unto the production of spirituall and supernaturall effects when they are made instrumentall of sanctification and spirituall consolation First wen they are made instrumentall of our sanctification when they improve our graces quicken to duties stirre up holy and heavenly affections when they help and further us in the wayes of God And thus all mercies doâ— that are received enjoyed and used thankfully Such mer. cies are as glasses to discover and represent the wise and carefull providence of God towards us as steps whereby our souls ascend towards God in holy and heavenly contemplations and affections as needles to use the smilitude of Austin to sew God and our soules together as golden cords to draw us and as Anchors to fasten us unto God As the shining of the Sunne on a garden of Spices raiseth up a fragrant smell as a showre of rain makes the Woodbine or honysuckle as also the Eglantine or sweet-bryer Rose more fresh and sweet so the Sunshine of mercies and the showres of blessings Ezek. 34.26 on thankfull persons begets a sweet savour of obedience betters both their soules and their lives makes them more faithfull unto God and fruitfull unto men Lastly sanctified mercies are made instrumentall of spirituall consolation sound peace of conscience joy unspeakable and full of glory arising from an apprehension of a renewed and comfortable estate in such mercies as also of a testimony of Gods love by them a discovery of the light of Gods countenance shining through them on us in his Sonne Christ Jesus A thankfull heart lookes on all mercies the smallest meanest mercies as fruits of Gods speciall love as branches of his promises as returnes of his own prayers â—and this renders his little his narrow measure of temporals better that is more sweet and comfortable unto him then the vastest riches and possessions are unto the unthankfull Psalm 87.16 He findes and feeles amidst his greatest wants a purer clearer more unmixed more satisfying gladnesse then they can take in the greatest increase of their corn and wine That is very remarkable which Luke records of the Primitive Christians Acts 2.46 7. in even their persecuted condition They did eat their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart praising God They therefore did eat their meat with gladnesse because they praised God The praise of God will make relishable the meanest and coursest fare a morsell of brown bread and cup of cold water c. Thirdly Vide Antidum Mortoni contra meritum c 19. sect 3. thanksgiving and praise procureth at Gods hands new mercies which are expected and desired not in a way of justice but onely in a way of mercy and liberality not out of desert of the duty but meerly in vertue of Gods free grace and promise in Christ Jesus Against the merit of thanksgiving I shall onely alledge these two Arguments It is our duty and Gods free gift First our duty as appeares by what we have spoken at large concerning the justice of it and our Saviour commands us when we have done those things which are commanded to say We are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe Luke 17.9 10. Secondly * Illud quod sumus quod habemus sive sint boni actus five boni habitus scu usus totum est in nobis ex liberalitate divina gratis dante conservante Et quia ex dono gratuito nullus obligatur ad danduÌ„ amplius sed potius recipiens magis obligatur danti Idco ex bonis habitibus ex bonis actibuâ— sive usibus nobis à Deo datis Deus non obligatur nobis ex aliquo debito justitiae ad aliquid amplius dandii ita quod si non dederit sit injusâ—us sed potius nos sumus Deo obligati Durand it is Gods free gift as all graces and good works are 2 Cor. 3.5 Phil. 2.29 Phil. 2.13 Now free gifts oblige the receiver unto gratitude and not the giver unto any further degree or larger measure of bounty But although thanksgiving cannot be Medium meritorium of mercies it is yet of them Medium impetratorium What is usually said of the prayer of petition is appliable even unto the prayer of thanksgiving It is the key of heaven which unlocketh all the treasuries of Gods mercies both temporall and spirituall Deliverance of our selves and overthrow of adversaries is a mercie highly valued in these dangerous times and what an influence praise hath thereon you may see by comparison of Psalm 8.2 with our Saviours quotation of the place Matth. 21.16 Davids words are Out of the mouthes of Babes and Sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still or cause to cease the enemy and the avenger Now our Saviour rendreth strength praise Matth. 21.16 Out of the mouthes of Babes and Sucklings thou hast perfected praise And from these two places compared together it is obvious to inferre That the praises of Babes and Sucklings the weake and contemptible members of a distressed and persecuted Church is their strength such a strength as is able to still the enemy and the avenger to rout and destroy all the Churches adversaries Hence it is that the Psalmist for the obtaining of a full and compleat victory against Church-adversaries advised the Saints to make use as of a two edged sword in their hand so also of the high praises of God in their mouth Psalm 149.5 6 7 8 9. Let the Saints be joyfull in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two edged Sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishments upon the people to bind their Kings with chaines and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgement written c. Of this strength of prayse we have a notable example in the successe of Jehosaphat against the children of Moab and Ammon 2 Chron. 20 21 22. He appointed Singers unto the Lord and that should praise the beauty of holinesse as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his mercy eâ—dureth for ever And when they began to sing and to praise the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir which were come against Judah and they were smitten It was not then you see without good reason that Luther called the prayers and praises of Christians their Artillery and Gunâ—es If you desire growth in grace increase of the Spirit such a perfection and fulnesse of grace as is attainable here in this life the Apostle Paul prescribeth as means of obtaining it the exercise of Psalmes and giving of thankes Ephes 5.18 19 20. Be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord giving of thankes alwayes c. From which words the pious and learned Bayn collects that the exercise
Secondly as the Saints onely have gifts and abilities for the duty so they alone finde acceptation in it To give thanks sayth Paul is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you 1 Thessa 5.18 that is as Zanchy expoundeth the words Towards you who are in Christ Jesus from such onely t is the acceptable will of God that is by a Metonymy Iunius Willet on Levit. an Object which will please and delight his will In Peace offerings the sacrifices were to be eaten as pure Levit. 7.15 so Pura a Puris both the sacrifices and the sacrificers were to be free from any legall or ceremoniall uncleannesse or pollution vers 19.20 21. To teach That as the expressions of thankfulnesse so the persons of the thankfull were to be holy If he that did eate of the flesh of the Peace-offerings were Levitically uncleane he was to be cut off Thereby intimateing the unacceptablenesse of our thanksgivngs if tendred by one morally uncleane whose uncleannes is unmortified who indulgeth himselfe in the love and practise of his lusts and corruptions Amos 5.22 23. Every such a man is a child of wrath Ephe. 2.3 an object of Gods vindicative wrath a wrath of malediction and if his Person be hated and accursed by God how can his prayses be accepted with god Hee is a corrupt tree and therefore all his thanks are corrupt rotten and stinking in the nostrils of God Hee is in the flesh and in an estate of infidellity now they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.8 without faith t is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 All his sacrifices his sacrifices of praise all his prayers his prayers of thanksgiving as well as petition are an abomination unto the Lord. Prov. 15.8 and 28.9 Hee will spread the dung of them upon his face Mal. 2.3 He wil regard them no more then the cutting off a Doggs neck Dickson new Annotat. then the offering of Swines blood then the blessing of an Idoll Isa 66.3 The Apostle in Heb. 6.1 termes all workes that goe before repentance and conversion Dead workes because they proceede from a dead principle from a nature dead in sins and trespasses because they make liable to death they deserve death Now to argue from the generall to the particular it followeth therefore that the prayses and thanks of unregenerate men which goe before their repentance and conversion are but a dead worke onely the carkase and forme of praise and thanksgiving as comeing from dead hearts and affections and being so farre from finding favour and acceptance with God as that the wages of them is death Although then they bee very forward and seemingly zealous in their prayses and thanks though they be very elaborate and make great flourishes in their celebrations of God mercies yet to use the similitude of Chrysostome applyed by him to the workes of the wicked in generall All this is but like the Reliques of the dead wrapt up fairely Wee ourselves reckon it no credit but a disgrace rather to be praised by base and unworthy men Paul was greived with the prayses that the damsell possessed with the Spirit of divination gave him and Silas Act 16.16 17 18. And will God then thinke you bee well pleased with those prayers that come from impure mouths and unsanctified hearts or will he not rather account them disprayses a staine and a blemish unto his glory when the spirit of an uncleane Devill uttered the glorious praise of Christ Proclaiming him with a loud voice to be the holy one of God Christ rebuked him and commanded him to hold his peace Luk. 4.33 34 35. In like manner though not in so high a degree he deeply distasteth and disrellisheth all prayses and thanks which come from those that are of the Devill 1 Joh. 3.8 children limbes of the Devill Act. 13.10 who commit sinne make a trade of sinning obey sinne in the lusts thereof For their most glorious prayses are so farre from exaltation of Gods most holy Name as that they are a profanation and pollution thereof Thirdly In a third place The excellency of the duty may be gathered from the excellency of its object and that in the text is the name of God It is a good thing to fing prayses unto thy Name Now the name of God is great terrible and holy Psal 99 3. glorious 1 Chro. 29.13 Exalted above all blessing and prayse Nehem. 9.5 Excellent above the Earth and heaven Psal 8.1 Psal 148.13 But to speake distinctly Gods mercies and benefits are the object of thanksgiving his excellencies and perfections of prayse So then thanksgiving lookes upon that which is most amiable sweet and lovely in Gods attributes and workes his tender mercies that are over all his workes Psal 145.9 that are as great as the heaven is high above the earth Psal 130.11 And that which respects so sweet an object cannot possibly be unlovely Praise regards what is most admirable in Gods nature and workes his divine excellencies and perfections Psal 107.8 Psal 145 5 6. And in reference unto this is it that God is said to be fearfull in prayses doing wonders Exod. 15.11 Rivet upon the place thinkes that prayses may be taken metonymically for the matter of prayses those works of God for which he is to be praysed and then the sense is Those workes of thine for which thou art to be praysed are fearefull terrible and wonderfull The latter words doing wonders explaine the former Fearefull in prayses God is therefore fearefull in prayses because he doth wonders Regard is had unto that great and dreadfull execution of judgement upon the Aegyptians in the foregoing chapters But the expression upon good ground is applyable unto all the marvellous workes of God Now that which respects so glorious an object cannot possibly be inglorious that cannot but be an admirable duty which is whol ly taken up with those workes of God that deserve dread and wonder Fourthly * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist 3. Top. 2. c. text 〈◊〉 difficulty is an argument of excellency and how difficult the duty is may be collected from that interrogation of the Psalmist Psal 106.2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord who can shew forth all his praises which may be resolved either into a Negation or Restriction Few or none can utter the mighty acts of the Lord can shew forth all his praise few can doe it in an acceptable manner and none can doe it in a perfect manner * Reynolds on Hosea And indeed it is not universall in Scripture for such kind of Interrogations to amount unto either a negation or at least an expression of the rarenesse and difficulty of the thing spoken of 1 Cor. 2.16 Psal 90.11 Isa 53.1 Without a full confession of mercies it is not possible to make either a due valuation of them or a just requitall for them And how impossible a thing it is fully to recount mercies you may see Psal
horse stayes not in the goodnesse of Wine or horse but respects the use thereof by our selves or freinds We wish our Wine our Horse good but t is in reference to our selves or our freinds that we or they may have the use service or benefit of this their goodnesse That loue of God then which is but of concupiscence is terminated not in God but in our selves in that advantage which we desire to reape by in that use which we desire to make of him This love then is more desirous and studious of our owne good then Gods glory and therefore cannot beget thankfulnesse which principally minds the exaltation of Gods glory But now the very height of praise thanksgiving is an effect of that love of God which is called a love of freindship for that is a love of God principally for his owne sake and therefore subjects unto his glory whatsoever is finite and created This love makes God subordinate unto nothing and an acknowledgment of the unsubordinatenesse of God is the greatest glory that a poore creature can give him This love of freindship as Aquinas observeth out of Arstotle is a love of Benevolence whereby wee wish or desire good unto the object loved Hee then that loves God with the love of freindship loves him with a love of Benevolence and to love God with a love of Benevolence is to wish and desire all possible good unto him Now our goodnesse sayth the Psalmest extendeth not unto him Psal 16.2 viz. otherwise then by way of praise declaration glory and acknowledgement The love of God then that is of benevolence enclineth to desire and endeavour the bringing of all possible praise honour and glory unto him The Apostle speaking of this love sayth that it seekes not her owne 1 Cor. 13.5 that is principally If then we love God with this kind of love we will not seeke our owne we will more zealously and diligently seeke the advancement of Gods glory then the profit pleasure honour credit and reputation of our selves * Amas et lâ—das definis lâ—dare si desir amare Aust Psal 85. If we love God with all our hearts with all our soules with all our mights we will set a higher value upon his glory and praise then upon the whole creation And therefore rather then his glory and praise should run any hazard will resolve to undergoe the utmost extremities Love of God you see is a cause of praise and thanksgiving and for proofe of its excellency I shall in this hast refer you unto 1 Cor. 13. which chapter is wholly spent in the elogies and commendations thereof Thirdly A third cause of thankfulnesse is a spirituall and experimentall knowledge of God and his workes of mercy and deliverance A thankfull man must praise God for them and therefore he must be acquainted with them He must distinctly and lively blazon out the specialties of them and therefore hee cannot bee ignorant of shem David was sensible that hee could neither have a thankfull heart nor thankfull lipps without knowledge not a thankfull heart Psal 119.7 I wil praise thee with uprightnesse of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements not thankfull lipps Psal 119.171 my lipps shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes * Psa 68. v. 24.26 compared An open mouth to praise God for benefits presupposeth ever as its cause an open eve an enlightned understanding to behold the name of God written upon it as a token of his love Now knowledge is a very pretious grace that wonderfully beautifyeth and inricheth the mind of man and therefore compared by Solomon to silver and hid treasure Prov. 2 4. Fourthly A Fourth cause of praise and thanksgiving is spirituall Joy that commeth cheifly from a fight and sense or relishing of Gods love and goodnesse in mercies This will be evident if you will compare my text with the 4 verse of the Psalm for then you shall see that the Psalmist there setteth downe the ground or reason why hee thought giving of thanks singing of praise so good and excellent a thing For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work v. 4. viz. of mercy and deliverance A rejâ—ycing of the heart by Gods workes of mercy begets a sollid and serious apprehension of the goodnes and excellency of praise and thanksgivings and such an apprehension will quicken unto a chearefull performance of it And indeed it is impossible but that praise and thanks should be the effect of spirituall joy in mercies How can a man bee unthankfull for mercies which witnesse and seale up Gods speciall love and favour and so produce glorious and unspeakable comfort A man truly and spiritually joyfull is satisfied with the love of God shed abroad through his heart as with marrow and fatnesse c. And how can such an one but be excited unto thankfulnesse I Psal 63.5 My soule saith the Psalmist shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and then my mouth shall prayso thee with joyful lipps * In the ring of graces Faith is the diamond Joy the sparkle of the diamond Arrowsmith on 1 Sam. 7.12 Now the excellency of joy is set forth Psal 97.11 Light is sowne for the righteous and Joy for the upright in heart The latter part of the words expound the former and shew that by the Light sowne for the righteous is meant Joy And indeed t is usuall in Scripture for light to be put for joy Hest 8.16 Isai 50.10 Now light is of all sensible qualities the brightest and most glorious Lastly Humblenesse Meeknesse of mind Brokennesse of heart is a cause of thankfulnesse An humble contrite and penitent soule will debase it selfe lay it selfe low before God it will disclaime all desert of the meanest mercies And that 's the way to value mercies to exalt and extoll God aright such a soule will challenge to it selfe nothing but sinne and impotency and therefore it will not dare to finger any part of the glory honour and praise which is due unto God Now for the excellency of rhis humility meeknesse and brokennesse of heart I shall alleadge but these few following places of Scripture Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart ô God thou wilt not despise The Psalmist alludes thinks some unto spices which are most fragrant when pounded and bruised so are our hearts most pleasing to God when broken with spirituall sorrow For in the latter part of the verse a contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Liptotes lesse is said and more understood So that the meaning is A broken and contrite heart thou wilt highly value and prize and so much may be gathered for that it is called not onely the sacrifice of God in the singular number but the sacrifices of God in the plurall to denote that it was insteede of all Leviticall or ceremoniall sacrifices mentioned in the
foregoing verse more acceptable unto God then all of them Isai 57.15 Thus sayth the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Isai 66.2 To this man will I looke that is of a poore contrite spirit and not with a bare Intuitive looke but with a loke of Love and Respect If you compare the words with the foregoing verse and heed the Antithesis hinted by the Particle But it will bee obvious to infer that a poore and contrite spirit is Gods place of rest his temple and sanctuary A meek spirit is termed by Peter an Ornament of great price in the sight of God 1. Pet. 3 4. The worth of prayse and thanksgiving may seventhly be concluded from the acceptablenesse thereof to God To praise the name of God with a song to magnifie him with thanksgiving shall please the Lord better sayd David then an Oxe or Bullock that hath hornes and hoofes Psal 69.30 31. An Oxe or Bullock that hath hornes and hoofes is taken by a Synech d◠he of the part for the whole for all ceremoniall sacrifices and externall rights under the old Testament whatsoever and from Davids preferring of praise and thanksgiving unto them wee may by way of Analogy and Proportion infer the pecular gratefulnesse and singular acceptablenesse thereof unto God above all that is positive ceremoniall or rituall in the worship of God under the new testament as Baptisme the Lords Supper and discipline c. In Beza's annotations upon the 1 Thessa 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ c. The will of God is paraphrased Res deo accepta et quâ in primis delectatur a thing acceptable unto God wherewith hee is espicially delighted And that it is such I shall cleare by these 5. following reasons First Because God vouchsafeth to account himselfe blessed honoured glorified magnified exalted c. thereby Secondly Because in a peace-offering a female was accepted Levit. 3.1 which might be to signifie that the weakest expressions which are cloathed with thankfulnesse finde with God not only allowance but also favour and gratious acceptance Gratitude ennobleth the meanest presents the smallest services unto both God and man Thirdly That praise and thanksgiving is a thing which God liketh very well of may be gathered from comparison thereof unto the most pleasing and delightfull objects of the senses As First of Hearing Cant. 2.14 Let mee heare thy voyce sayth Christ to his Church for sweet is thy voyce and the voyce of the Church is not only of prayer and supplication Psal 5.3 Psal 28.2 but also of praise Psal 42.4 and thanksgiving Plal. 26.7 Secondly of Tast Cant. 7.9 The roofe or as Aynsworth translates it the Palate of thy mouth shall be like the best wine that goeth downe sweetly c. And the Palate as hee observeth upon the place is an instrument not onely of tast but also of speech This latter use saith he seemeth here to be meant that the Palate to wit by a Metonomy her speech should be like the best or most excellent wine Now the speech of the Church gratious speech comprehendeth not only her doctrine and prayers but also her prayses and thanksgivings A Peace-offering is termed Levit. 3.11 foode or bread unto the Lord it is the food or bread of the offering made by fire unto the Lord the meaning is God taketh delight in it as man doth in his meat when he is refreshed thereby Numb 28.2 Ezech. 44.7 Thirdly of Smelling in Rev. 5.8 The Prayers of the Saints are termed odours or incense and there are two sorts or kinds of prayer the prayer of Petition and the prayer of thanksgiving Levit 3.5 A peace-offering is of a sweete savour unto the Lord. Aynsworth reades it of a savour of rest the Septuagint of sweet smell The Chaldee expoundeth it an offering which shall be received with favour before the Lord. Moses speakes of God after the manner of men as if he were delighted comforted and refreshed by our thanksgiving as mens senses are with sweet and fragrant odours Fourthly How wonderfully acceptable this duty is unto God may be scene from Gods jealousy of it his unwillingnesse to communicate it God hath dealt with us as Potiphar with Joseph Gen. 39.9 There is none greater in this house then I saith Joseph neither hath hee kept back any thing from mee but thee meaning his Wife God hath made man his Viceroy upon earth there is none greater in this house then he neither hath he kept back any thing from him but his praise and glory Hee hath given him Himselfe his onely begotten Sonne and his heart blood his spirit and all its graces and comforts things present and things to come 1 Cor. 3.22 this present world and the world to come Heb. 25. The earth and all the fulnesse thereof heaven and all the glory and happinesse thereof but now his praise and glory is a thing so deare unto him of which he is so tender and even jealous as that he will at no hand part with it Isai 42.8 My glory will I not give to another neither my praise to graven Images He freely and fully bestoweth on us the benefit comfort and sweet of mercies but the praise and glory hee reserveth wholly and altoget her for himselfe Fifthly And lastly The clearest proofe of Gods acceptation of it is his proposall of it as an end of his conferring mercies and deliverances for which we have out of Psal 30.11 12. a most pregnant proofe Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sack-cloth and girded me with gladnesse to the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee and not be silent ô Lord my God Gods glory and praise is the end of all his workes the greatest of his workes the worke of Creation Rom. 11.36 Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himselfe It is the end of all the glorious workes of God in or about his Church the end for which he gives the Church a beeing Isai 43.7.21 The end of all the dignities priviledges and mercies adoption glorification c. which he bestoweth on true members of the Church 1 Pet 2.9 Isai 60.21 Ephe. 1.5.6.11 12.14 Now the end of working is by the agent most desired * In sine non adhibetur aliqua mensura sed solum in ijs quae sunt ad sinem Aquin. 2a 2ae 84. art 3. Performance of this duty then or the result thereof Gods glory being the end of God workes especially of his workes about so beloved an object as the Church cannot but be highly valued with God The value of that duty must needes be unvaluable which heaven aymes at which is the scope of any of the Lords either workes or
be delivered from which they doe as it were groan and cry By what hath been said in opening of this place of scripture you have at large seen how justly God may take away mercies from the unthankfull Why it is but a receiving a resuming a challenging and claiming of his own a recovery of his right a making of an entry upon that which is by ingratitude forfeited a deliverance of the imprisoned and abused mercies of God into a kinde of freedome That is applyable unto ingratitude which is by some reported of Pyrrhus and Hanibal that they knew how to conquer but had no skill to keep use and improve their conquests Unthankfulnes will dash the most hopefull beginnings of deliverance and reformation it will throw away in an instant that which a people have a long time most valiantly fought for with men and most zealously wrestled for in prayer unto God The deliverance which we this day celebtate cost you many bitter tears many fervent prayers much pretious blood for it you have hazarded all that under the Sunne was deare unto you But now your unthankfulnesse wil be a grave unto all those mercies and comforts which you reape by vertue of this deliverance it will make your last state worse then your first it will make your preservation to be but a reservation of you to a more calamitous condition then that which you feared in the time of your greatest danger and extremity it will reduce you to such an estate as the Saguntine Embassadours said they were in after the recovery of their Town T. Livius Ad hoc retracti ex distantibus locis in sedem antiquam videbamur ut iterum periremus alterum excidium patriae videremus Wee seemed to bee brought home from the places of our exile for no other purpose but to be ruin'd a second time and to behold another funerall and desolation of our Town and Country Secondly unthankfulnesse brings a curse poyson and pollution upon all our mercies Carpenter Geogr. lib. 2. p. 162. it rots and putrifieth them makes them like the waters of a Pond or standing Poole which having no intercourse with the Sea nor supply from springs as it is by the heat of the Sunne exhausting it out by Vapours either extraordinarily diminished or altogether dryed up so howsoever it is corrupted and grows stinking and unsavory God will not loose the honour of his benefits that he bestoweth upon us but will some way or other beglorified by them If we doe not glorifie his mercy whilest he bestoweth them as blessings he will glorifie his justice by altering their nature and turning them into curses Mal. 2.2 If yee will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hostes I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because you doe not lay it to heart Mercies received with thanksgiving are sanctified 1 Tim. 4.45 therefore by the rule of contraries mercies received with unthankfull hearts are unsanctified and accursed unto us and what that is you may gather from that I have delivered concerning the sanctification of mercies First Then mercies are a curse unto us when they are disabled from yee ding forth their naturall effects when the Land doth not yeeld her increase neither the Trees of the Land their fruit Levit. 26.20 26. when the Floore and the Wine-presse cannot feed us Hos 9.2 Hos 4.10 When as Iob speaks we be in straits in the fulnesse of our sufficiency Iob 20.22 When we Sow much and bring in little when we eate and have not enough when we drink but are not filled with drink cloath us but are not warme earn wages to put it into a bagg with holes Hagg. 1. vers 6. Secondly Mercies that are unsanctified and accursed unto us proceed but from a common and ordinary ground the generall providence of God which maketh the Sunne to rise on the evill and the good and sendeth raine on the just and unjust Matt. 5.45 They come but from the patience and forbearance of God like the Dyet Lodgings and other accommodations which are indulged unto a condemned prisoner untill execution nay sometimes they are given in wrath as Quayles and a King were to Israel Numb 11. v. 33. Hos 13. v. 11. to fatten against the day of slaughter and render the more inexcusable Thirdly mercies are unsanctified and accursed unto us when they reach but naturall effects when they advance us not as much as one step or degree towards heaven towards union and communion with the God of heaven when they make no spirituall discoveries of him nor provoke unto any obedience unto him when they promote not our sanctification and spirituall consolation but rather work effects quite contrary increase of sin and vexation of Spirit Tully tells us out of Pliny that in a certain Countrey drought stirreth up dirt and rain dust Not to dispute the truth of the relation give me leave to apply it to my purpose Unthankfulnesse hath made the mercies of God to bring forth in us effects as unsutable to their nature as moisture to drought and dust to raine It hath made the Gospel the savour of death unto death it makes mercies to have such an influence upon us as the shining of the Sunne on clay and on a dunghill it begets hardnes of heart and raiseth up the noysome steem and exhalations of stinking lusts it makes our table to become a snare before us and that which should have been for our wellfare to become a trap Psalm 69.22 It corrupts our riches and makes them as thorns to pierce us thorough with many sorrowes it poysoneth our honours and dignities and makes them swell and break us with pride and ambition it sowreth and imbittereth all our pleasures and makes them as uncomfortable and as undelightsome as the musicke of a Trumpet at an Assize unto a condemned prisoner Thirdly unthankfulnes with-holds mercies desired and expected Gratiarum cessat decursus ubi recursus non fuerit The course of Gods favours cease where there is not a return of them by our gratitude a Nibil aeâ—ne concordiam humani generis dissociat ac distrahit quam hoc vitium Nothing saith Seneca so much dissolveth and breaketh off mens friendship as this vice of ingratitude and why may we not apply to it that which is assirmed Isai 59.2 Of all iniquities and sinnes whatsoever that they separate between God and us and hide his face from us that hee will not heare Unthankfulnes interrupts though not Gods love of intention which is unchangeable yet his love of execution as also his love of complacency or delight it is a barre or obstacle unto the effects and flowings of Gods bounty it doth as it were close Gods eyes shut his hands against our wants and stop his cares against our cries and prayers And indeed with what face can an unthankfull wretch begge new favours of