you have in ver. 31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever; the rod shall not always lie upon the back of the righteous. "At even-tide, lo there is trouble; but afore morning it is gone," Isa. xvii. 14. As Athanasius said to his friends, when they came to bewail his misery and banishment, It is but a little cloud, (said he), and will quickly be gone. There are none of God's afflicted ones, that have not their intermissions, respites, breathing-whiles; yea, so small a while doth the hand of the Lord rest upon his people, that Luther cannot get diminutives enough to extenuate it; for he calls it "a very little cross that we bear*, Isa. xxvi. 20, Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment" (or for a little space, a little while), until the indignation be overpast. The indignation doth not pass, but overpass. The sharpness, shortness, and suddenness of the saints afflictions, is set forth by the travail of a woman, John xvi. 21. which is sharp, short, and sudden.

(4.) The fourth soul-silencing conclusion you have in ver, 32. "But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion, according to the multitude of his mercies." In wrath God remembers mercy, Hab. iii. 2. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning," Psal. xxx. 5. Their mourn

* A little storm, as one said of Julian's persecution; and an eternal calm follows.

ing shall last but till morning. God will turn their winter's night into a summer's day, their sighing into singing, their grief into gladness, their mourning into music, their bitter into sweet, their wilderness into a paradise. The life of a Christian is filled up with interchanges of sickness and health, weakness and strength, want and wealth, disgrace and honour, crosses and comforts, miseries and mercies, joys and sorrows, mirth and mourning. All honey would harm us, all wormwood would undo us; a composition of both is the best way in the world to keep our souls in a healthy constitution. It is best and most for the health of the soul, that the south-wind of mercy, and the north-wind of adversity do both blow upon it: and through every wind that blows, shall blow good to the saints, yet certainly their sins die most, and their graces thrive best, when they are under the drying, nipping north wind of calamity, as well as under the warm, cherishing south-wind of mercy and prosperity.

(5.) The fifth soul-quieting conclusion you

have in ver. 33. "For he doth not afflict willingly, (or as the Hebrew hath it, from his heart,) nor grieve the children of men." The church concludes, that God's heart was not in their afflictions, though his hand was; he takes no delight to afflict his children, it goes against the heart; it is a grief to him to be grievous to them, a pain to him to be punishing of them, a death to him to be striking of them; he hath no will, no motion, no incli

willy

nation, no disposition to that work of afflict ing his people; and therefore he calls it his strange work, his strange act, Isa. xxviii. 21. Mercy and punishment flow from God, as the honey and the sting from the bee; the bee yieldeth honey of her own nature, but she doth noth not sting but when she is provoked; he takes delight in shewing of mercy, Micah vii. 18. He takes no pleasure in giving his people up to adversity, Hos. xi. 8. Mercy and kindness floweth from him freely, naturally; he is never severe, never harsh, he never stings, he never terrifies us, but when he is sadly provoked by us. God's hand sometimes nay lie very hard upon his people, when his heart, his bowels, (at those very times), may be yearning towards his people, Jer. xxxi. 18. 19. 20. No man can tell how the heart of God stands, by his hand his hand of mercy may be open to those against whom his heart is set; as you see in the rich (poor) fool, and dives, in the gospel: and his hand of severity may lie hard upon those, on whom he hath set his heart, as you may see in Job and Lazarus. And thus you see those gracious, blessed, soul-quieting conclusions about the issue and event of afflictions, that a holy, a prudent silence doth include.

6. 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, Psal. xxxvii. 7. "Rest in the Lord, (or, as the Hebrew hath it, be silent to the Lord), and wait patiently for him." I charge

thee, O my soul! not to mutter, nor to mur mur, Matth. xxviii. 5. 26. I command thee, O my soul! to be dumb and silent under the afflicting hand of God. As Christ laid a charge, a command upon the boisterous winds, and the roaring raging seas, Be still, and there was a great calm; so conscience lays a charge upon the soul to be quiet and still, Psal. xxvii. ult. "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart: wait, I say, on the Lord*. Peace, Ó my soul! be still, leave your muttering, leave your murmuring, leave your complaining, leave your chafing and vexing, and lay your hand upon your mouth, and be silent. Conscience allays and stills all the tumults and uproars that be in the soul, by such like reasonings as the clerk of Ephesius stilled that uproar, Acts xix. 40. "For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse." O my soul! be quiet, be silent, else thou wilt one day be called in question for all those inward mutterings, uproars, and passions that are in thee, seeing no sufficient cause can be produced why you should mur mur, quarrel, or wrangle under the righteous hand of God.

7. A holy, a prudent silence, includes a surrendering, a resigning up of ourselves to God, whilst we are under his afflicting hand,

The Heathen could say, Man may not depart an hair's breadth all his life long from the dictates of a good-conscience.

Psal. xxviii. 8. James iv. 7. The silent soul gives himself up to God, 1 Sam. iii. 18. The silent soul gives himself up to God, 1 Sam. iii. 18. The secret language of the soul is this, Lord, here am I, do with me what thou pleasest, 1 Sam. xv. 25. 26. Acts xxi. 13. 14. &c. "Write upon me as thou pleasest, I give up myself to be at thy disposal.

There was a good woman, who, when she was sick, being asked, whether she were willing to live or die? answered, "Which God pleaseth." But, said one that stood by, "If God should refer it to you, which would, you chuse?" "Truly," said she, "if God should refer it to me, I would even refer it to him again." This was a soul worth gold. Well, saith a gracious soul, the ambitious man giveth himself up to his honours, but I give up myself unto thee; the voluptuous man gives himself up to his pleasures, but I give up myself to thee; the covetous man gives himself up to his bags, but I give up myself to thee; the wanton gives himself up to his minion, but I give up myself to thee; the drunkard gives himself up to his cups, but I give up myself to thee; the Papist gives up himself to his idols, but I give up myself to thee; the Turk gives up himself to his Mahomet, but I give up myself to thee; the heretic gives up himself to his heretical opinions, but I give up myself to thee: Lord, lay what burthen thou wilt upon me, only let thy everlasting arms be under me: strike, Lord, strike and * Luther.