knowne vnto God Phil. 4. t Psal 103.1.2 Blesse the Lord O my soule saith Dauid in Psalm 103. and all that is within mee praise his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefites Forget not all his benefits as much as to say by an ordinary Hebraisme forget not any of all his benefites He summoneth all that is in him to blesse God for all he hath from him he thought it was necessary for him not to receiue any of the good Creatures of God without Thankesgiuing Which necessity of Thankesgiuing will yet more appeare if we consider it either as an act of Iustice or as an act of Religion as it is indeed and truly both It is first an Act of Iustice. §. 38. as an Act 1. of Iustice The very law of Nature which containeth the first seedes and principles of Iustice bindeth euery man that receiueth a benefit to a thankefull acknowledgement of it first and then withall ability and opportunity supposed to some kind of retribution The best Philosophers therefore make Gratitude a u Cic. 2. de inuent 13 36. branch of the Law of Nature and so account of it as of a thing then which there is x Quid tam coÌ„trâ—â—ffictuÌ„ quaÌ„ noÌ„ reddere quod acceperis Ambros 1. offic 21 Nullum oâ—ficium referenda gratia magiâ— necessarium est Cic. 1. de Offic not any office of vertue more necessary as nor any thing on the contrary more detestable then Ingratitude You cannot lay a y Erunt homicida tyranny fures adulters raptores sacrilegi proditores infra ista omnia ingratus est Senec. 1. de benef 10. fouler imputation vpon a man nor by any accusations in the world render him more odious to the opinions of all men then by charging him with vnthankfulnesse Ingratum dicas omnia dixeris doe but say he is an vnthankfull wretch you neede say no more you can say no worse by any mortall Creature Verily euery benefit carrieth with it the force of an obligation and we all confesse it if we receiue but some small kindnes from another we can readily and complementally protest our selues much bound to him for it Indeede when we say so we often speake it but of coarse and thinke it not but yet wheÌ„ we do so we speak more truth then we are aware of for if it be in truth a kindnes in him we are in truth equity bound to him thereby The common saying is not without ground Qui benificium accepit libertatem vendidit Some men therefore refuse kindnesses and courtesies at other mens hands because forsooth they will not be beholden to them Which though it be a peruerse and vniust course and indeede a high degree of vnthankefulnesse for there is vnthankefulnesse as well in z Non solum is gratus debet esse qui accepit beneficium verum etiam is cui potestas accipâ—endi fuit Cic. de Prouinc Consular Tam teneor dono quam si demittar onustus Horat. 1. Epist. 7. not accepting a kind offer as in not requiting a good turne and therefore also a high degree of folly for it is not a foolish thing for a man out of the bare feare of vnthankfulnes one way to become wilfully vnthankefull another though I say it be a fond and peruerse course in them yet it argueth withall in them a strong apprehension of the equity of that principle of Nature and Iustice which bindeth men that receiue benefits ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a necessity of requitall and retribution Truth it is to God our heauenly Father first and then to our earthly * Sirac 7.28 Parents none of vs can reddere paria none is able to make a full requitall to either of them especially not to God But that freeth vs not from the the debt of thankfulnes as not to our Parents so neither to God it rather bindeth vs the faster therevnto The same Law of Nature which teacheth vs to requite a good turne to the vttermost where there is wherewithall to do it and withall a fare opportunity offered teacheth vs also where there wanteth either ability or opportunity to endeauour by the best conuenient meanes we can to testifie at least the thâ—nkefulnesse of our hearts and our vnfained desires of requitall Which e In beneficio redendo plus animus quam census operatur magâ—sque praepouderat benevolentia quam possibilitas referendi muneris Ambros 1. offic 32 desire and endeauour if euery ingenuous man and our earthly Parents doe accept off where they find it as of the deede it selfe can we doubt of f Vt decent vires tamen est laendanda volun as hac ego contentos auguror esse Deoâ— Ouid. de Ponto Gods acceptation of our vnfained desires herein though infinitely and without all proportion short of a just requitall and retribution Dauid knew right well that when a man hath done all he can he is but g Luk. 17.10 an vnprofitable seruant and h Iob. 22.2 cannot be profitable vnto God as hee that is wise may bee profitable to himselfe and his neighbours and that i Psal. 16.2.3 Nulla ex nobis vtilitas Deosperanda est Sene. 4. de ben c. 3. Nec ille collato eget nec nos ti quicquam conferre poffumus Ibid. cap. 9. his goodnes though it might be pleasurable to the Saints that are on the earth yet it could not extend vnto the Lord all this he knew and yet knowing withall that God accepteth the will for the deede and the desire for the performance he doubted not to raise vp his language to that key in Psal. 116. k Psal. 116.12 13. Quid retribuam What requitall shall I make What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards mee I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. This thankefull heart he knew God valued as a sacrifice nay l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preferred before Sacrifices For hauing reiected them at Psal. 8. m Psal. 50.8.14 I will not reproue thee for thy sacrifices c. he exacteth this at Psal. 14. of Psal. 50. Offer vnto God thankesgiuing c. God respecteth not so much the calues out of our stalls or the fruits from of our grounds as these n Osec 14.2 Vitulos labiorum these Calues of our lips as the Prophet and these o Heb. 13.15 Fructus labiorum these fruits of our lips as the Apostle calleth them Let vs offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruite of our lips giuing thankes to his name Heb. 13. More then this in his Mercy hee will not desire lesse then this in all reason wee cannot giue Thankfulnes is an Act of Iustice wee are vniust if wee receiue his good Creatures and not returne him thankes for them It is not onely an Act of Iustice it
thing or other of our owne and so rob God if not of all yet of so much of his honour This kinde of vnthankefulnesse God both fore-saw and forbad in his owne people Deut. 8. warning them to take heed verse 17. lest when they abounded in all plenty and prosperity i Deut. 8.14.17 they should forget the Lord and say in their hearts my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth The very saying or thinking of this was a forgetting of God k Ibid. 18. But saith Moses there thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giueth thee power to get wealth c. The whole Chapter is none other but a warne-word against vnthankfulnesse All l Est superbia delictuÌ„ maximum vti datis tanquam innatis in acceptit beneficiis gloriam vsurpare benificii Bernard de dilig Deo glorying in our selues all vaine boasting of the gifts of God or bearing our selues high vpon any of his blessings is a kind of smothering of the receipt and argueth in vs a kind of loathnesse to make a free acknowledgement of the giuers bounty and so is tainted with a spice of vnthankfulnesse in this degree m 1. Cor. 4.7 If thou didst receiue it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not receiued it saith my Apostle elsewhere Hee that glorieth in that for which hee euen giueth thankes doth by that glorying as much as hee dareth reuerse his thankes The Pharisee who n Luk. 18.11 thanked God hee was not like other men did euen then and by those very thankes but bewray his owne wretched vnthankeâ—ulnesse Besides a faithfull Recognition in free acknowledging the benefit receiued there is required vnto thankfulnesse a just Estimation of the benefit §. 47. II. Estimation the Third in valuing it as it deserueth Wherein we make default if either we value it not at all or vndervalue it The third Degree then oâ— our Ingratitude vnto God is the Forgetfulnesse of his benefits When we so easily o Apperet illuÌ„ non sape de reddendo cogis asse cui obrepsit obliuio Senec. 3. de ben 1 peruensunt câ— quo vt ego existime pessimus quisque ingratissimus peruenit vt obliuiscantur Ibi. 5. forget them it is a signe we set nought by them Euery man readily remembreth those things hee maketh any reckoning of insomuch that although old age be naturally forgetfull yet p Nec vero queÌ„quam seâ—uÌ„ audiui ebutum quo loco the saurum obruisses Omnia quae currant miminerunt vadincâ—nia cenâ—tituta qui sibi quibus ipsi debeaâ—t Cic de senect Tully saith he neuer knew any man so old as to forget where he had hid his gould or to whom he had lent his monyes In Deut. 8. Moses warneth the people as you heard to q Deut. 8 14. beware lest being full they should forget the Lord that had fed them and Dauid stirreth vp his soule in Psal. 103. to r Psal. 103.2 blesse the Lord and not to forget any of his benefits We all condemne Pharaohs Butler of vnthankfulnesse to Ioseph and so we may well doe for he afterwards s Gen 41.9 condemned himselfe for it in that hauing receiued comfort from Ioseph when they were fellow prisoners he yet t Gen. 40.23 forgat him when he was in place where and had power and opportunity to requite him How inexcusable are wee that so condemne him seeing wherein we judge him we condemne our selues as much and much more for we doe the same things and much worse Hee forgat Ioseph who was but a man like himselfe we forget God He had receiued but one good turne we many It is like he had none about him to put him in mind of Ioseph for as for Ioseph himselfe we know he lay by it and could haue no accesse we haue God himselfe dayly rubbing vp our memories both by his word and Ministers and also by new and fresh benefits He as soone as a faire occasion presented it selfe confest his fault and remembred Ioseph thereby shewing his former forgetfulnesse to haue proceeded rather from negligence then Wilfulnes we after so many fresh remembrances and blessed opportunities still continue in a kind of wilfull and confirmed resolution still to forget Well may we forget these priuate and smaller blessings when we begin to grow but too forgetfull of those great and publique Deliuerances God hath wrought for vs. Two great deliuerances in the memory of many of vs hath God in his singular mercy wrought for vs of this Land such as I thinke take both together no Christian age or Land can paralell One formerly from a forreine Inuasion abroad anoâ—her since that from an hellish Conspiracy at home both such as wee would all haue thought when they were done should neuer haue bin forgotten And yet as if this were Terra Oblinionis the land where all things are forgotten how doth the memory of them fade away and they by little and little grow into forgetfulnesse Wee had almost loued to see Eighty-eight almost quite forgotten and buried in a perpetuall Amnestie God be blessed who hath graciously preuented what we feared herein God grant that we nor ours euer liue to see Nouembers fifth forgotten or the solemnity of that day silenced A fourth Degree of vnthankfulnesse is §. 48. and Fourth degree in vnderualuing Gods blessings and lessening the worth of them A fault whereof the murmuring Israelites were often guilty who although they were brought into a u Exod. 3.8 good Land flowing with milke and honey and abounding in all good things both for necessity and delight yet as it is in x Psal. 106.24 Psal. 106. They thought scorne of that pleasant Land and were euer and anon and vpon euery light occasion repining agâ—inst God and against Moses alwayes receiuing good things from God and yet alwayes discontent at something or other And where is there a man among vs that can was his hands in innocency discharge himselfe altogether from the guilt of vnthankfulnesse in this kind Where is there a man so constantly and equally content with his portion that hee hath not sometimes or other either grudged at the leannesse of his owne or enuyed at the fatnesse of anothers Lot Wee deale with our God herein as Hiram did with Salomon Salomon gaue him twenty Cities in the land of Galilee but because the Countrey was low and deepe and so in all likelihood the more fertile for that 3. King 29.11.13 they pleased him not and â—e said to Salomon What Cities are these thou hast giuen me and hee called them Cabul that is to say dirty So are wee witty to cauill and to quarrell at Gods guifts if they be not in euery respect such as wee in our vaine hopes or fancies haue ideated vnto our selues This is dirty that barren this too solitary that too populous this ill-woodded that ill-watered a third
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one wherof signifieth properly Blessing the other Thankesgiuing vsed oftentimes promiscuously the one for the other The blessing which our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ vsed at the consecration of the Sacramentall bread b Luk. 22.17.19 St. Luke and c 1. Cor. 11.24 St. Paul expresse by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Math. 26.27 St. Mathew and e Mark 14.22.23 St. Marke by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Prayer of blessing vsed before the eating of common Bread is by f Math. 15.36 Mark 8.6 Ioh. 6.11 Act. 27.35 euery one of the foure Euangelists in some places described by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by g Math. 14.19 Mark 6.41 Luk. 9.16 three of them in other some places by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the name h See Casaub. exercit 16. in Baron sect 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is somtimes found in the writings of the Ancients for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the more vsuall name whereof is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the holy Eucharist And we in our ordinary manner of speech call as well the Blessing before meate as the Thankesgiuing after by the common name of Grace or saying of Grace Both these then together Grace before meate and Grace after meate a sacrifice of Prayer before we vse any of the good Creatures of God and a sacrifice of Praise after we haue vsed them the Blessing wherewith we blesse the Creature in the name of God and the Blessing wherewith we blesse the Name of God for the Creature both these I say together is the just extent of that Thankesgiuing whereof my Text speaketh and we are now to entreat Concerning Meates and Drinkes §. 35. For meates and drinkes vnto which our Apostle hath speciall reference in this whole passage this duty of Thankesgiuing hath bin euer held so congruous to the partaking thereof that long and ancient custome hath established it in the common practise of Christians not only with inward thankfulnesse of heart to recount and acknowledge Gods goodnes to them therein but also outwardly to expresse the same in a vocall solemne forme of Blessing or Thankesgiuing that which we call Grace or saying of Grace Which very phrases whether or no they haue ground as to me it seemeth they haue from those words of our Apostle 1. Cor. 10. i 1. Cor. 10.30 For if I by grace bee a partaker why am I euill spoken of for that for which I giue thankes I say howsoeuer it be with the phrase sure we are the thing it selfe hath sufficient ground from the examples of Christ and of his holy Apostles From whom the custome of giuing Thankes at meales seemeth to haue bin deriued throughout all succeeding ages euen to vs. Of Christ himselfe we reade often and in euery of the Euangelists that hee blessed and gaue thankes in the name of himselfe and the people before meate in 14. and 15. of k Math. 14.19 15 36. Mathew in 6. and 8. of l Mark 6 41. 8.6 Marke in 9. of m Luk. 9.16 Luke and in 6. of n Ioh. 6.8 Iohn And in Math. 26. that after meate also when Supper was ended he and his Disciples o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 26.30 sang an hymne before they departed the roome And St. Luke relateth of St. Paul Act. 27. when hee and his company in the Ship who were wel toward 300. persons were to refresh themselues with food after a long fast that he tooke Bread and first p Act. 27.35 gaue thankes to God in the presence of them all and then after brake it and began to eate yea St. Paul himselfe so speaketh of it Rom. 14. as of the knowne practise of the Church among Christians of all sorts Weake and Strong He that was strong in the faith and knew the liberty he had in Christ to eate indifferently of all kinds of meates flesh as well as hearbes did eate of all indifferently and gaue God thankes for all The weake Christian too who made scruple of some kinds of flesh or other meates and contented himselfe with hearbes and such like things yet gaue God thankes for his hearbes and for whatsoeuer else hee durst eate q Rom. 14.6 Hee that eateth eateth to the Lord saith hee there at verse 6. for he giueth God thankes and hee that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giueth God thankes too Notwithstanding they differed in their judgements and opinions and consequently in their practise concerning the lawfull or vnlawfull vse of some meates yet they consented most sweetly and agreed both in their judgement and practise in the performance of this religious seruice of Thankesgiuing So then giuing of Thankes for our meates and drinkes before and after meales in an outward and audible forme §. 36. and other Creatures the Thankesgiuing of the mouth expedient is an ancient a commendable an Apostolicall a Christian practise ordinarily requisite as an outward testimony of the inward thankfulnesse of the heart and therefore not to bee omitted ordinarily neither but in some few cases There being the like necessitie of this dutie in regard of inward thankefulnes as there is of vocall Prayer in regard of inward Deuotion and of outward Confession in regard of inward Beliefe and looke what exceptions those other outward duties may admit the very same mutandis mutatis and in their proportion are to be admitted here But not â—nely Meates and Drinkes but euery other good Creature also of God whereof we may haue vse ought to be receiued with a due measure of thankfulnesse And if in these things also so often as in good discretion it may seeme expedient for the aduancing of Gods glory the benefiting of his Church or the quickning of our owne Deuotion wee shall make some outward and sensible expression of the thankfulnes of our hearts for them wee shall therein doe an acceptable seruice vnto God and comfortable to our owne soules For for this cause God instituted of old among his owne people diuers solemne feasts and sacrifices together with the Sanctifying of the first fruits and of the first-borne and diuers other ordinances of that nature as on the other side to be fit remembrancers vnto them of their duty of thankfulnes so to bee as well good testimonies and fit expressions of their performance of that duty But if not alwayes the outward manifestation thereof §. 37. but of the Heart necessary yet God euer expecteth at least the true and inward thankfulnesse of the heart for the vse of his good Creatures r Col. 3.17 Whatsoeuer you doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes vnto God and the Father by him Col. 3. s Phil. 4.6 Bee carefull for nothing but in euery thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiuing let your request be made