wonderful Language and call aloud for admirable and joyful returns Lessons sung to Shoshannims the seven-string'd Instruments of Adoration and Honour Let 's hear the ravishing Musick in these seven succeeding Chapters that may be cordial to the very Hearts of Angels 1. Of the excellency of Love under the fense of Mercies 2. The Honourable Duty of Gratitude 3. The Exaltation of the Divine Name for his Munificence 4. The Anatomy and Vnbowelling of Secret Mercies 5. The Ingenuous meltings for sudden Sins 6. The softning Leniment of sudden Sorrows 7. The Contemplation of the permanent Mercies in Heaven I shall begin with the First and treat it as the Subject of this Chapter what an excellent Frame of Spirit is kindled by the sense of Mercies The most noble and generous love is that which streams from Heaven to ingratiate the hearts of Enemies by Springs of munificence to sweeten the tartest and sowrest tempers to break Flints upon Pillows to melt adamantine hearts in the warm blood of affection to lead Lyons in Chains of Gold and tame Hyrcanian Tygers into Doves Masculine and Heroick Love changes the frame and alters the constitution and texture of hostile Hearts Suspicion Suspicions which is the very Bane and Poyson of Love is by this Art fermented into a brisk volatile and balsamick Liquor To stand upon the Guard and watch to eye and try is but a feminine and childish trifling to subdue others by kindness is God-like to melt the Rocks of Caucasus by flames from Heaven Weak and low-statur'd Love insists upon the catch and so becomes touchy and waspish puts forth its captious sting at every buzz of false Flatterers and Backbiters Noble Love is like the Ointment of the right hand Pr. 27.16 which bewrays it self like a soft River of Oyl that runs down speedily in a direct Chanel of inclination into the Ocean of enjoyment He that can command his Love when attracted by the Magnetick Influence of genuine Friendship has but little true love under his Obedience Suspicion and Distrust grows upon the Root of a weak Love Generous and Noble Spirits had rather be deceived than distrust True Love is not easily provoked and thinks no evil 1 Cor. 15.5 it beareth believeth hopeth and endureth all things To lay heavy load upon sudden conjectures is to tread upon quick sands and walk among the Irish Bogs Such a Friend did not so courteously salute me in the street did not invite me among others brake off his speech abruptly lookt not so pleasantly and turn'd suddenly out of my company Suspicion blinds the understanding and is a Cloud that an evil temper turn'd upon the Sun of affection It cast Eve out of Paradise and leads fretful persons into desarts full of Bryars and Thorns It mischieves the owner and presents to himself a Cup to drink up his own Poyson Pro. 5.22 That Person is held with the cords of sin and may complain with Eve The Serpent within hath deceived me When Men can out-wit the Devil in Policy and be too strong for Divine Justice then they may walk in the shades of this Fools Paradise Men never gain by the ill bargain of Suspicion but at last their very thoughts will upbraid them with weakness and folly Deaw not long Arguments from the slender twine-thread of Suspicion We need a Dove-like simplicity and a benign estimate of every Accident Words misplac'd must not hurry our raw conjectures into Passions It 's the sign of an evil temper to construe the worst when a fair Gloss may be more sweetly truly and decently given Believe nothing but what 's manifest use both your ears and your heart too before you whet your tongue and when suggestions once appear to be vain chide your too frequent credulity Be not hasty to conceive an injury lest you bring forth a lye the frequency of self-rebuke through experience will pare away sudden reflections Let not little touches and small scratches set you in a flame of anger Because your drink is not warm enough or your servant slow or the Table totters a little at Meat or the Door is not presently shut to be in a scurvy Feaver of wrath betrays dirty blood and sordid spirits within Because a Flea or a Fly troubles you or a pot falls or a pipkin boyls over or a glass broken or children make a noise or a thing is misplac'd or ancient people cough or as Myndyrides because the roses in his bed were a little doubled to be in a rage shews a proud weak and effeminate Spirit deserves the rebukes of silence on deserting their company as unfit for humane converse Some persons have Souls good for little but to salt their bodies and exercise the graces of others and are alive by providence for increase of wisdom patience and pardoning mercy in their Alliances Like Vermine subtile to do mischief and whet mens fancies to devise traps and gins to catch them spend their days in trifles to spin perishing Webs catch Flies and spit their Venom Let 's turn our eyes from miserable deplorable forlorn Creatures to him whose Throne is in the Heavens and counts it a condescending humility to behold the Angels Ps 113.6 All his works praise him Ps 145.10 and his Saints bless him Le ts set out the glory of his Excellency and admire the operation of his hands with heart and tongue We are too like the poor Disciples that wondered at the Marble-buildings of the Temple Mark 13.2 are these things fit for a Saints wonder Le ts adorn our time by comparing Precepts with Providence The rule of his Wisdom with its product and issue and narrowly espy how God glorifies every Attribute in the management of Heaven and Earth Providence comments on the Text of Prudence and delights in Mercy and Love as the Issue of his own glorious Bowels What stirred up Divine Wisdom to plot the mutual kissings of Righteousness and Peace together but rowling bowels of compassion towards perishing man when Angels fell from Heaven without recovery yet according to the Multitude of his tender Mercies Wombs full of Mercies hath blotted out our transgressions Ps 51.1 Hebr. Let us be inflamed with Love to God that sweetly provides for our bodies out of his Store house from the Air and Woods from Seas and Rivers from Hills and Plains not only for necessity but delight and ornament withholding nothing from us that 's good for grace or glory But the Master-piece the Top the Flower of love shines forth in the beauty of Gospel-Mercy Le ts dwell in the Temple of Meditation upon the infinite Love of God in Christ till our hearts he enlarged and amplified with flames of affection service and praise when Divine Love is the Fountain of ours we shall need no other arguments of bounty to Saints than the sweet apprehension of his Love to us We need no motives from Plato Tully or Seneca who range up and down the Mountains of Fancy and
that which I see not teach thou me A gracious Soul not stung in Conscience by former miscarriage when he sails in a Storm calmly ponders that a milder Gale may breath from the South and better days may come He may as suddenly be drawn out of as cast into the pit The ratling Hailstones may be melted by a warmer Sun and a dark thundring night may end in a bright morning to cherish his vital Spirits Junge nigra candidis as Bernard Bernard Epist 78. f. 195. b. Songs 2.12 Set black by white and clouds by clear and winter by spring and remember the singing of Birds will come when bitter and deadly Gourds are in the Pot 2 K. 4.44 Elisha may come with a handful of Meal and cure both taste and danger When bitter afflictions fill a Cup to the brim cast in the fine flower of a Sanctuary offering and pardon will come and mercy will fly down with silver wings and a shining countenance from Heaven and then the ravishing sense of divine love will extinguish all discontents from earthly sorrows Nothing can be very sharp on the back of a Saint when Gods Love sweetens his heart We are as we love if worldly then earthy love and earthly losses break an earthy heart if holy and spiritual then treasures pleasures and affections all suit and center in Heaven And what affliction can make him miserable whose heart 's above it Every Saint does gradually arrive to a Masculine Heroick Angelical Spirit Be patient then Rom. 8.28 and things will work together wonderfully for the good of such as are called according to purpose When we pore upon the down-end of the Cross we are ready to faint as if it could never be pull'd up As the Romans dismayed at an inauspicious Omen when their Eagle Ensign could not be haled for a March But let 's consider the upper end reaches Heaven and the same Hand that fixed it can rear and raise it at pleasure And remember there is an appointed time for every Tryal moneths and days that it cannot pass Though the Waves toss themselves yet cannot prevail Jer. 5.22 they roar yet cannot tumble beyond the Sandy Banks oppos'd by an Omnipotent Arm. Israel came out of Egypt the self same night according to the Promise of 430 years to Abraham Exod. 12.42 Affliction is the Churches Physick and will certainly work cum summa euphoria with great success and ease Earthly Physicians often complain of Ineffectual purges but here stay a while and the Event will issue happily When affliction makes us jealous of sin it begins when sick of sin when hateful to it when holy resolutions rise against it then it works to purpose When we see the depth of Corruption in the Flouds of Affliction Rom. 5.3 't is then sanctified and the Love of God is shed abroad in the Heart Afflictions are known to be sanctified when sin begins to wither Affliction sanctified and is in part mortified The rust is filing off when persons begin to shine in meekness humility and patience and accept correction when discontented fumes are scattered and the Thorns of fretfulness are burnt up Oh how plyable and capable of gracious impressions when the Wax is melted by the fire of trouble Take heed then of being rough and furious again when danger 's over Ask Pharaoh if this be not the fruit of a proud and hard heart Again 1 Tim. 2.8 't is then sanctified when it whets prayer to lift up Holy Hands without wrathful revenge and despondent diffidence when it deadens the Spirit to worldly enjoyments and crucifies the heart to carnal vanities Gal. 6.1 When it renders us compassionate and tender-hearted forgiving and forgetting injuries remembring how ourselves were tempted when it sweetens Heaven and prepares the heart for a holy departure and while here makes us ready for service in every good work knowing that all shall end well with a Saint when every tear shall be turned in an Oriental Pearl to adorn his Crown in Glory Are such great Mercies sown in the furrows of affliction and suddenly wax green even in the winter and under cold blasts of adversity With what submission and expectation of issues should we behave our selves under the hand of a Wise and Holy Father Set Faith to work in its Heavenly Imployment of thirsting for Christ Rev. 21.6 Is 45.22 Joh. 6.35 Joh. 1.12 Songs 8.5 4 Pet. 5.7 Luk. 23.46 Heb 3.14 of looking towards him of coming to him receiving of him leaning upon him a casting the cares of our Souls into his Bosom and commending our spirits into his hands and after all in fainting times cast not away the beginning of your confidence but hope to the end Phil. 1.8 1 Cor. 1.8 1 Thâ—s 5.24 since he will perfect what is begun to the Day of Christ and confirm us to the end From reflection upon Faith if careful of Holiness in due time will rise assurance by beholding our Faces in the Glass of Promise when the Soul has been sometime nourish'd by the sincere Milk of the Word at length it may take off the Cream of Joy and Assurance 1 Joh. 3.19 which lies in perswading the Heart of the Love of God So that a sound Christian may arrive to this Heavenly Pitch by discerning the true Acts of Faith and the lively workings of it in times of troubles by the growth of the fruits of the Spirit in times of Tentation and a vigorous conflict against Sin with success and by the immediate Testimony of the Spirit of God witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 These things have I mentioned as preservatives of the Heart in the Flouds of many Waters and as preparations for sudden mercies which will season the Spirit to bear up valiantly in our present stations and qualifie for emergencies of future Joys For when the Soul sits down quietly under hatches in a present storm and buckles to it with an even frame light arises suddenly shines illustriously and beautifies the Soul with joyful and abiding Deliverance Let 's conclude this Chapter with a Memorable Story of Mr. Leverton's Escapes in his West-India Voyages contracted out of the Manuscript of my good Friend Mr. Ch. Morton which thirsts for light to shew what wonderful methods God sometimes uses in bringing out of deep and amazing distresses This Gentleman putting to Sea from the Isle of Sr. Christopher in a French Frigat commanded by Monsieur de Voe of Rochel after a fortnights sail fell under a dead calm in the vast Atlantick Ocean Victuals being almost spent they stinted each person to 8 Spoonfuls of Pease and one pint of Water in a day till at last they grew black with famine and their Backs and Bellies shrunk together Twice a day he prayed with and fed them with Spiritual Food they hung upon his Lips with greedy attention They had much Manna though no Corn and streams
corner above all the good will of him who dwelt in the bush of Horeb defend all your flourishing Mercies from flames of wrath and like that marching Pillar of Fire conduct you to that City above whose builder and maker is God where your feet may tread that malleable pavement of transparent Gold Rev. 21.18 and your thirst after righteousness quencht with the Living Water of the Well of Jacob Joh. 4.14 that Water of Paradise which issues from the Throne of God Rev. 22.1 and be replenisht with those 12 sorts of Fruits which hang upon the Trees of Life and drink abundantly with the beloved Spouse of Christ Song 5.1 of the spiced Wine of the Kingdom in the presence of the Father and his Holy Angels at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Samuel Lee Febr. 8. 1676. Triumph of Mercy A TREATISE OF Preventing secret and sudden Mercies CHAP. I. The Beneficence of God the Spring and Source of preventing Mercies THE infinite goodness of God bestows more Mercies upon us in the method of prevention then of answer to particular Prayers We enjoy most things before we ask and oftentimes more excellent in kind and more abundant in measure then we ask The Lord began thus with Man at the first Creation when there was none as yet to know his mind Rom. 11.35 or sit in Council with him He framed the stupendious and glorious Fabrick of the Universe Job 26.7 By his Wisdom he stretched out the North upon the empty place and hung the Circle of the Earth upon nothing He thrust up its Glebe into aspiring Mountains Isa 40.22 fashioning their Concave Heads for Springs their Bowels for a Matrix to Minerals and their external Convexities and Declivities for beautiful Prospects He commanded some Portions to subside into humble Valleys and to be extended into Champain Plains He clothed its surface with stately Cedars shady Palms and Sea travelling Pines with all the Fruitful Medicinal and Sweet-sented Groves Balsamick Shrubs and wholesom Herbs graceful and various in curious Flowers wherewith the lovely Meadows laugh and sing at the return of their shining Psal 19.5 Bridegroom in his vernal Progress He spread its native Landscapes with that green Carpet of Grass woven by the hands of the blew Nitre of the Air and the yellow Sulphur of the Earth into that delectable Colour which salutes the eye of Man with so grateful a pleasance when painted upon its inward Vestment or Coat the Retina He enjoyned the Ocean to compass and embrace the habitation of Man to minister Rain to the Bottles of Heaven and Liquor to the bubling Fountains when strained through the Veins of the Earth And lastly for support to Ships for Navigation and Commerce 'T was the work of his Hand to interweave the Fertile Vales with Chrystal Streams in their sporting Meanders Psal 104.10 curing the fat Pastures of anxiety about Summer droughts relieving the chafed and sweltring Air with cooler Vapours and indulging to the neighbour Villages easie conveyance and many delicious pleasures Neither was his Divine Bounty withheld from the dark Caverns of the Earth replenish'd with his hid Treasures Those deep and gloomy Regions being impregnated with various Salts with subterraneous Steams and Juices to give origin and food to Metalline Concretes for the service of Manual Arts and for the cure of the more obstinate Diseases in the bodies of Animals shortly to be formed out of the same congenial Earth Then his Curious Pencil embroiders the Land with rare variety of living Creatures and his Voice inspires the healthful Air with Vocal Musick from the winged Choristers that sing among the Branches Psal 104.12 whose warbling notes are not more pleasant to the Ear then their painted Feathers beautiful to the Eye of Man His Hand furnishes the liquid Seas with numerous Passengers who Sail under water fearing neither storms nor stifling At length having establisht the Heavens by his Wisdom he casts a glittering Canopy over all his Sublunary works admirably garnisht with spangling Stars glorious for Lustre harmonious for Motion and powerful in Influence Lo these are part of his ways Job 26.14 but how little portion is heard of him We are in deep darkness to what 's visible The essence of a small pebble gravels our stupid understandings the Eye of our Reason is so blunt that it cannot pierce into the shape or Emerald Colour of the growing Green-sword How much less able to Anatomize the Entrails of the Earth of some thousand miles Diameter Who can account for the Sand's being a bound to the Ocean though the Waves toss themselves yet they cannot prevail though they roar Jer. 5.22 yet cannot go over it Who can solve the flux of the Sea either by the Moon or the Earths motion Lydeat Spagnet Enchir. philos c. 20. l. 12. c. 22. l. 13. c. 15. Austin confess l. 13. c. 32. Or who so hardy to dive to the top of the under-wave Mountains or set their foot on the ridge of those hidden Ararats What Philosopher ever fathom'd the Air and all its Meteors in his Arms or formed a genuine conception of that liquid Aether wherein the Stars do swim or of those waters above the Heavens Gen. 1.7 Psal 148. 4. What Telescopes those curious Spectacles of our late Astronomers ever pierced into that Saphire pavement beyond their Convex Exod. 24.10 Ezek. 1.26 Eph. 4.10 the Place of the Blessed and the Seat of our Lords Glorified Body where Angels and Saints stand trumpeting his Praises through voluminous stations of Eternity who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in Working Isa 28.29 Whose Infinite Power and Goodness having finish'd his six days wonders and prevented the wishes of Man by these excellent preparations for him last of all forms the Head of the visible Creation and exalts him into the Chair of Dominion over all this capacious Theatre antedates his most ample desires rarifies his Heart with sacred wonder and installs him for High Priest of the whole Creation to offer their Tribute to worship adore and love him and to sing his Praises But oh heedless Man being fix'd upon the Pinacle of the Temple of Honour was soon inchanted by a vertiginous blast of the subtile Serpent Jer. 17.13 and forgat his Sovereign the Fountain of Living Waters and falling headlong drank deep of the muddy Cistern invenomed by his poison and became like the Beasts that perish But being sensible of his shame and confounded at his base disloyalty and afraid of Gods awful Majesty fled into the Woods to hide his distrustful Countenance yet found no shelter for his guilty Conscience Justice might now have pursued him with the flaming Sword of Cherubims but preventing Mercy steps into the close and shady Thickets and proffers a Covenant of Grace to the amazement of Angels and admiration of them that believe A Covenant flowing from the good pleasure of his Will Eph. 1.5
We may justly wonder at the ravishing delight of those Holy Spirits wherewith they are nourished to ever-springing and soul-fustaining Extasies in their Ministration before him and studying the beautiful Volumes of his Essence Saints shall see him as distinct from all Creatures and unvailed of all Relation and yet take superlative pleasure in that all the Excellencies in their God are in him as an Everlasting Father and he that sitteth on he Throne shall dwell among them Rev. 7.15 17. and the Lamb in the midst of the Throne shall feed them in the Pastures of Glory and lead them to Living Fountains of Water In that day it 's likely they may understand more of his Eternal Counsels of Election Creation Redemption and Salvation then now and dive into the Ocean of his inscrutable Providences and walk among those Coral Rocks and Mines of Pearl that now lye hid in the great Deeps It 's no small advantage to this withering old Age of the World to reflect upon the Passages of all successive Generations both before and since the Floud both before and since the Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour 'T is a Cordial to refresh our drooping Spirits in this sink and sullage of times to recal the state of the three Worlds in Peter 2 Pet 3.6 7. and to gather Maxims for direction in difficult and stormy Deluges To revolve the Prophesies and their fulfillings as to the rise growth decrease and fall of the 4 mighty Monarchies in Daniel and to observe that when they touch'd upon the Church the Apple of his Eye how then they began to totter and decline to ruine and thereby to encourage us as to the fatal Destruction of all the Adversaries that shall arise till the Glory of the New Jerusalem That all the Toes of Daniels Image shall as certainly be broken in pieces as the Head and Shoulders Dan. 2.35 the Legs as the Breast and Belly and the Statue shall become like the Chaff of the Somer thresning flowers which the Wind shall carry away and no place be found for them and the Stone that smites that Image shall become a great Mountain a Glorious Kingdom filling the whole Earth But these though such Illustrious Fruits of the Eternal Counsels of God are small things in comparison of what the Saints shall see perfectly in the Mount of Glory Then the reasons of all the motions of the Wheels in Ezekiel conveying the Chariot of Cherubims shall shine as bright as the Wheels themselves Then they shall admire at Heavens Reasons of state for all the Intricacies Perplexities and afflictions of the Church in all Ages and Nations the Foundation of the glory which then shall follow Then shall the saints behold an object which shall transform the Subject of the Spectator into the same refulgent Glory to be like him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 Ps 34.5 As they in the Psalmist were enlightned by vision and the longer they behold the optick Nerve of the Soul will advance stronger into the depth of Intellectual beauties 2 Cor. 3.18 and be changed from Glory to Glory Yea when their countenances shine beyond the Sun in his strength they shall sit down in the Kingdom of their Father at a Glorious Supper where blessed Angels shall attend the great Lord and Bridegroom of his Church They shall drink abundantly Songs 5.1 Hebr. Mat. 26.29 Rev. 2.9 be inebriated with new Wine and eat of the Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God alluding to that of Eden in the State of Innocence While the Learned dispute about that Trees real existence in nature Danaei mund antiq p. 31. Ep. Augustin de civ l. 13. c. 21. Junius c. though hid from mortals in the Regions of Mesopotamia while others fancy it to be the Imputrible Cedar and that a first Ens or Balsamick Oil may be extracted from it for prolongation of Life Helmont Grembs while they argue let us determine that Saints shall then seed upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Tree of Life Is 65.22 the Lord Jesus himself when the union of our nature in and by him to the Divine shall communicate to all his Mystical Members Eternal Life not only by donation but influence The Jews affirm Joh. 10.28 that Manna tasted to the Palate of their Fathers according to every ones wish and sancy However that story stands we are certain that in this Bread of Life the very desires and wishes of Saints shall be transcended It hath not entred into the Heart of Man to conceive what is prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 That Heavenly Feast will be soul-satisfying to the utmost When I awake says David i. e. in the Resurrection Morning I shall be satisfied with thy Likeness For in the Presence or Face of God will be fulness of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word used for the Exhilaration of the Spirits by Wine Ps 17.15.16.11 Judg. 9 1◠Eccl. 10.19 For infinite Grace and Glory will shine from the Light of his Countenance Rivers of Eden or pleasure flow at his Right Hand for evermore Ezek. 47.7.12 Rev. 22.1 to nourish the delicious Trees of Paradise for Food and Medicine whereby to preserve a Glorious Immortalily in the Life to come In that Triumphal Coronation and Nuptial Feast there will be satiety without cloying satisfaction connex'd with longing a continual enjoyment of the same delights without fear or sense of deprivation For its Duration shall be everlasting It shall never be sung Tibi deserit hesper Olympum No evening shadows shall darken these Olympian Mountains Saints shall never rise from that Festival Table Is 35.10 Rev. 7.17 but everlasting Joy shall set upon their heads and hearts and the everlasting Father shall wipe away all Tears yea the spring of Tears out of their Eyes There King Solomon will sit down with all his Glory in that day in the gladness of his Heart Song 3.11 There will be present the everlasting Comforter abiding with the Saints for ever Joh. 14.16 Rev. 22.17 Heb. 12.22 The Spirit faith Come as well as the Bride There will be an innumerable company of Angels Luk. 24.4 in their Gorgeous Attire of white and shining Raiment and Crowns of Gold upon their Heads Rev. 4.4 Oh what a glittering shew will stand round about the Celestial Saphire Throne Whenas one Angel in his magnificent pomp and splendour were enough to extinguish the Sun and all the bright Lamps of the inferiour Heavens Rev. 21.23 There will be the whole Congregation of the First born from Abel to Enoch from Noah to Abraham from Moses to Samuel under the waving Standards of the Tribes of Israel solacing in each others communion Lazarus talking in the Arms of Abraham and beloved John once again asking questions in the Bosom of Christ The persecuted Thessalonian Brethren shall be the Joy and Crown of Rejoycing to Holy Paul