hurt may come to be dangerously wounded the Bullet may hit you as the Arrow did Ahab you that were then only hurt when others were slain take heed that God cut you not down ere long for such evil requitals of him for his great goodness Your late preservation may be but a reservation to soarer Judgements 2dly Return not a lame and halt Requital a body without a Soul the lip without the Heart a verbal without a real Sacrifice external duties without the Spirit Mal. 1.13 14. you have brought the torn c. but cursed be the deceiver who hath a male in his flock c. 1 Chron. 29.14 David and the Princes not only offer liberally towards the Temples building but he blesseth God that they should offer so willingly so heartily This is that he principally wondereth at It is a greater mercy from God to give a man a willing heart to offer what he doth then to give him that which he may offer to him 2dly Affirmatively Render to God that which he calls for at our hands 1. In general Render to God that which is Gods Math. 22.21 As that which is Caesars must be rendred to Caesar so that which is Gods must be rendred to God give God that which is his Owne give God his due as Psal 29.1 give to the Lord the glory due to his Name As that which we offer to God must be his owne of his own Appointment and according to his own mind so what is his own should be rendred to him 2dly More particularly 1. Render your selves to God so the Apostle exhorts us Rom. 12.1 that we give up our bodies as a living and holy and acceptable Sacrifice c. what ever we are or have it is from the Lord you are the Lords by right of Creation 〈…〉 by right of preservation in the great perils you were lately in c. The Lord hath the most right to you But many will not give God his right They are and will be their own Their Tongues are their own as Psal 12 4. Their Estates their own to dispose of as they see good as Nabal 1 Sam. 25.11 My Bread and my Flesh c. Their time is their own to spend as they please they will not be ruled by God nor by those whom God sets over them in Family Church or Commen-wealth Oh give up your selves Souls and bodies to be for God 1 Cor. 6.19 20. glorifie God in your Souls c. Thus did Paul Acts 27.23 whose I am and whom I serve He was Gods and he gave himself to the Service of God in the work he set him about As all that comes from God doth not satisfie a gracious heart without the Lord himself no more is the Lord pleased with what cometh from us without our selves 2dly Return love to God Psal 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard c. This is a good Return Have not we that have prayed to God in any distresses formerly or lately or know what prayer means Cause to say The Lord hath heard the voice of our Supplications Oh love the Lord greatly intirely with all our hearts Have you been in great streights and you have prayed and God hath supplyed you Have you been in doubts and God hath resolved you Have you been in Terrours of Conscience affliction of Spirit full of fears of Gods Everlasting wrath and you sought God and he answered you scattered your fears and caused the Sun of Righteousness to rise and shine upon you and given you peace Have you been in deadly dangers by sickness by Enemies that have risen up against you by wounds and you have prayed for healing and delivering mercy oh then Render Love to God for his goodness mercy and salvation Mot. 1. Consider gratitude requireth it at our hands All our good temporal and spiritual is from him And all is freely bestowed yea his mercies bestowed on us are more then the hairs of our Head His preventing sparing delivering supplying mercies He is therefore worthy of our Love not only in respect of his Excellency in himself but also of his benignity and grace towards us especially his rich mercy in Christ Jesus 2dly Love is the ground of all duties acceptably performed to God All is nothing without Love to God and man 1 Cor. 13â—â— 2. All the Commandments are comprized under it Luk. 10.27 It is the fulsilling of the Law Love to God is the fulfilling of the first Table and love to man the fulfilling of the second where Love abounds there will be much cheerfulness willingness and readiness to do any thing to please him that is loved 3dly No love shall be lost that is cast upon the Lord he knows who loves him in sincerity and he approves them and will love them again and manifest his Love to them and from his love to them do wonderful things for them Their labour of Love shall not be in vain Exod 20.7 Deut. 7.9,13 John 14.21 23. Oh love the Lord who hath redeemed you out of your distresses and given you cause to rejoyce in his great goodness in Answer of your prayers And let your Love to God appear in these things 1. In hearing the voice of his Commands and inclining your Ear to what he calls for from you This is Equitable If God hear us let us hear him shall Gods Ear be open to our Requests and our Ears shut to his Command yea Intreaties and beseechings when he beseecheth us to give up our selves more to him to follow him and cleave more to him may not the Lord say when we are dull and slow to hear and hearken to his voice Is this your love and kindness do you thus requite me for answering your prayers in the day of your trouble 2. In shunning all that may separate from God and separate between God and you and that for this very cause because they do cause a separation And that is sin Esai 59.2 wants persecutions cannot separate but it is only sin The true Love of God is a Love of Vnion and therefore there must be a shunning that which causeth separation Let us therefore hate all Evil in our selves and others and manisest our hatred in seeking the Extirpation and destruction of it Psal 97.10 Rom. 12.9 Abhorre that which is Evil thereby we depart from God Heb. 3.12 The Servant that loved his master would not depart from him 3. Shew your Love in Carefulness to please him in all things Children that love their Parents will seek to please them so it is with Gods Children Christ loving his Father sought to please him in all things Iohn 8.29 Walk as before the face of God Psal 116.9 And where there is a Care to please him there will be a readiness to yield willing obedience to any Command given even in the most difficult duties Services Iohn 15.10 1 Iohn 5.3 unless love prevail in the Soul some Command of God or other will be grievous Love makes them
come to the house and understood though at first they knew not they were English who were in the house but thought that they might be Indians and therefore were ready to have shot at us till we discerning they were English by the Majors speaking I caused the Trumpet to be sounded that the said Captain Hutchinson my self and Company with the Towns Inhabitants were there but the Indians also discerned that there were some come to cur Assistance whereupon they spared not their shot but poured it out on them but through the Lords goodness though they stood not farr asunder one from another they killed not one man wounded only two of his Company and killed the Majors Sons horse after that we within the house perceived the Indians shooting so at them we hastened the Major and all his Company into the house as fast as we could and their horses into a little yard before the house where they wounded five other horses that night After they were come into the house to us the Enemies continued their shooting some Considerable time so that we may well say had not the Lord been on our side when these Cruel Heathens rose up against us they had then swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us But wherein they dealt proudly the Lord was above them When they saw their divers designes unsuccessful and their hopes therin disappointed they then fired the houss barne wherein they had before kept to lye in wait to surprize any coming to us that by the Light thereof they might the better direct their shot at us but no hurt was done thereby praised be the Lord. And not long after they burnt the Meeting house wherein their Fortifications were as also the Barne which belonged to our house and so perceiving more strength come to our Assistance they did as we suppose despaîr of effecting any more mischief against us And therefore the greatest part of them towards the breaking of the day August the fifth went away and left us and we were quiet from any further molestations by them and on that morning we went forth of the house without danger and so daily afterward only one man was wounded about two dayes after as he went out to look after horses by some few of them sculking thereabouts We cannot tell how many of them we killed in all that time but one that afteewards was taken confessed that there were killed and wounded about eighty men or more Blessed be the Lord God of our Salvation who kept us from being all a prey to their Teeth But before they went away they burnt all the Town except the house we kept in and another that was not then finished They also made great spoyle of the Cattel belonging to the Inhabitants and after our Entrance into the house and during the time of our Confinement there they either killed or drove away almost all the horses of our Company We Continued there both well and wounded towards a Fortnight and August the thirteenth Captain Hutchinson and my self with the most of those that had escaped without hurt and also some of the wounded came from thence my Son Thomas and some other wounded men came not from thence being not then able to endure Travel so farr as we were from the next Town till about a Fortnight after We came to Marlborough on August the Fourteenth where Captain Hutchinson being not recovered of his wound before his coming from Brookfield and overtyred with his long Journy by Reason of his weakness quickly after grew worse and more dangerously ill and on the nineteenth day of the said moneth dyed and was there the day after buried the Lord being pleased to deny him a return to his own habitation and his near Relations at Boston though he was come the greatest part of his Journy thitherward The Inhabitants of the Town also not long after men women and Children removed safely with what they had left to several places either where they had lived before their planting or sitting down there or where they had Relations to receive and entertain them The Honoured Major Willard stayed at Brookfield some weeks after our coming away there being several Companies of Souldiers sent up thither and to Hadly and the Towns thereabouts which are about Thirty Miles from Brookfield whither also the Major went for a time upon the Service of the Country in the present warr and from whence there being need of his presence for the ordering of matters concerning his own Regiment and the safety of the Towns belonging to it he through Gods goodness and mercy returned in safety and health to his house and dear Relations at Groaton Thus I have Indeavoured to set down and declare both what the Lord did against us in the Loss of several persons Lifes and the wounding of others some of which wounds were very painful in dressing and long ere they were healed besides many dangers that we were in and fears that we were exercised with and also what great things he was pleased to do for us in frustrating their many Attempts and vouchsafing such a Deliverance to us The Lord avenge the Blood that hath been shed by these Heathen who hate us without a Cause though he be most Righteous in all that hath befallen there and in all other parts of the Country He help us to humble our selves before him and with our whole hearts to return to him and also to improve all his mercies which we still enioy that so his anger may cease towards us and he may be pleased either to make our Enemies at peace with us or more destroy them before us I tarried at Marlborough with Captain Hutchinson until his death and came home to Concord August the 21. though not throughly recovered of my wound and so did others that went with me But since I am Reasonable well though I have not the use of my hand and Arm as before My Son Thomas though in great hazard of Life for some time after his return to Concord yet is now very well Cured and his strength well restored Oh that we could praise the Lord for his great goodness towards us Praised be his Name that though he took away some of us yet was pleased to spare so many of us and adde unto our dayes He help us whose Souls he hath delivered from Death and Eyes from Tears and Feet from falling to walk before him in the Land of the Living till our great Change come and to sanctifie his Name in all his wayes about us that both our Afflictions and our mercies may quicken us to live more to his glory all our dayes THE SERNON Psal 116.12 What shall I Render unto the Lord for all his Benefits towards me THere is no Condition of men here below so good but there is need of duty There is none so bad as to be past duty In all Estates we must be doing no Providence exempts from duty yet several
Conditions require several duties The Christian Conversation is like a wheel every Spoke taketh its Turn God hath planted in man Affections for every Condition grace for every Affection and a duty for the Exercise of every grace and a Season for every duty in which it is most beautiful In the day of Trouble and Affliction the duty then is Prayer and Petition In the time of Deliverance and Prosperity Thanksgiving giving praise to the God of our Salvation and it is wisdome to perform what is most seasonable Jam. 5.13 Is any Afflicted let him pray Aske mercy and deliverance from the evils at Gods hand Is any merry by Reason of mercy received let him sing Psalms of praise exalting the Lord for his free goodness and bounty therein Accordingly the holy Prophet very probably David in this Psalm sets before us the Exercise of his grace in various Conditions which befell him He tels us what he did in the time of great Affliction and Distress he prayed He called upon the Name of the Lord ver 3 4. and being delivered and helped what he did and was resolved to do He loved the Lord and would walk before him in the Land of the Living He was thankful and would express his gratitude in his Conversation yea is Inquisitive what further to do therein as in the Text what shall I Render c. The Psalm then is Eucharistical or Gratulatory wherein the Psalmist giveth praise to God for his favour and mercy in a great Deliverance from a deadly danger and distress and so suitable to the present occasion of our meeting at this time If David were the Penman thereof the Deliverance may be that mentioned Psal 18. Title His preservation from Sauls furious and malicious Persecution and the rage and violence of all his Adherents and all others that sought his Ruine The words read contein a Pathetical Exclamation and Enquiry what shall I render c. as if he should say The Lord hath bestowed mercies yea many and great mercies upon me He hath heard my prayer when the sorrows of death encompassed me helped me when I was brought very low something is to be returned to him that even Reason suggests yea much is to be done but what that is I am as it were at a Loss I would do any thing to please and honour him who hath done so much for me In the words there are two parts 1. An Inquisition wherein we may Consider 1. The Subject or matter enquired after what shall I render 2dly The Object or person concerning whom the Enquiry is made and to whom the Return is to be made and that is Jehovah Not man but the Lord. 2dly The Reason of the Inquisition and that is the Consideration of all his Benefits There was just occasion to be so sollicitous Gods Benefits set out 1. By an Amplification All All his Benefits 2dly By an Application towards me All his Benefits towards me In this verse we have the Question In the verses following we have the Resolution He will take the Cup of Salvation c. and He will pay the Vows which he had made in his Trouble and Distress For Explication of the Terms Render The word Imports a kind of Requital It is attributed both to God and man and that in Relation to a good thing done and signifies to reward and to an Evil and signifies to Revenge Here it is Attributed to man in Relation to God but not as importing any possibility and satisfaction but only a readiness and forwardness to do any thing that might be acceptable to him Benefits The word in the Original is derived of that Verb which in the seventh verse is Translated dealt bountifully God 's Bounties And these the Prophet stiles His Benefits acknowledging all the good he received to come from him The Verse then is a Description of the frame of heart of a faithful Thanksgiver 1. In his Observation of Gods dispensation towards him in the Benefits bestowed on him 2dly In his Sollicitousness what to do by way of Retribution and his willingness to do whatsoever he knows may be acceptable to him and approved by him Hence this Doctrine may be raised Doct. A person or people in a right thankful frame upon the Observation of Gods Benifits and Bountiful favours towards them are very Sollicitous what to return to God for them Or such as are after Gods heart upon their Observation of mercies and deliverances bestowed on them are Sollicitous what Returns to make to God for them There be two parts in the Doctrine 1. That a gracious Heart observes and takes notice of Gods goodness towards him 2dly He is thereupon Inquisitive what to Return to God 1. The Prophet takes notice of Gods goodness His Inquisition what to return for it argues his Observation of it If he enquires what to Render It argues his taking notice of the Benefits yea of the variety and multitude of them in what God had been doing for him So David tels us Psal 139.14 marveilous are thy works and that my Soul knoweth right well So also in Psal 103.1 to the sixth verse Neh. 9.7 to 27th verse They take notice of the great and manifold mercies which God had bestowed upon his people Israel in former as well as latter times The Reasons hereof are Reason 1. From the worth of every one of Gods mercies There is not one of All of Gods Benefits and the blessings which we enjoy but it is worthy of notice for it is the Lords work the Operation of his hands every mercy is Gods gift and therefore to be Eyed and observed Psal 111.2 The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein As your deliverance from the great danger you were in at the Swampe and afterwards in the House It 's worthy observing and remembring how much more All our mercies at all time and in all places All comes from God Jam. 1.17 Every good and perfect gift commeth c. Reason 2. From the Thankfulness we owe to God for every mercy being unworthy of the least of them as Gen. 32 10. Jacob humbly acknowledgeth Now how shall we be Thankful for them if we do not observe them Hence the Prophet to Induce men to Thankfulness and to bless God for his goodness and mercy adviseth men to take notice of his kindness towards them Psal 100.3 4. And when the Lord upbraids his people for their great Ingratitude towards him he gives this as one Cause of it and so expresseth it they did not know nor Consider Isai 1.3 and Hos 2.8 she did not know that I gave c that is she did not seriously Consider of it that thereby she might have been stirred up to Thankfolness in obedience Reason 3. From the great difficulty of raising up our dull and sluggish hearts to that great duty of praise and Thankfulness especially in a lively and spiritual frame and therefore there is great need to
rescuing me from deadly dangers helping me when I was in a low Estate delivering mine Eyes from Tears c. bestowing so many Benefits loosing my bonds Ps 136. In every verse Thy mercy endureth for ever Oh praise give thanke for his mercy and when he was concluding he was ready to begin again Oh give Thanks ver 26. Oh give Thanks to the God of Heaven for c. A thankeful heart in a lively frame takes delight to speak of the goodness of God towards him Is not soon tyred nor weary thereof All Repetitions are not babling and therefore let us beware of so judging them sometimes out of the Aboundance of the Heart Christians go over and over the same thing in petition of good from God and in Thanksgiving for good received at his hands Instruct. 2. The Lord so dispenseth mercy to his people as thereby he leads them unto special and solemn seasons of Thanksgiving Though he do afflict them visit them with Rods yet in the midst of those Exercises he so dispenseth favours that they have Cause and just occasion not only of ordinary but also Extraordinary praises Their mercies come in a more then ordinary way and so call for morethen ordinary praises Sometimes God giveth them mercies through many difficulties as water out of the Rock Deut. 32.13 which together with their necessity made the water as bony and Oyle God could give them another way he goes that way that thereby he might provoke them to Thanksgiving Divers Instances we have in Psal 107. some he casts into Exile and delivers them others into Bonds and Imprisonment and releaseth them others he makes sick and heals them that they may praise him He brings them into great dangers and Distresses at Sea and Land that they may Render Praise in their Redemption Thus hath been Gods dispensations towards you here met you were in great distress i.e. and he hath not left you without signal Providences gracious discoveries of mercy and so given you occasion of Solemn Thanksgiving He brought you Low and hath raised you that you might praise him Instruct 3. A Thankeful Spirit is a Resolute and Inquisitive Spirit Inquisitive to know and Resolute to do what it knoweth may please the Lord. 1. It is Inquisitive to know what it may what it should do This is the property of gratefulness either to God or man as in David respecting the Posterity of his dear Jonathan Is there any of the house of Saul c. 2 Sam. 9.1 so also in Elisha respecting the Shunamite who had shewed him so much kindness 2 Kings 4.13.14 What is to be done for her Grateful Children and Friends will desire to know what may please their Parents Friends And so it is with the Children and Friends of God They desire to know the mind and will of God what he requires of them and what may be an acceptable Sacrifice to him Hence they pray for knowledge and understanding as David Psal 119.33 34 Hence also they will search the word of God that they may understand his will and understanding it do it Rom. 12.2 2dly It is a Resolute Spirit resolved to do what ever may express the Thankfulness of his heart to God according to his will As he purposeth in his heart not to sin by doing the Least Evil Dan. 1.8 so he purposeth and resolveth to do though not in his own strength what is pleasing to God Psal 119.8 I will keep thy Precepts and in the Text what shall I Render c. I will stick at nothing will do any thing as when Joseph supplyed the Egyptians with Come they yield to any Terms Let us find grace in the sight of my Lord and we will be Pharoahs Servants Gen 47 25. And as David was ready to do what ever Barzilla should request of him 2 Sam. 19.38 In testimony of his Thankfulness for his Loyalty and Bounty at such a time so a gracious Soul much more towards God It is resolved to do any thing to suffer any thing whereby God may be honoured As Paul Acts 21.14 How ungrateful then are they that will not do what they know to be pleasing to God though it be clearly set before them and strongly urged on them young men are called upon to turn to God quickly elder and younger ones to seek after him in all his holy Ordinances to forsake their Lusts and vain Company but they will not they hold fast deceit and refuse to Return They know what is good but will not do it Many know their duties in their Relations towards Superiours and Inferiours but will not yield to them And though some for Carnal sinister Respects do many things as Jebu Herod c. yet at something they stick some Dalilah they will keep some Lust they will not part withal some duty they will not perform Especially how farr are such from Thankfulness that resolve not to do what God sets before them as they Jer. 44.16 17 The word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not do Such are most Ingrateful ones for all the mercies they receive from him Instruct 4th To be truly thankful to God is an high and avery Spiritual Service It is a Rendring and making Returns to God what shall I Render to God c. For man to be sit to receive from God is a great matter but it is much higher for us to Render to God that man dust and Ashes should make a Requital to the great and glorious God Therefore David so magnifies God that they should offer so liberally to him 1 Chron. 29.10 c. It is a great matter to be admired that God should honour us therefore saith the Prophet what is man that thou art mindful of him c Thou hast Crowned him with glory and honour but for us to honour God is greater It is an high duty for the Sons of men which are but worms to rise so high as to honour God praising of God is an extolling or Exalting God Exod. 15.2 He is higher then to be exalted by us yet this we are said to do in an Acknowledgement of his hand giving him the glory of his wisdome power goodness Faithfulness and mercy in the operations of his hand about us Think it not an easy thing to praise the Lord It is not only a lip labour an easy Service It is a Rendring to God To play on Musick is pleasant but it is hard to set the Instrument in Tune to play well It is hard to get the heart in Tune in a Spiritual lively humble frame Hence David so stirs up himself to it Psal 103.1 2 and Deborab calls upon her self to awake Judg. 5.12 Instruct. 5th Gods doings are the matter of the Saints Acknowledgements in their Thanksgivings and praises of him The word Translated Praise signifies Confession and so often Rendred by Mr. Ainsworth Confess the Lord c. Now the Lords doings are the matter of their Confessions his Benefits
to afflict him with Warrs Learn to trust in God in the most deadly dangers Let him be your Refuge in all Storms He is able to keep that which is committed to him To him belong the Issues from death Psal 68.26 9. Make this Return to God for all his Bounty and mercy to you to make God your exceeding joy as David did Psal 43 4 and to rejoice in him the God of your Salvation yea the God of all Salvations Temporal Spiritual and Eternal You cannot praise the Lord aright nor walk worthy of him except you rejoyce in him Psal 33.1 Rejoyce in the Lord you Righteous for praise is comely for the upright This duty is urged upon the Saints Phil. 3.1 and 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and again I say Rejoyce We should not only rejoyce before the Lord in his blessings that he vouchsafeth us as Life health Corn c. Deut. 12.12.18 That God alloweth yea enjoyneth his people but Rejoyce in the Lord Let not our joy be Carnal in our preservation from death in the Life 's of our Relations in Crops houses Lands Children but let our joy be Spiritual Let not our chief joy be in Church Priviledges and Ordinances but on Christ Jesus Such are the true Circumcision who rejoyce in Christ Josus and put no Confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3.3 Psal 97 12. Rejoyce not in sin that is an ill Requital the pleasures of sin are but for a Season and that joy will End in sorrow but Rejoyce in the Lord and that joy can no man take from you And that we may the more rejoyce in him Let us endeavour to be more clearing up our Interest in him as our God in Christ Jesus That we may be able to say as Psal 48.14 This God of Salvation is our God well may they rejoyce in God that have him for their God for then he will be their guide unto death their God for ever ever 10. and Lastly Render to God praise and Thanksgiving so the Prophet promiseth in verse after the Text I will take the Cup of Salvation wherein he alludes to their solemn feasts wherein they had Cups and in the use of them they returned praise to God for the blessing they had received from him Commemorate Gods mercies to our selves and others and praise his great his holy and Reverend Name this we are frequently exhorted to Psal 22.25 And 61.8 And 107 13 14 15 you were as prisoners shut up for a time but God hath brought you out into a large place Oh give Thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for Ever Moi 1. God hath given you your desires and Answered your prayers therefore do you Answer his Expectation what Cause have you to bless the Name of the Lord Psal 66 19 20 so David verily God hath heard me he hath been Attentive to the voice of my prayer Blessed be God which hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me as Hannah said to Eli 1 Sam. 1 27. For this Child I prayed c so may we say for this mercy I prayed for this deliverance for this Return to our Habitations and Relations for this dayes liberty we sought the Lord and he hath given us our hearts desire he might have made more breaches continued our distresses longer let therefore the Redeemed of the Lord say The Lord is good and gracious for his mercy endures for ever 2. This is the way to keep and hold Gods blessings still with us It is via Conservandi God will not take away his mercies from us from the Country if we Return praise to him They giving God his Rent the Tribute he expects he will not turn them out of doors not strip us of his Benefits By giving praise we glorifie him Psal 50.23 He that offereth or sacrificeth praise glorifies me He acknowledgeth his glorious Attributes as in going to God by Petition so in the Sacrifice of praise and gratulation 1. In praising him we give him the glory of his goodness in the Communication of good to us Psal 119.68 Thou art good and dost good c. Bonum est sui diffusivum It is the nature of goodness to be Communicative 2. The glory of his mercy in pittying us in our miscry doing so much for us who had plunged our selves into a Sea of misery Confessing our own Indignity we acknowledge all to be from mercy Lam. 3.22 as the Church then so may we say now It is the Lords mercy we are not consumed 3. The glory of his wisdome in ordering all Events for his peoples good and ruling all the world for his Churches benefit All is theirs 1 Cor. 3.21 22. 4. The glory of his power in Effecting all those things for us which we our selves could not do we cannot help our selves with any mercy not make the Sun to rise a drop of Rain to fall nor Cause the Earth to bring forth c. All is the work of God 1 Chron. 29.11 12. Isai 26.12 5. The glory of his Truth in his Word making good the same to us and to his Church Rev. 15.3 so in that Song after their Victory over the Beast Just and true are thy wayes Mot. 3. This will open Gods heart and hand to give more and so it is medium impretandi a means to prevail for more mercies 2 Chron. 20.22 And when they began to sing and to praise the Lord set Ambushments against the Children of Ammon c. a man puts in but a Bucket full of water into a Pump but it returneth more The more praise we return the more good shall we receive A thankful Christian is a blessed Christian would you have future mercies be thankful for present mercies say not If I had such a mercy I could be thankful and praise the Name of the Lord praise him for what thou hast received and thou maiest have more God will showr down his blessings of grace and goodness upon thee 4thly These praises of God rightly performed are very acceptable to God They are delitiae Caeli God delights in them Heb. 13.15 Psal 69.30 31. And that should make us more delight in this duty because it is so pleasing to God Psal 22.3 He Inhabits the praises of Israel He loves to sit by them and to hear them when their hearts are in Tune when they sound forth his high praises 5thly It is a signe that the good things which we enjoy are given as blessings from the hand of a Fathers love when they work this in us to carry up our Affections to be much in blessing him for them A man may abound in good things which are in themselves blessings and yet be no blessing to him that hath them but be turned into Curses How may I know will some say that this and that gift these deliverances are blessings to us even hereby when they work this disposition in us to bless and praise the Lord who hath so blessed