Considerations to Prevail with Christians to Be Mute and Silent Under the Sharpest Afflictions

But now I shall come to that use that I intend to insist most upon, and that is, a use of exhortation. Seeing it is the great duty and concernment of christians to be mute and silent under the greatest afflictions, the saddest providences, and the sharpest trials that they meet with in this world, oh! that I could prevail with you, christians, to mind this great duty, and to live up, and to live out, this necessary truth; which that I may, give me leave to propound some considerations to engage your souls to be mute and silent under your greatest troubles, and your saddest trials. To that purpose,

1. Consider the greatness, sovereignty, majesty, and dignity of God, and let that move thee to silence. u Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth,” Ps. xlvi. 8 — 18. Who can cast his eye upon the greatness of God, the majesty of God, and not sit still before him? “Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God,” Zeph. i. 7. Oh murmur not, fret not, but stand mute before him! Shall the child be hushed before his father, the servant before his master, the subject before his prince, and the guilty person before the judge, when he majestically rises off his judgment-seat, and composes his countenance into an aspect of terror and severity, that his sentence may fall upon the offender with the greater dread? And shall not a christian be quiet before that God, that can bathe his sword in heaven, and burn the chariots on earth? Nay, shall the sheep be hushed before the wolf, birds before the hawk, and all the beasts of the field before the lion, and shall not we be hushed and quiet before him who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah? Rev. v. 5. God is mighty in power, and mighty in counsel, and mighty in working, and mighty in punishing; and, therefore, be silent before him. Moses, magnifying his might, saith, “Who is like unto thee among the gods?” Now, certainly, this epithet should be a mighty motive to work souls to that which Habakkuk persuades to, “The Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him,” chap. ii. 20. Oh, my brethren! shall not the brightness and splendor of the majesty of the great God, whose sparkling glory and majesty dazzle the eyes of angels, and make those princes of glory stand mute before him, move you to silence, to hold your peace, and lay your hand upon your mouth? Surely yes. But,

2. Consider that all your afflictions, troubles, and trials, shall wTork for your good. a And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,” Rom. viii. 28. Why then should you fret, fling, and fume, seeing God designs your good in all? Afflictions are blessings. Doubtless, Manasseh would not exchange the good he got by his iron chains, for all the gold chains that are in the world. The bee sucks sweet honey out of the bitterest herbs; so God will, by afflictions, teach his children to suck sweet knowledge, sweet obedience, sweet experience, &c. out of all the bitter afflictions and trials he exercises them with; that scouring and rubbing which frets others, shall make them shine the brighter; that weight which crushes and keeps others under, shall but make them, like the palm-tree, grow better and higher; and that hammer which knocks others all in pieces, shall but knock them the nearer to Christ the Corner-stone. Stars shine brightest in the darkest night, torches give the best light when beaten, grapes yield most wine when most pressed, spices smell sweetest when pounded, vines are the better for bleeding, gold looks the brighter for scouring, juniper smells sweetest in the fire, and camomile the more you tread it, the more you spread it. Afflictions are the saints’ best benefactors. Where afflictions hang heaviest, corruptions hang loosest. Grace that is hid in nature, as sweet water in rose-leaves, is then most fragrant, when the fire of affliction is put under to distil it out. Grace shines the brighter for scouring, and is most glorious when it is most clouded.

In the sea of afflictions God will make his people stand like a rock; they shall be immovable, and invincible; and the more the waves of afflictions beat upon them, the better they shall be, the more they shall thrive in grace and godliness. Now, how should this engage christians to be mute and silent under all their troubles and trials in this world, considering that they shall all work for their good*! God chastises our carcases, to heal our consciences; he afflicts our bodies to save our souls; he gives us gall and wormwood here, that the pleasures that are at his right hand may be the more sweet hereafter; here he lays us upon a bed of thorns, that we may look and long more for that easy bed of down in heaven.

As there is a curse wrapt up in the best things he gives the wicked, so there is a blessing wrapt up in the worst things he brings upon his own. As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked man’s health, so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly man’s sickness. As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked man’s strength, so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly man’s weakness. As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked man’s wealth, so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly man’s wants. As there is a curse wrapt up in a wicked man’s honor, so there is a blessing wrapt up in a godly man’s reproach. As there is a curse wrapt up in all a wicked man’s mercies, so there is a blessing wrapt up in all a godly man’s crosses, losses, and changes; and why then should he not sit mute and silent before the Lord? But,

3. Consider, that a holy silence is that excellent, precious grace, that lends a hand of support to every grace. Silence is the keeper of all other virtues; it lends a hand to faith, to hope, to love, to humility, to self-denial, &c. A holy silence hath its influence upon all other graces; it causes the rose-buds of grace to blossom and bud forth. Silence is a grace that keeps a man gracious in all conditions; in every condition silence is the christian’s righ hand; in prosperity, it bears the soul up under all the envy, malice, hatred, and censures of the world; in adversity, it bears the soul up under all the neglect, scorn, and contempt that a christian meets with in the world; it makes every bitter sweet, every burden light, and every yoke easy. No man honors God, no man justifies God, at so high a rate, as he who lays his hand upon his mouth, when the rod of God is upon his back. But,

4. To move you to silence under your sorest and your sharpest trials, consider that you have deserved greater and heavier afflictions than those you are under. Hath God taken away one mercy? Thou hast deserved to be stript of all. Hath he taken away the delight of thine eyes? He might have taken away the delight of thy soul. Art thou under outward wants? Thou hast deserved to be under outward and inward together. Art thou cast upon a sick-bed? Thou hast deserved a bed in hell. Art thou under this ache and that pain? Thou hast deserved to be under all aches and pains at once. Hath God chastised thee with whips? Thou hast deserved to be chastised with scorpions. Art thou fallen from the highest pinnacle of honor, to be the scorn and contempt of men? Thou hast deserved to be scorned and contemned by God and angels. Art thou under a severe whipping? Thou hast deserved an utter condemnation. Ah, christians! let but your eyes be fixed upon your demerits, and your hands will be quickly upon your mouths. Whatever is less than a final separation from God, whatever is less than hell, is mercy; and therefore you have cause to be silent under the smartest dealings of God with you. But,

5. Consider, a quiet, silent spirit is of great esteem with God; God sets the greatest value upon persons of a quiet spirit: uBut let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible; even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price,” 1 Pet. iii. 4. A quiet spirit is a spark of the Divine nature; it is a ray, a beam of glory; it is a heaven born spirit. No man is born with a holy silence in his heart, as he is born with a tongue in his mouth. This is a flower of paradise, it is a precious gem that God makes very great reckoning of. A quiet spirit speaks a man most like to God, it capacitates a man for communion with God, it renders a man most serviceable to God, and it obliges a man to most accurate walking with God. A meek and quiet spirit is an incorruptible ornament, much more valuable than gold.

There is a natural quietness, which proceeds from a good temper and constitution of body.

There is a moral quietness, which proceeds from good education and breeding, from good injunctions, instructions, and examples.

98 YttE MUTE CHRISTIAN

There is an artificial quietness. Some have an art to imprison their passions, and to lay a law of restraint upon their anger and wrath when they are all in a flame within; as you may see in Cain, Esau, Absalom, and Joab, who for a time cast a close cloak over their malice, when their hearts were set on fire of hell.

There is a gracious quietness, which is of the spirit’s infusion, Gal. v. 22 — 25. Now this quietness of spirit, this spiritual, frame of heart, is of great price in the sight of God. God values it above the world; and therefore who would not covet it more than the world, yea, more than life itself? Certainly, the great God sets a great price upon nothing but that which is of an invaluable price. What stretching, struggling, and striving, is there for those things that the great ones of the earth highly prize! Ah, what stretching of wits, interests, and consciences is there this day, to gain and hold up that which justice will cast down! How much better would it be, if all persons would in good earnest struggle and strive, even as for life, after a quiet and silent spirit, which the great and glorious God sets so great a price upon! This is a pearl of greatest price; and happy is he that purchases it, though it were with the loss of all. But,

6> Consider that if you sit not silent and quiet under your greatest troubles and your sorest trials, you will be found fighters against your own prayers. How often have you prayed that the will of God may be done; yea, that it may be done on the earth, as the angels do it now in heaven! When troubles and afflictions come upon you, the will of Gpd is done, his will is accomplished, why, then, should you fret, fling, and fume, and not rather quietly lie down in his will, whose will is a perfect, just, and righteous will, a wise as well as a sovereign will, a holy, immutable, uncontrollable, an omnipotent and eternal will? Certainly, you will but add affliction to affliction, by fighting against your own prayers, and by fretting and vexing yourselves, when the will of God is done. It is sad to see a man fight against his friends; it is sadder to see him fight against his relations; it is saddest of all, to see him fight against his prayers. And yet this every christian doth, who murmurs and mutters when the rod of God is upon him, as those do who pray that the will of God may be done, and yet when his will is done upon them, they are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, they are still fretting against the Lord. Ah, christians! have you not sins and temptations to fight against, and a devil, yea, a whole world to fight against? why then should you be found fighting against your own prayers? But, 7. 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. Those bur* dens and troubles that will break a froward man’s back, will not so much as break a silent man’s sleep; those afflictions that lie as heavyweights upon a murmurer, will lie as light as a feather upon a mute christian; that bed of sorrow, which is as a bed of thorns to a fretful soul, will 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 sun-shine 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 with ease, labor as for life after this holy silence. But,

8. Consider, that a holy silence under afflictions will be your best armour of proof against those temptations that afflictions may expose you to. Times of affliction often prove times of great temptation; and therefore afflictions are called temptations: u Blessed is the man which endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,” James i. 12. The Greek word is to be understood of temptations of probation, of afflicting temptations, and not of temptations of suggestion, of seduction; for they are not to be endured, but resisted and abhorred. Now, affliction is called temptation,

(1.) Because, as temptation tries what metal a christian is made of, so do afflictions.

(2.) Because, as Satan usually hath a great hand in all the temptations that come upon us, so he hath a great hand in all the afflictions that befall us; as you see in the instance of Job.

(3.) Because, as temptations drive to God, 2 Cor. xii. 7, 8, so do afflictions, Isa. xxvi. 16; Hos. v. 15.

(4.) But mainly, because Satan chooses times of affliction as the fittest seasons for his temptations. When Job was sorely afflicted in his estate, children, wife, life, then Satan lets fly, and makes his fiercest assaults upon him. Now Satan tempts him to entertain hard thoughts of God, to distrust, to impatience, to murmuring and muttering. As when Israel was feeble, faint, and weary, Amalek assaulted them, and smote the hindmost of them, Deut. xxv. 17, 18, so when christians are most afflicted, then usually they are most tempted.

Many saints have experienced this when they have been upon their sick and dying beds.

Luther found this by experience, when he said, “I am without set upon by all the world; and within, by the devil and all his angels.” Satan is a coward, and loves to strike us, and trample upon us, when afflictions have cast us down. When besieged towns, cities, and castles, are in great straits and troubles, the besiegers make their fiercest assaults; so when christians are under the greatest straits and trials, then Satan assaults them most, like a roaring lion. Now silence under afflictions is the best antidote and preservative against all those temptations that afflictions lay us open to. Silence under afflictions is a christian’s armour of proof; it is that shield, that no spear or dart of temptation can pierce. Whilst a christian lies quiet under the rod, he is safe. Satan may tempt him, but he will not conquer him; he may assault him, but he cannot vanquish him. Satan may entice him to use sinful shifts, to get out of trouble; but he will choose rather to lie, yea, die in trouble, then to get out upon Satan’s terms. But,

9. Consider, that holy silence under afflictions and trials will give a man a quiet and peaceable possession of his own soul; “In patience possess your souls,” Luke xxi. 19. Now, next to the possession of God, the possession of a man’s own soul is the greatest mercy in this world. A man may possess honors and riches, and dear relations, and the favor and assistance of friends under his trials; but he will never come to a possession of his own soul under his troubles, till he comes to be mute, and to lay his hand upon his mouth. Now, what are all earthly possessions to the possession of a man’s own soul? He that possesses himself, possesses all; he that possesses not himself, possesses nothing at all; he possesses not the use, the sweet, the comfort, the good, the blessing, of any thing he enjoys, who enjoys not himself. That man who is not master of himself, is master of nothing. Holy silence gives a man the greatest mastery over his own spirit; and mastery over a man’s own spirit is the greatest mastery in the world, Prov. xvi. 32. A holy silence will give a man such a quiet possession of his own soul, that all the storms of affliction shall not move him; it will make him stand like a rock in the sea of troubles. Let a man but quietly possess himself, and troubles will never trouble him. But, 10. Consider the commands and injunctions that God in his wrord hath laid upon you to be silent, to be mute and quiet under all the troubles, trials, and changes, that have passed or may pass upon you. “Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation,” Zech. ii. 13. “Keep silence before me, O islands,” Isa. xli. 1.

u The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him,” Hab. ii. 20. “Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time,” Amos v. 13. “Be still, and know that I am God,” Ps* xlvi. 10. u Commune with your heart, and be still,” Ps. iv. 4. “Stand still, and see the salvation of God,” Exod. xiv. 13. “Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem,” 2 Chron. xx. 17. “Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still and consider the wonderous works of God,” Job xxxvii. 14. It is a dangerous thing for us to neglect one of his commands, who by another is able to command us into nothing, or into hell, at pleasure; to act or run cross to God’s express command, though under pretence of revelation from God, is as much as a man’s life is worth; as you may see in that sad story, 1 Kings xiii. 24, &c. Divine commands must be put in speedy execution, without denying or delaying, without debating or disputing the difficulties that may attend our subjection to them. God’s commands are spiritual, holy, just, and good, Rom. vii. 12- — 14, and therefore to be obeyed without muttering or murmuring. Divine commands are backed with the strongest reasons, and attended with the highest encouragements. Shall the servant readily obey the commands of his master, the subject the commands of his prince, the soldier the commands of his general, the child the commands of his father, the wife the commands of her husband; and shall not a christian as readily obey the commands of his Saviour? Nay, shall vain men readily and willingly obey the sinful and senseless commands of men; and shall not we be willing to obey the commands of God? “Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon, then kill him, fear not; have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant. And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded,” 2 Sam. xiii. 28, 29. They did not hesitate to obey the bloody commands of Absalom, against all law, reason, and religion.

I have read of one Johannus Abbas, who willingly fetched water near two miles every day for a whole year together, to pour upon a dry stick, upon the bare command of his confessor.

I have also read of the old kings of Peru, that they were wont to use a tassel or fringe made of red wool, which they wore upon their heads, and when they sent any governor to rule in any part of their country, they delivered unto him one of the threads of the tassel, and for one of those simple threads he was as much obeyed as if he had been the king himself. Now shall one single thread be more forcible to draw infidels to obedience than all those golden commands last cited shall be to draw you to be quiet and silent under the troubles and changes you meet with in this world? The Lord forbid.

Shall carnal and wicked persons be so ready and willing to comply with the bloody and senseless commands of their superiors? and shall not christians be more ready and willing to comply with the commands of the great God, wThose commands are all just and equal, and whose will is the perfect rule of righteousness? The chief reason of obedience is the authority of the Lord. Ah, christians! when your hearts begin to fret and fume under the smarting rod, charge one of those commands last cited upon your hearts; and if they shall mutter, charge another of those commands upon your hearts; and if, after this, they shall vex and murmur, charge another of those commands upon your hearts; and never leave charging and rubbing those commands one after another upon your hearts, till you are brought to lay your hands upon your mouths, and to sit silent before the Lord under your greatest straits and your sorest trials.

11. Consider, that mercy is nearest, deliverance and salvation is at hand, when a christian stands still, when he sits quiet and silent under his greatest troubles and his sorest trials, Exod. 14. They were in very great straits; Pharaoh with a mighty army was behind them, the Red sea before them, mountains on each hand of them, and no visible means to deliver them; but now they stand still to see the salvation of the Lord, Exod. xiv, 13, and within a few hours their enemies are destroyed, and they are gloriously delivered, ver. 24 — 31. David is dumb, he sits mute under his smart afflictions, Ps. xxxix; but if you look at Ps. xl. 2, 3, you shall find mercy draws near to him, and works salvation for him: “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song into my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and; fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” And so when Absalom had made a great conspiracy against him, and his subjects fell off from him, and he was forced to fly for his life, his spirit was quiet and calm: u And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and show me both it and his habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee: behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him,” 2 Sam. xv. 25, 26. And the same calmness and quietness of spirit was upon him, when Shimei bitterly cursed him, and railed upon him, chap.

xvi. 5 — 14; and within a few days, as you may see in the two following chapters, the conspirators are destroyed, and David’s throne more firmly established. Mercy is always nearest, when a man can in quietness possess his own soul; salvation is at hand, when a christian comes to lay his hand upon his mouth. Mercy will be upon the wing, loving-kindness will ride post, to put a period to that man’s troubles, who sits silent in the day of his sorrows and sufferings. Ah, christians! as you would have mercy near, as you would see to the end of your afflictions, as you would have deliverance come flying upon the wings of the wind, sit mute and silent under all your troubles. As wine was then nearest, when the water-pots were filled with water, even to the brim; so when the heart is fullest of quietness, then is the wine of mercy, the wine of deliverance, nearest.