He expresses his joy by bursting forth into praises Blessed be the Lord c. 3. He lays down the grounds and reasons 1. the deliverance of the Israelites from the hand of the Egyptians 2. the destruction of the Egyptians before the face of Israel v. 11. 4. He offers Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings and so he rejoyces Corde Ore Opere in Heart in Word and in Work v. 12. 5. Aaron and all Israel rejoyce with him in the last part of the 12th verse Doct. Hence we learn That it is a Duty incumbent upon all Jethro and Moses Aaron and Israel Priest and People to bless God and to make his praise to be glorious when he glorifies his mercie in delivering his Church we are then to praise God greatly when he gives us great Deliverances then it is seasonable to sing a Benedictus Blessed be the Lord who hath delivered his people from the hand of the Egyptians c. So Psal 66.8 O bless our God ye people and make the voyce of his praise heard which holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to be moved for thou O God hast proved us thou hast tried us as â—…lver is tryed thou broughtest us into the net thou layedst affliction upon our loyns that hast caused men to ride over our heads we went through fire and through water c. Here is great affliction the net men riding over their heads passing through fire and through water great Dangers then great Deliverances v. 12. Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place therefore they sing great praises v. 13. I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings I will pay thee my vows which my lips have uttered when I was in trouble I will offer thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings with the incense of rams I will offer bullocks and goats and then he concludes with a Benedictus Blessed be God v. 20. I might multiply Scriptures for further evidences of this truth but this may suffice Now to come to the Reasons and Arguments of the point Why is this a duty incumbent upon all Why are we then to sing great praises when the Lord gives us great Deliverances 1. Because by so doing we glorifie God Psal 50.23 Whoso offereth praise he glorifieth me Thus did David 1 Chron. 29.10 Benedictus Blessed be thou O Lord God of Israel our father for ever and ever Thine O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all God requires not our Wisdom to direct him nor our strength to assist him nor our dignity to advance him but our thankfulness to adore him Grace requires Gratitude when God extends his bountifulness we are to be inlarged in our thankfulness when Benefits are gotten the Benefactors must not be forgotten we must glorifie God and sing praises to him that is holy and that inhabiteth the praises of Israel Psal 22.4 Secondly Why is it so c. It is because such return of blessing thanks and praises is Gods tribute that pepper-Corn of acknowledgement that all we have we hold in Capite we have it from him from whom every good gift and every perfect gift doth descend even from him who is the father of lights Jam. 1.17 and the detaining of this tribute is no less then God-robbing and the Apostles exhortation is Let him that stole steal no more Ephes 4.28 It is Gods tribute Psal 50.14,15 Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows to the most high And call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver theeâ— and thou shalt glorifie me Thus Melchisedeck King of Salem and Priest of the most high God pays his tribute and returns praise for Abrahams deliverance from the sword of the four Kings that fought against Sodom Benedictus Deus fortis excelsus Blessed be the most high strong God Gen. 14.20 And the Prophet Habakkuk seeing by the perspective of Prophesie the deliverance of the Church from the Captivity of Babel pays his tribute before-hand and blesses God greatly for that great deliverance Hab. 3.17 c. David's Psalmes are so many store-houses of Examples Every Psalm as one notes is either an Hosanna or else an Hallelujah either God bless or God be blessed either Prayers or Praises either Prayers for Mercies or Praises for Mercies Thirdly Because thankfulness for Mercies or Deliverances received is honum jucundum it is fit meet and decent it is a good and pleasant thing Psal 92.1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy name O most high to shew forth thy loving kindeness in the morning and thy faithfulness in the night for thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work and I will give thanks for the operation of thy hands It is good and pleasant it is Mel in One Melos in Aure Jubilatio in Corde Honey in the Mouth Musick in the Ear and Melody in the Heart And therefore the Apostle exhorts us Ephes 5.19,20 Speak to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and Col. 3.16 Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Thus did David sing with grace in his heart Psal 108.1 O God my heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise even with my glory I will praise thee O Lord amongst the people and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations For thy mercie is great above the heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds Be thou exalted O God above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth Fourthly The very Dictates of Nature teach us gratuity and thankfulness to our Benefactors All rivers saith the wise man come from the sea and all rivers by way of a thankful Retribution return and empty their waters into the Sea God is the main Ocean the great sea of all blessings all Rivers of blessings flow from him and therefore according to the very dictates of Nature ought to be returned unto him Psal 93.3 The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have lifted up their voice Ainsworth in locum tells us That the Chaldee hath it thus The floods have lifted up their voice of praises to God and the floods have received the reward of their praises from God Psal 91.1 The heavens declare the glory of God Psal 96.12 Psal 98.7 Psal 148. There is a general summons and invitation not onely of all sorts of men but also all manner of Creatures to this duty and to joyn together in this Harmony to give praises to God and to make
many Blessings and Deliverances which the Lord had given them the Lord gives them a charges Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life but teach them to thy sans and to thy sons sons And this was their practise Psal 44.1 We have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days in the time of old how thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and plantedst them how thou didst afflict the people and cast them out c. And Psal 78.3 I will speak that which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us we will not hide them from their children shewing to the generations to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works that he hath done the Lord commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children that the generations to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children c. Psal 102.18 This shall be written for the generations to come and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord. Thus the people of God did not onely return thanks in an heat for their deliverances whiles the memory of the mercie was fresh but they made frequent and serious rehearsals of them to their children and their childrens children that for the mercie bestowed upon many thanks also might be given by many 2 Cor. 1.11 Fourthly That they might for ever retain in a thankful remembrance such gracious deliverances and that the generations to come and the children which should be born might praise the LORD for them they had also annuall festivities and stationary days which they yearly kept holy to the Lord and on such days thankfully celebrated the goodness of God for the particular mercies and deliverances received on those days as the annual Festivity of the Passeover Pentecost Expiation Tabernacles Trumpets c. all of them instituted to be thankful memorials of special mercies relating to those days and times So Exod. 12.14 This day shall be to thee for a memorial and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever Here we have an Ordinance for an anniversary festival a day yearly and every year to be kept holy to the Lord for an yearly solemn remembrance of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt this day note the same day they were delivered the same day was to be kept yearly holy to the Lord for a memorial and a day of thanksgiving for that deliverance you shall keep it a feast Hebr. you shall keep it festivally that is with mirth rejoycing and jubilation as Nehem. 8.9.12 you shall keep it by an ordinance for ever Hebr. an everlasting ordinance an ordinance of perpetuity extending to all generations Exod. 12.17 This self same day have I brought out your Armies out of Egypt therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever and the same is repeated v. 24. So here we see a day was yearly and every year to be kept holy to the Lord by the ordinance of God in a thankful and moâ—e solemn remembrance of Israels deliverance from the hand of the Egyptians Nay and more then this howsoever Festivals and holy days have been in our times cried down by some as Popish matters of Superstition and Will-worship for which we have â—o ordinance or command from God yet we finde the ancient Church hath from time to time according to the emergent occasion without any express ordinance or commandment of God laudably and religiously appointed certain days to be kept yearly holy to the Lord in a thankful commemoration of mercies and deliverances received upon those days and such are the fifth of November and the three and twentieth of October with us days appointed to be kept holy e-every year for ever in a thankful remembrance of our Deliverances on those days So the days of Purim were ordained to be kept as Festivals and holy to the Lord by all the Jewes in a thankfull and joyfull remembranc of their deliverances from the mischief which Haman had devised against them Those dayes I say were ordained and commanded to be kept holy by Hester and Mordecai and afterwards ratified and confirmed by the Subscription of the whole Church as an Ordinance of perpetuity to continue to all generations for ever Hest 9.20,21,22,23,27,28 And we read Macc. 4.59 That the Church and the Congregation of Israel when they were delivered from their enemies and had restored the worship and service of God and dedicated the Altar for Sacrifice they made an Ordinance that certain dayes should be kept holy to the Lord yearly and for ever in a gratefull remembrance of that mercy and that festival was called the feast of dedication If any object the text is Apocryphal and therefore signifies little I answer that this Act of the Church had our Saviors approbation who honored it with his presence and preaching at that Solemnity Jâ—h 10.22 And thus the Church in the new Testament hath instituted and appointed certain dayes yearly to be kept Festivalls and holy to the Lord in a thankfull remembrance of some speciall and spirituall mercies solemnely to be celebrated on those dayes as the Nativity Circumcision Resurrection and Ascention of Christ which dayes St Augustine Ep. 118.119 avouches were observed by the whole Church of Christ from the time of the Apostles and by Apostolick tradition and the primitive Apostolick Church without any divine commandement that we read of appointed the first day of the week to be the Christian Sabbath and I see no reason but men may as well abrogate and cry down that Festivall as others that are of the same institution that day I say the primitive Apostolick Church ordained to be kept holy as the Christian Sabbath in a thankful remembrance of the glorious Resurrection of our Saviour Christ that day And these dayes so ordained by the Church to be kept Festivalls and holy to the Lord are called by the Fathers Festivall dayes holy dayes Solemne dayes Sacred dayes mystical dayes and were so kept and observed by them Thus in the fourth place the people of God that the memoriall of their deliverance might be derived to their posterities had yearly certain dayes set apart to be kept holy to the Lord to praise him for those particular mercies Then fifthly at such Solemne assemblies they did not onely rest from their labours and all servile works and keep a day holy to the Lord but also they expressed their thankfullnes for mercies and deliverances which they had received by Singing Psalmes and Hymns and Spirituall Songs in singing praises to their God in singing praises singing praises to their King Psal 47.6
were written for our learning and that we might be led forward to perfection These examples are so many instructions to us so many memorials and Memorandums for us to shew what is required of us what duty is incumbent upon us and what the Lord requires at our hands for so many mercies and blessings and deliverances which we have received But a first use may be by way of reproof of the lukewarmness the incogitancy and inconsideration of the men and women of our times and our great unthankfulness Have we not been like Gideons fleece abundantly watered with the dew of heaven when the Nations round about us have been dry and where is the demonstration of our thankfulness have we not received showers of mercies plenty of blessings and deliverances Corporal and Spirituall of soul and of body and where is the manifesto of our thankfulness did not we our wives and our children our familyes and relations receive a wondeâ—full deliverance as upon this day the 23. of Octob. 1641. from the treachery the inveterate implacable malice fury of our bloodthirsty enemies where is the expression of our thankfulness had we not our lives given to us for a prey were rescued from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharao but where is our thankfulness have we not been delivered from many and very many dangers since but then where is the Expression of our thankfulness have we not been delivered from sword and from famine and from pestilence yea but where is the token of our thankfulness have we not been lately delivered from Anarchy and tyranny and bondage and vassalage and oppression and very mushroms of men that did more then King it over us King it nay one of these petty tyrants little fingers was heavier then a Kings loines and where is the index of our thankfulness we have the worship and service of God restored and the preists again set in their orders to praise God in the beauty of holiness instead of Anarchy we have our Ancient monarchy instead of confused parity we have our Reverend Hierarchy instead of an arbitrary power we have our judges restored to us as at the first and our councellors as at the begining instead of oppression we have justice in our gates instead of war wee have peace instead of sickness we have health instead of penury we have plenty what is it which the Lord could have done for a people that he hath not done for us what is it that the Lord hath not given us we may say with Moses Deu. 29.2 ye have seen all that the Lord hath done to the Egyptians the great temptations which your eyes have seen the signs and great wonders yet the Lord hath not given you hearts to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear to this day what is it that the Lord hath not given us Oh he hath not given us thankful hearts to this day we are like the barren ground that receives abundance of good seed but returns little fruit of increase ten lepers in the Gospel were clensed and but one returned to give thanks to God Luc. 17.17 The Lord may take up his antient complaint by Moses Deut. 32.5 They have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his children or as it is in the margin they are not his children that is their blot they are a perverse and crooked generation Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise do we thus requite him Brethren this unthankfulness of ours is a sin of an high Elevation of very great provocation and let us take heed lest our unthankfulness for mercyes in time past render us uncapable of the like mercyes for the time to come Remember Hezekiah 2. Chr. 32.25 When the Lord had saved him from his enemyes on every side he was puffed up and rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Juda and Jerusalem This is our case we render not again according to the mercyes we have received wee have forgotten our dangers and we have forgotten our deliverances Note that Apoc. 9.12 One wo sayes the Angel is past and behold there come two woes more hereafter God hath many Arrowes in his quiver all are not spent when one woe is past all is not past there are two more and it may be two greater yet to come and therefore minde that saying of our Saviour to the impotent man that was made whole Go thy way sin no more be not unthankfull lest a worse thing happen unto thee Secondly it may serve for a use of exhortation let us be exhorted to turne a new leaf to learn a new lesson to pay our tribute to whom tribute is due to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods Let us learne to be thankfull for all our mercyes to be thankfull for every mercy If I should here take upon me to number our mercyes and call for a Benedictus Dominus for every particular mercy and deliverance the time would soon sayl me but matter could never sayl me I will therefore say with the Kingly Prophet Psal 139.17 O how precious are thy thoughts O God to us ward O how great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand But If I will not forget the occasion of this dayes solemnity as Orbilius forgot his name I must speake one word concerning that great mercy and wonderfull deliverance which wee all received as upon this day which calls for an universall thankfullness from all sorts throughout all generations There was a mischeivous damnable and divelish project hatcht by a degenerate generation of men the Sons of Belial against our Church and state our persons our lives our nation and Religion their devise was to roote out all at once to cut off head and tayle branch and rush in one day they had been as one sayes a long time gathering of fagots and as upon this day they intended to set them on fire to consume us all but the Lord hath preserved us from the jawes of those lyons whelps pluckt us like brands out of the midst of the burning and many of those who were so industrious in gathering of fagotts like Nadab and Abihu have been consumed with the flame which themselves had kindled * Hebr. Palmes or bellowes for the secret manner of working Psal 9. verse 15.16 Thus the Heathen are sunk down into the pit that they made in the net which they hid is their own foot taken The Lord is knowne by the judgment which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgajon Selah The Chaldee paraphrase the just shall joyfully shout for ever Tremellius renders it rem summe memorandam a thing cheifly to be remembred The holy Catholicks had contrived a Catholick Apostasy and Rebellion a Catholick massacre and