A77618:245
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
THE MUTE CHRISTIAN Under the SMARTING ROD. › Objections › Objection 3
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.
Sixthly, Long afflictions sometimes are but preparatives to long lived mercies; Josephs thirteen years imprisonment, was but a preparative to fourscore years reigning like a King; Davids seven years banishment, was but a preparative to forty years reigning in much honour and glory; Jobs long afflictions were but preparatives to more long-lived mercies, as you may see in that last of Job; and those sad and sore trials that the Jews have been ⟨p. 225⟩under for above this sixteen hundred years, are to prepare them for those matchless mercies, and those1 endless glories (in some sense) that God in the latter days will crown them with. Isa. 54. 11, 12, 13, 14. O thou afflicted! tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established, thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee. Though they have been long afflicted and tossed, yet they shall at last upon glorious foundations be established; God will not only raise them out of their distressed estate, wherein now they are, but he will advance them to a most eminent and glorious condition in this world; they shall be very glorious, ⟨p. 226⟩and outshine all the world in spiritual excellencies, and outward dignities, Isa. 60. 14, 15. The sons also of them that afflicted thee, shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee, shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The City of the Lord, The Zion of the holy One of Israel. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee: I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many Generations. Ah Christians I do not mutter nor murmur under your long afflictions, for you do not know but that by these long afflictions God may prepare and fit you for such favours and blessings that may never have end; by long afflictions God many times prepares his people for temporal, spiritual, and eternal mercies; if God by long afflictions makes more room in thy soul for himself, his Son, his Spirit, his Word;