The Triumph of Mercy in the Chariot of Praise, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. The excellency and pleaſantneſs of preventing mercys.
THe Rainbow of the Heavens knows not more rare and delightful colours, then the rainbow of the Covenant, under which our Saviour hath placed his Throne. The beauty of a picture ſhines in variety:Rev. 4.3. which ſets ſuch a delicious and pleaſant luſtre upon proſpects and Land-ſhapes, where Hills and Dales, Woods and Plains, Rivers and Seas, Caſtles and Cities, and the carcaſes of ancient ruines and hanging Rocks, are curiouſly drawn by the Pencil of nature. Nay the ſweet ſinger of Iſrael depaints the Churches garments Ex opere Phrygionico, Pſ. 45.14.like Joſeph's Coat with changeable Silks, and the*Pſ. 68.13. foreign Iſa. 54.12. greens of gold compared with the flowing colours that wave in the necks of Doves. The Evangelical Prophet and the boſome Diſciple build up the Towers of Zim, the ſtreets and walls of the new Jeruſalem with Saphires, Carbuncles, Agats, and pleaſant ſtones; & lay the pavement of that glorious City with malleable tranſparent Gold. There is nothng renders our preventing mercys ſo illuſtrious and glittering in glory as their wonderful changes and ſucceſſive varieties in all ages and times of life. When we firſt hung on the breaſts of our Mothers, we ſuckt in the ſweet nectar of preventing mercy: we drew our milk out of the milky way in Heaven. Yea, as prudent Phyſicians cure an infant by a potion to the nurſe, thus hath our gracious God by hidden means tranſmitted frequent cures to hidden maladies. How hath our youth flowed with fragrant mercies, and riper years ſmelt deliciouſly like a Garden of Pomgranates?Cant. 4.13. How hath the goodneſs of God crowned gray hairs with a wreath of holineſs, honour, and happineſs? How have the loving Angels carried ſome triumphant to Heaven, who feared their ſetting in a dark cloud of horrour and deſpair?
Let's take ſome turnes in this Garden of Eden, and eye the curious walk of ſecret, ſudden, and various mercies.
1. Secret mercies, whereof ſome are never fully known in this life; like mazes and labyrinths and cloſe arbours, which the vultures eye could never diſcern: ſtrange and unforeſeen deliverances, whereof enſuing providences have made beautiful diſcoveries; as Saul and his men went on one ſide of the Mountain, when David eſcaped on the other in the Wilderneſs of Maon. Some have been preſerved by a Cobweb, others by a Hen laying of eggs, others by ſhoals of fiſhe in time of great perſecution. When afflictions themſelves have been Seminaries of mercy, and the dark and ſtormy ſhowers of April have rained down flowers of ſavour, end plentiful crops of ſummer deliverances.
2. Sudden mercies in plunges of diſtreſs. When the Church hath dream't of nothing but drinking the Wine of aſtoniſhment, yet awakned at the brink of ſtreams in the South. How have the Saints been ſupported,Pſ. 126.4. ſuſtained, enlightned? How have doors opened on a ſudden, and Iron ſhackles been ſtruck of by Angels, and Jaylors bathed with their tears the prints of their own ſtripes? How have the oars ſtruck light in a dark tempeſt, and the Ships we ſail in ploughed up ſparkles from the briny billows of the Ocean in a ſtormy night, there being a native fire in ſalt, from which the rapid motion, hath extracted light? Affliction it ſelf hath taught a way to the haven of deliverance. Nay uſually, when we begin to be willing and humble and patient, to ſet down by the affliction, and to conſider Gods gracious dealings in the depths of correction, to erect us into ſome thankful, cheerful, and admiring thoughts, that it is not worſe, that thouſands drink of more bitter cups, and all out of hell is ſtupendious mercy. Many times the wind of Divine favour blows from a freſh corner, and our feet are ſet upon the rock that is higher then us.
3. New and various mercies. God ſeldom delivers in the ſame methods. There was never the ſame face of Heaven from the Creation to this day. The aſpects, clouds, and weather do always vary, as the ſhells on the Sea-ſhore, and the pebble-ſtones, none exactly alike. No veins on the handback, no lines in the palm, no features in the millions of faces, no voices from the windpipe, no gate in the poſtures of walking, but if curiouſly obſerved do differ to admiration. No temptations, no graces, no afflictions, and no deliverances are fully conformed to an union. We have new ſongs for every moment, had we hearts to tune them. When Gods wiſdom takes one mercy away, his beneficent bounty ſends another. When ſome ſetting Stars dip their flaming rays in the Weſtern Ocean, new ones glitter in the Eaſt. Never did the ſame water bubble from the ſame fountain: but as God is the inhexhauſtible ſpring of new and amiable Mercies: So we find he adorns the Out-rooms of the World, and the Chambers of the Tabernacle of his Church, with the Diaper and Tapeſtry-hangings of the curious Needlework of his Providence. Such Wiſdom dwells with Prudenee,Pro. 8.12. and finds out the Knowledge of witty Inventions. All the curioſities of Art, and the cunning devices of Artificers are from God: the ſwarthy Plow-man derives his ſeaſons and management of his Lands,Iſ. 28.26. Tillage, and Culture from Heaven: The Women that ſit at the Wheel,Exod. 35.25, 26. turn it about by the direction of God, for the Ornaments of the Tabernacle: The Weaver, the Embroyderer, and the ingenious Lapidary, learnt all in the School which is above the Stars;Exod. 35.35. the moſt admirable of all Inventions have dropt into the Fancy from the Celeſtial Intelligence. For what the vain, unthankful world calls caſualty, is a graft upon the minds of Men, cut from the Trees of Paradiſe. Accident is the Mother of far more excellent Inventions than Induſtry. Glaſs was found out by the Tyrian Merchants,Polyd. V…r. gil. l. 2. c. 22. when boyling or broyling their Meat upon lumps of Nitre on the Sands of the River Belus. *Munst…r Coſmogr. l. 1. c. 173, 174.Gun-powder was found out by a Monk, A. 1354. and Printing by a Souldier, A. 1440. and the Minerall Spaw at Tunbridge by a Page:The purple colour by Hercules his Dog, as 'tis ſtoried in Pollux, l. 1. c. 4. and thouſands of the like which were pleaſant to recite, did they not over-ſwell the proper place. And ſhall we not think that infinite wiſdom cannot always preſent new and raviſhing wonders of Mercies upon the Stage,Tullies Offices firſt printed A. 1466. Salmuth in Pancirol. p. 244, & 246. from him who is unconceiveable in counſel, and as admirable in working? When we ſtudy in this Library, we ſtill find new Lines and new Editions; we ſail upon new Coaſts, and ſee new Stars as in the Southern Hemiſphere, and enjoy a new ſet of Creatures, and ſmell at many Leagues diſtant fragrant odoriferous Sents; as, of Cinamon from the Mountains of Ceylon in India; of Roſemary from Spain; Cedar from Lebanon, that perfume the very thoughts af a Saint; and the further we travel, the more delicious are the ſurging Tops of the Hills of Canaan; and the more we taſte, the more ſurpriſing ſweetneſs aſtoniſhes our Palates: like the Queenpine in Barbadoes, that ſupplies and tranſcends expectation with new and raſive ſavours, and tunes our vocal Inſtruments for new Songs to bear a part with the Harmony of Angels for ever.