A77618:172
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.
Seventhly, Consider, A holy Silence under the heaviest burdens, the greatest afflictions, the saddest providences and changes, will make all tolerable, and easy to a Christian; the silent soul can bear a burden without a burden; those burdens and troubles that will break a froward mans1 back, will not so much as break a silent mans sleep; those afflictions that lye as heavy weights upon a murmurer, will lye as light as a feather upon a mute Christian; that bed of sorrow, which is as a bed of thorns to a fr•tful soul, will ⟨p. 132⟩be as a bed of down to a silent soul; a holy Silence unstings every affliction, it takes off the weight of every burden, it adds sweet to every bitter, it changes dark nights into Sunshiny days, and terrible storms into desirable calms; the smallest sufferings will easily vanquish an unquiet spirit, but a quiet spirit will as easily triumph over the greatest sufferings. As little mercies are great mercies, so great sufferings are but little sufferings in the eye of a silent soul; the silent soul never complains that his affliction is too great, his burden too heavy, his cross too weighty, his sufferings too many; Silence makes him victorious over all; And therefore as ever you would have heavy afflictions light, and be able to bear a burden without a burden, labour as for life after this holy silence. But
Seventhly, Consider, A holy Silence under the heaviest burdens, the greatest afflictions, the saddest providences and changes, will make all tollerable, and easie to a Christian; the silent soul can bear a burden without a burden; those burdens and troubles that will break a froward mans1 back, will not so much as break a silent mans sleep; those afflictions that lye as heavy weights upon a murmurer, will lye as light as a feather upon a mute Christian; that bed of sorrow, which is as a bed of thorns to a fr•tful soul, will ⟨p. 132⟩bee as a bed of down to a silent soul; a holy Silence unstings every affliction, it takes off the weight of every burden, it adds sweet to every bitter, it changes dark nights into Sunshiny daies, and terrible storms into desirable calms; the smallest sufferings will easily vanquish an unquiet spirit, but a quiet spirit will as easily triumph over the greatest sufferings. As little mercies are great mercies, so great sufferings are but little sufferings in the eye of a silent soul; the silent soul never complains that his affliction is too great, his burthen too heavy, his cross too weighty, his sufferings too many; Silence makes him victorious over all; And therefore as ever you would have heavy afflictions light, and bee able to bear a burthen without a burthen, labour as for life after this holy silence. But