(5.) Fifthly, They are not great, if compared with the afflictions and torments of such of the damned, who when they were in this world, never sinned at so high a rate as thou hast done.3 Doubtless there are many now in hell, who never sinned against such clear light as thou hast done^ nor against such special love as thou hast done, nor against such choice means as thou hast done, nor against such precious mercies as thou hast done, nor against such singular remedies as thou hast done.4 Certainly there are many now a-roaring in everlasting burnings, who never sinned against such deep convictions of conscience as thou hast done, nor against such close and strong reasonings of the Spirit as thou hast done, nor against such free offers of mercy and rich tenders of- grace as thou hast done, nor against such sweet wooings and multi- plied entreaties of a bleeding dying Saviour as thou hast done ; there- fore hold thy peace. What are thy afflictions, thy torments, to the torments of the damned, whose torments are numberless,-- easeless, remediless, and endless; whose pains are without intermission or mitigation ; who have weeping served in for the first course, and gnash- ing of teeth for the second, and the gnawing worm for the third, and intolerable pain for the fourth, — yet the pain of the body is but the body of pain, the very soul of sorrow and pain is the soul's sorrow and pain, — and an everlasting alienation and separation from God for the fifth? Ah, Christian! how canst thou seriously think on these things, and not lay thy hand upon thy mouth, when thou art under the greatest sufferings ? Thy sins have been far greater than many of theirs, and thy great afflictions are but a flea-bite to theirs ; therefore be silent before the Lord.
1 One of the commonplaces in the biographies of Augustine and Jerome. See Ep. of the former, sub nomine. — G.
2 Ecclcs. Hist. [A well-known myth. — G.]
3 1 Peter iii. 18-20 ; Jude 6, 7 ; Mat. x. 15, xi. 23, 24.
4 Isa. xxxiii. 14. The fire in hell is like that stone in Arcadia, which being once kindled, could not be quenched. [Asbestos. — G.]
364 tiik mute christian [Ps. XXXIX. 9.
(G.) Sixthly and lastly, If thy afflictions are so great; then what madness cmdfoUy will it be for thee to make them greater by mv/t- muring ! Every act of murmuring will but add load unto load, and burden to burden. The Israelites under great afflictions fell a-murraur- ing, and their murmuring proved their utter ruin, as you may see in that Num. xiv. Murmuring will but put God upon heating the furnace seven times hotter; therefore hold thy peace, 1 Cor. x. 11. But of this I have spoken sufficiently already.
Object. 6. Oh ! but my afflictions are greater than other men's afflic- tions are ; and how then can I be silent ? Oh ! there is no affliction to my affliction ; how can I hold my peace ? I answer,
(1.) First, It may be thy sins are greater than other men's sins, Jer. iii. 6-12. If thou hast sinned against more light, more love, more mercies, more experiences, more promises than others, no wonder if thy afflictions are greater than others'. If this be thy case, thou hast more cause to be mute than to murmur ; and certainly, if thou dost but seriously look into the black book of thy conscience, thou wilt find greater sins there than any thou canst charge upon any person or persons on earth. If thou shouldst not, I think thou wouldst justly incur the censure which that sour philosopher passed upon gramma- rians, viz., that they were better acquainted with the evils of Ulysses than with their own.1 Never complain that thy afflictions are greater than others', except thou canst evidence that thy sins are lesser than others'.
(2.) Secondly, It may be thou art under some present distemper, that disenables thee to make a right judgment of the different dealings of God with thyself and others.2 When the mind is distempered, and the brain troubled, many things seem to be that are not ; and then little things seem very great. Oh ! the strange passions, the strange imagi- nations, the strange conclusions, that attend a distempered judgment.
I have read of a foolish emperor, who, to shew the greatness of his city, made show of many spiders. When the mind is disturbed, men many times say they know not what, and do they know not what. It may be, when these clouds are blown over, and thy mind cleared, and thy judgment settled, thou wilt be of another opinion. The supplicant woman appealed from drunken king Philip to sober king Philip. It is good to appeal from a distempered mind to a clear composed mind, for that is the way to make a righteous judgment of all the righteous dis- pensations of God, both towards ourselves and towards others.
(3.) Thirdly, It may be that the Lord sees that it is very needful that thy afflictions should be greater than others'.3 It may be thy heart is harder than other men's hearts, and prouder and stouter than other men's hearts ; it may be thy heart is more impure than others, and more carnal than others, or else more passionate and more worldly than others, or else more deceitful and more hypocritical than others, or else more cold and careless than others, or else more secure than others, or more formal and lukewarm than others. Now, if this be thy case, certainly God sees it very necessary, for the breaking of thy hard heart,
1 Diogenes apud Laertium.
'-' Deut. xxviii. 28. Good men are -sometimes strangely besotted and infatuated.
3 Nothing but strong vomits, strong purges, strong clysters, will cure some.
PS. XXXIX. 9.] UNDER THE SMARTING ROD. 365
and the humbling of thy proud heart, and the cleansing of thy foul heart, and the spiritualising of thy carnal heart, &c, that thy afflictions should be greater than others ; and therefore hold thy peace. Where the disease is strong, the physic must be strong, else the cure will never be wrought. God is a wise physician, and he would never give strong physic if weaker could effect the cure, Jer. xxx. 11, and xlvi. 28; Isa. xxvii. 8. The more rusty the iron is, the oftener we put it into the fire to purify it ; and the more crooked it is, the more blows and the harder blows we give to straighten it. Thou hast been long a -gathering rust ; and therefore, if God deal thus with thee, thou hast no cause to complain.