The Silent Soul, Objections · Objection 2
Object. 2 Oh but Sir! The Lord hath ſmitten mee in my neareſt and deareſt comforts and contentments, and how then can I hold my peace? God hath taken away a husband, a wife, a childe, an onelyonly childe, a boſome friend, and how then can I bee ſilent? &c.
Anſw. To this I Anſwer, Firſt, If God did not ſtrike thee in that mercy, which was near and dear unto thee, it would not amount to an affliction; that is not worthy the name of an affliction, that doth not ſtrike at ſome boſome mercy; that trouble is no trouble, that doth not touch ſome choice contentment; that ſtorm is no ſtorm, that onelyonly blows off the leaves, but never hurts the fruit; that thruſt is no thruſt, that onelyonly touches the cloaths, but never reaches the skin; that cut is no cut, that onelyonly cuts the hatt, but never touches the head; neither is that affliction any affliction, that onelyonly reaches ſome remote enjoyment, but never reaches a Joſeph a Benjamin, &c.
Secondly, The beſt mercy is not too good for the beſt God; the beſt of the beſt, is not good enough for him who is goodneſs it ſelf; the beſt childe, the beſt yoak-fellow, the beſt friend, the beſt Jewel in all thy Crown muſt bee readily reſigned to thy beſt God;Iſa. 43. 22,—25. Mal. 1. 13, 14. there is no mercy, no enjoyment, no contentment worthy of God, but the beſt; the milk of mercy is for others, the cream of mercy is due to God; the choiceſt, the faireſt, and the ſweeteſt flowers, are fitteſt for the boſome of God; if hee will take the beſt flower in all thy garden, and plant it in a better ſoil, haſt thou any cauſe to murmure? wilt thou not hold thy peace?
Thirdly, Your near and dear mercies were firſt the Lords, before they were yours, and alwaies the Lords more than they were yours; when God gives a mercy, hee doth not relinquiſh his own right in that mercy, 1 Chron. 29. 14. All things come of thee, and of thine own have wee given thee. The ſweet of mercy is yours, but the ſovereign right to diſpoſe of your mercies is the Lords. Quicquid es, debes creanti, quicquid potes, debes redimenti. Bern. Whatſoever thou art, thou oweſt to him that made thee; and whatſoever thou haſt, thou oweſt to him that redeemed thee. You ſay it is but juſt and reaſonable that men ſhould do with their own as they pleaſe, and is it not juſt and reaſonable, that God, who is Lord Paramount, ſhould do with his own as hee pleaſes? doſt thou beleeve that the great God may do in Heaven what hee pleaſes, and on the Seas what hee pleaſes, and in the Nations and Kingdomes of the world what hee pleaſes, and in thy heart what hee pleaſes? and doſt thou not beleeve that God may do in thy houſe what hee pleaſes, and do with thy mercies what hee pleaſes? Job 9. 12. Behold Job plainly alludes to Gods taking away his children, ſervants, and cattel.hee taketh away, or hee ſnatcheth away (it may bee a husband, a wife, a childe, an eſtate) who can hinder him? who will ſay unto him what doest thou? Who dares cavil againſt God? who dares queſtion that God that is unqueſtionable? that chief Lord that is uncontroulable? and who may do with his own what hee pleaſeth? Dan. 4. 35. And all the Inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and hee doth according to his will, in the Army Iſa. 45. 9of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can ſtay his hand, or ſay unto him, what doeſt thou? Where is the Prince, the Peaſant, the Maſter, the Servant, the Husband, the Wife, the Father, the Child, that dares ſay to God, what doeſt thou? In matters of Arithmetical accounts, ſet one againſt ten, ten againſt a hundred, a hundred againſt a thouſand, a thouſand againſt ten thouſand, although there bee great odds, yet there is ſome compariſon; but if a man could ſet down an infinite number, then there could bee no compariſon at all, becauſe the one is finite, the other infinite; ſo ſet all the Princes and Powers of the earth in oppoſition to God, they ſhall never bee able to withſtand him. It was once the ſaying of Pompey, that with one ſtamp of his foot hee could raiſe all Italy in Arms, but let thePlutarch in vita Pompei. great God but ſtamp with his foot; and hee can raiſe all the world in Arms, to own him, to contend for him, or to revenge any affronts that by any are put upon him; and therefore who ſhall ſay unto him, what doeſt thou? water is ſtronger than earth, fire ſtronger than water, Angels ſtronger than men, and God ſtronger than them all; and therefore who ſhall ſay unto God, what doeſt thou, when hee takes their neareſt and their deareſt mercies from them? But
Fourthly, It may bee thou haſt not made a happy improvement of thy near and dear mercies whilſt thou injoyeſt them: thou haſt been taken with thy mercies, but thy heart hath not been taken up in the improvement of them; there are many who are very much taken with their mercies, who make no conſcience of improving their mercies; have thy near and dear mercies been a ſtar to lead thee to Chriſt? have they been a cloud by day, and a pillar of light by night to lead thee towards the heavenly Canaan? have they been a Jacobs Ladder to thy ſoul? haſt thou by them been provoked to give up thy ſelf to God as a livingRom. 12. 1 Sacrifice? haſt thou improved thy near and dear mercies to the enflaming of thy love to God? to the ſtrengthening of thy confidence in God? to the raiſing of thy communion with God? and to the engaging of thy heart to a more cloſe and circumſpect walking before God? &c. if thou haſt not thus improved them, thou haſt more cauſe to bee mute, than to murmure, to bee ſilent, than to be impatient, to fall out with thy ſelf, than to fall out with thy God. Children and fools are taken with many things, but improve n… thing; ſuch children and fools a…e moſt men, they are much taken with their mercies, but they make no improvement of their mercies; and therefore no wonder if God ſtrip them of their mercies. The candle of mercy is ſet up, not to play by, but to work by.
Pliny ſpeaks of one Creſſinus, whoLib. 18. cap. 6. improved a little peece of ground to a far greater advantage, than his neighbours could a greater quantity of land, thereupon hee was accuſed of witch-craft, but hee to defend himſelf, brought into the Court his ſervants, and their working-tools, and ſaid, Veneficia mea Quirites haec ſunt, theſe are my witch-crafts (O yee Romans) theſe ſervants, and theſe workingtools, are all the witch-craft that I know of; when the people heard this plea, with one conſent they acquitted him, and declared him not guilty; and ſo his little peece of ground was ſecured to him; there is no way to ſecure your mercies, but by improving of them, there is nothing that provokes God to ſtrip you of your mercies, like the non-improvement of them, Matth. 25. 24,—31. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. By ſome ſtroak or other God will take away the mercy that is not improved; if thy ſlothfulneſs hath put God upon paſſing a ſentence of death upon thy deareſt mercy, thank thy ſelf, and hold thy peace.
Fifthly, If in this caſe God had made thee a preſident to others, thou muſt have held thy peace, how much more then ſhouldſt thou bee mute when God hath made many others preſidents to thee? Did not God ſmite Aaron in his dear and near enjoyments, Levit. 10. 1, 2. and doth hee not hold his …eace? did not God ſmite David in his Abſalom, and Abraham in his Sarah, and Job in his ſons, daughters, eſtate and body, and Jonah in his Guard? artJonah 4. 6, 7, 8. thou more beloved than theſe? no; haſt thou more grace than theſe? no; haſt thou done more for divine glory than theſe? no; art thou richer in ſpiritual experiences than theſe? no; haſt thou attained to higher enjoyments than theſe? no; haſt thou been more ſerviceable in thy Generation than theſe? no; haſt thou been more exemplary in thy life and converſation than theſe? no, &c. then why ſhouldeſt thou murmure and fret at that which hath been the common lot of the deareſt Saints?
Though God hath ſmitten thee in this or that near and dear enjoyment, it is thy wiſdome to hold thy peace; for that God that hath taken away one, might have taken away all. Juſtice writes a ſentence of death upon all Jobs merciesJob 1. at once, and yet hee holds his peace, and wilt not thou hold thine, though God hath cropt the faireſt Flower in all thy garden?
Anytus a young ſpark of Athens, came revelling into Alcibiades houſe, and as hee ſate at ſupper with ſome ſtrangers, hee roſe on a ſudden, and took away one half of his plate, thereupon the Gueſts ſtormed, and took on at it, he bade them bee quiet, and told them, that hee had dealt kindly with him, ſince that hee had left the one half, whereas hee might have taken all: ſo when our hearts begin to ſtorm and take on, when God ſmites us in this neer mercy, and in that dear enjoyment, Oh! let us lay the Law of ſilence upon our hearts, let us charge our ſouls to bee quiet; for that God that hath taken away one childe, might have took away every childe, and hee that hath taken away one friend, might have taken away every friend, and hee that hath taken away a part of thy eſtate, might have taken away thy whole eſtate; therefore hold thy peace, let who will murmure, yet bee thou mute.
Sixthly, It may bee thy ſins have been much about thy near and dear injoyments; it may bee thou haſt over-loved them, and over-prized them, and over-much delighted thy ſelf in them; it may bee they have often had thy heart, when they ſhould have had but thy hand; it may bee that care, that fear, that confidence, that joy that ſhould have been expended upon more noble objects, hath been expended upon them; thy heart, Oh Chriſtian! is Chriſts bed of ſpices, and it may bee thou haſt beded thy mercies with thee, when Chriſt hath been put to lye in anLuk. 2. 7 out-houſe; thou haſt had room for them, when thou haſt had none for him, they have had the beſt, when the worſt have been counted good enough for Chriſt. It is ſaid ofGen. 49. 4. Ruben, that hee went up to his Fathers bed. Ah! how often hath one creature-comfort, and ſometimes another, put in between Chriſt and your ſou…s? how often have your dear injoyments gone up to Chriſts bed? It is ſaid of the babylonians, that they came in to Aholah, Ezek. 23. 17.and Aholibahs bed of love; may it not hee ſaid of your near and dear mercies, that they have come into Chriſts bed of lov…? your hearts, they being that bed wherein ChriſtCant. 3. 7 delights to reſt and repoſe himſelf. Now, if a husband, a childe, a friend, ſhall take up that room in thy ſoul that is proper and peculiar to God, God will either imbitter it, remove it, or bee the death …f it; if once the love of a wife runs out more to a ſervant, than to her husband, the Maſter will turn him out of doors, though otherwiſe hee were a ſervant worth gold. The ſweeteſt comforts of this life, they are but like treaſures of Snow; now do but take a handful of Snow, and cruſh it in your hands, and it will melt away preſently, but if you let it lye upon the ground, it will continue for ſome time; and ſo it is with the contentments of this world, if you graſp them in your hands, and lay them too near your hearts, they will quickly melt and vaniſh away, but if you will not hold them too faſt in your hands, nor lay them too cloſe to your hearts, they will abide the longer with you. There are thoſe that love their mercies into their graves, that hug their mercies to death, that kiſs them, till they kill them: Many a man hath ſlain his mercies, by ſetting too great a value upon them; many a man hath …unk his ſhip of merciemercy, by taking up in it; over-loved mercies are ſeldome long-liv'd, Ezek. 24. 21.—when I take from them the joy of their glory, the deſire of their eyes, and that whereupon they ſet their minds, their ſons and their daughters; the way to loſe your mercies, is to indulge them; the way to deſtroy them, is to fix your minds and hearts upon them; thou mayeſt write bitterneſs and death upon that merciemercy firſt, that hath firſt taken away thy heart from God. Now, if God hath ſtript thee of that very mercy with which thou haſt often committed ſpiritual Adultery, and Idolatry, haſt thou any cauſe to murmure? haſt thou not rather cauſe to hold thy peace, and to be mute before the Lord? Chriſtians, your hearts are Chriſts royal Throne, and in this Throne Chriſt will bee chief (as Pharaoh ſaid to Joſeph, Gen. 41. 40.) hee will endure no competitor, if you ſhall attempt to throne the creature, bee it never ſo near and dear unto you, Chriſt will dethrone it, hee will deſtroy it, hee will quickly lay them in a bed of duſt, who ſhall aſpire to his royal Throne. But
Seventhly, Thou haſt no cauſe to murmure, becauſe of the loſs of ſuch near and dear enjoyments, conſidering thoſe more noble and ſpiritual mercies and favours that thou ſtill enjoyeſt; grant that Joſeph is not, and Benjamin is not, yetGen. 42. 36, Heb. 13. 8 Jeſus is, hee is yeſterday and to day and the ſame for ever; thy union and communion with Chriſt remains1 Joh. 3. 9. ſtill▪ the immortal ſeed abides in thee ſtill, the Sun of Righteouſneſs ſhines upon thee ſtill, thou art in favour with God ſtill, and thou art under the anointings of the Spirit ſtill, and under the influences of Heaven ſtill, &c. and why then ſhouldeſt thou mutter; and not rather hold thy peace? I have readJerom. of one Dydimus a godly Preacher▪ who was blind, Alexander a godly man once ask'd him whether hee was not ſore troubled and afflicted for want of his ſight? Oh yes I ſaid Dydimus, it is a great affliction and grief unto mee, then Alexander chid him, ſaying, hath God given you the excellency of an Angel, of an Apoſtle, and are you troubled for that which Rats, and Mice, and brute beaſts have? So ſay I, AhEpheſ. 1. 3, 4 Chriſtians! hath God bleſſed you with all ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly places? hath the Lord given you himſelf for a portion? hath hee given you his Son for your redemption, and his Spirit for your inſtruction? and will you murmure? hath hee given his grac… to adorn you? his promiſes to comfor… you, his ordinances to better you, and the hopes of Heaven to encourage you? and will you mutter? Paulinus Nolanus, when his City was taken from him, prayed thus, Lord (ſaid hee) let mee not bee troubled at the loſs of my gold, ſilver, honour, &c. for thou art all, and much more than all theſe unto mee; in the want of all your ſweeteſt enjoyments, Chriſt will bee all in all unto you: my Jewels are my husband, ſaid Phocion's wife,Col. 3. 11 Plutar…h. in vita Phocion. my ornaments are my two ſons, ſaid the Mother of the Gracchi, my treaſures are my friends, ſaid Conſtantius; and ſo may a Chriſtian under his greateſt loſſes, ſay, Chriſt is my richeſt Jewels, my chiefeſt treaſures, my beſt ornaments, my ſweeteſt delights; look what all theſe things are to a carnal heart, a worldly heart, that (and more) is Chriſt to mee.
Eighthly▪ If God by ſmiting thee in thy neareſt and deareſt inj…yments ſhall put thee upon a more thorow ſmiting and mortifying of thy deareſt ſins, thou haſt no cauſe to murmure; God cures David of adultery, by killing his endeared childe. There is ſome Dalilah, ſome darling, ſome beloved ſin orPſa. 18. 23 Heb. 12. 1 other, that a Chriſtians calling, condition, conſtitution, or temptations leads him to play withall, and to hug in his own boſome, rather than ſome other. As in a ground that lieth untilled, amongſt the great variety of weeds, there is uſually ſome maſter-weed that is rifer and ranker than all the reſt; And as it is in the body of man, that although in ſome degree or other, more or leſs, there bee a mixture of all the four elements, not any of them wholly wanting, yet there is ſome one of them predominant, that gives the denomination, in which regard ſome are ſaid to be of a ſanguin, ſome of a phlegmatick, ſome of a cholerick, and ſome of a melancholick conſtitution: So it is alſo in the ſouls of men, though there bee a general mixture and medly of all evil and corrupt qualities, yet is there ſome one uſually that is Paramount, which like the Prince of Devils, is moſt powerful and prevalent, that ſwayeth and ſheweth forth it ſelf more eminently and evidently than any other of them do. And as in every mans body there is a ſeed and principle of death, yet in ſome there is a proneneſs to one kinde of diſeaſe more than other that may haſten death: So, though the root of ſin and bitterneſs hath ſpread it ſelf over all, yet every man hath his inclination to one kinde of ſin, rather than another, and this may bee called a mans proper ſin, his boſome ſin, his darling ſin. Now, it is one of the hardeſt works in this world to ſubdue and bring under this boſome ſin. Oh! the prayers, the tears, the ſighs, the ſobs, the groans, the gripes that it will coſt a Chriſtian before hee brings under this darling ſin!
Look upon a Rabbets skin, how well it comes off till it comes to the head, but then what haling and pulling is there before it ſtirs? So it is in the mortifying, in the crucifying of ſin; a man may eaſily ſubdue and mortifie ſuch and ſuch ſins, but when it comes to the head ſin, to the maſter-ſin, to the boſome-ſin, Oh! what tugging and pulling is there? what ſtriving and ſtrugling is there, to get off that ſin, to get down that ſin? Now, if the Lord by ſmiting thee in ſome near and dear enjoyment ſhall draw out thy heart to fall upon ſmiting of thy maſter-ſin, and ſhall ſo ſanctifie the affliction, as to make it iſſue in the mortification of thy boſome corruption, what eminent cauſe wilt thou have rather to bleſs him, than to fit down and murmure againſt him? and doubtleſs, if thou art dear to God, God will, by ſtriking thy deareſt mercy, put thee upon ſtriking at thy darling-ſin; and therefore hold thy peace, even then when God touches the apple of thi…e eye.
Ninthly, Conſider, That the Lord hath many waies to make up the loſs of a near and dear mercy to thee; hee can make up thy loſs inMat. 19. 27,—ult. ſomething elſe that may bee better for thee, and hee will certainly make up thy loſs, either in kinde, or in worth; hee took from David an Abſalom, and hee gave him a Solomon, hee took from him a Michal, and gave him a wiſe Abigail, hee took from Job ſeven ſonsThe firſt and laſt chapters of Job compared. Joh, 16. 7, 8. &c. Act. 2. and three daughters, and afterwards hee gives him ſeven ſons and three daughters, hee took from Job a fair eſtate, and at laſt doubled it to him, hee removed the bodily preſence of Chriſt from his diſciples, but gave them more abundantly of his ſpiritual preſence, which was far the greater and the ſweeter mercy. If Moſes bee taken away, Joſhua ſhall bee raiſed in his room; if David bee gathered to his Fathers, a Solomon ſhall ſucceed him in his Throne; if John bee caſt into priſon, rather than the Pulpit ſhall ſtand empty, a greater than John, even Chriſt himſelf will begin to preach: hee that lives upon God in the loſs of creature-comforts, ſhall finde all made up in the God of comforts, hee ſhall bee able to ſay, though my childe is not, my friend is not, my yoak-fellow is not, yet my God liveth, and bleſſed bee my Rock, Pſal. 89. 46. though this mercy is not, and that mercy is not, yet covenant mercies, yet the ſure mercies2 Sam. 23. 5. of David continue, theſe bed and board with mee, theſe will to the grave, and to glory with mee. I have read of a godly man, who living near a Philoſopher, did often perſwade him to become a Chriſtian: Oh but ſaid the Philoſopher! I muſt, or may loſe all for Chriſt; to which the good man replied, if you loſe any thing for Chriſt, hee will bee ſure to repay it a hundred fold; I but ſaid the Philoſopher, will you bee bound for Chriſt, that if he do not pay mee, you will? yes that I will, ſaid the good man: So the Philoſopher became a Chriſtian, and the good man entred into bond for performance of covenants; ſometime after it happened that the Philoſopher fell ſick on his death-bed, and holding the bond in his hand, ſent for the party engaged, to whom hee gave up the bond, and ſaid, Chriſt hath paid all, there is nothing for you to pay, take your bond and cancel it. Chriſt will ſuffer none of his children to go by the loſs; he hath all, and hee will make up all to them; in the cloſe Chriſt will pay the reckoning; no man ſhall ever have cauſe to ſay, that hee hath been a loſer by Chriſt; and therefore thou haſt much cauſe to bee mute, thou haſt no cauſe to murmure, though God hath ſnatch'd the faireſt and the ſweeteſt flower out of thy boſome.
Tenthly, How canſt thou tell, but that that which thou calleſt a near and dear mercy, if it had beenThe Lamentations of Jeremiah are a full proof of this. continued longer to thee, might have proved the greateſt croſs, the greateſt calamity and miſery that ever thou didſt meet with in this world? Our mercies like choice Wines, many times turn into Vinegar; our faireſt hopes are often blaſted, and that very mercy which wee ſometimes have ſaid ſhould be a ſtaff to ſupport us, hath proved a ſword to peirce us; how often have our moſt flouriſhing mercies withered in our hands? and our boſome-contentments been turned into gall and wormwood? If God had2 Sam. 12. 16. continued the life of Davids childe to him, it would have been but a living Monument of his ſin and ſhame, and all that knew the childe would have pointed at him, yonder goes Davids baſtard, and ſoThis age affords many ſad inſtances of this nature; who can think of Tiburn, & queſtion it? and of killing & drowning, and ſay, how can this bee? have kept Davids wound ſtill a bleeding; many Parents who have ſought the lives of their children with tears, have lived afterwards to ſee them take ſuch courſes, and come to ſuch diſmal ends, as have brought their gray-hairs with ſorrow to their graves. It had been ten thouſand times a greater mercy to many Parents to have buried their children, as ſoon as ever they had been born, than to ſee them come to ſuch unhappy ends as they often do. Well Chriſtian! it may bee the Lord hath taken from thee ſuch a hopeful ſon, or ſuch a dear daughter, and thou ſayeſt how can I hold my peace, but heark Chriſtian, heark, canſt thou tell mee how long thou muſt have travelled in birth again with them before they had been born again, before they had been twice born? would not every ſin that they had committed againſt thy gracious God, cauſe a new throw in thy ſoul? would not every temptation that they had fallen before, been as a dagger at thy heart? would not every affliction that ſhould have befallen them, been as a knife at thy throat? what are thoſe pains, and pangs; and throws of child-birth, to thoſe after pains, pangs and throws that might have been brought upon thee by the ſins and ſufferings of thy children? Well Chriſtians, hold your peace, for you do not know what thorns in your eyes, what goads in your ſides, nor what ſpears in your hearts, ſuch near and dear mercies might have proved, had they been longer continued.
Eleventhly, Thou canſt not tell how bad thy heart might haveDeut. 32. ult. 5. to the end. Jer. 5. 7, 8, 9. ch. 2. 31. & ch. 22. 21. Hoſea 4. 7 proved under the enjoyment of thoſe near and dear mercies that now thou haſt loſt. Iſrael were very bad whilſt they were in the wilderneſs, but they were much worſe when they came to poſſeſſe Canaan, that Land of deſires; mans blood is apt to riſe with his outward good: In the winter, men gird their cloaths cloſe about them, but in the Summer they let them hang looſe; in the winter of adverſity many a Chriſtian girds his heart cloſe to God, to Chriſt, to Goſpel, to Godlineſs, to Ordinances, to Duties, &c. who in the ſummer of mercy, hangs looſe from all.
I have read of the Pine-tree, that if the bark bee pulled off, it will laſt a long time, but if it continue long on, it rots the tree. Ah! how bad, how rotten, how baſe would many have proved, had not God pulled off their bark of health, wealth, friendſhip, &c? near and dear relations they ſtick as cloſe to us as the bark of a tree ſticks to the tree, and if God ſhould not pull off this bark, how apt ſhould wee be to rot and corrupt our ſelves? therefore God is fain to bark us, and peel us, and ſtrip us naked, and bare of our deareſt enjoyments, and ſweeteſt contentments, that ſo our ſouls, like the Pine-tree, may proſper and thrive the better; who can ſeriouſly conſider of this, and not hold his peace, even then when God takes a Jewel out of his boſome? Heap all the ſweeteſt contentments, and moſt deſirable enjoyments of this world upon a man, they will not make him a Chriſtian; heap them upon a Chriſtian, they will not make him a better Chriſtian; many a Chriſtian hath been made worſe by the good things of this world, but where is the Chriſtian that hath been bettered by them? therefore bee quiet when God ſtrips thee of them.
Twelfthly and laſtly, Get thy heart more affected with ſpiritual loſſes, and then thy ſoul will bee leſs afflicted with thoſe temporal loſſes that thou mourneſt under: Haſt thou loſt nothing of that preſenceQui te non habet, Domine Deus, totum perdidit. Bern. of God that once thou hadſt with thy ſpirit? haſt thou loſt none of thoſe warmings? meltings? quicknings and chearings that once thou hadſt? haſt thou loſt nothing of thy communion with God? nor of the joyes of the ſpirit, nor of that peace of conſcience that once thou enjoyedſt? haſt thou loſt none of that ground that once thou hadſt got upon ſin, Satan, and the world? haſt thou loſt nothing of that holy vigour and heavenly heat that once thou hadſt in thy heart? if thou haſt not (which would bee a miracle, a wonder) why doeſt thou complain of this or that temporal loſs? for what is this but to complain of the loſs of thy purſe, when thy gold is ſafe? if thou art a loſer in ſpirituals, why doſt thou not rather complain that thou haſt loſt thy God, than that thou haſt loſt thy gold? and that thou haſt loſt thy Chriſt, than that thou haſt loſt thy Husband? and that thou haſt loſt thy Peace, than that thou haſt loſt thy Childe? and that thou art damnified in ſpirituals, than that thou art damnified in temporals? Doſt thou mourn over the body the ſoul hath left? mourn rather over the ſoul that God hath1 Sam. 15. 35 forſaken (as Samuel did for Saul) ſaith one.
I have read of Honorius a Roman Emperour, who was ſimple and childiſh enough, when one told him Rome was loſt, hee was exceedingly grieved, and cried out, Alaſs! Alaſs! for hee ſuppoſed it was his Hen that was called Rome, which Hen hee exceedingly loved; but when it was told him it was his imperial City of Rome that was beſiedged by A…aricus, and taken, and all the Citizens rifled and made a prey to the rude enraged ſouldiers, then his ſpirits were revived, that his loſs was not ſo great as hee imagined; now, what is the loſs of a husband, a wife, a childe, a friend, to the loſs of God, Chriſt, the Spirit, or the leaſt meaſure of Grace, or Communion with God? &c. I ſay, What are all ſuch loſſes, but the loſs of a Hen to the loſs of Rome? and yet ſo ſimple and childiſh are many Chriſtians, that they are more affected and afflicted with the loſs of this and that poor temporal injoyment, than they are with the loſs of their moſt ſpiritual attainment. Ah Chriſtians! bee but more affected with ſpiritual loſſes, and you will bee more quiet and ſilent under temporal loſſes; let the loſs of Rome trouble you more, and then the loſs of your Hen will not trouble you at all. Let theſe things ſuffice for anſwer to the ſecond Objection.