A77618:143
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, ⟨p. 105⟩Herod was eaten up of Lice, Pope Adrian was choked with a Gnat. A Mouse is but little, yet killeth an Elephant, if he gets up into his Trunk; a Scorpion is little, yet able to sting a Lion to death; though the Leopard be great, yet he is poisoned with a head of Garlic: the least spark may consume the greatest house; and the least leak sink the greatest ship: a whole arm hath been impostumated with the prick of a little finger; A little Postern opened, may betray the greatest City; A dram of poison diffuseth it self to all parts, till it strangle the vital spirits, and turn out the soul from the body; if the Serpent can but wriggle in his tail, by an evil thought, he will soon make a surprisal of the soul, as you see in that great instance of Adam and Eve. The trees of the forrest (saith one in a Parable) held a solemn Parliament, wherein they consulted of the innumerable wrongs which the Axe had done