THE PRACTICE OF Thankfulness; OR DAVID'S choice directions how to praise GOD.  
In an Exposition and Application upon the whole sixty six PSALM.  
With a short Treatise upon the thirty one, and thirty two Verses of the one hundred and seventh PSALM.  1. THESS. 5.18. In all things give thankes, for this is the will of God, in Christ jesus towards you. 
LONDON Printed by G. P. for Roger jackson, and are to be sold at his Shop, near to the Conduit in Fleetstreet. 1622.   

TO THE NOBLE, VIRTUOUS, AND CHRISTIAN LADY, THE RIGHT HOnourable Countess of Lincoln: Lady-Mother to the Illustrious, and truly Religious Earl of Lincoln.  
MOst worthy Lady, apparent it is, that the Father of mercy hath enriched you with that, 
1. Pet. 1.7.  which is more precious than the best tried gold; with that Faith, 
2. Pet. 1.5.  which is attended on with the lustre of Virtue, the grace of Knowledge, the government of Temperance, the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit, the support of Patience, the splendour of Humility, the gain of Godliness, the bond of Brotherly kindness, and the glory of Love.. And albeit the most righteous Lord hath darkened your comfort in the weakest, yet hath he most brightly lighted it with a manifold shine in the greatest: Here there shineth remembrance of the Creator in youth; in youth, learning to know Time, and Reason; discretion to answer the enemies in the gate; wisdom to prefer and choose that, whose price is fare above the Rubies; satisfaction to your Honour, and hope of wished glory to your most Noble house, and generous race. O, the lines are fall'n to your Honour in most pleasant places, so that you are able to say to the profane wonderers, and to all your Peers, Marvel not that I am zealous of reading, hearing, and meditation; marvel not that I love not this world, nor the evils thereof, the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; marvel not that I study to have my conversation in heaven; or that I call so often for the exercises of Prayer, Preaching, and Thanksgiving; for God hath done so great things for my soul, as I can never be thankful enough.  
O most Christian Countess; two things I have often thought upon: the one, how I might satisfy the continual request of diverse Christian friends, by some fruits of my unpolished labours: the other, how I might testify to the world, my most respective duty to your Honour: now at length for the satisfaction of the one, and testification of the other, I have presumed to tender that, which always hitherto I trembled to offer, because of my weakness; fearing the carping of some Momus, for bringing no novelty amidst so much variety: or some Moses should blame me, for bringing any more amidst so much satiety. Yet considering, that since the time of Reformation is come, the Temple of the Lord is in more places than jerusalem, and of such spacious capacity, as though knowledge abound therein as the Sea; yet there is place still empty to receive it. And now the Builders are not so many, and the fit stuff is not so much, but that there is a renewed charge, that towards the Lords Work every one bring what he can, that as he hath received the gift, he should minister the same to other, as good Stewards of the manifold graces and gifts of God.  
Therefore, some little of that spiritual blessing, which his holy Spirit hath communicate to me, his unworthy instrument in meditation, according to the necessity laid upon me, I have uttered, and ministered to others in preaching, and here do present, as to all my fellow-members, and Christian friends every where: but first, and chief to your most Honourable and virtuous self, in writing. The subject and ground of my labour, is the sixty six Psalm, a Psalm of Divine praise, made by the sweet Psalmist of Israel, upon the deliverance of God's people out of many sore calamities, and of himself out of the bloody hands of his persecuting enemies. I wish it to all, because all have more than much need to be awaked, to this duty of praising God in this time of security: but I dedicate it only to your Honour, as to the prime mover of this my present endeavour.  
For, when I had neither a purpose to any such Treatise, nor thought of this most worthy Psalm: then did your Honour, whose affections are ever set on heavenly things, name this Song and Psalm unto me, commend it to my meditation, request me to entreat of it, help my labours with your prayers, and joyfully heard what the Lord spoke by me out of it. Therefore, I beseech your Honour, take this my Dedication, as a true token of my most grateful affection to your most Noble self, another Marie in choosing the better part: as a testimony of my longing to add something to the cure of the lamentable neglect of holy duties: and as a witness of my desire to further this service, to Gods praise▪ and glory. Even so be it, even so be it, Amen.  
Your Honours ever to command in the Lord, N. LARK.   

AN EXPOSITION OF the sixty six PSALM, by Doctrine and Exhortation.  
IN this holy Psalm, consider: 
The Title.  First, the Title: Secondly, the Psalm itself: the Title commits it, To the chief Musician, or the Master of the harmony, or Him that excelleth; and entitles it, A Song, A Psalm, as being one of that kind, which the Church in David's time used to sing with Instruments & voices. It serveth well to prepare attention and intention to the matter of the Psalm. For it may plainly teach us: First, That it is worthy of chief skill, and consent in singing the same: Secondly, That it is a Song full of Excellency, and to be used so, as our Divine praises may be made more pleasing, sweet, and excellent by it. Thirdly, That it is to be sung with a double Music, and melody to God, 
Ephes. 5.19.  even with the glory of the Tongue, 
Col. 3.16.  and the grace of the Heart: lo, how the Title is a preparative to the understanding, affecting, and using of this special Psalm.  
In which there is: 
The Psalm  First, A general; Secondly, A particular setting forth of the praise of God: by diligent perusing whereof, we shall learn much worthy and necessary knowledge: knowledge, how to make Gods praise glorious: to comfort ourselves in his greatness: to rejoice in his noble Works: to suck sweetness out of our afflictions: and to relate without either affectation, or ostentation, to God glory, and to others edification, the Lords admirable goodness unto every one of us, and to awake us unto all these; thus this Psalm beginneth.  
Make a joyful noise unto God, 
Vers. 1.  all ye lands.] In giving God thankes, it is our duty to have great rejoicing; they that do it without rejoicing, yea, even in him, do it not so rightly, as is fitting to his Majesty. Therefore in doing this duty, rejoice greatly, be not ashamed to let thy rejoicing be seen, and heard; make a joyful noise, like the noise of the Trumpets in the days of your triumphs, 
Num. 10.9.10.  of your gladness, of your festival solemnities, and of the times wherein you found special acceptation of your sacrifices: and make this noise unto God.  
Divine thanksgiving, is to be appropriate only to God's person. Deny it to all creatures in heaven, or earth: deny it to false gods, 
Psa. 68.19.  and give it to the true everliving God, the God of our salvation, 
90.17.  our own God, even the God that saveth us, and establisheth his grace in us.  
All ye lands.] None of the universal Church of God, is exempt from praising God: high, low, jew, Gentile, bond, free, male, female, hold not back your praise from God; he holds not back his benefits from you, 
65.19.  but ladeth you daily with the same: you have, 
1. Cor. 4.7.  or can have nothing, but what you receive from him, and that, not for your merit, but only for his mercy, which endureth for ever.  
Sing forth the honour of his Name, 
Verse 2.  make his praise glorious.] True Thanksgiving is such an action, as cheerfully sets forth the glory of God's Name: let not your thankes to God, the most High over all in heaven, and earth, be any abasing of his Majesty, but ascribe that to his great and fearful Name, which is honourable: 
Psa. 29.2, 8.  give to him the glory due to his Name, let every one that speaks of him, speak of his glory: confess that his Name is above every name in heaven, 
Phil. 2.9, 10  and earth: confess that at his Name every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and in earth, and things under the earth. 
Pro. 18.10.  Confess that his Name is a strong Tower to all that trust in him: 
Psal. 8.  confess that his Name is wonderful excellent in all the world: confess that his glorious Name is greater than all thanksgiving, 
Neh. 9.5.  and praise: let the desires of your soul be to the praise of his holy Name.  
Also Make his praise glorious.] Divine thankfulness makes God's praise glorious; glorious to the hearing, and understanding of men, though it can supply no defect of glory to God, for his glory is always infinite, and absolute: lessen not his praise, praise him not basely, give not his praise to any other: so praise him, 
Ps. 108.1, 2  as becometh him: let your hearts be prepared, and your tongues awaked, to utter forth the greatest praise you can of God's Highness.  
Say ye: 
Vers. 3. ] Thanksgiving is to be performed with speaking: be not silent from this duty; avoid that silence, as great disobedience: neither can you excuse it by pleading ignorance: here you are taught what to say. He that requireth your thanksgiving, teacheth you what you should speak in the same: he that commandeth to make his praise glorious, showeth, how you should make it glorious: of his goodness he findeth you heart, mouth, tongue, words, and all; that to neglect this duty, you should have no excuse at all.  
Say ye unto God:] In praising God, that must only be said of him, which may with a good conscience be said even to him. Use not the Lord as you do men, to say one thing behind his back, and another afore his face: for you can never be but in his sight, never think a thought, but he understands it; never speak a word, but he knows it: therefore say ye things glorious of him, and say ye the same unto him. Show that his benefits, his Name, his glory, and his praise do so affect you, as you cannot, but like a grateful man to a most beneficial friend, meet the Lord your God in your meditations, and breaking out into zealous praises of his bounty, speak, and say even unto himself, that which may best testify, how desirous you are to show your best thankfulness for all his loving kindness: hence say ye unto God:  
How terrible, or reverend art thou in thy works!] To the high setting forth of God's praise, is required a feeling confession of his most reverend dealing in every action. Beware you want not the consideration, that should bring this confession; they are near destruction, 
Psa. 28.5. Isa. 5.12.  and the sound of great woe is to them, that regard not the work of the Lord, and consider not the operation of his hands. 
Hos. 14.9. Ps. 107.43.  Do you otherwise, be you wise to understand the ways of God, be you careful to observe those things in God's administration, which may teach you this feeling confession, that you may say unto him with admiration; 
Psa. 8.1.  How excellent, O Lord, is thy Name in all the earth? 
92.7.  How great and glorious are thy works? And how innumerable is the number of them? 
104.24.  How unsearchable are thy judgements? 
Exo. 15.11.  Who is like to thee, O Lord, among the gods? So glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, and doing wonders. Thou so rulest in the Armies of Heaven above, 
Dan. 4.32.  and so workest in the Inhabitants of the earth below, as to thee we always say, How reverend and fearful art thou in thy works? the like whereof none can do.  
Through the greatness of thy power.] It is a principal point in the praising of God, to ascribe the glory of victory to his power only; say not, Our own arm shall save us; our Idols have saved us; our Horses, and Chariots shall save us: but ever say unto God in every victory, Thou, O God, 
Psa. 76.4.  art more glorious and excellent, than the highest helps; 
115.1.  only at thy rebuke both the Horse and Chariot are cast asleep; Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name we give the glory. Thou, even thou alone, by the greatness of thy power, hast gotten thyself the victory; and through this power  
Shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee, though dissemblingly.] When we see God's enemies driven for fear to dissemble Religion, and not to dare to withstand the defendours, and Ministers of Christ's Kingdom, we should admire, and acknowledge Gods mighty power therein: say not, This is through man's policy: say not, This is for fear of man's power: but confess and say, Behold the mighty power of God: through the greatness of thy power, 
Ezra. 6.  Heathenish Darius submitted himself unto thee, and forwarded the building of thy Temple: through the greatness of thy power, 
Dan. q. 37.  great Nabuchadnezzar submitted himself unto thee, and extolled, and praised, and honoured thee, the King of Heaven: through the greatness of thy power, hardhearted Pharaoh submitted himself to thee, 
Exo. 12.31.  to let thine Israel go. So still shall thine enemies, and the enemies of thy Christ, submit themselves unto thy Majesty.  
Thine enemies.] All are not true friends to the Gospel, that under Christian Kings, and in the Church's prosperity profess the Gospel: Through the greatness of thy power, O God, some are thy enemies, and therefore not to be trusted by thy servants (because they, in respect of the betterness of the times, and some other hand of thine, dare do no other:) Some are in subjection unto thee, and submit themselves among thy people, as judas among thine Apostles; only they do it sore against their heart; they do it with desire rather of opportunity to cast off thy yoke, and to show their enmity.  
Dissemblingly, and lyingly.] They come near God's enemies, that serve him in hypocrisy, or for servile fear of his power, and not in truth and sincerity, for duty, and love to his Majesty. Look to your hearts, that you have not guilty consciences this way, so as you may woefully accuse yourselves, saying, Through the greatness of thy power, we submit ourselves unto thee, and to thy Kingdom, only in dissimulation, and perforce, because we dare do none other: 
Psa. 125.4.  but be ye so good, 
1. Tim. 1.5.  and true of heart, as you may find yourselves in a childlike submission, with faith unfeigned, and pure love; and so may say this unto God, only of his enemies, Through the greatness of thy power, thine enemies feignedly submit themselves unto thee.  
All the earth shall worship thee. 
Vers. 4. ] There is no respect of person, in God's Vocation of men to salvation. Be not discouraged, because thou art a Gentile, or bond, or female, or weak, 
Gal. 3.28. Acts 10.34, 35.  or a thing of nothing: God calls all that are his, the Gentile, as soon as the jew, the bond, as soon as the free, the female, as soon as the male, the weak, as soon as the strong: he puts no difference, he doth nothing for any ones person sake, but all for his own mercy sake. He concludes not his Church within some one Town, City, Nation, or Country, but many come from all Regions, to sit down with Abraham, 
Matt. 8.11  Isaac,. and jaakob, in his kingdom; and all this through his power: through the greatness of thy power, All the earth shall worship thee.] It is God's praise only, that his people do worship him. If you be worshippers of God, praise not your own wel-willing that way, your own selfe-affection to godliness, your own apprehension of the means, the power of the instruments: but praise the riches of God's grace, and the power of his Spirit; 
Rom. 5.6, 8, 10.  and say unto him, Of our selves we are weak, we are sinners, 
joel 2.32.  we are enemies, we are . Now that we are turned to worship thee, thine is the praise: 
joh. 6.44.  thou hast called us unto it, thou hast drawn us, 
Psa. 65.4.  thou hast caused us to come unto thee, only through the greatness of thy power we worship thee.  
And all shall sing unto thee.] Singing rightly, is a singing unto God himself. Sing not holy Hymns, spiritual Songs, divine Psalms to your own minds carnally merry, or to please the uncircumcised ears of profane friends: but sing them so, as you do certainly sing them unto God, 
Eph. 5.19. Col. 3.16.  making a melody in your heart unto him, and singing them to him with grace in your minds.  
Sing unto thee.] Right singing unto GOD, is a part of the worship of God: an effect of the gracious operation of GOD: an action belonging to every member of the Church of GOD. All the earth shall, in worshipping thee, sing unto thee; through thy power they shall sing unto thee, and all they shall sing unto thee. If you never sing unto the Lord, how do you give him his whole worship? 
Psal. 68.4, 32.  Where is his joyful Service? Therefore as you say unto him, so sing unto him, sing daily unto him, sing praises, sing praises, sing skilful praises unto him.  
They shall sing to thy Name excellently.] The chiefest, and worthiest renown that can be spoken of people, is, that they be religious, and zealous worshippers of GOD. In ascribing unto God the glory due unto him, say this chief unto him, He rein is thy praise glorious, that through the greatness of thy power, people do worship thee, and sing unto thy Name excellently: this being GOD'S special honour to effect this, it is our special renown, that it is effected in us: if any be not a true worshipper of GOD, he hath no renown, 
Psa. 49.20.  he is without honour, he is most base, he is even abominable. But they that are made his worshippers, are noble in name, in praise, 
Acts 17.11. Deut. 26.19  and in glory above all other: and this is the glory of very Kings, to bring presents to him, to offer gifts to him, to fall down to worship him, and to serve him. Therefore, think yourselves greatly exalted, that you are become his religious servants, rejoice in this against all earthly abasements, and hope after the increase of the number of his true worshippers, and say still unto the Lord, with confident expectation of the restoring of the jews, and of the fulfilling of the Gentiles, 
Psal. 7●.  All the earth shall worship thee, they shall sing to thee, they shall sing to thy Name excellently.  
Come, 
Verse 5.  and see the works of God.] Unto the worshipping of GOD rightly, 
jer. 2.31.  is required a willing coming to the means that teach us his glory: 
Luke 14.2. job 21.15. Luke 14.18  say not as Papists, It is heresy to come: or with the rebellious and voluptuous, We will not come: or with the Atheists, What profit is it to come? 
Isa. 65.5.  or with worldlings, We cannot come: 
Isa. 55.1.  or with Separatists, We are too holy to come: 
Mat. 11.28  but with the hungry and thirsty come; with them that are burdened and heavy laden come, 
Jsa. 2.3.  with them that are zealous, 
joh. 6.45.  provoke one another to come, with them that are taught of GOD come; 
Psa. 34.11.  and you shall not come in vain, but coming to the means, you shall learn the fear of GOD.  
Come.] The Ministry of the Word of God teacheth, and inviteth us to make use, and godly benefit of the works of GOD, that bids us come: 
1. Thes. 5. Heb. 2. Psa. 95. 1. Cor. 2. Isa. 30. Psal. 27.4. Eccles. 4.17.  and let us not be absent, not from this; neglect not this; harden not your hearts against this; but frequent this, hear this, believe this, obey this, submit your selves to this & examine how you profit by this; and according to the present charge of this, Come and see.] The way to the profitable use of the means of godliness, 
jer. 42.20. Acts 2.13.  is to see, behold, and consider the same. Come not as hypocrites to dissemble: come not as sluggards, to sleep: 
Ez. 33.32.  come not as scorners, to deride, nor as enemies, to catch, nor as children and fools, to gaze, prattle, or play; but come as the lovers of goodness, to seek; as the wise, to observe; come as the godly, to learn, as the prudent, to consider, and as the obedient, to see.  
The Works of the Lord.] The works of GOD are special means to furnish us, and fit us to worship and praise GOD. Do not esteem them as dead things; do not pass by them as idle matters, & of no reckoning; do not sin, as those that are complained of, for that they regarded not the works of GOD, nor considered the operation of his hands; but come, and behold his works, use them as happy means to make thee happy, that is, to fit thee to be an happy and holy worshipper of God.  
Use his works of creation, 
Psal. 33. 9 36. 6. 31. 23. 7, 8, 9, 10. 67. 4. 9 16. 145. 15, 1● 111. 9  to draw you to fear him; his works of common preservation, to admire his providence; his works of special preservation, to love him; of administration, to trust and to rejoice in him; of judgement, to acknowledge him, and to stand in awe of him; of sustentation to wait on him: and his works of redemption, to praise his holy and fearful Name: in stead of vain and corrupt communication, 
Ps. 105.2, 5  talk of his wonderful works, and in stead of remembering vanities, remember his marvelous works which he hath done, his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth.  
He is to be reverenced in his doing toward the sons of men.] They that rightly consider Gods working, do find that he is most worthy to be reverenced in every action: O thou man, that dost not perceive this, thou art very foolish. 
Psal. 92.  But ye holy ones, whom God hath made glad through his works, and who rejoice in the work of his hands; happy are you, for you see how true this is, and you admire that he is so reverend in his doing.  
Toward the sons of men.] The very person, toward whom God is so reverend in his dealing, is full of argument of his commendation: for who be these? Even the sons of men. Oh then, praise the Lord highly for his administration to such persons: confess his bounty unto these, bounty unspeakable; confess his goodness unto these, goodness immeasurable; confess his mercy to these, mercy most laudable; confess his love to these, love most admirable. For these have plunged themselves into all misery: these have provoked his wrath by infinite iniquity: these have nothing in them to deserve any compassion: these have all that is in them to bring condemnation. O we men, 
Gen. 6.5. Rom. 1.21.  whose imaginations are continually evil, whose foolish minds are full of darkness, whose very hearts are most deceitful, whose mouths are full of blasphemy, whose throats are an open sepulchre, 
Rom. 3.  whose eyes are full of vanity, whose ears are full of idleness, whose hands are full of blood, whose feet are swift to every mischief, whose life is most sinful, and whose body is most vile: Let us wonder that God is so reverend in his dealing to such most unworthy persons, and wondering, let us to his glory say, What is man, 
Psal. 8.  that thou art so favourable a God unto him? What is wretched man, that thou art mindful of him? What is the son of mortal man, that thou visitest him?  
He turned the sea into dry land.] 
Verse 6.  God shows himself wonderful in his doing, for them that fear him: Their enemies were behind them, the Red Sea is before them: What now shall become of them? Why, 
Psal. 106.9.  behold the salvation of the Lord to his own people, he forthwith rebuked the deep Sea for staying them, and it presently gave way unto them, overwhelming all their enemies that followed them. See how reverend the Lord was in his doing toward these sons of men; join yourselves to this God, and he will do wonders for you; believe in him, and he will make all things possible unto you; expect with patience his deliverance, if no means be with you; if all means be against you, yet can he find means to help, and save you; he turned the sea into dry land:  
They went thorough the flood on foot.] To whom God makes himself known in a special favour, and manner, to them he will magnify his power: that they might see his great salvation, he led them dry shod-thorow the great depths of the cruel sea: 
Josh. 3.10.  and after, that they might know that he the living Lord was among them, and that he would not fail to do all that he promised them, he cut off the waters of the River jordan, and made them stand on an heap, even when it was at the broadest, until all his servants were clean gone. If he do not thus to you, but let's seas and floods of iniquity keep you from entering into his holy Canaan, then lament; for it argues that he yet hath no savour unto you: if you would have him thus magnify his power some way towards you, then call your selves by the name of jaakob, 
Isa. 44.5.  and subscribe with your hand unto the Lord: if you be his people, then expect one great deliverance after another: and if you know who fear him, do not mock nor despise them; but say, 
Deu. 33.29  They are happy; say, Who is like unto them, so saved by the Lord, the shield of their help?  
There did we rejoice in him.] God's admirable and comfortable dealing begets present rejoicing in him, in them that love and fear him. They were no sooner passed thorough the Red Sea, 
Exod. 15.  but then and there Moses and the children of Israel sang joyfully, a song of thanksgiving unto the Lord: there also Miriam the Prophetess, with all the women answered the men, with well-tuned instruments, holy dances, and sweet voices in the same thanksgiving: There did they rejoice in nothing of their own, in nothing of any creature in heaven or earth, in nothing else but in God alone, in his triumph alone, in his strength alone, in his salvation alone, in his Name alone, in his right hand alone, in his power alone, and in his greatness alone. But do we not honour him in the very place where he hath honoured us? Not praise him in the very time, wherein he hath done great things for us? Not rejoice amidst all our comforts, benefits, and deliverances? Are we not now most glad, that he gives us blessed proofs, that he is become our own God, strength, deliverer, and salvation? Oh let us tremble at this unthankfulness, and so amend this negligence, as we may say justly, as they have said, There, there did we rejoice in him: and still may we rejoice in him.  
For, 
Verse 7.  He ruleth by his power for ever.] Ye righteous, fear not the frowns of fortune, falsely so called, the hatred of the world, sickness, famine, sword, or pestilence, the sons of mortal men, hellish principalities, or powers, 
Dan. 4.  nor any creature: for your God ruleth according to his will in the armies of heaven, and in the inhabitants of the earth, 
Psal. 135.  doing whatsoever pleaseth him every where. Ye wicked, fear, and tremble; be full of sorrow, and heaviness; 
Psa. 145.20  howl and lament; for God ruleth, who preserveth all them that love him: but all such as you are, he destroyeth: All ye , 
Rom. 8.28.  repent speedily, for God ruleth, who makes all things work together for the best to them that love him: 
Psal. 11.  but upon you he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest, this shall be the portion of your cup, because not chance, nor fortune, nor Planets, nor winds, nor Popes, nor hell, nor creatures rule, but God alone ruleth.  
He ruleth by his power.] Ye Potentates, and sons of the mighty, lift not up your horns on high, oppose not your greatness against any ordinance of God; for he ruleth by his power, 
Dan. 4.35, 37.  none can stay his hand, nor may say to him, What dost thou? Them that walk in their pride, he is able to abase. Ye sinners, provoke not him to anger, for he ruleth by his power; if ye still forget him, and will not consider, he will tear you in pieces, 
Psa. 50.22.  and none can deliver you. Ye that fear him, be not discouraged, because your enemies are too strong for you: doubt not of relief, because your misery seems helpless: despair not of recovery, because you see no remedy: for your God not only ruleth, but he ruleth by his power, even by his mighty power, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself: 
Phil. 3.21. Ephes. 3.20.  even by his infinite power, whereby he is able to do exceeding abundantly for you, beyond all that you can ask, or think.  
For ever.] Think not, O ye wicked, that there is any time, wherein you shall have the rule in your hands, or shall escape his judgements; for he ruleth for ever, 
Dan. 4.34.  his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and of his kingdom there is no end. Rejoice, O ye righteous, for the providence, the goodness, the protection, the presence, the power, the justice, the mercy of the Lord your God shall never be diminished, shall never cease, shall never fail you; for he ruleth by his power for ever: 
Ps. 146.10.  Thy God, O Zion, reigneth, and he shall reign for ever.  
His eyes behold the nations.] O ye mad people, 
Isa. 29.15.  that seek out deep devices to hide your counsels from the Lord, and to keep your works secret in dark, ask, Who seethe us? Who can know us? woe be unto you: for his eyes behold the Nations; 
Pro. 15.11  hell,. and destruction are before him; how much more the hearts of the children of men? he hath seen all your imaginations, 
Psa. 10.14.  he beholdeth all your mischief and spite to requite it with his own hand. Ye faithful ones, be the same in all places, and in all countries, dissemble no where, sinne no where; for your God will find it out, his eyes behold all Nations, 
Psal. 33.13.  he beholdeth all the sons of men, his eyes are upon all the ways of man, 
job 34.21.  and he seethe his doings; his eyes are in every place beholding both the evil and the good. 
Prou. 15.3.  You that are in affliction, do not say, 
Isa. 40.27.  My way is hid from God: but be glad, and rejoice in his mercy, 
Psal. 31.7.  in the midst of thy misery, with full assurance that he considers thy trouble, and knows thy soul in adversities; for his eyes behold the Nations, and his eye- lids do try the children of men: 
Isa. 40.28.  there is no searching of his understanding: Behold, his eye is upon them that fear him, and that hope in his mercy, to deliver their soul from death, 
Psal. 33.19.  and to keep them alive in famine. All people trust in the living Lord of heaven and earth, have him alone to be your God, for he is the very God: The Heathen gods have eyes, 
Psal. 115.5.  and see not; 
Gen. 1.31.  but our God seethe every thing that he hath made, and his eyes behold all Nations.  
Let not the rebellious exalt themselves: they which are rebellious, let them not be lifted up too much in themselves.] Pray for this unto the Lord, so oft as you hear of Nations rebelling against any Christian Country; for he alone is able to tame, and spoil the stout- hearted, 
Psal. 76.  and can cause the men of might to have no strength in their hands. Pray for this unto him, so oft as you see any proud persons exalt themselves against the free passage of the Gospel; 
Rom. 16.20  for he alone is able to bruise Satan himself, and to tread him down under our feet. Pray for this unto him, when the enemy waxeth still prouder; for though he suffer them sometime to afflict us, 
Deu. 32.27  yet he cannot abide that they should behave themselves proudly, and strangely against us. Pray for this unto him, even when thy sons and daughters are arrogant and insolent: for he will either break them, because they are rebellious, or if they belong to him, he will heal their rebellions.  
O bless our God, 
Verse 48.  ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard.] God holy ones are so affected with desire to praise him, as they provoke all other also to praise him. Have you no desire to praise God? Oh, how can you ask any mercy at his hands? Is your desire to praise him so weak, as it moves you not to draw others to this duty? Oh, how little reckoning make you of God, and of his glory? and how careless are you of others salvation? Do you provoke others to dishonour and blaspheme him? Oh, you do an abominable thing; such a wickedness, as never did wicked Idolaters to their false gods. Beware of no affection: beware of too little affection, and labour to this high affection unto the praise of God, which will move you to exhort others to it, 
Psal. 34.3.  saying, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his Name together.  
Our God.] This is the glory of God's people, that the Lord hath made them so near unto him as they may very boldly profess, and call him, Our God. Oh ye hypocrites, this glory doth not belong to you: if you call him, 
Matt. 7.21.  Our God, he denyeth it, saying, Away from me, ye workers of iniquity, I know you not. Oh, you enemies to the true doctrine of Christ, this glory doth not belong to you; if you call him, Our God, he denyeth it, saying, Not I, but your belly is your god, 
Phil: 3.19.  and your end damnation. Oh you worldlings, this glory belongs not to you, ignorant, blind, and unbelieving souls: if you call him, Our God, he denyeth it, saying, Not I, 
2. Cor. 4.4.  but the Devil is your god. But, oh ye servants of the Lord, to you, even to you doth this glory belong, if you call him, Our God, he denyeth it not, but answereth, I am the Lord your God, 
Psal. 81.10.  and you are my people. All that desire this glory, 
Hos. 2.23.  be his true servants, be in Christ, be in fellowship with his Church, then may you say also, The Lord is Our God, even our own God: 
Psal. 144.  then are you blessed, Oh blessed are the people, whose God is the lord 
Rom. 8.32.  Then are you protected. If God be on our side, who can be against us? Then are you safe: 
Psal. 48.14.  Our God will be our guide even unto death. Rejoice that the Lord is become your God, prepare an habitation for him in your hearts, 
Exod. 15.2.  exalt him with your tongues, and call to others, saying, Bless our God, bless our God, O ye people.  
And make the voice of his praise to be heard.] This is the token that people are come unto God, when they make others hear them praise God: they that make others hear them praise Images, and superstitious Popish Ceremonies, show no token that they are come unto God: they that make others hear them praise the sinful pleasures of wicked lust, show no token that they are come unto God: they that make others hear them, by swearing, and lying, and other sins, blaspheme God, show no token of coming unto him: they that are afraid, and ashamed to let others hear them profess, praise, and glorify God, show no token that they are come unto him. But they that with zeal, modesty, reverence, and sincerity do make others hear, and perceive that they do acknowledge, honour, and praise God, do show a sufficient token that they are indeed come unto him. Therefore, when the exercises of praising God are performing, congregate together readily thereto, lurk no where in Kitchen, or Hall, or Buttery, or Chamber, or Yard, or Street, or any where absent, which is enough to make you suspected of irreligious hearts. But come forth all, & come affected, and come prepared to pray together, to hear together, and to sing together, that we may together bless our God, and make the voice of his glorious praise heard, even his praise, [Which holdeth our soul in life.] 
Vers. 9  Even his praise, which hath restored our souleunto life: The restoring of our souls unto life, & the holding of them in life, are special reasons to lead us to praise God. Oh man, or woman, whose soul by sickness, or by the malice of enemies, or by other evils hath been compassed about with the sorrows of hell, and been in the snares of death, and God of his marvelous goodness hath redeemed it, and restored unto life, and doth still preserve, and keep thee healthful, and alive: Dost thou disobey this good God? dost thou dishonour him with thy life? dost thou sin against him with the health and liberty that he gives thee? dost thou not praise him for his wonderful kindness? O foolish body, and unwise, 
Deut. 32.6.  do you thus requite the Lord?  
O ye righteous, be it fare from you to be so ungracious: do not you so requite the Lord; but remember all his benefits, 
Psal. 107.  think upon all his goodness, and consider in particular, how when your souls were in woeful misery, when your lives were in great jeopardy, your troubles were sore, and many, he heard your cry, he sent you help from his holy place, and he redeemed you from all your miseries; and it is he only which holdeth our soul in life, and  
Suffereth not our feet to be moved.] They that do serve God faithfully, are in the greatest safety. Ye bloody and deceitful men, why do you imagine mischief against God's faithful servants? They shall be as Mount Zion, 
Psal. 125.1.  which cannot be remoned. Ye gates of hell, why do you offer violence to God's Saints? 
joh. 10.29.  They are in his hands, who is greater than all, and none can pluck them out. Ye men on earth that desire to be safe, why do ye not turn from your sins, and come to our God to serve him? Then you shall be safe, 
Psal. 15.5.  and shall never be moved. Ye righteous, why are you afraid in any condition, or for any man's threatening? Fear not, 
Psal. 55.22.  faint not, cast your burden upon the Lord, he will sustain you, and will never suffer you to be moved. Are we safe? Is our King safe? Is the King's son safe? Is our Land safe? Are our Preachers, and people safe? Are our wives, and children safe? Are our goods and  safe? Give God alone the glory, sing praise to his Name: 
Psal. 36.6.44.4, 6, 7.  for he only saveth us, he preserveth man, and beast: Not our own arm, nor our sword, but he himself hath saved us from all our enemies, putting them to shame that hated us: 
Psa. 18.34.56.13.  he enlargeth our steps under us, he holdeth our feet that they slip not, he keeps them from falling, he sets them, 
40.3.  as on a Rock, and suffers them not to be moved; and if at any time, 
30.6, 7.  to check us for our security, and vain confidence, we be moved, and troubled, it is only his gracious trial of us, that we might then look to him, and say to him, In this also we acknowledge thine hand.  
For thou, O God, hast proved us: 
Verse 10.  thou hast tried us, as Silver is tried.] God children can pick matter of thanksgiving, and of consolation out of their affliction. O thou that quarrelest at the godlies Religion, because of their tribulation, and scoffest at their Profession, because of their affliction: their cross is better than thy crown; their misery, than thy prosperity; their sorrows, than thy pleasures. For thou pickest out of thine abundance, matter of irreligion, of pride, of unthankfulness, of cruelty, of condemnation: but they out of their sore affliction, matter of rejoicing, of thanksgiving, and of consolation. 
Psal. 73.21, etc.  O child of God, whose mind is grieved, who art pricked in thy reines, whose flesh, and whose heart faileth because of rebuke, and chastening; be no more so foolish, so ignorant, and so like a beast before the Lord, regard and take out this lesson, pick thou matter of comfort, and of thanksgiving out of thine affliction.  
But here must be grace, wisdom, experience, and observation: First, grace; for if we be by faith in Christ entered into that grace, 
Rom. 5.2, 3  wherein we stand under hope of God's glory, then shall we even glory in tribulations. Secondly, wisdom; for if we be truly wise, we shall understand the easy and wealthy place of the  to be so slippery, 
Psal. 73.18.  and their end such infelicity, and so unhappy, as we shall praise God that we drink not of their full cup of prosperity, 
Heb. 11.25, 26.  and prefer the affliction of God's people, before their sinful and short pleasures; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches, than the treasures in Egypt. Thirdly, experience; for if we find the trial how God comforteth us in all our tribulation; 
2. Cor. 1.4.  yea, so fare as he makes us able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of him, we shall get much joy, and hope, and bless the Lord with great gladness. Fourthly, observation; for if we observe, first, Who afflicteth us, namely, our faithful Creator, our heavenly Father, our own God, who may justly say, 
Mic. 6.3.  What unkindness have I ever done unto you? Wherein have I been any way grievous unto you? 
2. Cor. 1.31.  I have been always a Father of mercies unto you; a God of all comfort unto you. I am the Father of spirits, 
Heb. 12.9.  to whom you ought to be in subjection, much rather then to the fathers of your flesh. Secondly, 
Vers. 7.8.  How he dealeth with us when he afflicteth us, namely, he therein dealeth with us, as with sons; not as with bastards, whose-fathers' are ashamed to have them under their nurture; but, as with natural, and legitimate children, whom the parents nourish and chasten.  
Thirdly, Out of what affection he afflicts us, namely, out of his most fatherly love. 
Prou. 3.12.  For whom he loveth, he chasteneth, even as a father doth that son in whom he delighteth. Fourthly, His ordinary entering of us into his number, and into his Kingdom, which is by afflictions: For every son, whom he receiveth, 
Heb. 12.7.  he scourgeth; 
Acts 14.22  and through much tribulation we must enter into his Kingdom. Fifthly, How he afflicteth us, namely, in measure, with such moderation, and mingling of mercy with judgement, as, though we be sore chastened, 
Psa. 118.18  yet we are not killed: 
Lam. 3.22.  though we be sharply corrected, yet we are not consumed: 
1. Cor. 10.13.  though the tentation be long, or great, yet we be made able to bear it. Sixthly, What he doth in afflicting us, namely, he proveth us, he doth not provoke us like the Tempter, but proveth us like a Father, 
Deut. 8.2.  that he may know, or that rather he may make it known to our selves, and to our friends that joy at it, and to our foes that gnash their teeth at it, what is in our hearts, and what care, and constancy there is in us to keep his commandments. Seventhly, To what end he afflicteth us, namely, to our profit, and to do us good; 
Heb. 12.10 Deut. 8.16. & ver. 2.5. Isa. 27.9. Hos. 5.15. 1. Cor. 11.32. 2. Tim. 2.12  as to purge us: to humble us: to take away our sin: to nurture us: to draw us to himself: to save us from the condemnation of this world: to make us partakers of his own holiness: and to fit us to reign with him in his Kingdom. eight, How he esteemeth us, in afflicting us, namely, not as he esteemeth the wicked, whom he taketh away from the earth like dross: but as he esteemeth his Saints, whom he keepeth under his own wings, and in his own hand, as precious gold: not as refuse silver, which he rejecteth; but as fine silver, which he hath tried, and fined for his own use. If we observe all these, who seethe not that we may pick out matter of consolation, and thanksgiving out of our affliction, and rejoice that we are able to say, Thou, O God, hast proved us, thou hast tried us, as silver is tried: thou hast magnisied us, 
job 7.17, 18  in setting thine heart upon us, to visit us every morning, and to try us every moment.  
Thou broughtest us into the net: 
vers. 11.12.  thou laidest affliction upon our loins: Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads: we went throrow fire, and thorough water.] God doth ofttimes exercise his very dear children with very sore, and manifold affliction. Art thou afflicted, O Christian? Look unto God, as job did: as David did: 
job 1.21. Psa. 118.18. Dan. 9.12.  as Daniel did: as here the godly did: and confessing it to be he that hath brought thee unto it, that hath laid it upon thee, that hath caused men to do it, consider it wisely: 
Eccl. 7.14. jam. 4.7. Heb. 12.9.  submit thyself to it quietly: take it reverently: acknowledge it thankfully, and bear it constantly; yea, 
Heb. 10.32, etc.  though thou know thine own innocency: for so he exerciseth oft times his dear, and his righteous children.  
Art thou his obedient child? 
Job. 1.8. 1. Sam. 13.14. Dan. 9.23. Acts 9.15. Mat. 3.17.  think it not strange, be not discomforted that thou art afflicted: job righteous: David a man after his own heart: Daniel, beloved: Paul, a chosen vessel: Christ, his only Son, in whom he is well pleased: yet all these he sorely afflicted. Being so; O ncere Christian, under his affliction, admire his wisdom: think of the lot of thy fellow brethren: care not for the wickeds upbraiding: endure the uncharitables censuring: and refresh thine heart with consolation, though, being one of his children, thou suffer sore affliction.  
How sore is it, when he casteth us as down on the ground, and (as it were) throweth us along under the most vile contempt of men, setting even Atheists, and Sycophants (as it were) to tread and trample upon us, and to make us no better then as mire under their very horses feet: exalting them on high above us, and bringing us to most low and base estate: 
Dout. 28.43, 44.  and us the tail? when he puts us to the hardest pinches, pains and perils that can be, and driveth us thorough the most grievous extremities, and most fearful calamities, to make us as hopeless to escape, as they are the burning that pass thorough a violent fire; or they drowning, that go thorough a deep gulf of water? Therefore, O beloved Christian, art thou in any affliction? 
1. Pet. 4.12. & 5.9. Heb. 12.3, 5.  think it no news; think it not thine alone case; think it not strange; be not weary of it; do not faint; distrust not; despair not: 
Acts 16.25  sing in thy prison; rejoice in thy dungeon; refuse not to take comfort; yea, remember thy lesson;  
That God, even our most gracious God, oft times doth exercise his very dear children with very great affliction: and not only so, but also with manifold affliction; 
Deut. 28.15, etc.  afflictions of the body by aches, pains, sicknesses, diverse diseases; afflictions of the name, by infamies, reproaches, and all bad reports: affliction of the goods, by losses, by thefts, by robberies, by debts, by sundry casualties: affliction of the mind, by terrors, by fears, by discontentments, by discomforts in husband, or in wife, or in children, or in servants, or in neighbours, or in friends: affliction of every kind, nets to ensnare us, burdens to oppress us, men to tyrannize over us, fire to burn us, water to drown us.  
O Christian man, or woman, is thine affliction not only sore, but also manifold? Fret not thyself for all this: 
Psal. 37.8.  consent not in any wise to do evil: forget not God's Name: 
Psal. 44.17, 18, 20.  deal not falsely in his Covenant: let not thine heart turn back, nor thy steps decline from his way, 
Heb. 10.35, 36, 37, 38.  nor stretch out thine hands to a strange god: cast not away thy confidence: live by faith patiently and joyfully; and to this end remember that thy confidence hath great recompense of reward: remember, that after long patience, thou shalt receive the promise: remember, that many are the troubles of the righteous: 
Psal. 34.19.  remember, that yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.  
Only, see thou be not the cause of thine own affliction, as wicked sinners are, as companions of the wicked are, 
Pro. 13.20. 1. Cor. 11.30 Ps. 107.17  and as careless Christians are: for than thou art a fool; then thy best comfort in thine affliction is to repent of thy transgression, 
jer. 17.16.  and to crave pardon. Again, see that thou desire not affliction; for though God please to send it, he will cause it to work to thy best: 
Rom. 8.28.  yet if thou wilfully desire it, he may leave thee to thy self, and so thou wilt pervert it to thy worst: it shows faith and obedience, wisely to bear it; but shows arrogancy and vain confidence, to desire it. Also marvel not, that God exerciseth his children oft times with sore affliction, when they would fain be in liberty and freedom; for it is his will: and who should have their will; the Father, or the Child? Parents ought to show, and maintain their own right will against the child's wicked, or wanton will; yea, though the child do pet at it, and be sick at it, etc. Otherwise (as lamentable experience shows) the child's wills fulfilling, is the parent's shame, smart, pain, and undoing. Now our heavenly Father, whose will is most holy, and who knoweth that his children's willed liberty, and wished freedom would be many times abused to his dishonour, therefore chooseth rather to his glory and their good, to cross their indiscreet and childish will in denying them ease, and freedom; & to do his own will in exercising them with sore affliction. 
Isa. 30.18.  O behold his goodness and wisdom herein! for all this is that he may have the fittest occasion to be gracious unto us: this he even waiteth for, and this these holy ones so experienced, as they have left a worthy confession of it, saying,  
But at length thou broughtest us into a wealthy place.] After God hath tried his children by affliction, 
Psal. 103.9.  he bringeth them out into the ways of consolation: he afflicteth them, he childeth them, he is angry with them, he bringeth them into the Net, he abaseth them, he commits them to the fire, he casts them into the water, he doth try them by affliction, but not always. Oh afflicted Christian, be patiented, though the Rod of the wicked come upon thee, 
Psal. 125.25  it shall not rest upon thee: be content, though thou be in trouble, thy trouble shall not last ever: be cheerful, though thou be in poverty, in debt, in misery, thou shalt come out: be of comfort, though it be long, 
Pro. 23.18.  yet there will be an end, and thy hope shall not be cut off: be thankful, and wait still on God, and let thy Soul keep silence unto him.  
For after he hath tried his Children by affliction, he bringeth them into the ways of consolation, he his own self doth it: he brought Israel out of Egypt, 
Exo. 20.2. Acts 7.10  joseph. out of Prison, David out of all his troubles; these out of the Net, out of the Fire, out of the Water: and he his own self brings all his Children out of their affliction. O thou good Christian, whom God hath brought into any grievous condition, 
Psal. 123.2.  even as the eyes of the Servant look to receive help from the hand of his own Master, and as the eyes of the Maiden are lifted up to the hand of her own Mistress: So lift up thine eyes, and expect deliverance from Gods own self: he himself hath wounded thee, and he himself will heal thee: he himself hath cast thee down, and he himself will raise thee up.  
Thou shalt not need to cry to any Creatures in Heaven or in Earth: Oh who will help me? Who will heal me? Who will comfort me? Who will deliver me? for he Himself will do it: as in afflicting thee, he gives not his Authority to another: so in releasing thee, he will not give his glory to another: Rejoice in the Net he hath brought thee into; rejoice in the affliction he hath laid upon thy loins; rejoice in the riding of men over thine head; rejoice in the fire ready to burn thee, and in the water ready to drown thee, for he himself will bring thee out, even he, to whose help thou mayst most confidently trust. Vain is the help of Man, 
Psal. 60.11.  but he is a sure Helper, he is a sure deliverer, he is a sure comforter; his power is a sure power, his willingness is a sure willingness, his promise is a sure promise, his mercies are sure mercies; 
Isa. 55.3.  they shall not be ashamed that wait on him, they shall not be forsaken that seek him, he will never fail them that trust in him: but after, for his own glory and their good, he hath tried them some while by affliction, he will in due time, even in due time, bring them out into consolation.  
O Christian, though yet thou be chastened every morning, do not say, 
Psa. 73.13.  I have washed mine hands in Innocency, and cleansed mine heart in vain: do not not say, The Lord hath forgotten to be merciful: do not say, 
116.11.  They that prophecy of future comfort unto thee, are Liars: do not say, thy way is hidden from the Lord: 
Isa. 40.27.  do not say, thy judgement is passed over of thy God: 
Psal. 97.11.  but believe that light is sown for the Righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart, and in due season, such shall reap a pleasant crop: 
Psa. 30.5, 11.  believe that at length he will turn thy mourning into rejoicing, and thine heaviness into gladness: though weeping endure all the night, yet joys shall come in the morning: 
126.5, 6.  Though thou dost now sow in tears, yet hereafter thou shalt reap in comfort: he will bring thee out of borrowing, into the ability for lending; out of present misery, into permanent felicity; out of a poor, sick, desolate and doleful case, into a delightful and wealthy enclosure.  
And when this is not according to thy expectation in Earth, remember the infinite and endless Consolation prepared, and reserved for thee in Heaven: 
16.9, 11.  and let thine heart be glad, and thy glory rejoice, and thy flesh rest in hope of that fullness of joy, and of those pleasures at his right hand for evermore.  
I will go into thine house with  Offerings. 
Vers. 13.  God delivering his people out of affliction, moves some in particular to greater zeal of the duties of Religion. Oh see the contrariety of some in affliction! they seem full of Devotion; but no sooner delivered, they return again to their vain conversation: these are even such as God saith, 
jer. 2.30.  receive no correction: they are such as have not upright hearts with him: 
Psal. 78.37. Isa. 1.5. Hos. 4.14.  they are such as provoke him to strike them no more as his children, but let them alone as bastards unto destruction. Oh, happy are we, if we be not of the number of these, but of such as in their own particular are moved to be more zealous in the duties of Religion, after they see how comfortably God hath brought them out of affliction: here is more than common grace; for such are very rare; here is true Wisdom; for after a wise man is rebuked, 
Pro. 9.8.  he will love more: here is right profiting by affliction; for after such are afflicted, 
Ps. 119.67, 71. Psalm 116.12.  they learn and keep God's Word the better: Here is a thankful mind indeed: for such are zealous of God's praise; such study what to render unto God; such desire to express their thankfulness in the presence of all God's people; such make haste to meet the Lord in his worship, saying even to himself, I will go into thine House.  
Oh man and woman, that art willing to go into the Tavern, and into the Alehouse, but unwilling to go into God's House: How foolish art thou to go like the evil servant, 
Mat. 24.49.  to eat and drink with the drunken, and to sit among Hypocritical Scoffers, and to refuse to go like the Servants of God to his House, to sing and pray with his Children, and to hear his holy Ministers? Oh thou that art willing to go into the gaming house, but not into God's House! How foolish art thou to go like the ding-thrift, to spend the precious time, and thy needful goods with the profane, unto thy vndooing, and to refuse to go like the Prudent, 
Pro. 23.23.  to buy the truth, and get grace unto health, and wealth, and salvation? Oh thou that art willing to go into the Harlot's house, but not into God's House! How foolish art thou to go like a Fool to the Stocks, 
Pro. 7.22.  and like an Ox to the slaughter, unto the house that leadeth to death, and to refuse to go like the Wise and Religious, unto the House that leadeth unto Happiness, Comfort, and eternal Life?  
Oh man or woman that art willing to go into God's House, that lovest the place where his Honour dwelleth, 
Psal. 26.8. Psa. 84.1, 2.  that holdest his Tabernacles amiable, that feelest thy soul longing, and fainting for the Courts of the Lord, 
Psal. 122.1  that art glad to hear and see others willing to go unto his House, 
Psal. 27.4.  that desirest to dwell all the days of thy life in his House; how prudent and how wise art thou? for there thou shalt behold the beauty of the Lord, inquire at his mouth, 
Rom. 10. Psal. 65.4. Psal. 84.4, 11.  hear the happy tidings of peace and of good things, be satisfied with goodness, be ever praising of God; there God will be the Sun and the Shield unto thee; there he will give thee grace and glory; 
Psal. 63.5.  there he will feed thy Soul with better than marrow and fatness, there will he hide thee in his Pavilion, and in the secret of his Tabernacle in the time of trouble.  
With  Offerings will I go, 
Ver. 13.15.  I will offer unto thee burnt Sacrifices of fat Rams, with Incense: I will prepare Bullocks with Goats in abundance.] The godly worship God personally, rightly, delightfully, and plenteously: Personally, for they come, and they offer in their own persons: Rightly, for they offer to God that which he prescribeth, then Legal, now Evangelicall Sacrifices: Delightfully, for they offer with Incense, 
Exo. 30.34.  with artificial & most pleasant presume of sweet Spices: under the Law, with spiritual most pleasant perfume of Christ's most sweet intercession, and of the most sweet grace of his Spirit under the Gospel: Plenteously, for they offer not a Ram, 
1. Chr. 29.21.  or a Bullock, or a Goat, but Rams, Bullocks, and Goats, many Offerings and many Sacrifices.  
O you that come not to appear before the Lord in the assemblies of his people personally: how saucy and unreverent is this? Not a pretended necessity, to ride out to see your purchase; 
Luke 14.18, 19, 20.  nor the desire to go try your yoke of Oxen newly bought; nor your reason to tarry at home with your late wedded wife, will serve to excuse it. Oh, you that come, and do offer, but not rightly, in that you offer not that which he prescribeth, but your own fancied repetitions, your own supposed good intents: how unjust, how uncomely is this? 
Mat. 15.9. 1. San. 15.23 Eccl. 5.1.  This worship, is a worship in vain: this service, is a rebellion and stubbornness: this offering, is a sacrifice for fools: this doing, is doing of evil. Oh, you that offer, but not delightfully, not with incense, not in Christ's name; not in sincerity; not with grace in your hearts: how unprofitable, and how unacceptable is this? You keep back God's part, his portion, his delight, and so (without you repent) you shall find him another day, as Nadab and Abihu partly found him, 
Leu. 10.2.  that is, a consuming fire. 
Hob. 12.28, 29.  Oh, you that come and offer to God, but not plentifully, but empty- hearted, grudgingly, with weariness, and snuffing at it, even snuffing at the pure, and plentiful worship of God, disdaining that he should be so plenteously made known by his Preachers, and his Word so powerfully taught by them! how ? how crooked? and how unthankful is this? 
Mal. 1.6, 7, 8, 10, 14. & 2.2.  The Lord holds this a despising of his Name, and a contemning of his Table. He hath no pleasure in such worshippers, he accepts no such offerings, he reckons such offerers, deceivers, he curseth them, and their blessings.  
Oh, you therefore that fear God, follow the example of the godly Prophet; come (especially on the Sabbaths) and appear personally before the Lord, to worship him in your own persons. For thus do all his Saints, they all sit down at his feet, 
Deut. 33.3.  that every one of them may receive of his words: 
Psal. 84.7.  every one of them appeareth before him in Zion. Come, and offer to him the sacrifices which he prescribeth: so did the godly under the Law; so do you under the Gospel, worship him rightly: then they gave him the  offerings of fat Rams, Bulls, and Goats: now give him that which is your reasonable service of him; even in all thankfulness for all his mercies towards you in Christ jesus; 
Rom. 12.1.  present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to him. Come, & worship him delightfully, pray, give him thankes, hear his Word, receive his Sacraments with holy incense, with a pure mind, 
1. Tim. 2.8.  with truth in the inward affections, 
Psa. 51.6. Heb. 12.28 Col. 3.17.  with grace in your hearts, and in the Name of the Lord jesus. For this he loveth; this is pleasing unto him; in this he delighteth; this makes our sacrifices acceptable unto him. Come, and worship him plenteously: as they prepared many Rams, and Bulls, and Goats to offer unto him; so prepare to bring in your prayers, plentiful devotion; in your thanksgivings, plentiful affection; in your hearing his Word, plentiful attention; in receiving his Sacraments, plentiful feeling; and in dedicating your whole life, and self unto him, plentiful and unwearied application.  
I will pay thee my vows, 
Verse 14.  which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble, or affliction.] What the godly promise God in their debts, sickness, or any other misery, they are careful to perform in their wealth, health, and liberty. Oh thou man, or woman that didst vow, and promise to God, that if he brought thee out of debt, thou wouldst never be a vain companion, a careless waster, an idle walker, unthrifty,  any more; 
Pro. 3.9. Psal. 16.3.  but honour him with thy substance, and extend thy liberality to his Saints! O, thou that didst in thy sore sickness promise and vow unto him, that if he brought thee to health again, thou wouldst never neglect the Church, neglect hearing his Word, profane his holy day, swear, lie, keep ill company, be unruly any more; but fear, honour, serve him, live like a good Christian all thy life! O, thou that didst in any kind of distress, trouble, or misery promise and vow unto him, that if he would deliver thee, thou wouldst never be irreligious, unholy, wicked, disobedient any more; but do all such duties, observe all such orders, follow all such Ways as most agree to his holy will, and Word, and glory! And hath he been kind unto thee, according to thy necessities? and hast not thou paid thy vows unto him, which thy lips uttered in thine affliction? but denied, neglected, or forgotten the same?  
Oh, how unjust, how unthankful, how , how dishonest, how shameful is this? So to promise, was as little as thou couldst do; and wilt thou not respect to do so little for God, that hath done so much for thee, as to endeavour to perform thy promise? Thou wouldst have given any thing, and been at any cost to have been delivered; GOD hath done it freely for thee, and dost thou deny to pay him thy vowed service? Whom will't thou regard? 
Isa. 57.11.  To whom wilt thou keep thy word, since thou liest unto God? Thou canst no way excuse thyself: 
Eccles. 5.2, etc.  if thou plead rashness, and haste; oh, how dared thou be rash and hasty, to speak thou couldst not tell what unto the high God of Heaven? If thou confess it was thy folly; why, he hath no pleasure in fools. If thou think it no great matter, thou deceivest thyself, in promising without conscience to perform; thy mouth hath caused thy whole self to stand guilty of much sin: better it had been (though that would have witnessed thine unthankfulness, and forgetting of God) that thou hadst not vowed, then to vow, and not to pay.  
Oh, Christian, do thou both, vow, and pay: God by troubles and afflictions doth (as it were) call thee, and even importune thee to vow something unto him; as some lawful, allowed & prescribed testimony of thy thankfulness: if thy lips have uttered, and thy mouth hath advisedly, reverently, and holily spoken some vow unto his Majesty, in the day of thy misery; see that thou carefully perform it, as soon as he grants thee any delivery. If a filthy fornicator, and a rebellious fornicatresse, pretend conscience of keeping their abominable vow against all GOD'S forbidden; 
judg. 11.3.  if Micha's mother, making a mad vow to make a graved image for her son, was so diligent to perform it; oh, how careful should we be to pay our lawful and holy vows, a part of his worship unto GOD? Precept, praise, peace, pattern, and profit requireth this at us. Precept of GOD; for he commandeth us to pay our vows unto him, 
Eccl. 5.4.  and that quickly, without delay. Praise; 
Psal. 65.1.  for this is a part of the praise given to Zion, that in it the vow shall be performed unto GOD. Peace; 
Deu. 23.21  for if we have speedily paid that we vowed, our conscience shall excuse us of that inquiry, and that sin, that otherwise we are guilty of. Patterne; 
Gen. 28.20  for this is exemplified to us in jaakob; in Israel; in David; in Hannah; 
Num. 21.2. Psal. 116.  and all other holy ones: and paying our vows to God, we follow their godly example. Profit; for if we pay our vows to GOD, 
1. Sam. 1.11  he will still give us more blessings, and make us have such experience of his goodness, as each one of us shall have cause to say,  
Come, and hear, all ye that fear God, 
Verse 16.  and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul.] The knowledge of God's goodness to his people in general, moveth the true godly to note what it is to themselves in particular. Oh, beware here of the most fearful spirit of some; I mean of the spiteful wicked: for when they see GOD'S goodness to his people, 
Ps. 112.10.  they be grieved at it, they gnash their teeth for anger, and they melt away with envy: which showeth that they are inspired with the malice of the Devil: for from the beginning, he and his have been so hellishly-minded. But behold, and take your mark by it: the true godly put the sight, and knowledge of this to a most worthy and excellent use: for it moveth them to note, what Gods goodness is to their very selves in their own particular.  
Oh Christian, do thou so: hast thou heard what great, excellent, wonderful, and what comfortable things, God in all ages hath done for his people, to witness his mercy, love, righteousness, and truth unto them, and to make them hope in him, trust in his Name, serve him, and be assured that they are blessed of him? Oh think, and observe what he hath done also for thy person! Oh, if thou canst tell of none, but common to every creature, yea and to the unjust, as well as to the just, than thy case is uncomfortable: but if thou find, that to thee also he doth communicate his special kindness, and his singular favour; then thou hast that which is for comfort, for rejoicing, for assurance, and for instruction: for comfort, because thereby thou seest that God comforts thee, as one of his own, by doing for thee, as for his very own. For rejoicing, because thereby God gives thee reason to sing with blessed Mary, 
Luke 1.46.  My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour, for he hath done great things for me. For assurance, because thereby thou art assured, that God remembreth thee with the favour of his own people, 
Psal. 106.4, 5.  and makes thee see the felicity of his chosen. For instruction, because thereby thou art fitted to relate the goodness of the Lord unto others out of thy own experience.  
Come, and hear, and I will tell you, what God hath done for my soul.] He that is guided by a right spirit, is careful to use all good means to bring others comfort. Oh, the scarefull carriage of such as be guided by a froward, and unclean spirit, as Cain, Saul, Doeg, judas, and the like: for these use what means they can to bring to others, and especially to the godly, discomfort. Oh, happy are they that are guided by a right spirit: for they seek every way to comfort others, chief such as are godly: they lead a life to comfort them, perform good actions to comfort them, and they lay up words to comfort them: they even purpose to relate what sweetness they have found in God's goodness towards their own souls, unto other Christians to rejoice, and solace their holy minds therewith: 
Act. 14.26, 27.  so did Paul, and Barnabas to the Church at Antioch: so did Peter to the Christians in the house of Mary praying together: 
12.12, 17.  teaching us the like zeal, delight, love, and desire to comfort others, David stands forth and saith to the godly,  
Come, and hear, all ye that fear God.] It is a Christians duty to hear of God's private and special benignity. O worldling, thou savourest nothing, 
Psal. 4.7.  but this transitory world: O profane person, 
Act. 18.15.  thou holdest such questions, nothing but vain words, and idle names: O hypocrite, thou (measuring another by thy line) accountest such relation, but vain glory: O sincere Christian, it is my duty to declare it, 
Psal. 25.12, 14.  and thine to hear it; for thou fearest God, and so oughtest to have the special things of God revealed unto thee: thou fearest God, and so wilt be glad to hear how kind God hath been unto me: 
Ps. 119.74.  thou fearest God, and so wilt cheer thine own soul with that comfort which thou hearest that God hath given to another's soul.  
And I will declare what he hath done for my soul.] It agreeth to true piety, to declare our own experience of God's special mercy. O man, or woman, to whom God hath been specially merciful, 
Psa. 106.7, 21.  and thou hast not understood it: O thou to whom he hath vouchsafed a multitude of mercies, and thou hast not remembered them: O thou, for whom he hath done great things, and thou hast forgotten him: O thou, 
Psal. 147.  with whom he hath dealt more graciously, then with many others, and thou dost not so much as think, or speak of it: O thou, 
Deut. 32.  whom he hath crowned with rare benignities, and thou hast lightly esteemed both himself, and his benefits: how perverse, froward, and impious is this thy dealing? Many would fain see that, which God hath offered thee to see, and cannot: many would fain hear that, which thou mightest hear, and may not: many would turn unto God, and love him, and praise him, if those glorious things, mighty works, and gracious doctrines were uttered to them, that have been plentifully showed unto thee: woe unto thee for thine ingratitude, woe unto thee for thine impiety.  
O Christian, be it otherwise with thee; 
Gen. 45. Exod. 18.1. Sam. 1. Luk. 1. 1. Tim. 1. Psa. 40.10.  show thy piety, by declaring thine own experience of God's special mercy, as joseph did: as Moses did: as Hannah did: as Mary did: as the Apostle did: hide not his righteousness within thine heart: conceal not his loving kindness, but declare his mercy, and his salvation. Thou declarest to thy wife, or to thy neighbour, thy experience of some friends special friendlynesse; O how much more shouldest thou, to win them to God also, declare to wife, and family, and neighbours, thine experience of God's special mercy? Imitate this holy man, saying: Come, let your work alone a little while; come, let your business stay a little while; come, leave off your other communication a little while; come, sit down by me, and give ear a while to what I shall tell you, and hear, and I will tell you excellent, admirable, comfortable things, even  
What God, hath done for my soul.] Much of our bounden praise of God, consists in an holy observation, and faithful mention of our own part, in the particular goodness of God. O thou, whom God doth not afford the matter of such observation: O thou, to whom God gives no cause of any such mention: 
Hos. 4.17.  but let's thee alone, like Ephraim, like those blind leaders: leaves thee in fearful hunger, 
Mat. 15.14  thirst, shame, sorrow of heart, and vexation of spirit, 
Isa. 65.  like those that forsake him: suffers thee to walk in thine own ways, like all the Heathen of old time: 
Act. 14.16  gives thee up unto vile affections, and to a reprobate mind, 
Rom. 1.26, 28.  like those unreasonable Idolaters: thou canst not sing of his Name, thou canst not praise him, thou canst not glorify him; but clean contrary. And this is the punishment, the plague, the judgement of God, that thou canst be merry, but not in him: thou canst rejoice, but not in him: thou canst show testimonies of his wrath against thy soul, but thou canst not tell of any grace he hath given to thy soul.  
O happy Christian, remember wherein thy bounden thankes to God, and the plentiful argument of thy praising of him consisteth, namely, in thy holy observation, and faithful mention of thy own part in his particular goodness. O how great is his goodness, 
Psa. 31.19.  that he hath laid up for them that fear him! Be thou wise to observe thy part in it, 
Ps. 107.42.  that thou mayst understand the Lords loving kindness unto thy soul: observe whether thou canst say with the Prophet; Come and hear, all you that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul.  
He hath chosen me, 
Psal. 4.3.  and set me apart for himself: In the Volume of his Book of Life, 
40.7.  my Name is written in Heaven: 
23.3. 31.7.  He hath converted, and restored my soul: He hath known my soul in adversity: 
Psal. 30.3.  He hath brought my soul from the grave: 
86.13.  He hath delivered my soul from the lowest hell: 
71.17.  He himself hath taught me, 
32.5.  even from my youth: He hath forgiven mine iniquity, 
103.10, 13  and my sin: He hath not dealt with me after my sins, nor rewarded me according to mine iniquities: As a father pitieth his children, so he hath pitied me: 
118.6, 7, 21.  He is on my side, he taketh my part: He is become my salvation: He upholdeth me in mine integrity: 
41.12.  I was brought low, and he helped me: 
116.6.  Sometime he hath showed me great, 
71.20.  and sore troubles; but he hath by and by quickened me again: He hath brought me up again out of my deep miseries: He hath increased mine honour: He hath returned to comfort me on every side: He hath healed all my diseases: 
103.3.  He hath delivered my soul from death, 
116.8.  mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.  
I cried unto him with my mouth, 
Verse 17.  and I was exalted for the words of my tongue.] I cried earnestly unto him in my grievous misery, and because I prayed without doubting, in a steadfast faith, he lifted me up out of all my fears: He hath delivered me, 
71.3.  and caused me to escape: He hath given commandment to save me: 
139.17, 18  O how precious are his thoughts unto me! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number then the sand: 
Psa. 116.7, 23, 6.  He hath dealt so bountifully with me, as surely goodness, and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall even dwell in his House for ever.  
Canst thou tell all this the Lords admirable doing to thy soul (as every experienced Christian can?) see thou declare it, to shewthine abundant rejoicing in God: to magnify his benignity: to glorify his Name: and that sincerely, conscionably, reverently; and as David did, which was both (as Gods Saints use) to utter forth abundantly the mention of God's great goodness: 
145.7.  and also to show (contrary to carnal men's thoughts) how rich God is to all that call upon him, sets his heart upon them, careth for them, and preferreth them.  
If I regard iniquity in mine heart, 
Verse 18.  the Lord will not hear me.] The godly apply that unto themselves, if they become like the wicked, which God speaketh properly of them that be wicked. Oh, the unbelief of wicked ones indeed! for these will not believe the threatenings, that properly are threatened against them: they persuade themselves, 
jer. 5.12, 13  that no evil shall come upon them; they be conceited that they shall never see the judgements denounced; they hold the Preachers Words, prophesying the same to be an empty wind: Yea that the Preachers themselves shall sooner smart than they: they bless themselves in their own minds; they say in their own thoughts, We shall have peace, 
Deu. 29.19  though we walk in the imagination of our own hearts. O intolerable blindness! O high presumption! Hence they add drunkenness to their thirst; run with the Thief; 
Psal. 50.18 19, 20, 21. Eccl. 11.8.  partake with the adulterer; have hearts set on them to do evil; do never think & say in themselves upon the hearing or sight how God plague's such as they are, Certainly if I be still such a one, God will plague me also in the end, and more and more harden their hearts. O the fearful effects of the wicked and unbelievers of that which GOD hath set down as their doom; and yet this is not near all: 
Pro. 28.15. jer. 5.12. Deu. 23.20.  for hence they fall into more evil, they do even belie God himself, and God denies them his mercy, beside, hence they cannot repent.  
But the true godly believeth and applieth to himself, if he do that which is wicked, even the same punishment which God himself speaketh properly to them that are wicked: he expects no other, he looks for no toleration, he hopes for no dispensation: he saith with job, If I sin with the vain persons, 
job 3.1.  or the deceivers, or the adulterers, or the cruel Masters, or the oppressors, or the uncharitables, or the unjusts, or the idolatrous covetous ones, or the  worldlings, or the spiteful evious ones, or the churlish Nabals, or the common sorts sin, or any sin; the plagues of such sinners will come upon me. He saith with the Church, If I deal falsely in God's Covenant; 
Psal. 44.17, 18, 20, 21.  if I turn back, if I forget his Name, if I lift up my hands to a strange god, he hath said, He will search out such sinners to punish them, and therefore I shall not escape, but he will surely search me, and my sin out also. He saith with David, God hath said, 
Isa. 1.15.  When the wicked do spread forth their hands, I will hide mine eyes from them; when they make many prayers, I will not hear them. 
Joh. 9  I do not hear sinning sinners; therefore, If I regard wickedness in mine heart, I believe that I shall far alike; out of all doubt he will not hear me.  
Thus the truly godly apply God's threatenings to themselves; and that, because of their belief, and their experience; they believe that he is so true, as he will not break any of his words; they believe that he is so holy, as he cannot endure any to have access unto him in their sins; they believe he is so just, as he judgeth without respect of person; 
Iosh. 22.20.  they observe in their own experience, how, as God hath threatened, even so he hath executed upon them that have sinned.  
Oh the happy, and blessed fruits of the godlies belief of God's judgement, even upon themselves, if they fall unto sin! Hence they stay themselves from yielding to temptations, saying: 
Gen. 39.9.  How can I do this great wickedness, and so sin against God? Hence, though they endure never so much affliction, yet they hold faithful, 
Psal. 44.17.  saying: All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee. Hence they labour to prevent sin in their brethren, lest they be judged together with them, saying, to those that they think are revolting, 
jesh. 22.17.  Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day; but that ye must turn away from God, and so you rebelling to day, to morrow his wrath will come upon us all? saying, to them that break the Sabbath; 
Neh. 13.17, 18.  What evil thing is this that ye do? Did not your Fathers thus, and did not God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this City? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel, by profaning the Sabbath. Hence they live always in fear to offend, 
1. Pet. 1.17.  saying, Since we call him Father, that judgeth without respect of person, according cording to every man; work, let us pass the time of our sojourning here in fear. Hence the Prophet saith, I will wash mine hands in innocency, and so compass God's Altar.  
The Lord will not hear me.] They are in woeful misery, whose hearts regard iniquity. O man, or woman, whose heart imagineth that which is evil: because thou art in health, in peace, in wealth, in prosperity, at hearts-ease; dost thou think that thou art not in misery? Yes, yes, thou art in woeful misery. For because thine heart deviseth, nourisheth, and regardeth iniquity, the Lord doth not hear thee: this is thy misery, and this is a grievous misery; 
Gen. 4.  This was the misery of Cain, that God would not hear him. This is the misery of such as hear not God's Word to obey it, 
Prou. 28.9.  that God heareth not their prayer, but holdeth it abomination; 
Jer. 14.11, 12.  this is the misery of such as fall away from God, that he will neither hear their own prayers, nor have his Prophets pray for them; this is the misery of such as refuse to be reclaimed from their old customs, vanities, and follies, 
Prou. 1.28.  that though they come in their extremities, and call earnestly, and seek early unto God for mercy, he will not be found of them, he will not answer them, he will not hear them; this is the misery of such, as for all Gods continual pains, and care, and cost in bringing them up like children, 
Isa. 1.2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.  yet they rebel against him; that he delighteth not in their sacrifices; that he is displeased with their appearing before him, that he accounteth their offerings and their incense abomination; that he cannot away with their holy days, their Sabbaths, their solemn meetings; that he hateth their high times, takes them a trouble to him, is weary of them, cannot bear them, and that he hideth his eyes from them, and will not hear their prayers. Oh consider this, thou, whose heart is full of wickedness, whose heart regardeth neither piety, truth, or mercy, but iniquity, ungodliness, vanity: consider and see, if this be not a sure, and heavy misery, that the Lord will not hear thee.  
O believe, as thou oughtest, that it is a grievous misery indeed: for what is a more grievous misery, than Gods most severe judgement? and as the foresaid places do prove, it is one of his threatened fearful judgements; such a judgement, as makes the godly lament, saying, 
〈◊〉. 3.8.  When I cry, and shout, he shutteth out my prayer: such a judgement, as make us unto ourselves comfortless. For what comfort can we have, when we cannot have comfort in God? And what comfort can we have in him, while he will not hear us? Such a judgement, as makes us unto others helpless: for what help can we give them, when we can procure no help to them from God? And how can we procure help to them from him, when he will not hear us? such a judgement, as denies us hope of all benefits for body, and soul: for what hope can we have to obtain any of them, when God, at whom we seek them, and of whom alone we must receive them, will not hear us? Such a judgement, as presages to us final exclusion: for what can we look for, but that in the end God will say to us, Away from me ye workers of iniquity?  
But, blessed Christian, 
Rom. 13.12  that hast so cast off the works of darkness: washed, 
Jsa. 1.16.  and made clean thyself: put away the evil of thy works out of God's sight: ceased to do evil: 
Ps 73.13  cleansed.. thine heart from the wickedness, and hypocrisy thereof: abandoned the love of iniquity: thou escapest this woeful misery, and thou partakest his most comfortable mercy: 
joh. 9.31.  for be heareth thy prayers; 
Isa. 65.24.  even while thou art speaking, he will hear, and before thou callest, 
Pro. 15.8.  he will answer; yea, thy prayer is his delight.  
O here is a mercy indeed: such a mercy, as entitles the Lord himself with that honourable description; O thou that hearest Zions prayer: 
Psal. 65.2.  such a mercy, 
1. Kings 8.30, 32, 34.36, 39, 43, 45, 49.  as in the dedication of the Temple King Solomon chief prayed for saying, to every kind of occasion of prayer; Then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place: Such a mercy, as makes us able to comfort ourselves in God in all our necessities: such a mercy, as arms us against discomfort in all miseries: such a mercy, as makes us hopeful of all temporal and eternal blessings.  
For whom he promiseth so to hear, he heareth to the purpose indeed: 
Psal. 34.17.  as it is said, The righteous cry, 
145.19.  and the Lord heareth, & delivereth them out of all their troubles. They that fear him, cry, and he heareth their cry, and saveth them. They ask, and he granteth: they seek, and he lets them find: they knock, and he opens unto them: they pray, and he gives them good things: they desire, and he gives them the Holy Ghost. This mercy is most worthy to be noted; this favour is most worthy to be observed; this blessing the holy Prophet took such notice of, as he was able to say: 
Verse 19  But verily God hath heard me, he hath attended unto the voice of my prayer.]  
Oh, 
Psal. 65.2.116.1.4.3.6.8, 9 Exod. 8.8.  this moves them to come unto him constantly: this moves them to love him dear: this assureth them, that he highly regardeth them: this comforteth them against their enemies: this causeth others to honour them, 
1. Sam. 7.8. joh. 9.31.  with craving their prayers: this witnesseth that they obey his Word, that they worship him, 
1. joh. 3.22.5.14.  that they do his will, that they do the things which please him: that they pray according to his will: that the Spirit prayeth in, and for them. 
Rom. 8.27.  This makes them the mostprofit able members in a family, in a town, in a city, in a kingdom: this proves to themselves, and others, their integrity, and upright heart with God, and that (notwithstanding, through humane frailty they err in many things) they cherish no hypocrisy, they digest no wickedness, they purpose no evil in their hearts. This special benefit David got, by observing how God heard his prayers, and thence reasoned, saying, If I regard iniquity in mine heart, God will not hear me: but verily God hath heard me, and attended unto the voice of my prayer: therefore, who dare say, that I regard any iniquity in my heart? Lastly, this observation provoketh (as it ought) the true godly, to great thankfulness; as it did this holy man, saying:  
Blessed be God, 
Verse 20.  which hath not put back my prayer from him; nor his mercy from me.] God not refusing our prayers, and his not withholding his mercy from us, requireth special thanksgiving at us. O they, that have had much, and long experience, how God hath not put back their prayers, nor kept away his mercy from them; and yet the time is to come that they have made, even very this point, an argument of thanksgiving. O this, even this one neglected, this one unknown, this one forgotten duty, puts them into the guilt of much iniquity; as the guilt of presuming, that God owes them the hearing of their prayers, and that he owes them his mercy: the guilt of esteeming, that it is no such great matter, that he turns not away their prayers from him, or his mercy from them: the guilt of not reckoning these among God's special benefits: the guilt of ignorance, that these are worthy signs of his goodness, and do deserve high account, much praise, and great thankfulness.  
Therefore, O Christian, if this have been thy guilt, repent unfeignedly thereof; show thyself sorrowful before God for it; make suit to him for the pardon hereof: and remembering, that ever since thou wast called, thou hast been a petitioner unto him; remembering, that thou hast made innumerable requests to him; remembering, that he might justly have excepted against thy petitions, for diverse wants in the best of them; remembering, that thou art most unworthy to utter thy mind unto his most high Majesty; remembering, that thou art not worthy of the very lest of his daily, hourly, continual, corporal, spiritual, necessary, more necessary, most necessary innumerable mercies, that he hath showed, doth show, and according to his faithful promise will show unto thee.  
Remember these things, and then think; how for all thy often coming, thy never ceasing to ask at him thy manifold wants, thy great unworthiness; yet, though a father, a mother, a most kind friend would have been weary; he never shown himself troubled, grieved, or weary, never put back thy prayers, nor kept back his special mercy, his most needful mercy, nor his saving mercy from thee. Thinking, I say, how for all thou hast given him sufficient occasion to provoke him to do it, yet he hath not done it; oh be thankful, oh be thoroughly thankful!  
For who knoweth not, that if he would, he might have turned away thy prayers from him: he might justly in anger, and sore displeasure have rejected them: he might have held back his mercy from thee? Oh what would become of us, if the Lord should refuse our prayers, and turn away his mercy? Oh than calamities, fearful desolation, dreadful destruction like a whirlwind, and sore distress, and anguish would come upon us, and we should find none to help us, there could be none able to comfort us, in the bitterness of our souls we should lament, we should cry out, saying: Oh, are not all these griefs, miseries, troubles, and evils come upon us, because the Lord hath put our prayers back from him, and kept his mercy back from us?  
O consider these things, and let us be wise; let us not still provoke him to refuse our prayers, by refusing his precepts; let us not still provoke him to hold back his mercies, by our holding back our duties: O, that our secure generation, so given over to manifold provocation, could so number their days, as they might apply their hearts speedily to this wisdom! never more need of this wisdom: oh, let us be yet wiser: let us make sure, that God shall continue not to turn away our prayers from him, nor his mercy from us; and this we do, namely, if we turn not away our hearing, and obedient harkening from his Word: if we hold not back our obedience, he will not hold back his acceptance: if we keep not back our duty, he will not keep back his mercy.  
And if he keep not back our prayers from himself, nor his mercy from us; oh, how happy are we! Then we have assurance that he loveth us; forgives us; will deliver us, and save us; heal our Land of all the miseries thereof; teach us in the good way wherein we should walk; and when we make moan because of drought, or famine, he will hear the Heavens (as it were) crying for us, and make the Heavens hear the Earth gaping after rain for us, and cause the Earth to hear the Corn, and the Wine, & the Oil, longing to grow forth for us, and will see that these shall hear us according to our want and several necessities. [My prayer from himself, nor his mercy from me.] God makes a blessed exchange with his blessed servants. O man, or woman, that sayest otherwise: o thou that sayest; I have offered unto God, and he had no respect unto it. 
job 21.15.  What profit should we have to pray unto him? We have fasted, and he beholds us not; we have humbled ourselves, and he takes no knowledge of it; we find no such exchange; we think, the proud and wicked receive more favour than we do; we account 'tis but in vain to serve him. 
Mal. 3.13.  O fearful stout words against God, and most false, 
Gen. 4.  except thou be naught, as Cain was; except thou be an Hypocrite, as the jews were; 
Isa. 58.  except thou be a wicked servant, as judas was; which, if thou be, thou must blame thyself. Otherwise thou shalt find his service, an happy service; thou shalt find a great difference between the righteous, 
Mal. 3.17, 18.  and the wicked; between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not; between the religious, and the irriligious: thou shalt find a service, like the service of a child to his dear and loving father. For as a father with such a child: so he makes a blessed exchange with his blessed servants.  
They bring him their offering, 
Gen. 4.4. Rom. 12.1. Ps. 115.12. Prou. 23. Matt. 7. Ephes. 4.  and he gives them his holy acceptation: they give him their bodies, and he gives them his blessings: they give him their hearts, and he gives them his Spirit, and his grace: they give him his worship, 
Psal. 50.23  and he gives them the comfort of his salvation: they honour him with their substance, and he fills their barns with abundance: 
Prou. 3.10. Mat. 10.41, 42. jam. 4.8. Rom. 8.28.  they give his Messengers a small reward, and he gives them a great reward: they draw near to him, and he draws near to them: they love him, 
Psal. 91.14, 15. Mal. 3.16, 17.  and he makes all work for the best unto them: they honour him, and he honours them: they think of his Name, and he keeps in remembrance their name. His glory, is their jewel, and he makes them his jewels: they are ever sending up their prayers, and praises to him, and he is ever multiplying his mercies unto them: oh, what a blessed exchange doth he make with his blessed servants?  
O wonderful bounty! o admirable benignity! behold, and admire this blessed exchange: it is worthy to be admired and magnified for ever. For what is it, for which God makes this exchange with his servants? Oh it is, 
Isa. 64.6.  as out of them, and as it is theirs, even no better than as filthy rags: and what are they with whom he makes it? oh, 
Mat. 8.8. Isa. 64.6.  as of themselves they are most unworthy; they are even as an unclean thing: and what is that, that they give him, considered in itself? Oh, it is none of theirs, 
1. Cor. 4.7.  it is nothing, but what he hath first given them; it is nothing, but what they have first received of him; it is only his very own: they must needs confess, saying, What are we, O Lord, 
1. Chron. 9.14, 16.  that we should be able, or apt to offer any thing unto thee? for all things come of thyself, and of thine own have we given unto thee: all duties that we render unto thee, are first taught us by thine own hand, and all that thou exchangest with us, is thine own, it is all thine own.  
O Christian, let this blessed exchange move thee to be ever in an holy exchanging with the Lord: move thee to glory in his liberality: move thee to hold no gain comparable to godliness: move thee to serve the Lord with gladness: move thee to come before him with rejoicing: move thee to maintain to the face of all blasphemers, that no service is so commodious to them that serve in it, as the Lords service is to his servants; none so honourable, none so comfortable; and that he is most rich to all that call upon him: move thee to confess, and say to him for all his exchanges in general; Now therefore, 
1. Chron. 29.13.  o my God, I thank thee, and praise thy glorious Name: move thee to confess, and say to him in particular for this exchange; Blessed be God, which hath not put back my prayer from himself, nor his mercy from me. His Name be extolled; his Name be praised; his most glorious Name be blessed for ever, and ever, Amen.   

A short Treatise upon the thirty one and thirty two Verses, of the one hundred and seventh PSALM.  
THE Holy Ghost, 
The drift.  setting forth the great praise of GOD, by this whole Psalm; First, 
The parts.  in a general proposition of the same in the first Verse, doth set it also forth. Secondly, by certain particular instances, or precedents of his most praiseworthy administration towards sundry most calamitous, and distressed, persons: 
The ending of each Narration.  ending the Narration of each of these, with one and the same special Exhortation. As also his gracious dealing towards miserable wanderers, harbourless, and succourless in strange Countries. His most favourable regard of woeful enthralled captives under the irons of cruel Tyrants. His wondrous mercy extended to such as were sore broken with violent sickness; and his admiral relief to such Seafaring men, as were in such desperate jeopardy, as no way but lamentable perishing, without his present powerful help.  
O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, 
Verse 31.  and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 
Verse 32.  Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the Elders.  
Or thus rather: Let them Confess, Magnify, Praise, To, Or before JEHOVA, his benignity, and his marvelous works to, or, before the sons of men: And let them exalt him in the congregation of the people: and in the assembly of Elders let them praise him.] 
What these verses are.  Which two Verses are an amplified exhortation to excellent Thanksgiving, teaching indeed (and without being more curious than the Text doth intent) thus much unto us: 
What they teach.  viz. That it is the duty of every one released out of misery, and of every partaker of God's benignity; both privately and publicly to praise his goodness, his works, and himself most worthily.  
It is the duty of the first sort, 
Proof of the first and second point.  by express precept in six Verses of this Psalm: it is also the duty of the second sort, as by the direct command of the 11. and 12. Verses of the 148. Psalm: so by implication in the said Verses of this said Psalm; as the learned Translatours of the New Translation do witness, in translating indefinitely, O that men would praise the Lord! Now it is their duty, to what? Why, 
Of the third  both privately: for, to, or with, or before jehova, as it used to be rendered, intimateth that secret devotion, which in Matt. 6.6. Christ commendeth, and commandeth to his Disciples. Also publicly: for, to, or before the sons of men, 
Of the fourth.  meaneth that open devotion which all are to join together, called next by way of exposition, The praising of God in the congregation, and in the assembly. This duty here, 
Of the fifth.  is to praise, First, God's goodness, Magnify to jehova his benignity. Secondly, His noble works, and his marvelous works. Thirdly, Himself, exalt him, praise him: and how? Most worthily. For all these circumstances, 
Of the sixth.  praise his marvelous or wonderful works, and exalt him; and that before himself, and in the congregation of the people, and in the assembly of Elders; do confirm this worthiest manner of doing this duty. Now to come to the application of this Doctrine:  
O, 
Application to the former.  we that have been released by the Lords admirable mercy, out of any misery, grievous corporal misery, or which is worse, grievous spiritual misery; 
The things reproved.  O let us think of our forgetting, of our neglect of this duty privately, or publicly, and worthily to praise our gracious God: 
How to think of these.  let us even seriously, and heavily think hereon to be ashamed of our unthankful forgetfulness, and negligence, & to repent thereof. To further this, 
How to search these consider Gods desire.  o let us search out and measure the grievousness of this forgetting, and of this neglect: to this purpose consider, First, How it crosseth Gods own desire; being released, eased, delivered, redeemed, healed, he desireth that we come and praise him; but we forget it, 
The godlies use.  we neglect it, albeit he desire it. Consider, secondly, how contrary we are herein to the examples of the ancient godly ones; o where do we find in the Scripture, any of the true holy ones defamed with this forgetfulness, 
Idolaters practice.  and with this neglect? Consider, thirdly, how, even gross Idolaters may rise up to condemn us; for which of them forget, or neglect to praise their abominable Idols, when they receive any victory, or be delivered out of any misery?  
Consider, 
Our taking on.  fourthly, how our own carriage in calamity serveth to condemn these sins. For when griefs are upon us we, pray, we cry, we shed tears, we make vows to God to move him to help us; and yet being helped, this duty is forgotten, this duty is neglected. Consider, 
Our case.  fifthly, what a case we were in before we were released; what a fare more grievous ease we had been in, if we had not been delivered, 
Our unworthiness.  and how unworthy we are that the Lord should relieve us at all. O let us consider all these, and then finding in ourselves, that for all the same, yet we have forgotten, yet we have neglected this duty of praise: let us then confess, and cry out: O, 
The use.  we have sinned, we have done wickedly: God hath remembered us, and we have forgotten him; he hath been liberal to us, and we have been unthankful to him: o, we have deserved, that our misery should have been doubled; o, we are ashamed; o forgive us, Lord, o, forgive us.  
And o we, 
Application to the latter things reproved.  that are otherwise partakers of the loving kindness of the Lord, let us also think of our negligence, unmindfulness, and backwardness to this duty to repent also, and to be ashamed of the same: considering to that end; First, 
to aggravate these, consider God's mind. The godlies use.  that it is against God's mind that we are so: for he would have us thankful for all his benefits we do enjoy. Secondly, it is against the use of his right servants: for they praise him, and as it is, Psal. 145.10. they bless him for all his goodness. 
The unreasonableness.  Thirdly, it is against all reason, that we being crowned with his benignity, should neglect this duty: for we deserve none of it. Fourthly, many arguments make greatly against us for our ingratitude. 
The argument sagainst.  Oh, what a thing is it, when happiness, when our own gladness, when others commending our estate, cannot awaken us out of our neglect? Happiness; for as it is said, Psal. 144.15. The people are happy that have such bounty. Gladness; for as it is said, Act. 14.17. God by his goodness, as we find also in our experience, doth fill our very hearts with gladness. Others commendation; for as it is said, Psal. 126.2. They that behold Gods manifold blessings upon us, do say that he hath done great things for us. 
The use.  Oh, if we therefore do forget and neglect this duty; let us confess; let us repent; let us be ashamed, as afore: let us also judge ourselves worthy to have it said of us, as Deut. 32.6. Do you so requite the Lord, o you foolish people, and unwise? worthy that the Lord should contest against us, as Isa. 1.2. saying, Hear o Heavens, and give ear, o Earth: I have nourished, and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. Worthy that he should take all our abundance, our riches, our comforts, our peace, our honours from us: should pour contempt upon us, should turn our rivers into dry land; our water-springs into a wilderness, our fruitful land into barrenness, & humble us under sore oppression, affliction, and sorrow.  
And, let both sorts of us now at the length, 
Admonition to both.  settle our hearts to the sincere practice of this duty of private, public, and worthy praise to God, even to bring forth fruit worthy amendment in this point. O, 
A description of the first.  we that have felt the fainting of our souls; that have been in sore trouble; that have (as it were) sit in darkness, and the shadow of death; that have been even bound up in affliction; that have had our hearts brought down with heaviness; that have had our life next step to the gates of death; that have had our spirits melted away with perplexity; that have been compassed about with most woeful miseries, and that have seen how when we cried unto the Lord, he brought us out of our darkness; he delivered us out of all our distresses; he satisfied our longing souls; he healed us. Let us, o let us now practise cheerfully and readily this holy duty.  
To incite us thereunto, let us consider: First, 
To move the first to practise, consider God's readiness.  Gods exceeding readiness to hear us, and his presentness to deliver us; yea, though our afflictions came on us, because we had rebelled against his Word, because we had transgressed, because of our iniquities. Secondly, 
God's answerableness.  Gods fulfilling of our very wishes, & bringing us to the very state we desired. Thirdly, the due time, 
Time, manner, means.  the sweet manner, the gracious means of his deliverance of us. Fourthly, the passing comfort we found, 
The sequent comfort.  after he had delivered us, filling, as it is, Psalm 126.2. our mouth with laughter, and our tongue with singing.  
And, 
A description of the second.  o we that have not yet come where any sorrow, woe, bitterness, wormwood hath been put into our cup: but we only have lain down in green pastures, and walked along beside the still waters, and our table hath been always richly furnished, our head anointed with oil, our cup running over, goodness and mercy following us all the days of our life. O let us, let us also, if not much rather apply with haste, and haste with godly zeal, unto this duty, urging our minds thereto with these considerations.  
Considering; 
To move the second, consider receipt.  First, that all our comforts, are things merely received, as 1. Cor. 4.7. What hast thou, that thou didst not receive? Secondly, 
Whence received.  that they be all received from God's good pleasure, as of corporal things it is said, Psal. 145.16. Thou openest thine hand, and fillest every living thing of thy own good will: and of spiritual things, Phil. 2.13. God worketh the will and the deed, of his own good pleasure. 
Vndesert.  Thirdly, that all the bounty we enjoy, is contrary to our desert: for as Daniel 9.7. To us belongeth confusion, or shame of face. Fourthly, that our prosperity, 
All as we would have them.  our choice, our matches, our bargains, our dwellings, our friends, our alliance, our food, our raiment, our peace, our means, our advancements, our times, our seasons, our affairs, yea and our Sabbaths are even as we would have them; as if that were verified to us, which is said of the true fearers of God, Psal. 145.19. He fulfilleth the desire of them that fear him. O let us consider these things;  
And let these persuade us to the duty here required of both kinds of us: 
Effect of the considerations.  for surely these rightly weighed, cannot but make us say, O come, and we shall tell you what God hath done for our souls: O magnify the Lord together with us: O, what shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits? O, we will pay our vows, which our lips have uttered, and which our mouths have spoken in our affliction: O, we will do our duty of solemn praise unto him privately, publicly, and worthily. O that men would so praise the Lord; O that high and low would so praise the Lord; O that every one would, as they are most bounden, so praise the Lord.  
Praise him so, privately: 
How praise privately.  privately with the family, as joshua with his family; more privately, with some of the family, as Abraham with Isaac; most privately alone, as the Prophet David most often: and in private say unto him, 
Patterne of this private.  as Psal. 92.1, 2. It is a good thing to give all thanks unto thee, O Lord, even to sing praises unto thy Name, O most High: yea, to show forth thy loving kindness every morning, and thy faithfulness every night: as Psal. 116.16, 17. Oh Lord, verily I am thy servant, I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast loosed my bonds, I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call on thy Name, O Lord. And Ps. 118.21, 28. I will praise thee, O Lord, for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation: thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, and I will exalt thee: and as Psal. 104.33, 34. I will sing unto thee, O Lord, as long as I live: I will sing praise to thee my God, while I have any being; my meditation of thee shall be sweet: I will be glad in thee. O, after this blessed manner, let every one praise God privately.  
Every one praise him also publicly: 
How praise publicly in the congregation of the people.  both in ordinary on every Sabbath; with addition of more thankes, and more zeal in thanking, on the Sabbaths of celebrating the holy Supper of the Lord: also, in extraordinary, on the days of solemn public thanksgiving, as Nehemiah 12.27, 43. and Ester 9.17. and let every one profess concerning this public, saying: as Psal. 34.3. 
Patterns of this.  O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his Name together: and as Psalm 108.3. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people, and will sing praises unto thee among the Nations: and as Psal. 111.1. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation: and as Psalm 109.30. I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude: and as Psal. 116.18, 19 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now, in the presence of all his people, in the Courts of the Lords House, in the midst of thee, o jerusalem.  
O let every one, 
How in the assembly of the Elders.  thus praise the Lord publicly in the congregation of the people: and not only so, but also in the assembly of the Elders: if at any time (as they ought) the Princes and great ones do assemble, upon special occasion together, to give glory unto the Lord: even glory unto his Name, and to worship him in the beauty of Holiness: as Psal. 29.1, 2. they are commanded; and as, because God hath done greater honour to them, then to meaner people, they are more bounden: O let every one, who hath any calling to be amongst them, as a teacher, or as an hearer, or as otherwise convented, praise the Lord even before them also, and say concerning this, 
Patterns of this.  as Psal. 119.46. O Lord, I will speak of thy testimonies even before Kings, and will not be ashamed: and as Psal. 138.1. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: yea, before the gods, or great Potentates will I sing praise unto thee. O, thus let us praise the Lord privately in his own presence, publicly in the congregation of the people; boldly, in the assembly of the Elders.  
Let none of us be like the wicked, 
Who are contrary to these.  whose secret closerts are for secret sins; but not for secret duties of godliness: whose private houses are for private sports, pastimes, profits, pleasures: but not for private prayers, and praises to God. Neither let us be like the popish Recusant, or the selfe-weening Separatist; who disdain the congregation of the people, and have their own will-worships for corners, but no praise for the Lord in public Temples. Neither let us be like the timorous and fearful, who dare not profess God before the gods, nor praise the Lord before lords; but treacherously lay their hand upon their lips, when their mouth should be open to show forth his praise. Let these evils be fare from us, and let us laud the Lord our God with conscience in private, with cheerfulness in public, and with courage before the Elders.  
Thus praise his benignity, 
The praise of God's benignity: that it is Ancient,  thus praise his wonderful works, and thus praise himself. O praise his benignity, by commending, First, the ancientness thereof, for as Psal. 25.6. His tender mercies, and his loving kindnesses have been ever of old. Secondly, 
Great,  the greatness thereof: for as Neh. 9.17, 25. his is great kindness, and great goodness. Thirdly, the richness thereof: for as Rom. 2.4. 
Rich, Admirable,  there is riches of his goodness. Fourthly, the admirableness thereof: for, as Psal. 31.19. O how marvelous is the goodness that he hath laid up for them that fear him; yea, which he hath already wrought for them that trust in him, before the sons of men? Fifthly, 
Excellent,  the excellency thereof: for, as Psal. 36.7. How excellent is his loving kindness! Sixthly, 
Immeasurable,  the immeasurableness thereof: for, as Ephes. 3.18. O the breadth, and length, the depth, and height of his mercy! Seventhly, 
'Cause of all goods.  the endlessness thereof: for, as Psal. 136. It endureth for ever, and ever. Eighthly, the effects thereof, as Titus 3.4, 5. Out of it comes mercy to save us: as Psalm 63.3, 5. comes that to us, which is better than life, and which satisfieth our souls as with marrow and fatness: as Ps. 65.12. It is that which the year is crowned with such blessings, such fatness, such abundance, such flourishing flocks, such goodly corn, as causeth all people to sing, & shout for joy: saying, Therefore, how ancient how great? how rich? how admirable? how excellent? how immeasurable? how endless? how fruitful is the benignity of the Lord? praise it before him; praise it before the sons of men; praise it before the congregation of the people; praise it before the assembly of the elders.  
And so praise his wonderful works towards us, 
To praise his wonderful works, by looking back two ways:  or others in our miseries. First, praise them by looking back to his goodness and power, showed, in doing that he did for us, when he redeemed us, when he delivered us, when he healed us, when he brought us to that we desired: by looking back also to his power and goodness shown in preserving us, in preventing us, in staying us from perishing, from being beneath, from final perdition in our most forlorn case, until he did deliver us. Secondly, 
By acknowledgement,  praise them by acknowledgement of his might, & his will to be alone, and singular herein: saying, O Lord, who can, or who could, who will, or would have done such works for us, as thou hast done? None would, none could, but thou only; thou only, to whom nothing is hid, nothing hard, nothing impossible; who never faintest, art never weary, and of whose understanding there is no searching. Thirdly, praise them, 
By admiring  by admiring his doing of them unto us: saying, as Psal. 8.4. O what is man, that thou art mindful of him? What is the son of mortal man, that thou visitest him? and Psal. 144.3. Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?  
And help this admiration, 
Helps to this admiration, by considering what we are.  by thinking how we are, Ephes. 2.3. all of us by nature the children of wrath: and Gen. 6.3, 5. Of our own we are naught but sinful flesh, every imagination of the thoughts of our heart being only evil continually: and Gen. 18.27. We are but dust and ashes: and Isa. 48.8. We are transgressors from the womb: and Psal. 144.4. We are but vanity, and our days as a shadow that passeth away: and Rom. 7.24. The holiest are but miserable and wretched. O mark these well, & wonder at God's works of grace, of mercy, and of loving kindness unto us: praise them before him, praise them to the sons of men: saying as here, 
Patterns of this praise.  Surely these works of the Lord are wonderful works: and Psal. 111.2, 3, 4. They are great, they are honourable, they are glorious works, oh he hath so done, and so wrought the same, as he hath made them to be remembered for ever. Say, as Ps. 78.4. Verily these works are the praises of the Lord. Say, as Ps. 92.4, 5. Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works: I will triumph in the works of thine hands. O Lord, how great is thy works, and thy thoughts are very deep?  
Oh, 
Sins against God's bonignity: Not remembering, Presuming, Despising. Sins against his works: Not to acknowledge,  be it fare from us to be guilty of that complained of, Psal. 106.7. Not to remember the multitude of his mercies: or that in Deut. 29.19. to presume to sin, through saucy confidence in his mercy: or that in Rom. 2.4. To despise the riches of his goodness: or that in Psal. 92.6. To be so brutish, as not to acknowledge his works, and so foolish, as not to discern the same: or that in Psa. 28.5. Not to regard his works: 
Not to regard. Sins against himself:  or that in Psa. 95.9. To provoke and tempt him, though we have seen his glorious works: or that in Psal. 10.4, 5, 13. 
Not to seek, Not to think,  To be so proud, as not to seek God, as not to have him in our thoughts, as to think his ways always grievous unto us, 
To contemn.  as even to contemn him. O fare be these from us: and as it is said, job 21.16. Fare be the counsel of all such from us.  
Himself, 
To praise. himself.  whom, as Psal. 65.1. praise waiteth on in Zion: himself, who is, as Psa. 18.3. most worthy to be praised: himself, who Ps. 22.3. inhabiteth the praises of Israel: himself, whose praises, Psal. 78.4. the godly do show to their posterity: himself, to whom, Psalm 147.1. it is good, and pleasant, and comely to sing praises: himself, who, Psalm 145.3. is great, and greatly to be praised: himself, who, Deut. 10.21. is our God, and our praise, and glory.  
Him, even him let us praise worthily, 
To praise him worthily, is, To exalt him.  which in one word, is to exalt him: let us so praise him, as we exalt him: not our selves, but our God: for as Mat. 23.12. Whosoever exalteth himself, he shall be abased: not Idols, but the Lord, for as Psa. 97.7. Confounded be all they that serve and rejoice in, and so exalt Idols. No, no, but the Lord, the Lord, let us exalt him alone: let us exhort others to exalt him, 
Exhorting others.  as Psal. 99.5. Exalt ye the Lord our God: let us in our selves exalt him, saying, Isa. 25.1. 
Doing it ourselves.  O Lord, thou art my God, I will exalt thee, and praise thy Name; 
Patterns.  for thou hast done wonderful things. Let the progeny of the godly exalt him, saying, Exodus 15.2. The Lord is my strength, and song, he is become my salvation, he is my God, and he is my father's God: I will prepare him an habitation, and I will exalt him: thus praise the Lords own self, by exalting him.  
Exalt him; 
Exalt him: set all under him, in the congregation,  set all under him in the congregation: cry, Down with Idols, down with Images, down with men's devices, down with Invocation of Saints, down with worshipping of Angels; and entertain and exalt in the congregation of his people, none but his own ordinances, his own Word, his own Sacraments, his own Name, his own self. Exalt him: 
In the assembly of Elders,  set all under him in the assembly of Elders: Bid them, as Reu. 4.11, 10. fall down before him, worship him, and cast down their crowns at his feet. Bid them, s. 2.10, 11. be wise, and be instructed to serve him with fear, & to rejoice before him with trembling. Bid them, as Psal. 29.1, 2. give to him glory, and strength, and give to him the glory due to his Name. 
In the Family  Exalt, him, set all under him in the Family: Wives, children, servants, in your duties fear the Lord, look up unto the Lord, do all your service of subjection, and obedience, as unto the Lord. Husbands, fathers, masters, rule, as under the Lord, exalt him as your Master which is in heaven.  
Exalt him, 
Set him above all.  set him above all, say, as Psa. 136.2, 3. Thou art God of gods, thou art Lord of lords: say, as Eph. 1.21, 22. Thou, O Lord, art fare above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every Name that is named, not only in this world, but in that also which is to come: all things are under thy feet: say, as Gen. 14.19. Thou art the most High God, the possessor of Heaven and Earth. Thus exalt him: 
Set most by him.  exalt him also in setting more by him then all, saying, as Ps. 73.25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none in earth that I desire besides thee. Exalt him, in setting praises on him more than on all, 
Set most praises on him,  saying, O Lord, I more delight in thee, then in father, or mother, or wife, or children, or friends, or goods, or pleasures, or lands; yea, as Psa. 63.3. Thy loving kindness is better to me then life itself. Thou art my portion, my glory, and song. Exalt him, 
Set apart chief place for him,  in setting apart a chief habitation for him to dwell in, even thy soul all trimmed, as, Isa. 66.2. A lowly, a poor, a contrite spirit, trembling at his Word. 
Prefer place and means of his sernice, Be at cost to serve him  Exalt, him, in preferring a place, and means for his service, before all thine own comforts, as David, Psal. 132. Exalt him, in being at cost to serve him, as the same royal person, 2. Sam. 24.24. Exalt him, in giving him the best service of all, 
Give him best service,  that is, as Rom. 12.1. thy body, and thy whole self a living sacrifice, holy, 
Give him best dish.  and acceptable unto him. Exalt him, in giving him the best dish, even as Prou. 23.26. with Psal. 51.6. thy very heart abounding with sincerity, and truth in all the inward parts thereof.  
O, that men would thus praise the Lord privately, publicly, and worthily: O, that we had our minds heated, & inflamed by all this that hath been said, with holy zeal, to tie ourselves thus to confess before the Lord his loving kindness and his wonderful works before the sons of men; thus to exalt him in the congregation, and every where; thus to praise him also in the Assembly of the Elders. But, who is sufficient for this Angelical duty? 
How to come to the grace to praise God thus.  Of ourselves we have not a thought towards it: God is the owner, and God is the giver of it; therefore that we may perform it to him, we must first crave it at him, saying with the Prophet, Psal. 51.15. O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.  
And lest we deceive ourselves, 
Proofs of such as do praise God.  thinking we be of the number of those that praise God rightly, when indeed we be not, we must note the proofs of such as do praise him, his benignity, and his works sound, and examine ourselves of them. First, If we have this special grace to praise him; then we find in ourselves, 
Affecting of God.  that we so affect the Lord, as we seek, we thirst, we long greatly after him, and after the exercises of his worship: for this, in Psa. 63. is showed to be in him whose mouth praiseth the Lord with joyful lips. Secondly, If we have this grace to praise his benignity, 
Leading to repentance by his benignity.  than we find in ourselves that it leadeth us unto repentance, as it is said it ought to do, Rom. 2.4. so as our love is set upon it, more than life, as Psalm 63.3. and it moveth us to walk truly, and godly in God's sight: for this in the said Psalm, and in Psal. 26. is spoken of him that compasseth God's Altar with the voice of Thanksgiving. Thirdly, 
His works affect us with love, etc.  If we have this grace of pratsing Gods wonderful works; then we find in ourselves a loving of them, a taking pleasure in them, a gladness in them, a rejoicing in them, a gracious acknowledgement of them, a holy showing of them to our posterity, a desire to come to praise God in the assembly for them: for these are said, in Psal. 111. and 92. and 78. and 26. of such as have this grace of magnifying GOD'S works. Fourthly, If we have the true Art of praising God, we find in ourselves, 
Ordering our life well.  that we order our life well: for in Psal. 50.23. this is joined with the offering of praise unto God. O, let us look to these proofs of our fitness to this duty: if we have them not: then, as in Psa. 50.16. God calleth us wicked, and challengeth us of vile audaciousness for meddling with any Divine duty: but if we have them, than he saith, to encourage and to comfort us, that we glorify him.  
Which is the mark that in all things, 
God's glory our ●yme.  and especially in Thanksgiving we must shoot at: for his glory is the chief end of all. Being now come, and hereafter coming to the Sermons, and to the action of Thanksgiving, let us ever think of God's glory; for he will have us do this duty for his mere glory: 
Difference of this duty from others.  all other duties of his service, are almost only for our necessity; but this all for his glory: and therefore in Psalm 66.2. it is called a singing forth of the glory of his Name: and in Psalm. 29.2. a giving of glory due to his Name. And worthily: because if we be skilful in it, we therein speak such great things of him, and of his properties, and of his works, and of his Name, according to a special parterne, in the 145. Psalm, and many others, as we show himself to be a glorious God, and his Name, to be a most glorious Name. O that men would so praise him in secret, in the family, in the congregation of the people, in the assembly of the Elders, 
The lerme of this duty.  as they might thus show his glory. And, o, that this might not be at some seldom fits, but as Psalm. 145.2. every day: and as Psalm. 146.2. while we do live, and while we have any being.  
Note a special rule how to continue this always in ourselves, and in our families: 
Rules to continue it in ourselves.  in ourselves to continue it, the rule is this, To have his loving kindness; his everlasting mercy; his holy remembrance; his continual benefits; and the promises of the better life always in our thoughts, and (as it were) before our eyes, with a blameless conversation, and a conscience of thanksgiving. If we observe this rule, we shall never cease to praise the Lord in ourselves. 
Rules to continue it in our families.  To be the like in our families, the rule is not to entertain, but to cut off from them every popish, profane, dissolute, pickthank, slanderous, vain, wicked, deceitful, dissembling, dishonest, drunken, , idle, irreligious person, and to maintain (through all due respect yielded to every one in their place) peace, amity, agreement, unity; as there be no unkindnesses, jars, contentions, breaches to make interruption of godly exercises. If this rule be observed, then, as we shall want no comfort, honour, commendation to our families: so in the same we shall bless the Lord our God daily.  
Whereupon, 
The reward of this duty.  will follow the reward of this our thankfulness to God; which is this, namely, That if it be such as we have heard, and so attended with a well-disposed way to prevent all occasions of God's dishonour, and with a well-ordered life to promote the glory of his Name; then he will let us see, yea, cause us to enjoy his salvation, as it is promised, Psalm. 50.23. not his destruction, as he threatneth the unthankful wicked in the 22. Verse, 
God's account of the thankful.  but his salvation. So great account doth he make of the right thankful, as he will not let them be over- wronged, taken away, or destroyed, suppressed, beaten down, nor consumed: he will not part with us; he will not be without us: but that we may still honour him, praise him, and glorify him; he will keep us in safety, preserve us in liberty, and maintain us in prosperity, by the tower, the rock, the strength, and the shield of his temporary salvation, and give us the comfort, peace, joy, riches, glory, and in the end the consummation, and the fullness of his eternal salvation in jesus Christ, blessed for ever, Amen, Amen.  
FINIS.