occasions According to the Originall Prayse is silent for thee ô God perhaps to imply that when the Saints set themselves to pay this tribute they are struck into a silent admiratiō of that rich bounty and grace which supplyes all their wants wondering that the Sun of righteousnesse should vouchsafe to shine upon dunghils and wanting words to expresse the goodnesse of their Master to such unprofitable servants Praysewayts silently wayts and that in Sion 'T is due from all Quarters of the World but it waits for God onely in Sion None have it in a readinesse for him but the members of that Church whereof Sion was a type All thy works shall prayse thee ô Lord and thy Saints shall blesse thee Psal. 145. 10. Unto him be glory but where in the Church by Christ Jesus Ephes. 3. 21. Great reason there is why it should be so For the Church is more indebted to God than all the societies in the world They receive but drops of blessing to her showers Ezek. 34. 26. I will make them and the places round about my hill meaning his holy hill of Sion a blessing and I will cause the shower to come downe in season there shall be showers of blessing No wonder then if the Spouse have doves eyes Cant. 1. 15. Behold thou art faire my love thou hast doves eyes lifting up themselves to heaven when ever shee either eats a grain or drinks a drop while the rest of the world have hogs eyes devouring the acorns that fall from the tree without so much as looking up or ever considering whence they come 4 Professors eminent for their place in Church or State more than other Christians I gave them the name of principall men in reference to Micah 5. 5. where wee read of Gods raising up against the Assyrian seven shepheards and eight principall men i. e. a competent number of Office-bearers to withstand the fury of the enemy under Christ who was their peace Such are to have a principall hand in this duty 1 In regard of the depth of their interests They as being more concerned in the publique wel-fare than Christians of a more private station are bound to observe the wheelings of providence more than others and to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in every turn Hence are Church-officers called upon so expresly with so much importunity both in the beginning and in the end of the 135. Psalme Ye that stand in the house of the Lord in the Court of the house of our God prayse ye the Lord for the Lord is good sing prayses to his name for it is pleasant ver 2 and 3. And again in the 19 and 20. verses Blesse the Lord ô house of Aaron blesse the Lord ô house of Levi Beza gives a good reason why that clause for his mercie endures for ever is so often repeated no lesse then six and twenty times in one Psalme 'T is done saith he to make it appear that we may not content our selves with acknowledging mercie in the lump but should take a distinct view of each single favour as the Psalmist there begins with the goodnesse of God in generall O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good Psal. 136. 1. but afterwards descends to particulars and to every one of them annexeth the fore-mentioned clause For example it well becomes us at this time not onely to say in the language of that Psalme O give thanks to the Lord of Lords to him who alone doth great wonders who remembred us in our low estate and hath redeemed us from our enemies ver. 3 4 23 24. but more distinctly To him that blest our forces at Plimouth for his mercie endures for ever and prospered them at Scarborough for his mercie endures for ever Who delivered Shrewsbury into our hands for his mercie endures for ever and gave us our lost Weymouth again for his mercie endures for ever This if men of the deepest interests shall neglect who then will be found to doe it will not God be a looser by this omission yea will not they be loosers themselvs whose engagements to the Common wealth or to the Church are such as that they must needs stand or fall with it whatever becomes of other men The Jewes have a saying that the world stands upon three things The Law holy worship and retribution Now wee can make retribution to God no other way but by thankfull acknowledgements which we therefore have cause to be punctuall in What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of salvation Psal. 116. 12 13. he alludes to the cup of blessing used in their peace offerings which were always accompanied with solemne thanks to the most High for his saving health Have you a minde to take the shortest cut to ruine bee unthankfull Expect showers of blessings from heaven no longer then wee continue to send up vapours of prayse for as trumpeters delight to sound where they may be answered with an ecchoe so doth God delight to give where he is answered with thanksgiving 2 In regard of the height of their relations Who was the sweet singer of Israel but David the man that was raised up on high 1 Sam. 23. 1. The higher he was raised the more sweetly did he sing and warble out the prayses of God insomuch as if the penmen of Scripture should come to be differenced by their characters Solomon haply would be styled The Preacher of wisdome Jeremiah the Prophet of lamentation Saint John the Disciple of love and Saint Paul the Apostle of grace but the style of the sweet singer of prayses must be reserved asdue to David more than to any of them all 'T is a maxime in divinity Beneficium postulat officium Those whom God calls to the highest places he calls withall to the highest services and such is this of thanksgiving Prayer is an high and holy duty but if it be lawfull to compare them praysing will be found to excell it in some respects As the martyr said when she was at the stake Now farewell hope and welcome love because she was then going to heaven where hope being swallowed up in fruition was to have no longer being For hope that is seen is not hope Rom. 8. 24. so may a dying Christian say Now farewell prayer and welcome praise for in heaven there will be no use of prayer because all wants shall be supplyed without asking or rather because there shall be no want of any thing the soule can wish but of prayse there will be use to all eternity Saluation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lambe shall be the song even of those that have obtained salvation to the utmost by the Lamb with him that sits upon the throne David accordingly seemes to have plyed this somewhat more then the other duty though hee was abundant in both He tels us in Psal. 55. 17. of
usually attended with notable changes I am full of hope right Honorable and worthy Senators of the Kingdome and of the City that your present conjunction will operate much to our future advantage Verily t is a blessed sight now when England is melting in a furnace of civill war to behold the Parliament and London running thus into one wedg and meeting to magnifie God together It put me in minde of what we read in Psal. 122. 3 4. Ierusalem is builded as a City that is compact together whither the Tribes goe up the Tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord This is our Jerusalem hither are the Tribes come up to day the representative Tribes of the Land and that for no other end but to give thanks to prepare an habitation for him who is said to inhabit the prayses of Israel Psal. 22. 3. I have pitched upon a Text affording many choice materials for such a structure if a wise Master-builder had it in hand But the plaine truth is t is a worke more fit for Angels then men praysing of God is their trade we are all but bunglers at it Yet because even the little children to whom Iohn writes have leave to lisp stammer out the prayses of their heavenly Father in obedience to his and your commands I shall set upon the duty hoping for assistance from him and attention from you Satans first designe is to hinder men from holy duties his next to create disturbances in them Israel being here met to fast and reform Satan stirs up the Lords of the Philistims to bring into the field against them a formidable Armie The Lord of Hosts fights for his people puts their enemies to the rout and enables them to pursue the victory Then Samuel took a stone to wit after the men of Israel had gone out of Mizpeh the place of their abode when the enemy set upon them and pursued the Philistims smitten them untill they came under Bethcar the place of their retreat ver. 11. And set it between Mizpeh and Shen Iunius reads it between Mizpeh and that rock conceiving Bethcar of which before to be the proper name of a Rock and knowing Shen to be elswhere taken in such a sense 1 Sam. 14. 4. And called the name thereof Eben-Ezer Eben signifies a Stone Ezer help To the end that if Israel should be silent this stone might speak the goodnesse of God this lapis adjutorii reminde them of the mercie received between these two places Samuel not onely imposes the name but adds the reason of it saying hitherto hath the Lord helped us So as here we have 1 The Monument a stone set up in a fitting place and named Eben-ezer 2 The Motto Hitherto hath the Lord helped us 3 The mannager of the work Samuel the Prophet and Judge of Israel at this time Which three parts will naturally yield three observations sutable to the present businesse 1 That the Churches helpe is from the Lord 2 That the Churches duty is to commemorate help received 3 That principall men are to have a principall hand in the duty of praysing God for his help The truth of the first of these observations viz. That the Churches help is from the Lord appears by Psal. 121. 1 2. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence commeth my help my help commeth from the Lord which made heaven and earth It comes two ways 1 Immediately from himselfe alone The Lord often raiseth help to his people as he framed the world out of nothing and is therefore said to create it Be ye glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Ierusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy Isa. 65. 18. Whom had Christ to cooperate with him in the work of our redemption He alone helped us out of hell of which some understand that in Isa. 63. 5. I looked and there was none to help therefore my own arme brought salvation This stone which the builders refused is the true Eben-ezer not a monument but an efficient of help such help as no created strength could have administred for should all the Angels of heaven bring their perfections into one it would not make a ransome sufficient for one soul The Holy Ghost in like manner when we know not what to pray for as we ought is graciously pleased to help our infirmities Rom. 8. 26. when we stick fast in the mirie dungeon of sin and ignorance he vouchsafeth to let down drawing cords of love for the helping of us out as Ebedmelech did to Ieremie The work of conversion is wholy his He first bretahs a good will into the soule causing it to be then breathes upon that will in the soule causing it to move works it first and then works by it Hence is it that some of those who assert the efficacie of his grace entitle their books de Auxiliis of helps Yet me thinks the word comes far short of expressing it fully the Spirits concurrence being such as is not onely assistant to us but operative of all in us A consideration that moved Lactantius to taxe the heathens for giving the chiefe of all their gods no higher title than of Iupiter resolving it into Iuvans pater a helping father That man saith he understands not the influence of God that looks at him onely as an helper But so scant is the language of man when applyed to the things of God whom to apprehend is difficult to utter impossible that for want of a better term even we Christians must be forced to content our selves with this of help 2 Mediately by the creatures whether visible or invisible or of a mixt and middle nature The Lord helps by all these 1 By visible creatures As when he rained hailstones from heaven upon the Amorites slaying more with them then the children of Israel did with the sword when the stars in their courses fought against Sisera and the river Kishon swept his souldiers away that ancient river the river Kishon When the sea gave way the rock gave water and the heavens gave bread to Israel When both fire and water and air took our part against the Spaniards in 88 which furnished the General of their forces at his return after the defeat of that Armado which by thēselves was styled Invincible with this excuse That his master sent him to combate not with elements but with men 2 By invisible Such are the Angels whom the Lord hath appointed to encampe round about them that feare him and to become ministring Spirits to the heirs of salvation O the bowels of our God! The Father sends his Son to redeem us the Father and Son send the Holy Ghost to comfort us and that whole heaven may be set on worke for the Churches help the Father Son and Holy Ghost send the good Angels to watch
That 's the Churches case when shee is at her worst To one that supposed the Emperour would with all his Forces fall upon the Duke of Saxony who was the chiefe protector of Protestants and demanded saying Where will Luther be then That man of God returned this quick answer Aut in Coelo aut sub Coelo either in heaven or under heaven because he expected protection from heaven so long as he lived and knew he should have possession of heaven when ever he died 2 Of Terror to the Churches enemies Know ye if any such be here that the league betwixt God and his people is both defensive and offensive they have the same common friends and foes If any shall set themselves against God his people strike in to help the Lord against the mighty if against them God strikes in and appoints salvation for walls and bulwarks When salvation it selfe can be destroyed then may you that are opposers of Christ and his ways hope to finde a succesfull issue of your undertakings But if these walls be too high for your scaling ladders these Bulwarks too strong for your batteries then Malignants goe and get you some other trade for beleeve it you will never thrive upon this You may for a time like Samsons foxes carry firebrands sufficient to burn the corn in Gods field but remember how it fared with those foxes Were not they themselves burned together with the come which they set on fire The course you take will certainly tend to your own ruine for when you shall have endeavoured all you can to undoe the people of God the God and helper of that people will be sure to finde out a way of undoing you according to Zephan 3. 19. Behold at that time I will undoe all that afflict thee 3 Of Advice to this Honorable Auditorie in two particulars If the Churches help be from the Lord Then 1 Let the Lord be acknowledged in all the help that wee of this Nation have received The holy Ghost speaking of Victories is wont to ascribe them wholy to God and though mention be made of the instruments to carry the praise of all to him Thus Iudg. 4. 15 23. it is not said that Barak and Israel defeated Iabin and his host before the Lord but the Lord disconfited Sisra all his charets and all his host with the edge of the sword before Barak And God subdued on that day Jabin the King of Canaan before the children of Israel Also in Iudg. 7. 18. where we read of the sword of the Lord and of Gideon the sword of the Lord is set before the sword of Gideon as that which both gave the commission to Gideons sword and enabled it for execution Vaine men may imagine themselves able by their prowesse and pollicy to help and save a sinking State but what saith Iob. Chap. 9. 13. If God will not withdraw his anger the proud helpers doe stoop under him Remarkable is that reproofe which was fastned upon Pope Adrian the sixth He having built a fair Colledg at Lovain caused this inscription to be written upon the gates thereof in letters of gold Trajectum plantavit Lovanium rigavit Caesar dedit incrementum i.e. Vtrecht planted me there he was born Lovain watered me there he was bred up in learning Caesar gave the increase for the Emperour had preferred him One to meete with his folly and forgetfulnesse wrote underneath Hîc Deus nihil fecit Here God did nothing because all three planting watering and giving increase were ascribed to creatures Beloved in the Lord take we heed of saying in such succesfull seasons as this is the Parliament hath planted by their Counsels the City watered by their supplies the Armies given encrease by their valour lest we also be charged with an Hîc Deus nihil fecit God hath done nothing in all this because indeed beside what he acts of himselfe alone whatsoever is well performed is his work though creatures have a hand in it Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Isa. 26. 12. 2 Let the Lord our God be depended upon and sought to in his own way for the further help we have need of Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercie and finde grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. last Here I shall endeavour to shew you three things 1 That we of this Nation have need great need of further help It appears thus There would not be so much strugling as there is in the womb of this Kingdom so much roughnes both of the sword and of the pen if there were not Esaus in it as well as Iacobs As when the Jewes were employed in building the second Temple the glory whereof was to be greater then the glory of the former though the structure were not so magnificent because of the personall presence of Christ who appeared and taught in it there was a Sanball at a Tobiah and other adversaries to the work So now at the raysing of this second reformation which is like to have more of Christ in it though lesse of outward pomp and state many thousands are found to oppose it by force of Armes beside the swarms of pernicious Sects that like great heaps of rubbish lie in the way and hinder the setting up of that building which in likelyhood would have prevented them had it been erected sooner 2 That the help we need is much more then the best of men are able to afford us Well may England cry to God as David doth Psal. 68. 11. Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man The Parliament hath already done what lay in them for the making up of breaches by the faithfull endeavours of their Commissioners in the late Treaty The Assembly doth what they are able towards healing the saddest of all divisions I mean those that the servants of Christ are engaged in one against another Yet may it be said at this day as in Ier. 8. 15. We looked for peace but no good came and for a time of help but behold trouble Trouble not like to be removed by humane power and diligence because all the forces Satan can raise are resolved to continue it if they can Luther preaching upon that in Ephes. 6. 12. Wee wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities against powers c. hath a passage to this purpose Were we to deal onely with men though they were all Kings and Emperours we should quickly overcome them by the Ministry of the Gospel and be able to convert an whole world in the compasse of one year Divine truth would soon captiuate humane reason were it not for those obstructions made in mens understandings and wils by the workings of Satan who hath more craft and subtlety in one of his fingers then the world hath in its whole body 3 That we are to seeke help
from God in his own way Be intreated right Honorable to consider the nature of the work you have in hand and to remember that the grapes of Reformation can never bee kindly and throughly ripened but by beames of the Sun of righteousnesse the moon-shine of created abilities is too weak for such a production Seek we therefore to God for help and see we doe it in that way which Israel in this Chapter took and whereby they obtained the help in the Text which I shall not wander from so long as I fetch all my directions out of the bowels of this Story Doe it 1 In away of reall amendment Samuel here vers. 3. exhorts them to that as they hoped for deliverance they accordingly put it in practise ver. 4. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the Lord onely By Baalim Sanctius understands their He-Gods by Ashtaroth their She-Deities Be they hees or be they shee s Gods or Goddesses which had formerly beene worshiped all are now put away Israel gives them a bill of divorce saith Get ye hence what have I to doe any more with Idols We also have had our Baalim and Ashtaroth our prelaticall innovations popish corruptions Arminian subtleties Socinian blasphemies It concerns us so to put them away as to serve the Lord onely for time to come which how any Nation can doe that gives an universall liberty to all kinds of worship is not easie to conceive though one of late have made his addresse to both Houses of Parliament in behalfe of such a liberty I must professe for my own part that this proposition laid down by him viz. It is the will and command of God that since the comming of his Son the Lord Jesus a permission of the most Paganish Jewish Turkish or Antichristian consciences and worships be granted to all men in all Nations and Countreys was to me one of the greatest scandals I ever yet met with in print O bloody Tenent O speedy way of embroyling states of massacring Churches of erecting a Pantheon in every City That of Omnium Deorum among the Romans of Omnium Sanctorum among the Papists offended me lesse than this of Omnium Sectarum from the pen of a Protestant Sure I am One God one mediator one faith was Catholike Doctrine in Pauls time and that Religion is so dainty as not to admit of such mixtures Be you also well assured Beloved Christians that in this case every variation from unity is a step to nullity that if ever England which God forbid came from one Religion to all shee will quickly run from all to none 2. Of solemne humiliation Such was theirs Vers 6. They drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted that day and said there wee have sinned against the Lord These actions of drawing and pouring out water are by some thought to be hieroglyphicall Emptie a vessell of any other kind of liquor it leaves some rellish or colour or smell behinde it as when honey wine or oile is poured out Not so upon the effusion of water which is therefore fit to signifie the pouring out of mens hearts in such a manner as to leave none of their sinnes unconfest unrepented of To make it more solemne fasting is added to their humiliation as that which helps devotion to wings Chrysostome saith that Prayer without fasting is a souldier without a sword able to do but little service And yet of the two fasting may be the better spared I shall not be affraid to assert that fasting ing without prayer is a sword without a souldier able to do no service at all With Israel here we should confess as well as fast A Nation or person become speechlesse is neer unto death If we desire to have the Lord cover our sins by his pardoning grace wee must discover them in humble acknowledgments 3 Of earnest supplication I will pray for you unto the Lord saith Samuel to the people ver. 5. and they to him ver. 8. Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistims {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is the phrase that is used concerning Elias Jam 5. 17. He prayed in his prayer we translate it hee prayed earnestly as if that which is not earnest were no prayer They in Jonah 3. 8. are directed to cry mightily unto God A whispering devotion is seldome answered with a loud echoe from heaven Ask saith Christ and it shall be given seek and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you Ask seek knock there will be need of all three Doe you want ablessing aske it of God have you asked yet still continue to want â— seeke it out have you sought yet cannot finde knock and the treasury where it lies shall be opened to you Was there evermore need hath not peace taken her leave doth not truth look towards the threshold It would be most strange and ominous if the Church should not be found upon her knees now when Rome and hellare conspiring against her if when three Kingdoms are beleagur'd by Popish confederates they should not be garrison'd with praying Saints 4 Of lively faith in Christ without which all the former are invalid Samuel here vers. 9. took a sucking lamb offered it for a burnt-offering wholly unto the Lord thereby turning both his own and the peoples eys upon the Lambe of God which was to come and to take away the sin of the world Whensoever you approach the throne of grace let it be your principall care to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus out of whom all our learning is but duncery all our duties but drudgery all our devotion but formality yea idolatry if Luther may be believed Incense of old was a type of his intercession bloud a type of his satisfaction one of these was to cover the mercie seat the other to be sprinkled upon it Levit. 16. 13 14. He shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercie-seat And hee shall take of the bloud of the bullock and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercie-seat c. to intimate that from God no mercie is to be expected but through the satisfaction and intercession of Jesus Christ no help to be sought at any time without eying of these The second observation which I am now to undertake runs thus The Churches duty is to commemorate help received See it both required and practised 1 Required Exod. 17. 13 14. Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword and the Lord said unto Moses write this for a memoriall in a book Psal. 102. 16 18. When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall
prayer nor his mercie from me Psal. 66. 19 20. We may in reference to them all erect a second Eben-Ezer for herein also the Lord hath helped us both helpt us to pray and helpt us to speed A third mercie is the Lords defeating their enemies and that so as to make Israel instrumentall for its own preservation in the 10. and 11. verses The Philistims drew neere to battail against Israel but the Lord thundred with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistims and discomfited them and they were smitten before Israel And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh and pursued the Philistims and smote them c. We are assembled this day to praise God for shewing the like favour to us in more then one or two places It may be observed out of Scripture that the Lord hath still been delighted in taking to himselfe a denomination from some fresh and recent mercie In one of the first ages of the world he is styled the possessor of heaven and earth as having not long before made the one for his throne and the other for his footstool After he had revealed himselfe by many promises to the Fathers he is frequently called the God of Abraham Isaack and Iacob When he had newly broken the yoke which Pharoah had put on his peoples neck then I am the Lord saith he that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Having at another time delivered the same people from Babylon he renews in his stile the memoriall thereof Jer. 16. 14 15. The dayes come saith the Lord that it shall no more be said the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt but the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the North After the Word was made flesh the amiable Title which the New Testament gives him is this The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ It is not long since he was pleased to crown the endeavours of our men of war with a triple victory that so with a threefold cord of love he might draw us to thankfulnesse Let him therefore be styled at least for this day The God of our Parliament and of their forces at Scarborough at Shrewsbury and at Weymouth I am not able to parallel our success with theirs in all things The chapter tels us of a defeat occasioned by miraculous thunder here was none such onely an artificiall thundering on both sides and that on ours blest to the discomfiting of our enemies Yea our three Commanders in chief in those three fore-mentioned places what were they else but to use the Poets expression Tria fulmina belli yet in two particulars they may be compared 1 Israels victory which the Text relates to was unexpected They were met together at this time to consult and not to combate not to fight and kill but to fast and pray to reforme and not to embattail themselves Yet now doth God give up their enemies into their hands Tell me was not the gaining of Shrewsbury unexpected by all men here the regayning of Weymouth a thing which but few of us had in our hopes Hath not the Lord in both these yea and at Scarborough done terrible things which we looked not for Have we not received Weymouth especially as Abraham did Isaack even from the dead may we not say upon this occasion mutatis mutandis as the man in the parable did of his son Luk. 15. 32. It is meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive again was lost and is found 2 Israel got the victory though the Philistims had the advantage It seemeth by the tenour of the story that full men set upon such as were fasting armed men upon such as were naked Israel for ought we read being furnished with no other weapons but their prayers and tears and sacrifices Onely when the Philistims were discomfited by the thunder they 't is thought took up the weapons that fell from their amazed enemies and with them did execution in the pursuit 'T is easily found which side the advantage was on at Weymouth Were not our numbers inconsiderable were not the few men we had well-nigh spent and worne out with watching and other military duties yet did they prove more then conquerors by getting not onely victory but booty recovering what they had lost before and withall possessing themselves of what the enemy had laid in Let us therefore bestow another Eben-ezer upon this and say once more Hitherto the Lord hath helped us I hasten to the third and last observation viz. That principall men are to have a principall hand in the duty of praysing God for his help Climbe we up to the full explication of this truth by certain steps which are these Every creature is made to praise God in its kind Men are more bound to this duty then other creatures Christians more then other men Professors eminent for their places in Church or State more than other Christians 1 Every creature is made to prayse God in its kinde Prayse ye him Sun moon prayse him all ye stars of light prayse him ye heavens of heavens and ye waters that be above the heavens Prayse the Lord from the earth ye dragons and all deeps Fire and haile snow and vapour stormie winds fulfilling his word mountains and all hils fruitfull trees and all Cedars beasts and all cattell creeping things and flying fowls Psal. 148. 3 4 7 8 9 10. They doe it accordingly Psal. 19. 1. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work 2 Men are bound to this duty more then other creatures O that men would prayse the Lord for his goodnesse for his wonderfull works to the children of men Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people prayse him in the assembly of the Elders Psal. 107. 31 32. The whole world is a musicall instrument every string is so tuned as to be fitted for resounding the great Creators prayse But man of all visible creatures is the onely musician that knows how to play upon this instrument The rest can prayse God but Objective by being the objects of mans meditation They doe all bring as it were their severall sacrifices unto him and lay them down at his feet he is the Priest that must offer them up for the whole Creation 3 Christians more then other men That place in Psal. 65. 1. deserves more then ordinary consideration Prayse wayteth for thee ô God in Sion The Saints poure out their hearts to day in thanksgiving to God the next day yea it may be the next houre there comes a shoale of new mercies hee must be acknowledged also in them and therefore prayse is said to wait till the blessing arrive as being at hand ready to be tendred upon all
his praying thrice aday Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud But as on purpose to put his soule in tune here that in heaven it might make the better musick he multiplies prayses even to seven times in a day Psal. 119 164. Seven times a day doe I praise thee becanse of thy righteous judgements The Application hereof followeth What now remains O ye principall men Lords Commons and Citizens but that you be exhorted to have a principall hand in this duty of praysing God for his help and called upon to doe what ye ought both for the substance of the work and manner of performing it 1 For the substance of the work Know and remember that God must be praysed with your hearts your parts your lips your lives and your estates 1 With your hearts Psal. 103. 1. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name The deepest springs are wont to yeeld the sweetest waters they are the sweetest thanks that proceed from a depth within For as Seneca well the value of thanks resolves it selfe wholly into the frame and disposition of the heart 2 With your parts You are men of great and vast abilities ô consecrate them all to God The Spirit of man Solomon saith is the candle of the Lord Prov. 20. 27. Suffer not your bright candles to burn downwards imploy not your parts in the things of this world altogether not at all in the things of hell left they sweal quite away without doing any considerable service to God or man Great parts are like great Ordnance if the Fort wherein they are planted bee yeelded up to Jesus Christ they 'r of excellent use against the Serpent and his seed But so long as Satan holds the Fort no men more mischevous to the Church than those that have the best naturall and acquired abilities yea none in so dangerous a condition in reference to their own soules I must be bold to tell such as abuse their wits and other endowments in the service of Satan against the truth that their lightsome candles will but serve to light them to hell and their large parts to enlarge their condemnation there 3 With your lips Psal. 51. 15. O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise The tongue is called a mans glory partly because speech is a thing wherein men excell beasts and partly because it is given him to glorifie God withall Prayse and thanks should be offered up when ever we draw neere to him in any duty particularly when ever we pray Phil. 4. 6. Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God with thanksgiving Expect no acceptance of those prayers wherein there is not some spice of that Prayer without prayse is a censer without burning coals from which there can no sweet savour ascend 4 With your lives for therein lies the life of thankfulnesse He is the most thankfull that is the most fruitfull Christian There must be Gratiarum actio a doing of thanks Else if our thanks be not accompanied with obedience we doe but play Jews-play with Christ saying Haile King of the Jews and smiting him Physitians iudge of the heart by the arme feele the pulse that they may know the state of the vitals How beats the pulse of thy conversation according to that will God judge of the soundness or sickliness of thy constitution Would you render reall thanks Remember what you have lately sworn namely to goe before each other in the example of a reall reformation The Lord had caused the Land to passe under a rod a rod that fetch'd bloud at every lash before we would be brought into the bond of that Covenant Beleeve it he that whipt us to it will whip us for it if it be not kept The curses ingrost in that flying roll Zech. 5. will be sure to over-take us for swearing falsely by the name of the Lord 5 With your estates Honour the Lord with thy substance Prov. 3. 9. Christ will never trust Judas more The Saints are now his purse-bearers and from them it is expected that they should willingly disburse when ever the Lord hath need in his members This is the duty of every day especially solemne days of thanksgiving Eat the fat and drink the sweet and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared for this day is holy unto our Lord neither be ye sorry for the joy of the Lord is your strength Nehem. 8. 10. That joy which enlargeth the heart at such a time should take away straitnesse of hand Thanksgiving dayes should be giving dayes Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him saith Saint Paul prescribing an order concerning the collection for the Saints 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Why upon the first day of the weeke Chrysostome hints to this reason because then in the use of those Ordinances that were dispensed on the Lords day the spirits of Christians resenting the goodnesse of God more then at other times would be more ready to give the Saints a taste of theirs You that have this worlds good shut not up your bowels now from those of Melcomb Weymouth and Plymouth that need so much and deserve so well Let the consideration of those late mercies we have received be a means to open all obstructions of heart and purse and to procure mercie from you for those persons by whom and places where we have received them 2 For the manner This great worke of praysing God must be performed unanimously and cheerfully 1 Unanimously We should all glorifie God with one minde and with one mouth Rom. 15. 6. which is utterly impossible so long as through difference in opinion and affection that event is looked at as a crosse by one which appears a rich blessing to another There will hardly be one mouth where there is not one mind God will hardly be glorified where there is not a sweet conjunction of both Cleopatra dissolved an union of great price and dranke it in an health to Marcus Antonius Divisions are Satans Drinke-offerings No such drinkers of health to hell as dissolvers of union If my soule might have its wish I should not desire what Austin did to see either Paul in the pulpit or Rome in its pomp but the thing I would beg should be Union Next to a full and clear sight of its own union to Jesus Christ my soule should long for nothing more in all the world than union of the King to his Parliament of the godly throughout the Kingdom among themselves Who ever lives to see these things may sing his Nunc dimittis with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 2 Cheerfully Psal. 149. 5 6. Let the