your hearts before God which are full of his mercies and long to ease and empty themselves in all the expressions of Love and Joy and boasting in the Lord as David speaks all the day long Methinks I see a Thanksgiving in the looks of my Auditory as Solomon says when the heart rejoyceth there will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 15. 3. a Spring and flowery gayetie in the outward visage That active sprightly Passion will not be suppressed or dissembled but breaks out and dilates it self casting a lustre and kind of Glory upon the Countenance and so it ought to be He that appears here to day without a Festival face and heart is like him in the Gospel that came to the Marriage Feast without a Wedding Garment deserves Matt. 22. to be cast out to the torments of his own envy and deprived of those good things which he repines at or despiseth But yet give me leave to tell you from a good Author that true joy is a severe thing and to Seneca add that ours is a Religious one too You heard be-before that joyful praising of God is the work of Angels and Blessed Souls in Heaven and therefore we must perform it with affections and demeanors as like them as may be remembring who gave the occasion of our Joy and to whom we profess to direct the expressions of it I speak not this to suppress the jollity of the Town to silence Bells and extinguish Bonfires or discourage any other hearty innocent Festivities but I would have you consider that those Triumphs are not the main work of this Day which calls for more solid Rejoycings suitable to the benefit and the Author of it Besides I cannot dissemble that I have such a jealousie over you as Job had over his children â—…b 1. 5. when they feasted lest any of you indulge to extravagancy or slide into a Sin forget what you are doing and offend God while you praise him Saint Paul exhorts women to a modest retir'd Garb because of the Angels by which some understand good some bad Angels I must beseech all you to carry your selves warily this day because of both you know what will please good Spirits and I can tell you what some bad Spirits please themselves with before hand Look too 't the Fanaticks say already our Thanksgiving though begun in the Church will end in the Tavern and we must conquer the Dutch over again in Sack For shame do not gratifie them and dishonor your selves so far as to take any part of your joy from that whence your enemies take their valor you could fight without Brandy I hope you can give thanks without it too A sober Courage and drunken devotion is so vile a contradiction as I can find no name bad enough to call it by This will put you to it and discover whether you believe your selves when you profess to have received your Victory from God if it be his gift it must be received with Reverence and entertained with Spiritual Holy rejoycing not Sensual Revellings and Bacchanal Rites If you think God the Author of all your success you will so comport your selves as that he may continue and increase his favor to you you know the Evangelist tells you there were some persons on whom Christ could not do so many Miracles as he would because of their indisposition And Marc. 6. 5. I must tell you we may so indispose our selves as that God cannot do us the good he desires mercy it self will restrain him because it would be cruelty not kindness to cast away blessings on those who abuse them to their hurt corrupt and envenome his grace by turning it into wantonness But that I may not seem too severe I will shew you how you may safely let your affections loose without danger of excess or intemperance and profitably spend what I desire you to spare make that a sweet smelling Sacrifice to God which otherwise might provoke his wrath by being a fuel to your sin It is by perfecting and compleating the Free-will-offering in my Text adding the Oblation to the Praise and Thanksgiving The last thing I will mention and but mention THe Free-will Offering was part given to God and part spent in festival entertainment of Men. For Gods part perhaps you will think your selves secure and well discharged of it because all Sacrifices are abolished under the Gospel 'T is true all the Ceremonial Typical Sacrifices of the Law are so But why such an Act of Natural Religion as presenting God with some part of the good things he hath given us in acknowledgment of his bounty and as an expression of our Thankfulness should be thought a piece of antiquated Judaism I know not especially if we consider that Abel offered such an oblation and God accepted it many Ages before he spake any thing to the Jews concerning Sacrifice And we Christians have so much more to thank God for then they had who lived before or under the Law Certainly Christ when he commanded us to serve God with all our heart and all our strength meant not to interdict our serving him with some part of our substance Surely the first Christians thought so who in their Celebration of the Eucharist made always an Oblation in Kind of Bread and Wine and other Provisions part whereof was consecrated for the Sacrament and part eaten in a common Feast of Charity among themselves And we still as far as we obey the Commands of the Church preserve some footsteps of this Practice in our offering for the use of the Poor in whom God's hand is every where held out to receive our free-will Offerings before the Communion But not to enter into new occasion of Discourse in the end of my Sermon We know that God even when he commanded Sacrifices regarded them not for themselves as the Prophets often tell the Jews and David himself Psal 50. very particularly rejects them all But in the same Psalm tells us what Offerings God will always be delighted with Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy Vows Thanks and Praises will Verse 14. 23 be an acceptable honour and ordering our Conversation aright will procure Salvation Which the Chaldee paraphraseth thus Repress thy evil desire and it shall be accepted as a Sacrifice of Confession To mortifie a Lust is to slay a Goat and more To lay your hand upon a brutish Affection as they did theirs upon a Beast devoutly giving it up abandoning it freely for Gods sake is the noblest Wave-offering imaginable This is S. Pauls Counsel to present your selves a lively Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is a reasonable Christian service Rom. 12. 1. I doubt not but many Vows were made to this purpose in the time of danger and another Death now round about us calls loud for performance of them and making more Gods hand upon us assures me some evil desires he would extort from us by so severe a method and happy we if casting that from us which is worse then Death will redeem us from the Plague if our Sins themselves may be the matter of an Expiatory Sacrifice if the price of a vanity or folly a crime or a shame may purchase an Atonement with Heaven and that it may if sacrificing our evil desires as an Oblation to God we will bestow that wherewith we use to foment them upon our poor Brethren that will compleat our Free-will Offering Give God his part and Men theirs make our indigent Neighbours the members of Christ rejoyce with us that which fed our gluttony and was a provocation when spent in our intemperate meals being put into the bellies of the Poor may plead our Pardon and procure Mercy for Mercy our superfluity bestowed on their wants may make up our defects with God the Charge of our vain costly Apparel imployed to cloath the naked may hide our nakedness and deformity in Gods sight our Charity may cover a multitude of sins This is a proper Exercise at every Thanksgiving but now extremely seasonable when the Sicknesse falls chiefly upon poor People 'T is fear'd many of them perish for want of what money would buy and spread the Infection by their desperate breaking out at all hazards rather then be shut up and starve I hope these Considerations improved by your own Piety will make your Free-will Offering liberal and bountiful make your Charity swell and over-flow those banks wherewith avarice and hard-heartedness use to inclose it and that no man will go out of Town without leaving a Blessing behind him that he may carry one with him I conclude with our Royal Prophets Prayer O Lord God of Heaven keep this and all thy former Mercies for ever in the imagination of the 1 Chron. 29. 18. thoughts of the hearts of thy people and prepare and establish their hearts unto thee that our Thanksgiving end not with the Day but that we may always thankfully serve and praise Thee till thou remove us hence to praise Thee to all Eternity in Heaven FINIS
A SERMON Preached before the KING On Tuesday June 20th 1665. Being the Day of SOLEMN THANKSGIVING For the late VICTORY at SEA By J. DOLBEN D. D. Dean of WESTMINSTER and Clerk of the Closet Published by His Majesties Special Command London Printed by A. Maxwell for Timothy Garthwait 1665. PSAL. 54. Vers 6 7. 6. An offering of a free heart will I give thee and praise thy Name O Lord Because it is so comfortable 7. For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies HAving the Honour to serve the Devotions of the King and the Court in their joynt Thanksgiving to God for a Victory I have taken the Theme of my Discourse from the mouth of a King who was the greatest Conqueror and withal the greatest Master and Example of Devotion recorded in holy Scripture A Prince who with the same spirit and affection led his People in their Battels and in all their Acts of Worship and Religion Went In and Out before the Congregation as constantly to the Tabernacle as the Camp And therefore as the Historical Books of the Old Testament a good part whereof are but Davids Commentaries short and summary Memorials of his glorious Atchievements afford matter enough for the admiration of Captains and Commanders in War So is his Book of Psalms a rich Treasure and Magazine of Heavenly Meditations where every Pious Soul may find somewhat suited to its condition fit to assist its infirmities and improve it's Graces If we can as S. Augustine adviseth form our souls In Psal 30. by the affection of the Psalm tune our hearts to the Aire and spirit of Davids raptures we shall meet in these Divine Compositions that which is able to kindle Zeal inflame Love mellow and impregnate holy Sorrow for sin to give Wings to our Prayers and carry our Petitions with speed and force into Heaven to animate and enliven our Praises and make our Hallelujahs like those of Angels and Beatified Spirits To actuate all the good Resolutions which any of these Affections our Love our Fear the sense of our own unworthiness or Gods abundant Mercies have begun in our hearts In such plenty and variety I could not be long to seek for words proper to our present occasion And such will this Psalm appear to be A Psalm of Instruction so the TITLE calls it teaching us in few words how we ought to demean our selves in a War for the procuring good success to our Armies and making that success happy to us when we have obtained it In the three first Verses David being sought for by his Enemies as we lately were by ours prayes against them That was his Course He always began his Conflict with God contending and wrestling with Him for a blessing and assistance He durst not lift up his hands even against the Enemies of God yet what durst not David do till he had first lifted them up in humble Supplication to the Lord his strength Who taught his hands to war and his fingers to fight Psal 144. 1. This being done his Courage breaks out like Lightning he doubts not of slaying his Thousands and Ten Thousands So in the 4th and 5th Verses he becomes his own Prophet promising himself Victory For who can resist him who hath Omnipotence for his Second Or how can any Enemy maintain a Fight against that Captain who hath before-hand defeated and broken their Forces by his Prayers assur'd his Conquest before he put on his Armor Then in the last Verses which are my Text David concludes where he began thankfully acknowledgeth Gods goodness in his Deliverance and the Dissipation of his Enemies obliging himself to a return of dutifull affectionate service in consideration of so great Mercies received and those as they are the essential parts of a Thanksgiving so shall they be of my Sermon I will begin with that which is first in the order of nature though last in the words The Acknowledgment which is double of the Benefit and the Author The Benefit is likewise two-fold consisting of a Deliverance and a Victory David is delivered from all his trouble all the treacherous plots and attempts of his Adversaries And his eye hath seen his desire upon those Adversaries and of all this God is confessed the sole Author He hath delivered me c. I Am to begin with the Benefit acknowledged and with that part of it which is here called Deliverance and that being in Davids case not a Rescue from actual mischief or distress but only a diversion of a Danger coming toward him is such a Negative mercy as we seldom trouble our selves to consider much less to acknowledge and give thanks for How many hundreds of Perils hath every one of us escaped in our Persons Fame and Fortunes which we never dreamt of The watchful Providence of God maintaining a continual guard over us waking and caring for our good while we sleep and perhaps neglect both our selves and him that keeps us Would we but meditate a little upon the infinite accidents occurring in the course of things the infirmities of our natural frame and temper with the nice and curious contexture of our parts the consequences of our Disorders the malice of our enemies and of the Devil all or any of which may easily shorten our days or make them miserable And from hence admit these two evident Deductions 1. That in this estate it is morally impossible for a man to continue one day were not the goodness of God particularly intent upon his Preservation 2. That it is a double mercy to be kept from danger and from the knowledge of it too Because had we a distinct apprehension of all the evils to which we are obnoxious our fear and sollicitude must needs be a continual rack and torment to our Souls This contemplation would I assure my self cause every Person here present to add in his private Closet-Devotions one new Laud and Thanksgiving to God for his Deliverance from the Dangers which he never thought of But how little soever we are affected with these unknown Perils and Escapes wherein our eye is not sharp enough to discern the small thred by which a Calamity hangs over us or the hand that holds it from falling on our heads Yet when a considerable Danger comes close and stares us in the face when the Clouds gather apace and the sky looks black about us then we apprehend a Storm and bethink us of a shelter and retreat When death surrounds us when the Pestilence walks in darkness and the sword destroyes at noon day casting down thousands besides us and Ten thousands at our right hand then Qui habitat in adjutorio is a seasonable Hymn Then 't is a valuable Priviledge to retain unto Providence and have an Interest in Gods favor that he may defend us under his wings and we may be safe under his feathers 'T is great pitty that after such convictions Psal 91.
upon him like that of the Paschal Lamb upon the Exod. 12. 22 23. Israelites doors to direct the presiding Angels with whose safety they were intrusted whom they ought to secure in the midst of all slaughters Once more Let those who Frame Commonwealths in Coffee who have so often told their Credulous Auditors That the House of Commons might beat the Dutch belike a new Free-State may destroy an old one as the Frogs of this year do those of the last But no King shall prevail against Holland and that God went out with those Fleets though the Dutch were as good Fanaticks then as they are at this day But now the case is altered the same men fighting for the King are not the same in Gods sight because not in theirs and all their hearts shall melt as water and their strength become as Towe before the fire Let them I say either give over to fume out their blasphemies against God and the King or satisfie us who but the Almighty All Good God hath done the things before-mentioned turned the cunning Counsels of our Adversaries to folly brought the Winds out of his Treasures seasonably to our assistance and made the devouring Element of Fire serve as it were in pay and under the command of our Captains given our Seamen sinews of brass to go through all labor and hearts to use the highest expression of Loyal Englishmen to despise all danger And lastly who but that Lord of Hosts whose Providence orders and sustains the universe and is visible enough in all affairs But most eminently conspicuous in governing and disposing the events of Wars could so defend them from the dangers which he gave them courage to despise carrying them in the hollow of his hand and covering Isai 40. 12. all their heads in the day of Battail so that onely 283 men were slain of more then 30000 who fought so bravely and so long We praise thee O God we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. In thy hands are the issues of life and of death Thou hast bound up with thee the Souls of thy servants in the bundle of Life when the Souls of those that hated us were slung out as from the middle of a Sling Thou hast delivered us from all our trouble and made our eyes 1 Sam. 25. 28. to see their desire upon our enemies Therefore an offering of free-hearts will we give thee and praise thy Name because it is so comfortable And so I am come to the other part of our duty THe imitating David in an affectionate hearty return of worship and service to God in consideration of his mercies An offering of a free-heart will I give thee and will praise thy Name c. That which David here promiseth is an entire freewil offering which consisted of two necessary parts Oblation and Prayer or Praise For as God commanded his then people in general never to Exod. 23. 15. Deut. 16. 16. appear before him empty not to address any Prayer or Praise to him without a gift in their hands honoring him with their substance as well as with their hearts and tongues So did he prescribe that all Peace-offerings whereof those voluntary offerings were one kinde should be accompanied with a solemn Confession or Thanksgiving for the Peace that is in their language all worldly blessings which they had received from Gods favor And when the case required it a Petition for those they wanted As we read in the Order for First-fruits Deut. 26. 6 〈◊〉 15. and Tythings which were commanded Heave-offerings and the relation of David and his Princes Voluntary-offering of Gold and Silver for building up 1 Chro. 29 the Temple Before I speak of the Parts by themselves give me leave by the way to observe That even in that Oeconomy wherein God descended to a minute-prescription of every part and circumstance of his worship Yet he left room and invitation for some services to be voluntarily and freely performed as the instinct of their own devotion should prompt them to it which must make it strange that any should affirm it unlawful for the Christian Church which is in that behalf left so much at liberty and discretion to serve God with any thing which is not by himself enjoyned and withal put us in minde that although God knows we are all far from being able to accomplish the whole of what is commanded us Yet he must be a very stupid observer of Gods mercies or his own need of them who shall not sometime finde a warmth and zeal exciting him to particular expressions of his love to God and sorrow for sin in instances not expresly commanded but flowing from the abundance of his own heart And if ever that be fit for us it is certainly most becoming upon such great occasions as now when God hath poured out the riches and treasures of his mercy so abundantly upon us For all which we cannot but of our penury return him some Mites poor but hearty Oblations and Thanksgivings which the same Goodness that calls for them will also accept I begin with our Praises and Thanksgivings and to that part of our return methinks we should soon be perswaded it being so easie and so cheap a service to speak well and honorably of him that is all Good will cost us no labor or study the subject will loose the strings of our Tongues and make us eloquent And to offer him the Calves of our lips will cost us Hos 14. 2. no money If our Praises may ascend as Incense and the lifting up our voice be an acceptable Evening Sacrifice the thriftiest Votary will afford God so much YEt here is in the Text a more inviting Argument I will praise thy name because it is so comfortable or as our new Translation reads for it is good It is a duty as delectable and pleasant as it is easie it is lovely saith David Psal 135. It is a good thing to sing praises unto our God yea a joyful Psal 135. 3. and pleasant thing it is to be thankful Psal 147. So 〈…〉 147. 1. graciously God deals with us expecting nothing from our hands which shall not be as delightful to us as acceptable to him Certainly next to that transcendent pleasure of conferring benefits nothing is so joyous to an ingenuous heart as to celebrate the munificence of a Benefactor The one is the Prerogative of Gods infinite Power and Majesty he onely is the Universal Benefactor that opens his hand and fills all things living with plenteousness The other he leaves to us to glory triumph and solace our selves in the contemplation and praising his goodness that is doing the same thing here which shall be the perfection of our happiness in Heaven to do eternally But why should I importune you to that which you are about already your thankfulness to God hath brought you hither and your business here is to express that thankfulness and pour out