2 Sam. 2â— 25 David bought the threshing floore of Araunah the Jeâ—â— site and built there an Altar unto the Lord and offered thereon burnt offerings and peace offerings Samuel the Priest did it Isaiah the Prophet did it and bids us doe it too 1 Sam. 9.13 Isa 12.4 Praise the Lord call upon his Name declare his doings amongst the people make mention that his Name is exalted And Iesus that is both Prince Priest and Prophet Ioh. 11.41 our Saviour did it Father I thanke thee that thou hast hearâ— me And shall not the children doe what the Father did the Prince did it and shall not the Subjects doe itâ— shall not the people doe what the Priest did Iesus Christ the Saviour did it and shall not we that hope to be saved by him doe it and give thankes unto the God of Heaven for shame else For it is thirdly so fairely rewarded that no Duty like unto it if we doe the duty of Devotion and pray we are preserved iâ— we doe the duty of Faith and beleeve we are justified if we doe the duty of Love and forgive wee are forgiven if we doe the duty of Charity and give it shall be given to us But if wee doe the duty of my Text and give thankes to the God of Heaven God will glorifie us with himselfe in Heaven 1 Sam. 3.30 They that honour me I will honour so sure is the thankfull man of glory And now I doubt not but you are all ready to say Give thankes who does not wee all give thankes unto the God of Heaven Nor doe I doubt but you all say so my doubt is whether you doe so For Thanksgiving I must tell you is no complement no verball thing but a Reality it hath three words to expresse it by and must be done in all three else it is not done at all The first is Gratias habere To have thanks and it is called Recognition his place of residence is the Heart when we thinke how gracious God hath beene to us this Visitation the Plague tooke some away before me some behinde me some on my right hand some on my left yet I am left God hath annointed the posts of my doore with the blood of the Lambe that the destroying Angell might passe over mee and my heart muses what to render to the Lord for this his goodnesse when wee doe so why then Gratiaes habemus we have thanks in our hearts for God or wee have Thankfull hearts to God 2. Is Gratias referre To returne thankes and it is called commemoration his Elocutour is the Tongue when wee declare the wonders God hath done for us the Plague knockt at my Neighbours doore but passed mine I was as fit an object for that destruction as any man but God in mercy spared me Blessed bee his name and my Tongue saies what shall I render unto the Lord for all the Benefits hee hath done unto mee when wee say so why then wee doe Gratias referre give Thankes with our Tongues to God The 3. is Gratias agere to doe Thankes and it is called Retribution the Actor of it is the Hand or Life when the hand gives the oblations of Thankes and the Life does the offerings of Thanks in sanctity to God and is acceptable to him in equity to man and is unreproveable with them in Charity to the poore and is profitable to them When we doe so why then Gratias agimus We doe and wee doe give thankes to the God of Heaven So wee doe to man if a man doth us but ordinary courtesies at an extraordinary pinch why then wee doe first studie to magnifie him in our hearts we were in Prison hee hath payed our Debts and set us at liberty we were in Captivity he hath redeemed us and made us free we were in danger hee hath rescued and made us safe ô what a friend was this think wee how good hath hee bin unto us and so Gratias habemus And then secondly we speake of him to others how good he hath beene to us this and this he hath done for me God reward him for it and so Gratias referimus And thirdly wee cast with our selves how to requite him hee shall no sooner command but we obey and so Gratias agimus and shall wee not doe so to God From him we have whatsoever wee have Redemption from the hands of all that hate us Preservation from the Plague and pestilence and therefore we must give thanks to the God of Heaven Surely the very Heathens intended no lesse in their Charites they were three The first was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that signifies Letitia Ioy but Ioy is in the dilation of the heart The second was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to flourish and that is in the Tongue And the third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Splendor and who shines more than he whose life is a glorious Sunne And doe you ever thinke to shine as the Sunne in Heaven or to flourish like a greene Bay-tree in Paradise or to be filled with those joyes which never entred into the heart of man unlesse you thus with your hearts tongues and hands give thanks unto the God of Heaven King David surely thought so else hee would never have delivered it with so much passion as Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven It is my second consideration and the first particular of the first part Oh And this particle is sometimes Vox exhortantis An exhorting word so the Psalmist Psa 30.4 Sing unto the Lord ô yee Saints of his and give thankes at the remembrance of his holinesse Sometimes it is Vox optantis A wishing word So the Psalmist againe Ps 107.21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse Here it is both ô thâ— you would doe it saies David â— way of exhorting and ô that could wish you to doe it by way desire So passionate he for this duty thâ— sometimes hee exhorts himselfâ— Praise the Lord ô my Soule Psa 103.1 and nâ— onely his soule but also his Tongâ—â— and his hand and all that is with mee praise his holy name sometime his company Psa 95.1 O come let us sing unâ—â— the Lord and Hymnus is a Psalm of Thanksgiving Psal 134. sometimes the Clergy Praise the Lord ô house â— Aaron praise the Lord ô house of Levâ— sometimes whole Assemblies Praâ—â— yee the Lord Psa 13â— 1 2 3. praise yee the name of the Lord Praise him ô yee servants of the Lord yee that stand in the house of tâ—â— Lord in the courts of the house of oâ—â— God Praise yee the Lord. Sometimes whole Countries let Israâ—â— now confesse that he is gracious and that his Mercy endureth for ever Psa 150.6 sometimes all creatures Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord and such he aimes at here a publicke Thanksgiving for a publick Blessing private thankes doe
and if I dye I will dye to be glorified with thee through Iesus Christ my Saviour if I dye in Heaven I will praise thee and if I live in Earth I will pray unto thee And that is my second part I am to speake of 2 a 2 ae The second ingredient for the cure of the Plague Prayer It is an opening Pill it opens out hearts to conceive our lips to utter a Prayer and it opens Gods eares to heare our Prayer If my people shall pray I will heare In this I shall if God will shew you 1. Quid est what Prayer is 2. Cui to whom we must pray 3. Quid efficiat what Prayer doth And 1. Quid est What is Prayer Some have defined Prayer Comparatè 1 a. 2 ae 2 a. Prayer what and some Absolutè They that define it by Comparison tell us That Prayer is the sacrifice of a Dove that is a Peace offering and they that define it thus direct us to first Electio the choice of a cleane one by preparation they meane as the Psalmist saith That our hearts indite a good matter Psal 45. and secoÌ„dly Corpus a Body verba pura viz. good words not to speak to God as too many speake in this place to you Non sence by speaking Quicquid in bucc am vener it whatsoever comes next to hand but so to speake as God hearing may accept and man hearing may not pitty if not laugh not to complement with God in uncoth language nor yet to slight God with slovenly words nor yet to weary God with tedious bablings but with words well compos'd that it be neither a leane body nor a lame body And thirdly AnimaÌ„ A Soule viz. IntentioneÌ„ fixam a fix'd intention not to suffer our heart to roave wander while our lippes moove and speake but to observe what we pray for as we desire God to observe and grant our prayers Wee pray often and God heares us not and the reason is plaine because wee heare not our selves And fourthly Alas Wings viz. Fidem spem faith Hope Faith to deliver the message in Heaven and Hope to returne the answer upon earth beleeving hee doth heare them and hoping hee will grant them And grant them God will if fiftly this Dove have plumas and be not bare of feathers viz. Gemitum lachrymas sighes teares But last of all you must be sure they have pedes feete too opera Charitatis Workes of Charity And then when GOD sees your prayers so compleate he will questionlesse hee will accept it for a peace offering They that define Prayer absolutely tell us it is Expressio mentis ad Deum in Nomine Iesu Christi an expression of our desires in the Name of Iesus Christ to God An expression of our desires not that words are ever necessary for sometimes the heart may bee so overcharged with griefe as that the tongue cannot speake So we read of Hannah and so of Moses but that wee would make our tongues the Ambassadors of our hearts when there is not a greater occasion to keepe them at home For God made our Tongues so well as our Hearts and wee desire to have our Tongues in Heaven with our Hearts and therefore must glorifie the God of Heaven equally with our Tongues and Hearts So the Psalmist Psal 45. My heart is enditing of a good matter and my tongue is the pen of a ready writer I will speak of the things which I have made unto the King And so we we must utter utter with our Tongues what we desire with our Hearts But both our desire and expression must bee in the Name of Iesus Christ no promise but in him no purchase but by him Whatsoever you shall aske in my name God will give it you In nomine ejus it must be for without him we are like to have as course entertainment with God as Ioseph promised his brethren if they brought not Benjamin By the Princes favourite the subject obtaines the Princes favour and by Jesus Christ in whom and in whom onely God is well pleased Math. 3. we obtaine whatsoever we obtaine and therefore as the Apostle so I to you Let your prayers be made knowne by him viz. by Iesus Christ to God And being made known by him our prayers are sure of acceptance for he hath purchased Gods favour for us and that by a bloody rate Hebr. 5. By his owne blood By that hee entred into the holy place to make intercession for us this makes our Evangelicall sacrifices acceptable to God To God I say For as our prayers must bee offered By 2ª 2 ae 2 ae and in the name of Iesus Christ so they must be offered to God and to God onely for God onely is the Cui the object To whom we must pray Not to Patriarch or Prophet for no precept for that Not to Angel or Archangell for no promise to that Not to the Virgine Marie or any shee Saint for no example of this let Rome say what Rome can to the contrary But this is a matter of dispute and so disputed it hath been that it needs no dispute here for they are not able to reply And besides their owne Doctrine and Example choakes them for their doctrine never taught to offer their example never did offer any thanksgiving to any Saint or Angel whatsoever And yet thankesgiving is a part and a chiefe part of prayer and therefore where no thanksgiving is due there no prayer is due Nor the one nor the other hath any object but God I shall therefore conclude this with a prayer to God God grant wee may never betake our selves to any other shelter than Vmbra altissimi that of God for blessed be the people that bee in such a case yea blessed are the people which have the Lord for their God God make us Saints in Heaven and give us grace never to pray to any Saint and to pray to him so that when wee pray he may heare It is my third consideration in Quid efficit what does prayer 3 a 2 ae 2 ae And did I propose it so low What does prayer I should rather have proposed it thus What does it not It opens Heaven and it shuts Heaven 1 Reg. 18. Raine or no Raine are at the command of prayer It defeates our Enemies So David overthrew the counsell of Achitophel by Prayer 2 Sam. â— 31. It obtaines favour with Kings Neh 2.4 So Nehemiah wonne grace with Artaxerxes the King by Prayer It opens Gods hands and it shuts Gods hands Numb 11.2 So Moses when God was angry shut his hands by Prayer and when the people were hungry by prayer Moser opened Gods hands to give them Manna In a word Prayer is as Luther speakes though Hyperbolically yet Divinely Res omnipotentissima an Almighty power By this 2 Sam. 24 Psal 106. â—â— prayer David in his time and Phineas in his time stayed
well but not well enough for they doe â—ut pierce Heaven whereas publicke scales it And as hee so wee we should not thinke it enough to be â—ood our selves but strive to make others good too As GOD hath â—â—fused Grace into us so should we â—ndeavour to beget Grace in others When we see a cholerick hasty man we should strive to make him a Iob a â—nne of patience when wee see a dissolute swearing man wee should â—rive to make him a Peter a sonne â—f Repentance when we see a false â—issembling man we should strive 〈◊〉 make him a Nathaniel a true Isâ—aelite a sonne of Sincerity when we â—â—e a naturall and unthankfull man a man that ascribes the Plague to the malignity of the Ayre onely and the staying of the Plague to the serenity of the Ayre onely we should strive to make him a David a man of Thankfulnesse both wishing and exhorting with a great deale of earnestnesse Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven This we should doe indeed but indeed this we doe nor wee rather seeke to make men worse and worse than better and better We alas if we see a Drunkard we call him to the Taverne if an Adulterer to the Stews if a Glutton to the Ordinary if a coverous man to the house of providence the Vsurer or the Broker So forward are wee for sin that wee infect one another and therefore no wonder that the Plague hath beene amongst us so backward are we for Grace that a wonder iâ— is the Plague is stayed since we exhort not since wee wish not one another to give thanks unto the God of Heaven Were David living now or we that live now of Davids minde the Duty would be doubled and the desire would be ingeminated Oh give thanks oh give thanks It is my third Consideration and the second particular of my first part the Ingemination But what needs this what needed the Prophet to double an Exhortation of such consequence had not one beene enough can wee forget this To give thanks Can wee remember this yeere 1636 that so many have beene swept away swept away by the Plague and wee left behinde Can wee remember this and not give thankes to the God of Heaven though it were but once spoke of Such a Schoole master as David would not but wee we such Schollers as wee are have memories so labile and so fragile so brittle and so short that as St. Paul sayes we need Repetition upon Repetition Exhortation upon Exhortation else we shall and will forget to give thankes unto the God of Heaven So brittle are our memories this way God blesse us that wee need an In emination but so fast and strong another way God bee mercifull unto us that we need not so much as a single remembrance An injury we can remember a long time an ill turne nay an ill word from our Neighbour from our enemy Manet alta mente repostum we cannot easily remove it such a thing as this is soundly settled but benefits and good turnes how quickly alas doe we forget them So forgetfull were the Israelites this way Hosea 4.6 Ps 106.21 that they forgat the Law of God nay they forgat God that gave them that Law Ps 78.42 They forgat God their Saviour and the day when he delivered them And doe not our Soules leake as much as theirs His Day notwithstanding his Memento we forget even that Day which hee commanded to be sanctified whether the Seventh or the Eigth day or one in the seven we prophane them all That day wherein he made us whole from the horrour of Hell by the Resurrection of our Saviour and that day wherein he made us whole from the terrour of the Plague by commanding that destroying Angell to hold his hand And therefore blessed be his Name for this Ingemination of his servant David Oh give thanks ô give thanks unto the God of Heaven Deum Coelerum The God of Heaven This is the marke whither wee must ayme in shooting our Thankes and my fourth Consideration the third particular of my first part And herein you have three Directions First a Direction for the Object to God Secondly a Direction for the matter for heavenly blessings and thirdly a Direction for the manner with heavenly praises The Direction for the Object is directly against Papists the Direction for the matter is point-blanke against Mammonists the Direction for the manner is absolutely against Hypocrites First the Papist hee prayes to Saints but never gives thankes to Saints and yet Thanksgiving is a chiefe part of Prayer the first part the last part indeed all in all He that prayes prayes for what hee wants and so looks upon his owne necessity but he that gives thankes gives thankes for what he hath and so lookes upon Gods bounty Now by the rule of Order he to whom one part of Prayer is due to him is every part of Prayer due But the Papists by their owne Act deny Thanksgiving to bee due to Saints For where is the Papist that did ever give thankes to Saint Roch or Saint Sebastian for staying of the Plague yet they are their Plague-saviours where is the Psalter that hath any Benedicamus to any but to the God of Heaven But this is a matter of Dispute and this is not a place for Dispute I therefore say no more of it but this to the God of Heaven God grant that in the time of the Plague or any other calamity we may never betake our selves to any other refuge than Vmbra Altissimi The right hand of God nor give our prayses when we are delivered from the Plague than Nomen Altissimi The mercy of God as wee doe this Day give thanks to the God of Heaven who hath delivered us from the plague Secondly the Mammonist the worldling the covetous man the Vsurer and his pew-fellow the Broker he prayes for earthly blessings and he gives thanks for earthly blessings earthly blessings must not be forgotten no therefore the Church hath appointed Perambulations to give thankes to the God of Heaven for his blessings upon the Earth but for all that Heavenly blessings must especially be remembred for sparing us so long and giving us so large a time of Repentance for his Word and Sacraments for a religious King for a holy Clergy for a conscionable Magistracy and such other meanes of Grace for the forgivenesse of our sinnes and such heavenly blessings Ob give thankes unto the God of Heaven Thankfulnesse I confesse is a common duty for all blessings and a necessary duty for all blessings and yet sometimes the very doing of this duty is worse than the neglect of it When the Taylor lookes upon his cloaths which hee stole from the Gentleman he made the last suit for when the Vsurer lookes upon his Thousands which he hath gotten by Eight in the Hundred when the Shop-keeper beholds his bagges which hee hath filled by selling his Wares at unconscionable rates when the