The Silent Soul, Part 4
Why must Chriſtians bee mute and ſilent under the greatest afflictions, the ſaddeſt providences, and ſharpeſt trials that they meet with in this world? I anſwer,
Reaſ. 1. That they may the better hear and underſtand the voice of the Rod. As the word hath aSchola …rucis eſt Schola lucis. voice, the ſpirit a voice, and conſcience a voice, ſo the Rod hath a voice. Afflictions are the rod of Gods anger, the rod of his diſpleaſure, and his rod of revenge; hee gives a commiſſion to this rod to awaken his people, to reform his people, or elſe to revenge the quarrel of his Covenant upon them, if they will not beat the rod, and kiſs the rod, and ſit mute and ſilent under the rod. Micah 6. 9. The Lords voice crieth unto the City, and the man of wiſdome ſhall ſee thy name: hear yee the Rod, and who hath appointed it. Gods Rods are not mutes, they are all vocal, they are ſpeaking, as well as ſmiting; every twig hath a voice: Ah ſoul! ſaith one twig, thou ſayeſt it ſmarts; well, tell mee, is it good provoking of a jealousJer. 4. 18. God? Ah ſoul! ſaith another twig, thou ſayeſt it is bitter, it reacheth to thy heart; but hath not thine own doings procured theſe things? Ah ſoul! ſaith another twig, where is the profit, theRom. 6. 20, 21. pleaſure, the ſweet that you have found in wandring from God? Ah ſoul! ſaith another twig, wasHoſ. 2. 7 it not beſt with you when you were high in your communion with God, and when you were humble and cloſe in your walking with God? Ah Chriſtian, ſaithMicah 6. 8 another twig, wilt thou ſearch thy heart, and try thy waies,Lam. 3. 40 and turn to the Lord thy God? Ah ſoul! ſaith anotherRom. 14. 6, 7, 8 Gal. 6. 14. twig, wilt thou dye to▪ ſin more than ever; and to the world more than ever, and to relations more than ever, and to thy ſelf more than ever? Ah ſoul! ſaith another twig, wilt thou live more to Chriſt than ever, and cleave cloſer to Chriſt than ever, and prize Chriſt more than ever, and venture further for Chriſt than ever? Ah ſoul! ſaith another twig, wilt thou love Chriſt with a more enflamed love, and hope in Chriſt with a more raiſed hope, and depend upon Chriſt with a greater confidence, and wait upon Chriſt with more invincible patience? &c. Now if the ſoul bee not mute and ſilent under the rod, how is it poſſible that it ſhould ever hear the voice of the rod, or that it ſhould ever hearken to the voice of every twig of the rod? the rod hath a voice that is in the hands of earthly Fathers, but children hear it not, they underſtand it not, till they are huſh'd, and quiet, and brought to kiſs it, and ſit ſilently under it; no more ſhall wee hear or underſtand the voice of the rod that is in our heavenly Fathers hands, till wee come to kiſs it, and ſit ſilently under it. But
Reaſ. 2. Gracious ſouls ſhould bee mute and ſilent under their greateſt afflictions, and ſharpeſt trials, that they may difference and diſtinguiſh themſelves from the men of the world, who uſually fret and fling, mutter and murmure, curſe and ſwagger when they are under the afflicting hand of God. Iſa. 8. 21, 22. And they ſhall paſs through it, hardly bestead and hungry; and it ſhall come to paſs, that when they ſhall bee hungry, they ſhall fret themſelves, and curſe their King, and their God, and look upward. And they ſhall look unto the earth▪ and behold, trouble and darkneſs, dimneſs of anguiſh; and they ſhall bee driven to darkneſs. Ah how fretful and froward, how diſturbed and diſtracted, how mad and forelorn are theſe poor wretches under the rebukes of God! they look upward and downward, this way and that way, on this ſide and on that, and finding no help, no ſuccour, no ſupport, no deliverance, like Bedlams, yea like incarnate Devils, they fall upon curſing of God and their King. Iſa. 59. 11. Wee roar all like Bears, and mourn ſore like Doves: wee look for judgement, but there is none; for The Bea…, as Ariſtotle obſerveth, licketh her whelps into form, and loveth them beyond meaſure, and is moſt fierce roaring and raging when ſhe is robbed of them.ſalvation, but it is far off from us. They expreſs their inward vexation and indignation by roaring like Bears▪ when Bears are robbed of their whelps, or taken in a pit, O how dreadfully will they roar, rage, tear and tumble! So when wicked perſons are fallen into the pit of affliction, O how will they roar, rage, tear, and cry out, not of their ſins, but of their puniſhments: As Cain, my puniſhment is greater than I am able to bear. Iſa. 51. 20. Thy Sons have fainted, they lye at the head of all the ſtreets, as a wilde Bull in a net; they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. When the huntsman hath taken the wilde Bull in his toil, and ſo intangled him, that hee is not able to winde himſelf out: Oh how fierce and furious will hee bee! how will hee ſpend himſelf in ſtrugling and ſtriving to get out! Such wilde Bulls are wicked men. when they are taken in the net of affliction.
It is ſaid of Marcellus the Roman General, that hee could not bee quiet (nec victor nec victus) neither conquered, nor conquerour; it is ſo with wicked men, they cannot bee quiet, neither full, nor faſting, neither ſick, nor well, neither in wealth, nor want, neither in bonds, nor at liberty, neither in proſperity, nor in adverſity, Jer. 51. 37, 38. And Babylon ſhall become heaps, a dwelling place for Dragons, an astoniſhment, and an hiſſing, without Amos 3. 8.an inhabitant. They ſhall roar together like Lions, they ſhall yell as Lions whelps. When the Lion roars, all the beaſts of the field tremble:Ambroſe. When the Lion roars, many creatures that could out-run him, are ſo amazed and aſtonied at the terrour of his roar, that they are not able to ſtir from the place: ſuch roaring Lions are wicked men, when they are under the ſmarting rod, Rev. 16. 8,—12. They gnaw their tongues for pain, and they blaſpheme the God of Heaven, becauſe of thoſe ſores, pains, and plagues that are poured upon them, and they repented not of their deeds, to give him glory. And therefore gracious ſouls have cauſe to bee ſilent under their ſoreſt trials, that they may difference and diſtinguiſh themſelves from wicked men, who are like the troubled Sea, when it cannotIſa. 57. 20 reſt, whoſe waters caſt up mire and dirt. The verb foreign ſignifies to make a ſtir, to be exceeding buſie, unquiet or troubleſome. Ah what a ſtir do wicked men make, when they are under the afflicting hand of God! As the Sea is reſtleſs and unquiet when there is no ſtorm, it cannot ſtand ſtill, but hath his flux and reflux; ſo it is much leſs reſtleſs, when by tempeſt upon tempeſt it is made to roar and rage, to foam and caſt up mire and dirt; the raging Sea is a fit emblem of a wicked man that is under Gods afflicting hand.
Reaſ. 3. A third reaſon why gracious ſouls ſhould bee ſilent and mute under their ſharpeſt trials, is, that they may bee conformable to Chriſt their head, who was dumbJuſtin Martyr being asked which was the greateſt miracle that our Saviour Chriſt wrought, anſwered, Pattentia ejus tanta in laboribus tantis, his ſo great patience in ſo great troubles. and ſilent under his ſoreſt trials, Iſa. 53. 7. Hee was oppreſſed, and hee was afflicted, yet hee opened not his mouth: hee is brought as a Lamb to the ſlaughter, and as a Sheep before her ſhearers is dumb, ſo hee opened not his mouth. Chriſt was tongue-tied under all his ſorrows and ſufferings, 1 Pet. 2. 21, 22, 23. Christ alſo ſuffered for us, leaving us an example, that yee ſhould follow his ſteps. Who did no ſin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who when hee was reviled, reviled not again; when hee ſuffered, hee threatned not, but committed himſelf to him that judgeth righteouſly. Chriſt upon the croſs did not onelyonly read us a lecture of patience and ſilence, but hee hath alſo ſet us foreign, A Copy or Pattern of both, to bee tranſcribed and imitated by us; when we are under the ſmarting Rod: It will be our ſin and ſhame if wee do not bear up with patience and ſilence under all o… ſufferings, conſidering what an admirable copy Chriſt hath ſet before us. It is ſaid of Autiochus, that being to fight with1 Macch. 6. 34. Judas Captain of the hoſt of the Jews, hee ſhewed unto his Elephants the blood of the grapes and mulberries, to provoke them the better to fight. So the Holy Ghoſt hath ſet before us the injuries and contumelies, the ſorrows and ſufferings, the pains and torments, the ſweat and blood of our deareſt Lord, and his invincible patience, and admirable ſilence under all, to provoke us, and incourage us to imitate the Captain of our ſalvation, in patience and ſilence under all our ſufferings.
Hiorome having read the life and death of Hilarion (one that lived graciouſly, and died comfortably) …olded up the book, ſaying, well, Hilarion ſhall bee the Champion that I will follow, his good life ſhall bee my example, and his good death my preſident. Oh! how much more ſhould wee all ſay, wee have read how Chriſt hath been afflicted, oppreſſed, diſtreſſed, deſpiſed, perſecuted, &c. and wee have read how dumb,The Arabians, if their King bee ſick, or lame, they all feign themſelves ſo. how tongue-tied, how patient, and how ſilent hee hath been under all. Oh! hee ſhall bee the Copy which wee will write after, the Pattern which wee will walk by, the Champion which wee will follow! But alaſs! alaſs! how rare is it to finde a man that may bee applauded with that Elogie of Salvian, ſingularis Domini, praeclarus imitator! An excellent Diſciple, of a ſingular Maſter. The Heathens had this notion amongſt them (as La…tantius reports) that the way to honour their Gods, was to bee like them; and therefore ſome would bee wicked, counting it a diſhonour to their gods to bee unlike to them. I am ſure, the way to honour our Chriſt, is in patience and ſilence, to bee like to Chriſt, eſpecially when a ſmarting rod is upon our backs, and a bitter cup put into our hands.
Reaſ. 4. A fourth reaſon why the people of God ſhould bee mute and ſilent under their afflictions, is this, becauſe it is ten thouſand times a greater judgement and affliction to bee given up to a fretful ſpirit, a froward ſpirit, a muttering or murmuring ſpirit under an affliction, than it is to bee afflicted. This is both the Devils ſin, and the Devils puniſhment. God is ſtill afflicting, croſſing, and vexing of him, and hee is ſtill a fretting, repining, vexing, and riſing up againſt God; no ſin to the Devils ſin, no puniſhment to the Devils puniſhment. A man were better to have all the afflictions of all the afflicted throughout the world, at once upon him, than to be given up to a froward ſpirit, to a muttering, murmuring heart under the leaſt affliction. When thou ſeeſt a ſoul fretting, vexing, and ſtamping under the mighty hand of God, thou ſeeſt one of Satans firſtborn, one that reſembles him toIren…us calleth ſuch, or a Diaboli, the Devils mouth. the life; no childe can bee ſo much like the Father, as this froward ſoul is like to the Father of lies; though hee hath been in chains almoſt this ſix thouſand years, yet hee hath1 Pet. 5. 8 never lain ſtill one day, nor one night, no not one hour in all this time, but is ſtill a fretting, vexing, toſſing and tumbling in his chains, like a princely Bedlam; …ee is a Lion, not a Lamb, a roaring Lion, not a ſleepy Lion, not a Lion ſtanding ſtill, but a Lion going up and down; hee is not ſatisfied with the prey hee hath got, but is reſtleſs in his deſigns to fill hell with ſouls: Hee never wants an Apple for an Eve, nor a Grape for a Noah, nor a change of rayment for a Gehezi, nor a wedge of gold for an Achan, nor a Crown for an Abſolom, nor a bagg for a Judas, nor a world for a Demas; if you look into one company, there you ſhall finde Satan a diſhing out his meat to every palate; if you look into another company, there you ſhall finde him a fitting a laſt to every ſhooe; if you look into a third company, there you ſhall finde him a ſuiting a garment to every back: hee is under wrath; and cannot but bee reſtleſs: Here with Jael, hee allures poor ſouls in with milk, and murders them with a nail; there with Joa…, hee embraces with one hand, and ſtabs with another; here with Judas, hee kiſſes, and betraies, and there with the Whore of Babylon, hee preſents a golden cup with poiſon in it▪ hee cannot bee quiet, though his bolts bee alwaies on, and the more unquiet any are under the rebukes of God, the more ſuch reſemble Satan to the life, whoſe whole life is filled up with vexing and fretting againſt the Lord. Let not any think (ſaith Luther) that the Devil is now dead, no nor yet aſleep, for as hee that keepeth Iſrael, ſo hee that hateth Iſrael never ſlumbereth nor ſleepeth. But in the next place.
Reaſ. 5. A fifth reaſon why gracious ſouls ſhould bee mute and ſilent under the greateſt afflictions, and ſharpeſt trials that do befall them, is this, becauſe a holy, a prudent ſilence, under afflictions, under miſeries, doth beſt capacitate and fit the afflicted for the receit of mercies. When the rolling bottle lies ſtill, you may pour into it your ſweeteſt or your ſtrongeſt waters; when the rolling tumbling ſoul lies ſtill, then God can beſt pour into it the ſweet waters of mercy, and the ſtrong waters of divine conſolation. You read of the peaceable fruits of righteouſneſs, Heb. 12. 11. Now no chaſtening for the preſent ſeemeth to bee joyous, but grievous: nevertheleſs, afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruits of righteouſneſs, unto them which are exerciſed thereby, Jam. 3. 18. And the fruit of righteouſneſs is ſown in peace, of them that make peace. The ſtill and quiet ſoul is like a Ship, that lies ſtill and quiet in the harbour▪ you may take in what goods, what commodities you pleaſe, whileſt the Ship lies quiet and ſtill: So when theThe Angels are moſt quiet and ſt…ll, and they take in moſt of God, of Chriſt, of Heaven. ſoul is quiet and ſtill under the hand of God, it is moſt fitted and advantaged to take in much of God, of Chriſt, of Heaven, of the Promiſes, of Ordinances, and of the Love of God, the Smiles of God, the Communications of God, and the counſel of God; but when ſouls are unquiet, they are like a Ship in a ſtorm, they can take in nothing.
Luther ſpeaking of God, ſaith, God doth not dwell in Babylon, but in Salem; Babylon ſignifies confuſion, and Salem ſignifies peace; now God dwells not in ſpirits that are unquiet, and in confuſion, but hee dwells in peaceable and quiet ſpirits: Unquiet ſpirits can take in neither counſel nor comfort, grace nor peace▪ &c. Pſal. 77. 2. My ſoul refuſed to bee comforted. The Impatient Patient will take down no cordials, hee hath no eye to ſee, nor hand to take, nor palate to relliſh, nor ſtomach to digeſt any thing that makes for his health and welfare; when the man is ſick and froward, nothing will down, the ſweeteſt muſick can make no melody in his ears, Exod. 6. 6, 7, 8, 9. Wherefore ſay unto the children of Iſrael, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage: and I will redeem you with a ſtretched out arm, and with great judgement. And I will take you to mee for a people, and I will bee to you a God: and yee ſhall know that … am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the Land, concerning the which … did ſwear to give it, to Abraham, to Iſaac, and to Jacob, and … will give it you for an heritage; I am the Lord. The choiceſt cordials and comforts that Heaven or Earth could afford▪ are here held forth to them, but they have no hand to receive them. Here Moſes his lips drops hony-combs, but they can taſte no ſweetneſs in them: here the beſt of Earth, and the beſt of Heaven is ſet before them, but their ſouls are ſhut up, and nothing will down: here is ſuch raviſhing muſick of paradiſe, as might abundantly delight their hearts, and pleaſe their ears, but they cannot hear: here are ſoulenlivening, ſoul-ſupporting, ſoulſtrengthening, ſoul-comforting, ſoul-raiſing, and ſoul-refreſhing words, but they cannot hearken to them. v. 9. And Moſes ſpake ſo unto the children of Iſrael, but they hearkened not unto Moſes, for anguiſh of ſpirit, and for cruel bondage: They were under their aguiſh, feaveriſh-fits, and ſo could neither hear, nor ſee, taſte, nor take in any thing thatNo air agrees well with weak, peviſh ſickly bodies. might bee a mercy or a comfort to them; they were ſick of impatiency and diſcontent; and theſe humours being grown ſtrong, nothing would take with them, nothing would agree with them. When perſons are under ſtrong pangs of paſſion, they have no ears, neither for Reaſon, nor Religion.
Reaſ. 6. A ſixth Reaſon why gracious ſouls ſhould bee ſilent under the ſmarting Rod, is this, viz. If Bedlams will not lye quiet, they are put into darker rooms, and heavier chains are put upon them.becauſe it is fruitleſs, it is bootleſs to ſtrive, to conteſt, or contend with God; no man hath ever got any thing by muttering or murmuring under the hand of God, except it hath been, more frowns, blows and wounds. Such as will not lye quiet and ſtill when mercy hath tied them with ſilken cords, juſtice will put them in Iron chains; if Golden fetters will not hold you, Iron ſhall. If Jonah will vex, and fret, and fling, juſtice will fling him over-board, to cool him, and quell him, and keep him priſoner in the Whales belly, till his ſtomack bee brought down, and his ſpirit be made quiet before the Lord: What you get by ſtrugling and grumbling, you may put in your eye, and weep it out when you have done, Jer. 7. 19. Do they provoke mee to anger, ſaith the Lord? do they not provoke themſelves to the confuſion of their own faces? By provoking of mee, they do but provoke themſelves, by angring of mee, they do but anger themſelves, by vexing of mee, they do but fret and vex themſelves. 1 Cor. 10. 22. Do wee provoke the Lord to jealouſie? are wee ſtronger than hee?
Zanchy obſerves theſe two things from theſe words.
1 That it is ill provoking God to wrath, becauſe hee is ſtronger than wee.
2 That though God be ſtronger than wee, yet there are thoſe who provoke him to wrath; and certainly there are none that do more provoke him, than thoſe who fume and fret when his hand is upon them: Though the cup bee bitter, yet it is put into your hand by your Father; though the Croſs bee heavy, yet hee that hath laid it on your ſhoulders, will bear the heavieſt end of it himſelf, and why then ſhould you mutter? Shall Bears and Lions take blows and knocks from their keepers, and wilt not thou take a few blows and knocks from the Keeper of Iſrael? why ſhould the Clay contend with the Potter, or the Creature with his Creator, or the ſervant with his Lord, or weakneſs with ſtrength, or a poor nothing creature, with an omnipotent God? Can ſtubble ſtand before the fire? can chaff abide before the whirlewind? or can a worm ward off the blow of the Almighty? A froward and impatient ſpirit under the hand of God, will but add chain to chain, croſs to croſs, yoak to yoak, and burden to burden▪ the more men tumble and toſs in their feaveriſh fits, the more they ſtrengthen their diſtemper, and the longer it will bee before the cure bee effected: the eaſieſt and the ſureſt way of cure, is to lye ſtill and quiet, till the poiſon of the diſtemper bee ſweat out: Where patience hath its perfect work, there the cure will bee certain and eaſie; when a man hath his broken leg ſet, hee lies ſtill and quiet, and ſo his cure is eaſily and ſpeedily wrought; but when a horſe his leg is ſet, hee frets and flings, he flou… ces and flies out, unjointing it again and again; and ſo his cure is the more difficult and tedious. Such Chriſtians that under the hand of God are like the Horſe or Mule, fretting and flinging, will but add to their own ſorrows and ſufferings, and put the day of their deliverance further off.
Reaſ. 7. A ſeventh Reaſon why Chriſtians ſhould bee mute and ſilent under their afflictions, is, becauſe hereby they ſhall croſs and fruſtrate Satans great deſign and expectation. In all the afflictions hee brought upon Job, his deſign was not ſo much to make Job a begger, as it was to make him a blaſphemer; it was not ſo much to make Job outwardly miſerable, as it was to make Job inwardly miſerable, by occaſioning him to mutter and murmure againſt the righteous hand of God: That ſo he might have had ſome matter of accuſation againſt him to the Lord. Hee is the unwearied accuſer of the brethren, Rev. 12. 10. The accuſer of the brethren is caſt down, which accuſeth them before our God day and night. Satan is the great make-bate between God and his children; hee hath a mint conſtantly going in Hell, where, as an untired mint-maſter, hee is ſtill a coining and hammering out of accuſations againſt the Saints; firſt hee tempts and allures ſouls to ſin, and then accuſes them of thoſe very ſins hee hath tempted them to, that ſo hee may diſgrace them before God, and bring them (if it were poſſible) out of favour with God; and though hee knows before-hand that God and his people are by the bond of the Covenant, and by the blood of a Redeemer, ſo cloſely united, that they can never bee ſevered, yet ſuch is his rage and wrath, his envy and malice, that hee will endeavour that which hee knows hee ſhall never effect: Could hee but have made Job froward or fretful under the Rod, hee would have quickly carried the tydings to Heaven, and have been ſo bold, as to have asked God whether this was a carriage becomming ſuch a perſon, of whom himſelf had given ſoThat devil that accuſed God to man, Gen. 3. and Chriſt to bee an Impoſtor, will make no bones to accuſe the Saints, when they miſcarry under the Rod. glorious a character. Satan knows, that there is more evil in the leaſt ſin, than there is in all the afflictions that can bee inflicted upon a perſon; and if hee could but have made a breach upon Jobs patience, Ah how would hee have inſulted over God himſelf! could hee but have made Job a mutinere, hee would quickly have pleaded for Martial Law to have been executed upon him; but Job by remaining mute and ſilent under all his trials, puts Satan to a bluſh, and ſpoils all his projects at once. The beſt way to out-wit the Devil, is to be ſilent under the hand of God; hee that mutters is foiled by him but hee that is mute overcomes him; and to conquer a devil, is more than to conquer a world.
Reaſ. 8. The eighth and laſt Reaſon why Chriſtians ſhould be ſilent and mute under their ſoreſt trials, is this, that they may bee conformable to thoſe noble patterns that are ſet before them by other Saints, who have been patient and ſilent under the ſmarting Rod. As Aaron, Exod. 10. 3. So Elie, 1 Sam. 3. 18. So David, 2 Sam. 16. 7,—13. So Job, chap. 1. 21, 22. So Eliakim, Shebna, Praecepta do…ent, exempla movent, Precepts may inſtruct, but examples do perſwade.and Joah, Iſa. 36. 11, 21. So thoſe Saints in that, Act. 21. 12, … 15 And that cloud of witneſſes pointed at, in Heb. 12. 1. Gracious examples are more awakening, more convincing, more quickning, more provoking, and more encouraging than precepts; becauſe in them wee ſee that the exerciſe of grace and godlineſs is poſſible, though it bee difficult. When wee ſee Chriſtians (that are ſubject to like infirmities with our ſelves) mute and ſilent under the afflicting hand of God: Wee ſee that it is poſſible that wee may attain to the ſame noble temper of being tongue-tied under a ſmarting Rod; certainly it is our greateſt honour and glory in this world to bee eying and imitating the higheſt and wo…thieſt examples. What Plutarch ſaid of Demosthenes, that hee was excellent at praiſing the worthy acts of his Anceſtors, but not ſo at imitating them, may bee ſaid of many in theſe daies; Oh they are very forward and excellent at praiſing the patience of Job, but not at imitating it; at praiſing the ſilence of Aaron, but not at imitating it; at praiſing Davids dumbneſs, but not at imitating it; at praiſing Elies muteneſs, but not at imitating it. It was the height of Caeſars glory, to walk in the ſteps of Alexander, and of Selymus (a Turkiſh Emperour) to walk in Caeſars ſteps, and of Themiſtocles, to walk in Miltiades ſteps. Oh how much more ſhould wee account it our higheſt glory, to imitate the worthy examples of thoſe worthies, of whom this world is not worthy! It ſpeaks out much of God within, when men are ſtriving to write after the faireſt copies. And thus much for the Reaſons of the Point. I come now to the Application.
You ſee beloved by what hath been ſaid, That it is the greateſt duty and concernment of Chriſtians, to bee mute and ſilent under the greatest afflictions, the ſadeſt providences, and the ſharpest trials that they meet with in this world. If this bee ſo, then this truth looks ſourely and wiſhly upon ſeveral ſorts of perſons. As