The Sure Mercies of David, Treatise · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
VII. THE ſeventh Uſe of Encouragement, Comfort and Refreſhment, and here's an abundant ſpring opened to revive all the heirs of Promiſe. But becauſe I want room, and becauſe much of that which hath been already delivered tends this way, I ſhall rather improve it, to excite the people of God and heirs of Promiſe to the great and ſweet duty of thankfulneſs.
And here I might elarge upon the Nature, Uſe, Comfort and acceptance of the duty of praiſe in the account of God and men; but I muſt wave that, and only inſiſt on ſome few particulars that concern the nature of theſe mercies, which may ingage us to be thankful, which are theſe,
1. They are free-mercies, they may be had without money or price, ſaith this Prophet here, Quanti O bomines profiteremini vos eſſe empturos, ſi ſalus aeterna venderetur! ne ſi paeto tum quidem qui totus aureo ut eſt in favulis fluit fluento, quis dedcrit, pro ſalute juſtum pretium numeraverit. Clem Alex. adm. ad gentis.free-grace was the Fountain, Cauſe, and Original of theſe; he had mercy becauſe he would have mercy; nothing moved his bowels of mercy on our part; free-grace had no impulſive cauſe but it ſelf: when you are to purchaſe theſe mercies, the price it fallen to juſt nothing, he gives liberally and upbraids not: oh what cauſe of thankfulneſs and admiration?
2. They are Dear mercies, this doth not contradict the former, they are dear to Jeſus Chriſt, but free to us, they are purchaſed with the warmeſt blood in the veins of the Son of God; yea, he thought his deareſt heart-blood well beſtowed to purchaſe theſe ſure mercies; he ſees of the Travel of his ſoul and is well ſatisfied; the fruits of his purchaſe are the joy of his heart; he thinks theſe worth all his pains, pain and dolours; God the father is well pleaſed and accounts theſe mercies a valuable fruit of his Sons purchaſe; and ſhall not we be thankful?
3. They are Deep mercies, Aquae quo ſunt profundiores, eo ſunt puriores, quoniam & craſſa & terrea materia in profundum depreſſa eſt, —hinc profunditatem a quarum bibea. Ezek. 34.18.high and broad, and have all the dimenſions of greatneſs, Pſal. 36.5, 6. theſe mercies can fetch up a drooping deſpairing ſoul out of the grave, yea out of Hell; be the ſoul ſunk as low as ſin can make it in this World, theſe mercies can fetch it up, and raiſe it out of the grave and pit of ſilence, and ſave to the uttermoſt: Oh what a long arm of mercy hath been reached forth unto your troubled hearts in your low eſtate? and doth not this deſerve thankfulneſs?
4. They are Deſigned mercies, purpoſely deſigned, aimed and intended to ſet forth riches of grace, the infinite contrivance of the bleſſed God to magnifie riches of love to ſinners; 'tis true God intended to ſet off his power, wiſdom, juſtice, truth, but he hath magnified his mercy above all the reſt of his name; it's beyond the reſt of his works, the attributes of God are ſet very high, but mercy ſits in the chiefeſt Throne; he declares to Angels and Saints what he can do for ſorry man: oh advance free-grace.
5. They are Dignifying mercies, ſuch honour have all his Saints; oh what an height doth God raiſe his Covenant-Children to? he deals bountifully with them, by theſe Covenant-mercies was David raiſed up on high, 2 Sam. 23.1.and therefore confeſſeth, that God regarded him according to the eſtate of a man of high degree, 1 Chron. 17.17. and truly it is the higheſt preferment in the World to partake of theſe ſure mercies: and therefore we have great cauſe of thankfulneſs.
6. They are Sanctifying mercies, they ſeaſon all other mercies, and make common mercies to become Covenant-mercies; yea, they make croſſes, mercies, they perfume the moſt offenſive griefs, and are like Moſes's Tree that ſweetens the Waters of Marah, if you poure a paile of Water on the floor, it ſeems a little Sea, but pour it into the Ocean it's ſwallowed up and ſeems nothing; ſo afflictions out of the Covenant are intollerable, but as in Covenant-love they are inconſiderable, the depth of mercies drowns the depth of miſeries, and is not this ground of thankfulneſs?
7. They are Separating mercies, hereby are Gods Children diſtinguiſhed from all the people that are upon the face of the Earth, Exod. 33.16, 19.even in their finding grace in Gods ſight, and his preſence with them, and making his goodneſs paſs before them; if there be any diſcriminating mercies for any of the Children of men, as protection, proviſion, direction, theſe Covenant-mercies uſher them in, and ſort them out to the heirs of Promiſe, and if they be good for them, they ſhall partake thereof; then bleſs God.
8. They are Sealing mercies, they ſignifie exhibit and repreſent Gods love to the ſoul, where-ever theſe mercies are laid up in the breaſt of a ſinner, that ſoul is the Jedidiah, or beloved of Gods ſoul, they teſtifie ſuch a ſouls relation to God, and Gods affection to it; wicked men are ſtrangers to Covenant-love, Gods people are the proper ſubjects of theſe endeared thoughts of Gods heart, and are you of that number? oh give God the glory of this mercy.
9. They are Extenſive mercies, they are exceeding broad, they have wide arms, and embrace all the heirs of Promiſe, not a gracious ſoul (though never ſo poor) is left out, yea they are largely extended to every Chriſtians ſtate, caſe, exigency, and neceſſity: let doubts be what they will; let …ears, falls, faults be ſad and ſoul-aſtoniſhing, yet theſe ſure mercies will anſwer all, they are commenſurate and proportionated to all conditions of ſoul, body, eſtate, relations; oh bleſs God for them.
10. They are Comprehenſive mercies, they contain all the good that God promiſeth, or a ſoul needeth, grace and glory, holineſs and happineſs, peace and pardon, all our freſh ſprings are herein, the good things of this life and of a better, and there are many precious things put forth by this Sun of righteouſneſs in a Covenant-way. Oh what cauſe have we to bleſs God and admire free-grace, that hath not only given us the ſpiritual good things of his Kingdom, righteouſneſs, peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt; but temporal good things by a ſure and ſweet tenure; ſo that theſe ſure mercies of the Covenant inſure unto us the corporal mercies that are good for us; and and after another and better manner than any uncovenanted perſons (though never ſo great) can enjoy them; for in a Covenant-way believers do enjoy common-mercies; 1. More refinedly, taken off the dregs o… cares and ſorrows, Prov. 10.22. a Saints bread, Pſal. 81.16.(though never ſo courſe) is of the fineſt of the wheat, and he is ſatisfied with honey out of the rock: Luk. 8.18. Pſal. 39.yea they come, 2. More really other comforts are but ſeeming comforts; as man walketh in a vain ſhew, ſo what he enjoys is but a dream, but outward comforts coming through the blood of Chriſt are ſolid ſubſtantial refreſhments: again they come more, 3. Sweetly, have not thoſe prickles and ſtings that worldly things have to natural men. Oh the peace and quietneſs that a Chriſtian enjoys with outward comforts; and further comforts come to a Child of God more 4. Serviceably, the creature doth homage to its Maker and Maſters Children, ſo that what they have is for their good and doth them good: and comforts alſo come more 5. Satisfyingly, a Godly man is more contented with his little than the men of the world can be with abundance, a little, that the righteous hath is better than the riches of many wicked, Pſal. 37.16. and then a Child of God enjoys his comforts in a Covenant-way more ſafely, he needs not fear want, bread ſhall be given him, his waters ſhall be ſure, Iſai. 33.16. God is the Chriſtians purſe-bearer, and it's in ſafer hands than in his own: and they are here more, 7. Laſtingly, we ſhall have corporal mercies as long as we need them, and when we need them not, they ſhall be ſwallowed in eternal enjoyments. O therefore let the Saints of God be truly thankful, let the high praiſes of God be in their mouths; this is the chief rent and reaſonable Tribute that God expects for theſe ſure mercies; ſacrifice theſe ſacrifices of thankſgiving, take this Cup of ſalvation, and give God the praiſe that's due unto his name. Begin that work here in time, which ſhall be fully managed by the ranſomed of the Lord to all Eternity: this, this ſhall be the burden of the Saints triumphant Song in Heavenly Manſions, that glorious pallace ſhall ring and eccho with the bleſſed note of mercy mercy, free-grace laid the foundation, and grace, grace only lays the top-ſtone of Saints glory. Oh how will God be admired by and in all, that believe at that day? well ſirs, begin thoſe Hoſanna's here, that will be ſeconded with Hallelujahs hereafter; ſpeak well of your gracious God, admire this new-Covenant deſign, and let him have all the glory of this bleſſed contrivance, ſo ſhall you accompliſh Gods end, and evidence your Covenant-intereſt in theſe ſure mercies of David.
Thus though theſe Divine graces which adorn the Temple of a Chriſtians breaſt do ſometimes diſappear, and ſin coſts the ſoul ſome tears, yet the gracious ſoul hath abundant ground of thankfulneſs for the whole tranſaction: take it in Divine Herbert's Poem of Church-floor.
Mark you the floor? that ſquare and ſpeckled ſton
which looks ſo firm and ſtrong
is Patience;
And th' other black and grave, wherewith eac… on
is checker'd all along,
Humility;
The gentle riſing, which on either hand
leads to the Quire above,
is Confidence:
But the ſweet Cement, which in one ſure band
tyes the whole frame, is Love
and Charity.
Hither ſometimes ſin ſteals, and ſtains
the Marbles neat and curious veins:
But all is cleanſed when the Marble weeps,
Sometimes death puffing at the door,
blows all the duſt about the floor:
But while he thinks to ſpoil the room, he ſweeps.
Bleſt be the Architect, whoſe art
could build ſo ſtrong in a weak heart.
FINIS
End of the text · Oliver Heywood, The Sure Mercies of David (1670)