N01903:22
Silentiarius. A brief essay on the holy silence and godly patience, that sad things…
Silentiarius. A brief essay on the holy silence and godly patience, that sad things are to be entertained withal. A sermon at Boston-Lecture, on the death of Mrs. Abigail Willard, and the day before her interment; who expired Septemb. 26. 1721. / By her father. ; Whereunto there is added, a sermon on, the refuge of the distressed, which was preached on the Lord's-Day preceding.Silentiarius. A brief essay on the holy silence and godly patience, that sad things are to be entertained withal. A sermon at Boston-Lecture, on the death of Mrs. Abigail Willard, and the day before her interment; who expired Septemb. 26. 1721. / By her father. ; Whereunto there is added, a sermon on, the refuge of the distressed, which was preached on the Lord's-Day preceeding.
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland, 1721
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
I form the Light, and I create Darkness; I make Peace, and I create Evil; I the Lord do all these things. Man, if sad things involve thee in the Darkness of much Evil, Behold the Lord, who is the doer of all these things. The Universal, the Everlasting, the most Operative Providence of the Glorious GOD, is to be considered, as the Original of all the sad things that we meet withal. There is not an Atom in the World, about which the Providence of GOD is unconcerned; Not an Atom so made in Vain, as to be left from under the Influence of that Omnipresent Providence, that Omnipotent Providence. Whatever comes to pass, we must evermore make that Confession; Psal. CXXXV. 6. Whatever the Lord pleased, that has he done in Heaven and in Earth, in the Seas, and in all deep Places. All things are disposed, all things are managed, by this Marvellous Providence; A Providence which does Marvellous things without Number: A Providence which watches over Insects as well as over Angels; Over the Worm as well as over his ⟨p. 9⟩Brother Man who treads upon him; Over the Stars of Heaven, and over the Stones of the Field. The very Sparrows are under the Divine Providence. Our SAVIOUR, who has now the Government of it, has told us; Matth. X. 29. One of them shall not fall to the ground, without your father. 'Tis the Glory of the Providence, 'tis the Grandeur of it, that no little Thing, no, not the least in the World, is Exempted from it.
WE will Suppose the sad things that befall us, to appear never so much in the shape of mere Accidents; yet, GOD forbid, that we should come into the Philistean Language, It was a chance that bappened unto us. To tell of a Fortune; 'tis what becomes not the Mouth of a Christian. These Accidents, like the stormy Winds, do but Fulfil the Word of GOD. Yea, we will suppose Enemies, Rational and even Designing Agents, to bring our sad things upon us: But still these Enemies are no other than Instruments. Ah, Thou Troubler; Thou art no more than the Axe or the Sarce; no more than the Rod or the Staff; without the Hand of our GOD, thou couldest never do any