Silentiarius. A brief essay on the holy silence and godly patience, that sad things…

Thirdly. THERE is a Death to all things here below, in which we are to maintain that Holy silence that our sad things are to be born withal. Of the Dead, we read, They go down into silence. They that are gone down into the Grave where the Dead are lodged, are in the ⟨p. 22⟩Place of silence; have it said of them, They are silent in the Grave. 'Tis a Description of Death; Psal. XLIV. 17. A Soul dwelling in silence. Now, before we come to the Natural Death, which lies in the Destruction of the Commerce between the Heart and the Brain, there is a Moral Death, to be pursued and obtained; A Death upon our Vicious Appetites; a Death wherein we shall have our Lusts Mortified; a Death in which we shall be Dead with CHRIST, and have nothing but a CHRIST left Alive unto us, in regard of any strong Relish in our Souls. To be Dead, is to be Dumb. The Errand of all our sad things that come upon us, to render us Dead unto all Things here. For just as far as we Die to these things we Live unto GOD; It is the Dethroning of these Things, that Restores GOD unto His Throne in our Souls; and by This we Live; in this is the Life of our Spirit. Our Faithful SAVIOUR sends Killing things upon us; perhaps they are without a Metaphor so. He Loves us, when He Kills us. 'Tis that He may Kill our violent passions for Creatures, and that He may ⟨p. 23⟩Quicken and Compel in us the Dispositions of a Soul Returning unto GOD; and that our Soul may be disposed, for the pursuit of that Satisfaction in GOD alone, which we vainly have expected from Creatures heretofore. Under our sad things there is to be endeavoured the Holy silence of those who are Crucified unto the World, and who have the World Crucified unto them. A Man hanging on a Cross; This Man, is Free among the Dead, and has little to say, unto any thing that this World has to offer unto him. Yea, this World, with all the Enjoyments of it, must be as a Crucified thing unto us; a Dead Carcass whereof we shall have little to say, expressive of any Value for it. Christians, Under the sad things that befall you, Die, Die, to the Comforts of this World. Let your Sentiments of them grow as cold as may be: And what are the Sentiments of the Dead concerning them. Yea, Die also to the Troubles of this World.

Thirdly. THERE is a Death to all things here below, in which we are to maintain that Holy silence that our sad things are to be born withal. Of the Dead, we read, They go down into silence. They that are gone down into the Grave where the Dead are lodged, are in the