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wilt, if thy will be swallowed up in the will of God.

(6.) Lastly, if thou wouldst be silent under the afflicting hand of God, then thou must hold fast to this principle, viz. That God will make times of affliction to be times of special manifestations of divine love and favour to thee. Tiburtius saw a paradise, when he walked upon hot-burning coals. I could confirm this by a cloud of witnesses, but that I am upon a close. Ah Christians! as ever you would be quiet and silent under the smarting rod, hold fast to these principles, and keep them as your lives. But,

12. Lastly to silence and quiet your souls under the afflicting hand of God, dwell much upon the brevity or shortness of man's life. This present life is not life, but a motion, a journey towards life. Man's life, saith one, is the shadow of smoke, yea, the dream of a shadow. Saith another, Man's life is so short, that Austin doubted whether to call it a dying life, or a living death. Thou hast but a day to live, and perhaps thou mayest be now in the twelfth hour of that day; therefore hold out faith and patience, thy troubles and thy life will shortly end together; therefore hold thy peace, thy grave is going to be made, thy sun is near setting, death begins to call thee off the stage of this world, death stands at thy back, thou must shortly sail forth upon the ocean of eternity; though thou hast a great deal of work to do, a God to honour, a Christ to close with, a soul to

save, a race to run, a crown to win, a hell to escape, a pardon to beg, a heaven to make sure, yet thou hast but a little time to do it in; thou hast one foot in the grave, thou art even a-going ashore on eternity, and wilt thou now cry out of thy afflictions? Wilt thou now mutter and murmur when thou art entering upon an unchangeable condition ? What extreme folly and madness is it for a man to mutter and murmur when he is just a-going out of prison, and his bolts and chains are just a-knocking off? Why, Christian, this is just thy case, therefore hold thy peace; thy life is but short, therefore thy troubles cannot be long; hold up, and hold out quietly and patiently a little ionger, Rom. viii. 18. and heaven shall make amends for all.

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THE words opened, and the doctrine raised,

viz. That it is the great duty and concernment
of gracious souls to be mute and silent under the
greatest afflictions, the saddest providences, and
sharpest trials they meet with in this world

For the opening of the point,

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1. There is a sevenfold silence

2. What doth a prudent, a gracious, a holy silence

include, shewed in eight things

3. What a prudent, a holy silence under afflictions
doth not exclude, shewed in eight things

44-58.

4. Eight reasons why Christians must be mute and
silent under their greatest afflictions, &c.

133-150.

Object. 1. Did I but know that my afflictions were in love, I would be quiet, I would hold my peace, &c.answered eight ways 122–133. Object. 2. The Lordhath smitten me in my nearest and dearest comforts and contentments, and how can I then hold my peace? answered twelve ways Object. 3. Oh! but my afflictions, my troubles have been long upon me, and how then can I hold my peace? answered ten ways Object. 4. I would be mute and silent under my afflictions, but they daily multiply and increase upon me, &c. how then can I be silent? answered eight ways Object. 5. My afflictions are very great, how then can I hold my peace? answered six ways

150-162.

162-167.

173-177.

167-173. Object. 6. Oh! but my afflictions are greater than other mens, &c. how then can I be silent? answered six ways Object. 7. I would hold my peace, but my outward afflictions are attended with sore temptations, &c. how then can I be silent? answered five ways, wherein eight advantages are discovered, that saints gain by their temptations.

177-190,

Object. 8. Oh! but God hath deserted me, he bath forsaken me, and hid his face from me, &c. how then can I be silent? answered six ways; also eight advantages the saints gain by their being clouded 190-206. Object. 9. Oh! but I am falsely accused, and sadly charged and reproached in my good name,

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