Why must Christians be mute and silent under the greatest afflictions, the saddest providences, and sharpest trials that they meet with in this world?
Reason 1. That they may better hear and understand the voice of the Rod. As the word has a voice, the Spirit a voice, and Conscience a voice, so the Rod has a voice. Afflictions are the Rod of God's anger, the Rod of his displeasure, and the Rod of his revenge; he gives a commission to his Rod to awaken his people, to reform his people, or else to revenge the quarrel of his Covenant upon them, if they will not bear the Rod, and kiss the Rod, and sit mute and silent under the rod, Micah 6:9. The Lord's voice cries unto the City, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it. God's rods are not mutes, they are all vocal, they are speaking as well as fruiting; every twig has a voice: .... ah soul! says a twig, was it not best with you, when you were high in your communion with God, and when you were humble and close in your walking with God? Ah Christian, says another twig, will you search your heart, and try your ways, and turn to the Lord thy God? Ah soul, says another twig, will you die to sin more than ever, and to the world more than ever, and to relations more than ever, and to thyself more than ever? Ah soul! says another twig, will you live more to Christ than ever, and cleave closer to Christ than ever, and prize Christ more than ever, and venture further for Christ than ever? Ah soul, says another twig, will you love Christ with a more inflamed love, and hope in Christ with a more raised hope, and depend upon Christ with a greater confidence, and wait upon Christ with more invisible patience, &tc. Now if the soul is not mute and silent under the Rod, how is it possible that it should ever hear the voice of the Rod, or that it should ever hearken to the voice of every twig of the rod?
Reason 2. Gracious souls should be mute and silent under their greatest afflictions, and sharpest trials, that they may difference and distinguish themselves from the men of the world, who usually fret and fling, mutter or murmur, curse and swagger, when they are under the afflicting hand of God, Isa 8:21-22.
Reason 3. A third reason why gracious souls should be silent and mute under their sharpest trials, is that they may be conformable to Christ their head, who was dumb and silent under his sorest trials. Isa 53:7, I Pet. 2:21-23 Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again? When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. Christ upon the cross did not only read us a lecture of patience and silence, but also set us a copy or pattern of both, to be transcribed and imitated by us, when we are under the smarting rod.
Reason 4. A fourth reason why the people of God should be mute and silent under their afflictions, is this, because it is ten thousand times a greater judgment and affliction, to be given up to a fretful spirit, a froward spirit, a muttering or murmuring spirit, under an affliction, than it is to be afflicted.
Next: Why Christians must be mute and silent under afflictions in this world. (Part 6)
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