A77618:142
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.
Now because there is even in good men sometimes too great an aptness and proneness to sin, and shift themselves out of afflictions, when they should rather be mute and silent under them: Give me leave to lay down these six considerations to prevent it.
Now because there is even in good men sometimes too great an aptnesse and pronenesse to sin, and shift themselves out of afflictions, when they should rather bee mute and silent under them: Give mee leave to lay down these six considerations to prevent it.
First, Consider, that there is infinitely1 more evil in the least sin, ⟨p. 104⟩than there is in the greatest miseries and afflictions that can possibly come upon you; yea there is more evil in the least sin, than there is in all the troubles that ever came upon the world, yea than there is in all the miseries and torments2 of hell: the least sin is an offence to the great God, it is a wrong to the immortal soul, it is a breach of a righteous Law; it3 cannot be washed away, but by the blood of Jesus; it can shut the soul out of Heaven, and shut the soul up a close prisoner in Hell for ever, and ever: The least sin is rather to be avoided, and prevented, than the greatest sufferings; if this Cockatrice be not crushed in the Egg, it will soon become a Serpent; the very thought of sin, if not thought on, will break out into action, action into custom, custom into habit, and then both body and soul are lost irrecoverably, to all eternity. The least sin is very dangerous; Caesar was stabbed with bodkins,