A77618:12
The silent soul, with sovereign antidotes against the most miserable exigentsThe silent soul, with soveraign antidotes against the most miserable exigents
The silent soul, with sovereign 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 be 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.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.
London: printed by R.I. for John Hancock, 1660
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First, The afflicting hand of God hath been hard upon my self, and upon my dearest relations in this world, and upon many of my precious Christian ⟨image 4⟩friends, whom I much love and honour in the Lord▪ which put me upon studying of the mind of God in that Scripture, that I have made the subject matter of this following discourse. Luther could not understand some Psalms, till he was afflicted, the Christ-cross is no letter in the book, and yet saith he▪ it hath taught me more than all the letters in the book, afflictions are a golden key, by which the Lord opens the rich treasures of his word to his peoples souls; and this in some measure through grace1 my soul hath experienced; when Sampson had found honey, he gave some to his Father and Mother to eat; some honey I have found in my following Text, and therefore I may not, I cannot be such a churl, as not to give them some of my honey to taste, who have drunk deep of my gall and wormwood.2 Austin observes on that, Psal. 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. He doth not call them (saith he) to acquaint them with speculations, how wide the earth is, how far the Heavens are ⟨image 5⟩stretched out, what the number of the stars is, or what is the course of the Sun; but come, and I will tell you the wonders of his grace, the faithfulness of his promises, the riches of his mercy to my soul; gracious experiences are to be communicated; Lilmod Lelammed, we therefore learn, that we may teach, is a proverb among the Rabbins; And I do therefore lay in and lay up, saith the Heathen, that I may draw forth again, and lay out for the good of many; when God hath dealt bountifully with us, others should reap some noble good by us; the Family, the Town, the City, the Country, where a man lives, should fare the better for his faring well; our mercies and experiences should be as a running spring at our doors, which is not only for our own use, but also for our neighbours, yea and for strangers too.