A77618:122
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.
It is said of Marcellus the Roman General, that he could not bee quiet (nec victor nec victus) neither conquered, nor conqueror; it is so with wicked men, they cannot be 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 1an inhabitant. They shall roar together like Lions, they shall yell as Lions whelps. When the Lion roars, all the beasts of the field tremble:2 When the Lion roars, many creatures that could out-run him, are so amazed and astonied at the ⟨p. 73⟩terror 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 be silent under their sorest trials, that they may difference and distinguish themselves from wicked men, who are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot3 rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. The verb [Greek or Hebrew] signifies to make a stir, to be exceeding busy, 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 ⟨p. 74⟩foam and cast up mire and dirt; the raging Sea is a fit emblem of a wicked man that is under Gods afflicting hand.