Be Thankful LONDON AND HER SISTERS; OR, A SERMON of Thankfulness: Setting down the kindness of God to us, the duty of Thankfulness, the way to it, and the practice of it. Applied in particular to these times: By ROBERT ABBOTT Preacher of God's Word at Cranebrooke in KENT. PSAL. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, so will I deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. LONDON, Printed for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith, and are to be sold at their shop at the golden Lion in Paul's Churchyard, 1626. TO THE RIGHT Worshipful, worshipful, and dear beloved, his friends, kindred, and acquaintance within the City of LONDON, ROBERT ABBOTT wisheth due Thankfulness to God for his unspeakable MERCIES. THough I live a fare off from you, yet God knows that I have not been unmindful of you in my daily prayers to God, which was the best good which I could do unto you. And when I heard that God did begin to shine in love upon the City again, God knows that I was not unmindful to be thankful to him that is the sole Author of it. I thought not that enough: therefore as before I had spent many days in fasting, and prayer, for ourselves in body; so did I resolve (having that blessed liberty) to spend one day in fasting, prayer, and thanksgiving for you: what good it wrought upon my own people and those of your body who heard me, I am not worthy to know: but what good I aimed at my conscience is privy to, & what my desire is to do more. I consider how lovingly I have been entertained of many of you when I was assistant to a Reverend Divine amongst you, who is now with God. I consider Master Haiward of Wool-Church. that I have many brethren, sisters, and kinsfolk, who have fellowship with you, & whose souls I tenderly affect. In which respects though (as it is wittily said) some more Learned, and godly men are Fathers, Nurses and murderers to their own Children, in begetting, kissing, and burying the fruits of their own brains, yet am I still adventurous to show others what God hath given me (unworthy wretch) to bring forth, and to say unto you; Behold I and my child. I have not trimmed it with ornaments and laces of Egypt, nor sweetened it with the Frankincense and myrrh of the Christian Synagouge: but as God hath sent it with the law of God written in the forehead, hands, feet and heart of it, so send I it unto you, desiring God to make this service acceptable and profitable unto you: And so I rest, Yours to be used in the Lord, ROBERT ABBOTT. From my Study this fifteenth of November 1625. Be thankful London: OR, A SERMON, Setting down the duty of thankfulness, the way to it, and the practice of it, preached upon PSAL. 31. 21. Blessed be the Lord, for he hath showed his marvelous kindness towards me in a strong City. WHEN God purposeth to plague a people, who have not been wise to observe the day of their visitation, and by faith and conversion Ier 15. 2. to hide themselves: such as are appointed unto death, must unto death: such as for the sword, to the sword: such as for the famine to the famine: and such as for the captivity to the captivity. In which respect, when we, who now live, do perceive that, though we have been chasiened sore, yet we have not Psal. 118. 18. been delivered unto death: and that neither Plague nor Sword, nor Famine, nor Captivity, nor any other noisome evil hath so fare prevailed over us, but that we may still praise God after the manner of the living: then how can we resolve less with ourselves then this, I shall not dye but live, and declare the works of the Lord? Or, Psal. 118. 17. what can we say less than this to others? Praise ye Psal. 34. 3. the Lord with me, and let us magnify his Name together. True it is, that ordinarily the injuries that are done unto us are written in Marble, and the benefits that are showed unto us are written in Sand: and as the Air in the Mat. 26. 69, 70. High Priests Hall did (after a sort) infect Peter, and was an occasion to his soone and sudden denying of his Master: so every blast of new favours doth (through our corruption) infect us with unthankfulness, and blow away the memory of the former mercies which have been showed unto us. Hence it is, that God expostulateth with his people, Hear, O Heavens, and hearken, O earth, for I have nourished Esa. 1. 2. and brought up children, but they have rebelled against me: And that Christ cryeth out against the unthankful Luke 17. 17. Lepers, Where are the nine? Hence it is that God is (as it were) driven to put his people in mind of the favours which he hath done unto them, saying, Surely I brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, and I have sent before thee Moses, Aron Mic. 6. 4, 5. and Myriam. O my people, remember now what Balack King of Moab had devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal. Yea, hence is it, that good Moses did take such pains with God's Deut. 6. 12. people, to press them not to forget the Lord which Deut. 8. 10. 11. brought them out of the Land of Egypt, but to bless him for the good Land which he had given them. And at that time when he saw them tardy in their duty of thankfulness to God, by corrupting themselves towards him by their vice, how roundly doth he take them up, saying, Do ye so reward the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Deut. 32. 6. is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? yea, he hath made thee and proportioned thee. All which courses do manifest unto us our proneness to unthankfulness, yea, and our practice of it also (for, what are we better than other people?) Yea, and that we stand in need of continual provoking to the good duty of thankfulness, that we may practise it, to the assuring of our hearts that greater Plagues then that which we have had, do not await us. Therefore is it that I have chosen this good example of David, to quicken you to this duty at this time, who in the enjoyment of some great deliverance from some great trouble, in some great City, cried out with a thankful heart, Blessed be Psal. 31. 21. the Lord, for he hath showed marvelous great kindness towards me in a strong City. The Psalm where you read these words, is spent in the practice of a threesold duty: namely, Prayer, Praise, and Exhortation. In his Prayer, first he sueth for himself; and secondly, against his enemies. For himself, he prays to God that he would deliver him out of his troubles (as from the hands of his enemies, and from them that persecute him) Vers. 1, 15, 16, 17 and that he would make his Face to shine upon him, that he be not confounded. And that he may with the more confidence depend upon God for audience, he doth take a survey of those arguments which may give encouragement to him to wait upon God in Prayer. First, he doth look to that confidence and trust which it hath pleased God to work in his heart, and saith, In thee have I put my Vers. 1. trust. As if he should say, Thou hast promised, that they who put their trust in thee, shall not be confounded: Behold Lord, through thy good grace I have done it: or thus, Shall I be ashamed at the last to confess in whom I have trusted? or shall it be said, That I have leaned upon the Reed of Egypt? God forbidden: Therefore, O Lord, deliver me. Secondly, he doth look to the employment which Almighty God, in his special providence hath taken upon him for the benefit of the Church in his preservation and redemption of it, and saith, Thou art my strong rock, my house of defence, my fortress, by thy Vers. 1, 2, 3. name's sake thy righteousness▪ which is my shield and buckler; Psal. 91. 4. yea, thou hast redeemed me: therefore deliver me, Vers. 5. guide me, and draw me out of the Net which they have privily laid for me, Thirdly, he looks upon Gods former dealing with him, and from thence gathereth hope of mercy to come. Thou hast given me a soul in love with thee, for I have hated them that give themselves to deceitful Vers. 6, 7, 8. vanities; yea, thou hast seen my trouble, thou hast known my soul in adversity, thou hast not shut me up, but hast set my feet at large: therefore why should I not triumph and rejoice in thy mercy for after times. Fourthly, he looks upon the extremities of his miseries, saying, Mine eye, Vers. 9, 10, 11, etc. my soul, and my belly are consumed with grief, my life is wasted with heaviness, and my years with mourning; and so he goeth on. As if he should say, Thou art the God that helpest in extremity, and bringest us down to the grave. First, because we should not trust in ourselves, 2 Cor. 1. 9 but in thee who raisest the dead: Behold, my case is such, therefore have mercy upon me; especially considering, Thou art my God, and my times are in thy hands. Thus he Vers. 14. 15. hath sued for himself. Secondly, he prayeth and prophesieth against his enemies. Prayeth (I say) in respect of himself, who was infallibly led by the Spirit of God, and therefore could not err in the persons against whom he prayeth: Prophesieth (I say) in respect of us, because his shoe serves not our foot in such suits, if we conceive them with their particular applications: for we being led by an ordinary spirit not discerning final estates, have this rule given to us Bless (I say) and curse not. In this Mat. 5 44. Prayer then, or Prophecy of David, he desires that thorough Rom. 12. 14. shame, fear, horror, God would so silence and stop their mouths, that they may not be able to plead for themselves, or against him. Thus hath David prayed; but he knows that he who sues for more, must be thankful for what he hath received. Therefore now he falleth to the second part of the Psalm, which is Praise. Wherein you may see, that first, he doth with an holy admiration, set out the favours Vers. 19, 20. which God showeth to the sons of God above the sons Gen 6. 2. of men that is, the wicked of the world. How great is thy goodness which thou showest to them! Thou hidest them privily Mal. 3. 17. in thy presence, as thy jewels in thy Cabinet. Secondly, he doth come to a particular favour which God shown unto himself, & blesseth God for it. And whereas God might Verse 21. say, Why (David) can sweet water and bitter come from james 3. 11. the same Fountain? Didst not thou erst while distrust me? It is true Lord, but it was my haste, and thou wert pleased Vers. 22. to pass it by, and to hear the voice of my prayer when I cried unto thee, therefore will I praise thee. Thus hath David praised also: but he knoweth that it is not enough for him to be good alone, but he must strive to draw others to be good also: therefore in the Vers. 23▪ 24. two last verses he doth press all God's people to love God, and to put their trust and confidence in God, assuring them, because he had tried it and found it true by experience, that the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Now ye have seen in part how David spent himself thorough this Psalm. Though we have overlooked it all, yet we are to deal only with that which doth concern his praise: and not with all that, but only with that Verse propounded, in which he breaks out into the praise of God for some extaordinary favour which God shown unto him in a strong City. For our better understanding whereof, resolve the Text into some questions and answers. What did David? He blessed jehourah, who gives being to his sweet promises of protection which he hath made unto his people. But alas, David, canst thou bless God, who alone is the blesser of men and Angels? No truly, he cannot do it by adding any thing to his happiness immediately, as be blesseth us; or by being instruments under another to further his good mediately, as man blesseth man; but by confessing to God, and declaring to man with humility and reverence, what happiness we do receive from God. And this it pleaseth God to account a blessing of him, to encourage and draw us on to make ourselves the more happy by cleaving unto him by thanksgiving. Yea, but for what doth David bless God? For showing him kindness or mercy. It was some special deliverance from some great danger, as from the cruelty of Saul, trechety of his Courtiers, or the like. Yea, but of what worth was this favour that he shown David? It was his marvelous kindness. Thus did he prise his favour he did receive. As Peter did weigh his sins, that his godly Mar. 14. 72. sorrow might sink the deeper: so did David weigh his kindness, and found it to be Gods, and found it to be marvelous, that his thankfulness might rise the higher. Yea, but where did David receive his marvelous kindness of God? In a strong City. Whether in a City or no City it is doubted. Therefore some do understand it by way of similitude, that the kindness was such, as if he had been kept in a City of strong defence. But I know no inconvenience, in thinking that David felt the comfort of some walled Town, as when he fled to the holds of the Philistims, or the like, because the words are so pregnant. Howsoever this we are sure of, that if we reflect upon ourselves, and in this Glass of God's kindness to David, see the love of God unto us, who, amongst many other favours, hath heard the groans and sighs of his people for the poor City of London, where so many thousands have been swept away as the Dongue of the streets, we may justly say, Blessed be the Lord, for he hath showed marvelous kindness towards us in this our City. As if we should say, It is true, Lord, thou hast▪ shown thy Psal. 60. 3, 4. people heavy things, thou hast made us drink the wine of giddiness: but now thou hast given a Banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of thy truth: thou hast delivered us from the noisome Pestilence, Psal. 91. 3, 4. even from the Snare of thy hunting Angel: thou hast covered us under thy wings, and we shall be safe under thy feathers; therefore blessed be thou jehovah, and let all thy people say, Amen. This blessing of God is the nail which I would have driven home at this time. Therefore I shall pass by other things which might afford us matter of meditation from these words, and only insist upon this point; That Obseru. By how much greater the favour is which God bestoweth upon us, by so much more must we labour to praise God. There are two things propounded here: the first is this, That the greater our favour is, the greater ought to be our thanks. Therefore David, having received a great favour from God (namely, the forgiveness of his sins, though as yet he could not feel the comfort of it) and fearing that he was not able to praise God answerable unto it, prayeth to God that he would open his lips that his Psal. 51. 15. mouth might show forth his praise. And again, upon the consideration of the like favours, he doth stir up his soul greatly to the same duty, My soul praise thou the Lord, Psal. 103. 1, 2, 3, 4. and all that is within me praise his holy name: my soul praise thou the Lord, and forget not all his benefits; which afterward he doth reckon up: yea, and when he doth find his heart enlarged by God to practise the duty, then doth he employ all his powers, saying, Seven times a day do I praise Psal. 119. 164. thee because of thy righteous judgements: yea, so long as he Psal. 146. 1●2. life's, so long as he hath any being, he will sing praises unto his God: yea, and he seems to have bound himself unto it by an humble vow, and therefore he saith, Thy Vows are upon me, O Lord, I will render praises unto Psal. 56. 12. thee. Why doth he call them Gods Vows? Surely, because they, being made, were out of his power, who might not devour the sanctified thing, but give God praise with all his heart, as he had promised. The second thing propounded is this, that every favour from God doth call for thankes from us. Therefore is it a duty which is often pressed and patterned in the Scriptures. Paul saith, let your requests be showed unto God in prayer with giving of thankes: and again, Phil. 4 6. continue in Prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving: Col. 4. 2. and again, In all things give thankes: yea, even 1 Thes. 5. 18. in those things which are matters of humiliation, we must give thankes in respect of their fruit and use for our good. And as for patterns, how might I tell you of Melchizedech, the Priest of the most high God; of Moses Gen. 14. 20. and Aaron, who led the people of Israel like sheep; Exod 15 1. of Deborah and Barack, after their victory ever Sisera jude 5. 2. and jabin; of jehoshaphat, when his people were delivered 2 Chron. 20. from Moab, Ammon, and mount Seir; of that one Leper, who turned back to Christ with praise; of the Luke 17. 15. healed Cripple, who went into the Temple, walking and Acts 3. 8. leaping and praising God. I might (I say) speak of these and many other rare Patterns, but the time would be too short for me to tell of them. Heb. 11. 32. It may be now you will ask me, why we must thus labour Why we must praise God. to praise God? I answer, we must do it both in respect of ourselves, in respect of others, and in respect of the duty of thankfulness itself. First, in respect of ourselves; because it is all that we are able (and that from God too) to render unto God for all the benefits which we receive from God. David consulting with himself what he shall render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards him; resolveth, that he hath nothing but the Cup of salvation, so alluding to the Psal. 116. 12, 13. Peace-offrings, which were offerings of thankgiving to God. When therefore we do consider, that God is not bound unto us (for who hath given him first?) and that Rom. 11. 35. whatsoever we do receive from God is of his free favour, can we do less for shame then give him thankes? Secondly, we must do it in respect of others, & them, both God & men. First, we must praise God in respect of God himself: because God requireth it as the end of his blessings, and that which sanctifieth them unto us. Therefore when God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, he Exod. 12. commanded that every year they should keep the feast of the Passeover; the old Persons as it was a Sacrament, and the young Persons as it was a remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt. And when God fed them with Exod. 16. Mannah, he appointed that a certain measure of it should be laid up for posterity, that they might be thankful; which was also the reason of the laying up of Aaron his Rod in the Ark. When also God gave the Israelites Heb. 9 4. a famous victory over the Amalekites, he said to Moses, Writ this for a remembrance in a Book. Seeing Exod. 17. therefore that God requireth a thankful remembrance of his favours, as the end of them, we must as cheerfully give it as God doth justly require it. Secondly, God maketh special account of this duty, and therefore he useth many means to work it from his people. In Exodus Exod. 23. 16. ye read of that general offering of first fruits in the feast of unlevened bread, when none must appear before God Exod. 25. 1, 2, etc. empty: and likewise of the voluntary gifts for the making of the Tabernacle. In Leviticus ye read sometimes of offering the first fruits of the ears of Corn dried by Levit. 2. 24. the fire: sometimes of offering a sheaf of the first fruits of Levit. 23. 10, 17. the Harvest to be brought unto the Priest: sometimes of the shake offering of two Loaves, baked with Leven for first fruits unto the Lord. In Numbers we read of an heavy offering of a Cake of the first of their dough. In Deuteronomy Numb. 25. 20. we read of the first of all the fruit of the earth, that Deut. 26. 2. must put it in a Basket, and carried to the place which the Lord did choose. Now, why doth the Lord require all this of his people? Surely this is one reason, that he might show what reckoning he makes of thankfulness for all the mercies which we receive from his hand. And therefore must we be thankful. Again, we must praise God in respect of men, both bad and good. If we look to bad men, they do encourage themselves to be thankful to the gods of silver and Dan. 5. 4. gold, to whom no thankes is due, as we may see in Belshazzar: and should not we much more do it to him to whom all is due? If we look to good men, they have been plentiful in this kind of duty. When the Floods ceased, thankful Noah built an Altar, and offered unto the Gen. 8. 20. Lord. When God renewed his promise to Abraham, he thankfully built an Altar to the Lord in the plain of Gen. 13. 18. Mamre. Agar had learned so much in religious Abraham's house, therefore when God had comforted her in her banishment, she called his Name, Thou God lookest on me: Gen. 16. 13. much more would the jews, and therefore they thankfully kept a feast of remembrance for Hamans' destruction, Hest. 9 and their deliverance. Thus all sorts of men have encouraged us to this duty. Lastly, we must praise God in respect of the excellency of the duty itself. And this may be seen in four particulars. First in this, that our God doth account it a gift, as David saith, Give unto the Lord glory Psal. 29. 2. due unto his name, that is, praise him. Alas, what are we that we should give to God? We must say with David, Who are we, that we should be able to offer willingly to thee 1 Chron. 29. 14. our God? For all things come of thee, and of thine own hand we have given thee. Yet it pleaseth God to account them gifts: and we know that it is a more blessed thing to Acts 20 35. give then to receive. Secondly, God doth not only account our praise a gift, but a sacrifice (the best gift:) as the Psalmist saith, Let them offer sacrifices of praise. Yet remember Psal. 107. 22. that it is not a sacrifice of redemption (for so is jesus Christ alone) but of thanksgiving. Therefore, offer to God praise, and pay thy Vows unto the most high. Thirdly, Psal. 50. 14. God doth not only account our praise a gift and a sacrifice, but doth prefer it before all sacrifice. Will I (saith God) eat the flesh of Bulls, and drink the blood of Psal. 50. 8. to 15. Goats? offer to me praise. As if he should say, This is that which I prefer to all outward service, as being a part of my inward worship. And in another place he saith, That is better than a Bullock that hath horns & hooves: i. a perfect Psal. 69. 30, 31. Bull. Take a Bullock at the best, and Praise is better than it, and as with horns (through the mighty power of Mal. 1. God) will push down our enemies, and as with hooves will enable us to wade thorough any difficulties. Fourthly. God doth not only account our praise a gift, a Sacrifice, better than a sacrifice, but by it gives us communion with the service of the life to come in Heaven. Men full of wants do pray, but Angels and Saints full of grace and glory do practise. The Angels cried (saith the Prophet) Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. The Angels said Esay 6. 3. (saith john) Praise, and glory, and wisdom, and thankes, and honour, and Apoc. 7. 11, 12. power, and might, be unto our God for evermore, Amen. These four things do manifest unto us the excellency of this duty, to press us to lift it up from the feet of swine, and to set it like a jewel in our hearts, that it may give lustre unto our lives and conversations, and may evidence that we live to God and not to ourselves. Thus have I shown you (in some measure) why we must praise God for his marvelous great kindness which he hath showed unto us. Use. Now therefore let us be exhorted in the fear of God to sing joyfully and freely with David, Blessed be our good God, who hath showed us marvelous great kindness in City, Town and Country. He might justly have given us over as a prey to all his Plagues. He might have sent the Sword Es. 1. 20. to devour us, and brought in the battle of the Warrior, Es. 9 5. which is with noise, and with tumbling of garments in blood. He might have sent us a Famine, and made the life of our Lamen. 2. 19, 20. young children faint for hunger in the corners of all our streets; King. 6. 28, 29. and our cockering women to eat their fruit, and their children Lam. 4 2, 7, 8. of a span long; and our Nobles, who are comparable to fine gold, to be esteemed earthen Pitchers; and our Nazarites, who were whiter than Milk and purer than Snow, to be blacker than a coal, to have their skin cleave to their bones, and whither like a stock. Thus (I say) the Lord might have done by making an Ass' head at fourscore pieces of 2 Kings 6. 25. silver, and the fourth part of a cab of Doves dongue at five pieces of silver, through a fearful Famine amongst us. He might have made the Plague of Pestilence more wonderful, and not only seized upon some few Cities and Towns amongst us, but coasted from Dan to Beershebah 2 Sam. 24. by his devouring Angel, from one part of the Kingdom Psal. 91. 3. to the other, to find out men, and women, and children that might justly have been appointed to dye. What might not God in justice have done unto us who are a rebellious and gainsaying people? We must needs say (though God have looked upon us for good and not for evil) that we are full of sores, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, as Daniel saith, We have Esay 1. 6. sinned, and have committed iniquity, and done wickedly yea, Dan. 9 5, 6. we have rebelled and departed from thy precepts and from thy judgements: for we would not obey thy servants the Prophets, which spoke in thy Name to our Kings, to our Princes, and to our Fathers, and to all the people of the Land. Who sees not that we have been heavy at the whole heart, notwithstanding Esay 1. 5. all the Lords chastisements? yea, even as wicked King Ahaz in the time of our tribulation, We did trespass more against the Lord, when we would be 2 Chron. 28. 22. wanton in our Feast, yea, in our Fast: as being loath that outward Discipline should speak angrily to our bellies (which are our God) though God have spoken Phil. 3. angrily both to our bodies and souls. And how could we do otherwise? Can the blackmore change his jer. 13. 23. skin, and the Leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil, saith jeremy. As the Drunkards of Ephraim had a Crown of pride in it: so in all Esa. 28. 1. parts amongst us, we have had those that are mighty to drink Wine, and strong to pour in strong drink. Oh, Esa. 5. 22. how many have harped upon that Epicurean string, Come, I will bring Wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong Esa. 56. 12. drink, and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant? How many have sacrificed their own distempers to others healths? Have not we had also too too many of them, who (like fed horses) have neyed after their jer. 5. 8. Neighbour's wives, and waited for the twilight, that they might fill themselves with dalliances on those cursed pleasures of sin for a season? Have not we been full of pride for want of that emptying grace of humility, that God may be all in all? What shall I speak of vain glory, whereby we live upon the stinking or vain breath of impostumated mouths? Or of our Hypocrisy, whereby we have been painted Tombs full of stinking savours? Or of our Security, whereby we have cried, Peace, Peace, when we have been ready to be swallowed up of the Plague, Sword, Famine, yea, Hell? Or of the disorders of the poor, who are unruly and negligent, because they are disheartened with the oppressions of the rich? Or of the disorders of the rich, who provide for themselves, and are careless of the common good, because they are disheartened with the clamours of the poor? Or of the neglect of justice, because some Rulers love to say with shame, Bring ye? What shall I speak of our Hos. 4. 18. moderate thoughts concerning Popish superstition, as if it were as good a way to Heaven as the best Religion in the world, notwithstanding the abominable idolatry which doth depend upon the works and whole worship of it? Or of that ignorance which is amongst us, that makes us a prey to the Priests and jesuites, that make us (I say) need to be taught the first principles of the Word of God, even Milk and not strong meat; notwithstanding, Heb. 5. 12. that concerning the time we ought to be teachers? I might speak (to the grief and vexation of our souls and spirits) of a world of other our sins, which are as a cloud of witnesses against us, as if we were set to school to a thousand Vices: In regard whereof, God may justly say to us as to his people of old, Who shall have jer. 15. 5, 6. pity upon thee (O jerusalem?) Or who shall be sorry for thee? Or who shall go to pray for thy peace? Thou hast forsaken me (saith the Lord) and gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee: for I am weary of repenting. God might (I say) justly say thus unto us, and deal with us accordingly: yet he hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. As a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so hath God jer. 23. 11. tied us unto him, that we might be his people, and shown his marvelous great kindness to the generations to come. Oh therefore let us labour (as we are bound) to take notice of the favours of God, and to make a Catalogue of them, to provoke our slothful hearts to obedience and thankfulness! How came it to pass that the Israelites were so unthankful? Surely, they forgot God Psal. 106. 21. that made them, and the strong God of their salvation. Therefore Moses saith, Remember the Lord thy God, for it Deut. 8. 18, 19 is he who giveth thee power to get riches. And afterwards joshuah puts them in mind of God's benefits, both before the Law and after the Law, as ye may see in that excellent Iosh. 24. 2, 3, 4, etc. Parliament speech which he made before his death. So let us lay the mercies of God before us, that we may be moved to be thankful. To this end (that I may give a little light) let us behold God, either giving of us favours, or removing miseries from us. If we would a little see his favours, let us consider ourselves living a fourfold life. The first is, a life of vegetation, whereby we grow: and this putteth us in mind of a double benefit. First, that God hath not made thee a Dwarf, or imperfect man of parts, but he hath given thee the full feature and proportion of a man, that thou mayst be able to do all the business of a man. If thou hadst not this, thou wouldst see the worth of it. Carendo magis quàm fruendo. If thou wert as little David to combat with Goliath; or if thou didst dwell among the sons of Anak; or if Og, the Deut. 3 11. King of Bashan should set upon thee, who was of the remnant of the Giants, and had his bed nine cubits long, and four cubits broad, according to the cubit of a man, it would trouble thee much: but God hath provided better for thee, for thine, and for thy Country's good. Yea, secondly, God hath not made thee fire, and hail, and snow, and vapour, Psal. 148. 8. and wind. If he had but made us a Hailstone, yet we must have praised him according to our creation; how much more now, God having given us life. The second, is a life of sense, whereby we hear, see, smell, and the like, as beasts do: and this putteth us in mind of a threefold benefit. First, that God hath given us the comfort of our senses. If by Sight thou couldst not discern colours; by Hearing, sounds; by Feeling, substances, qualities and quantities; by Smelling, savours; and by Tasting, meats; though we had never so much wisdom, we would think ourselves half dead, and no better than objects of scorn and pity. Yet God hath not only given us this but more: for secondly, he hath given us a full measure of natural delights for all our senses. There are variety of Flowers to fill thy smelling, chanting of Birds to delight thy hearing, unmatchable Colours for thy eye, infinite variety of Meats for thy taste, and soft and hard, hot and cold substances for thy touching. Yea, and more than this: Thirdly, he hath made us the noblest composition of all sensitive creatures. God might have made us a Dragon in the deep, a Toad in the earth, an Owl in the air, and a Boar in the Forest, but he hath made us men and women, after his own Image, though we have defiled it. Gen. 1. 27. Yea, and though he hath made Plants to excel us in Col. 2. growth, and Beasts in particular senses; as a Dog in smelling, a Hawk in seeing, a Spider in touching, and an Hare in hearing; yet in all these Senses, no creature is like unto man. But thirdly, if to these we add the life of reason, than God's kindnesses are greater: for by it we are put in mind of a double benefit. For first, he hath given us reason to be a Ruler (at the least sometimes) to all the inferior powers of the soul. If the will should be always an absolute Monarch of itself, it would turn Tyrant, and make us utter that imperious voice, So I will, so I Dictasapientum. command, my will shall be my Councillor and wisdom. If the affections should govern, the Laws would not be the juraplebeia. sayings of the wise, but the decrees of the heady multitude. And what could follow but confusion, when every man would do what he list. For the redress of which disorders Almighty God hath given us Reason. Yea, and secondly, he hath given us a sound mind, or our wits, as we call it. If we were fools, as David did counterfeit himself to be before Achtsh in its slaveting mood; or as Nabuchadnezzar, whom God deprived of his wits for a season, we were worse than beasts▪ and every man (I think) would rather wish always to mourn, having his wits about him, than always to laugh and to be merry without them. Behold then, God hath given them unto us, blessed be God. Yet here God hath not left to be kind unto us. For, if (lastly) we consider the life of Religion, we know not where to begin with God's favours, nor where to make an end. We might speak of being borne of religious Parents, to bring us up in the instruction and information Eph. 6. of the Lord: of being brought up in a most Christian Church, where we are entered into the public fellowship of the Saints by Baptism, and nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist: of living under a most worthy and religious King, under whom we have peace, and the Gospel, and a greater measure of plenty than we deserve. These and many other I might speak of, and I pray God that the commonness of these benefits do not make us to slight them: but I must not be infinite. Therefore briefly call to mind, that (first) from God the Father we have the blessing of all his Attributes, by his divine influence, doing of us good: as of his truth in keeping promise; of his mercy▪ in accepting the righteousness of, Christ for ours; of his justice, in bringing tribulation to them that trouble us; and of his Wisdom, in finding a means in Christ to make his Mercy and justice meet together for our salvation, and so of the rest. Secondly, from God the Son we have tasted such love, greater then which, knows no man, that one should dye for his john 15. 13. enemy. Yea, and this his love he hath manifested by his Rom. 5. 10. obedience Active and Passive to the Father for us: as it is Psal. 40 6, 7, 8. written, Behold, I come. In the volume of thy Book it is Heb. 10. written of me, that I should do thy Will, O God. Yea further, he doth maintain all this good, which he hath done for us, by the power which the Father hath committed to him, whereby he ruleth in us, and over-ruleth our enemies. Thirdly, from God the holy Ghost, we have the Wisdom of Christ applied unto us by teaching: joh. 16. 13. We have the Righteousness of Christ applied unto us by 1 joh. 3. 24. union: We have the Holiness of Christ applied unto us by joh. 3. 5. regeneration: We have the learned tongue of Christ applied Esay. unto us by comfort: And the full Redemption of Christ joh. 14. 16. applied unto us, by assuring our hearts that we shall rejoice, joh. 16. 22. and that no man shall take our joy from us. Lastly, from the whole Trinity we have this benefit, that though all the earth be Gods, yet we are his inheritance, his precious Deut. 32. 9 people, his jewels, his chief Treasure. This swalloweth Deut. 26. 18. us up, and it may thus be valued, that the Saints Mal. 3. 16, 17. of God, who were wiser than we, have rather chosen to Psal. 135. 4. be servants of God with sorrow, than otherwise to be in great places without it, as Moses. Thus have I stirred you up, to look upon God, giving of us favours. Now do but cast your eyes about, unto more kindnesses, and see him removing miseries from us. And this I shall show in two particulars: First, in delivering us from our enemies both at home and abroad: and secondly, in a comfortable abating and removing by degrees the fearful infection of the Plague. Concerning Gods delivering us from our enemies (I think) no man can doubt that it is a marvelous kindness. Therefore joseph, when he was ready to dye prophesied of Gen. 50. 24. it for the Isrelites, and God in a special manner came down from Heaven to send Moses about it: and the Israelites Exod. 3. 8, 16. were assigned to keep the memory of it upon a Exod. 12. set day: and Moses, as a thing worthy the speaking of, Exod. 18. 8. told jethro of it, and often rubbed it upon the Israelites, that they might not forget it. But there are two things above the rest, which do make it to be a great kindness. First, that God did not deliver his people of old (ordinarily) but at their great and earnest suit. Sometimes he left them twenty, sometimes forty, and sometimes seventy and more years under their enemy's hands, that they might cry aloud, stretch out their throats till they were hoarse, and wait upon God. Now things dearest bought and hardest come by, are usually (as we see) most precious. Secondly, consider that the oppressions of an enemy do extend both to body and soul. When Samson fell into his enemy's hands, they put out his eyes, bound him in jud. 16. 21. fetters, and made him grind in the prison house. Abel in Gen. 4, 8. cain's hands came to an untimely death. The Israelites in the power of the Egyptians were caused to serve and made weary of their lives. Naash the Ammonite, having Exod. 1. 13, 14. advantage over the men of jabesh-gilead, would 2 Sam. 11. 2. have all their right eyes, that he might bring shame upon Israel. Haman being provoked by Mordecay, thought it Est. 3. 6. too little to hang him except he rooted out all the jews. The King of Babel having Zedechiah in his hands, slew his jer. 52. 10, 11. sons before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedechiah, bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon. But what, doth the oppression of an enemy go▪ no further than the body? Yes, these things cannot, but by way of sympathy, sad the Spirit: Yea, and it makes joseph swear by the life of Pharaoh, and draweth fearfully to sin; as God knows how many the popish yoke hath made to shake hands with Conscience for the present, until this tyranny be overpast, and to bow the knee to that cursed Romish Baal. In these respects is the hand of an enemy a grievous burden: yet hath our good God (in whom alone we must trust) delivered us from it both past and approaching. As for times past, how powerful and loving hath God showed himself, in smiting our enemies upon the cheek Psal. 3. 7. bone, and disappointing them of their hopes. Some through malevolence would have brought disgraces to our persons, troubles to our lives, unquietness to our minds by advantages and politic wresting of simple, tolerable, and good actions to badness, as the jesuites declamations may witness: yet blessed be God, we stand in the same condition as before. And do we not call to mind the proud Armado of Spain in eighty eight, which was (to no purpose) called Invincible? We were like the Israelites, two little flocks of Kids, and they like the Aramites, who covered the Sea. They laughed at our handfuls, and confidently expected our ruin: but he that sits in Heaven laughed them to scorn, Psal. 2. the Lord had them in derision; he broke the snare, and we were delivered. And can we ever forget that Gunpowder plot of Gods and our enemies, which should have been the ruin of Prince and people? Who could deliver us from this but God? He that must do it, must have prescience to foreknow the mischief, wisdom to supplant it, and power to withstand it: And where are these but in God, and in them to whom God leudeth them? Thus hath God defeated our enemies in times past, and hath he not done so for the present? It is not long since jesuitical brags were evidences of their hopes, & their face of an assurance of a triumphant day: but God hath once more driven those stout Confessors heads into an hole. And it is but as yesterday that our hollow friends beyond the Seas looked towards us, either to affright us, or else, as from the top of Pisgah, to look towards our Land of Canaan, with a desire to plant themselves, and root out us and our posterity: but as Saul had tidings which drew him from the Wilderness of Maon: so there was a Flea in their ear, which (blessed be God) hath for the present sent them another way. So, even so, jud. 5. Lord, let thine enemies perish, be confounded or disappointed still. Secondly, as God hath been kind in removing the misery of our enemies abroad, so of a wonderful abating the Plague of Pestilence at home. The grievousness of the evil will make the more for the greatness of the deliverance. And that the Plague is a grievous evil, beside, our woeful experience (I think) these considerations will make good: First, it is a pouring out of God's Ezek. 14. 19 wrath upon a Land in blood; and a pleading against a people Ezek. 38 22. with pestilence and blood, as the Prophet calleth it. And it may be called so, either because it poisoneth the blood, so as no disease doth the like, or else because in the general (though not in every particular upon whom it seizeth) it is an argument of an angry God, who will not be pacified with the light skirmishes of Fevers, Aches, Gouts, Rheums, and the like, but will have blood, and that in abundance, and streams answerable to the iniquities which have gone before; as when he saith, He will make his Arrows drunk with blood, and his Sword shall eat Deut. 32. 42. flesh. Secondly, it is the Plague of woeful evils, or the noisome Pestilence, as the Psalmist calleth it. For it poisoneth Psal. 91. 3. the spirits, both Animal and Vital, choking the one in the brain, and stifling and overcoming the other in the heart: yea, it Infecteth Houses, Clothes, Breath, and the Air itself. It is true, that I do not think it naturally to have such a malignant quality as other poisons have; for then (as they do in some degrees or other) it would seize upon all persons where it comes, which it doth not, but according to the Commission, which (as a servant) it hath from God to do his pleasure: yet that it noysomly infecteth (I think) we have no just cause to doubt, if we consider that God setteth his extraordinary providence on work, to keep them that trust in him (if they have not done all that business Psal. 91. 4. which he hath for them in this world) from the infection of it. Thirdly, that it is the terror of the night Psal. 91. 5, 6. which is so much the more terrible because (like a thief) it walketh in the dark, and surpriseth a man before he is ware. Hence is it that it breeds a strangeness betwixt Father and Son, Mother & Daughter, Brother & Brother, one friend and another. Hence is it that some in places of danger grew cruel, & others not in so great danger grew unkind. Hence is it that there is flight on all sides in times of infection. The wicked do fly out of rashness, & contempt of God's stroke, like rebellious sons, who, when they see that their father hath provided a Rod for them, do run out of the house from him, & will neither submit to his correction nor amend their faults for which he doth correct them. Oh too many such fly from the Plague out of the City, & are plagues unto the Country by disorderliness. But these must know, that if they be now appointed unto death, God's hunter shall bring them into the snare: if not, except they shall with bleeding souls amend their ways, God hath reserved them for greater miseries. The good do fly out of humble submission, to the use of those means, which dally experience warrants to be the way to safety, at some times, and to some persons. Therefore like fearful children (yea, and good ones too) when they see their father reach down a Rod, they run away, not out of contempt, but with deep cries & lamentations, out of tenderness of nature, sorrow for offence, and hope of pardon: so sometimes God's good children do fly also, but with humblings in the sight of God, for the weakness of their faith, want of preparedness to meet God, and the like; and do in their absence, not think themselves so safe, but that God may smite them; and therefore they spend much time in deprecating the wrath, in mourning with them that mourn, and (to their power) in relieving the necessities of their forsaken brethren that are in adversity. These three things (if we speak of no other) do either make or show the Plague to be a grievous evil: yet some of us may say with the Psalmist, which some change, A thousand hath fallen besides me, and ten thousand at my Psal. 91. 7. right hand, but it hath not come near me. And where it hath come, may say, I have been as Aaron, standing betwixt Numb. 16. 48. the living and the dead, but the Name of the Lord hath Prou. 18. 10. been a strong Tower: And many that had the Pestilence, and are yet escaped may say, We have been sore afflicted, but it is thou (Lord) which hast not delivered us to death: For man is not Lord over the spirit, to retain the Eccles. 8. 8. spirit, neither hath he power in the day of death: And all of us, who have felt, heard, seen or understood of the abatements of this noisome evil, may say, Blessed be the Lord for this marvelous kindness; and let all God's people say, Amen. It may be you will ask why we should account this such Ob. a kindness, seeing he gives it to many that are wicked people, and denies it to many whom he dear loveth? I answer, that it is never the less favour for that. If Solu. he give it unto wicked men, it is because God may show the riches of his bountifulness and patience, and long sufferance towards them: and if they after their hardness, and hearts that cannot repent, heap up to themselves Rom. 2. 4, 5. wrath against the day of wrath, and the declaration of the just judgement of God: What good have they by it, what good can they have by it? If he deny it unto good men, it is as a father denies a knife to a Child, who knows not how to use it. To dye of the Plague is better than to escape to such. To such, to dye, is gain: for all Phil. 1. things work together for their good; and so whether they Rom. 8. live or dye they are the Lords. Rom. 14. 8. You have now (so fare as I intended) as in a little Map, a glimpse of the world of those kindnesses which God hath showed to us. Let us take heed that we do not diminish the worth of them. Ye know what is said of the Israelites, That they despised the good and pleasant land: Psal. 106. 24. and ye know what they said of Mannah, Our souls are Numb. 11. 6. dried up, and we can see nothing but this Man: and again, Numb. 21. 15. Our soul loatheth this light bread. But though Israel play the harlot, yet let not judah sin; and though Israel, according to the flesh, hath been unthankful, yet let not Israel according to the spirit. No, let us rather hear our good God speaking unto us, and saying, Have I been a wilderness unto thee, or an unpleasant land? jer. 2. 31. If you shall ask me, What good it will do unto us thus to behold God in his merciful kindnesses unto us? Truly▪ they will be excellent means to subdue the pride of our hearts, and to make us serviceable to Gods will. The power of God alone doth it not, for though Christ manifested his power, yet it did no good to them that apprehended him; they went backward and fell to the ground at john 18. 6. his very word, yet they persisted in their course. The justice of God doth it not, for though God brought one Plague after another upon Pharaoh, which made him stoop for the present (as many have done, I fear, in this Plague) yet presently he hardened his heart: but if the mercy of God comes, it is like the Sun which thaws hard Ice, and the Fire, which makes old Wax soft, pliable, and fit to be wrought upon. Though justice follow us to Hell, yet there is blasphemy and gnashing of teeth, both which are arguments of pride: But Paul knew how forceable an argument this was, I beseech you by the mercies of God. Rom. 12. 1. Is not my word (saith God) like an hammer and like fire? jer. 23. 29. The Law which bringeth tidings of justice, may like a Hammer break our stony hearts in pieces (break, I say, before bend) but the Gospel (bringing the glad tidings of salvation by Christ) like fire will melt us and mould us anew. This will breed the spirit of judgement (as David's kindness▪ made Saul judge him more righteous than himself) and the spirit of burning to cleanse out Esa 4. 4. and purge away the filth of sin, that the graces of God may be shed into us, or (at the least) shine from us, and amongst the rest this just thankfulness. Well (say you) I see that God (blessed for ever) hath been marvelous kind unto me, I have heard and felt many particulars of it, and I see that the thought of it is of excellent use to break my proud heart, and make me thankful to God: I pray now tell me wherein must I show my thankfulness to God? I answer, to give you a little help herein, I must first lay down the root and ground of thankfulness; and secondly, the practice of it. As for the root of thankfulness, It is the love of God. No man will freely and joyfully acknowledge, that all goodness, in what estate soever comes from God alone, except we love God. We see ordinarily, if men happen to receive kindnesses from them they love, or desire not to be beholding unto, how they pinch courtesy (as we say) and slight them: whereas, if we do receive them from such as we prise in our affections, than every Molehill is a Mountain, and a point from a friend is better than a pound from an enemy. Therefore Paul loving Aquila and Priscilla, did freely acknowledge their kindness: Rom. 16. 4. saying, They have for life, yea for my life, laid down a neck, yea, their own neck, unto whom not only I give thankes, but all the Churches of the Gentiles. So likewise David, when he had professed, saying, I love the Lord, Psal. 116. 1, 12. he presently showeth it, and saith farther, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? Oh therefore let us labour to wind up our hearts from the love of the world, 1 john 2. 15. and the things which are in the world, that the love of the Father may be in us. And (if we desire to be thankful) let us not give either God, or our soul's rest, till we have found this love in us in these five particulars. First, in taking any pains, and enduring any hardness for God's sake. As jacob did think seven years trouble Gen. 29. 20. nothing for Rachel, because he loved her; and God's people of old have endured the loss of Father, Mother, Houses, Lands, Wife and Children for Christ's sake, because they loved him: so must we (every day, and upon the Lord's day, in living the life of jesus, and dying for the Lord when he calleth) suffer any thing for the Lord, if we love him. Secondly, in setting our hearts towards him and upon him; for where our Treasure is, there will our hearet be also. Mat. 6. 21. Of the wicked man the Psalmist saith, That God is not in all his thoughts: but he that love's him, can think of him almost to an ecstasy. As when David saith, Oh how I Psal. 119. 97. love thy Law! he presently addeth, It is my meditation continually: so when we can say, That we love God, our thoughts of him will let in comparison of other things, deep and long: yea we will think upon him sometimes in the night season, and our soul shall receive comfort. Thirdly, in highly esteeming the pledges of God's favour which he hath left with us, to wit, the Word and Sacraments. If the wounded jew in the Parable should have cast away the two pence which the Samaritan left to Luke 10. 35. provide for him, it had been an argument that he neither regarded him nor his kindness; and it was a sign that Esau loved not God, because he esteemed not his birthright: So certainly is the Law of God fare from us, if we love not the word, wherein we hear our lover speak, and the Sacraments, wherein we see him speak peaceably unto us. Fourthly, in being humbly familiar with God, and acquainting job 12. 21. ourselves with him. Where there is love free from job 12. 21. jealousy betwixt man and man, they think themselves never better than when they are in one another's company, talking, and communing one with another, laying open each other griefs, and making one another partaker of each others comforts. So we must have such interest in God's acquaintance, if we love him, that we must often sup with him, and open our hearts unto him, both concerning Apoc. 3. 20. our miseries and our sins. As if we should say; thou seest (Lord) what sorrows I endure within and without: I beseech thee give me grace so to carry myself, as thou mayest have the glory of this thine own work. And thou knowest (o my God) that I have this infirmity, or that weakness, and that were it not for thee, I should fall into fearful breaches of thy Law: but Lord help me against this or that (as against pride, vainglory, deceit, hypocrisy and the like) that I may in a more settled and constant course honour thee my good God, to whom I am so infinitely bound. Oh, how would such acquaintance make the day of death welcome, and our daily prayers comfortable, without which we have little hope to have access to God in either. Lastly, we must love God by fearing to lose him, grieving after him, when in sense and feeling he is lost, and caring to recover him again. It is strange that a man Discat timere qui vult amare. Amor eijcit timorem inimici, non timorem domini. should love by fearing: but it is very true. Perfect love casteth out fear of having, to wit, the wrath of God for sin, (because, after repenting and believing the Gospel, it quiets the heart from such troubles) but it casteth not out fear of losing, to wit, our God in those sweet comforts, whereby he speaks peace unto our consciences, and sayeth unto our souls that he is our salvation. Blessed john 19 is he that so feareth always, saith Solomon. As Pilate love's john 19 his place by fearing to lose it, which made him do against Quod cupis habere times perdere. his conscience when once he heard that speech. If thou deliver Christ, thou art not Caesar's friend: So must we love God so, as we must fear to lose him above all things. Yea and as the young man in the Gospel, which Luk. 18. 22, 23. was a rich man, when he did but think of parting with all and following Christ, was very heavy, because he loved his riches too well: so when we do but think of parting with our God (who is our Portion) it cannot but Psal. 119. grieve us, if we love him and prise him as we should. Yea and again, if the Spouse in the Canticles, when through her security she had overslipped the golden season of entertaining Christ, who therefore withdrew himself, Did seek him (whom her soul loved) but could not find Can. 5. 6, 7, 8, &c him, did call him though he answered not, did go to the watchmen, and took a great deal of pains to recover him: then so must we, if our hearts be in love with God, care to recover God by hearing, praying, meditating, conferring, receiving of the Sacrament, and such other good duties, in which it pleaseth him to give us the influence of his favour, and the testimony to our spirits of his most dear presence. Thus have I learned you how to love God, that we may lay a good ground for the duty of thankfulness, which is to be practised by every one of us. Now that we may be the better able to practise it, you must know that it must be performed in word and deed. To thank God for his blessings with our tongues, and not to live answerable to them, is no better than to say, All hail King of the jews▪ and to spit upon him; it is to have jacobs' smooth tongue and Esau's rough hands; it is as bad as to give a man sweet words for a benefit, and to beat him about the ears: in conclusion, it is after a deal of formal hypocrisy, hanged out at the sign of the lips, to requite God with evil for good, which is the worst degree of ingratitude. First we must thank God in word; because we must take the first opportunity to do it: for delays argue no will unto it. Secondly, we must thank God in work, for as Physicians do pass their judgements of men's hearts by their arms (when they feel upon Per brachium fit iudicium de cord. their pulses) and not by their tongues: so wise men will look more to doing, then to saying (though both are good, and both must be done) remembering that jesus Acts 1. 1. did and said. As concerning that thankes which we must give to God in word, it stands in the practice of a double duty: The first is called celebration, the second invocation. Celebration is that duty of thankfulness, whereby we do speak of God's mercies, and marvelous kindnesses to others: as when David saith, Come and hearken all ye that Psal. 66. 16, 17, etc. fear God, and I will tell you what be hath done to my soul. I called upon the Lord with my voice, and he was exalted with my tongue: and God heard me, and considered the voice of my prayer, and so forth. Now, for our more conscionable practice of this duty, we must observe four rules. First, we must (as fare as we can) speak particularly of God's favours to us. Even men, being overcome with God's kindness, and wallowing daily in the midst of his mercies, which are renewed every morning, will Lam. 3. 23. either out of custom, or example, or conviction speak of them in general: but we must do it in particular. As jacob names them, saying: With my staff came I over this Genes. 32. 10. jordan, and now have I gotten two Bands: so must we. As if we should say, as Hannah in her song, The bows of the 1. Sam. 2. 4. 5. mighty are broken, and the weak have girded themselves with strength; They that are full are hired forth for bread, and the hungry are no more hired, so the barren hath borne seven and she that had many children is feeble: So we, the Spanish Armado was broken, the Gunpowder traitors were discovered, the Plague is ceased, and our enemies are yet disappointed, Oh blessed be God. Secondly, we must speak publicly of them for the generations to come. The Prince must speak of them to his subjects, the Minister to his people, the Master to his servants, one neighbour to another, and the father to his children. As the jews are said by the Rabbins, the night before the Passover, to confer with their children on this wise: The child said, Why is it called the Passeover? The father answered, because the Angel passed over and destroyed us not. The child said, Why do we eat unleavened bread? The father answered, because we were forced to make haste out of Egypt. The child said again, Why eat we sour herbs? The father answered, to put us in mind of the affliction in Egypt: so ought we to deal in all the great and marvelous kindnesses of God. Thus David saith, (as I mentioned before,) Come ye children, Psal. 66. 16. harken unto me, I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. And to this we are exhorted by the Psalmist, saying: Sing unto the Lord and praise his Name, declare his Psal. 96 2. 3. salvation from day to day: Declare his glory among all Nations, and his wonders among all people. Thirdly, we must speak wisely of them, that is, so as it may easily be discerned which favours we prise most. Worldly men and godly men, will both speak of God's blessing them: but it is (except policy prevent) with as much difference as there was in isaack's giving a blessing to jacob and Esau. The worldly man saith, Blessed Genes. 27. 28. 39 be God for the fatness of the eartth, and for the dew of Heaven from above, as if a fat earth were his best benefit: but the godly man saith, Blessed be God for the dew of Heaven, and fatness of the earth, and plenty of Wheat and Wine. Thus is he wise in speaking of spiritual blessings with the highest strain; if not always in order, yet in affection. See it in David, My soul praise the Psal. 103. 1. 2. 3. 4 5. Lord, and all that is within me praise his holy Name: my soul praise the Lord, and forget not all his benefits, which forgiveth all thine iniquity and healeth all thine infirmities. Here are the chief favours which he speaketh of, and then he descendeth lower: Which redeemeth thy life from the grave, and which satisfieth thy mouth with good things. This also must be our course. We must thank God for outward peace and prosperity, but especially for the Gospel: We must thank God for our deliverance from the Plague: but especial, that he hath given us to know the Plague in our own hearts, and to confess it, and turn 1. King. 8. 38. from it unto the living God. Lastly, we must speak constantly of them. The mercies of God are showed in prosperity and adversity; and we must speak of them in both estates: as job, who said, The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the job 1. 21. Name of the Lord: yea, they are renewed every morning; Lam. 3. 23. and therefore must we say with the Psalmist, In the morning, in the evening, and at noonetide, will I praise thee because Psal. 119. of thy righteous judgements. Thus have I taught you how to be thankful unto God by Celebration, that is, speaking of God's praises to others. Secondly, we must be thankful unto God by Invocation, which is that duty of thankfulness, whereby in one branch of Prayer we speak of God's praises to himself: as when Christ saith, I give thee thankes, O Father, Lord Math. 11. 25. of Heaven and earth. Now for the better performance of this duty, we must properly do three things: First, we must humbly acknowledge our own unworthiness of any favour. It is impossible that we should be truly thankful, till we see what Dunghills we are upon, upon whom God casteth his beams, and gather our worthiness, not by the worth of God's blessings (seeing a precious stone may be in a Toads head) but by the glorious worthiness which is in God, who accounts it little enough for him to give, though it be too much for us (as we are ourselves) to receive. Hence is it that David cryeth out, What is man that thou shouldst be mindful of Psal. 8. 4. him; and the son of man, that thou shouldst so regard him. And good jacob, when he did swim in God's favours, freely confessed, that he was less than the least of God's Gen. 32. 10. mercies. Thus ought it to be with us. As if we should say, O my God, how unworthy am I that I should live, when so many have died? that I should abound, when so many have wanted? that I should have ease, when so many have cried for woe and pain? What am I better than my brethren? No, Lord, I am worse than many thousands, who have made their beds in the dark in this common calamity. Thou knowest mine unrighteousness, and mine iniquity can I not hide, and yet thou hast been gracious, and so forth. Secondly, we must amplify the mercies of God, we must not extenuate the least of them, as if they were ordinary, but we must make the least of them in the rank of those which are too great for us. As Hannah, when she had borne her Samuel, sings, The barren hath borne 1 Sam. 2. 5. seven: and David, when he sat before the Lord, said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house that thou 1 Chro. 17. 16, 17 hast brought me hitherto? yet thou esteeming this a small thing, O God, hast also spoken concerning the house of thy servant a great while, and hast regarded me according to the state of a man of high degree. Even thus must we do: as if we should say, O blessed God, my Father was an Amorite, and my Mother an Hittite, and thou mightest have cast me into Hell from the womb, yet thou keptst me when I hanged upon my Mother's breast: yea thou hast brought me up in a Christian Church, under Christian Kings, who have desired to serve God according to thy Word: yea, and thou hast continued the Gospel to me even unto this day: and though I have been unworthy of them, and therefore thou hast plagued me and mine; yet, as if I had been like King David, worth ten thousand of others, thou hast kept me from the common misery, and so forth. Thirdly, we must more excellently conceive of God than we can see him in his blessings. If the whole world were full of Books (as an Ancient saith) and all the Creatures writers, and all the water of the Sea Ink; first all the Books should be filled, all the Writers wearied, & all the Sea should be exhausted and drawn dry, before one of God's perfections could be absolutely described. In which respect Moses singeth, Who is like unto thee, O Exod. 15. 11. Lord among the gods! Who is like unto thee so glorious in holiness, fearful in praises and doing wonders! Fearful in praises (saith he) because he cannot duly be praised but with astonishment: according to that of the Psalmist, God is very terrible in the assembly of the Saints. And thus Psal. 89. 7. should he be to us in praising him. As if we should say, O our God, let not thy favours seem ordinary unto us, which thou bestowest upon us. It may seem a small thing to us, to have water to our hands, air to breath in, earth to tread upon, and the like: but when we do consider who it is that gives, and to whom; that thou art he who art a God of glory, whose glory is able to swallow up Heu miser quid sum? vas sterquilinij▪ concilia putredinis plenus foetore, August. our understanding, and that it is to us, who are a sink of sin and stinking noisomeness before thee, we are confounded in ourselves, and cannot tell which way to return thee thankes, which in the least measure may answer thy love, and so forth. Thus have we considered that thankes which we must give to God in word; yet that is not enough, for it remaineth that we be thankful unto God in deeds also. And wherein this stands we cannot better learn then by looking into those that have been thankful unto God in the Scriptures. Now these have performed a real thankfulness unto God two ways. First, by studying and caring in what particulars they may show themselves thankful unto God. As one that hath received a great kindness, doth bethink himself how he may in some measure requite it: so will he that is thankful do. As 2. Cor. 7. 11. the penitent man careth for the remission of his sins and eternal happiness by Christ, and therefore careth also to use means answerable thereunto; so doth also the truly thankful person. See it in David, who having received a great kindness from God saith, What shall I Psal. 116. 12. give unto the Lord? as if he did consult and take care with himself how to be thankful to God. Even thus must it be with us, we must, when we are by ourselves alone, take thought and care what to do, wherein we may show ourselves thankful to God. As a man rolls every stone, and takes thought how to live and bear about the world (as we say:) so must all of us whom God hath pleased to deliver from these dangerous times, either by healing our sores, or by keeping us from infection, or by comforting our hearts against the fear of our enemies, either at home or abroad, say and think with himself: O Lord, what shall I do? How shall I carry myself in my thoughts, words and actions; yea, and sufferings so as may pleasethee, and I may testify how highly I prise those favours which I have received from thy hands. Thus we must study, but we must not there leave (this were but like a dash of rain which wets not to the root) therefore answerable to our care and study, we must in the second place take pains to show our thankfulness in four particulars. First, we must register the noble acts of God; according to that of the Psalm, This shall be written for the generations to come. Hence was it that the Patriarches erected Psal. 102. 18. Mountains, builded Altars, and imposed fit names upon their children, that they might in these things register the kindness of God unto them. Therefore as Ahashuerosh did cause his deliverance from Bigthan and Teresh to be written in the book of the Chronicles before Hest. 2. 22. the King: so must we have a record of favours, that we telling our souls that such a year God did such a kindness for thee, and such a year, month, week, or day did he another, to day thou hast received one evidence of his love, and yesterday thou didst receive another; we may not only practise a duty of thankfulness in it, but provoke ourselves thereby to be thankful in after times: As Ahashuerosh his registering of his deliverance Hest. 6. made him afterwards to be thankful to Mordecai who (under God) was the author of it. And think we not thus of ourselves, that there are few who have done thus before us. I make no doubt but that thousands of God's people, of whom the world is not worthy, have taken this Heb. 11. course in secret, yea and do take it. And of a good man I have often read, who is said to delight in one book which he daily carried about him, and was portable enough; for it had but two leaves, one black, and the other white: in the black he made a register of his sins, that he might daily be humble, in the white he made a register of God's mercies that he might be thankful. Secondly, we must hearty labour the good of others. For can we requite God himself? we cannot do it, Our Psal. 16. goodness reacheth not to him: only he pleaseth to interpret some services which he requires as thankful requitals to himself; amongst which this is one, to do good to others. Now, this we must do (by way of thankfulness unto God) both unto their souls and bodies. As for their souls we must labour their conversion and turning from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, Acts 26. 18. that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in Christ. Thus David promiseth unto God when he saith: Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and establish me with thy free Spirit, Psal. 51. 12, 13. then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Yea and Peter was commanded thus much when Christ saith unto him: When thou art Luke 22. 32. converted, show thy thankfulness, by strengthening thy brethren. As for the bodies of others we must relieve (so fare as ourselves be not grieved) the poor members of 2. Cor. 8. 13. jesus Christ. For do but mark how it was with the jews, when they freely heard the word of God again, they did eat and drink, and did send away part (as they were Neb. 8. 10. 11. 12 commanded) to those for whom nothing was prepared, for joy that they understood the words which they had taught them. And we may read of an Apostolical ordinance of thankfulness in the Primitive Church to be observed every Lord's day, or first day of the week, that every one should put aside by himself, and lay up as God had prospered 1. Cor. 16. 1. 2. him, for the necessities of the Saints. Thus also must it be with us who have tasted how good God is, in these times of troubles: we must throw about these our alms both spiritual and temporal. We must labour to do others souls good, who are within our gate and jurisdiction, saying as David, Come ye children, harken unto me, Psal. I will teach you the fear of the Lord: or as Philip who had found Christ said to Nathanael. Come and see: we must labour joh. 1. 46. to do others bodies good, by thinking who have endured more hardship than we, and who have endured the more for our flight, and then parting with something to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, relieve the oppressed, maintain the fatherless, and set at liberty the honest prisoner and captive, and the like. Thus shall we show the true use and issue of all our fasting this Summer, which as the Prophet saith, is to lose the bands of wickedness, Esay 58. 6. 7. to take off the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke. It is to deal thy bread to the hungry, to bring the poor that wander into thine house, to cover the naked and not to hide thyself from thine own flesh. Thirdly, we must renew our covenants and promises to God of a more sincere and hearty obedience. When God had delivered David from Saul in the Wilderdesse of Maon, he renewed his promises twice together, That he would take the Cup of salvation, That he will offer the sacrifice Psal. 116. 13. 17. of praise, and call upon the Name of the Lord. Thus Asa, when God gave him victory over his enemies and settled peace, and the Prophet Azariah came and put him in mind of his duty, he and his people made a covenant 2. Chro. 15. 12. 14 to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their hearts, and with all their souls, and they swore unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with Trumpets, and shouting, and Cornets. Thus Ezra also, and the people who returned from the captivity of Babylon, when they were sensible of God's mercy and their own sinning, and while there was Ezra 10 2. 3. hope in Israel (though as yet they trembled for their sins in the street of the house of God, and for the ruin (as we may do for the Plague) did make a covenant with God to put away their heathenish wives, and live more holily. Thus must it be with us also; we must bethink ourselves wherein we have offended God, either privately or publicly, either as Magistrates, or Ministers, or Husbands, or Wives, or Masters, or Servants, or Fathers, or Children, or Buyers, or Sellers, or Borrowers, or Lender's, or Letters, or Hirers; and we must prepare ourselves for the Lord's Supper (with the first opportunity) wherein we must renew our Covenant with God, humbling ourselves for the sins we have committed, and promising to God upon his assuring of us his love unto us in Christ jesus, that we will be careful to use our best endeavours, according to the measure of grace which we have received, to live more holily to God, more righteously & justly in all Tit. 2. 12. our dealings with men, and more soberly in ourselves: and when we cannot do so much good as we would, that we will lament it to God, and cry out unto him, saying, Oh that my ways were so direct that I might keep thy Statutes. Psal. 119. 5. Lastly, as we must renew our Covenant, so when we have done, we must with all our strength (and with an humble dependence upon the use of God's means for more) resolve and settle our bodies and souls to continue in it, and never so to offend so good a God as we have done in former times. This is true thankfulness indeed, when out of a feeling of God's love, and out of a conscience of our duty to God, we can say as David, I Psal. 119. have sworn to keep thy righteous judgements, and I have determined to keep thy Statutes. Without this resolution our hearts will start aside like a broken Bow, and our Psal. righteousness will be like a morning dew, and like a cloud Hos. 6. passing away. Therefore (I say once more) strive we to the utmost of that to which God hath enabled us, and for the rest pray with David, Lord, Establish me by thy free Psal. 51. Spirit, which is a Spirit of liberty, and will make us run the way of thy Commandments. Thus have I taught you in some measure to practise this duty of Thankfulness. I pray God give us understanding in all things, and honest hearts that we may practise this duty now when Gods marvelous kindness calleth for it with so loud a voice. And thus I commend you to him, who is of power to establish you according to the Gospel, Rom. 16. 25. even to the God of peace, whom I humbly beseech to make you perfect in all good works, to do his will working Heb. 13, 20, 21. in you, that which is pleasant in his sight through jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever and ever; Amen. FINIS.