The Silent Soul, Objections · Objection 1
Object. 1. Sir, did I but know that I were afflicted in love, I would hold my peace under my affliction, I would ſit mute before the Lord, but Oh! how ſhall I come to underſtand that theſe ſtroaks are the stroaks of love, that theſe wounds are the wounds of a friend? I anſwer,
Firſt, If thy heart bee drawn more out to the Lord by the affliction,Pſal. 18. 1,—8. Pſal. 116. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Pſal. 119. 67, 71. Iſa. 38. then the affliction is in love; if they are ſo ſanctified, as that they draw out thy ſoul to love the Lord more, and to fear the Lord more, and to pleaſe the Lord more, and to cleave to the Lord more, and to wait on the Lord more, and to walk with the Lord more, then they are in love. Oh! then they are the wounds of a friend indeed. It is reported of the Lioneſs, that ſhee leaves her young whelps till they have almoſt killed themſelves with roaring and yelling, and then at laſt gaſp, when they have almoſt ſpent themſelves, ſhee relieves them, and by this means they become more couragious; and ſo if the afflictions that are upon us do encreaſe our courage, ſtrengthen our patience, raiſe our faith, inflame our love, and enliven our hopes: Certainly they are in love, and all our wounds are the wounds of a friend. But
Secondly, If you are more careful and ſtudious how to glorifie God in the affliction, andDan. 3. & 6. chapters Heb. 11. how to bee kept from ſinning under the affliction, than how to get out of the affliction, then certainly your affliction is in love: where God ſmites in love, there the ſoul makes it his work how to glorifie God, and how to lift up God, and how to bee a name and an honour to God; the daily language of ſuch a ſoul under the rod, is this, Lord ſtand by mee that I ſin not,Joſh. 7. 7, 8, 9, 10 uphold m…e that I ſin not, ſtrengthen mee that I ſin not; hee that will not ſin to repair and make up his loſſes, though hee knew aſſuredly that the committing of ſuch a ſin would make up all again, hee may conclude that his affliction is in love.
I have read of a Noble man, whoſe Son and Heir was ſuppoſed to bee bewitched, and being adviſed to go to ſome wizard or cunning man (as they are called) to have ſome help for his Son, that hee might bee unwitched again, hee anſwered, Oh by no means! I had rather the Witch ſhould have my Son, than the Devil; his Son ſhould ſuffer, rather than hee would ſin him out of his ſufferings. Hee that will not break the hedge of a fair Command, to avoid the foul way of ſome heavy affliction, may well conclude, that his affliction is in love. Chriſtians! what ſay you when you are in the Mount, do you thus beſpeak the Lord? Lord take care of thy glory, and let mee rather ſink in my affliction, than ſin under my affliction; if this bee the bent and frame of thy heart, it is certain the affliction that is upon thee is in love; the primitive times afforded many ſuch brave ſpirits, though this age affords but few.
Thirdly, If you enjoy the ſpecial preſence of God with your ſpirits in your affliction, then yourPſal. 23. 4, 5, 6 affliction is in love. Iſa. 43. 2. When thou paſſest thorow the waters, I will bee with thee, and thorow the rivers, they ſhall not overflow thee: The buſh which was a type of the Church conſumed not all the while it burned with fire, becauſe God was in the midſt of itwhen thou walkeſt thorow the fire, thou ſhalt not bee burnt, neither ſhall the flames kindle upon thee. Haſt thou a ſpecial preſence of God with thy ſpirit, ſtrengthening of that, quieting of that, ſteeling of that, ſatisfying of that, chearing and comforting of that? Pſal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts (that is, of my troubled, intricated, inſnarled, intertwined, and perplexed thoughts (as the branches of a tree by ſome ſtrong wind are twiſted one within another, as the Hebrew word properly ſignifies) thy comforts delight my ſoul. Here's a preſence of God with his ſoul, here's comforts and delights that reaches the ſoul, here's a cordial to ſtrengthen his ſpirit. WhenKnoles. Turk. Hiſt. pag. 164 all things went croſs with Andronicus the old Emperour of Conſtantinople, hee took a Pſalter into his hand, and opening the ſame, hee lighted upon Pſal. 68. 14. When the Almighty ſcattered Kings, they ſhall bee white as Snow in Salmon; which Scripture was a mighty comfort and refreſhment to his ſpirit: Now you are to remember that Salmon ſignifies ſhady and dark, and ſo was this Mount by the reaſon of many lofty fair ſpread trees, that were neer it, but made lightſome by Snow that covered it: ſo that to bee white as Snow in Salmon, is to have joy in affliction, light in darkneſs, mercy in miſery, &c. And thus God was to the Pſalmiſt as Snow in Salmon in the midſt of his greateſt afflictions. When Paul would wiſh his dear Son Timothy the beſt mercy in all the world, the greateſt mercy in all the world, the moſt comprehenſive mercy in all the world, a mercy that carries the virtue, value and ſweetneſs of all mercies in it, hee wiſhes the preſence of God with his ſpirit, 2 Tim. 4. 22. The Lord Jeſus Christ bee with thy ſpirit: in point of honour, in point of profit and pleaſure, in point of ſafety and ſecurity, and in point of comfort and joy, it is the greateſt bleſſing and happineſſe in this world, to have the preſence of God with our ſpirits, eſpecially in times of trials, 2 Cor. 4. 16. For which cauſe wee faint not, but though our outward man periſh, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. By the outward man you are to underſtand, not meerly our bodies, but our perſons, eſtates, and outward condition in this world; and by the inward man you are to underſtand our ſouls, or perſons, conſidered according to our ſpiritual eſtate. Now, when the inward man gains new ſtrength by every new trouble, when as troubles, preſſures, afflictions, and tribulations are increaſed, a Chriſtians inward ſtrength is increaſed alſo, then his afflictions are in love; when the preſence of God is with our inward man, chearing, comforting, encouraging, ſtrengthening and renewing of that, wee may ſafely conclude, that all theſe trials, though they are never ſo ſharp and ſmart, yet they are in love.
I have read of a company of poor Chriſtians that were baniſhed into ſome remote parts, and one ſtanding by, ſeeing them paſs along, ſaid, That it was a very ſad condition thoſe poor people were in, to bee thus hurried from the ſociety of men; and to bee made companions with the beaſts of the field; true ſaid another, it were a ſad condition indeed, i… they were carried to a place where they ſhould not finde their God; but let them bee of good chear, God goes along with them, and will exhibit the comforts of his preſence whitherſoever they go; the preſence of God with the ſpirits of his people, is a breaſt of comfort that can never bee drawn drye, it is an everlaſting ſpring that willHeb. 13. 5, 6 Iſa. 40. 29, 30, 31 never fail. Well Chriſtian, thou art under many great troubles, many ſore trials, but tell mee, doth God give into thy ſoul ſuch cordials, ſuch ſupports, ſuch comforts, and ſuch refreſhments, that the world knows not of? O then certainly thy affliction is in love.
Fourthly, If by your affliction, you are made more conformableWitneſs Judas, Demas, and thoſe in the 6th. of John, and many Q…akers, and other deluded people among us this day. to Chriſt in his virtues, then certainly your afflictions are in love; many are conformable to Chriſt in their ſufferings, that are not made conformable to Chriſt in his virtues by their ſufferings; many are in poverty, neglect, ſhame, contempt, reproach, &c. like to Chriſt, who yet by theſe are not made more like to Chriſt, in his meekneſs, humbleneſs, heavenlineſs, holineſs, righteouſneſs, faithfulneſs, fruitfulneſs, goodneſs, contentedneſs, patience, ſubmiſſion, ſubjection. Oh but if in theſe things you are made more like to Chriſt, without all peradventure your afflictions are in love. If by afflictions the ſoul bee led to ſhew forth, or to preach forth the virtues of Chriſt, as that word imports, in that 1 Pet. 2. 9. then certainlyExaggeilete, publickly to ſet forth. thoſe afflictions are in love; for they never have ſuch an operation, but where they are ſet on by a hand of love; when God ſtrikes as an enemy, there all thoſe ſtroaks do but make a man more an enemy to God, as you ſee in Pharaoh and others; but when the ſtroaksIſa. 26. 8, 9, 10 Jer. 5. 3. Amos 6. 1,—ult. of God are the ſtroaks of love, Oh then they do but bring the ſoul nearer Chriſt, and transform the ſoul more and more into the likeneſs of Chriſt; if by thy afflictions thou art made more holy, humble, heavenly, &c. they are in love. Every afflicted Chriſtian ſhould ſtrive to bee honoured with that Elogie of Salvian, ſingularis domini praeclarus imitator, An excellent Diſciple of a ſingular Maſter. But
Fifthly, If by outward afflictions thy ſoul bee brought more underJob 34. 31, 32 the inward teachings of God, doubtleſs thy afflictions are in love. Pſal. 94. 12. Bleſſed is the man whom thou chaſteneſt, O Lord! and teachest him out of thy Law. All the chaſtening in the world, without divine teaching, will never make a man bleſſed; that man that findes correction attended with inſtruction, and laſhing with leſſoning, is a happy man. If God by the affliction that is upon thee ſhall teach thee how to loathe ſin more, and how to trample upon the world more, and how to walk with God more, thy afflictions are in love; if God ſhall teach thee by afflictions how to dye to ſin more, and how to dye to thy relations more, and how to dye to ſelf-intereſt more, thy afflictions are in love; if God ſhall teach thee by afflictions how to live to Chriſt more, how to lift up Chriſt more, and how to long for Chriſt more, thy afflictions are in love; If God ſhall teach thee by afflictions, to get aſſurance of a better life, and to bee ſtill in a gracious readineſs and preparedneſs for the day of thy death, thy duplicate page duplicate page afflictions are in love; if God ſhall teach thee by afflictions how to minde Heaven more, how to live in Heaven more, and how to fit for Heaven more, thy afflictions are in love; if God by afflictions ſhall teach thy proud heart how to lye more low, and thy hard heart how to grow more humble, and thy cenſorious heart how to grow more charitable, and thy carnal heart how to grow more ſpiritual, and thy froward heart how to grow more quiet, &c. thy afflictions are in love. When God teaches thy reins as well as thy brains, thy heart as well as thy head theſe leſſons, or any of theſe leſſons, thy afflictions are in love.Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 18. Pambo an illiterate dunce, as the Hiſtorian terms him, was a learning that one leſſon, I ſaid I will take heed to my waies that I ſin not with my tongue, nineteen years, and yet had not learned it. Ah! it is to bee feared that there are many who have been in the ſchool of affliction above this nineteen years, and yet have not learned any ſaving leſſon all this while; ſurely their afflictions are not in love, but in wrath; where God loves, hee afflicts in love, and where-ever God afflicts in love, there hee will firſt or laſt teach ſuch ſouls ſuch leſſons as ſhall do them good to all eternity. But
Sixthly, If God ſuit your burdens to your backs, your trials toIſa. 27. 8 Jer. 30. 11. ch. 46. 28 your ſtrength, according to that golden promiſe, 1 Cor. 10. 13. Your afflictions are in love. There hath no temptation taken you, but ſuch as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not ſuffer you to bee tempted, above that yee are able; but will with the temptation alſo make a way to eſcape, that yee may bee able to bear it. When Gods ſtroaks and a Chriſtians ſtrength are ſuited one to another, all is in love; let the load bee never ſo heavyGen. 49. 23, 24. that God laies on, if hee put under his everlaſting arms, all is in love. As Egypt had many venemous creatures, ſo it had many antidotes againſt them; when God ſhall lay antidotes into the ſoul againſt all the afflictions that befall a Chriſtian, then they are all in love; it is no matter how heavy the burden is, if God gives a ſhoulder to bear it, all is in love; it is no matter how bitter the cup is, if God give courage to drink it off; it is no matter how hot the furnace is, if God gives power to walk in the midſt of it, all is in love.
Seventhly, I… thou art willing to lye in the furnace till thy droſs bee conſumed, if thou art willingJob 23. 10 Mic. 7. 9 that the plaiſter ſhould lye on (though it ſmart) till the cure bee wrought, if thou art willing that the phyſick ſhould work (though it makes thee ſick) till the humors bee expelled, all is in love. Cain and Saul, and Pharaoh, were all for the removing away of the ſtroak, the affliction; they cry not out, our ſins are greater than wee are able to bear, but they cry out, our puniſhment is greaterGen. 4. 13 Iſa. 28. 1,—6. ch. 59. 9,—17 Exod. 7, 8, 9, 10. chapters. than wee are able to bear; they cry not out, Lord take away our ſins, but Lord remove the ſtroak of thy hand. Oh! but when an affliction comes in love upon a ſoul, the language of that ſoul is this, Lord remove the cauſe, rather than the effect, the ſin, rather than the puniſhment, my corruption, rather than my affliction: Lord, what will it avail mee, to have the ſore skinned over, if the corrupt matter ſtill remains in? there is no evil Lord, to the evil of ſin, and therefore deliver mee rather from the evil of ſ…n, than the evil of ſufferings. I know Lord, that affliction cannot bee ſo diſpleaſing to mee, as ſin is diſhonourable and diſpleaſing to thee; and therefore Lord let mee ſee an end of my ſin, though in this world I ſhould never ſee an end of my ſorrows; Oh! let mee ſee an end of my corruptions, though I ſhould never ſee an end of my corrections. Lord, I had rather have a cure for my heart, than a cure for my head; I had rather bee made whole and ſound within, than without; I had rather have a healthy ſoul, than a healthy body, a pure inſide, than a beautiful outſide; if this bee the ſetled frame and temper of thy ſpirit, certainly thy afflictions are in love.
There was one, who being under marvelous great pains and torments in his body (occaſioned by many ſore diſeaſes that were upon him) cryed out, had I all the world, I would give it for eaſe, and yet for all the world, I would not have eaſe, till the cure bee wrought, ſure his afflictions were in love; the firſt requeſt, the great requeſt and the laſt requeſt of a ſoul afflicted in love, is, a cure Lord, a cure Lord, a cure Lord, of this wretched heart, and this ſinful life, and all will bee well, all will bee well.
Eighthly and laſtly, If you live a life of Faith in your afflictions, then your afflictions are in love. Now, what is it to live by Faith in affliction, but to live in the exerciſingTheſe following promiſes have been choice cordials, to many Chriſtians under ſore diſtreſſes. Iſa. 57. 15 ch. 41. 10 1 Tim. 1. 15 Joh. 10. 27, 28, 29 Iſa. 26. 3 Mat. 11. 28 1 Joh. 3. 14 of Faith upon thoſe precious promiſes that are made over to an afflicted condition? God hath promiſed to bee with his people in their afflictions, Iſa. 43. 2, 3. hee hath promiſed to ſupport them under their afflictions, Iſa. 41. 10. hee hath promiſed to deliver his people out of their afflictions, Pſal. 50. 15. hee hath promiſed to purge away his peoples ſins by affliction, Iſa. 1. 25. hee hath promiſed to make his people more partakers of his holineſs by affliction, Heb. 12. 10. hee hath promiſed to make afflictions an inlet to a more full and ſweet enjoyment of himſelf, Hoſea 2. 14. hee hath promiſed that hee will never leave nor forſake his people in their afflictions, Heb. 13. 5, 6. hee hath promiſed that all their afflictions ſhall work for their good, Zech. 13. 9. Rom. 8. 28. Now if thy Faith bee drawn forth to feed upon theſe promiſes, if theſe bee heavenly Manna to thy Faith, and thy ſoul lives upon them, and ſucks ſtre… … ſweetneſs from them, und… … trials and troubles that … … on thee, thy afflictions are in love.
A Bee can ſuck honey out of a flower, which a Flie cannot; if thy Faith can extract comfort and ſweetneſs in thy ſaddeſt diſtreſſes out of the breaſts of precious promiſes, and gather one contrary out of another, Honey out of theDeut. 32. 13. Rock, thy afflictions are in love. The Promiſes are full breaſts, and God delights that Faith ſhouldAs the mother delights that the childe ſhould draw hers. draw them, they are pabulum fidei, & anima fidei, the food of Faith, and the very ſoul of Faith. They are an everlaſting ſpring, that can never bee drawn dry, they are an inexhauſtible treaſure, that can never bee exhauſted, they are the garden of Paradiſe, and full of ſuch choice flowers that will never fade, but bee alwaies freſh, ſweet, green, and flouriſhing; and if in the day of affliction they prove thus to thy ſoul, thy afflictions are in love. Sertorius paidPlutarch. what hee promiſed with fair words, but ſo doth not God; men many times eat their words, but God will never eat his, all his promiſes in Chriſt are Yea, and in2 Cor. 1. 20. him Amen; hath hee ſpoken it, and ſhall it not come to paſs? if in all thy troubles thy heart bee drawn forth to act Faith upon the promiſes, thy troubles are from love; and thus much by way of anſwer to the firſt Objection.