to death For man is not Lord ouer the spirit to retaine the Eccles 8. 8. spirit neither hath he power in the day of death And all of vs who haue felt heard seene or vnderstood of the abatements of this noysome euill may say Blessed bee the Lord for this maruellous kindnesse and let all Gods people say Amen It may be you wil aske why we should account this such Ob. a kindnesse seeing he giues it to many that are wicked people and denies it to many whom he dearely loueth I answer that it is neuer the lesse fauour for that If Solu hee giue it vnto wicked men it is because God may shew the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance towards them and if they after their hardnesse and hearts that cannot repent heape vp to themselues Rom. 2. 4 5. wrath against the day of wrath and the declaration of the iust iudgement of God What good haue they by it what good can they haue by it If he deny it vnto good men it is as a father denies a knife to a Childe who knowes not how to vse it To dye of the Plague is better then to escape to such To such to dye is gaine for all Phil. 1. things worke together for their good and so whether they Rom. 8. liue or dye they are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. You haue now so farre as I intended as in a little Map a glimpse of the world of those kindnesses which God hath shewed to vs. Let vs take heede that wee doe not diminish the worth of them Yee know what is said of the Israelites That they despised the good and pleasant land Psal 106. 24. and ye know what they said of Mannah Our soules are Numb 11. 6. dried vp and we can see nothing but this Man and againe Numb 21. 15. Our soule loatheth this light bread But though Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah sinne and though Israel according to the flesh hath beene vnthankfull yet let not Israel according to the spirit No let vs rather heare our good God speaking vnto vs and saying Haue I beene a wildernesse vnto thee or an vnpleasant land Ier. 2. 31. If you shal aske me What good it wil do vnto vs thus to behold God in his mercifull kindnesses vnto vs Truly they will be excellent meanes to subdue the pride of our hearts and to make vs seruiceable to Gods will The power of God alone doth it not for though Christ manifested his power yet it did no good to them that apprehended him they went backward and fell to the ground at Iohn 18. 6. his very word yet they persisted in their course The iustice of God doth it not for though God brought one Plague after another vpon Pharaoh which made him stoope for the present as many haue done I feare in this Plague yet presently he hardned his heart but if the mercy of God comes it is like the Sunne which thawes hard Ice and the Fire which makes old Wax soft pliable and fit to be wrought vpon Though Iustice follow vs to Hell yet there is blasphemy and gnashing of teeth both which are arguments of pride But Paul knew how forceable an argument this was I beseech you by the mercies of God Rom. 12. 1. Is not my word saith God like an hammer and like fire Ier. 23. 29. The Law which bringeth tidings of Iustice may like a Hammer breake our stony hearts in pieces breake I say before bend but the Gospell bringing the glad tidings of saluation by Christ like fire will melt vs and mould vs anew This will breede the spirit of iudgement as Dauids kindnesse made Saul iudge him more righteous then himselfe and the spirit of burning to clense out Esa 4. 4. and purge away the filth of sinne that the graces of God may be shed into vs or at the least shine from vs and amongst the rest this iust thankfulnesse Well say you I see that God blessed for euer hath beene maruellous kinde vnto me I haue heard and felt many particulars of it and I see that the thought of it is of excellent vse to breake my proud heart and make mee thankfull to God I pray now tell mee wherein must I shew my thankfulnesse to God I answer to giue you a little helpe herein I must first lay downe the root and ground of thankfulnesse and secondly the practise of it As for the root of thankfulnesse It is the loue of God No man will freely and ioyfully acknowledge that all goodnesse in what estate soeuer comes from God alone except we loue God We see ordinarily if men happen to receiue kindnesses from them they loue or desire not to be beholding vnto how they pinch courtesie as wee say and slight them whereas if wee doe receiue them from such as we prize in our affections then euery Mole-hill is a Mountaine and a point from a friend is better then a pound from an enemy Therefore Paul louing Aquila and Priscilla did freely acknowledge their kindnesse Rom. 16. 4. saying They haue for life yea for my life layed downe a necke yea their owne necke vnto whom not onely I giue thankes but all the Churches of the Gentiles So likewise Dauid when he had professed saying I loue the Lord Psal 116. 1 12. he presently sheweth it and saith farther What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits Oh therefore let vs labour to winde vp our hearts from the loue of the world 1 Iohn 2. 15. and the things which are in the world that the loue of the Father may be in vs. And if we desire to be thankfull let vs not giue either God or our soules rest till we haue found this loue in vs in these fiue particulars First in taking any paines and induring any hardnesse for Gods sake As Iacob did thinke seuen yeeres trouble Gen. 29. 20. nothing for Rachel because he loued her and Gods people of old haue indured the losse of Father Mother Houses Lands Wife and Children for Christs sake because they loued him so must we euery day and vpon the Lords day in liuing the life of Iesus and dying for the Lord when he calleth suffer any thing for the Lord if we loue him Secondly in setting our hearts towards him and vpon him for where our Treasure is there will our hearet be also Mat. 6. 21. Of the wicked man the Psalmist saith That God is not in all his thoughts but hee that loues him can thinke of him almost to an extasie As when Dauid saith Oh how I Psal 119. 97. loue thy Law he presently addeth It is my meditation continually so when wee can say That wee loue God our thoughts of him will let in comparison of other things deepe and long yea we will thinke vpon him sometimes in the night season and our soule shall receiue comfort
Bee Thankfull LONDON AND HER SISTERS OR A SERMON of Thankfulnesse Setting downe the kindnesse of God to vs the dutie of Thankfulnesse the way to it and the practise of it Applyed in particular to these times By ROBERT ABBOTT Preacher of Gods Word at Cranebrooke in KENT PSAL. 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee LONDON Printed for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith and are to be sold at their shop at the golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard 1626. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull worshipfull and dearely beloued his friends kindred and acquaintance within the Citie of LONDON ROBERT ABBOTT wisheth due Thankfulnesse to God for his vnspeakable MERCIES THough I liue a farre off from you yet God knowes that I haue not beene vnmindfull of you in my daily prayers to God which was the best good which I could doe vnto you And when I heard that God did beginne to shine in loue vpon the City againe God knowes that I was not vnmindefull to bee thankfull to him that is the sole Author of it I thought not that enough therefore as before I had spent many dayes in fasting and prayer for our selues in body so did I resolue hauing that blessed liberty to spende one day in fasting prayer and thanksgiuing for you what good it wrought vpon my owne people and those of your body who heard me I am not worthy to know but what good I aymed at my conscience is priuy to what my desire is to do more I consider how louingly I haue beene intertained of many of you when I was assistant to a Reuerend Diuine amongst you who is now with God I consider Master Haiward of Wool-Church that I haue many brethren sisters and kins-folke who haue fellowship with you whose soules I tenderly affect In which respects though as it is wittily said some more Learned and godly men are Fathers Nurses and murtherers to their owne Children in begetting kissing and burying the fruits of their owne braines yet am I still aduenturous to shew others what God hath giuen me vnworthy wretch to bring forth and to say vnto you Behold I and my child I haue not trimmed it with ornaments and laces of Aegypt nor sweetned it with the Frankincense and myrrhe of the Christian Synagouge but as God hath sent it with the lawe of God written in the fore-head hands feete and heart of it so send I it vnto you desiring God to make this seruice acceptable and profitable vnto you And so I rest Yours to be vsed in the Lord ROBERT ABBOTT From my Studie this fifteenth of Nouember 1625. Be thankefull London OR A SERMON Setting downe the duty of thankfulnesse the way to it and the practise of it preached vpon PSAL. 31. 21. Blessed be the Lord for hee hath shewed his maruellous kindnesse towards me in a strong City WHEN God purposeth to plague a people who haue not beene wise to obserue the day of their visitation and by faith and conuersion Ier 15. 2. to hide themselues such as are appointed vnto death must vnto death such as for the sword to the sword such as for the famine to the famine and such as for the captiuity to the captiuity In which respect when we who now liue do perceiue that though wee haue beene chasiened sore yet wee haue not Psal 118. 18. beene deliuered vnto death and that neither Plague nor Sword nor Famine nor Captiuity nor any other noysome euill hath so farre preuailed ouer vs but that we may still praise God after the manner of the liuing then how can we resolue lesse with our selues then this I shall not dye but liue and declare the works of the Lord Or Psal 118. 17. what can we say lesse then this to others Praise yee Psal 34. 3. the Lord with me and let vs magnifie his Name together True it is that ordinarily the iniuries that are done vnto vs are written in Marble and the benefits that are shewed vnto vs are written in Sand and as the Aire in the Mat. 26. 69 70. High Priests Hall did after a sort infect Peter and was an occasion to his soone and sudden denying of his Master so euery blast of new fauours doth through our corruption infect vs with vnthankfulnesse and blow away the memory of the former mercies which haue beene shewed vnto vs. Hence it is that God expostulateth with his people Heare O Heauens and hearken O earth for I haue nourished Esa 1. 2. and brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me And that Christ cryeth out against the vnthankfull Luke 17. 17. Leapers Where are the nine Hence it is that God is as it were driuen to put his people in minde of the fauours which he hath done vnto them saying Surely I brought thee vp out of the Land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of seruants and I haue sent before thee Moses Aron Mic. 6. 4 5. and Myriam O my people remember now what Balack King of Moab had deuised and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal Yea hence is it that good Moses did take such paines with Gods Deut. 6. 12. people to presse them not to forget the Lord which Deut. 8. 10. 11. brought them out of the Land of Aegypt but to blesse him for the good Land which he had giuen them And at that time when hee saw them tardy in their duty of thankfulnesse to God by corrupting themselues towards him by their vice how roundly doth hee take them vp saying Doe ye so reward the Lord O foolish people and vnwise Deut. 32. 6. is not he thy Father that hath bought thee yea hee hath made thee and proportioned thee All which courses doe manifest vnto vs our pronenesse to vnthankfulnesse yea and our practice of it also for what are we better then other people Yea and that we stand in neede of continuall prouoking to the good duty of thankfulnesse that wee may practise it to the assuring of our hearts that greater Plagues then that which we haue had doe not awaite vs. Therefore is it that I haue chosen this good example of Dauid to quicken you to this duty at this time who in the inioyment of some great deliuerance from some great trouble in some great City cryed out with a thankefull heart Blessed bee Psal 31. 21. the Lord for he hath shewed maruellous great kindnesse towards me in a strong City The Psalme where you reade these words is spent in the practise of a threesold duty namely Prayer Praise and Exhortation In his Prayer first he sueth for himselfe and secondly against his enemies For himselfe hee prayes to God that he would deliuer him out of his troubles as from the hands of his enemies and from them that persecute him Vers 1 15 16 17 and that he would make his Face to shine vpon
him that hee be not confounded And that he may with the more confidence depend vpon God for audience hee doth take a suruay of those arguments which may giue incouragement to him to waite vpon God in Prayer First he doth looke to that confidence and trust which it hath pleased God to worke in his heart and saith In thee haue I put my Vers 1. trust As if he should say Thou hast promised that they who put their trust in thee shall not bee confounded Behold Lord through thy good grace I haue done it or thus Shall I be ashamed at the last to confesse in whom I haue trusted or shall it bee said That I haue leaned vpon the Reede of Aegypt God forbid Therefore O Lord deliuer me Secondly hee doth looke to the imployment which Almighty God in his speciall prouidence hath taken vpon him for the benefit of the Church in his preseruation and redemption of it and saith Thou art my strong rocke my house of defence my fortresse by thy Vers 1 2 3. names sake thy righteousnesse which is my shield and buckler Psal 91. 4. yea thou hast redeemed mee therefore deliuer mee Vers 5. guide me and draw me out of the Net which they haue priuily laid for me Thirdly he looks vpon Gods former dealing with him and from thence gathereth hope of mercy to come Thou hast giuen me a soule in loue with thee for I haue hated them that giue themselues to deceitfull Vers 6 7 8. vanities yea thou hast seene my trouble thou hast known my soule in aduersity thou hast not shut mee vp but hast set my feet at large therefore why should I not triumph and reioyce in thy mercy for after times Fourthly he lookes vpon the extremities of his miseries saying Mine eye Vers 9 10 11 c. my soule and my belly are consumed with griefe my life is wasted with heauinesse and my yeeres with mourning and so he goeth on As if hee should say Thou art the God that helpest in extremity and bringest vs downe to the graue First because wee should not trust in our selues 2 Cor. 1. 9. but in thee who raisest the dead Behold my case is such therefore haue mercy vpon me especially considering Thou art my God and my times are in thy hands Thus hee Vers 14. 15. hath sued for himselfe Secondly hee prayeth and prophesieth against his enemies Prayeth I say in respect of himselfe who was infallibly led by the Spirit of God and therefore could not erre in the persons against whom hee prayeth Prophesieth I say in respect of vs because his shooe serues not our foot in such sutes if wee conceiue them with their particular applications for wee being led by an ordinary spirit not discerning finall estates haue this rule giuen to vs Blesse I say and curse not In this Mat. 5 44. Prayer then or Prophecy of Dauid hee desires that thorow Rom. 12. 14. shame feare horrour God would so silence and stop their mouthes that they may not be able to pleade for themselues or against him Thus hath Dauid prayed but he knowes that he who sues for more must be thankefull for what hee hath receiued Therefore now he falleth to the second part of the Psalme which is Praise Wherein you may see that first he doth with an holy admiration set out the fauours Vers 19 20. which God sheweth to the sonnes of God aboue the sonnes Gen 6. 2. of men that is the wicked of the world How great is thy goodnesse which thou shewest to them Thou hidest them priuily Mal. 3. 17. in thy presence as thy Iewels in thy Cabinet Secondly he doth come to a particular fauor which God shewed vnto himselfe blesseth God for it And whereas God might Vers 21. say Why Dauid can sweet water and bitter come from Iames 3. 11. the same Fountaine Didst not thou erst while distrust me It is true Lord but it was my haste and thou wert pleased Vers 22. to passe it by and to heare the voice of my prayer when I cryed vnto thee therefore will I praise thee Thus hath Dauid praised also but he knoweth that it is not enough for him to bee good alone but hee must striue to draw others to be good also therefore in the Vers 23 24. two last verses hee doth presse all Gods people to loue God and to put their trust and confidence in God assuring them because hee had tried it and found it true by experience that the Lord preserueth the faithfull and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Now ye haue seene in part how Dauid spent himselfe thorow this Psalme Though we haue ouerlooked it all yet we are to deale onely with that which doth concerne his praise and not with all that but only with that Verse propounded in which hee breakes out into the praise of God for some extaordinary fauour which God shewed vnto him in a strong City For our better vnderstanding whereof resolue the Text into some questions and answers What did Dauid He blessed Iehourah who giues being to his sweet promises of protection which he hath made vnto his people But alas Dauid canst thou blesse God who alone is the blesser of men and Angels No truly hee cannot doe it by adding any thing to his happinesse immediately as be blesseth vs or by being instruments vnder another to further his good mediatly as man blesseth man but by confessing to God and declaring to man with humility and reuerence what happinesse we doe receiue from God And this it pleaseth God to account a blessing of him to encourage and draw vs on to make our selues the more happy by cleauing vnto him by thanksgiuing Yea but for what doth Dauid blesse God For shewing him kindnesse or mercy It was some speciall deliuerance from some great danger as from the cruelty of Saul trechety of his Courtiers or the like Yea but of what worth was this fauour that he shewed Dauid It was his maruellous kindnesse Thus did he prize his fauour hee did receiue As Peter did weigh his sinnes that his godly Mar. 14. 72. sorrow might sinke the deeper so did Dauid weigh his kindnesse and found it to be Gods and found it to bee maruellous that his thankfulnesse might rise the higher Yea but where did Dauid receiue his maruellous kindnesse of God In a strong City Whether in a City or no City it is doubted Therefore some doe vnderstand it by way of similitude that the kindnesse was such as if hee had beene kept in a City of strong defence But I know no inconuenience in thinking that Dauid felt the comfort of some walled Towne as when he fled to the holds of the Philistims or the like because the words are so pregnant Howsoeuer this we are sure of that if wee reflect vpon our selues and in this Glasse of Gods kindnesse to Dauid see the loue of God vnto vs who
his Ier. 13. 23. skinne and the Leopard his spots then may ye also doe good that are accustomed to doe euill saith Ieremy As the Drunkards of Ephraim had a Crowne of pride in it so in all Esa 28. 1. parts amongst vs we haue had those that are mighty to drinke Wine and strong to powre in strong drinke Oh Esa 5. 22. how many haue harped vpon that Epicurean string Come I will bring Wine and we will fill our selues with strong Esa 56. 12. drinke and tomorrow shall be as this day and much more abundant How many haue sacrificed their owne distempers to others healths Haue not wee had also too too many of them who like fed horses haue neyed after their Ier. 5. 8. Neighbours wiues and waited for the twi-light that they might fill themselues with dalliances on those cursed pleasures of sinne for a season Haue not wee beene full of pride for want of that emptying grace of humility that God may be all in all What shall I speake of vaine glory whereby we liue vpon the stinking or vaine breath of impostumated mouthes Or of our Hypocrisie wherby we haue beene painted Tombes full of stinking sauors Or of our Security whereby we haue cryed Peace Peace when we haue beene ready to be swallowed vp of the Plague Sword Famine yea Hell Or of the disorders of the poore who are vnruly and negligent because they are dis-heartned with the oppressions of the rich Or of the disorders of the rich who prouide for themselues and are carelesse of the common good because they are dis-heartned with the clamours of the poore Or of the neglect of Iustice because some Rulers loue to say with shame Bring ye What shall I speake of our Hos 4. 18. moderate thoughts concerning Popish superstition as if it were as good a way to Heauen as the best Religion in the world notwithstanding the abominable idolatry which doth depend vpon the workes and whole worship of it Or of that ignorance which is amongst vs that makes vs a prey to the Priests and Iesuites that make vs I say need to be taught the first principles of the Word of God euen Milke and not strong meat notwithstanding Heb. 5. 12. that concerning the time we ought to be teachers I might speake to the griefe and vexation of our soules and spirits of a world of other our sinnes which are as a cloud of witnesses against vs as if we were set to schoole to a thousand Vices In regard whereof God may iustly say to vs as to his people of old Who shall haue Ier. 15. 5 6. pity vpon thee O Ierusalem Or who shall be sorry for thee Or who shall goe to pray for thy peace Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord and gone backward therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee and destroy thee for I am weary of repenting God might I say iustly say thus vnto vs and deale with vs accordingly yet he hath not dealt with vs after our sins nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities As a girdle cleaueth to the loines of a man so hath God Ier. 23. 11. tied vs vnto him that we might be his people and shewed his maruellous great kindnesse to the generations to come Oh therefore let vs labour as wee are bound to take notice of the fauours of God and to make a Catalogue of them to prouoke our slothfull hearts to obedience and thankfulnesse How came it to passe that the Israelites were so vnthankfull Surely they forgat God Psal 106. 21. that made them and the strong God of their saluation Therefore Moses saith Remember the Lord thy God for it Deut. 8. 18 19. is he who giueth thee power to get riches And afterwards Ioshuah puts them in minde of Gods benefits both before the Law and after the Law as yee may see in that excellent Iosh 24. 2 3 4 c. Parliament speech which hee made before his death So let vs lay the mercies of God before vs that wee may be moued to be thankfull To this end that I may giue a little light let vs behold God either giuing of vs fauours or remouing miseries from vs. If we would a little see his fauours let vs consider our selues liuing a fourefold life The first is a life of vegetation whereby wee grow and this putteth vs in minde of a double benefit First that God hath not made thee a Dwarfe or imperfect man of parts but hee hath giuen thee the full feature and proportion of a man that thou maist be able to doe all the businesse of a man If thou hadst not this thou wouldst see the worth of it Carendo magis quà m fruendo If thou wert as little Dauid to combat with Goliah or if thou didst dwell among the sonnes of Anak or if Og the Deut. 3 11. King of Bashan should set vpon thee who was of the remnant of the Gyants and had his bed nine cubits long and foure cubits broad according to the cubit of a man it would trouble thee much but God hath prouided better for thee for thine and for thy Countries good Yea secondly God hath not made thee fire and haile and snow and vapour Psal 148. 8. and winde If hee had but made vs a Hailstone yet we must haue praised him according to our creation how much more now God hauing giuen vs life The second is a life of sense whereby wee heare see smell and the like as beasts doe and this putteth vs in minde of a threefold benefit First that God hath giuen vs the comfort of our senses If by Sight thou couldst not discerne colours by Hearing sounds by Feeling substances qualities and quantities by Smelling sauours and by Tasting meates though wee had neuer so much wisdome wee would thinke our selues halfe dead and no better then obiects of scorne and pitty Yet God hath not onely giuen vs this but more for secondly hee hath giuen vs a full measure of naturall delights for all our sences There are variety of Flowers to fill thy smelling chaunting of Birds to delight thy hearing vnmatchable Colours for thy eye infinite variety of Meates for thy taste and soft and hard hot and cold substances for thy touching Yea and more then this Thirdly he hath made vs the noblest composition of all sensitiue creatures God might haue made vs a Dragon in the deepe a Toade in the earth an Owle in the aire and a Boare in the Forrest but he hath made vs men and women after his owne Image though wee haue defiled it Gen. 1. 27. Yea and though hee hath made Plants to excell vs in Col. 2. grouth and Beasts in particular senses as a Dogge in smelling a Hawke in seeing a Spider in touching and an Hare in hearing yet in all these Senses no creature is like vnto man But thirdly if to these we adde the life of reason then Gods kindnesses are
traitors were discouered the Plague is ceassed and our enemies are yet disappointed Oh blessed be God Secondly wee must speake publickly of them for the generations to come The Prince must speake of them to his subiects the Minister to his people the Maister to his seruants one neighbour to another and the father to his children As the Iewes are said by the Rabbins the night before the Passouer to confer with their children on this wise The child said Why is it called the Passeouer The father answered because the Angell passed ouer and destroyed vs not The child said Why do we eate vnleauened bread The father answered because we were forced to make haste out of Aegypt The child said againe Why eate we soure hearbes The father answered to put vs in mind of the affliction in Aegypt so ought wee to deale in all the great and maruellous kindnesses of God Thus Dauid saith as I mentioned before Come ye children Psal 66. 16. hearken vnto me I will tell you what hee hath done for my soule And to this wee are exhorted by the Psalmist saying Sing vnto the Lord and praise his Name declare his Psal 96 2. 3. saluation from day to day Declare his glorie among all Nations and his wonders among all people Thirdly we must speake wisely of them that is so as it may easily bee discerned which fauours wee prize most Worldly men and godly men will both speake of Gods blessing them but it is except policy preuent with as much difference as there was in Isaacks giuing a blessing to Iacob and Esau The worldly man saith Blessed Genes 27. 28. 39. be God for the fatnesse of the eartth and for the dew of Heauen from aboue as if a fat earth were his best benefit but the godly man saith Blessed be God for the dew of Heauen and fatnesse of the earth and plenty of Wheat and Wine Thus is he wise in speaking of spirituall blessings with the highest straine if not alwaies in order yet in affection See it in Dauid My soule praise the Psal 103. 1. 2. 3. 4 5. Lord and all that is within mee praise his holy Name my soule praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thine iniquity and healeth all thine infirmities Here are the chiefe fauours which hee speaketh of and then he descendeth lower Which redeemeth thy life from the graue and which satisfieth thy mouth with good things This also must be our course Wee must thanke God for outward peace and prosperity but especially for the Gospell Wee must thanke God for our deliuerance from the Plague but especiall that he hath giuen vs to know the Plague in our owne hearts and to confesse it and turne 1. King 8. 38. from it vnto the liuing God Lastly we must speake constantly of them The mercies of God are shewed in prosperity and aduersity and we must speake of them in both estates as Iob who said The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away blessed bee the Iob 1. 21. Name of the Lord yea they are renued euery morning Lam. 3. 23. and therefore must we say with the Psalmist In the morning in the euening and at noonetide will I praise thee because Psal 119. of thy righteous iudgements Thus haue I taught you how to be thankefull vnto God by Celebration that is speaking of Gods praises to others Secondly we must be thankfull vnto God by Inuocation which is that duty of thankfulnesse whereby in one branch of Prayer we speake of Gods praises to himselfe as when Christ saith I giue thee thankes O Father Lord Math. 11. 25. of Heauen and earth Now for the better performance of this duty we must properly doe three things First wee must humbly acknowledge our owne vnworthinesse of any fauour It is impossible that we should be truly thankfull till we see what Dunghills we are vpon vpon whom God casteth his beames and gather our worthinesse not by the worth of Gods blessings seeing a precious stone may be in a Toades head but by the glorious worthinesse which is in God who accounts it little enough for him to giue though it bee too much for vs as we are our selues to receiue Hence is it that Dauid cryeth out What is man that thou shouldst bee mindefull of Psal 8. 4. him and the sonne of man that thou shouldst so regard him And good Iacob when he did swimme in Gods fauours freely confessed that hee was lesse then the least of Gods Gen. 32. 10. mercies Thus ought it to bee with vs. As if wee should say O my God how vnworthy am I that I should liue when so many haue dyed that I should abound when so many haue wanted that I should haue ease when so many haue cryed for woe and paine What am I better then my brethren No Lord I am worse then many thousands who haue made their beds in the darke in this common calamity Thou knowest mine vnrighteousnesse and mine iniquity can I not hide and yet thou hast beene gracious and so forth Secondly we must amplifie the mercies of God wee must not extenuate the least of them as if they were ordinary but we must make the least of them in the ranke of those which are too great for vs. As Hannah when she had borne her Samuel sings The barren hath borne 1 Sam. 2. 5. seuen and Dauid when hee sate before the Lord said Who am I O Lord God and what is mine house that thou 1 Chro. 17. 16 17 hast brought me hitherto yet thou esteeming this a small thing O God hast also spoken concerning the house of thy seruant a great while and hast regarded mee according to the state of a man of high degree Euen thus must we doe as if we should say O blessed God my Father was an Amorite and my Mother an Hittite and thou mightest haue cast me into Hell from the wombe yet thou keptst mee when I hanged vpon my Mothers breast yea thou hast brought me vp in a Christian Church vnder Christian Kings who haue desired to serue God according to thy Word yea and thou hast continued the Gospell to mee euen vnto this day and though I haue beene vnworthy of them and therefore thou hast plagued me and mine yet as if I had been like King Dauid worth ten thousand of others thou hast kept mee from the common misery and so forth Thirdly we must more excellently conceiue of God then we can see him in his blessings If the whole world were full of Bookes as an Ancient saith and all the Creatures writers and all the water of the Sea Inke first all the Books should be filled all the Writers wearied all the Sea should be exhausted and drawne dry before one of Gods perfections could bee absolutely described In which respect Moses singeth Who is like vnto thee O Exod. 15. 11. Lord among the gods Who is like vnto thee
grieuous burthen yet hath our good God in whom alone wee must trust deliuered vs from it both past and approching As for times past how powerfull and louing hath God shewed himselfe in smiting our enemies vpon the cheeke Psal 3. 7. bone and disappointing them of their hopes Some through maleuolence would haue brought disgraces to our persons troubles to our liues vnquietnesse to our mindes by vnchristian aduantages and politique wresting of simple tolerable and good actions to badnesse as the Iesuites declamations may witnesse yet blessed be God we stand in the same condition as before And doe wee not call to minde the proud Armado of Spaine in eighty eight which was to no purpose called Inuincible We were like the Israelites two little flocks of Kids and they like the Aramites who couered the Sea They laughed at our handfulls and confidently expected our ruine but he that sits in Heauen laughed them to scorn Psal 2. the Lord had them in derision he brake the snare and we were deliuered And can we euer forget that Gun-powder plot of Gods and our enemies which should haue beene the ruine of Prince and people Who could deliuer vs from this but God He that must do it must haue praescience to foreknow the mischiefe wisdome to supplant it and power to withstand it And where are these but in God and in them to whom God leudeth them Thus hath God defeated our enemies in times past and hath he not done so for the present It is not long since Iesuiticall brags were euidences of their hopes their facings of an assurance of a triumphant day but God hath once more driuen those stout Confessors heads into an hole And it is but as yesterday that our hollow friends beyond the Seas looked towards vs either to affright vs or else as from the top of Pisgah to looke towards our Land of Canaan with a desire to plant themselues and root out vs and our posterity but as Saul had tidings which drew him from the Wildernesse of Maon so there was a Flea in their eare which blessed bee God hath for the present sent them another way So euen so Iud. 5. Lord let thine enemies perish be consounded or disappointed still Secondly as God hath beene kinde in remouing the misery of our enemies abroad so of a wonderfull abating the Plague of Pestilence at home The grieuousnesse of the euill will make the more for the greatnesse of the deliuerance And that the Plague is a grieuous euill besides our wofull experience I thinke these considerations will make good First it is a powring out of Gods Ezek. 14. 19. wrath vpon a Land in bloud and a pleading against a people Ezek. 38 22. with pestilence and bloud as the Prophet calleth it And it may be called so either because it poysoneth the bloud so as no disease doth the like or else because in the generall though not in euery particular vpon whom it seazeth it is an argument of an angry God who will not bee pacified with the light skirmishes of Feuers Aches Gouts Rheumes and the like but will haue bloud and that in abundance and stremes answerable to the iniquities which haue gone before as when he saith Hee will make his Arrowes drunke with bloud and his Sword shall eat Deut. 32. 42. flesh Secondly it is the Plague of wofull euils or the noisome Pestilence as the Psalmist calleth it For it poysoneth Psal 91. 3. the spirits both Animall and Vitall choking the one in the braine and stifling and ouercomming the other in the heart yea it Infecteth Houses Clothes Breath and the Aire it selfe It is true that I doe not thinke it naturally to haue such a malignant quality as other poysons haue for then as they doe in some degrees or other it would seaze vpon all persons where it comes which it doth not but according to the Commission which as a seruant it hath from God to doe his pleasure yet that it noysomly infecteth I thinke wee haue no iust cause to doubt if we consider that God setteth his extraordinary prouidence on worke to keepe them that trust in him if they haue not done all that businesse Psal 91. 4. which he hath for them in this world from the infection of it Thirdly that it is the terrour of the night Psal 91. 5 6. which is so much the more terrible because like a thiefe it walketh in the darke and surpriseth a man before he is aware Hence is it that it breeds a strangenesse betwixt Father and Son Mother Daughter Brother Brother one friend and another Hence is it that some in places of danger grew cruell others not in so great danger grew vnkind Hence is it that there is flight on all sides in times of infectiō The wicked do fly out of rashnes contempt of Gods stroke like rebellious sons who when they see that their father hath prouided a Rod for them do run out of the house from him will neither submit to his correction nor amend their faults for which he doth correct them Oh too many such fly frō the Plague out of the City are plagues vnto the Country by disorderlinesse But these must know that if they bee now appointed vnto death Gods hunter shal bring thē into the snare if not except they shall with bleeding soules amend their wayes God hath reserued thē for greater miseries The good do flye out of humble submission to the vse of those means which daly experience warrants to be the way to safety at some times and to some persons Therefore like fearefull children yea and good ones too when they see their father reach downe a Rod they run away not out of contempt but with deep cries lamentations out of tendernesse of nature sorrow for offence and hope of pardon so sometimes Gods good children doe flye also but with humblings in the sight of God for the weaknesse of their faith want of preparednesse to meet God and the like and doe in their absence not thinke themselues so safe but that God may smite them and therefore they spend much time in deprecating the wrath in mourning with them that mourne and to their power in relieuing the necessities of their forsaken brethren that are in aduersity These three things if we speake of no other doe either make or shew the Plague to be a grieuous euill yet some of vs may say with the Psalmist which some change A thousand hath fallen besides mee and ten thousand at my Psal 91. 7. right hand but it hath not come neere me And where it hath come may say I haue beene as Aaron standing betwixt Numb 16. 48. the liuing and the dead but the Name of the Lord hath Prou. 18. 10. beene a strong Tower And many that had the Pestilence and are yet escaped may say We haue been sore afflicted but it is thou Lord which hast not deliuered vs
so glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises and doing wonders Fearefull in praises saith he because he cannot duly bee praised but with astonishment according to that of the Psalmist God is very terrible in the assembly of the Saints And thus Psal 89. 7. should he be to vs in praising him As if wee should say O our God let not thy fauours seeme ordinary vnto vs which thou bestowest vpon vs. It may seeme a small thing to vs to haue water to our hands aire to breath in earth to tread vpon and the like but when wee doe consider who it is that giues and to whom that thou art he who art a God of glory whose glory is able to swallow vp Heu miser quid sum vas sterquilinij concilia putredinis plenus foetore August our vnderstanding and that it is to vs who are a sinke of sinne and stinking noysomnesse before thee we are confounded in our selues and cannot tell which way to returne thee thankes which in the least measure may answer thy loue and so forth Thus haue we considered that thankes which we must giue to God in word yet that is not enough for it remaineth that we bee thankfull vnto God in deeds also And wherein this stands we cannot better learne then by looking into those that haue beene thankefull vnto God in the Scriptures Now these haue performed a reall thankfulnesse vnto God two waies First by studying and caring in what particulars they may shew themselues thankfull vnto God As one that hath receiued a great kindnesse doth bethinke himselfe how hee may in some measure requite it so will he that is thankfull doe As 2. Cor. 7. 11. the penitent man careth for the remission of his sinnes and eternall happinesse by Christ and therefore careth also to vse meanes answerable thereunto so doth also the truly thankfull person See it in Dauid who hauing receiued a great kindnesse from God saith What shall I Psal 116. 12. giue vnto the Lord as if he did consult and take care with himselfe how to be thankfull to God Euen thus must it be with vs we must when wee are by our selues alone take thought and care what to doe wherein wee may shew our selues thankfull to God As a man roles euery stone and takes thought how to liue and beare about the world as we say so must all of vs whom God hath pleased to deliuer from these dangerous times either by healing our sores or by keeping vs from infection or by comforting our hearts against the feare of our enemies either at home or abroad say and thinke with himselfe O Lord what shall I doe How shall I carry my selfe in my thoughts words and actions yea and sufferings so as may pleasethee and I may testifie how highly I prize those fauours which I haue receiued from thy hands Thus we must study but wee must not there leaue this were but like a dash of raine which wets not to the root therefore answerable to our care and study we must in the second place take paines to shew our thankfulnesse in foure particulars First we must register the noble acts of God according to that of the Psalme This shall be written for the generations to come Hence was it that the Patriarkes erected Psal 102. 18. Mountaines builded Altars and imposed fit names vpon their children that they might in these things register the kindnesse of God vnto them Therefore as Ahashuerosh did cause his deliuerance from Bigthan and Teresh to be written in the booke of the Chronicles before Hest 2. 22. the King so must we haue a record of fauours that we telling our soules that such a yeare God did such a kindnesse for thee and such a yeare moneth weeke or day did he another to day thou hast receiued one euidence of his loue and yesterday thou diddest receiue another wee may not onely practise a dutie of thankfulnesse in it but prouoke our selues thereby to be thankfull in after times As Ahashuerosh his registring of his deliuerance Hest 6. made him afterwards to be thankefull to Mordecai who vnder God was the author of it And think we not thus of our selues that there are few who haue done thus before vs. I make no doubt but that thousands of Gods people of whom the world is not worthy haue taken this Heb. 11. course in secret yea and do take it And of a good man I haue often read who is said to delight in one booke which he daily carried about him and was portable enough for it had but two leaues one blacke and the other white in the black he made a register of his sinnes that he might daily be humble in the white he made a register of Gods mercies that he might be thankfull Secondly we must heartily labour the good of others For can we requite God himselfe we cannot do it Our Psal 16. goodnesse reacheth not to him onely he pleaseth to interpret some seruices which he requires as thankfull requitals to himselfe amongst which this is one to do good to others Now this wee must do by way of thankfulnesse vnto God both vnto their soules and bodies As for their soules wee must labour their conuersion and turning from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26. 18. that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Thus Dauid promiseth vnto God when he saith Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free Spirit Psal 51. 12 13. then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee Yea and Peter was commanded thus much when Christ saith vnto him When thou art Luke 22. 32. conuerted shew thy thankefulnesse by strengthening thy brethren As for the bodies of others wee must relieue so farre as our selves bee not grieued the poore members of 2. Cor. 8. 13. Iesus Christ For do but marke how it was with the Iewes when they freely heard the word of God againe they did eate and drinke and did send away part as they were Neb. 8. 10. 11. 12 commanded to those for whom nothing was prepared for ioy that they vnderstood the words which they had taught them And we may reade of an Apostolicall ordinance of thankfulnesse in the Primitiue Church to be obserued euery Lords day or first day of the weeke that euerie one should put aside by himselfe and lay vp as God had prospered 1. Cor. 16. 1. 2. him for the necessities of the Saints Thus also must it be with vs who haue tasted how good God is in these times of troubles we must throw about these our almes both spirituall and temporall Wee must labour to do others soules good who are within our gate and iurisdiction saying as Dauid Come ye children hearken vnto me Psal I will teach you the feare of the Lord or
as Philip who had found Christ said to Nathanael Come and see we must labour Ioh. 1. 46. to do others bodies good by thinking who haue endured more hardship then wee and who haue endured the more for our flight and then parting with something to feede the hungrie cloathe the naked relieue the oppressed maintaine the fatherlesse and set at libertie the honest prisoner and captiue and the like Thus shall wee shew the true vse and issue of all our fasting this Sommer which as the Prophet saith is to loose the bands of wickednesse Esay 58. 6. 7. to take off the heauie burthens and let the oppressed go free and that ye breake euery yoake It is to deale thy bread to the hungrie to bring the poore that wander into thine house to couer the naked and not to hide thy selfe from thine owne flesh Thirdly we must renue our couenants and promises to God of a more sincere and hearty obedience When God had deliuered Dauid from Saul in the Wilderdesse of Maon he renued his promises twice together That he would take the Cup of saluation That he will offer the sacrifice Psal 116. 13. 17. of praise and call vpon the Name of the Lord. Thus Asa when God gaue him victory ouer his enemies and setled peace and the Prophet Azariah came and put him in minde of his duty he and his people made a couenant 2. Chro. 15. 12. 14 to seeke the Lord God of their fathers with all their hearts and with all their soules and they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voice and with Trumpets and shouting and Cornets Thus Ezra also and the people who returned from the captiuity of Babylon when they were sensible of Gods mercy and their owne sinning and while there was Ezra 10 2. 3. hope in Israel though as yet they trembled for their sins in the street of the house of God and for the ruine as we may doe for the Plague did make a couenant with God to put away their heathenish wiues and liue more holily Thus must it bee with vs also wee must bethinke our selues wherein we haue offended God either priuately or publikely either as Magistrates or Ministers or Husbands or Wiues or Masters or Seruants or Fathers or Children or Buyers or Sellers or Borrowers or Lenders or Letters or Hirers and we must prepare our selues for the Lords Supper with the first opportunity wherein we must renue our Couenant with God humbling our selues for the sinnes we haue committed and promising to God vpon his assuring of vs his loue vnto vs in Christ Iesus that we will be carefull to vse our best endeuours according to the measure of grace which wee haue receiued to liue more holily to God more righteously iustly in all Tit. 2. 12. our dealings with men and more soberly in our selues and when we cannot doe so much good as we would that we will lament it to God and cry out vnto him saying Oh that my wayes were so direct that I might keepe thy Statutes Psal 119. 5. Lastly as we must renue our Couenant so when wee haue done we must with all our strength and with an humble dependance vpon the vse of Gods meanes for more resolue and settle our bodies and soules to continue in it and neuer so to offend so good a God as wee haue done in former times This is true thankfulnesse indeede when out of a feeling of Gods loue and out of a conscience of our duty to God wee can say as Dauid I Psal 119. haue sworne to keepe thy righteous iudgements and I haue determined to keepe thy Statutes Without this resolution our hearts will start aside like a broken Bow and our Psal righteousnesse will be like a morning dew and like a cloud Hos 6. passing away Therefore I say once more striue wee to the vtmost of that to which God hath enabled vs and for the rest pray with Dauid Lord Stablish mee by thy free Psal 51. Spirit which is a Spirit of liberty and will make vs run the way of thy Commandements Thus haue I taught you in some measure to practise this duty of Thankfulnesse I pray God giue vs vnderstanding in all things and honest hearts that we may practise this duty now when Gods maruellous kindnesse calleth for it with so loud a voice And thus I commend you to him who is of power to establish you according to the Gospell Rom. 16. 25. euen to the God of peace whom I humbly beseech to make you perfect in all good workes to doe his will working Heb. 13 20 21. in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom bee praise for euer and euer Amen FINIS