when renewed is the most noble sublime and choycest part of man not only her Tongue or Hand but her soul yea her spirit shall praise him Luke 1.46 47. The Spirit is more then the Soul Hence some by soul would have the Inferiour part of the soul to be meant as the sensitive powers common to us with bruits which respects naturall things And by Spirit the Superiour faculty of the Soul the Rationall part especially when enlightened and renewed by the Spirit of God which respects divine and spirituall things So the Apostle distinguisheth between soul and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 2. Zealously and Transcendently with the highest intention of affection As God is the most High so our Praise must be answerable We must extoll and exalt his Name Isay 25.1 as the Angels in heaven do though not in Equality yet in Conformity and Similitude Hence the Saints call up all the Powers of their soules to this work and make new songs of praise Exod. 15. Psal. 69.30 See how Deborah rowseth up and quickens her self that she might the better quicken others Iudg. 5.12 The reiteration of the words do shew her earnest affection to the work 3. Speedily without delay so soon as ever we recive a mercie we should presently give Thanks So did Deborah Iudg. 5.1 the same day that she received a victory the very same day she sings praise We may begin too late we cannot begin too soon As God loads us daily with mercies so we should daily praise him Psal. 68.19 20. 4. Voluntarily freely chearfully all Gods people are Voluntiers Psal. 110.3 it 's no service that is not Voluntary compulsive Praise is no Praise 'T is for beasts to be driven against their wills aguntur non agunt As in alms God loves a chearfull giver so in this Spiritual alms God would have our praises flow as water from a spring freely not as fire from a flint with much hammering and striking 5. Beleevingly and in faith As our Prayers so our Praises must be put up in the Name of Christ he must sweeten our odours with his incense Revel 8.3 he is that golden Altar which sanctifieth all our services Colos. 3.17 Ephes. 5.20 givnig Thanks unto God alwayes 1. Habitually and dispositively our hearts should be kept in such an holy frame that on all occasions we should be ready to praise God 2. For all things that God shall send on us or ours for prosperity and adversity for sicknesse and health for poverty and plenty what ever God doth with us we must Thank him 3. In the Name of Christ these calves of our lips must be offered on this Altar Hos. 14.2 6. Humbly none can give Thanks Rightly but he that gives Thanks Reverently Heb. 12.28 our very rejoycing must be mixt with trembling Psal. 2.10 make a man first Humble and he 'l soon be Thankfull as we see in Iacob Gen. 32.10 and the Prodigall Luke 15.19 he counts it an honour to be Gods hired servant Such a one looks upon all as mercy no merit Hence when the Lord would make men truly Thankfull he sets before them their misery Ezek. 16. and commands the people of Israel to keep the feast of Booths in remembrance of their misery in Egypt Nehem. 8.17 and to remember that their Father Iacob was a poor perishing Syrian Deut. 26.5 they must acknowledge the meanness of their Originall that they might the better magnify Gods goodness and free Grace in raising them 7. Holily from a pure heart Praise is unseâ—mly in the mouth of sinners Their sacrifices are an abomination to God 'T is in Sion and not in Babylon that praise waits for him Psal. 65.1 'T is only Saints that are called to this work Psal. 33.1 and 145.10 they have speciall mercies as Justification Sanctification Salvation c. and therefore it much concerns them to be Thankfull 8. Considerately We must weigh and ponder all circumstances as spices pounded smell more sweetly Hence David descends to particulars Psal. 136. per totum 1. Consider the freeness of Gods mercy when thou wast dead in Trespasses and sins and hadst no eye to pity thee nor loveliness in thee yet then God spread his skirt of love over thee and said Live 2. Consider the fulness of Gods mercies They are for number numberless Psal. 139.17 18. Mercies to soul to body in estate in the Church and in the Common-wealth c. Meditation on these things will be like oyle to the Lamp it will inflame and inlarge our hearts it will sweeten mercies to us Psal. 104.33 34. and strengthen us in Gods way Neh. 8.10 Since this duty is so highly pleasing unto God be much in it The repetition of the Act will intend the Habit and therefore be practising it on all occasions Hast children give Thanks for them Gen. 29.35 Hast victory over thy enemies give Thanks for that 2 Sam. 22.1 Hast good success give Thanks for that Gen. 34.48 He that would see more for Thanksgiving may peruse Mr. Sam. Wards Serm. on 1 Thes. 5.18 and Mr. Bridge on the same Text. Mr. Ieanes Thanksgiving Serm. for Taunton D. Holseworth on Hos. 14.2 Mr. Gataker on Gen. 32 10. Church his Treasury p. 318. D. Spurstow on the Promises chap. 20. 8. Vnholy Fitly hath the Apostle yoaked these two together Unthankfull Unholy seeing every act of Unholinesse hath much Unthankfulnesse in it every sinne we commit against God is a Transgression not onely of the Law of Holinesse but also of the Law of love and kindnesse there is much ingratitude in sin An unholy man is a profane man one that slights God and his wayes one that savours not spirituall things but is wholly addicted to the world and its pleasures preferring these Earthly and Temporall things before Eternall Now this Unholiness and Profaneness is twofold 1. In Doctrinalls 2. In Practicalls 1. In Doctrinalls In the last dayes men shall publish unholy Doctrines and profane Principles Profane men will invent profane Tenets and profane fables which the Apostle commands us to shun 1 Tim. 4.7 6.20 what profane doctrines are publisht in our days who lists may see in Mr. Edwards his Gangreen 1. Part. p. 15. c. Edit 3. and London Ministers Testimony and Mr. Bartlets Balsom in fine 2. In the last dayes men will be profane in Practicalls No true piety will appear in their lives but they will be full of Pride Self-conceit Covetousness Hypocrisy Malice and all Unrighteousness They will violently rush into sin without any Fear of God or Reverence to man Hence the Apostle rangeth profane persons amongst the vilest sinners 1 Tim. 1.9 10. 3. Such as rend the bowels of their Mother that bare them these are impious and profane in S. Austins judgement 4. A prophane man most properly is one that lightly esteems the holy things of God one that slights God his Sabbaths Sacraments Servants Ministers and all Gods holy things In a word he is
thy friend So may we say to sinners Is this your kindness to your Saviour for all his sorrow and sufferings Do ye thus requite the Lord o foolish and unwise Deut. 32.6 God keepeth a Catalogue of all his favours to us and when we sinne against them he is much displeased at it as we see in Davids case where the love aggravates his sinnes by the mercies which he had shewed him 2 Samuel 12.7 8. Fire mingled with Oyle or Wine burneth more fiercely so sinnes against great mercies are great provocations The injuries of a friend goe nearer to us then the injuries of a profest enemy when God shall nourish and bring up children and they shall rebel against him he calleth upon the very inanimate creatures to be astonished at this Isay 1.2 3. He sinned against the light of good Example Paul went before him in doing and suffering and glories in all as comfortable and Honourable yet Demas deserts him and is not this our sinne How many examples of Zeal Piety Chastity Temperance constancy hath God set before us in the Old and New Testament and in our own dayes and yet men will not follow Such must know that they must one day answer not onely for sinning against the light of the Word but also for sinning against the Light and good Example of those who walked according to the Word Hebrewes 11.7 Noahs Faith condemned the Old Worlds unbelief c. 4. To sinne upon a light Temptation aggravateth a sinne Now Demas had no just ground for flinching If he feared suffering for Christ he knew the promise That he who forsaketh Father or Mother or Lands or Life for Christ shall have a hundred-fold in this present world and could he have brought his Life and Estate to a better market 2 If he loved the World and found sweetnesse in that Is there not more sweetnesse in him that made the World Is not that which maketh a thing so much more so it self And is not all the excellency that is in the Creature in the Creator by way of Eminency transcendency and Causality And is not this our Case upon with small and light Temptations doe we sinne What a slight matter maketh many men to curse lye sweare profane the Sabbath c. How many doe not stay for a Temptation but doe even tempt the Tempter and willingly chuse sinne rather then affliction they are not Passively sold under sinne as Paul was against his will Romans 7. But they Actively sell themselves as Ahab did to doe wickedly They make provision for the flesh they seek occasion and company to sin withall This Elective deliberate sinning is very dangerous and cometh near the Devils sinne he rebelled against God of his own accord and sinned without a Tempter and therefore perisheth without a Mediatour 5. To draw others into sinne aggravateth sin Demas by his evil Example brought an evil report on the Gospel and did tacitely and interpretatively say there is much more sweetnesse in the world then in Christ and so drew others from the truth This hightned Manasses sin that he made Iudah sin with him 2 King 21.16 So Ier. 2.33 We have too many sins of our own we need not make our selves guilty of the sins of others When conscience shall be awakned and fly in thy face it will tell thee that thou hast not onely undone thy self but thy children thy servants thy neighbours have been the worse for thee yea and that many are now in Hell whom thy wickedness hath been a means to bring thither This helpt to humble Paul and therefore he oft tells us how he persecuted others and compelled them to blaspheme Acts 26.10 11. Many by their loose walking put a stumbling block in the way of their brother to the breaking of his bones If a man should be the cause of the breaking a leg an arm or bone of another it could not but afflict him if he had any humanity left but to destroy the Soul of thy brother the most noble and precious part and so ruine him for ever this may humble thee to the dust and afflict thee all thy dayes and make thee go with sorrow to thy grave 6. The greater the person that sins the greater is his sin Theft in a Judge is worse then in an Inferiour person for Demas a Teacher of others to teach Apostasy drawes many into sin Such Cedars fall not alone but crush the shrubs that be under them 7. To sin against the Motions of Gods Spirit and against checks of conscience When they shall cry to thee Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate Ier. 44.4 Yet thou wilt strangle these motions and drive and drink away these pangs of the New birth this aggravates sin Ier. 3.7 8. To be Incorrigible and sin against corrections and under the rod heightens sin Ier. 2.30 and 5.3 Amos 4.6 to 12. 9. To continue long in sin increaseth sin When a man shall have been a Trader of sin from his youth Ier. 3.25 As it is a glory to be an old Mnason an old disciple whom no storms could drive from Christ so it is a great dishonour to be an old sinner whom no admonitions no corrections could bring in to Christ. 10. Consider that Infinite and glorious Majesty against whom all thy sins are committed The greater the person we offend the greater is the offence It is a more dangerous thing to strike a Prince then to strike an Inferiour man This makes all our sins Objectively infinite there is no sin in it self small because there is no small God that we sin against Sin is a despising and despighting of God and his Law 2 Sam. 12.9 It doth what in it lyes to Murder God the sinner wisheth that there were no God to punish him no Judge to sentence him Atheism lyes at the bottom of every sin To abuse some eminent good man that never did us wrong but every day should be shewing us favour and kindness is great baseness but for base sinful dust and ashes to Rebel and lift up himself against his Maker whom all the Angels adore to abuse the God of Goodness who renews his mercies to us every morning is the highth of villany 11. Consider the Multitude of thy sins how they are for number numberless and our backslidings have been increased Ier. 5.6 It was an aggravation of Israels sin that they oft provoked him in the wilderness Psal. 74.40 The Angels sinned but once and they were cast out of Heaven Adam sinned but once and he was cast out of Paradise but to multiply transgressions and relapse again and again and again into sin argues an habit and custom of sin which is very dangerous 12. It aggravates sin when it is committed against Vowes and Resolutions of better obedience The more bonds are broken in sin the greater is the sin To sin after a Vow against sin increaseth sin though the Act may be the same for
bloud or an infected house the neighbourhood Hence Christ blames the Church of Thyatira not for commanding but for conniving and tolerating Iesabel to seduce his people Rev. 2.20 The simple seduced people would be pittied but the obstinate seducers would be punished 'T is well observed by a Reverend Divine that such evil men as are publick and scandalous such as are obstinate and pernicious such as are evil plotters evil promoters such as are seducers and misleaders such as are incurable and hate to be reformed these and if there be any like them ought not to be born He that restrains not such when he hath power to do it makes himself guiltie of their sins When a Judge in Germany was aggravating the guilt of a Malefactor before him since he had murthered now six men No my Lord sayes one he killed but one and you killed the other five who had him before you for the first and yet let him escape Eli advised his sonnes but because he restrained them not by his authority himself was punisht 1 Samuel 3.13 and usually those wicked ones which men tolerate in their wickednesse become scourges to those that tolerate them Ioshua 23.11 12. The greatest mercy is to punish such saith the same Reverend Authour If you would be a friend to them punish them favour and complyance fattens their sins and hardens thir hearts whereas reproof and punishment may possibly reform them Objection But they are Souldiers and such as have done good service Answer Be they what they will if they will be so bold as openly to transgresse the Lawes of God the Magistrate who is or ought to be a Terrour to evil doers must be so bold as to punish them He should answer as Canutus a King of the Vandals did when one desired him to spare his son who had committed a great crime no sayes he sed filio nostro sublimiorem erigite crucem Make the Gallows higher for my son who durst break the Lawes not onely of his King but of his father that the world may see that I will do justice on my son And being deceived They Actively deceive others and Passively are deceived themselves by the Devil that lying Spirit and Grand Impostor of the world who is the executioner of Gods wrath on such workers of iniquity Revelations 12.9 and 20.10 He is that great deceiver of deceivers who cozeneth the whole World id est all all the Reprobates and wicked of the world whose names are not written in the Booke of Life As Theives when they would rob a man draw him aside out of the high way into some Wood and then cut his throat so this grand deceiver and his Agents draw men aside from the right way of Gods Worship into some by-paths of error to their ruine The Devil he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seducens universum orbem he is the Cheater of Cheaters and Deluder of deluders 't is his constant Trade as the Participle implies And this is the Reason why many false Teachers may die with boldnesse and courage for their Opinions viz because they are blinded and deluded by the Devil they think themselves Martyrs when they are grand Deceivers and grossely Deceived We had need therefore to pray for the Spirit of Grace and Illumination that we may see the Methods Depths and Devices of Satan and avoid them In the general Observe That the prosperous estate of wicked men is more dangerous then the afflicted and persecuted condition of the Godly for the godly by persecution grow better when the wicked that live at ease grow worse and worse inventing errors and mischief to the destruction of themselves and others The prosperitie of such fools destroyes them Prov. 1.32 that which makes many so unhappy is their too much happiness the glittring glass is soonest broken the rankest corn is soonest laid and the fruitfullest bough is soonest slit If Ioseph be a fruitful bough let him be sure the Archers will vex him Gen. 49.21 23. 'T is a harder thing to know how to abound then how to want though Paul A man eminent in Grace could doe both Philippians 4.12 Elisha prayed for a double portion of the Spirit why so Why Elijah was persecuted and banisht and lived in the Wildernesse but Elisha was to live at Court and therefore had need of a double portion of Gods Spirit to assist him Prosperity hath more dangerous temptations accompanying it then Adversity True adversity hath its trials The Devil like a Fowler layes his Lime-twigs in the Winter when the Birds can get no food like the Usurer which lieth at the catch for a good penniworth when he sees thee now arrested and going to prison then he offers him money for his Estate When Christ was an hungry then Satan sets on him Matthew 4.1.2 3. Hence Christ calls the time of Affliction the houre of darknesse because then the Prince of Darknesse is most busie therefore we read of many that in time of affliction and persecution have fallen away Mar. 4.17 Luk. 8.13 Ahaz is branded for sinning in the time of his distresse when he should have been best he was worst 2 Chro 28.22 Saul in his distresse goeth to a Witch and Asa trusts in Physicians when we are brought to an Extremity that is Satans opportunity as well as Gods he loves to fish in troubled Waters this maketh so many Witches When people are poore sicke and vext with Enemies then comes the Tempter and then is a time for us to Pray that we be not overcome by Power of Tentation Luke 22.40 Psalm 50.15 Iames 5.13 But where the Devil getteth one by Adversity he getteth hundreds by Prosperity that hath slain its thousand but this ten thousand When Gods hand is on men then they will pray Isay 26.16 and learn Righteousnesse Isay 26.9 and turn to God Hosea 5. ult and 6.1 as we see in Manasses Paul the Prodigall Then a Saul will Sacrifice and call on Samuel to pray for him and Ioab flies to the Hornes of the Altar We never read of any that were converted by Prosperity but many by Adversitie 2 Chronicles 33.12 Iob 33.14 Few of the Saints were ever hurt by Adversity but almost all of them have been hurt by Prosperity Noah whilest kept wakeing by a wicked Generation fell not but when they were drowned and he came to live in Peace then he falleth Genesis 9.20 21. So did Lot when he was got out of Sodom and his Righteous Soul was no more vext with them then he falleth Genesis 19.30 David whilest persecuted by Saul how tender conscienced and watchful was he but when he came to a Kingdom then we read of his falls 1. He commits Adultery 2. 'T is double not single Adultery both parties were married 3. 'T was committed against great Light and Love even after the receit of signal favours 2 Sam. 12.7 8. 4. It occasioned much scandal 2 Samuel 12.14 5. In