The Sure Mercies of David, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
1. FOR the firſt point, What are the mercies of the Covenant: and here I might prepare the way by declaring what a Covenant is, and give ſome deſcription of this New Covenant, and diſtinctions about it; but I ſhall rather wave that, becauſe it's ſo abundantly done already by ſo many able hands. Only for our preſent purpoſe, take notice, that in all Contracts or Covenants, Mr. Herle his Chriſtian Wiſdom, chap… 4. p. 227.yea in any ordinary Conveyance, there are four things very conſiderable, yea and eſſentially requiſite. 1. There is the parties Covenanting. 2. The Conſideration paid, or laid down. 3. The conditions required and performed. 4. The tenour and graunt in which it runs, or the priviledge to be injoyed, upon the conditions, and conſideration, called in our writings the habendum, or the thing that we muſt have and hold:
Now all theſe are either expreſly or implicitly held forth in one Scripture, which is Heb. 8.10.1. Heb. 8.10.There is the parties Covenanting, I and the houſe of Iſrael, [this is the Covenant that I will make with the houſe of Iſrael.] 2. Here is the conſideration evidently implyed in theſe words, [after thoſe days] i.e. after thoſe dayes of Types, Shadows, and Prophecies, in the fulneſs of time, the Meſſiah ſhall come, who is the ſubſtance, and will ſatisfie divine juſtice, and make an Attonement. 3. Here is the condition of the Covenant, plainly expreſſed in theſe words, [I will put my Laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts] i. e. I will give that which I require, I will put within them a principle of Grace that they may love me, believe in me, repent for ſin, and obey the Goſpel: that's the third. 4. Here's the grant, or good to be enjoyed, which is the end and reſult of all the former, viz. [I will be to them a God, and they ſhall be to me a people,] i.e. whatſoever I am, or have, or can do, who am omnipotent, ſhall be imployed for their good; or whatſoever they would chooſe a God for, or deſire to be in a God, that will I be to them, with whom I contract this Covenant, and I will own them as my peculiar people. Now the mercies of the Covenant conſiſt in theſe four particulars, eſpecially in the laſt.
I ſhall a little open theſe, that we may the better find out the mercies wrapt in the Covenant of Grace.
1. The parties that enter this Covenant, are God, and man; Oh the infinite diſtance and vaſt diſproportion! quantus quantillo? Heaven makes a match with earth, the great Creator with a mortal creature, the glorious King with a ſilly beggar! is not this a rich mercy? ſhall the Cedar in Lebanon contract a League not only with the contemptible ſhrub, but with the pricking offenſive thiſtle? ſhall the Sun of Righteouſneſs convey beams of love to ſuch worthleſs worms, yea to ſuch ſtinking dung-hills? ſhall the beauty of holineſs be confederate with ſorry man who is but a lump of vanity or maſs of impurity? Yet thus it is, and this is tranſcendent mercy; there's mercy in a Covenant, God might have dealt with man in a way of abſolute ſoveraignty, and done with man even as he pleaſed, without giving us account of his matters; but he treats with man in a rational way, above the capacity of other creatures: God takes man up to parly and treat with him, as though he were his equal, Pſal. 8.4.what is man that thou art thus mindful of him? or the Son of man that thou viſiteſt him? this mutual ſtipulation is infinite condeſcention on Gods part, and advancement on mans: man, only man of all the Creatures is the ſubject of this Covenant, Angels had no need of it, Devils had no hope by it, bruit Creatures were not capable of it, only man, and fallen man hath intereſt in it, and benefit by it. Oh the mercy there is in a Covenant of reconciliation! even after man had turned bankrupt, ſpent a fair eſtate, broken Covenant, and brought himſelf into a deſperate caſe, that yet God ſhould forget what was paſt, enter into a new and better Covenant, betruſt him with a new ſtock, and yet lay help (not upon fooliſh mans weak ſhoulders, but) upon one that's mighty to ſave? Oh rich, O tranſcendent Love! this leads us to the ſecond thing in this Covenant.
2. The conſideration paid, that's Jeſus Chriſt, Joh. 4.10.and he is eminently the gift of God, ſuch a gift as never came out of the hands of God, and was never received by the hands of mortal man, a rich and inriching gift, a gift proceeding from love, ſo God loved the world, that he gave his Son, Joh. 3.16. Chriſt is ſeveral wayes a gift, 1. Nobis, to us, 1 Cor. 1.30. who of God is made unto us wiſdom. 2. Pro nobis, for us, Gal. 2.20. Who loved me, and gave himſelf for me. 3. Prae nobis, before us, as an example, copy and pattern, as he ſuffered for us, ſo he left us an example, 1 Pet. 2.21.4. In nobis, in us, ſo Chriſt is ſaid to dwell in our hearts by faith, Eph. 3.17. thus Chriſt is given to believers by ſanctification, and inhabitation of his ſpirit. Now, 'tis the ſecond way principally whereby Chriſt is the conſideration or price paid in this new Covenant, viz. as he is given for us, a valuable conſideration to pacifie wrath and ſatisfie juſtice: thus is Jeſus Chriſt the Lutron or price of our Redemption, we are bought with a price, 1 Cor. 6.20. ſuch a price as never was paid, men pay money to purchaſe great poſſeſſions, but we were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold— but with blood, yea with the precious blood of Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. without ſhedding of blood there could be no remiſſion, yet the blood of Bulls or Goats could never take away ſin; Heb. 9.22, 12.nay the blood of all the men upon earth could never waſh away the guilt of the leaſt ſin; no no, it muſt be the blood of the immaculate Lamb, the blood of God; ſo called from the union of the two natures, and communication of idioms or properties: and this is the price paid, the Father found out a ranſome, 1 Tim. 2.6.and our dear Saviour gave himſelf a ranſome; certainly this is a tranſcendent mercy of the New Covenant. I diſpute not thoſe nice Controverſies, whether God could not have pardoned and ſaved man without the conſideration of Chriſts undertakings; or how God in juſtice can charge guilt and torment upon an innocent perſon; this I am ſure is Gods way of ſaving ſouls, and we muſt not diſpute but believe, that Jeſus Chriſt is the Mediatour of the Covenant, and the price of our Redemption, as God-man; and this is the Marrow of the rich mercy and deep myſterie contained in the Goſpel.
3. In a Covenant is contained the couditions thereof; what God requires of us, without which we can have no benefit by the Covenant; theſe alſo are to be reckoned as mercies of the Covenant on Gods part, as well as duties on our part, for they are ſecured and effected in us, as well as commanded and required by God. Luther makes this to be the main difference betwixt the two Covenants; the Covenant of works requires obedience but gives no ſtrength; but the Covenant of Grace ingageth the Grace of God for the Elects performance of the conditions; hence it is, that what the Law commandeth, Quod lex imperat, gratia impetrat: Evangelium dat quod lex exigit: Aug. de ſpir. & littera—the Goſpel promiſeth; what God requireth, Chriſt procureth; what juſtice demandeth, our dear ſaviour purchaſeth and worketh by his ſpirit in the heart: faith is the great Goſpel-condition, whereby Chriſt with all his benefits become ours, but faith is the gift of God, and none can come to Chriſt, except the Father draw him, Joh. 6.44. Alas it is as impoſſible to believe in Chriſt as to keep the Moral Law from principles of corrupted nature; our ſtate had been ſad, and forlorn ſtill, if God had not undertaken to work the faith which he requireth; Duce D…o venitur ad deum.'tis only the arm of omnipotency that can draw the ſoul to Chriſt, Jeſus is the only Author and finiſher of our faith, Heb. 12.2. Eph. 1.19.there is an exceeding greatneſs of his power to all them that believe put forth to create an act of ſaving faith; all they that have felt it, can teſtifie that this is a rich mercy, and this is one of the mercies of the Covenant.
More particularly there are four choice diſpoſitions promiſed in the Covenant of Grace, which are Covenant-mercies.
1. Saving illumination, Jer. 31.34. they ſhall all know me ſaith the Lord; by nature we are blind and blockiſh creatures, but the new Covenant brings light and ſight to the ignorant & erring ſinner; and Oh what a mercy is it to know God and Chriſt, and ſin and miſery, and duty and felicity, to know Scripturetruths and Goſpel-myſteries, our own hearts and the ſweetneſs of Grace; heaven and the way thither? certainly ſuch ſaving knowledge is worth a world: truly ſuch light is ſweet, and a pleaſant thing it is for the eye of the ſoul to behold the Sun of Righteouſneſs; and the beauty of Heaven: what blind Bartimeus would not own it as a rich mercy to have his eyes opened? and is it not a bleſſed thing to be tranſlated out of Aegyptian darkneſs into this marvelous light? Oh happy are the eyes that are annointed with the new-covenant eye-ſalve, and behold Coeleſtial objects through this Divine optick of faith, and become faithful guides to the feet of an holy life!
2. Sound humiliation, this is another Covenant-mercy, Ezek. 11.19. — I will take the ſtony heart out of their fleſh, and will give them an heart of fleſh: a broken heart is inſtead of many Sacrifices; an hard heart is the greateſt judgement, and a ſoft heart the greateſt mercy; repentance is Gods gift bound up in the Covenant of Grace: our ſweet and bleſſed Redeemer is exalted as well to be a Prince that he may give Repentance, as to be a Saviour to give unto us remiſſion of ſins: Oh what a mercy is the ſpirit of Repentance? they that have this Godly ſorrow ſhall never need to ſorrow for it; ſuch a Repentance needs not to be repented of: bleſſed are they that mourn for ſin, for they ſhall rejoyce; happy ſuch as ſow in tears, for they ſhall …eap in joy! certainly a Converted ſinner looks upon a repenting heart as a rich mercy: one penitent tear is an orient pearl, of more worth than the whole Creation, a bleeding ſoul is a bleſſed ſight in the eyes of God and man, it layes the Chriſtian under the promiſe of the Covenant, and qualifies it for remiſſion and the ſweeteſt conſolation.
3. Another Covenant-mercy with reſpect to the condition is heart-ſanctification, Ezek. 36.25. I will ſprinkle clean water upon you, and you ſhall be clean; this is the mercy that David is ſo importunate for, create in me a clean heart, no leſs than creation will effect it; a putting off the old man, and putting on the new in a ſound Regeneration, is a miraculous mercy. Oh what would a poor ſoul give for dominion over ſome ſpecial corruptions, and power to reſiſt temptations; why here it is, this mercy of mortification (which is alſo a Chriſtians duty) is infolded in this bleſſed Goſpel-Covenant, ſo that ſin ſhall not have Dominion over them that are under this Covenant of Grace: a Chriſtian can do more to mortifie ſin, and Crucifie the fleſh than another man; every word of God hath a cleanſing vertue, now you are clean, ſaith Chriſt, through the word that I have ſpoken to you; but the promiſes of the Covenant have a direct and immediate tendency to cleanſing, 2 Cor. 7.1. having theſe promiſes, (i. e. the fore-mentioned Covenant) let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs, both of fleſh and ſpirit: it is only the Goſpel Covenant that can make Evangelically holy: and holineſs is the image of God, the beauty of a ſoul, the duty of a Chriſtian, and the mercy of the Covenant.
4. A ſpiritual converſation; this is alſo included in the Covenant, Ezek. 36.27. I will put my ſpirit within you, and cauſe you to walk in my ſtatutes, and ye ſhall keep my Commandments and do them: Oh what a bleſſed thing is it to have a heart to love, and fear, and ſerve the Lord? Oh what a mercy to be inabled to perform holy duties; to walk with God in all wayes of well-pleaſing! Jer. 31.33.to have the Law of God written in the heart, and tranſcribed in the life! yea to keep Gods commands with eaſe, alacrity, and complacency, not to have them grievous but pleaſant to the ſoul; and thus it is when the Chriſtian acts from an innate principle of Grace and Holineſs: well, this is the promiſed and purchaſed condition of the New Covenant; God undertakes to put a new habit into the ſoul, his fear which is the beginning of Wiſdom, and principle of obedience: God gives the ſpirit of prayer, the ſpirit of power, love, and of a ſound mind; 2 Tim. 1.9.he promiſeth to give them one heart and one way, that they may fear him for ever: Jer. 32.39.Oh what rich mercies of the New Covenant are theſe?
4. Yet the great mercies of the Covenant are behind, under the next head, for a Covenant, contract, conveyance contains the Habendum or grant, reflecting advantage to the party Covenanting, and that in theſe words, I will be thy God, this is repeated fifteen or ſixteen times in the Scriptures: this, this is the mercy of the New Covenant, the mercy of mercies, the flower, cream and quinteſcence of all mercies, God gives himſelf to the ſoul by Covenant, and what greater or better gift can he beſtow? if he ſhould give us all the world and deny himſelf, we are miſerable beggars; if he give himſelf and nothing of the world we are truly rich; if we have God we have all things, if we want God we want all things: Deus m…us eſt omnia. Ben ſcripſiſti Thoma q…id pet. Reſp. nil niſi …ipſum Domine.my God is my All, ſaith one, 'tis recorded of Thomas Aquinas (the great School-man) that a voice from Heaven ſpake thus to him, thou haſt well written Thomas, what deſireſt thou, and that he anſwer thus, nothing O Lord, but thy ſelf; this certainly is the Language of a gracious ſoul, Lord put me not off with any thing below or beſides thy ſelf: what mortal Creature durſt have preſumed to beg of God ſuch a boon, if God had not graciouſly promiſed himſelf in the New Covenant? what can the creature deſire more? what can it now want when it hath an infinite God? all that God is, hath, or doth is now imployed for the ſouls good, all his attributes and the good of them are laid out for the Covenanted ſoul: this word, my Lord and my God, ecchoing to the other relative, I will be thy God, are wonderful ſweet, as they uſe to ſay of the pronoun my, Relativa ſant minimae eatitatis, maximae verò eſſicaciae.or mine, that though it be of the leaſt entity, yet it is of the greateſt efficacy, ſuppoſe a man could with one caſt of his eye take a view of the perfections of the whole Creation; what were all theſe things to him if he have no intereſt in them? a clear title to a good thing compleats the comfort we have therein; if God were not our God we could have no comfort from thoughts of him, Quid eſt Deus, ſi non ſit meus?what is God (ſaith one) if he be not my God? if he be not our friend, he will be our enemy, and we had better have the whole Creation againſt us, than one God againſt us: and if God be for us, who can be againſt us? Now in the Covenant of Grace God undertakes to be our God, and this is properly that which this Text intends, called the ſure mercies of David, not in the ſingular but the plural number, as I conceive, for theſe two reaſons; 1. Becauſe God is the fountain, ſpring, and original of all mercies, Pſal. 86.5, 15.all my ſprings are in thee; ſaith David, hence God is ſaid to be plenteous in mercy, and he is the Father of mercies: all mercies are vertually, eminently, and tranſcendently in God, Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia.and he that hath him that hath all things, hath all things himſelf. 2. Becauſe the Covenant is big-bellyed, it contains all mercies in it, when any one is entred into Covenant behold a Gad, a Troop, a Train of Mercies wait upon him; the Covenant is a bleſſed conſtellation, and all the Starrs of Goſpel-promiſes do lend their aid to beautifie the Covenanted ſoul.
Take a taſte of the mercies of the Covenant in both theſe reſpects; as
1. What God is to the ſoul, and ſo what mercies are bound up in the Covenant; in that reſpect, this take in four particulars:
1. God is all ſweet relations to the ſoul intereſted in; Pſal. 103.13. Mat. 3.17.he is a Father to them, 2 Cor. 6.18. an Husband, thy maker is thine Huſband, Iſa. 54.5. a near and boſome friend, Jam. 2.23. Abraham was called the friend of God, ſo conſequently God was his friend; for this Covenant begets and contracts the moſt endeared bond of intimate friendſhip betwixt God and the ſoul, and if there can be any relation, yet that holdeth forth more tenderneſs of affection; that and much more is God to the gracious ſoul, Co…ſult Iſa. 49.15, 16. Jer. 31.20.as one whom his mother comforteth, ſo will I comfort you, Iſa. 66.13. nay the Scripture doth teſtifie more affectionate workings in Gods heart towards his people than can be found in the moſt indulgent Parents to their Natural off-ſpring: the ſweetneſs of all relations proceed from God, therefore to be found in God: our relative affection is but a drop to this Fountain, and our content in relations is no otherwiſe ſweet than as flowing from him, or with relation to him: that's the firſt, God in Covenant is the quinteſcence of all relations.
2. God is all things, pleaſant, deſireable and honourable; hence we are bidden to taſte and ſee how good the Lord is, Pſal. 34.8. Pſal. 37.4. Pſal. 16.11.and to delight our ſelves in the Lord, and at his right hand there are everlaſting pleaſures; he, he alone is the center and ſettlement of our deſires, he alone is the rock and reſt of the fluctuating ſoul, Pſal. 116.7.therefore David doth charge his ſoul to return to God as his reſt: God only is the Sabbath and ſolace of the Chriſtians ſoul: the Heaven of that Heaven of Heavens is Communion with God: no deſires ſo inſatiable but may be ſatisfied with an… infinite God; if regularly carryed out towards him, Oh what a bleſſed thing is it to have God to be the object of our delight! and he alone is our glory and honour, Pſal. 3.3. Pſal. 24.10.the God of Heaven is the King of Glory, and he alone is the Glory of a people or perſon, the only Ornament to have a God in Covenant, Iſa. 28.5. when the glorious beauty ſhall be as a fading flower— then ſhall the Lord of Hoſts be for a Crown of Glory (inſtead of their Crown of pride, ver. 3.) and for a Diadem of beauty to the reſidue of his people: Oh bleſſed and beautiful Ornament!
3. God is all things for ſafety and defence to his covenanted people, Pſal. 84.9, 11.he is a Sun and a Shield; a Sun to direct in times of darkneſs, a Shield to protect in times of danger: there are ſeven words in Pſal. 18.2. that ſet forth this ſelf-ſame thing what a Protection God is to his Children. 1. A Rock. 2. A Fortreſs. 3. A Deliverer. 4. A Strength. 5. A Buckler. 6. The Horn of his Salvation. 7. His HighTower: every one of theſe hath its peculiar Emphaſis and Significancy; I cannot take notice of them all, only hint at the firſt and laſt, a Rock (you know) is a natural defence, a Tower is an artificial defence, God is both (in a ſort) by way of Covenant, in the firſt reſpect as our God and Creator, in the ſecond as God-man, Mediator, appointed to be the only ſuccour and ſhelter of fallen mankind; here we may be ſafe and free from the roaring Lyon, the ravening Bear and uncircumciſed Philiſtin: he alone is an hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempeſt —and as the ſhadow of a great rock in a weary land, Iſa. 32.2. An admirable place you have in Jer. 17.2. a throne, a glorious Throne, and a glorious high Throne; and this from the beginning is the place (not only of our defence, but) of our ſanctuary: every word hath its proper weight, who dare preſume to meddle with a Throne or to ſurprize a Sanctuary? the Glory whereof will affright and appal them; it's an high Throne, how can they reach it? it is from the beginning, the ancient of dayes, and ſo to everlaſting, and what mortal man can lay ſiege to this ſo impregnable a Tower? Deut. 33.27.the eternal God is the Saints refuge, and underneath them are everlaſting armes, therefore are they ſafe from total falling, and fear of deſperate evils: that's the third.
4. God is all things for profit, advantage and uſefulneſs to the Saints, 'tis ſaid, money anſwers all things, but God is better than money, and anſwers all things, as a precious Saint uſed to ſay, God's good, when gold's gone: no gain in the world like that that God is to the ſoul, God is our riches, treaſure, portion, inheritance, and our all in all, David ſaith, Pſal. 73.25, 26. whom have I in Heaven but thee? and then ſaith, my fleſh and my heart faileth, but God is the ſtrength of my heart, and my portion for ever: God is fitly called the Saints portion, for he is ſo one Saints portion, as if no ones elſe, and yet intirely every ones, as if wholly theirs, as indeed he is, yet without diviſion, partition, or diminution. That's a notable paſſage in that Goſpel-Covenant, (at leaſt one part of it, the mercy in it we are ſpeaking of) Gen. 15.1. fear not Abram, I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great reward: 1. Thy reward, as if it were (as indeed it is) reward enough to have God, if we have nothing elſe. 2. A great reward worth ſpeaking of; Chriſtus & Coelum non patiuntu… hyperbole….not an inconſiderable trifle but a great reward. 3. An exceeding great reward, no hyperbole can reach it, much leſs exceed it, none can expreſs the goodneſs of God, but thoſe that experience it, nor can they ſufficiently declare it, but is he mine? Pſal. 144.15.Yes. 4. By this Covenant he is thy exceeding great reward; Bleſſed are they that are in ſuch a caſe, Happy is that people whoſe God is the Lord.
Thus I have ſhewed what God is.
2. I ſhall a little ſhew what God gives and grants to the covenanted ſoul; there are many rich benefits, and advantages, which are indeed rich Covenant-mercies.
1. Pardon of ſin, Jer. 31.34. — for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their ſin no more: and oh what a mercy is pardon of ſin? ask David when he is roaring under his broken bones, and diſquiet ſpirit, whether pardon of ſin be a mercy, he will anſwer yes, O yes, I know it, and could even envy the happineſs of a pardoned ſinner; bleſſed is he whoſe tranſgreſſion is forgiven, Pſal. 32.1, 2.yea many times bleſſed is he to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity: this is a mercy that coſt a great rate, even the blood of the immaculate Lamb of God, 'tis a mercy that God ſhews for his own ſake; a mercy that eaſeth the guilty ſoul of an heavy burden, a mercy that hath ſweet and ſatisfying concomitants: Oh the riches of this mercy.
2. Gods favour, love and tender compaſſion, Jer. 32.40, 41. I will make an everlaſting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good— Yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good, q. d. now I am in Covenant with them I will ſeek and ſtudy by all means to promote their ſpiritual and eternal advantage; yea and their temporal good alſo; I will be a faſt and faithful friend to them; all my attributes ſhall contribute their aſſiſtance to help on the deſign of mercy towards them: and what God doth for them is with his whole heart and with his whole ſoul, he will in the relation of a Father take care of his Children: and is not that a mercy?
3. Goſpel-Ordinances; Ezek. 37.26, 27. I will make a Covenant of peace with them— and will ſet my Sanctuary in the midſt of them for evermore— my Tabernacle alſo ſhall be with them: i. e. they ſhall have the means of Grace, the viſible tokens of Gods preſence; wayes of Communion with God, and is not this a rich mercy; David lookt upon it as ſo in his baniſhment from Gods houſe, and every Child of God prizeth it at a very high rate, this is one of the mercies of the Covenant.
4. Seaſonable afflictions, with a ſanctified uſe of them: Pſal. 89.30, 32, 33. if his Children forſake my Law— then will I viſit their tranſgreſſions with the rod: 'tis infinite mercy that God will take the pains to whip the offending Children: it is faithfulneſs to the great ends of the Covenant that God will fetch in his wandring ſheep by ſharpeſt means: it is (as it were) a cruel mercy to let men alone in ſin to haſten their ruine: it is the Fathers care and kindneſs to chide and correct his ſon, and it's as needful as food and raiment; a Child of God would rather be ſcourged to God, than allured from God in the paths of honey and butter: this Covenant-mercy doth change the nature of the affliction, and makes every thing to work for the ſouls beſt God: this bitter potion is an uſeful healing medicine; this ſtinging Serpent is turned into an harmleſs, nay helpful Rod, with which the Lord works wonders of mercy upon and for the Covenanted ſoul.
But time would fail me to enumerate the large Catalogue of Covenant-mercies: from this fountain ſtream, thoſe choice mercies of reconciliation with God, filiation, the ſpirit of adoption, free admiſſion to the Throne of Grace, acceptance of their perſons, audience of their Prayers, aſſurance of Gods love, peace of Conſcience, communion of Saints, the benefits of Chriſts Paſſion, Reſurrection, Aſcention, Interceſſion, an intereſt in all the Promiſes, Chriſts purchaſes, the ſpirits motions and comforts, freedom from the wrath of God, the curſe of the Law, and eternal death, and laſtly, an intereſt in, and at death a full poſſeſſion of the inheritance of the Saints in light: theſe and ſuch like are the mercies of the Covenant; in a word, all the goodneſs that is in God, and all the good things of the world, that are communicable to the elect, are to be accounted as the ſure mercies of David: That's for the firſt general head.