The Sure Mercies of David, Title page – Preface
THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID: Or, a Second Part of HEART-TREASURE.
Wherein is contained the ſupream and ſubſtance of Goſpel-mercies purchaſed by Chriſt, and Promiſed in the Covenant of Grace, together with the ſeveral ways how they are made ſure to all the Heirs of Promiſe, and how they are to be improved for the Saints Fort and Defence, Settlement and Incouragement in ſhaking and back-ſliding times.
Being the fruit of ſome Meditations upon Iſa. 55.3.
By O. Heywood an unprofitable Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Zech. 9.11.
As for thee alſo, by the blood of thy Covenant, I have ſent forth thy Priſoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
Evangelium eſt, ceu vehiculum quoddam per quod ad nos defertur Chriſtus cum juſtitia ſuâ & omnibus donis:
Luth. tom. 3. f. 428. a.
LONDON, Printed by R. W. for Tho. Parkhurſt, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapſide near Mercers Chappel.
To all the Heirs of Promiſe, the Saints of the moſt high God, the Sons and Daughters of Abraham, whom God hath betrothed to himſelf in the ſweet Goſpel-Covenant, and who live in hopes of their nuptial day, preparing in grace to enter into the chambers of glory at death and the general Reſurrection, grace, mercy and peace.
TWo things (my Dearly beloved in the Lord,) are abſolutely neceſſary to make ſouls happy, 1. That the …hing poſſeſſed be fully adaequate to the nature of the ſoul, 2. That …t be made over to it legally and everlaſtingly: for if either any thing be defective at preſent to give content, or there be danger of loſing it, it is not commenſurate to the ſouls ſtate or need; for as this immortal ſpark infuſed into man, whereby he is a rational creature, is vaſt and capacious in its deſires and dimenſions; ſo it is very laſting, yea everlaſting in its continuance and duration; therefore its riches that muſt make it happy muſt be both ſuitable and durable: But all the creatures fall ſhort in both: the ſoul of man travelling through this ſpacious univerſe upon the feet of its affections, and following the guidance of the intellectual faculties the ſouls ear and eye, can get no ſatisfying ſight or report in anſwer to that curious inqueſt, who will ſhew me any good? to fix upon the creature is to ſet our eyes upon that which is not, for its vanity; yea, to place our hopes on that which hath a lye in its right hand, and ſo becomes vexation of ſpirit in an aſtoniſhing diſappointment: woe were to man if there were no hopes for him but in this life, and great were his infelicity if what Atheiſts ſay and think, that there is no God, were true, how poorly ſhould this Princely thing in man be ſerved with the ſordid husks of creatures? how baſe and bruitiſh would its life be? how well becoming man would that Epitaph be of the Epicure? which Cicero ſaith was fitter to be writ on an Oxes grave than mans — Haec habeo quae edi, quae que exſaturata libido — hauſit: the things my greedy appetite hath devoured are mine, as they cry. But let ſuch Brutified Sots, that underſtand nothing of the worth or proper food of immortal ſouls, feed on husks, let the Heaven-born Saints aſpire to other nouriſhment, if the mixed multitude of common profeſſors linger after the Aegyptian food of Cucumbers, Numb. 11.4, 5. Qui mundo adhaeſerunt ut marinis petris alga, contemnunt immortalitatem ſicut Senex Ithacenſts, qui non veritatem & coel ſtem patriam, eam quae vere eſt lucem, ſed fumum optabat. Clem. Alexand. adm ad gen.Melons, Leeks, Onions and Garlick — the real Saints feed on Heavenly Manna; the fleſh and blood of Chriſt is the proper pabulum animae, or nouriſhment of the ſoul: the ſoul hath a more tender appetite, which requires anſwerable food; it cannot feed on ſuch courſe ſtuffe as worldly delights: hear David begging as for an alms, but what alms begs he? mercies; but what mercies? tender mercies, Pſal. 40.11. withhold not thy tender mercies from me, O Lord — q. d. there are common mercies, that fill the bellies, and cloath the bodies of good and bad, but theſe will not ſerve my turn, nor ſave my ſoul; the mercies that will do me good for ever are tender things of another ſtamp, that come ſtreaming through the blood of a Mediator, that are dipt in Covenant love, and ſuch as can fill, and feed, and feaſt my ſoul for ever.
Theſe are the mercies that God hath dropt into your boſoms; oh the heirs of promiſe, and theſe are the mercies deſcribed and deciphered in this Treatiſe, I have gone out to meaſure the Land of Promiſe, and according to grace received, I have viewed it in the length and breadth thereof, and I have no reaſon to bring up an evil report on it; it's a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, a bleſſed and beautiful Land, which God careth for, and if the Lord delight in you, he will bring you into it, what though there be Giants and Anakims of oppoſition in Heavens way, fear them not, for they are bread for us, ſhall turn to the Saints nouriſhment, and their defence is departed from them; the Lord is with us, Let not our hearts faint, God will carry us as upon Eagles Wings, he will give us a pillar of Cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night; ſure mercies in the way, and everlaſting mercies in the end: this is the true Arabia felix, yet far beyond that, which though it abounded with ſpices and gold, profits and pleaſures, yet ſtupifies the ſenſes of the inhabitants with its ſuffocating ſweetneſs; but there's no nauſeous diſguſting of heavenly delights by thoſe that partake thereof: the longer you enjoy them, the more you long after them, and the fuller draught you take, the ſweeter relliſh they have: Oh the pleaſure a ſoul may have in divine things! other things will ſtink in compariſon of theſe raviſhing delights: no pleaſures like thoſe that come from above: but that which adds an Emphaſis to theſe is, that they are ſure as well as ſweet, abiding as well as abounding pleaſures: God the Author and object of them is immutable, the ſpring of them, the love of God, the meritorious cauſe, Chriſts blood, the way of conveyance, precious promiſes, all theſe are ſettled and the ſame, as long as the ſoul needs mercies it enjoys them, for we have grace to help in time of need: God will not, men cannot pluck away theſe mercies from you, you that have a well-grounded title thereunto: God will not; for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance; and whom he loves once he loves to the end: men cannot for they are above and beyond their reach: Sole & ſale omnia conſervantur.theſe mercies are made ſure to you by a Covenant of Salt, which is a ſymbole of incorruption: they wear not away with length of time, nor are they ſnatcht away by humane violence: the Tyrants rage cannot pluck ſure mercies out of your hearts & hands: this conſideration is of ſingular uſe in a loſing time; men may take away our eſtates, liberties, priviledges, but they cannot take away our mercies: they may degrade us and remove us from our functions and offices, but cannot diſſettle our ſouls from relation to Chriſt, or ſtate of grace, or bleſſed influences of grace. Fox. Mart. Vol. 1. p. …20.When Popiſh Biſhops took from John Huſſe the Chalice, ſaying. Oh curſed Judas we take away from thee this Chalice of thy ſalvation, he anſwered, but I truſt unto God the Father omnipotent, and my Lord Jeſus Chriſt, for whoſe ſake I ſuffer theſe things, that he will not take away the Chalice of his redemption, but have a ſtedfaſt and firm hope, that this day I ſhall drink thereof in his Kingdom: Yea, men may take away the members of the body, but not the graces and comforts of the ſoul: Notable is the ſtory of Agatha the primitive Martyr, Quintiliano dixiſſe ferunt ex cujus juſſu praeciſae ſunt ipſi mammillae, ann…n te pudet, Tyrone membrum illud in me amputare, quod in matre ſuxiſti? verum, age ſaevi quantum poteris: duae tamen ſuperſunt mammillae, quas nequis attingere, fidei una, spei altera, hae mihi vel in mediis tormentis ſolamen & tutamen ſuppeditant & earum alimento ſuſtinendi virtus in me reparatur — Dr. Arrowſ. Tact. ſac. p. 195.who when Quintilian had commanded her breaſts to be cut off, art thou not aſhamed, O Tyrant, ſaid ſhe, to cut off that member in me, which thou ſuckedſt in thy mother? but …o to, rage as much as thou canſt, yet two breaſts are left, which thou canſt …ot touch, the one of faith, the other of …ope, theſe ſupply me with comfort and ſafety in the midſt of torments and abundant ſtrength is repaired in me by the nouriſhment I have by them to endure. Alas, it were a ſad ſtate of an immortal ſoul to have nothing but what ſupplys corporal wants; how ſoon will worm, or moth, or fire, or thieves or tyrants, make a prey of viſible riches? the good things of Saints are inviſible: happy are you whoſe mercies are divine, you need not fear plundring or ſpoiling of your beſt goods; theſe are the true riches, Omnia …m aliis communia habent tanquam ci…s, omnia patiuntur tanquam p…egriai: omnis p…regrina regio patris eſt eor…m, & omnis patria eſt peregrina. Juſt. Mart. e…d Di…g. vid. plura.though you be poor in this world, yet if you be… rich in faith, you are heirs of a Kingdom; you live as ſtrangers and Pilgrims, for your eſtates lye… in another Countrey: and indeed a Chriſtian is a Paradox in this, as Juſtin Martyr obſerves of the ancient Chriſtians, that they inhabit their own Countrey but as ſtrangers, the… have all things common with others a… Citizens, yet ſuffer all things as Pilgrims, every ſtrange Region is their Countrey, and every Countrey a ſtrange Region: a Chriſtians politicks are ſeemingly contradictory, and truly myſterious: they make a common table, yet not polluted: they are in the fleſh, but live not after the fleſh: they live on earth, but have their converſation in Heaven: they obey Laws eſtabliſhed, yet by their way of living go beyond laws: they love all and are perſecuted by all: they are not known, yet condemned: they are killed, yet made alive: they are poor, yet inrich many: they want all things, yet abound in all things: they are diſgraced, yet thereby honoured, &c. Thus he proceeds, ſhewing the ſtate of Chriſtians; which is the ſame now: oh what a myſterie, yet felicity, it is to be a Saint! all things are yours, though nothing were yours; a Saint by Covenant hath right to all, and ſhall have actual poſſeſſion of what is for his good: the Saints rule the earth, themſelves being trampled on by all: they paſs through the world as Conquerours, and carry the ſpoils along with them as Trophies to death, and when death is ſwallowed up in victory, theſe bleſſed Champions ariſe triumphant in glory: Oh Chriſtians, ſtudy your ſtate, know your priviledges, be always triumphing in Chriſt: live at the rate of theſe mercies, make no reckoning of the world but as a foot-ſtool to raiſe you higher God-wards, or as a ſtepping-ſtone to paſs forward through this dirty world Heaven-wards, thereby: bleſs God for the leaſt outward mercy, but be not put off with the greateſt; a little with God is enough, all things without God are nothing: ſuppoſe you be below the higher part of the duſt of the earth in riches, power, and glory, yet you are above them in grace, true riches, and favour with the God of Heaven: therein he makes amends, as the Jews have a Fable that the Waters Terreſtrial, in the beginning, took it ill they muſt be divided from the Coeleſtial by the Firmament; he pacifies them by promiſing a Sacred uſe of them below in the Tabernacle of the Covenant: ſo although you are ſet below others in other things, yet in this you have preheminence above them, that you are intereſted in, and imployed about theſe Covenant-mercies: this is abundant compenſation: be not diſcouraged, whatever you ſuffer here, 'tis not Hell, whatever you loſe for God, Heaven will make amends; faithful is he that hath promiſed, who alſo will do it; God is yet able to pay his debts, as able and willing, as to the firſt man that ever ſued for performance of a promiſe: never any went away grumbling or charging God (as ſome men are too juſtly accuſed) that he minds not what he ſaith: when David through weakneſs of faith began to ſtagger, and expoſtulate, ſaying, doth his promiſe fail for evermore? he quickly checks himſelf with that reflection, And I ſaid, this is my infirmity, Pſal. 77.8, 10.—
It were a bleſſed thing (which Luther wiſheth for) that our faith were as certain and firm as the thing it ſelf believed, Optarim fid…tam certa… & firmam …ſſe qu…m & …es ipſa, verwn peccatum in car…e r…ſiſtit ſp…ritui…ut non poſſitam firmiter credere, Luth.but alas, ſin in the fleſh doth reſiſt the ſpirit, ſo as we cannot ſo firmly believe, as he complains: the way to ſtability is acting of faith, believe and ye ſhall be eſtabliſhed; as long as we conſult with reaſon, we ſhall ſtill be fluctuating perſons expedient for eſtabliſhment, after many temptations of doubt concerning a main article of faith was, an hearty humiliation and captivating his underſtanding to the obedience of faith: which brought ſuch clear light of truth and certitude into his ſoul, that there remained no reliques at all of dubitation: we may all cry out with the Diſciples, Lord increaſe our faith; alas, the want of faith is the root of all actual ſins and inſenſibleneſs; yea, the want of a through perſwaſion of the reality of divine things, undoth the world; moſt men do but read the Goſpel as a fine fiction, or a well-compoſed Romance, but work not their hearts to credit theſe things: a may be, or may not be, in a conjectural uncertainty is all they arrive unto; however they do not follow home the light and perſwaſions they have; alas, did ſouls ſeriouſly think of this, that as ſure as they are men or women, as certainly as they eat and drink, work and ſleep, ſo certainly there is a God, a Chriſt, grace, pardon, guilt, Heaven, Hell, which they muſt very ſhortly feel, this could not but have a ſtrange influence upon their hearts and lives, their affections and converſations: oh what perſons ſhould Saints be, if they lived under the through impreſſions and convictions of the certainty of divine revelations.
It were a bleſſed effect if all the Treatiſes that have of late been writ, might convince this prophane and Atheiſtical world of the certainty of Chriſtianity, many have travelled much in this with good ſucceſs; ſeveral ancient writers as Clemens, Polycarpus, Vid. Scultit. med. patrum—Juſtinus Martyr, Tatianus, Iraeneus, Athenagoras, Tertullian—have proved by demonſtrative arguments the truth of Chriſtian Religion againſt Jews, Heathens, &c. and Grotius, Morney — of late: and at this day Baxter, Stillingfleet, &c. have put their ſickle into this Harveſt, from whom the Church hath reaped precious fruit: I pretend neither to the Learning or Authority of thoſe famous Worthies, but inſiſt only upon the Sure Mercies of the Covenant as a poor Superſtructure upon thoſe Solid Foundations: it was the deſign of Luke the Evangeliſt, in Writing his Goſpel to the noble and excellent Theophilus, that he might be aſſured of the certainty of thoſe things wherein he had been inſtructed, Luk. 1.4. ſuch a deſign have I in this ſmall piece. Oh that ſome might ſtand out and ſay, as the Diſciples, now we are ſure that thou knoweſt all things— by this we believe that thou comeſt forth from God, Joh. 16.30. oh ſirs, ſtick not in an uncertain conjecture, arrive at a full aſſurance of underſtanding to the acknowledging of the myſterie of God, Col. 2.2. pray for the ſpirit of Revelation, that you may both know the certainty of Goſpel-myſteries and mercies, and your own intereſt therein, that you may both be ſtrong in faith and full of comfort: advance higher daily in embracing unſeen things, reſt not in a ſceptical foreign or Philoſophical dubitation, but ſtrive to arrive at an foreign or firm demonſtration; reſt your ſouls upon Divine Teſtimonies, as to the object of faith, and commit your ſouls to him in believing and well-doing for evidence of your ſtate: Remember that choice word, Hoſ. 6.3. then ſhall we know if we follow on to know the Lord, his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he ſhall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth: that this and all other ſoul-helps may accompliſh this great end of your edification, conſolation, and ſalvation, ſhall be the earneſt Prayer of
Your Soul-friend and Servant in Chriſt. June 3. 1670.