40.5 Many ò Lord are thy wonderfull workes which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us ward they cannot bee reckoned up in order unto thee If I could declare and speake of them they are more then can be numbred But the difficulty of the duty may yet farther bee prooved from the fifth proofe of its excellency the Comprehensivenesse of it It is a very wide and comprehensive duty whether wee regard its Elicite or Imperate acts Its Elicite acts those which immediately flow from the grace or virtue of thanksgiving viz. Observation Confession Remembrance Valuation Retribution are things of a very large extent that take up the whole heart Psal 9 1. Psal 138.1 Nay the whole man all his parts and all his powers But it s Imperate acts those which are performed by its command and more remote influence comprehend the whole compasse of obedience all workes of Religion concerning God of charity and Justice towards both our brethren and our selves * Willet Iunius Peace-offerings were never offered alone but alwayes joyned with other sacrifices Judg. 20.26 and 21.4 1 Chron. 21.26 Thereby shewing that thanksgiving if it goe not to the constitution of it hath yet a necessary * Vid. Morteni Antidot contra Merita 19. c. sect 4. connexion with and relation unto all our spirituall sacrifices all our duties Austine makes the whole duty of man to stand in this Vt anima non sit ingratâ— deo that the soule bee not unthankfull to God Vrsinus gives his third book of the Body of Divinity the title of Gratitude which yet treates concerning conversion good workes the law of God prayer c Hoe thought it seemes that gratitude comprehended all these The title of the booke of Psalmes is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the book of praises and yet it compriseth all subjects belonging to Divinity No point of Doctrine almost but is handled no duty but is pressed therein The whole Body of Divinity belongs to the praise of God What is there Speculative therein but sets forth some matter or argument of prase What is there Practicall therein but is an expression and fruit of the prayse of God Even * Hujus virtu tis materia tam late patet quà m Vita de Benef l. â— c. 19. Seneca tels us that the matter of this virtue is as broad as our lives There is little difference betwixt the praysing and glorifying of God and glorification of God comprehends in generall Fructification or obedience Joh. 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that yee beare much fruit Phil. 1.11 The fruites of righteousnesse are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God More particularly Confession of sinne Josh 7.19 My sonne give glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him Repentance Rev. 16.9 They repented not to give God glory Faith Rom. 4.20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleife but was strong in faith giving glory to God Martyrdome Iohn 21.19 Signifying by what death he should glorifie God The Apostle having exhorted to give thanks in every thing 1 Thes 5.18 backs it with this motive For this is the will of God c. which why may wee not interpret thus This is the summe or abridgment of Gods revealed will Sixthly The excellency of thanksgiving may be inferred from the worth of its Causes I shall instance but in five Faith in and Love of God spirituall both Knowledge of and Joy in God and his mercies Humblenesse Meeknesse of mind or Brokennesse of heart These excellent and pretious graces doe produce thanksgiving and therefore cannot but derive unto it somewhat of their perfection and excellency First then Faith is a cause of thankfulnesse Psal 106.12 Then beleeved they his word they sang his praise Their singing of his praise was an effect of beleife of his word The Psamist hath regard as appeares plainly by the coherence unto Exod. 14.31 and 15.1 When Israel saw that great worke which the Lord did upon the Aegyptians and beleeved the Lord c. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord. First Faith unites with God and Christ and a soul that is one with God and Christ apprehends it selfe interessed in their honour and glory the advancement of which it answearably desireth and indeavoureth Secondly Faith is a self-denying grace it carrieth a man out of himselfe unto God and Christ and therefore carrieth away all honour and glory from a mans selfe unto God and Christ Now faith hath by Peter the Epithite of Pretious expresly given unto it 2 Pet. 1.1 And pretious it is in regard of its object Christ his pretious truths and promises In regard of its effects or offices For it unites with God and Christ Justifieth our persons before God Purifyeth our hearts workeâ—h by love that is it is a meanes of the increase and exercise of Love and all other practicall graces it stirreth them unto and forwards them in their operations and is therefore called the Root the Queene the Empresse of all other graces Secondly A second cause of thankfulnesse is Love of God The Schoole-mâ—n distinguish of a twofold love one of Freindship another of Concupiscence according to both * Aquin. 1 â— 2 ae Quest 26. art 4. Scot. l. 2. d. 6. q. 2. n. 3. Faber Favent padae Aquinas and * Scotus A Love of freindship regards the object unto which wee wish or desire good A Love of concupiscence respects the good which wee wish or desire unto the Object loved with the love of freindship and * 2 da. 2 dae q. 23. art 1. thus to use the instances of Aquinas Wee love Wine an Horse or any thing else by which we our selves or any other thing we love with the love of freindship nâ—y be advâ—ntaged or delighted Now it is as impossible that the love of God which is but of concupiscence should produce thankfulnesse For first * Faber Faventi l. 2. d. 6. q. 2. d. 32. that is a love of a thing propter aliud and in ordine ad aliud for something else in order or in subordination unto some other thing Now that which goes about to make God any way subordinate is so farre from working his praise as that it is an attempt to un-God him to rob him of that honour and glory which is essentiall to him Secondly true thanks and prayses are terminated in God now as * Amor concupisâ—entiae dicitur inclinatio appetitus in bonum non secundum se ut in terminum sed ut relatum ad alterum vel ut alteri applicandum seu applicatum Tom. 2. dist 3. q. 2. punct 1. Gregory de Valentia observeth the love of concupiscence is not terminated in the goodnesse of its object but referred farther unto an application thereof unto the object loved with the love of freindship * Aquin. 22. 2 ae q. 33. art 1. our love of Wine and
why you are but as dull and livelesse images which cannot move naturally of themselves all your motion herein is but compulsary from outward respects not flowing from any true inward inclination Secondly the reigne and unmortification of sinne is an estate of slavery and bondage unto sinne Rom 6.16 and therefore inconsistent with thankfulnesse which is of so excellent a nature as that it never lodged in any but free brave and ingenuous bosomes As for base low and servile spirits they are unacquainted with and uncapable of it No man can serve two Masters Matth. 6.24 Now thankesgiving is an immediate and speciall service of God and therefore unperformable by the servants of sinne and Satan Consider the excellency and difficulty of the duty and then tell me whether or no we can possibly performe it without enlarged hearts hearts freed from the commands of sinne and Satan What can a prisoner doe that is laden with Irons and fetters Alas then what can an imprisoned and fettered soule doe in this most great and difficult work of a Christian And thus have you seen how the reigne and unmortification of sinne causeth unthankfulnesse Now there cannot be a baser and viler estate or condition then that of the reigne of sin for it is a deprivation of the best of blessings spirituall and a subjection unto the worst of tyrants a slavery and bondage unto the worst of masters sin and Satan Unthankfulnesse then proceeding therefrom cannot but be most vile base and unworthy In the next place let us specifie those particular sinnes which cause unthankfulnes The first I shall mention shall be hardnes of heart An hard and stony heart whilst such cannot possiby be softned or melted into a gratefull disposition by the greatest sun-shine of Gods most tender mercies Rain you know will seldome stay upon a stone at least it will not sink into a stone even so Gods mercies cannot fasten on the observation settle in the memory of an hard and stony soule they slide away from it as water from a stone However they can make no more impression on its affections then a Seale on wax whilest hard they cannot soak or sink into its joy love and admiration Hardnes of heart begets unthankfulnes and an hard heart is of a very base temper it is an untractable unteachable unsensible unslexable heart and therefore so is an unthankfull heart too Secondly Ignorance is a cause of unthankfulnes ignorance of our selves of God of his blessings He that is ignorant of his own weaknes and unworthines that knows not how unable he is either to procure or deserve mercies he that is ignorant of Gods providence that knows not what stroak it hath in the managery of these inferiour things can reach no further then the Phariseâ—â— thanksgiving Luke 18.11 12 14. which indeed was nothing but a boasting and cracking of mercies He that is not studied in the excellency and sweetnes of blessings will quickly undervalue them and therefore be unthankfull for them Darknes and dimnes in the eys of our mind in discerning blessings will be fellowed with a dumbnes of the tongue and a deadnes of the heart and affections in praising God for them Deutr. 32.6 Doe yee thus requite the Lord ô foolish people and unwise It is folly and unwisedome that makes a people to requite the Lord unthankfully Now ignorance wonderfully debaseth the minde of man Proverb 19. vers 2. that the soule bâ—e without knowledge is not good it renders a man brutish Psalm 92.6 A brutish man knoweth not neither doth a foole understand this Psalm 32.9 Be not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding To have no understanding is to be as a horse and the mule Thirdly Unbelief is a cause of unthankfulnes for it stayes and rests upon a mans self and the creature and so stops all honour and glory from going to God and Christ Now unbelief is of all sins the most dangerous because it is the edge and sting of all other sinnes that which shackles the guilt of all sinnes upon the conscience Dr. Edward Reynolds treat pag. 496. All sinnes are damnable in their nature and desert but unbeleif makes them to condemn actually in regard of the event Joh. 3.18 36. Fourthly Want of the love of God is a cause of unthankfulnes For how can he that doth not love God above all be more desirous and studious of Gods glory then his own good and can there be a greater sin of omission then not to love the supream and infinite good Fifthly Pride is a cause of unthankfulnes Hos 13. v. 6. Their heart was exalted therefore have they forgot me and to be forgetfull is to be unthankfull 2 Chron. 36.25 But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done to him for his heart was lifted up This dependance of unthankfulnesse upon pride may be evinced from these two reasons 1 The proud man underrates Gods mercies as not answerable or but answerable unto his own deservings Hence also is it that he looks upon his afflictions as undeserved and therefore as injuries and consequently upon deliverance from them not as mercies but onely as a kinde of restitution and satisfaction so that we may apply unto him that which * Quintus Curtius Craterus informed Alexander with against Philotas Alexander had pardoned Philotas and Craterus bears him in hand that Philotas will not bee so thankfull for his pardon as angry at his accusation Quadam beneficia odimus meruisse mortem confiteri pudet superest ut mallet videri injuriam accepisse quà m vitam Secondly A proud man will rob God of his honour and arrogate it unto himself The proud scholler will ascribe his learning unto his industry the proud souldier his victory unto his sword and pâ—owes the proud worldling his riches unto his labour and policy he will sacrifice unto his nets burn incense unto his drags as if by them his portion were made fat and his meat plenteous Hab. 1.16 he will say in his heart my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth Deutr. 8.17 now pride is reckoned up Prov. 6.16 17. amongst the principall objects of Gods hatred and abomination Psal 101.5 Him that hath an high look and a proud heart will I not suffer or I cannot suffer as Ainsworth and others reade it the word suffer is but supplied by the translation as being to be understood in the original t is only Him that hath an high look and a proud heart I will not or I cannot * Dr. Donue Gods abrupt breaking off his speech denoteth the very hight of his indignation against an high look and a proud heart 1 Pet. 5. v. 5. God resistâ—th the proud Pride puts God upon a defensive war it being an invasion of and an assault upon his Throne and usurpation of his crown and the incommunicable prerogative thereof Another cause of unthankfulnesse is envy then which there can hardly be a
horse stayes not in the goodnesse of Wine or horse but respects the use thereof by our selves or freinds We wish our Wine our Horse good but t is in reference to our selves or our freinds that we or they may have the use service or benefit of this their goodnesse That loue of God then which is but of concupiscence is terminated not in God but in our selves in that advantage which we desire to reape by in that use which we desire to make of him This love then is more desirous and studious of our owne good then Gods glory and therefore cannot beget thankfulnesse which principally minds the exaltation of Gods glory But now the very height of praise thanksgiving is an effect of that love of God which is called a love of freindship for that is a love of God principally for his owne sake and therefore subjects unto his glory whatsoever is finite and created This love makes God subordinate unto nothing and an acknowledgment of the unsubordinatenesse of God is the greatest glory that a poore creature can give him This love of freindship as Aquinas observeth out of Arstotle is a love of Benevolence whereby wee wish or desire good unto the object loved Hee then that loves God with the love of freindship loves him with a love of Benevolence and to love God with a love of Benevolence is to wish and desire all possible good unto him Now our goodnesse sayth the Psalmest extendeth not unto him Psal 16.2 viz. otherwise then by way of praise declaration glory and acknowledgement The love of God then that is of benevolence enclineth to desire and endeavour the bringing of all possible praise honour and glory unto him The Apostle speaking of this love sayth that it seekes not her owne 1 Cor. 13.5 that is principally If then we love God with this kind of love we will not seeke our owne we will more zealously and diligently seeke the advancement of Gods glory then the profit pleasure honour credit and reputation of our selves * Amas et lâ—das definis lâ—dare si desir amare Aust Psal 85. If we love God with all our hearts with all our soules with all our mights we will set a higher value upon his glory and praise then upon the whole creation And therefore rather then his glory and praise should run any hazard will resolve to undergoe the utmost extremities Love of God you see is a cause of praise and thanksgiving and for proofe of its excellency I shall in this hast refer you unto 1 Cor. 13. which chapter is wholly spent in the elogies and commendations thereof Thirdly A third cause of thankfulnesse is a spirituall and experimentall knowledge of God and his workes of mercy and deliverance A thankfull man must praise God for them and therefore he must be acquainted with them He must distinctly and lively blazon out the specialties of them and therefore hee cannot bee ignorant of shem David was sensible that hee could neither have a thankfull heart nor thankfull lipps without knowledge not a thankfull heart Psal 119.7 I wil praise thee with uprightnesse of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements not thankfull lipps Psal 119.171 my lipps shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes * Psa 68. v. 24.26 compared An open mouth to praise God for benefits presupposeth ever as its cause an open eve an enlightned understanding to behold the name of God written upon it as a token of his love Now knowledge is a very pretious grace that wonderfully beautifyeth and inricheth the mind of man and therefore compared by Solomon to silver and hid treasure Prov. 2 4. Fourthly A Fourth cause of praise and thanksgiving is spirituall Joy that commeth cheifly from a fight and sense or relishing of Gods love and goodnesse in mercies This will be evident if you will compare my text with the 4 verse of the Psalm for then you shall see that the Psalmist there setteth downe the ground or reason why hee thought giving of thanks singing of praise so good and excellent a thing For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work v. 4. viz. of mercy and deliverance A rejâ—ycing of the heart by Gods workes of mercy begets a sollid and serious apprehension of the goodnes and excellency of praise and thanksgivings and such an apprehension will quicken unto a chearefull performance of it And indeed it is impossible but that praise and thanks should be the effect of spirituall joy in mercies How can a man bee unthankfull for mercies which witnesse and seale up Gods speciall love and favour and so produce glorious and unspeakable comfort A man truly and spiritually joyfull is satisfied with the love of God shed abroad through his heart as with marrow and fatnesse c. And how can such an one but be excited unto thankfulnesse I Psal 63.5 My soule saith the Psalmist shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and then my mouth shall prayso thee with joyful lipps * In the ring of graces Faith is the diamond Joy the sparkle of the diamond Arrowsmith on 1 Sam. 7.12 Now the excellency of joy is set forth Psal 97.11 Light is sowne for the righteous and Joy for the upright in heart The latter part of the words expound the former and shew that by the Light sowne for the righteous is meant Joy And indeed t is usuall in Scripture for light to be put for joy Hest 8.16 Isai 50.10 Now light is of all sensible qualities the brightest and most glorious Lastly Humblenesse Meeknesse of mind Brokennesse of heart is a cause of thankfulnesse An humble contrite and penitent soule will debase it selfe lay it selfe low before God it will disclaime all desert of the meanest mercies And that 's the way to value mercies to exalt and extoll God aright such a soule will challenge to it selfe nothing but sinne and impotency and therefore it will not dare to finger any part of the glory honour and praise which is due unto God Now for the excellency of rhis humility meeknesse and brokennesse of heart I shall alleadge but these few following places of Scripture Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart ô God thou wilt not despise The Psalmist alludes thinks some unto spices which are most fragrant when pounded and bruised so are our hearts most pleasing to God when broken with spirituall sorrow For in the latter part of the verse a contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Liptotes lesse is said and more understood So that the meaning is A broken and contrite heart thou wilt highly value and prize and so much may be gathered for that it is called not onely the sacrifice of God in the singular number but the sacrifices of God in the plurall to denote that it was insteede of all Leviticall or ceremoniall sacrifices mentioned in the
novum vet us homo male concordant sayth Augustin on Psal 149. A new song sounds very ill-favouredly looseth much of its grace and rellish from the old mans mouth Cantet canticum novum qui nova est creatura qui novam praestat obedientiam let him sing a new song that is a new creature that performes new obedience that leades a new life The second use of Information concernes the opposite or contrary of thanksgiving Unthankfulnesse Contrariorum contraria est consequentia of contraries there bee contrary inferences so then from the excellency of thanksgiving we may conclude the basenesse vilenesse and unworthynesse of unthankfulnesse And in discovery hereof Wee shall runne so farre as wee can a methode paralell unto that wee have used in the proofe of the excellency of thanksgiving Wee shall proove it to bee a base vile and unworthy vice from its Subject Comprehensivenesse causes from the operation which it bears unto all sorts or kindes of goodnes unto vertue pleasure and profit First the subjects in which reigning and unmortified unthankfulnes is seated are Devils damned Spirits wicked and unregenerate men For all other creatures yeeld unto God such praise as their low natures are capable of Psalm 19.1 The Heavens declare the glory of God The beasts of the field shall honour me saith God Isai 4â— 20 the Dragons and the Owles c. Unthankfulnes then doth wonderfully debase us it unmans us throwes us who are by nature but a little lower then the Angels beneath the very beasts that perish it rankes us with Devils damned Spirits and gracelesse men Secondly you may conclude the basenesse of unthankfulnes from the Comprehensiveness thereof It is the Epitome of all vices Omnia dixeris si ingratum dixeris Abernethy It is a comprehensive and originall sin which lies at the root of all other sins and therefore * In quolibet peccato est materialis ingratitudo ad Deum in quantum scilicet facit homo aliquid quod potest ad ingratitudinem pertinere Formaliter ' autem ingratitudo est 〈◊〉 quando actualiter beneficium contemnetur 2a 2ae q. 107. art â—2 Aquinas affirmeth that there is a kind of materiall ingratitude in every finne wee commit In all our sins there is a spice of unthankfulnes Gods mercies are over all his workes Psalm 145.9 they reach over the whole world and unthankfulnes as if it studied to keep in some sort a proportionable pace unto Gods goodnes overspreads the lesser world our whole natures The unthankful mans understanding is ignorance his memory forgetfulnes his will and affections disregardfull of Gods blessings his tongue silent in the recounting of them his whole man backward in making requitall for them nay of so diffusive and spreading a nature is it as that it runs out into our very ornaments and excrements our apparell and haire Neither stoppes it here but is extended further even unto all blessings whatsoever that are without us for it makes them all instrumentall of Gods dishonour it doth as it were muster them up to doe God disservice and even fight against him and his Thirdly the vilenesse of un hankfulnes may be inferred from the baseness of its causes the reigne and mortification of sinne in generall and in particular 1. Hardness of Heart 2. Ignorance 3. Unbeliefe 4. Want of the love of God 5. Pride 6. Envie 7. Covetousness First then the reign and unmortification of sinne in generall is a cause of unthankfulnesse and that because it makes us faile in the observation and in the valuation of blessings First in the observation of them for it carries the soule downward and will not suffer it so much as to look upward unto God the Author of every mercy and therefore the unmortified sinner hath not many of his mercies so much as a glimpse of the light of Gods countenance your sinnes lusts and corruptions if they be not mortified will hinder from a right apprehension of the mercy which we this day celebrate they will fix your thoughts upon the deliverance it selfe and will eclipse that hand which wrought it they will be as a mist to cloud those beames of providence which met therein Secondly unmortified lusts disable for a due estimation of mercies First because they sever from God from the sight and enjoyment of him without whom what is the raising of your siege the deliverance of your Towne but a cypher if God be not chiefly prized in mercies our valuation of them is grosse and unspirituall Secondly unmortified lusts unsweeten imbitter the greatest mercies they put a thorn and a curse into them As unto a palate prepossessed with bitternes the daintiest viands taste bitter so a soule that is filled with the ground of bitternesse and vexation of sin meets with nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit in the sweetest blessings As a green wound smarts though touched with the softâ—st lawn so an ulcerous and sinfull soule is grieved and discontented at and therefore unthankfull for the most tender mercies Unmortified sinners never knew the right use of mercies victories and deliverances never felt that solid comfort which they yeeld when sanctisied by the Word and prayer when one meetes with God in them For they are unto them as snares which work for the worst unto them which occasion in them nothing but pride security presumption and hardnesse of heart and therefore it is impossible that whilst they remaine in that estate they should value them as they ought and consequently be thankfull for them The influence that the reigne and unmortification of sinne hath upon unthankfulnesse will the better appeare if we consider the severall denominations thereof It is an estate of death in sin an estate of bondage and slavery unto sin First an estate of death in sinne Ephes 2.1 and to use the words of the Psalmist Psalm 115.17 The dead praise not the Lord their praises are as all other workes that goe before repentance or conversion Heb 6.1 A dead worke that hath only the picture and form of thankfulnesse Powre the hoâ—test strongest waters into aâ—dead man make tâ— greatest fires about him cloath him w th the costliest robes anoynt him with the most pretious oyntments he feels it not thanks you not Just so it fares with one dead in sins and trespasses notwithstanding the extream warmth of Gods blessings within him without him above him beneath him on every hand of him though he be cloathed with and made up of them though he feed nay tread on them yet he is not truly sensible of them and cannot by them untill God enliven his soule be possibly quickned unto any due and acceptable performance of the duty of thankesgiving in the least degree and measure Without spirituall life then you see you doe but fill up a roome you can beare no part in the inward and spirituall part of the duty of the day and in regard of that which you outwardly contribute unto the worke
with other graces and duties First from the synonomous Titles or appellations of it which are very high and honourable It is an honouring blessing magnifying glorifying and exalting and extolling of the infinitely-blessed great and glorious God not by way of efficacy for so his glorious name is exalted above all blessing and praise Nehem. 9.5 His glory greatnesse and blessednesse are infinite and therefore uncapable of either addition or dimunition but by way of Testimony declaration and acknowledgement It is a powring forth of the name of God as oyntment Cant. 1.3 a spreading and displaying a setting forth of all the glories perfections and excellencies which are in God unto which yet thereby there can be no more reall accession then there is unto the brightnesse of the Sun by reflection of its beames from a wall or glasse Secondly from the Subject of it which in Paradise was Adam in his estate of innocency in Heaven is the manhood of Christ the glorious Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect in Earth the Servants and Saints of God all those that seek and feare him Psal 22.26 Psal 113.1 Psal 135.20 Psal 145.10 All those that are of the Fountaine of Israel Psal 68.26 River in Loc. that is who are children of the Promise borne after the spirit like Nathanael true Israelites indeed Jews inwardly whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.29 By Adams fall man came short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 all his faculties were miserably out of tune so that he was utterly unable to yeeeld forth the sweet musicke of thankes But though the first instrument that God made for this was crackt yet God would not have this great and glorious worke to die upon the earth but that still there might be a people set apart for his prayse he purchased his church by the unvaluable blood of his sonne Isa 43.7 Every one that is called by my name I have created for my glory I have formed him yea I have made him vers 21 This people have I formed for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise The latter words expound the former To be formed for Gods selfe is to be formed for to shew forth his praise The Church was made formed created for Gods glory to shew forth his praise For this worke the Church is exalted by many unspeakeable priviledges above the rest of mankinde 1 Pet. 2.9 yee are a chosen generation a royall preisthood an holy nation a peculiar or purchased people that you should shew forth the prayses of him who hath called you c. Now surely that must needs be the peculiar priviledge of the Church which is a proper end of her being and of all those dignities which God hath conferred upon her But now that there may be no mistake we must distinguish betwixt an Obligation unto and an Acceptable performance of the duty The Obligation lies upon all because first the Command is generall and exempts none Psal 150.6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Secondly Gods mercy is universall and reacheth unto all Psal 145.9 But now if we speak of a due and acceptable Performance of the duty Praise as the Psalmist sayth waiteth for God in Sion Psal 65.1 which words may be expounded by those of Paul Ephe. 3.21 unto him be glory in the Church Gratitude is a grace seated in and Thanksgiving a duty performable by onely the true and genuine members of the Church misticall the body and fulnesse of Christ Ephe. 1 23. and this appropriation of the duty unto the Church might be signified by the very Name that was given unto that tribe which was in an especiall manner a type of the Church It was called Judah that is Praise However then all men are obliged unto the duty by the generallity of Gods both command and mercy yet they onely who are truely Church members and so members of Christ are enabled for and accepted in performance of the duty First they onely are enabled and gifted for the duty they onely have the gift and grace of thankfulnesse their hearts alone are set in a right tune by God and soe none but they can make this musick All others are out of Christ and without him severed from him we can doe nothing saith our Saviour Joh. 15 5. in this or any other duty Tract in Ioan. 81. De Verbis Apost Serm. 13. Least any sâ—ith Austin by occasion of those foregoing words in the same verse He that abideth in mee and â—in him bringeth forth much fruit might conjecture that the branch which did not abide in Christ might bring forth of it selfe some though but a little fruit Christ doth not say without me yee can doe but a little or a small matter or without mee if yee doe any thing it will be with a great deale of difficulty but without mee yee can doe nothing at all A spirituall knowledge of God and his mercy is as you shall here annon a roote of Thanksgiving The unregenerate then cannot but bee unable for it who have their understandings darkned Ephe. 4.18 Now as Doctor Feild notes out of the booke called Destructorium Vitiorum Feild of the church p. 254. though a man may know in the darke the length breadth and other dimensions of a thing but not whether it be faire or foule white or black so however wicked men in that dark condition and obscurity of discerning into which sin throwes them may finde out that there is a God and that hee is the beginning and cause of all things yet they cannot know how faire how good how mercifull and how glorious hee is that so they may love him c. praise and thanke him unlesse they have an illumination of grace To propound Gods glory as the highest end is required in all true thanksgiving and therefore unregenerate men have no ability for the worke because their hearts are utterly voyd of that which is the originall of such a proposall that love of God which the Schoolemen cal a love of Freindship whereby God is loved for himselfe for that absolute goodnesse which he hath in himselfe The highest kind of love that they can reach unto is a Love of Concupisence whereby they desire to make use of God to serve their owne turnes Their love of God is but a circular love that begins and ends in themselves in their owne commodity and benefit Reall and sincere thankfulnesse cals for the soule the tongue and the life And neither soules tongues nor lives of the unregenerate can beare a part in this duty Not their soules seeing every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not onely imaginations but also the purposes and desires are onely evill continually Gen. 6.5 not secondly their tongues Mat 12.34 O. Generation of Vipers how can yee being evill speake good things Not their lives A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.18
Gods ablenesse and willingnesse to blesse and deliver And it makes more to the praise of ones goodnesse to acknowledge that he hath given then that hee can or will give Secondly the precedency of praise may be concluded because it is of greater use in heaven then petition Some have affirmed that praise shall bee our whole and onely imployment in heaven Field of the Church Dr. Edw. Reynolds on Psal 1â—0 pag. 433. but others of equall note for piety and learning think there is no danger in affirming that the Saints in heaven and the blessed Angels doe pray though not for particular persons yet for the generall state and condition of the Church militant as also that the Saints departed pray for their own resurrection publick acquital in the day of judgment and perfect consummation of their happines in their bodies as well as soules But we need not meddle with this dispute for though it bee not the whole and onely yet it is the ohiefe work and busines of all the host of heaven the manhood of Christ the glorious Angels and the Spirits of just men made perfect Rev. 4.8 Rev. 7.12 They have little use of the prayer of petition in comparison of the prayer of praise and thankesgiving the matter of which is as wide as heaven as infinite as God himselfe as lasting as eternity Hence is it that by Bernard in dedicatione Ecclesiae Serm. 2. this world is called the house of prayer he meanes the prayer of petition and heaven the house of praise What is heaven but a * Mr. Herle circle of the beatifical vision and love of God of praises and songs unto God As Austin speakes our Circle of imployment there will be vacabimus videbimus videbimus amabimus amabimus laudabimus laudabimus cantabimus c. There we shall alwayes delight to see and seeing to love and loving to praise and praising to sing and singing to praise and so backe again Thirdly the end excells that of which it is an end Now as * Gratiarum actio est secundarius finis omnis petitionis religiosae qui enim recto aliquid petit à Dco non idcirco tantum petit ut accipiat nedum ut in voluptates insumat Jac. 4.3 sed ut acceptum referaturdenuò ad gloriam dei qui dedit Medul Theol. l. 2. c 9. Thess 91. Docter Ames well observeth Giving of thanks is a secondary end of every religious petition for he that craveth any thing at Gods hands as he ought to doe doth not only therefore crave it that hee may receive it much lesse that he may consume it upon his lusts but that being received it may be referred or returned back unto the glory of God For this hee quotes 2 Cor. 1.11 You also helping together by prayer for us that for the gift bestowed upon us by the meanes of many persons thanks may be given by many in our behalfe unto which wee may add 1 Chron. 16.35 Psal 106.47 and say yee Save us ô God of our salvation and gather us together and deliver us from the Heathen that we may give thanks to thy holy name and glory in thy praise Psal 9.13.14 Have mercy upon me ô Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftst me up from the gates of death that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the Daughter of Sion As also Psal 142.6 7. Attend unto my cry c. Deliver mee from my persecuters c. bring my soule out of prison that I may praise thy name 4. Thankesgiving transcends Petition because we are naturally more unable for and averse from it then petition for in our natures there is a disability unto and an aversation from as all good things so especially the best things the most spirituall and refined duties 1. We are naturally more unable for thankesgiving because more unmindfull and insensile of benefits and comforts then of wants necessities and crosses those are written in sand nay in dust these in marble nay in metall in brasle Who almost but is more affected in a way of griefe with the aking of the head nay finger then in a way of joy with the health of the whole body * Insitum hoc à natura bumano ingenio ad tristia acriter flectere oculos praeterire quae laeta ut muscae ejusmodi insecta laevibus politisque locis non diù insident scabris adhaereseunt sic querula ista meus meliorem sortem peviter transvolat asperam non dimittit tractat inspicit plerumque auget atque ut amantos in domina sua mâ—nquam non inveniunt cur eximia â—a ante omnes sic dolentes in suo luctn Lipsius de Constantia Look as Flies skip over those parts which are smooth sound and healthy and onely stick upon those which are itchy scabbed or any other wayes unsound diseased and disaffected so our mindes and affections which naturally are querulous and discontented lightly passe over mercies and joyfull occurrences but for disasters and all sad events they take a serious and through view of them they stay even dwel upon them and receive from them a deep and lasting impression and so accordingly most tragically amplifie them as if they were peacelesse That deliverance which hath occasioned our meeting at this present was so allyed unto a miracle and withall so great and I may say generall concernment as that God might justly expect from all wel-willers unto the publick a ravishment of joy such a doxology which Hierome if I forget not relates of the Primitive Church that was like a clap of Thunder and roaring of of the Sea such an extasie of thankes as the Psalmist reports of the Jewes Psalm 126. who were like men that dreame their mouthes being filled with laughter and their tongues with singing But now our carnall tempers doe so unfit and indispose us for this most spiritual duty as that passed losses of a farre inferior alloy and present fears and jealousies doe not onely allay but even drown the voyce of our joy an thanksgiving * Mr Marshal in his Sermon preached to the House of Commons Septemb. 7. 1641. at their publick thankesgiving for the peace coucluded between England and Scotland hath in his Preface a remarkable passage touching this argument In a day of humiliation saith he even wicked men have affections stirring in them consciousnes of evil guiltinesse of mind sense of wrath astonishing and oppressing feares arising from the apprehension of neere and unavoydable dangers are naturall meanes to make even Pharaohs Ahabs and Ninevites mourn and humble themselves before God But in a keeping a spirituall rejoycing unto God little or no help is to be expected from the flesh and that is one reason why commonly dayes of thankesgiving are translated with much lesse affection life and savour then dayes of Humiliation Secondly We are more averse from the prayer of thankesgiving