The Silent Soul, Part 3

The Silent Soul · Part 3

p. 44Firſt, A holy, a prudent Silence under affliction, doth not exclude and ſhut out a ſenſe and feeling of p. 45our afflictions, Pſal. 39. though he was dumb, and laid his hand upon his mouth, verſ. 9. yet hee was very ſenſible of his affliction, verſ. 10, 11. Remove thy ſtroak away from mee: I am conſumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with rebukes doſt correct man for iniquity, thou makeſt his beauty to conſume away like a moth: Surely every man is vanity. Hee is ſenſible of his pain, as well as of his ſin; and having prayed off his ſin in the former verſes, hee labours here to pray off his pain; diſeaſes, aches, ſickneſſes, pains, they are all the daughters of ſin, and hee that is not ſenſible of them, as the births and products of ſin, doth but add to his ſin, and provoke the Lord to add to his ſufferings, Iſa. 26. 9, 10, 11. No man ſhall ever bee charged by God for feeling his burden, if hee neither fret nor faint under it; grace doth not deſtroy nature, but rather perfect it, grace is of a noble off-ſpring, it neither turneth men into ſtocks, nor to p. 46Stoicks; the more grace, the more ſenſible of the tokens, frowns, blows, and laſhes of a diſpleaſed Father. Though Calvin under his greateſt pains, was never heard to mutter, nor murmure, yet hee was heard often to ſay, How long Lord, how long? A religious Commander being ſhot in battel, when the wound was ſearch'd, and the bullet cut out, ſome ſtanding by pittying his pains, hee replied, though I groan, yet I bleſs God I do not grumble: God allowes his people to groan, though not to grumble. It is a God-provoking ſin to bee ſtupid and ſenſeleſs under the afflicting hand of God. God will heat that mans furnace of affliction ſevenfold hotter, who is in the furnace, but feels it not, Iſa. 42. 24, 25. Who gave Jacob for a ſpoil, and Iſrael to the Robbers? did No judgement to a ſtupid ſpirit, a hardned heart, and a brazen brow.not the Lord, he, against whom we have ſinned? for they would not walk in his waies, neither were they obedient unto his Law. Therefore hee hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the p. 47ſtrength of battel: and he hath ſet him on fire round about, yet hee knew not; and it burned him, yet hee laid it not to heart. Stupidity laies a man open to the greateſt fury and ſeverity.

The Phyſician, when hee findeth that the potion which hee hath given his patient will not work, hee ſeconds it with one more violent, and if that will not work, hee gives another yet more violent. If a gentle plaiſter will not ſerve, then the Chirurgion applies that which is more corroding, and if that will not do, then hee makes uſe of his cauterizing knife: So when the Lord afflicts, and men feel it not, when hee ſtrikes, and they grieve not, when hee wounds them, and they awake not, then the furnace is made hotter than ever; then his fury burns, then hee laies on Irons upon Irons, bolt upon bolt, and chain upon chain, until hee hath made their lives a hell. Afflictions are the Saints dyet-drink, and where do you read in all the Scripture, p. 48that ever any of the Saints drunk of this dyet-drink, and were not ſenſible of it?

Secondly, A holy, a prudent Silence, doth not ſhut out prayer forIt is an old ſaying, (Qui neſcit or are, diſcat navigare) Hee that would learn to pray, let him go to Sea. deliverance out of our afflictions; though the Pſalmiſt layes his hand upon his mouth, in the Text, yet hee prayes for deliverance, verſ. 10, Remove thy ſtroak away from mee, and verſ. 11, 12. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: For I am a ſtranger with thee, and a ſojourner, as all my Fathers were. O ſpare mee, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and bee no more. James 5. 13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Pſal. 50. 15. Call upon mee in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie mee. Times of affliction by Gods own injunction, are ſpecial times of ſupplication. Davids heart was more often out of tune, than his harp, but then hee prayes, and preſently cries, Return to thy rest O p. 49my ſoul. Jonah praies in the Whales belly, and Daniel praies when among the Lions, and Job praies when on the dunghil, and Jeremiah praies when in the dungeon; &c. Yea the Heathen Mariners, as ſtout as they were, when in a ſtorm, they cry every man to his God, Jonah 1. 5, 6. to call upon God eſpecially in times of diſtreſs and trouble, is a leſſon that the very light and law of nature teaches. The Perſian Meſſenger (though an Heathen) as Aeſchiles obſerveth, ſaith thus, When the Graecian forces hotly purſued our hoſt, and wee muſt needs venture over the great water Strymon, frozen then, but beginning to thaw, when a hundred to one wee had all died for it; With mine eies I ſaw, ſaith hee, many of thoſe Gallants, whom I had heard before, ſo boldly maintain, There was no God, every one upon his knees, and devoutly praying that the Ice might hold till they got over. And ſhall blinde nature do more than grace? If the time of affliction p. 50bee not a time of ſupplication, I know not what is.

As there are two kinds of Antidotes againſt poiſon, viz. hot and cold; ſo there are two kinds of Antidotes againſt all the troubles and afflictions of this life, viz. prayer and patience, the one hot, the other cold, the one quenching, the other quickning. Chryſostome underſtood this well enough, when hee cryed out, O! (ſaith hee) it is more bitter than death to be ſpoiled of prayer, and thereupon obſerves, that Daniel choſe rather to run the hazard of his life, than to loſe his prayer: Well, this is the ſecond thing; a holy Silence doth not exclude prayer. ButRead the 9th. of Ezra, the 9th. of Nehemiah, and the 9th. of Daniel, and Pſalm 51. with that 7th. chapter of Job.Ps 51

Thirdly, A holy, a prudent Silence, doth not exclude mens being kindly affected and afflicted with their ſins, as the meritorious cauſe of all their ſorrows and ſufferings, Lam. 3. 39, 40. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the puniſhment of his ſin? Let us ſearch p. 51and try our waies, and turn again to the Lord. Job 40. 4, 5. Behold, I am vile, what ſhall I anſwer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. Once have I ſpoken, but I will not anſwer: yea twice, but I proceed no further. Micah 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe I have ſinned. In all our ſorrows wee ſhould read our ſins, and when Gods hand is upon our backs, our hands ſhould bee upon our ſins.

It was a good ſaying of one, IVivaldus. hide not my ſins, but I ſhew them, I wipe them not away, but I ſprinkle them, I do not excuſe them, but accuſe them: The beginning of my ſalvation is the knowledge of my tranſgreſſion. When ſome told Prince Henry (that delitiae generis humani) that darling of mankind, that the ſins of the people brought that affliction on him; O no, ſaid hee. I have ſins enough of mine own to cauſe that; I have ſinned, ſaith David, but what have theſe poor ſheep done? When a Chriſtian is under p. 52the afflicting hand of God, hee may well ſay, I may thank this proud heart of mine, this worldly heart, this froward heart, this formal heart, this dull heart, this backſliding heart, this ſelf-ſeeking heart of mine, for that this cup is ſo bitter, this pain ſo grievous, this loſs ſo great, this diſeaſe ſo deſperate, this wound ſo incurable; it is mine own ſelf, mine own ſin, that hath cauſed theſe floods of ſorrows to break in upon mee. But

Fourthly, A holy, a prudent Silence, doth not exclude the teaching and inſtructing of others when wee are afflicted; the words of the afflicted ſtick cloſe▪ they many times work ſtrongly, powerfully, ſtrangely, ſavingly upon the ſouls and conſciences of others. Many of Pauls Epiſtles were written to the Churches when hee was in bonds, viz. Galatians, Epheſians, Philippians, Coloſſians, Philemon; hee begot Oneſimus in his bonds, Phil. 10. And many of the brethren in p. 53the Lord waxed bold and confident by his bonds, and were confirmed, and made partakers of grace by his Miniſtery, when hee was in bonds, Phil. 1. 7. 13, 14. As the words of dying perſons do many times ſtick and work gloriouſly; ſo many times doth the words of afflicted perſons, work very noblely and efficaciouſly. I have read of one Adrianus, who ſeeing the Martyrs ſuffer ſuch grievous things in the cauſe of Chriſt, hee asked what that was which inabled them to ſuffer ſuch things? and one of them named that, 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him: This word was like Apples ofProv. 25. 11Prov 25:11 Gold, in Pictures of Silver, for it made him not onelyonly a Convert, but a Martyr too. And this was the means of Justin Martyrs converſion, as himſelf confeſſeth. Doubtleſs many have been made happy by the words of the p. 54afflicted; the tongue of the afflicted hath been to many as choice ſilver, the words of the afflicted many times are both pleaſing and profitable; they tickle the ear, and they win upon the heart; they ſlide inſenſibly into the hearers ſouls, & work efficaciouſly upon the hearers hearts. Eccleſ. 10. 12. The words of a wiſe mans mouth are gracious (or Grace, as the Hebrew hath it;) and ſo Hierome reads it, Verba oris ſapientis gratia, the words of the mouth of a wiſe man are grace: They miniſter grace to others, and they win grace and favour from others; gracious lips make gracious hearts; gracious words are a grace, an ornament to the ſpeaker, and they are a comfort, a delight, and an advantage to the hearer.

Now the words of a wiſe mans mouth, are never more gracious, than when hee is moſt afflicted and diſtreſſed. Now you ſhall finde moſt worth and weight in his words: Now his lips like the p. 55Spouſes, are like a threed of Scarlet, they are red, with talking much of a crucified Chriſt, and they are thin, like a thred not ſwell'd with vain and unprofitable diſcourſes. Now his mouth ſpeaketh wiſdome, and his tongue talketh judgement, for the Law of the Lord is in his heart, Pſal. 37. 30. now his lips drop hony-combs, Cant. 4. 10. now his tongue is as a tree of life, whoſe leaves are medicinable, Prov. 12. 18.Numb. 10. 10Num 10:10 As the ſilver Trumpets ſounded moſt joy to the Jews in the day of their gladneſſe; ſo the mouth of a wiſe man, like a ſilver Trumpet, ſounds moſt joy and advantage to others in the daies of his ſadneſſe.

The Heathen man could ſay▪ (Quand… ſapiens loquitur, aulea animi …perit) when a wiſe man ſpeaketh, hee openeth the rich treaſures and wardrobe of his mind; ſo may I ſay, when an afflicted Saint ſpeaks, Oh the pearls, the treaſures that hee ſcatters! But

Fifthly, A holy, a prudent Silence, p. 56doth not exclude moderate mourning or weeping under thePſal. 6. 6. Pſa. 39. 12. Jer. 9. 1, 2 Lam. 1. 2. chap. 2. 11. 18.Ps 6:6Ps 39:12Jer 9:1Jer 9:2Lam 1:2 afflicting hand of God, Iſa. 38. 3. And Hezekiah wept ſore, or, as the Hebrew hath it, wept with great weepings. But was not the Lord diſpleaſed with him for his great weeping? no, verſ. 5. I have heard thy prayer, I have ſeen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy daies fifteen years. God had as well a bottle for hisPſal. 56. 8Ps 56:8 tears, as a bagg for his ſins. There is no water ſo ſweet, as the Saints tears, when they do not overflow the banks of moderation; tears are not mutes, they have a voice, and their oratory is of great prevalencyAnd the Greeks call the apple of the eye, the damſel of the eye, the girle of the eye, and the Latines call it the babe of the eye. with the Almighty God. And therefore the weeping Prophet calleth out for tears, Lam. 2. 18. Their heart crieth unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night, give thy ſelf no reſt, let not the apple of thine eye ceaſe, or as the Hebrew hath it, let not the daughters of thine eye bee ſilent (that which wee call the ball or apple of the eye, p. 57the Hebrews call the daughter of the eye, becauſe it is as dear and tender to a man, as an onelyonly daughter; and becauſe therein appears the likeneſſe of a little daughter.) Upon which words, ſaith Bellarmine, Clames aſſidue ad Deum; non lingua, ſed oculis; non verbis, ſed lachrymis; iſta enim eſt oratio, quae placare ſolet: Cry aloud, not with thy tongue, but with thine eyes; not with thy words, but with thy tears; for that is the prayer that maketh the moſt forcible entry into the ears of the great God of Heaven. When God ſtrikes, hee looks that wee ſhould tremble; when his hand is lifted high, hee looks that our hearts ſhould ſtoop low; when hee hath the rod in his hand, hee looks that wee ſhould have tears in our eyes; as you may ſee by comparing of theſe Scriptures together, Pſal. 55. 2. Pſal. 38. 6. Job 30. 26,—32. Good men weep eaſily, ſaith the Greek Poet; and the better any are, the more enclining to weeping, eſpecially p. 58under affliction. As you may ſee in David (whoſe tears inſtead of Gemms, were the common ornaments of his bed) Jonathan, Job, Ezra, Daniel, &c. How (ſaith one) ſhall God wipe away my tears in Heaven, if I ſhed none on earth? and how ſhall I reap in joy, if I low not in tears? I was both with tears, and I ſhall die with tears; and why then ſhould I live without them in this valley of tears?

There is as well a time to weep, as there is a time to laugh; and a time to mourn, as well as a time to dance, Eccleſ. 3. 4. The mourning garment among the Jews was the black garment, and the black garment was the mourning garment, Pſal. 43. 2. Why go yee in mourning, the Hebrew word kadar ſignifies black, why go yee in black; ſometimes Chriſtians muſt put off their gay ornaments, and put on their black, their mourning garments, Exod. 33. 3, 4, 5, 6. But

Sixthly, A gracious, a prudent p. 59Silence, doth not exclude ſighing,You may ſee much of this by comparing the following Scriptur…, Lam. 1. 4. 11, 21, 22. Pſal. 31. 10 Jer. 45. 3 Exod. 2. 24 Job 23. 2 Pſal. 6. 6Lam 1:4Lam 1:11Lam 1:21Lam 1:22Ps 31:10Jer 45:3Exod 2:24Job 23:2Ps 6:6 groaning, or roarings under affliction. A man may ſigh, and groan, and roar under the hand of God, and yet bee ſilent; it is not ſighing, but muttering; it is not groaning, but grumbling; it is not roaring, but murmuring, that is oppoſite to a holy Silence, Exod. 2. 23. And the children of Iſrael ſighed by reaſon of the bondage. Job 3. 24. For my ſighing cometh before I eat (or as the Hebrew hath it, before my meat) his ſighing, like bad weather, came unſent for, and unſought for, Pſal. 38. 9. Lord, all my deſire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee, Pſal. 102. 5. By reaſon of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin. Job 3. 24. And my roarings are poured out like the waters. Pſal. 38. 8. I am feeble and ſore broken: I have roared, by reaſon of the diſquietneſſe of my heart. Pſal. 22. 1. My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee? why art thou ſo far from helping mee, and from the words of my roaring? Pſal. 32. 3. p. 60When I kept ſilence, my bones waxed old, through my roarings all the day long. Hee roars, but doth not rage, hee roars, but doth not repine; when a man is in extremity, nature prompts him to roar, and the law of grace is not againſt it; and though ſighing, groaning, roaring, cannot deliver a man out of his miſery, yet they do give ſome eaſe to a man under his miſery. When Solon wept for his ſons death, one ſaid to him, weeping will not help, hee anſwered, Alaſs! therefore do I weep, becauſe weeping will not help: So a Chriſtian many times ſighs, becauſe ſighing will not help; and hee groans, becauſe groaning will not help; and hee roars, becauſe roaring will not help. Sometimes the ſorrows of the Saints are ſo great, that all tears are dried up, and they can get no eaſe by weeping; and therefore for a little eaſe they fall a ſighing and groaning, and this may bee done, and yet the heart may bee quiet and ſilent before p. 61the Lord. Peter wept and ſnob'd, and yet was ſilent. Sometimes the ſighs & groans of a Saint, do in ſome ſort tell that which his tongue can in no ſort utter. But

Seventhly, A holy, a prudent Silence, doth not exclude nor ſhut2 King. 5. 10,—14 Mat. 4. 6, 7. & ch. 22. 4, 5, 8 Luk. 14. 16,—24 Act. 27. 24, 25, 312 Kgs 5:10Matt 4:6Matt 4:7Luke 14:16Acts 27:24Acts 27:25Acts 27:31 out the uſe of any juſt or lawful means, whereby perſons may bee delivered out of their afflictions. God would not have his people ſo in love with their afflictions, as not to uſe ſuch righteous means as may deliver them out of their afflictions. Mat. 10. 23. But when they perſecute you in this City, flee yee into another. Act. 12. When Peter was in priſon, the Saints thronged together to pray (as the original hath it) verſ. 12. and they were ſo inſtant and earneſt with God in prayer, they did ſo beſeech and beſiedge the Lord, they did ſo beg and bounce at Heavens gate, verſ. 5. that God could have no reſt, till by many miracles of power and mercy, hee had returned Peter as a boſome-favour p. 62to them, Act. 9. 23, 24, 25. And after that many daies were fulfilled, the Jews took counſel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul: and they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the Diſciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. The blood of the Saints is precious in Gods eye, and it ſhould not bee vile in their own eyes. When providence opens a door of eſcape, there is no reaſon why the Saints ſhould ſet themſelves as marks and bu…s for their enemies to ſhoot at. 2 Theſ. 3. 1, 2. The Apoſtles deſire the Brethren to pray for them, that they may bee delivered from unreaſonable (foreign abſurd) and wicked (foreign villainous) men; for all men have not faith. It is a mercy worth a ſeeking, to bee delivered out of the hands of abſurd, villainous, and troubleſome men.

Afflictions are evil in themſelves, and wee may deſire and endeavour to bee delivered from them, James 5. 14, 15. Iſa. 38, 18, 19, p. 6320, 21. both inward and outward means are to bee uſed for our own preſervation. Had not Noah built an Ark, hee had been ſwept away with the flood, though hee had been with Nimrod and his crew on the Tower of Babel, which wasHeylin. Coſm. l. 3 raiſed to the height of one thouſand five hundred forty ſix p…ces, as Heylin reports. Though we may not truſt in means, yet wee may and ought to uſe the means; in the uſe of them, eye that God that can onelyonly bleſs them, and you do your work. As a Pilot that guides the Ship hath his hand upon the Rudder, and his eye on the Star, that directs him at the ſame time, ſo when your hand is upon the means, let your eye bee upon your God, and deliverance will come. Wee may tempt God as well by neglecting of means, as by truſting in means; it is beſt to uſe them, and in the uſe of them▪ to live above them. Auguſtine tells of a man, that being fallen into a pi… ▪ one paſſing by, falls a queſtioning of p. 64him, what hee made there, and how hee came in? O! ſaith the poor man, ask mee not how I came in, but help mee, and tell mee how I may come out: The Application is eaſie. But

Eighthly and laſtly, A holy, a prudent Silence, doth not exclude a juſt and ſober complaining againſt the Authors, contrivers, abettors or inſtruments of our afflictions. 2 Tim. 4. 14. Alexander the Copper-Smith did mee much evil, the Lord reward him according to his works. This Alexander is conceived by ſome to bee that Alexander that is mentioned, Act. 19. 32. who ſtood ſo cloſe to Paul at Epheſus, that hee run the hazard of loſing his life by appearing on his ſide; yet if glorious profeſſors come to bee furious perſecutors, Chriſtians may complain. 2 Cor. 11. 24. Of the Jews five times received I forty ſtripes ſave one. They inflict, ſaith Maimonides, no more than forty ſtripes, though hee bee as ſtrong as Sampſon, p. 65but if hee bee weak, they abate of that number: They ſcourged Paul with the greateſt ſeverity, in making him ſuffer ſo oft the utmoſt extremity of the Jewiſh Law, when as they that were weak had their puniſhment mitigated. Verſ. 25. Thrice was I beaten with Rods, that is, by the Romans, whoſe cuſtome it was to beat the guilty with Rods.

If Pharaoh make Iſrael groan, Iſrael may make his complaint againſt Pharaoh to the keeper of Iſrael Exod. 2. If the proud and blaſphe…ous King of Aſſy…ia ſhall come with his mighty Army to deſtroy the people of the Lord,Iſa. 37. 14,—21.Isa 37:14 Hezekiah may ſpread his letter of blaſphemy before the Lord.

It was the ſaying of Socrates, that every man in this life had need of a faithful friend, and a bitter enemy, the one to adviſe him, and the other to make him look about him; and this Hezekiah found by experience.

Though Joſephs bow abode in p. 66ſtrength, and the arms of his hands were made ſtrong, by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; yet Joſeph may ſay, that the Archers (or the Arrow-maſters, as the Hebrew hath it) have ſorely grieved him, and ſhot at him, and hated him, Gen. 49. 23, 24. And ſo David ſadly complained of Doeg, Pſal. 109. 1,—21. yea Chriſt himſelf (who was the moſt perfect pattern for dumbneſs and ſilence under ſoreſt trials) complains againſt Judas, Pilate, and the reſt of his perſecutors, Pſal. 69. 20,—30, &c. yea though God will make his peoples enemies to bee the workmen that ſhall fit them and ſquare them for his building, to bee Gold-Smiths, to add Pearls to their Crown, to bee Rods to beat off their duſt, skullions to ſcoure off their ruſt, fire to purge away their droſs, and water to cleanſe away their filthineſs, fleſhlineſs, and earth lineſs, yet may they point at them, and pour out their complaints to God againſt them, Pſal. 142. 2,—ult. This truth p. 67I might make good by above a hundred Texts of Scripture; but it is time to come to the Reaſons of the point.