was the blood of the Sacrifice, and the Oil, that cleanſed the Leper in the Law, and that by them was meant the bloud ofLevit. 14. 14, 15, 16 Mark 5. 25, 26, 27 Chriſt, and the grace of his Spirit, is agreed on all hands. It was a touch of Chriſts garment that cured the woman of her bloody Iſſue. Philoſophy (ſaith Lacta…tius) it may hide a ſin, but it cannot quench it, it may cover a ſin, but it cannot cut off a ſin, like a black patch in ſtead of a plaiſter, it may cover ſome deformities in nature, but it cures them not; neither is it the Papiſts purgatories, watchings, whippings, &c. nor St. Francis his kiſſing or licking of Lepers ſores, which will cleanſe the fretting leproſie of ſin; in the ſtrength of Chriſt, and in the power of the Spirit, ſet roundly upon the mortifying of every luſt. Oh! hugg none, indulge none, but reſolvedly ſet upon the ruine of all. One leak in a ſhip will ſink it; one wound ſtrikes Goliah dead, as well as three and twenty did Caeſar; one Dalilah may do Sampſon as much ſpight and miſchief, as all the Philiſtines; one broken wheel ſpoils all the whole Clock; one veins bleeding will let out all the vitals, as well as more; one Fly will ſpoil a whole box of ointment; one bitter herb all the pottage; by eating one Apple, Adam loſt Paradiſe; one lick of honey endangered Jonathans life; one Achan was a trouble to all Iſrael; one Jo…h raiſes a ſtorm, and becomes lading too heavy for a whole ſhip; ſo one unmortified luſt, will bee able to raiſe very ſtrange and ſtrong ſtorms and tempeſts in the ſoul, in the daies of affliction; and therefore as you would have a bleſſed calm, and quietneſs in your own ſpirits under your ſharpeſt trials, ſet throughly upon the work of mortification. Gideon had ſeventy ſons,Judges 8. 30, 31. ch. 9. 1,—7. and but one baſtard, and yet that baſtard deſtroyed all his ſeventy ſons. Ah Chriſtian! thou doſt not know what a world of miſchief one unmortified luſt may do; and therefore let nothing ſatisfie thee but the blood of all thy luſts.
Seventhly, If you would bee ſilent under your greateſt afflictions, your ſharpeſt trials, then make this conſideration your daily companion, viz. That all the afflictions that come upon you, come upon you by and through that covenant of grace that God hath made with you; in the covenant of grace, God hath engaged himſelf to keep youJer. 32. 36,—ult. from the evils, ſnares and temptations of the world; in the covenant of grace God hath engaged himſelf to purge away your ſins to brighten and encreaſe your graces, to crucifie your hearts to the world, and to prepare you, and preſerve you to his heavenly Kingdome; and by afflictions hee effects all this, and that according to his covenant too, Pſal. 89. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. If his children forſake my Law, and walk not in my commandements; If they break my ſtatutes, and keep not my commandements; in theſe words you have a ſuppoſition, that the Saints may fall both into ſins of commiſſion, and ſins of omiſſion; in the following words you have Gods gracious promiſe, Then will I viſit their tranſgreſſions with the rod, and their iniquities with ſtripes. God engages himſelf by promiſe and covenant, not onelyonly to chide and check, but alſo to correct his people for their ſins. Nevertheleſs, my loving kindneſs will I not utterly take from him, nor ſuffer my faithfulneſs to fail. Afflictions are fruits of Gods faithfulneſs, to which the covenant bindes him; God would bee unfaithful, if firſt or laſt, more or leſs, hee did not afflict his people; afflictions are part of that gracious covenant which God hath madePſal. 119. 75 with his people; afflictions are mercies, yea covenant-mercies. Hence it is that God is called the terrible God, keeping covenant and mercy, Neh. 1. 5. Becauſe by his covenant of mercy hee is bound to afflict and chaſtiſe his people. God by covenant is bound to preſerve his people, and not to ſuffer them to periſh, and happy are they that are preſerved, whether in Salt and Vinegar, or in Wine and Sugar: All the afflictions that come upon a wicked man, come upon him by virtue of a covenant of works, and ſo are curſt unto him; but all the afflictions that come upon a gracious man, they come upon him by virtue of a covenant of grace, and ſo they are bleſt unto him; and therefore hee hath eminent cauſe to hold his peace, to lay his hand upon his mouth.
Eighthly, If you would bee ſilent and quiet under afflictions, then dwell much upon this, viz. that all your afflictions do but reach the worſer, the baſer, and the ignobler part of a Chriſtian, viz. his body, his outward man.2 Cor. 4. 16. Though our outward man decay, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. As Ariſtarchus the Heathen, ſaid, when hee was beaten by the Tyrants, Beat on, it is not Ariſtarchus you beat, it is1 Tim. 5. 23 3 John 2. onelyonly his ſhell. Timothy had a very healthful ſoul in a crazy body, and Gaius had a very proſperous ſoul in a weak diſtempered body. Epictetus and many of the more refined Heathens, have long ſince concluded, that the body was the organ (or veſſel) the ſoul was the man and Merchandize. Now, all the troubles and afflictions that a Chriſtian meets with, they do not reach his ſoul, they touch not his conſcience, they make no breach upon his noble part; and therefore hee hath cauſe to hold his peace, and to lay his hands upon his mouth; the ſoul is the breath of God, the beauty of man, the wonder of Angels, and the envyHeb. 12. 9 Zach. 12. 1 of Devils, it is a caeleſtial plant, and of a divine off-ſpring; it is an immortal ſpirit; ſouls are of an Angelick nature, a man is an Angel cloathed in clay; the ſoul is a greater miracle in man, than all the miracles wrought amongſt men; the ſoul is a demi-ſemi-God dwelling in a houſe of clay. Now, it is not in the power of any outward troubles and afflictions that a Chriſtian meets with, to reach his ſoul; and therefore hee may well ſit mute under the ſmarting Rod.
Ninthly, If thou wouldeſt bee ſilent and quiet under the ſaddeſt providences, and ſoreſt trials, then keep up Faith in continual exerciſe; Now Faith in the exerciſe of it will quiet and ſilence the ſoul; thus,
1 By bringing the ſoul to ſitJoh. 14. 8 Pſa. 17. 15 down ſatisfied in the naked enjoyments of God.
2 By drying up the ſprings of pride, ſelf-love, impatience, murmuring, unbeleef, and the carnal delights of this world.
3 By preſenting to the ſoul greater, ſweeter, and better thingsHeb. 11. 8, 9, 10, 14. Phil. 3. 7, 8 in Chriſt, than any this world doth afford.
4 By leſſening the ſouls eſteem of all outward vanities; do but keep up the exerciſe of Faith, and thou wilt keep ſilent before the Lord. No man ſo mute, as hee whoſe Faith is ſtill buſie about inviſible objects.
Tenthly, If you would keep ſilent, then keep humble before the Lord. Oh! labour every day to bee more humble, and more low, and little in your own eyes; whoJob 7. 1, 18 am I, ſaith the humble ſoul, but that God ſhould croſs mee in this mercy, and take away that mercy, and paſs a ſentence of death upon every mercy? I am not worthy of the leaſt mercy, I deſerve not a crum of mercy, I have forfeitedProv. 13. 16 every mercy, I have improved never a mercy. OnelyOnly by pride comes contention; it is onelyonly pride that puts men upon contending with God and men; an humble ſoul will lye quiet at the foot of God, it will bee contented with bare commons; As you ſee ſheep can live upon the bare Commons, which a fat Oxe cannot. A Dinner of green herbs reliſheth well with the humble mans palate, whereas a ſtalled Oxe is but a courſe diſh to a proud mans ſtomack; an humble heart thinks none leſs than himſelf, nor none worſe than himſelf; an humble heart looks upon ſmallGen. 32. 10, 11. Auſtin being asked what was the firſt grace? anſwered, humility; what the ſecond? humility; what the third? humility. mercies, as great mercies, and great afflictions, as ſmall afflictions; and ſmall afflictions, as no afflictions; and therefore ſits mute and quiet under all; do …ut keep humble, and you will keep ſilent before the Lord; pride kicks, and flings, and frets, but an humble man hath ſtill his hand upon his mouth. Every thing on this ſide Hell is mercy, much mercy, rich mercy, to an humble ſoul; and therefore hee holds his peace.
Eleventhly, If you would keep ſilence under the afflicting hand of God, then keep cloſe, hold faſt theſe ſoul-ſilencing and ſoul-quieting maxims or principles. As
Firſt, That the worſt that God doth to his people in this world, is in order to the making of them a Heaven on Earth; hee brings them into a wilderneſs, but it is, that hee may ſpeak comfortably to them: heHoſ. 2. 14 caſts them into the fiery furnace, but it is, that they may have more of his company; doe the ſtones come thick and threefold about Stephens ears? it is but to knockAct. 7. him the nearer to Chriſt, the corner-ſtone, &c.
Secondly, If you would bee ſilent, then hold faſt this principle, viz. That what God wills is beſt;Heb. 12. 10 when hee wills ſickneſs, ſickneſs is better than health; when hee wills weakneſs, weakneſs is better than ſtrength; when hee wills want, want is better than wealth; when hee wills reproach, reproach is better than honour; when hee wills death, death is better than life. As God is wiſdome it ſelf, and ſo knows that which is beſt, ſo hee is goodneſs it ſelf, and therefore cannot do any thing but that which is beſt; therefore hold thy peace.
Thirdly, If thou wouldeſt bee ſilent under thy greateſt afflictions, then hold faſt to this principle, viz. That the Lord will bear thee company in all thy afflictions, Iſa. 41. 10, ch. 43. 2. Pſal. 23. 4. Pſal. 90. 15. Dan. 3. 25. Gen. 39. 20, 21. 2 Tim. 4. 16, 17. Theſe Scriptures are breaſts full of divine conſolation; theſe wells of ſalvation are full; will you turn to them and draw out, that your ſouls may bee ſatisfied and quieted.
Fourthly, If you would bee ſilent under your afflictions, then hold faſt this principle, that the Lord hath more high, more noble, and more bleſſed ends in the afflicting of you, than hee hath in the afflicting of the men of the world. The ſtalk and the ear of corn fall upon the threſhing flore, under one and the ſame flail, but the one is ſhattered in peeces, the other is preſerved; from one and the ſame Olive, and from under one and the ſame preſs is cruſhed out both Oil and dreggs, but the one is tunn'd up for uſe, the other thrown out as unſerviceable; and by one and the ſame breath the fields are perfumed with ſweetneſs, and annoyed with unpleaſant ſavours: ſo, though afflictions do befall good and bad alike, as the Scripture ſpeaks, yetEccleſ. 9. 2 the Lord will effect more glorious ends by thoſe afflictions that befall his people, than hee will effect by thoſe that befall wicked men; and therefore the Lord puts his people into the furnace, for their trial▪ but the wicked for their ruine; the one is bettered by affliction, the other is made worſe; the one is made ſoft and tender by afflictions, the other is more hard and obdurate; the one is drawn nearer to God by afflictions, the other is driven further from God, &c.
Fifthly, If you would bee ſilent under your afflictions, then you muſt hold faſt this principle, viz. Matth. 15. 21,—29That the beſt way in this world to have thine own will, is to lye down in the will of God, and quietly to reſign up thy ſelf to the good will and pleaſure of God. Luther was a man that could have any thing of God, and why? why becauſe hee ſubmitted his will to the will of God, hee loſt his will in the will of God. Oh ſoul! it ſhall bee even as thou wilt, if thy will bee ſwallowed up in the will of God.
Sixthly and laſtly, If thou wouldeſt bee ſilent under the afflicting hand of God, then thou muſt holdPſa. 94. 19 Dan. 9. 19,—24 Gen. 28. 7 Act. 16. & 27, ch. Hoſ. 2. 14 faſt to this principle, viz. That God will make times of affliction, to be times of ſpecial manifeſtations of divine love and favour to thee. Tiburtius ſaw a Paradiſe when hee walked upon hot burning coals. I could confirm this by a cloud of witneſſes, but that I am upon a cloſe. Ah Chriſtians! as ever you would be quiet and ſilent under the Smarting Rod, hold faſt to theſe principles, and keep them as your lives. But
Twelfthly and laſtly, To ſilence and quiet your ſouls under the afflicting hand of God, dwell much upon the brevity or ſhortneſs of mans life; this preſent life is not vita, ſed via ad vitam, life, but a motion, a journey towards life▪ mans life, ſaith one, is the ſhadow of ſmoak, yea the dream of a ſhadow, ſaith another; mans life is ſo ſhort, that Auſtin doubt…th whether to callAug. l. 1. Conf. it a dying life, or a living death; thou haſt but a day to live, and perhaps thou mayeſt be now in the twel…th hour of that day; therefore hold out faith and patience, thy troubles and thy life will ſhortly end together▪ therefore hold thy peace; thy grave is going to bee made, thy Sun is near ſetting▪ death begins to call thee off o… the ſtage of this world, death ſtands at thy back, thou muſt ſhortly ſail forth upon the Ocean of eternity; though thou haſt a great deal of work to do, a God to honour, a Chriſt to cloſe with, a ſoul to ſave, a race to run, a Crown to win, a Hell to eſcape, a pardon to beg, a Heaven to make ſure, yet thou haſt but a little time to do it in; thou haſt one foot in the grave, thou art even a going a ſhore on eternity, and wilt thou now cry out of thy afflictions? wilt thou now mutter and murmure when thou art entring upon an unchangeable condition? what extream folly and madneſs is it for a man to mutter and murmure when hee is juſt a going out of priſon, and his boults and chains are juſt a knocking off? Why Chriſtian, this is juſt thy caſe; therefore hold thy peace; thy life is but ſhort, thereforeRom. 8. 18 thy troubles cannot bee long; hold up, and hold out quietly and patiently a little longer, and Heaven ſhall make amends for all.
FINIS.