Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	goodness_n	lord_n	psal_n	4,045	5	7.5057	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94066	Higay'on selah The commemoration and exaltation of mercy. Delivered in a sermon preached to the Honourable, the House of Commons, at Margarets Westminster, Novemb. 5. 1646. Being the day of their publike thanksgiving, for that eminent and ancient mercy, the deliverance of them, and the whole kingdome in them, from the popish and hellish conspiracy of the powder treason. / By William Strong, a member of the Assembly of Divines.	Strong, William, d. 1654.	1646 (1646)	Wing S6000; Thomason E360_8; ESTC R201194	28,941	44

His vincit qui se vincit in victoria and all Iudah brought him presents and hee had riches and honours in abundance and his heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord. Wee should be like a spire Steeple which is minimus in summo least in our own eyes when God hath made us greatest in the eyes of other men we should acknowledge the Lord to bee the God of our mercies make him the God of our prayses and consecrate not onely the mercy to him with Hannah but our selves also as Hezekiah exhorteth to give the hand and as the Churches of Macedonia did who gave themselves to the Lord. 2 Chron. 30.8 There is as great danger of mercies as of any of Gods dispensations 2 Cor. 8.5 Our mercies may become our snares and that which should have beene for our welfare may become a trap to take us for the ground that drinks in this raine of mercies as well as that of ordinances and brings not forth herbes meet for him by whom it is dressed is nigh to cursing These will make the sinnes of people like Summer fruits Socrati cum multa multi pro suis quisque facult●hus offerrent Aesc●ines pauper Aud●tor Nihil inquit dignum te quod dare tibi possim inve●●o Itaque dono t●bi quod unum habeo me ipsum Sen. de benef l. ● c. 8. Amos 8.1 ripen them the sooner If it prove so with us wee must remember that there bee changes of the right hand of the most high Psal 77 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutat●ones dexiera Cal. hee may repent of these mercies as he did that he had made Saul King he may become our enemy and fight against us and may resolve to destroy us after he hath done us good The light that God hath caused to rise to us in obscurity Iosh 24.20 Zach. 14.6 is such as is neither clear nor dark we are in continuo crepusculo we cannot as yet say all our feares are over and that the Sunne hath risen upon us to a perfect day and hence it comes to passe every mans heart is become a merchant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 38.10 traffiking too and fro not knowing where to rest Leave your former mercies with God but so as to improve them for God while you doe enjoy them commit the keeping of your mercies to him as well as of your soules in well doing that if he change his hand towards you againe your hearts may not reproach you and say the time was we had a price in our hand but wee had no heart Let your mercies make you more faithfull more fruitfull and then doubt not but if God lead you into new troubles if the bush be brought into the fire againe the good will of him that dwelt in the bush shall bee with you And though the Enemy now his power is gone sets all his Policy on work and it may bee hopes to effect that by the one which hee could not by the other Yet the GOD of your salvation who hath given you these former mercies Psal 74.14 as the Head of Leviathan for food to your faith and hath in the latter mercies opened to you in the Valley of Achor a doore of hope Hos 2.15 I say the same GOD who hath taken the Lions will in his own time take the Foxes also For hee takes the wise in their owne craftinesse Which is the daily prayer and shall be the constant expectation of him Who is devoted to your Service in the Gospel William Strong A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS At their late Solemn Thanksgiving the 5th of November 1646. EZRA 9.13.14 After all that is come upon us for our evill deeds and for our great trespasse seeing that thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve and hast given us such a deliverance as this Should we againe break thy Commandements and joyne in affinity with the people of these abominations wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ALL well ordered States have their publike Records 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 King 15.23 16.5 Ezra 4.15 6.1 Hest 6.1 in which as in a common Treasury all the memorable Acts of that Kingdome are reserved to be transmitted to posterity God in his Kingdome also loves to have such Registers and Chronicles kept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 62.6 of all his speciall dispensations He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred Psal 111.4 And the Scripture tels us that God hath Recorders Officers maintained to this end sc all those that have pleasure in them and the Table in which they are recorded is their heart which should be written as the Prophets role within and without both of the word and the works of God a Table of mercy and and a Table of duty For seeing God hath a Book of Remembrance of our works written before him Mal. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is but equall that we should have a book of Remembrance of his works written before us and to read over this book is to be a great part of the labour of a mans whole life Perusing the Annals of England we finde Anno 1605. a glorious deliverance recorded which God vouchsafed to the Representative body of this Nation and in them to the whole Kingdome from a Popish and hellish Conspiracy of long deliberation and sudden execution The wood was laid in order and the child as it were bound upon the wood the knife prepared and the hand lifted up and then came the voyce from heaven stay thine hand To read over the Records of this mercy is the occasion of this solemnity that we may delight our selves in the goodnesse of the Lord and say Our God is the God of salvations to God the Lord belong the issues from death that we stand upon the Red Sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 68.20 and view the head of this Leviathan broken and write upon the mercy a new Higgaion Selab Ps●l 9.16 as matter of most serious Meditation The words read unto you were uttered upon a farre different occasion from this of ours that being to them a time of publike Humiliation This to us a time of publike thanksgiving they were met together to bewaile their sinnes against God and we are met to rejoyce in Gods goodnesse towards us But it is Tertullians rule specialiter pronunciata generaliter sapiunt De specta●ul c. 3. The Scripture like a well drawn Picture hath an eye upon every one that comes into the roome and therefore the instructions may be as proper to us as unto them though the occasion be different The Text containes a serious and hearty detestation of a revolt into former sinnes enforced by these three Arguments 1. Taken from the justice of God and the remembrance of his former

King and Parliament City and Kingdome were affected the day after this Deliverance when in their publike Thanksgivings they said of the Papists Their faith is faction their religion rebellion and their practise the murdering of souls and body we would have thought there had been no feare of the grouth and countenancing of Popery in this Kingdome to the endangering of all the truths of God both in Doctrine and Worship much lesse that ever a Popish Army should have been raised in this Kingdome for the destruction of the Parliament and that by many of those who were themselves Members of the Parliament but rather that this whole Kingdome from the highest to the lowest had taken up Luthers resolution after many Provocations Brevi efficiam at ●athe●●● sit esse Papestam 5. Because you were not the particular persons delivered none of you were Parliament men then Indeed this Deliverance is in a manner particularly yours and belongs unto us as it were only at second hand as we have an interest in you as in you our good is bound up as God hath made you the light of our eyes the breath of our nostrils the stay of our Tribes and the covering Cherub upon the Arke of God among us ●●e b. 28.16 Non mir●●s se de l●beratione laetari quam illos ipsos qui o●im ex Aeg●pto ed●cti crant M●ll P●●l 66.6 And though you were not the particular persons yet its agreeable to the language of the holy Ghost in the Scripture to take that as done to our selves which was done to our fore-Fathers the fruits whereof in our generation we enjoy Hee turned the Sea into dry land they went through the floud on foot there did we rejoyce in him They looked upon themselves concerned in the mercy as truly as if they had been of the number of those that saw the wonders of God in Egypt and had been baptized with Moses in the cloud and in the Sea Hos 12.4 He met with him in Bethel and there he spake with us They acknowledge the goodnesse of God unto Iacob as if they had been the men who stood before the Lord in Bethel And so should ye account Deliverances granted to your Ancestors to be yours for you enter into their labours who now sit in their places and you reap the fruit of all their hazards and dangers 6. It s a mercy which though exceeding great in it selfe God hath drowned as it were with greater mercies since God doth sometimes darken former mercies by greater deliverances he saith the dayes shall come when they shall say no more the Lord liveth which brought up the children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt Ier. 23.8.9 but the Lord liveth which brought up and led the seed of the house of Israel out of the North Country and from all the Countreys whither he had driven them c. The greater mercy should as it were ecclipse the glory of the former that in comparison it should disappeare tanquam stellae exiliores as exortum solis But though God may thus darken mercies in themselves yet greater mercies should not ●so darken the former unto us as to cause us to neglect or forget them The greatnesse of the glory of redemption should not take off a mans heart from being affected with the mercy of the creation and the remembrance of our Redeemer should not cause a man to forget his Creator The greater mercies should be a meanes to affect a mans heart with lesser mercies anew As a great sin humbled for and repented of doth not make men to sleight small sinnes but rather makes a mans heart more tender of them so a heart raised to thankfulnesse for a great mercy should not cause a man to neglect and under-value lesser favours but rather make him the more thankfull for them and to view over the whole course of mercy which the Lord hath shewed towards us Mich. 6.5 even from Shittim to Gilgal that wee may know the righteousnesse of the Lord Psal 68.26 and that we may praise the Lord from the fountaine of Israel even from the time that the first corner stone of mercy was laid unto this day Such thoughts as these Satan will be ready to inject to extenuate this mercy to lessen your thankfulnesse and if your Vials be not full of Odors to clog yours spirits upon this joyfull day Having thus endeavoured to remove those things with might cause the mercy to seeme small I shall now propose some considerations which may raise the mercy and make it glorious in your eyes that you may say with Ezra his affection thou hast given such a deliverance as this 1. The more bitter the enemies and the more deadly the danger the greater the deliverance when the snares of death doe compasse us about and the paines of hell take hold of us and then to God the Lord belong the issues from death it doth exceedingly advance the mercy Had this plot taken it would have cost many mens lives and these the cheife of our Tribes and how much bloud might have followed who knowes for the woman rides upon the scarlet coloured beast and is arrayed in scarlet coloured garments Rev. 17.3.4 And if we had scaped with our lives they had been lives worse then death we had surely lost our Liberties and Religion for an especiall part of Romes trading is in slaves and souls of men Rev. 18.13 so that many of us owe our lives unto this mercy and all we that are converted owe that which is better then our lives sc our conversion therunto 2. The deeper a plot is laid Psal 83.3 and then to be defeated the greater the mercy They have taken crafty Counsell against thy people and they consulted against thy hidden ones The thing was ploited beyond the Seas with the influence doubtlesse of all the policy of Rome Instruments chosen and brought over of purpose men skilfull to destroy It was communicated but to a few and to these under an oath of secrecy receiving the Sacrament thereupon And the assistance of Hell was not wanting doubtlesse Rev. 11.8 for Rome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Egypt for cruelty Sodome for filthinesse and for forcery Babylon the great And when it had taken effect the Plot was to lay all upon the Puritans the godly party of the Kingdome whom they knew to be extremly hated amongst us and therefore we were apt upon any slander raised to believe any thing concerning them which for ought we know might have produced as great a Massacre upon all the godly in this Kingdome as that in France was But there is a God that reveals secrets before whom Hell and Destruction are open much more the hearts of the sonnes of men and he discovered it This shall be the end of all those that Plot against God and digge deep to hide their counsels from him hee will certainly out wit them all at last and will take the wise in

judgements Our dwelling places have cast us out and by the rivers of Babylon we sate downe and wept for seventy yeare In Babylon we remembred Zion and being returned to Zion it behoves us to remember Babylon After all this is come upon us for our evill deeds and for our great trespasse 2. Taken from the mercy of God Psal 78.38 E●●● 28.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infra peccata Ierm and that both Punishing and Delivering First Punishing The Lord hath not delt with us according to our sins he did not stirre up all his wrath but stayed his rough wind in the day of his East wind he hath punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve Ezech. 37.1.2 Psalm 136.23 Secondly Delivering We being a field of dry bones he might have made our graves in the land of our captivity and we might never have returned againe to see our native Countrey but he remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever and as be punished us below our desert so he delivered us above our expectation 3. Taken from the issue and the dangerous consequence of such a revolt Ierm 34.17 Many of us have been swept away in this judgement and we were numbred to the famine to the sword and to the pestilence we were resembled by the haire Ezech. 5.2 an unprofitable excrement some cut with a knife and some scattered with the winds yet a few in number were bound up in the Prophet his skirt some written to life in Ierusalem as it is at this day But if we should againe break his Commandements Esay 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not only returne to our old land but also to our old sins we can expect nothing but an utter destruction that as to Sodome and Gomorrha God should leave us no remnant nor escaping It cannot be expected that wee should treat of all these particulars which the Text holds forth to us therefore from the commemoration of the Deliverance and the detestation of the revolt I will present you only with these two observations at this time 1. A thankfull heart hath high apprehensions of mercy and looks upon every mercy as great 2. The revolt or back-sliding of a people into former sinnes after they have received great deliverances is a very high provocation To begin with the first Doct. A thankfull heart looks upon every mercy as great The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Originall hath a speciall emphasis in i● such a deliverance as we are not able to expresse Our Enemie being the greatest Monarch of the Earth and we in as low a condition as could bee prisoners in a pit Zach. 9.11 Ezech. 37.2 Esay 41.14 dry bones wormes whom none loved none feared but every man ready to tread upon And in this condition we had been for seventy years that we had now even forgot prosperity and seemed men ad mancipium nati Lam. 3.17 home-borne slaves who had not only lost our liberty Ier. 2.14 Ezech. 37.12 Esay 53.10 but our hope too That now deliverance should arise to us our light break forth in obscurity and we not make an escape as those that break prison but be sent out at the Kings own motion with love and triumph as if we rather returned from a victory then a captivity and to have Materialls allowed for the work of the House of God and moneys out of the Kings Treasury it is such a deliverance and so farre above our hope that wee could scarse believe our own eyes when we saw it Ps●lm 126.1 when the Lord turned again the captivity of Syon we were like them that dreame I shall not give you particular proofs of the point the severall Songs of Deliverance with which the people of God have compassed him about and those torrents of Rhetorick which they have poured out in them evidently shew what esteem they had of the mercies adn to what heigth they did arise in their apprehensions I shall therefore for confirmation give you the grounds thereof First The price of every mercy doth arise from God the Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist whatsoever is in God or comes from him hath in that respect an excellency stamped upon it therefore the Holy Ghost in Scripture when he would exalt any thing to the highest addes the name of God thereunto as Abraham called a Prince of God that is a mighty Prince and Rachel said to wrestle with the wrestlings of God that is great wrestling Gen. 23.6 30.8 There is not the meanest mercy but has an excellency in it as it comes from God For God to spread your Table fill your cup make your bed draw your curtaines and watch over you while you sleep for God to cause his Sunne to shine his raine to fall on the just and on the unjust though these be the most common and ordinary mercies in the world yet a thankfull heart looks upon them as great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 12.5 Iob 7 17. 1 Sam. 24.14 Occumbens Hercu●is a●mis do ium ingens Flac. Indignus sum quem vel percutias Caryl in lac in reference to the Author the least affliction as it comes from God should not be despised God is said to magnifie man when he does visit him every morning and try him every moment It s an honour to die by a great and mighty hand David saith that Saul honoured him and abased himselfe too much to pursue after a dead dogge after a flea Iob looks upon himselfe as one who was not only unworthy that God should blesse him but also unworthy that God should smite him And if God doth magnifie men when he doth afflict them How much more when he doth deliver them Secondly Grace is nothing else but the exaltation of God in the foul Tendentia animae in Deum and therefore it causeth men to valew all things either as they come from him or as they lead to him and herein godlinesse consists and on the contrary low and under-valewing thoughts of God and all things that come from him this is ungodlinesse Hence it is that a gratious heart if he see nothing of God in those things which the world counts great he looks upon as nothing Honour a bubble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 25.23 Psal 62.9 Dan. 4.17 Ecce ●●quit hanc ●●stiam b●ffonem intuitus tam eximiam creaturam fecit me Deus n●nquam gr●tias egi quod non me quoque tam deformem buffonem fecerit hoc est quod amare fleo Oh Aug●stine sancte quam vere dixisti surgunt ndoct rapiunt Cael ●n nos cum doctrinis ●ostris voluta●ur in can● sanguine Luth. d clam popul de tertio p. aecepto tem 1. the pomp of the world a fan●y the great men of the world a lye yea he looks upon the greatest Monarchs as the Spirit of God stiles them if wicked as the basest of men But

my house 2 Sam. 7 1● that then hast brought me hitherto If the mercy seeme high the man will surely fall low before the Lord. As smal sin● will not work in men great sorrows so small and ordinary mercies will never work in men great abasements if we once apprehend God to be glorious in mercies we shall then look upon him as fearfull in praises but never till then If these ends be not attained this day we may think we have done a great service in this formall presenting our selves before the Lord but we shall surely finde that rule to be true sordet in conspectu Iudicis quod fulget in conspectu operantis Creg and that those services as well as persons which are highly esteemed among men are an abomination in the sight of the Lord Luk. 16.15 In this deliverance out of Babylon which the holy man Ezra doth here so much exalt there were many things with which sullen and unthankfull spirits would have extenuated the mercy and would have been ready to say This is no such deliverance as you would make it be Cyrus indeed made a Proclamation throughout all his Kingdome Ezra 1.3 ● that we should return to Ierusalem and build the house of the Lord God of Israel And that in all places which we sojourned that the men of that place should help us with silver and with gold with goods and with beasts besides the free will offering for the house of God that is in Ierusalem But no sooner did we begin to lay the foundation but all the Idolatrous Nations adjoyning did set themselves to hinder the work being countenanced and encouraged thereunto by the Governours of those Provinces and they prevailed so farre with Cambyses the young Prince who had the charge of the Empire while his Father was otherwise busied Iob. 2.20 Sir Walter Roughley hist of the world l 3. c. 3. § 7. Ezra 7 25. that he countermanded the building and our enemies came upon us and made us to cease the work by force and power and thus it remained only a foundation laid for 46 years together having from the Decree of Cyrus received so many hinderances to the sixth year of Darius And though the Temple is finished yet the wall of Ierusalem is still broken down and the gates thereof burnt with fire Neh. 1.3 and we that are the remnant left of the captivity are in great affliction and reproach to this day We are still under the command and power of the King of Persia and great men are given to change and if his minde change he will soone reduce us into the same bondage and captivity in which we were and we have enemies round about that watch for our halting and are daily studying accusations and giving informations against us surely this is not so great a Deliverance Indeed had the Lord brought us out of Babylon as he did our Fathers out of Egypt by a mighty hand with signes and wonders with silver and gold and not a feeble person among our Tribe and so farre avenged our quarrell as to have destroyed our enemies before our eyes that the feare of us had fallen upon all the Nations round about such a Deliverance had been worthy to be exalted But as for this we confesse its a mercy to return againe to our own land yet not so great as you would seem to make it But Ezra mentions none of these things for as a believing heart takes in no considerations that may darken the promise Rom. 4.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so a thankfull heart takes in nothing that may extenuate the mercy There are six things which may extenuate this present Deliverance and hinder thankfulnesse in this solemn day of our Thanksgiving 1. It is the acknowledgement of a mercy Had it been of an injury thereof men are very tenacious and they will never forget even then when they pretend to forgive but lay a charge upon themselves as Darius did upon his attendants for a treachery wrought against him by the Athenians Memento Atheni●nsium To forget injuries States must enact an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Roman Senate did after the death of Caesar but we need not make an Act of Oblivion for mercies The Deliverance out of Egypt was a publike and an eminent mercy which was put into their Catechism in the Preface to the Commandements they kept an Anniversary remembrance of it and one of their Sacraments was instituted upon that ground and yet the Lord complaines That they remembred not his hand nor the day wherein he delivered them from their enemies Psal 78.42 2. This is a publike mercy Had it been particular to any one family or person he might have been affected with it For Noah to be preserved in a common Deluge or Lot in the generall overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrha But publike mercies are looked upon by men as publick duties that which is every mans work is no mans work Corrupt nature is nothing else but a principle of selfe-love and all mercies are the lesse sweet to selfe because others have a share in them for selfe would engrosse all unto selfe Whereas on the contrary grace is a publike and princely spirit which can rejoyce in the good of many though the man hath no interest in it and his own interest in any mercy is so much the sweeter because others partake therein together with him he can delight in the prosperity of Ierusalem Psal 106.5 Etiam Caesares credidiss●nt si Christiani potuissent esse Caesares Tert. Apol. and rejoyce in the good of Gods chosen glory with his inheritance But a corrupt heart is so ful of self that though the knowledge of Christ be the salvation of the world yet if it crosse any selfe interest be will be so far from seeking the good of the publike and rejoycing in it that he will though to the damnation of many endeavour to obscure the Lord of glory 3. It s a preventing mercy To see other men executed before our eyes and we our selves to be preserved as fire-brands plucked out of the burning this might affect men but to be carryed upon Eagles wings out of the reach of evill Exod. 1● 4. and the snare to be broken before we knew we were in danger and meerly the consideration of it to affect men to think the Lord delivered us when there was but a step between us and death this is difficult 4. It s an old Deliverance New mercies may affect men while the thoughts of them are fresh Nihil citius senescit quam gratis Sen. Psal 106 12. but by degrees the sense will we are out They that stood upon the Red Sea and saw the Egyptians dead before them they believed his words and they sang his praise but they soone forgat his works and waited not for his counsell but lusted in the wildernesse and tempted God in the Desert Had wee seen how the hearts of

on the contrary wheresoever he seeth any thing of God he hath high apprehensions of it whether it be in nature or providence 1. In nature Luther relates a Story of two Cardinals riding to the Councell of Constance by the way they heard a shephead weeping and bewailing himselfe bitterly one of the Cardinals moved with compassion turned aside out of the way to comfort him as his necessity should require and he found him looking upon an ugly Toade and he told him he could not but weep in consideration of the goodnesse of God and his own unthankfulnesse that God had not made him such a creature as this With which the Cardinall was so affected that he fell off his Mule in a swound and comming to himselfe againe he continually cryed out well said St Augustine the unlearned take heaven by violence and we with our learning wallow in the delights of flesh and blood 2. In providence there is not the falling of a sparrow the turning of the winde the changings of councels the alteration of affections or the answer of the tongue but they look upon them as great because they come from God and are acted by great Instruments unto glorious ends for the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheeles Ezech. 1.20 Thirdly They are deeply apprehensive of their own vilenesse and unworthinesse of the least mercy They maintaine in themselves a constant poverty of spirit and the mercy must needs rise high when the man falls low a gracious heart sayes with Abraham I am but dust and ashes with Iacob I am lesse then the least of thy mercies with David I am a worme and no man with Paul I am nothing with Bernard tanquam monstrum inter filios Dei sto with Eccebolius calcate me salem insipidum with Hooper thou art heaven I am Hell When men have such low apprehensions of themselves they must needs have high thoughts of the mercies the Schooles say humility is vacuum spirituale so is pride plenetudo diabolica a fulnesse from Sa●an a person that is great in his own eyes is ready to think as every honour so every mercy too small for him Vse 1. It should stirre up all our hearts to set a high price upon this present mercy Gods eye is upon your spirits in your dayes of Thanksgiving as well as in your dayes of Humiliation and as not to be affected with the sin and judgement in the one is a great provocation It was revealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hosts Esay 22.12.13.14 surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye c. So not to be affected with the mercy in the other Psal 78.42 They remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy As it is acceptation with God which we should chiefly look at in all our services so it is acceptance with us which God chiefly looks at in all his mercies that we should count them worthy of all acceptation It is our acceptance of the mercy that will make our Thanksgiving to be accepted this makes God to smell a savor of rest G●n ● 2● I●●●● 22.3 this prepares for him an habitation where next to heaven he loves to dwell for he inhabites the prayses of Israel I hope we are not come into Gods presence this day barely in a forme to keep an Anniversary remembrance according to custome and no more There are these foure ends which we ought to propose to our selves and neither of them can be obtained unlesse the mercy be great in our eyes First we are met this day that God may be exalted that we may make his prayse glorious now the glory of God is twofold essentialis or manifestativa the first is the excellency of the divine nature in it selfe the second is the shining forth of this excellency unto us and our reflexion thereof unto God again The highest way of our honouring God lies in high apprehensions of him being overwhelmed with his excellency seeing light in his light which is that way of glory which he hath reserved for himselfe in heaven to speak high words of God when men have low apprehensions of him this is not to honour him as a God If therefore the apprehension of the mercy doth not arise in your hearts God is not exalted in your prayses Secondly We are met this day that our hearts may be enlarged Revel 5.8 The Saints are said every one of them to have harps and goldenvials full of odors these vials are their hearts these odors glorious apprehensions and fervent affections therefore when men come to heaven their faculties shall be enlarged their apprehensions raised this is Domus militiae that Domus laetitiae Bern. l. ● Cap. 14. Gellius speaks of men whose words are ore nata non pectore as there are prayers so borne so are there prayses and these never enlarge the heart The prayses of the Saints are melody in the heart to the Lord Ephes 5.19 and it is melody in the heart which only can enlarge the heart Thirdly We are met this day that our mouthes may be opened and our glory awakned Psal 51.15 David doth complaine of closed lips surely as it was his in confession so it will be our condition in thanksgiving if our apprehensions of the mercy be not raised either our mouthes will be stopped or if they be open we shall but babble verbis humidis lapsantibus For God expects in all our prayses that we should render unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the mercy that we have received from him 2 Chron. 31.25 and therefore according to our apprehensions of what we have received so will our endeavours of a returne be It is with men in thanksgivings for mercies received as it is in humiliations for sinnes committed If a man have but slight thoughts of sinne as no great offence he can easily put it off with a formall confession so if he think the mercy received to be but small then a verball thanksgiving shall suffice Fourthly We are met this day to abase our selves before the Throne of Grace Rev. 1● 16.17 The Elders who s●●● before God on their seats fell upon ●their faces worshipped God And they said we give thee thanks oh Lord God Almighty the face is the glory of the man and he that fals upon his face abuseth his glory Our mercie● should humble us as well as our sinnes In the Thanksgivings of his people when they offered thei● first fruits to God and came to rejoyce before him in every good thing that he had given them they m●st say Deut. 26.5 A Syrian ready to perish was my Father and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a Nation great mighty and populous c. When David went in and sate before the Lord in a day of solemne Thanksgiving he said who am I oh Lord God! and what is