Brooks: Why Christians must be mute and silent under afflictions in this world. (Part 6)

Thomas Brooks, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, with Sovereign Antidotes... Seventh Edition. London, 1699.
[Abridged, edited, and extracted by SML.]

Reason 5. A fifth reason why gracious souls should be mute and silent under the greatest afflictions and sharpest trials that do befall them is this, because a holy, a prudent silence, under afflictions, under miseries, does best capacitate and fit the afflicted for the receipt of miseries. When the rolling bottle lies still you may pour into it your sweetest, or your strongest waters; when the rolling, tumbling soul lies still, then God can best pour into it the sweet waters of mercy, and the strong waters of divine consolation. You read of the peaceable fruits of righteousness, Heb 12:11, James 3:18.

Reason 6. A Sixth Reason why gracious souls should be silent under the smarting Rod, is this, viz. because it is fruitless, it is bootless to strive, to contest or contend with God; no man has ever got anything by muttering or murmuring under the hand of God, except it has been more frowns, blows, and wounds.

Reason 7. A seventh reason why Christians should be mute and silent under their afflictions, is because hereby they shall cross, and frustrate Satan’s great design and expectation. In all the afflictions he brought upon Job, his design was not so much to make Job a Beggar, as it was to make him a Blasphemer: it was not so much to make Job outwardly miserable, as it was to make Job inwardly miserable, by occasioning him to mutter and murmur against the righteous hand of God: that so he might have some matter of accusation against him to the Lord. His is the unwearied accuser of the brethren, Rev 12:10.

Reason 8. The eighth reason why Christians should be silent and mute under their sorest trials, is this, that they may be conformable to those noble patterns that are set before them by other saints, who have been patient and silent under the smarting Rod. As Aaron, Ex. 10:3, Ely, 1 Sam 3:18, David, 2 Sam 16:7-13, Job, chap 1:21-22, Eliakim, Shebnah and Joab, Isa 36:11-12. So those, saints in that, Acts 21:12-15, and that could of witnesses, pointed at in Hebrews 12:1. Gracious examples are more awakening, more convincing, more quickening, more provoking, and more encouraging than Precepts, because in them we see that the exercise of grace and godliness is possible, though it be difficult.

Brooks: Why Christians must be mute and silent under afflictions in this world. (Part 5)

Thomas Brooks, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, with Sovereign Antidotes... Seventh Edition.London, 1699. [Abridged, edited, and extracted by SML.]

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)

Brooks - What does a holy patience not exclude? (Part 4)

Thomas Brooks, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, with Sovereign Antidotes... Seventh Edition. London, 1699. [Abridged, edited, and extracted by SML.]

What does holy patience not exclude? (continued)

Fifthly, a holy, a prudent silence does not exclude moderate mourning or weeping under the afflicting hand of God.

Sixthly, a gracious, a prudent silence does not exclude sighing, groaning, or roaring under affliction. A man may sigh, and groan, and roar under the hand of God, and yet be silent; it is not sighing, but muttering; it is not groaning, but grumbling, it is not roaring, but murmuring, that is opposite to a holy Silence, Exod. 2.23 And the Children of Israel sighed by reason of their bondage. (You may see much of this by comparing the following Scriptures, Lam 1:4,11,21,22. Ps 31:10, Jer. 45:3, Ex 2:24, Job 23:3, Ps 66.) Sometimes the sighs and groans of a Saint, do in some sort tell that which his tongue can in no sort utter.

Seventhly, a holy, a prudent silence, does not exclude or shut out the use of any just or lawful means, whereby persons may be delivered out of their afflictions. God would not have his people so in love with their afflictions as not to use such righteous means as may deliver them out of their afflictions, Mat 10:23. But when they persecute you in this City, flee you into another, Acts 12. Afflictions are evil in themselves, and we may desire and endeavour to be delivered from them, James 5:14-15. Isa 38:18-21, both inward and outward means are to be used for our own preservation.

Eighthly, a holy, a prudent silence does not exclude a just and sober complaining against the authors, contrivers, abettors, or instruments of our afflictions, 2 Tim 4:14. Alexander the Coppersmith did me much evil, the Lord reward him according to his works.

Christ himself (who was the most perfect pattern for dumbness and silence under sore trials) complains against Judas, Pilate, and the rest of his persecutors, Ps 69: 20,30,&tc.

Next: Why Christians must be mute and silent under afflictions in this world. (Part 5)

Brooks - What does a holy patience not exclude? (Part 3)

Thomas Brooks, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, with Sovereign Antidotes... Seventh Edition. London, 1699. [Abridged, edited, and extracted by SML.]

What does holy patience not exclude?

First, a holy, prudent silence under affliction does not exclude and shut out a sense and feeling of our afflictions, Ps. 39, though he was dumb, and laid his hand upon his mouth, verse 9, yet he was very sensible of his affliction, verse 10 and 11. He is sensible of his pain, as well as of his sin; and having prayed off his sin in the former verses, he labors here to pray off his pain...

Secondly, a holy, prudent silence, does not shut out prayer for deliverance out of our afflictions. Ps. 62 verse 10-12, James 5:13, Ps 50:15.

Thirdly, a holy, a prudent silence does not exclude men being kindly affected and afflicted with their sins, as the meritorious cause of all their sorrows and sufferings, James 3:32,40. Wherefore does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sin? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord, Job 40:4,5. Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer: yea, twice, but I proceed no further, Mich 7.9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned. In all our sorrows we should read our sins, and when God's hand is on our backs, our hands should be upon our sins.

Fourthly, a holy, a prudent silence, does not exclude the teaching and instructing of others when we are afflicted; the words of the afflicted stick close; they many times work strongly, powerfully, strangely, savingly on the souls and consciences of others. Many of Paul’s epistles were written to the churches when he was in bonds. ... The words of a wise man's mouth are never more gracious then when he is most afflicted and distressed.

Next: What does a holy patience not exclude? (Part 4)

Brooks - What does a prudent, gracious, holy silence include? (Part 2)

Thomas Brooks, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, with Sovereign Antidotes... Seventh Edition. London, 1699. [Abridged, edited, and extracted by SML.]

What does a prudent, a gracious, a holy silence include? (continued)

Fifthly, a holy silence takes in gracious, blessed, soul-quieting conclusions about the issue and event of the afflictions that are on us, Lam 3.27-34. In this you may observe five soul-stilling conclusions.

• First, they work for their good.
• Second, they shall keep them humble and low.
• Thirdly, For the Lord will not cast off forever; the Rod shall not always lie on the back of the righteous.
• Fourth, In wrath God remembers Mercy, Hab 3.2, Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
• Fifthly, For he does not afflict willingly (or from his heart, as in the Hebrew) nor grieve the Children of men. God’s heart was not in their afflictions, though his hand was; he takes no delight to afflict his children...

Sixthly, a holy, a prudent silence includes and takes in a strict charge; a solemn command that conscience lays upon the soul to be quiet and still, Ps 37:7 Rest in the Lord (of as the Hebrew has it, be silent to the Lord) and wait patiently for him. I charge thee, oh my soul, not to mutter, nor to murmur, I command thee, oh my soul, to be dumb and silent under the afflicting hand of God.

Seventhly, a holy, a prudent silence, includes a surrendering, a resigning up of yourselves to God, while we are under his afflicting hand: the silent soul gives himself up to God: the secret language of the soul is this, Lord, here am I, do with me what you please, write upon me as you please, I give up myself to be at your disposal. There was a good woman, who when she was sick, being asked whether she were willing to live or die? Answered, Whatever God pleases, but said one that stood by, if God should refer it to you, which would you choose? Truly, said she, if God should refer it to me, I would even refer it to him again; this was a soul worth gold.

Eighthly, a holy, a prudent silence, takes in a patient waiting upon the Lord under our afflictions, until deliverance comes. Ps. 40:1-3, Ps 62:5, My soul wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him, Lam 3.26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly (or silently) wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Next: What does holy patience not exclude? (Part 3)

Thomas Brooks - The Mute Christian - Introduction

My most recent find in wandering around the house is Thomas Brook's The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, not a title which makes me think of a nice relaxing evening by the fire. It's not a nice, relaxing book, either, but it's definitely worth reading. It's easy to skim over verses like Psalm 39:9 (I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because You did it), on which this book is based. It's easy not to think about what being silent before God means. This book has just opened my mind to the topic. It is based on the inevitability of trials in Christian life, with Psalm 39:9 as a biblical response to them. My intention is to post at least a portion of his biblically based description of what godly silence is and is not.

From the introduction:

The choicest saints are born to troubles as the sparks fly upwards. Many are the troubles of the righteous, if they were many, and not troubles, (then as it is in the Proverb,) the more the merrier, or if they were troubles, and not many, then the fewer the better cheer? But God, who is infinite in wisdom and matchless in goodness has ordered troubles, yes, many troubles to come trooping in upon us on every side. As our mercies, so our crosses seldom come in singles, they usually come treading one upon the heels of another; they are like April showers, no sooner is one over, but another comes: and yet, Christians, it is mercy, it is rich mercy, that every affliction is not an execution, that every correction is not a damnation. The higher the waters rise, the nearer Noah’s Ark was lifted up to Heaven; the more they afflictions are increased, the more your heart shall be raised heavenward...

Psalm 39:9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because You did it.

...There is prudent silence, a holy, a gracious silence, a silence that springs from prudent principles, from holy principles and from gracious causes and considerations, and this is the silence meant here.

What does a prudent, a gracious, a holy silence include?
Part 1
Part 2

What does holy patience not exclude?
Part 3
Part 4

Why must Christians be mute and silent under the greatest afflictions, the saddest providences, and sharpest trials that they meet with in this world?
Part 5
Part 6

Thomas Brooks, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, with Sovereign Antidotes... Seventh Edition. London, 1699. [Abridged, edited, and extracted by SML.]

Brooks - What does a prudent, gracious, holy silence include? (Part 1)

Thomas Brooks, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, with Sovereign Antidotes... Seventh Edition. London, 1699. [Abridged, edited, and extracted by SML.]

Psalm 39:9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because You did it.

...There is prudent silence, a holy, a gracious silence, a silence that springs from prudent principles, from holy principles and from gracious causes and considerations, and this is the silence meant here.

What does a prudent, a gracious, a holy silence include?

First, it includes a sight of God, and an acknowledgment of God as the Author of all the affliction that comes upon us: this is plain in the text, I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because You did it. The Psalmist looks through secondary causes to the first Cause, and so sits mute before the Lord. There is no sickness so little, but God has a finger in it. (In secondary causes many times a Christian may see much envy, hatred, malice, pride, &tc. But in the first cause he can see nothing but grace and mercy, sweetness and goodness.) ... If God’s hand is not seen in the affliction, the heart will do nothing but fret and rage under affliction.

Secondly, it includes and takes in some holy gracious apprehensions of the majesty, sovereignty, dignity, authority, and presence of that God, under whose afflicting hand we are, Hab 2.20, But the Lord is in his holy Temple, let all the Earth be silent, or as Hebrews reads, Be silent all the Earth before his face. ... Aaron had an eye to the sovereignty of God, and that silences him. Job had an eye upon the Majesty of God, and that stills him. Eli had an eye upon the authority and presence of God, and that quiets him. A man never comes to humble himself, nor to be silent under the hand of God, till he comes to see the Hand of God to be a mighty hand, 1 Pet. 5.6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty Hand of God. ... As a sight of his grace cheers the soul, so a sight of his greatness and glory silences the soul.

Third, a gracious, prudent silence, takes in a holy quietness and calmness of mind and spirit, under the afflicting hand of God: A gracious silence shuts out all inward heats, murmurings, frettings, quarrellings, wranglings, and boilings of the heart, Ps 62.1 Truly my soul keeps silence unto God, or is silent or still, that is, my soul is quiet and submissive: God, all murmurings and repinings, passions and turbulent affections being allayed, tamed, and subdued. This is clear in the text and in the former instances of Aaron, Eli, and Job, they saw that it was a Father that put those bitter cups in their hands, and love that laid those heavy crosses upon their shoulders, and grace that put those yokes about their necks, and this caused much quietness and calmness in their spirits.

Fourthly, a prudent, a holy Silence, takes in an humble, justifying, clearing and acquitting of God of all blame, rigor, and injustice, in all the afflictions he brings upon us, Ps. 51:4. That you may be justified when you speak, and be clear when you judge, that is, when you correct. [I Cor 11.32 When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord., Ps 119:75, 137: I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that you in faithfulness have afflicted me. Righteous are you, O Lord, and righteous are your Judgments.] God's judgments are always just: he never afflicts except in faithfulness.

Next: What does a prudent, gracious, holy silence include? (Part 2)