A77618:22
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.
Secondly, He that would read to profit, must read and meditate; meditation1 is the food of your souls, it is the very stomach and natural heat whereby spiritual truths are digested. A man shall as soon live without his heart, as he shall be able to get good by what he reads, without meditation. Prayer (saith Bernard) without meditation, is dry and formal, and reading without meditation is useless and unprofitable. He that would be a wise, a prudent, and an able experienced states-man, must not hastily ramble and run over many Cities, Countries, Customs, ⟨image 10⟩Laws and Manners of People, without serious musing and pondering upon such things as may make him an expert States-man: So he that would get good by reading, that would complete his knowledge, and perfect his experience in spiritual things, must not slightly and hastily ramble and run over this book, or that, but ponder upon what he reads; as Mary pondered the saying of the Angel in her heart. Lord (saith Austin) the more I meditate on thee, the sweeter thou art to me: So the more you shall meditate on the following matter, the sweeter it will be to you; they usually thrive best, who meditate most; meditation is a soul-fattening duty, it is a grace-strengthening duty, it is a duty-crowning duty. Gerson calls meditation the nurse of prayer; Hier[…] calls it his Paradise Basil calls it the treasury where all the graces are locked up; Theophylact calls it the very gate and portal by which we enter n•o glory and Ari•t••le, though a Heathen placeth felicity in the contemplation of the mind; you may read much, and •ear much, yet without meditation ⟨image 10⟩you will never be excellent, you will never be eminent Christians.
Secondly, Hee that would read to profit, must read and meditate; meditation1 is the food of your souls, it is the very stomach and natural heat whereby spiritual truths are digested. A man shall as soon live without his heart, as hee shall bee able to get good by what hee reads, without meditation. Prayer (saith Bernard) without meditation, is dry and formal, and reading without meditation is useless and unprofitable. Hee that would bee a wise, a prudent, and an able experienced states-man, must not hastily ramble and run over many Cities, Countries, Customes,