no way unprofitable to insist somewhat largely either for the better observing this present day or more acceptable discharge of our duties unto God in days of the like nature for the future In the demonstration whereof I shall make choyce to instance in that Ordinance and Exercise of Religious Worship which the Scripture requires to be performed with more extraordinary degrees of Sanctity and Piety then any other besides a day of Thanksgiving I mean a day of publique Humiliation observed according to Gods Institution 2. I shall shew That the duty of publique Joy and Thanksgiving is by Gods Institution to be performed with a greater measure of Light Faith and Sanctity then a day of Humiliation Which may be collected from the Scriptures thus Which appears 1. From the titles First From the different names titles and adjuncts the Spirit of God in the Word is pleased to cloath them withall As first a day of publique Fast is called a day of restraint Isai 58. or day of afflicting the Soul Levit. 23. or day of mourning and weeping Joel 2. But on the other side a day of Thanksgiving is called a good day Esth 9. they must keep the days of Purim for good days very holy days Neh. 8.10 Weep not for the day is holy to the Lord intimating therein That by how much the exercise of goodness and holiness which are the high Attributes of God himsef is more heavenly and spiritual then the exercise of sorrow weeping and affliction the inseparable off-spring of misery and sin by so much a day of Thanksgiving rightly performed is better and holier then a day of Humiliation which is yet more manifest in the Levites Inhibition Weep not for the day is holy The tears there shed by the people and forbidden by the Levites were Tears of godly sorrow for their sins against the Law of God which are most expresly commanded on a day of Humiliation and are in their performance the splendor and glory of the day But these Tears are forbidden on a day of Thanksgiving upon this ground because they are not holy enough for the Services of it Weep not for the day is holy to the Lord Oh how transcendently holy is that Exercise where the pearl of a Tear of godly Sorrow is a blemish Unto this more general demonstration of the point in hand 2. The end let me entreat you to take notice of that expression of the Holy Spirit in Esth 9. Vers 31. when the days of Purim or Thanksgiving are said to be the matter of the fastings and cries that is the success and fruit of their former days of Humiliation mentioned in the fourth Chapter of the Book Now who knows not That the End is the perfection of the Means and in that respect more excellent as Faith is better then Hearing because Faith is the End of Hearing Christ better then Faith because the End of Faith is to bring to Christ So a day of Thanksgiving is better and higher then a day of Humiliation because Fasting is but the subservent Means leading to a day of Thanksgiving and a day of Thanksgiving is the End and Perfection of a day of Humiliation As these different Titles of a day of Thanksgiving and Humiliation in the Scripture declare their high excellency of one above the other in the general 3. The particular graces which are 1. Scripture Light in 3 particulars So it is yet more manifest from the different degrees and measures of Light Faith and Holiness required in the observation of a day of Thanksgiving above a day of Humiliation in particular As first In the observation of a day of Thanksgiving there is required exercise and practice of more heavenly knowledg In the second of Joel the Lord requires a day of publique Humiliation should be performed not onely by men women Priests and Levites that are supposed to be persons of knowledg but also even babes and sucking children that are known to be in a condition of ignorance Yea and the people of Nineveh Jonah 3. who cannot be conceived to have had any art or speculative understanding and skill in the form nature or order of observation of a Fast according to Scripture being Heathens and having had the means but three days amongst them yet they were called to that Duty and their performance of it was accepted of the Lord because the Lord requires little art or skill in confessing our sins or sorrowing for them But now in the Duty of our return of thanks and praises there is an express injunction of the exercise and use of special skill and understanding as Psa 147.6 7. Oh sing praises unto our God sing praises sing praises to our King Sing praises for God is King of all the Earth sing praises therefore with understanding And Psa 119.171 My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes And Vers 7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when thou hast learned me thy Judgments All which Scriptures evidence That how upright soever mens hearts be to God yet there can be no acceptable performance of praise except also that upright heart be an understanding heart that hath learned the Statutes and Judgments of God from the Lords teaching and therefore in the Solemnization of that Duty of Thanksgiving which was so holy that they might not shed a Tear in it Nehem. 8. it is expresly said There were none of that great Congregation that were gathered either of men or women but such as could hear and understand Neh. 8.2 And the observation of Gods minde expressed in other Scriptures will certifie us of the special degree of Heavenly skill required to be in such as offer high praises of God namely Knowledg First Of the form of the Service Secondly Of the blessing for which the Service is undertaken Thirdly Of the matter to be returned First 1. The form Of the manner and form of the Service prescribed of God not minted in our brains as is most evident first from the description of days of Thanksgiving Esth 9. where the form and manner of observation of the same is prescribed in every particular even to the appointment of their meat drink apparel and looks on that day And secondly from Nehemiahs and the Levites reproof and Inhibition Neh. 8.10 rebuking and blaming the people for their varying so much as in shedding a Tear contrary to the same Secondly 2. The matter There is required special understanding and knowledg of the nature and worth of the mercy for which the Duty is undertaken for God will not be praised confusedly but distinctly and proportionably to his Dispensation Psa 150. Praise him according to his wonderous works which is to be the prime and peeper matter of their high praises even his more proper and peculiar high acts then to be remembred as is largely expressed in Moses praise for the particular mercy of coming safe through the red Sea Exod. 15. and Debora's
by making joyful and perpetual confessions professions and declarations thereof to your brethren and the Congregations of his people that all you fathers make them known to your children and they also make your deliverance and praises to be remembred by future generations This is punctually prescribed to be observed in uttering praises for deliverances from bonds and imprisonment Psa 107. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness viz. for being the Author of their liberty and declaring his wonderful works in their deliverance to the children of men which also is in like manner observed in Peters praise for his escape out of prison Act. 12. where besides the thankful confession of it to God Vers 17. he both declares it to the Congregation of Saints himself and also requires the Church to make relation of it to others and especially to James and Iohn who being publique persons he knew would cause the praises of God to be remembred and celebrated therefore in all the assemblies of the Saints wheresoever they came in conformity to whose practise let me exhort you also to go tell your Iohns and Iames and other brethren how great things God hath done for you in this your enlargement so that as the Spirit of God in your very case requires Psal 102. 18 19 20 21. it may be written for the generations to come and the people that shall be created may praise the Lord for you and with you saying God looked down from the height of his Sanctuary from Heaven did the Lord behold the Earth To hear the groaning of us Prisoners and to loose us that were appointed to death That we might declare the Name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem When the people are gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. Secondly Heighten the verbal expression of your praises 2. By Commemoration unto God by a thankful Commemoration of Gods great mercy in your deliverance between the Lord and your selves the practise whereof I would have you learn from the Psalmist Psal 136. where he praiseth GOD with high praises First for the work of Creation unto the tenth Verse and then for the deliverance of his people from the Egyptian bondage and thraldom Vers 18. In both which he heightens the praises of GOD these two ways First divides the total sum of GODS goodness into the several parcels and particular remarkable passages of his providence therein Secondly He multiplies and reiterates the expression and attribution of his praises according to the nature and number of the particulars observed in his antecedent distinction this is the method he observes in the first part of the Psalm unto the tenth Verse where he praiseth God for works of Creation dividing the mercy and multiplying the praise according to the number of the special Attributes and Actions of God observed therein First he observes the attribute of Goodness of God and then praiseth him for that Oh give thanks unto the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Then observes him as God of Gods Vers 2. and praiseth him for that by it self Oh give thanks to the God of Gods for his mercy c. Then as Lord of Lords Vers 3. Then takes notice of his wonderful Power By diviving the mercy That alone doth great wonders Vers 4. Then of the attribute of his Wisdom in making the Heavens Vers 5. And having thus observed the distinction of Attributes in God and multiplyed Praises according to the number of them he then proceeds to the division of the total of his work into the principal parts of it and multiplies his Praises according to the number of them As first His stretching out the earth above the waters Vers 6. Then the making great Lights Vers 7. The Sun to rule the day Vers 8. The Moon and Stars to rule the night And as he observes this method of division of the mercy of Creation and the multiplication of praises for it so in praising God for their deliverance from bondage and their slavery in Egypt which is more properly your case he first in the beginning of each verse doth distinctly observe the several parts and circumstances of their deliverance as that he smote the first-born of Egypt and brought Israel from amongst them and with a strong hand overthrew Pharaoh and smote great Kings and famous Kings Sihon King of the Amorites and Og King of Bashan and unto every one of these particulars adds a particular reiteration of the praise of God for the fame in the end of each verse still inculcating and concluding That his mercy endureth for ever which is written for your learning and instruction that you also in praising God for your liberty should particularize the total sum of your safety and then to multiply and reiterate the expression of your praises accordingly And multipliing the praise Come therefore and sing unto the Lord a new Song and praise him this day in the Congregation of Saints and with good Ezra Heman and Asaph Ezra 3.10 11. Praise ye the Lord after the Ordinance of David King of Israel singing together by course praising and giving thanks unto the Lord your God because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever To the God of Gods that stood by us when all other comforts sailed us For his mercy endureth for ever To the Lord of Lords that hath subdued our Enemies under us For his mercy endureth for ever That rescued us from anger and rage of the multitude when they first apprehended us at Chelmsford For his mercy endureth c. That preserved us in the long march from Brantree to Colchester For his mercy endureth c. That suffered not our Enemies to do us any harm For his mercy c. That turned their hearts to be civil to us For his mercy c. That secured us from the bullets that were shot through our chambers For his mercy c. That made our society so comfortable whiles we were in custody For his mercy c. That did provide for us meat and drink plentifully when our Enemies starved For his mercy endureth c. Who by his Spirit stirred up so many to pray for us For his mercy c. And in his faithfulness answered those prayers For his mercy c. That caused our Enemies to give us life when they yielded themselves to death For his mercy c. That after so many weeks imprisonment brought us home with Honor Safety and Freedom For his mercy endureth for ever Thus if you shall begin to particularize your mercies and then proceed in multiplying your praises you will raise the expression of them to be high praises of God in your Mouths verbally unto which the Text requires another and higher expression of them to be added Namely An actual raising them in your lives The real expression of praise heightened with a two-edged sword in your hands which two-edged sword in your
us yet when its beams are interposed and lustre over-clouded we account it to be in a suffering condition so the inward Perfections of God without the duty of Praises are as it were in a suffering condition and like a rich Diamond or Jewel hid in a dark corner but by the duty of high Praises the lustre and beauty of his Wisdom Power and Goodness are openly produced and made conspicuous to the observation and admiration of all Beholders and Spectators for which cause they are called in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exaltations of Jehovah rather then Singings unto his Name because according to his Name so is his Praise Psal 48.10 therefore his Name being most high his Praise must be also most high and proportionable thereunto Thirdly 3. From their value discerned The Praises of God are high and of high nature appretiativè in respect of the high estimation and value the Lord him-himself hath them in and sets them at which appears two ways 1. By the high Price wherewith he purchaseth them 2. By the high Delight he takes in them after he hath procured them First 1. In their procurement The price wherewith God is willing to purchase them is very high For not onely the expence of all his wisdom power and goodness put forth in Creation nor onely the layings out of all his counsel care love and faithfulness in Providence and Preservation but also the rich Treasure of his Promises Covenant Grace yea the precious blood of his own Son in our Redemption is given freely absolutely intentionally and ultimately for no other thing but the purchase of high praises to God Ephes 1.5 6. All that God doth and giveth all that Christ doth and suffereth is for no other end but the praise of the glory of his Grace I confess consider mens highest praises of God as they are mans performances they are poor and inconsiderable things but consider them as they are the Testimonies and expressions of a beleeving heart declaring and making known the unspeakable wisdom faithfulness bounty and excellencies of God exercised in his works in this notion The Scripture declares the heart of God so to be taken with the desire of them that he is willing to give Heaven Earth Himself and Son to poor men for the praises of their hearts hands and tongues and accounts himself abundantly satisfied therefore when his People will speak good of his Name speaking well of him in the Dialect of Angels-notes the high praises of God which most strongly and undeniably demonstrates the high worth of the Duty of high praises when the most high God will purchase them with the expence of Himself Son and all he hath Give me praise and take my Christ Self and Kingdom saith God When a profane and foolish Esau will purchase a mess of pottage with the price of his birth right a mean and contemptible thing with a great price we rather undervalue the wisdom of the Purchaser then esteem any thing the better of the Purchase But if a wise Merchant that is certainly and undoubtedly known to have perfect understanding and deep insight into the worth of the things he deals for if such a one sells all he hath and takes up what he can elsewhere procure to purchase a pearl or field we then conclude the hidden worth of the Purchase from the high price given for it by the knowing and wise Purchaser Now then must it not undeniably advance the heighth and worth of high praises when we see the omnipotent and infinite onely wise God that regards not Gold Silver Kingdoms Honors but yet knows how to prize and value his own contents and pleasure doth dispense and lay out all that Heaven and Earth is worth solely and purposely to purchase to Himself the highest praise of his Glory and Grace Secondly 2. In their Enjoyment The high value that God hath of high praises will be evident by the high delight and pleasure God takes in them thus purchased for skilful Artists and high principled elevated understandings never take pleasure or delight in any thing or work which is not answerable to their highest principles and proportionable to their uttermost skill and desire Now the Lord who is the most perfect understanding and deepest skill and knowledg declares himself to take infinite delight in his Peoples Praises It is his solace and pleasure to be attended with them either in Earth or in Heaven by men or Angels and his Soul is ravished with the thoughts and contemplation of them This was it which was typed by the Feasts Psa 148. Lev. 6.7 Num. 29.12 and rejoycing in the peace offerings by the sweat Odors and Incense in the Encharistical Sacrifices by the melodious Tunes dilightful Sangs Harmony Musick Organs Timbrels Cymbals Harps for exaltation and triumph in the solemn Feasts and days of Thanksgiving the Scripture intending thereby to declare not onely with what cheerfulness and delight these gratulatery Sâ—rviâ—â—t were to be performed by men but also how ancentable and pleasing they are unto the Lord as sweet savars and odors in his nostrils as Angelical musick and heavenly ayrs in his ears as wine and divine delicatias to his taste yea and if in Heaven it self the Lord of life and glory receives any additional exaltation from the glorified Saints and Angels besides what is exernally enjoyed in the Circle of his own perfections it cannot be concluded from any thing expressed in Scripture to proceed from any thing else but the everlasting acclamations and benedictions of the glorified Saints and Angals giving glory honor and praise unto him that site on the Throne and to the Lamb whose Hallelujabe are nothing else but the highest of these high praises of God in their hearts and mouths 4. From their performance requiring the exercise of greater measures of Grace then a publique day of Humiliation Doth not then this height of Gods valuation in their Procurement and the height of the Lords satisfaction in their Enjoyment set the high Praises of God upon the highest top of the transcendent Sublimity of divine worth and excellenty In the fourth place The Praises of God are high and of a high nature perfâ—â—tiâ—d that is in respect of the high measure of Grace they are to he attended withall in their perâ—oâ—â—â—â—â— the Lord requiring the duty of high Praise especially in a publique Day of Thanksgiving for any remarkable and high mercy should be performed with a great measure of Scripture-light with a higher degree of effectual Faith and with a more ample proportion of practical Holiness then any other of the most solemn Exercises of of his publique Worship For the more full and clear demonstration of which particulars I mean of the singular measure of Light Faith and Holiness which the Lord requires should be exercised in solemnizing of a day of Thanksgiving above any other part of his Service I conceive will be
THE PRISONERS PRAISES FOR THEIR Deliverance from their long Imprisonment in Colchester On a day of publique thanksgiving set apart for that purpose by the Gentlemen of the Committee of Essex who for their fidelity in serving their Country were surprised by the Enemie at Chelmesford In a Sermon upon the sixth seventh eighth verses of the CXLIX PSALM Preached at Rumford Septemb. 28. 1648. By SAMUEL FAIRCLOUGH Pastor of the Congregation at Ketton in Suffolk EZRA 9.8 9. We were bondmen yet our God hath not forsaken us in our Bondage but hath extended mercy to us in the sight of our enemies and hath given us a reviving PSALM 102.19 20. God looked down from the height of his Sanctuary from heaven did the Lord behold the earth To heare the groaning of the Prisoners and to lose them that were appointed to death That they might declare the name of the Lord in Sion and his Praise in Jerusalem LONDON Printed by John Macock for Lodowick Lloyd and Henry Cripps and are to be sold at their shop in Popes head Alley 1650. To the Right Worshipfull Sir William Massam Barronet Sir William Roe Knight Timothy Midleton John Eden Robert Smith Col. Thomas Ayloffe Arthur Barnardiston Samson Sheffeild Major Langley and Robert Crane Esquires The Gentlemen of the Committee of Essex that for their sidelitie in the Service of their Country were surprised by the Enemie at Chelmsford and imprisoned in Colchester GENTLEMEN I Conceive it will not be accounted any presumption to present that unto you which without injustice and breach of promise I cannot detain from you for howsoever when I heard you had designed me to this solemn Service of being Gods mouth unto you on the day of your publique Thanks-giving the consciousness of mine own weakness caused me to entertain the message with fear yet when you were pleased to give life and incouragement to this plain and unstudied Sermon First by your cheerfull and affectionate attention in hearing and then by your earnest importunitie That it might be made publick when you had heard it I must confess I was overcome contrary to mine own inclination to promise that if my reverend Brother who joyned with me in the work did send his Sermon to the Press before that mine in due time should follow after in performance whereof and in answer if not satisfaction to your desires therein I have tendred it unto you without addition or alteration of one materiall passage that was then delivered unto you I was intended to have added a Doctrinall Explanation of the remaining part of the Psalm with Scripture Resolutions to some Questions that may serve to be obvious therein before this mangled and imperfect peece had come to your hand but upon the advise of some godly judicious friends I have suspended the same conceiving it better to speak enough then to speak all accept it therefore as a testimonie of my complyance rather to your pleasures then mine own will who am not so great a stranger to mine own weakness as to think any thing of mine worthy of publike view wherein if mine obedience shal appear better then my sacrifice yet this is my comfort That the same candor of Spirit and ingenuitie that put me on the Service and gave so undeserved approbation unto the weak performance Knows also how to pardon my weakness and imperfection with favorable acceptations then which indulgence as when I reflect upon my self I dare desire no more So when I look upon you I can hope no less All that I would further say unto you you shall receive at large expressed in the Book which I will not anticipate by any earnest solicitation of your forward mindes to raise up themselves by the reading of it to wel-grounded determinations and constant resolution dayly to act and practise accordingly only this I must add That the Subject is so excellent that it is as worthy of your dayly remembrance and deepest consideration as my Pen is unworthy of so excellent a subject and withall That as your desire of publishing of it hath obliged me to present it to the world so hath it engaged you also to walk more answerable to the Intents and directions of the same before the world The Discourse is yours the Duty therein is yours and my uttermost Indeavours Service and Prayers are yours which shal speak that unto God for you which to avoyd the appearance of flattery I dare not speak unto you The most high God that hath highly honored you with his highest dispensations enable you al joyntly and severally with his grace and blessings to honour him again with your highest prayses and thanksgivings which shall be the constant Prayer Of the lowest and most unprofitable of all Christs Servants SAMUEL FAIRECLOUGM THE PRISONERS PRAISES FOR THEIR Deliverance from their long Imprisonment in COLCHESTER PSALM 149.6 7 8. Let the high Praises of God be in their mouthes and a two edged sword in their hands To execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishements upon the people To binde their Kings with Chains and their Nobles with Fetters of Iron SO great and thick is the cloud of Interpreters commenting upon this Psalm that instead of inlightening Introdu they darken the Text for the Occasion Analysis Argument and Scope is rendred by them so various and different as that it would swallow up the whole time alotted to both our exercises to rehearse their opinions to dispute their grounds and to make choyce of the best amongst them I shall purposely wave them all and only hint unto you that wherein they all concur viz. that this Psalm is one of them which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gratulatory Circles where by the cast of your eye upon it you may perceive the Centre in the middle the fift verse to be the Glory of God the circumference on all sides the Praises of God beginning and ending with Hallelujah the several verses as so many radii or right lines Piscator Mollerus either ascending from the Centre of divine Goodness to the Circle of the Churches Praises holding forth the Beams of Gods Mercies to his People or else descending from the Circumference of the Churches Praises to the Centre of divine Love expressing the Peoples duties to their God Observe the words of the Text with their relation to the Hallelujah in the end of the Psalm and what I have said will be manifest to you they containing these two generals First The text analys'd A prescription of duty to be done Secondly A description of the duty how it is to be done 1. The prescription of the duty to be done is the high Praises of God 2. The description how it is to be done in all the following words to the end of the Psalm where we have First The Instruments Secondly The Execution The Instruments by which the high Praises of God and to be performed are two First The Mouth that they may be expressed verbally
Let the high Praises of God be in their mouth Secondly The Hand that they may be performed really And a two-edged sword in their hands A sword of two mouths or edges as well for God as to God as well defensive for his Truth as offensive against Error These are the Instruments The Execution follows where we have 1. The Sufferers 2. Their Sufferings 3. The Rule of Execution 4. The Reward The Sufferers by this two-edged sword are of four sorts 1. Heathen swallowed up with Infidelity 2. The People the meaner sort and Commonalty 3. The Kings in supream Authority 4. Their Nobles the highest of their Nobility The next thing is their Sufferings which also is four-sold according to the different condition and quality of the persons to suffer 1. For the Heathen Vengeance 2. For the People Punishments 3. For their Kings Chains 4. For their Nobles Fetters of Iron The third thing is the Rule of Execution either of the Vengeance upon Heathen or Punishments of People or Chains on Kings or Fetters on the Nobles and that is the Judgment written Janius Amesius no more no less no other and by no other persons then is expresly written and declared by the great Judg of Heaven and Earth in his Word The Sword of men of Saints against the worst of Heathen must not exceed one Iota the Sword of the Spirit the written Word of God The fourth the Reward of this Execution is Honour This honour have all his Saints Where first we may observe what the Reward is namely this Honour that is first To have high praises of God in their mouths and this two-edged sword in their hands Secondly To be guided to execute no Judgment but that which is written upon any This is Honour Secondly Who they be that are thus honoured to have praises in mouths and execute Judgment written namely his Saints such as God hath made and by his Word accounts Saints not such as are Popish Saints or canonized by themselves or Satan or their Flatterers but such as shew themselves Saints by having their minds and hands bound by the written Word from executing any thing further and otherwise then God hath appointed these and no other are his Saints and therefore to be honoured yea God to be honoured by them in them and for them which is determined in the uttermost extent of this laudatory Circle in the end of the Psalm Hallelujah Praise ye the Lord. Every observing eye may clearly perceive what a large field is laid open in the Text for my discourse to walk in and how many Clusters of divine matter seasonable and apt for our times and present occasion do offer themselves to my hands but I am resolved to let all pass and to take hold only of one and gather it for a Peace-offering to the Lord in applying it only to your present occasion and it shall be that one that groweth upon the very top of this Tree of Life in my Text and furthest from the shadow of those Collections that may be found on the under boughs namely The prescription of the duty to be done The high Praises of God where every one may take notice 1. The subject of duty Divided to be praise yea Praises 2. Object of duty to be God praises of God 3. Their property to be high High praises of God Which word alone needs a little Explication because so variously rendred by the most Interpreters some rendring it only Exaltations of God others Praisings exalting God others Songs exalting God others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expounded Sublime Praises of God others Praises highly uttered unto God the Reason whereof is because the word Romemóth in the Text signifies sometimes actively and then it notes the height exaltation Psal 71.19 Prov 24.7 and lifting up of any thing to the observation of others and sometimes passively and then it notes the height worth excellency of the thing that is exalted or lifted up in it self But the scope and nature of the duty prescribed in the Text necessarily comprehends both as well the high acts for which God is to be highly praised as the high Praises to be given unto God for those high Acts but especially the latter namely the height and excellency of the duty of praise to be performed for those high Acts of God as appears both from the whole Argument of the Psalm meerly laudatory as also from the Instrument wherewith these high Praises are to be performed namely the mouth The high Praises of God in their mouth shewing the height herein mentioned is a property of mans duty or work in praising God and not only of the work of God for which he is to be praised but in the Observation I shall from hence propound unto you I will comprehend both and all the particulars in the duty prescribed besides which is this The Praises of God are of an high nature Doctrine propounded and high performance OR The duty of praising God is a high duty which must exalt and lift up the high God in it This truth I shall labour to demonstrate 1. From the Object 2. Demonstrated The Effect 3. Their Price 4. Their Performance Or to use the School terms they are high 1. Objective 2. Effective 3. Oppretiative 4. Perfective First The Praises of God are high in relation to their Object 1. From the object being peculiar to God which is none other but the most high God and that in the consideration of his transcendent height and Sublimity over and above all other things or persons so the Psalmists resolution intimates Psal 7.17 I will praise the Lord according to his Righteousness which he expresseth in the following words To sing praise to the Name of the Lord most high and Psal 92.1 It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praise to thy Name O thou most high In which places and very many more in the Scriptures it is evident That the Lord considered in his highest Sublimity is the object of high Praise and that by most special and peculiar approbation of them unto himself and none other Isai 42.8 I am Jehovah that is my Name I will not give my Glory to any other nor my Praise to graven Images See how the Lord appropriates and owns it yea specially doth reserve it It is my Glory my Praise and so mine that I will not part with any of it to any other how high soever they be it is too high for any but my self The Lord will and doth give the highest of all things else in the whole Creation to others as the Heavens how high soever above them and the earth and all the works of his hand beneath them hath God put in subjection under mans feet and made him to have dominion over them Psal 8.6 Nay he gives the Services of the highest Angels in the highest Heavens to many others Heb. 2.14 Yea the highest Felicity and
He beckoned with the hand and declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison and said Go shew these things to James and the brethren Whence you may learn if you will faithfully return due praises unto God for your liberty You must never think on it by your selves nor speak of it to others much less in your solemn Thanksgiving to God for the same but you must beleeve and acknowledg the Lord alone to be author and essicient of it so al 's doth the Tune of Davids Psalm of praise for liberty run in this high Tone Psal 116.16 I mean in the exercise of his Faith by acknowledging the Lord the sole author of his enlargement Thou O Lord hast broken my bonds and therefore I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of Thanksgiving So doth good Ezra in the like cause go before you in returning praises for his own and the Churches freedom from the Babylonish Thraldom whose words and expression Ezra 9.8 9. I desire all of you would print them on the tables of your hearts and make them as frontlets before your eyes yea that you would write them in your Note-books on the walls of your Studies and Bed-chambers where you must lodg in the night or converse by day that you may acknowledg and confess with him as long as you live saying We were bond-men yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage but hath extended mercy to us in the sight of our enemies and hath given us a reviving to set up the house of our God and to repair the desolations thereof and to give us a wall in Judah and in Ierusalem Thus lifting up the eye of your faith to the most high God seeing and acknowledging the height of his wisdom goodness and mercy working your deliverance will raise the conceptions of your high praises Secondly The Production So will the exercise of your faith heighten your production also by shewing and causing you to confess that as God was the efficient so the Lord Jesus's sufferings was the meritorious cause procuring this deliverance from your temporal as well as spiritual bondage It was the blood of Christ that brought all of you that are true Beleevers out of this house of bondage also That was the red Sea in which your liberty came swiming to you he was once bound that you might be now free Joh. 8. and if the Son make you free then are you free indeed For as by his stripes ye are healed so by his bonds are you losed he dyed in custody Isai 53. under the hand and power of Heathenish Souldiers that none of these Heathenish Souldiers in whose custody you were might have any power to lay violent hands upon you Mat. 27. he was taken from his prison and judgment that you might be taken from yours also and when he ascended up on high he led not onely his own but your Captivity captive when you shall thus act your faith in beholding the Lord Jesus meriting this your dismission Eph. 4. and coming along with your discharge and delivering it unto you as a fruit of his sufferings for you then will your Souls be enlarged and your affections extended to a more ample production of the high praises of God Thirdly As you must by the exercise of your faith The Acceptation heighten the production of your praises from your selves so their acceptation with God also Faith will not onely demonstrate God alone to be the original and the Lord Iesus the procurer of the mercy but also be an effectual instrument to work high acceptation and respect to this your duty whiles it will direct you to return all your high praises to God by the hand of Christ alone as their Altar and Presenter Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer up the Sacrifice of praise unto God who as he is a Mediator and praying Saviour for the supply of our wants so is he a praising Saviour in the return of our thanks His oders and incense alone must sweeten and persume the oblation of our praises as well as prayers your highest praises if they be not presented by his hand will be rejected in anger if offered through his mediation will be accepted with love and welcom as the Philippians bounty Chap. 4.18 an odor of a sweet smell and a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God Let me now therefore conclude the first part of my Direction for the heightening your praises in their conception inwardly with the words of the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.5 above and besides all that you have heard for that purpose before approve your selves by this exercise of faith to be Living stones built up together into a spiritual Temple and an holy Priesthood to offer these spiritual sacrifices of highest praises acceptable to God by the mediation of Iesus Christ alone The conception of your praises being by these means thus raised inwardly The outward expression of praise proceed also to heighten their expression outwardly let their birth be answerable to their conception and their production to God as high as their birth in men which will be effected and the external expression of your praises much heightened by a two-sold gratulatory practise First In your words Secondly In your lives The words of the Text lead me to this distinction by holding forth not onely the duty of high praises that they are to be performed but their manifestation also how they are to be expressed namely first by the mouth and tongue the instrument of speaking secondly the two-edged sword and hand the instruments of action whereby the Psalmist doth manifest most evidently that these high praises that are conceived in the heart must be expressed in the tongue and life First then Let the high praises of God be in your mouth or in your throat as the Text hath it to note the extension of your voyces in their expression which is that which is commanded in the former verse when the Saints are enjoyned to sing aloud upon their beds and Psa 148.2 to praise God in the heights that is not onely in high places to exalt his Name above the Heavens and Earth but also in high expressions of words and voyces and therefore Psa 150.5 the Spirit of God requires that the Lord be praised not only on a well sounding Cymbal or as the Text is a Cymbal of hearing but also upon a high sounding Cymbal that is notes of highest exaltation and shoutings All which Scriptures call upon you as well as my Text to let the praises of God be high in your mouths publishing them in the highest expressions of his glory and that principally these two ways First In a thankful celebration of them before others Secondly 1. By the tongue in celebration before men Psa 78.4 In a thankful commemoration of them between the Lord and your selves First You must heighten them by your tongues in an high celebration of them to others