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
amongst many other fauours hath heard the grones and sighs of his people for the poore City of London where so many thousands haue beene swept away as the Dongue of the streets we may iustly say Blessed be the Lord for hee hath shewed maruellous kindnesse towards vs in this our City As if we should say It is true Lord thou hast shewed thy Psal 60. 3 4. people heauy things thou hast made vs drinke the wine of giddinesse but now thou hast giuen a Banner to them that feare thee that it may bee displayed because of thy truth thou hast deliuered vs from the noysom Pestilence Psal 91. 3 4. euen from the Snare of thy hunting Angell thou hast couered vs vnder thy wings and wee shall bee safe vnder thy feathers therefore blessed be thou Iehouah and let all thy people say Amen This blessing of God is the nayle which I would haue driuen home at this time Therefore I shall passe by other things which might afford vs matter of meditation from these words and onely insist vpon this point That Obseru By how much greater the fauor is which God bestoweth vpon vs by so much more must we labour to praise God There are two things propounded here the first is this That the greater our fauour is the greater ought to be our thanks Therefore Dauid hauing receiued a great fauour from God namely the forgiuenesse of his sinnes though as yet he could not feele the comfort of it and fearing that he was not able to praise God answerable vnto it prayeth to God that hee would open his lips that his Psal 51. 15. mouth might shew forth his praise And again vpon the consideration of the like fauours hee doth stirre vp his soule greatly to the same duty My soule praise thou the Lord Psal 103. 1 2 3 4. and all that is within me praise his holy name my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits which afterward he doth reckon vp yea and when he doth find his heart inlarged by God to practise the duty then doth he imploy all his powers saying Seuen times a day doe I praise Psal 119. 164. thee because of thy righteous iudgements yea so long as he Psal 146. 1â—2 liues so long as he hath any being hee will sing praises vnto his God yea and hee seemes to haue bound himselfe vnto it by an humble vow and therefore hee saith Thy Vowes are vpon me O Lord I will render praises vnto Psal 56. 12. thee Why doth he call them Gods Vowes Surely because they being made were out of his power who might not deuoure the sanctified thing but giue God praise with all his heart as he had promised The second thing propounded is this that euery fauour from God doth call for thankes from vs. Therefore is it a duty which is often pressed and patterned in the Scriptures Paul saith let your requests be shewed vnto God in prayer with giuing of thankes and againe Phil. 4 6. continue in Prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing Col. 4. 2. and againe In all things giue thankes yea euen 1 Thes 5. 18. in those things which are matters of humiliation wee must giue thankes in respect of their fruit and vse for our good And as for patternes how might I tell you of Melchizedech the Priest of the most high God of Moses Gen. 14. 20. and Aaron who led the people of Israel like sheepe Exod 15 1. of Deborah and Barack after their victory euer Sisera Iude 5. 2. and Iabin of Iehoshaphat when his people were deliuered 2 Chron. 20. from Moab Ammon and mount Seir of that one Leper who turned backe to Christ with praise of the Luke 17. 15. healed Cripple who went into the Temple walking and Acts 3. 8. leaping and praising God I might I say speake of these and many other rare Patternes but the time would be too short for me to tell of them Heb. 11. 32. It may be now you will aske me why we must thus labour Why we must praise God to praise God I answer wee must doe it both in respect of our selues in respect of others and in respect of the duty of thankfulnesse it selfe First in respect of our selues because it is all that wee are able and that from God too to render vnto God for all the benefits which we receiue from God Dauid consulting with himselfe what he shall render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards him resolueth that hee hath nothing but the Cup of saluation so alluding to the Psal 116. 12 13. Peace-offrings which were offerings of thankgiuing to God When therefore we doe consider that God is not bound vnto vs for who hath giuen him first and that Rom. 11. 35. whatsoeuer wee doe receiue from God is of his free fauour can we doe lesse for shame then giue him thankes Secondly we must doe it in respect of others them both God men First we must praise God in respect of God himselfe because God requireth it as the end of his blessings and that which sanctifieth them vnto vs. Therfore when God deliuered the Israelites out of Aegypt hee Exod. 12. commanded that euery yeere they should keepe the feast of the Passeouer the old Persons as it was a Sacrament and the young Persons as it was a remembrance of their deliuerance out of Egypt And when God fed them with Exod. 16. Mannah hee appointed that a certaine measure of it should be laid vp for posterity that they might be thankfull which was also the reason of the laying vp of Aaron his Rod in the Arke When also God gaue the Israelites Heb. 9. 4. a famous victory ouer the Amalekites hee said to Moses Write this for a remembrance in a Booke Seeing Exod. 17. therefore that God requireth a thankfull remembrance of his fauours as the end of them we must as cheerefully giue it as God doth iustly require it Secondly God maketh speciall account of this duty and therefore hee vseth many means to work it from his people In Exodus Exod. 23. 16. yee reade of that generall offering of first fruits in the feast of vnleuened bread when none must appeare before God Exod. 25. 1 2 c. empty and likewise of the voluntary gifts for the making of the Tabernacle In Leuiticus ye reade sometimes of offering the first fruits of the eares of Corne dryed by Leuit. 2. 24. the fire sometimes of offering a sheafe of the first fruits of Leuit. 23. 10 17. the Haruest to be brought vnto the Priest sometimes of the shake offring of two Loaues baked with Leuen for first fruits vnto the Lord. In Numbers we reade of an heauy offring of a Cake of the first of their dough In Deuteronomy Numb 25. 20. we reade of the first of all the fruit of the earth that
Deut. 26. 2. must put it in a Basket and carried to the place which the Lord did choose Now why doth the Lord require all this of his people Surely this is one reason that hee might shew what reckoning he makes of thankfulnesse for all the mercies which we receiue from his hand And therefore must we be thankfull Againe we must praise God in respect of men both bad and good If we looke to bad men they doe encourage themselues to be thankfull to the gods of siluer and Dan. 5. 4. gold to whom no thankes is due as wee may see in Belshazzar and should not we much more doe it to him to whom all is due If we looke to good men they haue beene plentifull in this kinde of duty When the Flouds ceased thankfull Noah built an Altar and offered vnto the Gen. 8. 20. Lord. When God renewed his promise to Abraham he thankefully built an Altar to the Lord in the plaine of Gen. 13. 18. Mamre Agar had learned so much in religious Abrahams house therefore when God had comforted her in her banishment she called his Name Thou God lookest on me Gen. 16. 13. much more would the Iewes and therefore they thankfully kept a feast of remembrance for Hamans destruction Hest 9. and their deliuerance Thus all sorts of men haue incouraged vs to this duty Lastly we must praise God in respect of the excellency of the duty it selfe And this may bee seene in foure particulars First in this that our God doth account it a gift as Dauid saith Giue vnto the Lord glory Psal 29. 2. due vnto his name that is praise him Alas what are we that we should giue to God We must say with Dauid Who are wee that wee should be able to offer willingly to thee 1 Chron. 29. 14. our God For all things come of thee and of thine owne hand we haue giuen thee Yet it pleaseth God to account them gifts and we know that it is a more blessed thing to Acts 20 35. giue then to receiue Secondly God doth not onely account our praise a gift but a sacrifice the best gift as the Psalmist saith Let them offer sacrifices of praise Yet remember Psal 107. 22. that it is not a sacrifice of redemption for so is Iesus Christ alone but of thanksgiuing Therefore offer to God praise and pay thy Vowes vnto the most high Thirdly Psal 50. 14. God doth not onely account our praise a gift and a sacrifice but doth preferre it before all sacrifice Will I saith God eat the flesh of Bulls and drinke the bloud of Psal 50. 8. to 15. Goats offer to me praise As if he should say This is that which I prefer to all outward seruice as being a part of my inward worship And in another place he saith That is better then a Bullock that hath hornes hoofes i. a perfect Psal 69. 30 31. Bull. Take a Bullocke at the best and Praise is better then it and as with hornes through the mighty power of Mal. 1. God will push downe our enemies and as with hoofes will inable vs to wade thorow any difficulties Fourthly God doth not onely account our praise a gift a Sacrifice better then a sacrifice but by it giues vs communion with the seruice of the life to come in Heauen Men full of wants do pray but Angels and Saints full of grace and glory doe practise The Angels cryed saith the Prophet Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts The Angels said Esay 6. 3. saith Iohn Praise and glory and wisdome and thankes and honour and Apoc. 7. 11 12. power and might be vnto our God for euermore Amen These foure things doe manifest vnto vs the excellency of this duty to presse vs to lift it vp from the feet of swine and to set it like a Iewell in our hearts that it may giue luster vnto our liues and conuersations and may euidence that we liue to God and not to our selues Thus haue I shewed you in some measure why wee must praise God for his maruellous great kindnes which he hath shewed vnto vs. Vse Now therefore let vs be exhorted in the feare of God to sing ioyfully and freely with Dauid Blessed be our good God who hath shewed vs maruellous great kindnesse in City Towne and Country He might iustly haue giuen vs ouer as a prey to all his Plagues He might haue sent the Sword Es 1. 20. to deuoure vs and brought in the battaile of the Warriour Es 9. 5. which is with noise and with tumbling of garments in bloud He might haue sent vs a Famine and made the life of our Lamen 2. 19 20. young children faint for hunger in the corners of all our streets King 6. 28 29. and our cockering women to eat their fruit and their children Lam. 4 2 7 8. of a span long and our Nobles who are comparable to fine gold to be esteemed earthen Pitchers and our Nazarites who were whiter then Milke and purer then Snow to be blacker then a cole to haue their skinne cleaue to their bones and wither like a stocke Thus I say the Lord might haue done by making an Asses head at fourescore peeces of 2 Kings 6. 25. siluer and the fourth part of a cab of Doues dongue at fiue peeces of siluer through a fearefull Famine amongst vs. He might haue made the Plague of Pestilence more wonderfull and not only seazed vpon some few Cities and Townes amongst vs but coasted from Dan to Beershebah 2 Sam. 24. by his deuouring Angell from one part of the Kingdome Psal 91. 3. to the other to finde out men and women and children that might iustly haue beene appointed to dye What might not God in Iustice haue done vnto vs who are a rebellious and gaine-saying people Wee must needes say though God haue looked vpon vs for good and not for euill that we are full of sores from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot as Daniel saith Wee haue Esay 1. 6. sinned and haue committed iniquity and done wickedly yea Dan. 9. 5 6. we haue rebelled and departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements for we would not obey thy seruants the Prophets which spake in thy Name to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers and to all the people of the Land Who sees not that we haue beene heauy at the whole heart notwithstanding Esay 1. 5. all the Lords chastisements yea euen as wicked King Ahaz in the time of our tribulation Wee did trespasse more against the Lord when wee would bee 2 Chron. 28. 22. wanton in our Feastings yea in our Fastings as being loth that outward Discipline should speake angrily to our bellies which are our God though God haue spoken Phil. 3. angrily both to our bodies and soules And how could we doe otherwise Can the blacke-More change
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
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
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