Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	lord_n	spirit_n	word_n	5,194	5	4.0899	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84600	The prisoners praises for their deliverance from the long imprisonment in Colchester. On a day of publique thanksgiving set apart for that purpose by the gentlemen of the committee of Essex, who for their fidelity in serving their country were surprised by the enemie at Chelmesford. In a sermon upon the sixth, seventh, & eighth, verses, of the CXLIX. Psalm. / preached at Rumford Septemb. 28. 1648. By Samuel Fairclough, pastor of the congregation at Ketton in Suffolk.	Fairclough, Richard, 1594-1677.	1650 (1650)	Wing F108; Thomason E589_4; ESTC R206306	32,215	40

Let the high Praises of God be in their mouth Secondly The Hand that they may be performed really And a two-edged sword in their hands A sword of two mouths or edges as well for God as to God as well defensive for his Truth as offensive against Error These are the Instruments The Execution follows where we have 1. The Sufferers 2. Their Sufferings 3. The Rule of Execution 4. The Reward The Sufferers by this two-edged sword are of four sorts 1. Heathen swallowed up with Infidelity 2. The People the meaner sort and Commonalty 3. The Kings in supream Authority 4. Their Nobles the highest of their Nobility The next thing is their Sufferings which also is four-sold according to the different condition and quality of the persons to suffer 1. For the Heathen Vengeance 2. For the People Punishments 3. For their Kings Chains 4. For their Nobles Fetters of Iron The third thing is the Rule of Execution either of the Vengeance upon Heathen or Punishments of People or Chains on Kings or Fetters on the Nobles and that is the Judgment written Janius Amesius no more no less no other and by no other persons then is expresly written and declared by the great Judg of Heaven and Earth in his Word The Sword of men of Saints against the worst of Heathen must not exceed one Iota the Sword of the Spirit the written Word of God The fourth the Reward of this Execution is Honour This honour have all his Saints Where first we may observe what the Reward is namely this Honour that is first To have high praises of God in their mouths and this two-edged sword in their hands Secondly To be guided to execute no Judgment but that which is written upon any This is Honour Secondly Who they be that are thus honoured to have praises in mouths and execute Judgment written namely his Saints such as God hath made and by his Word accounts Saints not such as are Popish Saints or canonized by themselves or Satan or their Flatterers but such as shew themselves Saints by having their minds and hands bound by the written Word from executing any thing further and otherwise then God hath appointed these and no other are his Saints and therefore to be honoured yea God to be honoured by them in them and for them which is determined in the uttermost extent of this laudatory Circle in the end of the Psalm Hallelujah Praise ye the Lord. Every observing eye may clearly perceive what a large field is laid open in the Text for my discourse to walk in and how many Clusters of divine matter seasonable and apt for our times and present occasion do offer themselves to my hands but I am resolved to let all pass and to take hold only of one and gather it for a Peace-offering to the Lord in applying it only to your present occasion and it shall be that one that groweth upon the very top of this Tree of Life in my Text and furthest from the shadow of those Collections that may be found on the under boughs namely The prescription of the duty to be done The high Praises of God where every one may take notice 1. The subject of duty Divided to be praise yea Praises 2. Object of duty to be God praises of God 3. Their property to be high High praises of God Which word alone needs a little Explication because so variously rendred by the most Interpreters some rendring it only Exaltations of God others Praisings exalting God others Songs exalting God others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expounded Sublime Praises of God others Praises highly uttered unto God the Reason whereof is because the word Romemóth in the Text signifies sometimes actively and then it notes the height exaltation Psal 71.19 Prov 24.7 and lifting up of any thing to the observation of others and sometimes passively and then it notes the height worth excellency of the thing that is exalted or lifted up in it self But the scope and nature of the duty prescribed in the Text necessarily comprehends both as well the high acts for which God is to be highly praised as the high Praises to be given unto God for those high Acts but especially the latter namely the height and excellency of the duty of praise to be performed for those high Acts of God as appears both from the whole Argument of the Psalm meerly laudatory as also from the Instrument wherewith these high Praises are to be performed namely the mouth The high Praises of God in their mouth shewing the height herein mentioned is a property of mans duty or work in praising God and not only of the work of God for which he is to be praised but in the Observation I shall from hence propound unto you I will comprehend both and all the particulars in the duty prescribed besides which is this The Praises of God are of an high nature Doctrine propounded and high performance OR The duty of praising God is a high duty which must exalt and lift up the high God in it This truth I shall labour to demonstrate 1. From the Object 2. Demonstrated The Effect 3. Their Price 4. Their Performance Or to use the School terms they are high 1. Objective 2. Effective 3. Oppretiative 4. Perfective First The Praises of God are high in relation to their Object 1. From the object being peculiar to God which is none other but the most high God and that in the consideration of his transcendent height and Sublimity over and above all other things or persons so the Psalmists resolution intimates Psal 7.17 I will praise the Lord according to his Righteousness which he expresseth in the following words To sing praise to the Name of the Lord most high and Psal 92.1 It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praise to thy Name O thou most high In which places and very many more in the Scriptures it is evident That the Lord considered in his highest Sublimity is the object of high Praise and that by most special and peculiar approbation of them unto himself and none other Isai 42.8 I am Jehovah that is my Name I will not give my Glory to any other nor my Praise to graven Images See how the Lord appropriates and owns it yea specially doth reserve it It is my Glory my Praise and so mine that I will not part with any of it to any other how high soever they be it is too high for any but my self The Lord will and doth give the highest of all things else in the whole Creation to others as the Heavens how high soever above them and the earth and all the works of his hand beneath them hath God put in subjection under mans feet and made him to have dominion over them Psal 8.6 Nay he gives the Services of the highest Angels in the highest Heavens to many others Heb. 2.14 Yea the highest Felicity and

He beckoned with the hand and declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison and said Go shew these things to James and the brethren Whence you may learn if you will faithfully return due praises unto God for your liberty You must never think on it by your selves nor speak of it to others much less in your solemn Thanksgiving to God for the same but you must beleeve and acknowledg the Lord alone to be author and essicient of it so al 's doth the Tune of Davids Psalm of praise for liberty run in this high Tone Psal 116.16 I mean in the exercise of his Faith by acknowledging the Lord the sole author of his enlargement Thou O Lord hast broken my bonds and therefore I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of Thanksgiving So doth good Ezra in the like cause go before you in returning praises for his own and the Churches freedom from the Babylonish Thraldom whose words and expression Ezra 9.8 9. I desire all of you would print them on the tables of your hearts and make them as frontlets before your eyes yea that you would write them in your Note-books on the walls of your Studies and Bed-chambers where you must lodg in the night or converse by day that you may acknowledg and confess with him as long as you live saying We were bond-men yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage but hath extended mercy to us in the sight of our enemies and hath given us a reviving to set up the house of our God and to repair the desolations thereof and to give us a wall in Judah and in Ierusalem Thus lifting up the eye of your faith to the most high God seeing and acknowledging the height of his wisdom goodness and mercy working your deliverance will raise the conceptions of your high praises Secondly The Production So will the exercise of your faith heighten your production also by shewing and causing you to confess that as God was the efficient so the Lord Jesus's sufferings was the meritorious cause procuring this deliverance from your temporal as well as spiritual bondage It was the blood of Christ that brought all of you that are true Beleevers out of this house of bondage also That was the red Sea in which your liberty came swiming to you he was once bound that you might be now free Joh. 8. and if the Son make you free then are you free indeed For as by his stripes ye are healed so by his bonds are you losed he dyed in custody Isai 53. under the hand and power of Heathenish Souldiers that none of these Heathenish Souldiers in whose custody you were might have any power to lay violent hands upon you Mat. 27. he was taken from his prison and judgment that you might be taken from yours also and when he ascended up on high he led not onely his own but your Captivity captive when you shall thus act your faith in beholding the Lord Jesus meriting this your dismission Eph. 4. and coming along with your discharge and delivering it unto you as a fruit of his sufferings for you then will your Souls be enlarged and your affections extended to a more ample production of the high praises of God Thirdly As you must by the exercise of your faith The Acceptation heighten the production of your praises from your selves so their acceptation with God also Faith will not onely demonstrate God alone to be the original and the Lord Iesus the procurer of the mercy but also be an effectual instrument to work high acceptation and respect to this your duty whiles it will direct you to return all your high praises to God by the hand of Christ alone as their Altar and Presenter Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer up the Sacrifice of praise unto God who as he is a Mediator and praying Saviour for the supply of our wants so is he a praising Saviour in the return of our thanks His oders and incense alone must sweeten and persume the oblation of our praises as well as prayers your highest praises if they be not presented by his hand will be rejected in anger if offered through his mediation will be accepted with love and welcom as the Philippians bounty Chap. 4.18 an odor of a sweet smell and a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God Let me now therefore conclude the first part of my Direction for the heightening your praises in their conception inwardly with the words of the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.5 above and besides all that you have heard for that purpose before approve your selves by this exercise of faith to be Living stones built up together into a spiritual Temple and an holy Priesthood to offer these spiritual sacrifices of highest praises acceptable to God by the mediation of Iesus Christ alone The conception of your praises being by these means thus raised inwardly The outward expression of praise proceed also to heighten their expression outwardly let their birth be answerable to their conception and their production to God as high as their birth in men which will be effected and the external expression of your praises much heightened by a two-sold gratulatory practise First In your words Secondly In your lives The words of the Text lead me to this distinction by holding forth not onely the duty of high praises that they are to be performed but their manifestation also how they are to be expressed namely first by the mouth and tongue the instrument of speaking secondly the two-edged sword and hand the instruments of action whereby the Psalmist doth manifest most evidently that these high praises that are conceived in the heart must be expressed in the tongue and life First then Let the high praises of God be in your mouth or in your throat as the Text hath it to note the extension of your voyces in their expression which is that which is commanded in the former verse when the Saints are enjoyned to sing aloud upon their beds and Psa 148.2 to praise God in the heights that is not onely in high places to exalt his Name above the Heavens and Earth but also in high expressions of words and voyces and therefore Psa 150.5 the Spirit of God requires that the Lord be praised not only on a well sounding Cymbal or as the Text is a Cymbal of hearing but also upon a high sounding Cymbal that is notes of highest exaltation and shoutings All which Scriptures call upon you as well as my Text to let the praises of God be high in your mouths publishing them in the highest expressions of his glory and that principally these two ways First In a thankful celebration of them before others Secondly 1. By the tongue in celebration before men Psa 78.4 In a thankful commemoration of them between the Lord and your selves First You must heighten them by your tongues in an high celebration of them to others

by making joyful and perpetual confessions professions and declarations thereof to your brethren and the Congregations of his people that all you fathers make them known to your children and they also make your deliverance and praises to be remembred by future generations This is punctually prescribed to be observed in uttering praises for deliverances from bonds and imprisonment Psa 107. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness viz. for being the Author of their liberty and declaring his wonderful works in their deliverance to the children of men which also is in like manner observed in Peters praise for his escape out of prison Act. 12. where besides the thankful confession of it to God Vers 17. he both declares it to the Congregation of Saints himself and also requires the Church to make relation of it to others and especially to James and Iohn who being publique persons he knew would cause the praises of God to be remembred and celebrated therefore in all the assemblies of the Saints wheresoever they came in conformity to whose practise let me exhort you also to go tell your Iohns and Iames and other brethren how great things God hath done for you in this your enlargement so that as the Spirit of God in your very case requires Psal 102. 18 19 20 21. it may be written for the generations to come and the people that shall be created may praise the Lord for you and with you saying God looked down from the height of his Sanctuary from Heaven did the Lord behold the Earth To hear the groaning of us Prisoners and to loose us that were appointed to death That we might declare the Name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem When the people are gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. Secondly Heighten the verbal expression of your praises 2. By Commemoration unto God by a thankful Commemoration of Gods great mercy in your deliverance between the Lord and your selves the practise whereof I would have you learn from the Psalmist Psal 136. where he praiseth GOD with high praises First for the work of Creation unto the tenth Verse and then for the deliverance of his people from the Egyptian bondage and thraldom Vers 18. In both which he heightens the praises of GOD these two ways First divides the total sum of GODS goodness into the several parcels and particular remarkable passages of his providence therein Secondly He multiplies and reiterates the expression and attribution of his praises according to the nature and number of the particulars observed in his antecedent distinction this is the method he observes in the first part of the Psalm unto the tenth Verse where he praiseth God for works of Creation dividing the mercy and multiplying the praise according to the number of the special Attributes and Actions of God observed therein First he observes the attribute of Goodness of God and then praiseth him for that Oh give thanks unto the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Then observes him as God of Gods Vers 2. and praiseth him for that by it self Oh give thanks to the God of Gods for his mercy c. Then as Lord of Lords Vers 3. Then takes notice of his wonderful Power By diviving the mercy That alone doth great wonders Vers 4. Then of the attribute of his Wisdom in making the Heavens Vers 5. And having thus observed the distinction of Attributes in God and multiplyed Praises according to the number of them he then proceeds to the division of the total of his work into the principal parts of it and multiplies his Praises according to the number of them As first His stretching out the earth above the waters Vers 6. Then the making great Lights Vers 7. The Sun to rule the day Vers 8. The Moon and Stars to rule the night And as he observes this method of division of the mercy of Creation and the multiplication of praises for it so in praising God for their deliverance from bondage and their slavery in Egypt which is more properly your case he first in the beginning of each verse doth distinctly observe the several parts and circumstances of their deliverance as that he smote the first-born of Egypt and brought Israel from amongst them and with a strong hand overthrew Pharaoh and smote great Kings and famous Kings Sihon King of the Amorites and Og King of Bashan and unto every one of these particulars adds a particular reiteration of the praise of God for the fame in the end of each verse still inculcating and concluding That his mercy endureth for ever which is written for your learning and instruction that you also in praising God for your liberty should particularize the total sum of your safety and then to multiply and reiterate the expression of your praises accordingly And multipliing the praise Come therefore and sing unto the Lord a new Song and praise him this day in the Congregation of Saints and with good Ezra Heman and Asaph Ezra 3.10 11. Praise ye the Lord after the Ordinance of David King of Israel singing together by course praising and giving thanks unto the Lord your God because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever To the God of Gods that stood by us when all other comforts sailed us For his mercy endureth for ever To the Lord of Lords that hath subdued our Enemies under us For his mercy endureth for ever That rescued us from anger and rage of the multitude when they first apprehended us at Chelmsford For his mercy endureth c. That preserved us in the long march from Brantree to Colchester For his mercy endureth c. That suffered not our Enemies to do us any harm For his mercy c. That turned their hearts to be civil to us For his mercy c. That secured us from the bullets that were shot through our chambers For his mercy c. That made our society so comfortable whiles we were in custody For his mercy c. That did provide for us meat and drink plentifully when our Enemies starved For his mercy endureth c. Who by his Spirit stirred up so many to pray for us For his mercy c. And in his faithfulness answered those prayers For his mercy c. That caused our Enemies to give us life when they yielded themselves to death For his mercy c. That after so many weeks imprisonment brought us home with Honor Safety and Freedom For his mercy endureth for ever Thus if you shall begin to particularize your mercies and then proceed in multiplying your praises you will raise the expression of them to be high praises of God in your Mouths verbally unto which the Text requires another and higher expression of them to be added Namely An actual raising them in your lives The real expression of praise heightened with a two-edged sword in your hands which two-edged sword in your

us yet when its beams are interposed and lustre over-clouded we account it to be in a suffering condition so the inward Perfections of God without the duty of Praises are as it were in a suffering condition and like a rich Diamond or Jewel hid in a dark corner but by the duty of high Praises the lustre and beauty of his Wisdom Power and Goodness are openly produced and made conspicuous to the observation and admiration of all Beholders and Spectators for which cause they are called in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exaltations of Jehovah rather then Singings unto his Name because according to his Name so is his Praise Psal 48.10 therefore his Name being most high his Praise must be also most high and proportionable thereunto Thirdly 3. From their value discerned The Praises of God are high and of high nature appretiativè in respect of the high estimation and value the Lord him-himself hath them in and sets them at which appears two ways 1. By the high Price wherewith he purchaseth them 2. By the high Delight he takes in them after he hath procured them First 1. In their procurement The price wherewith God is willing to purchase them is very high For not onely the expence of all his wisdom power and goodness put forth in Creation nor onely the layings out of all his counsel care love and faithfulness in Providence and Preservation but also the rich Treasure of his Promises Covenant Grace yea the precious blood of his own Son in our Redemption is given freely absolutely intentionally and ultimately for no other thing but the purchase of high praises to God Ephes 1.5 6. All that God doth and giveth all that Christ doth and suffereth is for no other end but the praise of the glory of his Grace I confess consider mens highest praises of God as they are mans performances they are poor and inconsiderable things but consider them as they are the Testimonies and expressions of a beleeving heart declaring and making known the unspeakable wisdom faithfulness bounty and excellencies of God exercised in his works in this notion The Scripture declares the heart of God so to be taken with the desire of them that he is willing to give Heaven Earth Himself and Son to poor men for the praises of their hearts hands and tongues and accounts himself abundantly satisfied therefore when his People will speak good of his Name speaking well of him in the Dialect of Angels-notes the high praises of God which most strongly and undeniably demonstrates the high worth of the Duty of high praises when the most high God will purchase them with the expence of Himself Son and all he hath Give me praise and take my Christ Self and Kingdom saith God When a profane and foolish Esau will purchase a mess of pottage with the price of his birth right a mean and contemptible thing with a great price we rather undervalue the wisdom of the Purchaser then esteem any thing the better of the Purchase But if a wise Merchant that is certainly and undoubtedly known to have perfect understanding and deep insight into the worth of the things he deals for if such a one sells all he hath and takes up what he can elsewhere procure to purchase a pearl or field we then conclude the hidden worth of the Purchase from the high price given for it by the knowing and wise Purchaser Now then must it not undeniably advance the heighth and worth of high praises when we see the omnipotent and infinite onely wise God that regards not Gold Silver Kingdoms Honors but yet knows how to prize and value his own contents and pleasure doth dispense and lay out all that Heaven and Earth is worth solely and purposely to purchase to Himself the highest praise of his Glory and Grace Secondly 2. In their Enjoyment The high value that God hath of high praises will be evident by the high delight and pleasure God takes in them thus purchased for skilful Artists and high principled elevated understandings never take pleasure or delight in any thing or work which is not answerable to their highest principles and proportionable to their uttermost skill and desire Now the Lord who is the most perfect understanding and deepest skill and knowledg declares himself to take infinite delight in his Peoples Praises It is his solace and pleasure to be attended with them either in Earth or in Heaven by men or Angels and his Soul is ravished with the thoughts and contemplation of them This was it which was typed by the Feasts Psa 148. Lev. 6.7 Num. 29.12 and rejoycing in the peace offerings by the sweat Odors and Incense in the Encharistical Sacrifices by the melodious Tunes dilightful Sangs Harmony Musick Organs Timbrels Cymbals Harps for exaltation and triumph in the solemn Feasts and days of Thanksgiving the Scripture intending thereby to declare not onely with what cheerfulness and delight these gratulatery S●rvi●●t were to be performed by men but also how ancentable and pleasing they are unto the Lord as sweet savars and odors in his nostrils as Angelical musick and heavenly ayrs in his ears as wine and divine delicatias to his taste yea and if in Heaven it self the Lord of life and glory receives any additional exaltation from the glorified Saints and Angels besides what is exernally enjoyed in the Circle of his own perfections it cannot be concluded from any thing expressed in Scripture to proceed from any thing else but the everlasting acclamations and benedictions of the glorified Saints and Angals giving glory honor and praise unto him that site on the Throne and to the Lamb whose Hallelujabe are nothing else but the highest of these high praises of God in their hearts and mouths 4. From their performance requiring the exercise of greater measures of Grace then a publique day of Humiliation Doth not then this height of Gods valuation in their Procurement and the height of the Lords satisfaction in their Enjoyment set the high Praises of God upon the highest top of the transcendent Sublimity of divine worth and excellenty In the fourth place The Praises of God are high and of a high nature perf●●ti●d that is in respect of the high measure of Grace they are to he attended withall in their per●o●●●●● the Lord requiring the duty of high Praise especially in a publique Day of Thanksgiving for any remarkable and high mercy should be performed with a great measure of Scripture-light with a higher degree of effectual Faith and with a more ample proportion of practical Holiness then any other of the most solemn Exercises of of his publique Worship For the more full and clear demonstration of which particulars I mean of the singular measure of Light Faith and Holiness which the Lord requires should be exercised in solemnizing of a day of Thanksgiving above any other part of his Service I conceive will be

deliver you out of your Trouble which appeared First In binding the hands of them that bound you and in the stopping of those Lions mouths in whose Den you were and were wide open against you by calming their spirits in such a manner that he suffered not any one of them to do you harm or pull one hair from your head or to increase the tediousness of your restraint by their incivilities which was the Lords doing and ought this day and ever be marvellous in your eyes yea it is your Duty from thence to conclude undoubtedly That the divine providence did so awe and over-rule their intentions as if you had heard him vocally from Heaven give your Enemies the charge in the Psalm Touch ye not these my Servants Ps 105.15 and see you do these Prisoners no harm Secondly His glorious presence discovered it self in that he did not onely protect you from their rage but also turned their hearts to favor you in being civil and courteous to you so far as to suffer you their Prisoners to eat the fat and drink the sweet when many of themselves starved and others suffered very much by their more unwholesom dyet and infected provision They sent you out freemen the same day they yeeled themselves to bonds To give you your lives when they resigned their own to death this was not their good nature or any sweetness in them but the singular love of God to you that made their stern and angry countenances to become your Mirrors wherein you might with Jacob see the manifest smilings and aimable countenance of God himself I confess freely when I saw some of you spectators at the execution of some of the principal Leaders whose prisoners you were the day before I could not but conclude Jehovah-Jirch apprehending my self to be with Abraham in the Mount and to behold Isaac delivered from the knife and fire and these sacrificed Rams first snarled in their own briars for your deliverance Thirdly Was it not a clear discovery of Gods gracious presence with you and such an one as should this day raise your hearts to high praises that you had the invaluable benefit of so many prayers all the time you were in restraint Whence could it proceed but from the unspeakable love of God to you that so many thousand were stirred in their most earnest prayers to speak unto God for you multitudes not onely of your friends and acquaintance but of strangers also that never saw your faces or heard of your names before you were Prisoners were so constant and instant with God in their petitions for you as if they had been seeking the Salvation of their own Souls In every publique meeting and private family duty the Prisoners at Colchester were still the subject of a great part of the exercise I am confident the prayers of the Church mentioned Act. 12. that were made for Peters enlargement did not exceed those which were made for you either in fervency or constancy so cordial and affectionate even unto Tears were the expressions that were poured out to God for your liberty and safety that for my part I am perswaded that few prisoners of your circumstances since the world began had the like for number and vigor which evidenceth far greater love of God unto you then the gift of Kingdoms and Empires for though tire prayers of the wicked are abomination to the Lord nor are they so beneficial unto men as one crust of Brend yet the prayers of the righteous prevailed much for you Iam. 5.16 and were effectual not onely in preserving you from base dispondency of spirit in the time you were in custody but also in making your yoke easie and your bonds light above your own and others expectation until the time of your delivery which love of God to you being seriously pondered will so warm your hearts and raise your affections that withall your praises proceeding from them will be heightened in your selves before they be returned to God Especially If you take into your hearts the consideration of a fourth Discovery of Gods especial Love into you in the time of your Imprisonment which was the sweet society and fellowship both in temporal and spiritual mereies and duties that was permitted unto you until the very day of your enlargement you might meet together prey together confer with one another and comfort each other in your bonds by reading singing and brotherly obligations whereby your Prison was turned into a Temple and Sanctuary as the Goalers house and other prisons was by Paul and Silas Act. 16.27 Phil. 10. Col. 4. in one prison they convert the Goaler in another Onesimus in a third they receive comfort and mutual edification from the Churches from Epaphus Aristarchus and other their fellow Prisoners for this fruit of love Paul gives many thanks in divers of his Epistles Go you and do likewise make the comfort of your mutual edification whiles you were confined an argument to raise the conceptions of your praises to God from whom it was received until the womb of your hearts grow pregnant with the high praises of your God Thirdly The exercise of Faith But yet nevertheless when your praises are first quickned by the meditation of the greatness of the danger under which you were enthralled and secondly strengthened and confirmed by the renewed sense and feeling of Gods Love so many several ways difcovered they will not withstanding prove abortive dye in their conception and appear liveless issues if the hand of your Faith doth not first being them forth of the place of conception and secondly being brought forth carry them up and present them to the most high God The acting and exercise of your Faith in the duty of Thanksgiving will raise your praises so high that of low moral conceptions in men they will become evangelical high Sacrifices and Oblations to God adding a further degree of excellency first to their Conception secondly Production thirdly Acceptation First 1. The Conception of praise The exercise of your Faith will heighten the Conception of your high praises by enabling you both to see and acknowledg that the mercy which is the ground and subject of your praises proceeded from an high from no lower original then the most high God that the most high God was the author and sole efficient of your deliverance whosoever were the instruments see this in Peter Act. 12. he there praiseth God for liberty from imprisonment as you do here wherein this exercise of his faith is most observable That both in the meditation of it himself and declaration of it to others he still acknowledgeth God to be the sole efficient of it first in his own meditation by himself Act. 12.11 Now I know for a truth that God hath sent his Angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the waiting-for of the people of the Jews Secondly In his declaration of it to others Vers 17.