(“The Mute Christian Under the Smarting Rod”
or, “The Silent Soul with Sovereign Antidotes”
by Thomas Brooks, 1659, London.)
Consider Christian, that all your . . .
trials and troubles,
calamities and miseries,
crosses and losses,
which you meet with in this world–is
all the hell that you shall ever have!
Here and now you have your hell.
Hereafter you shall have your heaven!
This is the worst of your condition;

the best is yet to come!
Lazarus had his hell first, his heaven last; but
Dives had his heaven first, and his hell at last.
You have all your pangs, and pains, and throes
here–that ever you shall have! Your ease, and
rest, and pleasure–is yet to come!
Here you have all your bitters;
your sweets are yet to come!
Here you have your sorrows;
your joys are yet to come!
Here you have all your winter nights;
your summer days are yet to come!
Here you have your evil things;
your good things are yet to come!
Death will put an end to all your sins
–and to all your sufferings!
Death will be an inlet to those joys, delights,
and comforts–which shall never have an end!
Who can seriously meditate upon this, and not
be silent under God’s most smarting rod?
Grace Gems