The silent soul, with soveraign antidotes against the most miserable exigents: or, A Christian with an olive-leaf in his mouth, when he is under the greatest afflictions, the sharpest and sorest trials and troubles, the saddest and darkest providences and changes, with answers to divers questions and objections that are of greatest importance, all tending to win and work souls to bee still, quiet, calm and silent under all changes that have, or may pass upon them in this world, &c. / By Thomas Brooks preacher of the Word at Margarets New Fish-street London, and pastor of the Church of Christ meeting there.

First, A holy, a prudent Silence under affliction, doth not exclude and shut out a sense and feeling of

our afflictions, Psal. 39. though he was dumb, and laid his hand up∣on 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 re∣bukes dost correct man for iniqui∣ty, thou makest his beauty to con∣sume away like a moth: Surely every man is vanity. Hee is sen∣sible 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

Stoicks; 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 Com∣mander 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 un∣der 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* 1.1 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

strength 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 o∣pen to the greatest fury and seve∣rity.

The Physician, when hee find∣eth that the potion which hee hath given his patient will not work, hee seconds it with one more vio∣lent, 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 Scrip∣ture,

that ever any of the Saints drunk of this dyet-drink, and were not sensible of it?

Secondly, A holy, a prudent Si∣lence, doth not shut out prayer for* 1.2 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 sojour∣ner, as all my Fathers were. O spare mee, that I may recover strength, be∣fore I go hence, and bee no more. James 5. 13. Is any among you afflict∣ed? let him pray. Psal. 50. 15. Call upon mee in the day of trouble, I will deli∣ver 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

my soul. Jonah praies in the Whales belly, and Daniel praies when a∣mong 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 pur∣sued our host, and wee must needs venture over the great water Stry∣mon, 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 affli∣ction

bee not a time of supplica∣tion, I know not what is.

As there are two kinds of Anti∣dotes 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 ex∣clude prayer. But* 1.3

Thirdly, A holy, a prudent Si∣lence, 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

and 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 indigna∣tion 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, I* 1.4 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 be∣ginning 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

the afflicting hand of God, hee may well say, I may thank this proud heart of mine, this worldly heart, this froward heart, this for∣mal 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 despe∣rate, this wound so incurable; it is mine own self, mine own sin, that hath caused these floods of sor∣rows to break in upon mee. But

Fourthly, A holy, a prudent Si∣lence, doth not exclude the teach∣ing 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

the Lord waxed bold and confi∣dent by his bonds, and were con∣firmed, 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 ma∣ny times stick and work glorious∣ly; 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 of* 1.5 Gold, in Pictures of Silver, for it made him not onely a Con∣vert, but a Martyr too. And this was the means of Justin Mar∣tyrs conversion, as himself confes∣seth. Doubtless many have been made happy by the words of the

afflicted; the tongue of the af∣flicted hath been to many as choice silver, the words of the af∣flicted many times are both plea∣sing and profitable; they tickle the ear, and they win upon the heart; they slide insensibly into the hea∣rers souls, & work efficaciously up∣on 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 o∣thers, and they win grace and fa∣vour from others; gracious lips make gracious hearts; gracious words are a grace, an ornament to the speaker, and they are a com∣fort, 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

Spouses, are like a threed of Scar∣let, 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.* 1.6 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 trea∣sures that hee scatters! But

Fifthly, A holy, a prudent Si∣lence,

doth not exclude moderate mourning or weeping under the* 1.7 afflicting hand of God, Isa. 38. 3. And Hezekiah wept sore, or, as the Hebrew hath it, wept with great weep∣ings. But was not the Lord displeas∣ed 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 his* 1.8 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 pre∣valency* 1.9 with the Almighty God. And therefore the weeping Pro∣phet 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 He∣brew hath it, let not the daughters of thine eye bee silent (that which wee call the ball or apple of the eye,

the Hebrews call the daughter of the eye, because it is as dear and tender to a man, as an onely daughter; and because therein ap∣pears the likenesse of a little daugh∣ter.) 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 Scrip∣tures 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, especi∣ally

under affliction. As you may see in David (whose tears instead of Gemms, were the common or∣naments 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 gar∣ment was the mourning garment, Psal. 43. 2. Why go yee in mourning, the Hebrew word kadar signifies black, why go yee in black; some∣times 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

Silence, doth not exclude sighing,* 1.10 groaning, or roarings under af∣fliction. 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 sigh∣ed by reason of the bondage. Job 3. 24. For my sighing cometh before I eat (or as the Hebrew hath it, be∣fore my meat) his sighing, like bad weather, came unsent for, and un∣sought for, Psal. 38. 9. Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groan∣ing 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.

When 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 re∣pine; when a man is in extremi∣ty, 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 mi∣sery. When Solon wept for his sons death, one said to him, weeping will not help, hee answer∣ed, Alass! therefore do I weep, because weeping will not help: So a Christian many times sighs, be∣cause 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 weep∣ing; 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 be∣fore

the Lord. Peter wept and snob'd, and yet was silent. Some∣times 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 shut* 1.11 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 pri∣son, 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 mer∣cy, hee had returned Peter as a bo∣some-favour

to 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 pro∣vidence 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 un∣reasonable (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 absurd) and wicked (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 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 endea∣vour to bee delivered from them, James 5. 14, 15. Isa. 38, 18, 19,

20, 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 was* 1.12 raised to the height of one thou∣sand 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 onely bless them, and you do your work. As a Pilot that guides the Ship hath his hand upon the Rud∣der, 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

him, 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 a∣gainst the Authors, contrivers, a∣bettors or instruments of our af∣flictions. 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 Mai∣monides, no more than forty stripes, though hee bee as strong as Samp∣son,

but if hee bee weak, they abate of that number: They scourged Paul with the greatest severity, in making him suffer so oft the ut∣most extremity of the Jewish Law, when as they that were weak had their punishment miti∣gated. 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 a∣gainst Pharaoh to the keeper of Is∣rael Exod. 2. If the proud and blas∣phe••••ous King of Assy••ia shall come with his mighty Army to destroy the people of the Lord,* 1.13 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 o∣ther to make him look about him; and this Hezekiah found by expe∣rience.

Though Josephs bow abode in

strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; yet Jo∣seph 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 dumb∣ness 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, skul∣lions to scoure off their rust, fire to purge away their dross, and wa∣ter 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

I might make good by above a hundred Texts of Scripture; but it is time to come to the Reasons of the point.

Notes

• * 1.1

  No judge∣ment to a stupid spi∣rit, a hard∣ned heart, and a bra∣zen brow.
• * 1.2

  It is an old saying, (Qui nes∣cit or are, discat na∣vigare) Hee that would learn to pray, let him go to Sea.
• * 1.3

  Read the 9th. of Ez∣ra, the 9th. of Nehe∣miah, and the 9th. of Daniel, and Psalm 51. with that 7th. chapter of Job.
• * 1.4

  Vivaldus.
• * 1.5

  Prov. 25. 11
• * 1.6

  Numb. 10. 10
• * 1.7

  Psal. 6. 6. Psa. 39. 12. Jer. 9. 1, 2 Lam. 1. 2. chap. 2. 11. 18.
• * 1.8

  Psal. 56. 8
• * 1.9

  And 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.
• * 1.10

  You may see much of this by comparing the fol∣lowing Scriptur••••, Lam. 1. 4. 11, 21, 22. Psal. 31. 10 Jer. 45. 3 Exod. 2. 24 Job 23. 2 Psal. 6. 6
• * 1.11

  2 King. 5. 10,—14 Mat. 4. 6, 7. & ch. 22. 4, 5, 8 Luk. 14. 16,—24 Act. 27. 24, 25, 31
• * 1.12

  Heylin. Cosm. l. 3
• * 1.13

  Isa. 37. 14,—21.