Bee Thankfull LONDON AND HER SISTERS OR A SERMON of Thankfulnesse Setting downe the kindnesse of God to vs the dutie of Thankfulnesse the way to it and the practise of it Applyed in particular to these times By ROBERT ABBOTT Preacher of Gods Word at Cranebrooke in KENT PSAL. 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee LONDON Printed for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith and are to be sold at their shop at the golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard 1626. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull worshipfull and dearely beloued his friends kindred and acquaintance within the Citie of LONDON ROBERT ABBOTT wisheth due Thankfulnesse to God for his vnspeakable MERCIES THough I liue a farre off from you yet God knowes that I haue not beene vnmindfull of you in my daily prayers to God which was the best good which I could doe vnto you And when I heard that God did beginne to shine in loue vpon the City againe God knowes that I was not vnmindefull to bee thankfull to him that is the sole Author of it I thought not that enough therefore as before I had spent many dayes in fasting and prayer for our selues in body so did I resolue hauing that blessed liberty to spende one day in fasting prayer and thanksgiuing for you what good it wrought vpon my owne people and those of your body who heard me I am not worthy to know but what good I aymed at my conscience is priuy to what my desire is to do more I consider how louingly I haue beene intertained of many of you when I was assistant to a Reuerend Diuine amongst you who is now with God I consider Master Haiward of Wool-Church that I haue many brethren sisters and kins-folke who haue fellowship with you whose soules I tenderly affect In which respects though as it is wittily said some more Learned and godly men are Fathers Nurses and murtherers to their owne Children in begetting kissing and burying the fruits of their owne braines yet am I still aduenturous to shew others what God hath giuen me vnworthy wretch to bring forth and to say vnto you Behold I and my child I haue not trimmed it with ornaments and laces of Aegypt nor sweetned it with the Frankincense and myrrhe of the Christian Synagouge but as God hath sent it with the lawe of God written in the fore-head hands feete and heart of it so send I it vnto you desiring God to make this seruice acceptable and profitable vnto you And so I rest Yours to be vsed in the Lord ROBERT ABBOTT From my Studie this fifteenth of Nouember 1625. Be thankefull London OR A SERMON Setting downe the duty of thankfulnesse the way to it and the practise of it preached vpon PSAL. 31. 21. Blessed be the Lord for hee hath shewed his maruellous kindnesse towards me in a strong City WHEN God purposeth to plague a people who haue not beene wise to obserue the day of their visitation and by faith and conuersion Ier 15. 2. to hide themselues such as are appointed vnto death must vnto death such as for the sword to the sword such as for the famine to the famine and such as for the captiuity to the captiuity In which respect when we who now liue do perceiue that though wee haue beene chasiened sore yet wee haue not Psal 118. 18. beene deliuered vnto death and that neither Plague nor Sword nor Famine nor Captiuity nor any other noysome euill hath so farre preuailed ouer vs but that we may still praise God after the manner of the liuing then how can we resolue lesse with our selues then this I shall not dye but liue and declare the works of the Lord Or Psal 118. 17. what can we say lesse then this to others Praise yee Psal 34. 3. the Lord with me and let vs magnifie his Name together True it is that ordinarily the iniuries that are done vnto vs are written in Marble and the benefits that are shewed vnto vs are written in Sand and as the Aire in the Mat. 26. 69 70. High Priests Hall did after a sort infect Peter and was an occasion to his soone and sudden denying of his Master so euery blast of new fauours doth through our corruption infect vs with vnthankfulnesse and blow away the memory of the former mercies which haue beene shewed vnto vs. Hence it is that God expostulateth with his people Heare O Heauens and hearken O earth for I haue nourished Esa 1. 2. and brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me And that Christ cryeth out against the vnthankfull Luke 17. 17. Leapers Where are the nine Hence it is that God is as it were driuen to put his people in minde of the fauours which he hath done vnto them saying Surely I brought thee vp out of the Land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of seruants and I haue sent before thee Moses Aron Mic. 6. 4 5. and Myriam O my people remember now what Balack King of Moab had deuised and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal Yea hence is it that good Moses did take such paines with Gods Deut. 6. 12. people to presse them not to forget the Lord which Deut. 8. 10. 11. brought them out of the Land of Aegypt but to blesse him for the good Land which he had giuen them And at that time when hee saw them tardy in their duty of thankfulnesse to God by corrupting themselues towards him by their vice how roundly doth hee take them vp saying Doe ye so reward the Lord O foolish people and vnwise Deut. 32. 6. is not he thy Father that hath bought thee yea hee hath made thee and proportioned thee All which courses doe manifest vnto vs our pronenesse to vnthankfulnesse yea and our practice of it also for what are we better then other people Yea and that we stand in neede of continuall prouoking to the good duty of thankfulnesse that wee may practise it to the assuring of our hearts that greater Plagues then that which we haue had doe not awaite vs. Therefore is it that I haue chosen this good example of Dauid to quicken you to this duty at this time who in the inioyment of some great deliuerance from some great trouble in some great City cryed out with a thankefull heart Blessed bee Psal 31. 21. the Lord for he hath shewed maruellous great kindnesse towards me in a strong City The Psalme where you reade these words is spent in the practise of a threesold duty namely Prayer Praise and Exhortation In his Prayer first he sueth for himselfe and secondly against his enemies For himselfe hee prayes to God that he would deliuer him out of his troubles as from the hands of his enemies and from them that persecute him Vers 1 15 16 17 and that he would make his Face to shine vpon
amongst many other fauours hath heard the grones and sighs of his people for the poore City of London where so many thousands haue beene swept away as the Dongue of the streets we may iustly say Blessed be the Lord for hee hath shewed maruellous kindnesse towards vs in this our City As if we should say It is true Lord thou hast shewed thy Psal 60. 3 4. people heauy things thou hast made vs drinke the wine of giddinesse but now thou hast giuen a Banner to them that feare thee that it may bee displayed because of thy truth thou hast deliuered vs from the noysom Pestilence Psal 91. 3 4. euen from the Snare of thy hunting Angell thou hast couered vs vnder thy wings and wee shall bee safe vnder thy feathers therefore blessed be thou Iehouah and let all thy people say Amen This blessing of God is the nayle which I would haue driuen home at this time Therefore I shall passe by other things which might afford vs matter of meditation from these words and onely insist vpon this point That Obseru By how much greater the fauor is which God bestoweth vpon vs by so much more must we labour to praise God There are two things propounded here the first is this That the greater our fauour is the greater ought to be our thanks Therefore Dauid hauing receiued a great fauour from God namely the forgiuenesse of his sinnes though as yet he could not feele the comfort of it and fearing that he was not able to praise God answerable vnto it prayeth to God that hee would open his lips that his Psal 51. 15. mouth might shew forth his praise And again vpon the consideration of the like fauours hee doth stirre vp his soule greatly to the same duty My soule praise thou the Lord Psal 103. 1 2 3 4. and all that is within me praise his holy name my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits which afterward he doth reckon vp yea and when he doth find his heart inlarged by God to practise the duty then doth he imploy all his powers saying Seuen times a day doe I praise Psal 119. 164. thee because of thy righteous iudgements yea so long as he Psal 146. 1â—2 liues so long as he hath any being hee will sing praises vnto his God yea and hee seemes to haue bound himselfe vnto it by an humble vow and therefore hee saith Thy Vowes are vpon me O Lord I will render praises vnto Psal 56. 12. thee Why doth he call them Gods Vowes Surely because they being made were out of his power who might not deuoure the sanctified thing but giue God praise with all his heart as he had promised The second thing propounded is this that euery fauour from God doth call for thankes from vs. Therefore is it a duty which is often pressed and patterned in the Scriptures Paul saith let your requests be shewed vnto God in prayer with giuing of thankes and againe Phil. 4 6. continue in Prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing Col. 4. 2. and againe In all things giue thankes yea euen 1 Thes 5. 18. in those things which are matters of humiliation wee must giue thankes in respect of their fruit and vse for our good And as for patternes how might I tell you of Melchizedech the Priest of the most high God of Moses Gen. 14. 20. and Aaron who led the people of Israel like sheepe Exod 15 1. of Deborah and Barack after their victory euer Sisera Iude 5. 2. and Iabin of Iehoshaphat when his people were deliuered 2 Chron. 20. from Moab Ammon and mount Seir of that one Leper who turned backe to Christ with praise of the Luke 17. 15. healed Cripple who went into the Temple walking and Acts 3. 8. leaping and praising God I might I say speake of these and many other rare Patternes but the time would be too short for me to tell of them Heb. 11. 32. It may be now you will aske me why we must thus labour Why we must praise God to praise God I answer wee must doe it both in respect of our selues in respect of others and in respect of the duty of thankfulnesse it selfe First in respect of our selues because it is all that wee are able and that from God too to render vnto God for all the benefits which we receiue from God Dauid consulting with himselfe what he shall render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards him resolueth that hee hath nothing but the Cup of saluation so alluding to the Psal 116. 12 13. Peace-offrings which were offerings of thankgiuing to God When therefore we doe consider that God is not bound vnto vs for who hath giuen him first and that Rom. 11. 35. whatsoeuer wee doe receiue from God is of his free fauour can we doe lesse for shame then giue him thankes Secondly we must doe it in respect of others them both God men First we must praise God in respect of God himselfe because God requireth it as the end of his blessings and that which sanctifieth them vnto vs. Therfore when God deliuered the Israelites out of Aegypt hee Exod. 12. commanded that euery yeere they should keepe the feast of the Passeouer the old Persons as it was a Sacrament and the young Persons as it was a remembrance of their deliuerance out of Egypt And when God fed them with Exod. 16. Mannah hee appointed that a certaine measure of it should be laid vp for posterity that they might be thankfull which was also the reason of the laying vp of Aaron his Rod in the Arke When also God gaue the Israelites Heb. 9. 4. a famous victory ouer the Amalekites hee said to Moses Write this for a remembrance in a Booke Seeing Exod. 17. therefore that God requireth a thankfull remembrance of his fauours as the end of them we must as cheerefully giue it as God doth iustly require it Secondly God maketh speciall account of this duty and therefore hee vseth many means to work it from his people In Exodus Exod. 23. 16. yee reade of that generall offering of first fruits in the feast of vnleuened bread when none must appeare before God Exod. 25. 1 2 c. empty and likewise of the voluntary gifts for the making of the Tabernacle In Leuiticus ye reade sometimes of offering the first fruits of the eares of Corne dryed by Leuit. 2. 24. the fire sometimes of offering a sheafe of the first fruits of Leuit. 23. 10 17. the Haruest to be brought vnto the Priest sometimes of the shake offring of two Loaues baked with Leuen for first fruits vnto the Lord. In Numbers we reade of an heauy offring of a Cake of the first of their dough In Deuteronomy Numb 25. 20. we reade of the first of all the fruit of the earth that
Deut. 26. 2. must put it in a Basket and carried to the place which the Lord did choose Now why doth the Lord require all this of his people Surely this is one reason that hee might shew what reckoning he makes of thankfulnesse for all the mercies which we receiue from his hand And therefore must we be thankfull Againe we must praise God in respect of men both bad and good If we looke to bad men they doe encourage themselues to be thankfull to the gods of siluer and Dan. 5. 4. gold to whom no thankes is due as wee may see in Belshazzar and should not we much more doe it to him to whom all is due If we looke to good men they haue beene plentifull in this kinde of duty When the Flouds ceased thankfull Noah built an Altar and offered vnto the Gen. 8. 20. Lord. When God renewed his promise to Abraham he thankefully built an Altar to the Lord in the plaine of Gen. 13. 18. Mamre Agar had learned so much in religious Abrahams house therefore when God had comforted her in her banishment she called his Name Thou God lookest on me Gen. 16. 13. much more would the Iewes and therefore they thankfully kept a feast of remembrance for Hamans destruction Hest 9. and their deliuerance Thus all sorts of men haue incouraged vs to this duty Lastly we must praise God in respect of the excellency of the duty it selfe And this may bee seene in foure particulars First in this that our God doth account it a gift as Dauid saith Giue vnto the Lord glory Psal 29. 2. due vnto his name that is praise him Alas what are we that we should giue to God We must say with Dauid Who are wee that wee should be able to offer willingly to thee 1 Chron. 29. 14. our God For all things come of thee and of thine owne hand we haue giuen thee Yet it pleaseth God to account them gifts and we know that it is a more blessed thing to Acts 20 35. giue then to receiue Secondly God doth not onely account our praise a gift but a sacrifice the best gift as the Psalmist saith Let them offer sacrifices of praise Yet remember Psal 107. 22. that it is not a sacrifice of redemption for so is Iesus Christ alone but of thanksgiuing Therefore offer to God praise and pay thy Vowes vnto the most high Thirdly Psal 50. 14. God doth not onely account our praise a gift and a sacrifice but doth preferre it before all sacrifice Will I saith God eat the flesh of Bulls and drinke the bloud of Psal 50. 8. to 15. Goats offer to me praise As if he should say This is that which I prefer to all outward seruice as being a part of my inward worship And in another place he saith That is better then a Bullock that hath hornes hoofes i. a perfect Psal 69. 30 31. Bull. Take a Bullocke at the best and Praise is better then it and as with hornes through the mighty power of Mal. 1. God will push downe our enemies and as with hoofes will inable vs to wade thorow any difficulties Fourthly God doth not onely account our praise a gift a Sacrifice better then a sacrifice but by it giues vs communion with the seruice of the life to come in Heauen Men full of wants do pray but Angels and Saints full of grace and glory doe practise The Angels cryed saith the Prophet Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts The Angels said Esay 6. 3. saith Iohn Praise and glory and wisdome and thankes and honour and Apoc. 7. 11 12. power and might be vnto our God for euermore Amen These foure things doe manifest vnto vs the excellency of this duty to presse vs to lift it vp from the feet of swine and to set it like a Iewell in our hearts that it may giue luster vnto our liues and conuersations and may euidence that we liue to God and not to our selues Thus haue I shewed you in some measure why wee must praise God for his maruellous great kindnes which he hath shewed vnto vs. Vse Now therefore let vs be exhorted in the feare of God to sing ioyfully and freely with Dauid Blessed be our good God who hath shewed vs maruellous great kindnesse in City Towne and Country He might iustly haue giuen vs ouer as a prey to all his Plagues He might haue sent the Sword Es 1. 20. to deuoure vs and brought in the battaile of the Warriour Es 9. 5. which is with noise and with tumbling of garments in bloud He might haue sent vs a Famine and made the life of our Lamen 2. 19 20. young children faint for hunger in the corners of all our streets King 6. 28 29. and our cockering women to eat their fruit and their children Lam. 4 2 7 8. of a span long and our Nobles who are comparable to fine gold to be esteemed earthen Pitchers and our Nazarites who were whiter then Milke and purer then Snow to be blacker then a cole to haue their skinne cleaue to their bones and wither like a stocke Thus I say the Lord might haue done by making an Asses head at fourescore peeces of 2 Kings 6. 25. siluer and the fourth part of a cab of Doues dongue at fiue peeces of siluer through a fearefull Famine amongst vs. He might haue made the Plague of Pestilence more wonderfull and not only seazed vpon some few Cities and Townes amongst vs but coasted from Dan to Beershebah 2 Sam. 24. by his deuouring Angell from one part of the Kingdome Psal 91. 3. to the other to finde out men and women and children that might iustly haue beene appointed to dye What might not God in Iustice haue done vnto vs who are a rebellious and gaine-saying people Wee must needes say though God haue looked vpon vs for good and not for euill that we are full of sores from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot as Daniel saith Wee haue Esay 1. 6. sinned and haue committed iniquity and done wickedly yea Dan. 9. 5 6. we haue rebelled and departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements for we would not obey thy seruants the Prophets which spake in thy Name to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers and to all the people of the Land Who sees not that we haue beene heauy at the whole heart notwithstanding Esay 1. 5. all the Lords chastisements yea euen as wicked King Ahaz in the time of our tribulation Wee did trespasse more against the Lord when wee would bee 2 Chron. 28. 22. wanton in our Feastings yea in our Fastings as being loth that outward Discipline should speake angrily to our bellies which are our God though God haue spoken Phil. 3. angrily both to our bodies and soules And how could we doe otherwise Can the blacke-More change
Thirdly in highly esteeming the pledges of Gods fauour which he hath left with vs to wit the Word and Sacraments If the wounded Iew in the Parable should haue cast away the two pence which the Samaritan left to Luke 10. 35. prouide for him it had bene an argument that he neither regarded him nor his kindnesse and it was a signe that Esau loued not God because he esteemed not his birth-right So certainly is the Law of God farre from vs if we loue not the word wherein wee heare our louer speake and the Sacraments wherein wee see him speake peaceably vnto vs. Fourthly in being humbly familiar with God and acquainting Iob 12. 21. our selues with him Where there is loue free from Iob 12. 21. iealousie betwixt man and man they thinke themselues neuer better thē when they are in one anothers company talking and communing one with another laying open each other griefes and making one another partaker of each others comforts So we must haue such interest in Gods acquaintance if we loue him that we must often sup with him and open our hearts vnto him both concerning Apoc. 3. 20. our miseries and our sinnes As if wee should say thou seest Lord what sorrowes I endure within and without I beseech thee giue me grace so to carrie my selfe as thou mayest haue the glorie of this thine owne worke And thou knowest ô my God that I haue this infirmitie or that weakenesse and that were it not for thee I should fall into fearefull breaches of thy Law but Lord helpe me against this or that as against pride vaine-glorie deceite hypocrisie and the like that I may in a more setled and constant course honour thee my good God to whom I am so infinitely bound Oh how would such acquaintance make the day of death welcome and our daily prayers comfortable without which we haue little hope to haue accesse to God in either Lastly we must loue God by fearing to lose him grieuing after him when in sense and feeling he is lost and caring to recouer him againe It is strange that a man Discat timere qui vult amare Amor eijcit timorem inimici non timorem domini should loue by fearing but it is very true Perfect loue casteth out feare of hauing to wit the wrath of God for sinne because after repenting and belieuing the Gospell it quiets the heart from such troubles but it casteth not out feare of loosing to wit our God in those sweet comforts whereby hee speakes peace vnto our consciences and sayeth vnto our soules that he is our saluation Blessed Iohn 19. is he that so feareth alwaies saith Salomon As Pilate loues Iohn 19. his place by fearing to loose it which made him do against Quod cupis habere times perdere his conscience when once he heard that speech If thou deliuer Christ thou art not Caesars friend So must wee loue God so as wee must feare to loose him aboue all things Yea and as the young man in the Gospell which Luk. 18. 22 23. was a rich man when he did but thinke of parting with all and following Christ was very heauie because he loued his riches too well so when we do but thinke of parting with our God who is our Portion it cannot but Psal 119. grieue vs if wee loue him and prize him as wee should Yea and againe if the Spouse in the Canticles when through her securitie she had ouerslipped the golden season of entertaining Christ who therefore withdrew himselfe Did seeke him whom her soule loued but could not find Can. 5. 6 7 8 c him did call him though he answered not did go to the watchmen and tooke a great deale of paines to recouer him then so must wee if our hearts be in loue with God care to recouer God by hearing praying meditating conferring receiuing of the Sacrament and such other good duties in which it pleaseth him to giue vs the influence of his fauour and the testimonie to our spirits of his most deare presence Thus haue I learned you how to loue God that wee may lay a good ground for the dutie of thankefulnesse which is to be practised by euery one of vs. Now that we may be the better able to practise it you must know that it must be performed in word and deed To thanke God for his blessings with our tongues and not to liue answerable to them is no better then to say All hayle King of the Iewes and to spit vpon him it is to haue Iacobs smooth tongue and Esau's rough hands it is as bad as to giue a man sweete words for a benefit and to beate him about the eares in conclusion it is after a deale of formall hypocrisie hanged out at the signe of the lips to requite God with euill for good which is the worst degree of ingratitude First wee must thanke God in word because we must take the first opportunitie to do it for delayes argue no will vnto it Secondly we must thanke God in worke for as Physitians do passe their iudgements of mens hearts by their armes when they feele vppon Per brachium fit iudicium de corde their pulses and not by their tongues so wise men will looke more to doing then to saying though both are good and both must be done remembring that Iesus Acts 1. 1. did and said As concerning that thankes which wee must giue to God in word it stands in the practise of a double dutie The first is called celebration the second inuocation Celebration is that dutie of thankefulnesse whereby we do speake of Gods mercies and maruellous kindnesses to others as when Dauid saith Come and hearken all yee that Psal 66. 16 17 c. feare God and I will tell you what be hath done to my soule I called vpon the Lord with my voice and he was exalted with my tongue and God heard me and considered the voyce of my prayer and so forth Now for our more conscionable practise of this dutie wee must obserue foure rules First we must as farre as we can speake particularly of Gods fauours to vs. Euen vngodly men being ouercome with Gods kindnesse and wallowing daily in the midst of his mercies which are renewed euery morning will Lam. 3. 23. either out of custome or example or conuiction speake of them in generall but wee must do it in particular As Iacob names them saying With my staffe came I ouer this Genes 32. 10. Iordan and now haue I gotten two Bands so must wee As if we should say as Hannah in her song The bowes of the 1. Sam. 2. 4. 5. mightie are broken and the weake haue girded themselues with strength They that are full are hired forth for bread and the hungrie are no more hired so the barren hath borne seauen and she that had many children is feeble So we the Spanish Armado was broken the Gunpowder
so glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises and doing wonders Fearefull in praises saith he because he cannot duly bee praised but with astonishment according to that of the Psalmist God is very terrible in the assembly of the Saints And thus Psal 89. 7. should he be to vs in praising him As if wee should say O our God let not thy fauours seeme ordinary vnto vs which thou bestowest vpon vs. It may seeme a small thing to vs to haue water to our hands aire to breath in earth to tread vpon and the like but when wee doe consider who it is that giues and to whom that thou art he who art a God of glory whose glory is able to swallow vp Heu miser quid sum vas sterquilinij concilia putredinis plenus foetore August our vnderstanding and that it is to vs who are a sinke of sinne and stinking noysomnesse before thee we are confounded in our selues and cannot tell which way to returne thee thankes which in the least measure may answer thy loue and so forth Thus haue we considered that thankes which we must giue to God in word yet that is not enough for it remaineth that we bee thankfull vnto God in deeds also And wherein this stands we cannot better learne then by looking into those that haue beene thankefull vnto God in the Scriptures Now these haue performed a reall thankfulnesse vnto God two waies First by studying and caring in what particulars they may shew themselues thankfull vnto God As one that hath receiued a great kindnesse doth bethinke himselfe how hee may in some measure requite it so will he that is thankfull doe As 2. Cor. 7. 11. the penitent man careth for the remission of his sinnes and eternall happinesse by Christ and therefore careth also to vse meanes answerable thereunto so doth also the truly thankfull person See it in Dauid who hauing receiued a great kindnesse from God saith What shall I Psal 116. 12. giue vnto the Lord as if he did consult and take care with himselfe how to be thankfull to God Euen thus must it be with vs we must when wee are by our selues alone take thought and care what to doe wherein wee may shew our selues thankfull to God As a man roles euery stone and takes thought how to liue and beare about the world as we say so must all of vs whom God hath pleased to deliuer from these dangerous times either by healing our sores or by keeping vs from infection or by comforting our hearts against the feare of our enemies either at home or abroad say and thinke with himselfe O Lord what shall I doe How shall I carry my selfe in my thoughts words and actions yea and sufferings so as may pleasethee and I may testifie how highly I prize those fauours which I haue receiued from thy hands Thus we must study but wee must not there leaue this were but like a dash of raine which wets not to the root therefore answerable to our care and study we must in the second place take paines to shew our thankfulnesse in foure particulars First we must register the noble acts of God according to that of the Psalme This shall be written for the generations to come Hence was it that the Patriarkes erected Psal 102. 18. Mountaines builded Altars and imposed fit names vpon their children that they might in these things register the kindnesse of God vnto them Therefore as Ahashuerosh did cause his deliuerance from Bigthan and Teresh to be written in the booke of the Chronicles before Hest 2. 22. the King so must we haue a record of fauours that we telling our soules that such a yeare God did such a kindnesse for thee and such a yeare moneth weeke or day did he another to day thou hast receiued one euidence of his loue and yesterday thou diddest receiue another wee may not onely practise a dutie of thankfulnesse in it but prouoke our selues thereby to be thankfull in after times As Ahashuerosh his registring of his deliuerance Hest 6. made him afterwards to be thankefull to Mordecai who vnder God was the author of it And think we not thus of our selues that there are few who haue done thus before vs. I make no doubt but that thousands of Gods people of whom the world is not worthy haue taken this Heb. 11. course in secret yea and do take it And of a good man I haue often read who is said to delight in one booke which he daily carried about him and was portable enough for it had but two leaues one blacke and the other white in the black he made a register of his sinnes that he might daily be humble in the white he made a register of Gods mercies that he might be thankfull Secondly we must heartily labour the good of others For can we requite God himselfe we cannot do it Our Psal 16. goodnesse reacheth not to him onely he pleaseth to interpret some seruices which he requires as thankfull requitals to himselfe amongst which this is one to do good to others Now this wee must do by way of thankfulnesse vnto God both vnto their soules and bodies As for their soules wee must labour their conuersion and turning from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26. 18. that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Thus Dauid promiseth vnto God when he saith Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free Spirit Psal 51. 12 13. then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee Yea and Peter was commanded thus much when Christ saith vnto him When thou art Luke 22. 32. conuerted shew thy thankefulnesse by strengthening thy brethren As for the bodies of others wee must relieue so farre as our selves bee not grieued the poore members of 2. Cor. 8. 13. Iesus Christ For do but marke how it was with the Iewes when they freely heard the word of God againe they did eate and drinke and did send away part as they were Neb. 8. 10. 11. 12 commanded to those for whom nothing was prepared for ioy that they vnderstood the words which they had taught them And we may reade of an Apostolicall ordinance of thankfulnesse in the Primitiue Church to be obserued euery Lords day or first day of the weeke that euerie one should put aside by himselfe and lay vp as God had prospered 1. Cor. 16. 1. 2. him for the necessities of the Saints Thus also must it be with vs who haue tasted how good God is in these times of troubles we must throw about these our almes both spirituall and temporall Wee must labour to do others soules good who are within our gate and iurisdiction saying as Dauid Come ye children hearken vnto me Psal I will teach you the feare of the Lord or
as Philip who had found Christ said to Nathanael Come and see we must labour Ioh. 1. 46. to do others bodies good by thinking who haue endured more hardship then wee and who haue endured the more for our flight and then parting with something to feede the hungrie cloathe the naked relieue the oppressed maintaine the fatherlesse and set at libertie the honest prisoner and captiue and the like Thus shall wee shew the true vse and issue of all our fasting this Sommer which as the Prophet saith is to loose the bands of wickednesse Esay 58. 6. 7. to take off the heauie burthens and let the oppressed go free and that ye breake euery yoake It is to deale thy bread to the hungrie to bring the poore that wander into thine house to couer the naked and not to hide thy selfe from thine owne flesh Thirdly we must renue our couenants and promises to God of a more sincere and hearty obedience When God had deliuered Dauid from Saul in the Wilderdesse of Maon he renued his promises twice together That he would take the Cup of saluation That he will offer the sacrifice Psal 116. 13. 17. of praise and call vpon the Name of the Lord. Thus Asa when God gaue him victory ouer his enemies and setled peace and the Prophet Azariah came and put him in minde of his duty he and his people made a couenant 2. Chro. 15. 12. 14 to seeke the Lord God of their fathers with all their hearts and with all their soules and they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voice and with Trumpets and shouting and Cornets Thus Ezra also and the people who returned from the captiuity of Babylon when they were sensible of Gods mercy and their owne sinning and while there was Ezra 10 2. 3. hope in Israel though as yet they trembled for their sins in the street of the house of God and for the ruine as we may doe for the Plague did make a couenant with God to put away their heathenish wiues and liue more holily Thus must it bee with vs also wee must bethinke our selues wherein we haue offended God either priuately or publikely either as Magistrates or Ministers or Husbands or Wiues or Masters or Seruants or Fathers or Children or Buyers or Sellers or Borrowers or Lenders or Letters or Hirers and we must prepare our selues for the Lords Supper with the first opportunity wherein we must renue our Couenant with God humbling our selues for the sinnes we haue committed and promising to God vpon his assuring of vs his loue vnto vs in Christ Iesus that we will be carefull to vse our best endeuours according to the measure of grace which wee haue receiued to liue more holily to God more righteously iustly in all Tit. 2. 12. our dealings with men and more soberly in our selues and when we cannot doe so much good as we would that we will lament it to God and cry out vnto him saying Oh that my wayes were so direct that I might keepe thy Statutes Psal 119. 5. Lastly as we must renue our Couenant so when wee haue done we must with all our strength and with an humble dependance vpon the vse of Gods meanes for more resolue and settle our bodies and soules to continue in it and neuer so to offend so good a God as wee haue done in former times This is true thankfulnesse indeede when out of a feeling of Gods loue and out of a conscience of our duty to God wee can say as Dauid I Psal 119. haue sworne to keepe thy righteous iudgements and I haue determined to keepe thy Statutes Without this resolution our hearts will start aside like a broken Bow and our Psal righteousnesse will be like a morning dew and like a cloud Hos 6. passing away Therefore I say once more striue wee to the vtmost of that to which God hath enabled vs and for the rest pray with Dauid Lord Stablish mee by thy free Psal 51. Spirit which is a Spirit of liberty and will make vs run the way of thy Commandements Thus haue I taught you in some measure to practise this duty of Thankfulnesse I pray God giue vs vnderstanding in all things and honest hearts that we may practise this duty now when Gods maruellous kindnesse calleth for it with so loud a voice And thus I commend you to him who is of power to establish you according to the Gospell Rom. 16. 25. euen to the God of peace whom I humbly beseech to make you perfect in all good workes to doe his will working Heb. 13 20 21. in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom bee praise for euer and euer Amen FINIS