him the more will hee feare to displease him Thanks must bee Orall and reall also All that GOD requires is a cordiall Recognition of His Grace and Mercy My sonne give mee thy heart Prov. 23.26 our whole Duty is summarily comprehended in these words Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and love him with all thy strength and with all thy might and thy neighbour as thy selfe By this may wee know whether we love God if we love our neighbour For how can he love God whom hee hath not seene if he love not his brother whom he hath seene saith Saint Iohn 1 Ioh. 4.20 who as he had the Honour to bee stiled The disciple whom Iesus loved so doth he seeme to have appropriated to himselfe the preaching and teaching this doctrin of loving God and our neighbour above all the other Apostles as may be seene by his Divine Epistles I will set him up saith the Psalme because hee hath knowne my Name that is because he hath call'd upon me and worshipped me as may be collected out of the 76 Psalme 1.2 In Iury is God knowne his Name is great in Israel at Salem is his Tabernacle which was the appointed place of his Worship If then we desire to bee delivered and to be set up out of Gun-shot as here is promised we must not only love him and our Neighbour for his sake but worship Him also in such sort as hee hath prescribed in His most sacred Word These Religious duties are necessarily required of all those which expect the Comforts which this Psalm exhibites For all the Assistance and Protection promised from the first words throughout the Psalme have a connexion with this present clause Because he hath set his love upon me because he hath known my Name * That is to the utmost of his power Evangelically not legally and a conditionall reference thereto So that whosoever loves not God * See Zech. 7.12 13. perfectly 2 Cor. 7.1 nor worships him truly deceaves himselfe if he think hee dwels under the defence of the most High or that he hath any part in the promises of Deliverance here specified because they are proper only to the godly who being assisted with his holy Spirit shall call upon him so effectually and knocke at Heaven gates so powerfully that he shall heare them and deliver them yea and satisfie them with long life which is more than Salomon desired when God gave him Carta vianca and shew them his salvation which is as much as any man can wish I confesse Sicknesse Poverty and all other temporall Mortifications render men contemptible and despicable to the Wicked N. B. and make them undervalued * See Iames 2.2 to 8. by ordinary Christians who passe their judgments of Men accordingly as they waigh after the Worlds opinion in the balance of Honour Reputation and Wealth But the Child of GOD is promised here not only a Preservative against all dangers so farre and so long as God shall judge expedient for him but also a Restorative when hee hath beene afflicted and humbled For if his enemies have markt him out as their custome is in the time of his Humiliation for one whom GOD lookt not after nor car'd for hee hath a promise here to bee advanced to Honour and which is the height of all temporall Blessings to be satisfied with long life so that hee shall over-live his enemies and be honord by those that despised him when the hand of God was upon him Let Ahaziah then send to Baalzebub the God of Ekron in the time of his sicknesse to enquire whether he shall live or dye Is it not because there is no GOD in Israel saith the LORD 2 King 1. Let gowtie Asa trust in his Physitians 2 Chronicles 16. Let the superstitious Papaline in his sicknesse dishonour the Blessed Virgin by vowing himselfe to her Quum nulla amplius in Medicis spes erat salutis non magna as he blasphemously said in Deo Let them vainly trust to the Oyle of the Lampe * Dignus morte perit qui mortua vivus adorat An experiment of Papists vaine confidence in Reliques against the Plague of Saint Carlo Borromeo the dispensation whereof I have seene with my eyes and my Soule hath grieved to see ignorant people abused by more ignorant Friers In Iurea the trusting to that Imposture cost the lives of the most part of that Citie and Milan whence it was brought hath suffered beyond beliefe there having died in that state neere three hundred thousand soules Not without cause said the Prophet O bee thou my helpe in trouble for vaine is the helpe of man Psalme 60.11 and Psalme 77.1 In time of danger I will cry unto God yea to God will I cry and he shall hearken unto me I deny not but Physicall Antidotes and Praecautiens may be used as secundary means but they must be used with Prayer to God to blesse them and our immediate Trust must be wholly in him and his protection For except the Lord build the house vaine is their labour that build it c. Psal 127.1.2 and therefore * Psal 130.7 O Israel trust in the Lord for with the Lord is Mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption Object Against the whole Tenour of this Psalme and the maine scope thereof there is an Objection not to be past over in silence For whereas David here promiseth great matters to the godly assuring them of the protection of God and his Angels and further that with their eyes they shall see the Reward of the ungodly Experience daily shewes the contrary and hath so done since the beginning of the world Innocent Abel lost his life for serving God truely and for Gods acceptance of his service and our Saviour Epitomizing the Scriptures in this point threatens the Iewes that upon them shall come all the righteous bloud shed on the earth from righteous Abel to Zacharias c. Matth. 23.35 The Church of GOD here on earth is therefore called Militant because it never hath peace but perpetuall Warre affliction tribulation persecution the enemies thereof being mightie viz. Principalities and Powers c. Eph. 6.12 Our Saviour expresly commands all his Followers to take up his Crosse Wicked most dandled in the Worlds lap and in the Book of Psalmes we finde David often complaining of the Adversities of the godly and prosperity of the wicked In the 73. Psal he was shrewdly startled at the contemplation of this point My feete were almost gone my steps well nigh slipt And why I was grieved at the wicked I saw the ungodly in such prosperitie for they are in no perill of death in no misfortune nor plagues as others are but lusty and strong c. Contrarily of the godly hee saith Thou feedest them with bread of Teares c. Psalm 80.5 and which is more For thy sake are we killed all the day long Solution This difficulty is
Divine MEDITATIONS WRITTEN By an HONOURABLE PERSON Whereto is adjoyned a Determination of the Question whether Men ought to Kneele at the Receipt of the HOLY COMMVNION And an Essay of FRIENDSHIP Dat Rosa mel apibus LONDON Printed by T. Badger for Humphrey Mosley and are to be sold at his Shop at the Princes Armes in S. Pauls Church-Yard 1641. A MEDITATION upon PSAL. 91. I. Who so dwelleth under the defense of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty THe Holy Ghost by the Prophet David exhibites here matter of singular comfort to all such as can well understand it and rightly apply it to themselves But wee must bee carefull that wee runne not too fast to the Application lest we deceave our selves and thinke wee are safe under the defense of the most High when perhaps wee are in the shadow of Death All men naturally beleeve easily what they desire strongly Quod nimis miseri volunt hoc facile credunt Senes and there 's no Hypocrisie so dangerous as when men deceive their owne soules and think they are safe when they are in danger Many runne boldly to God with Lord Lord in their mouth as if they were his Children who shal receave for answer Nescio vos I know you not Matth. 7.22 23. This is a spirituall Phrensie not unlike that of the mad-man in Athens who seeing any Ship arrive ranne straight to the Haven and tooke an Inventory of all the Lading imagining it to bee his owne when he had no part therein Wee must therefore study to know who are those that dwell under the defence of the most High before wee can conclude who shall abide under the shadow of the Almightie This Point is excellently cleered by the same Prophet who seemed to comment on this Text in the fifteenth Psal demanding in the first Ver. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest on thy Holy Hill and resolving the question in the words following to the end of the Psalme Even hee that leads an incorrupt life and doth the thing that is right c. Thus let the true Christian examine his owne heart and consider whether his life hath been or is incorrupt whether he doth the things * See Zechar 7. ver 9 10 that are right whether hee speake the truth from his heart whether hee hath used no deceit with his Tongue nor done evill to his Neighbour c. as it followes there and then he may conclude with David in the last words of that Psal that he shall never fall having done these things and consequently that he dwells under the defence of the most High There is likewise another Rule by which wee must examine our selves and that is properly ministred to us in the Phrase which the Prophet useth of dwelling under the defense of the most High It is an ordinary expression in the Scripture that God dwells with his Elect and they with him and these are Relatives which cannot stand one without the other Hee then that would know whether hee dwell under the defence of the most High must see whether God dwell with him Of this no man can bee ignorant Fruits of the Flesh and Spirit evidently discernable Gal. 5.9 for where the Spirit of God is it will evidently appeare and make it selfe knowne Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Galathians declares what are the Fruits of the Spirit viz. Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse and Temperance and likewise what are the Fruits of the Flesh viz. Adultery Fornication Uncleannesse Wantonnesse Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulation Wrath Contention Sedition Heresies Envie Murther Drunkennes Revelling and such like Hee that will sit in Iudgment on himselfe and examine which of these Fruits spring out of his heart shall soone know whether God dwell in him or the Devill For the eyes of God cannot behold impurity He is all purity and sanctity and his Spirit will not inhabit a polluted Temple If therefore thou finde thy Heart and Soule to be corrupt and impure know that it is a Cage of uncleane Birds and no fit Tabernacle for God But if thou have washt away thy filthinesse by Repentance and the Bloud of Christ hath clensed thee from all sinne then maist thou bee sure that God is with thee and that thou dwellest under the Defence of the most High and maist boldly goe on with David and say 2. I will say unto the Lord Thou art my Hope and my strong Hold my God in Him will I trust If any man would have a Paraphrase upon these words hee may have recourse to the 18. Psalme and say with David there The Lord is my strong Rock and my Defence my Saviour my God and my Might in whom I will trust my Buckler the Horne also of my salvation and my Refuge In the 144. Psalme ver 2. the same Prophet calls GOD his hope and his fortresse his Castle and deliverer his Defender in whom hee will trust Psalme 31. ver 3. he stiles him his strong Rocke and House of Defense and verse 4. his strong Rocke againe and Castle Psalm 62. ver 2. Hee verily is my strength and salvation hee is my defense so that I shall not greatly fall which words are repeated ver 6. Through the whole Body of Scripture there is nothing more frequent then such like expressions of Gods power to secure his children from any danger whatsoever and Exhortations unto them to rely upon him without * Doubting of Gods mercy or providence is not beleeving Abraham staggered not at Gods promise by incredulity but was strong in Faith glorifying God Rom. 4.20 And Iacob ceased not to wrestle with the ANGEL though his thigh were bruised Gen. 33.26 Doubting and to trust in him as a faithfull Creator Is he a Rock then pray with the Psalmist O set mee on the Rocke that is higher then I Psalm 61.3 Follow our Saviours counsell Matth. 7. and Build thy House on the Rocke which nor storme of winde nor deluge of Water shall ever be able to shake Is hee thy Hope then maist thou be sure he will not faile thee for hee never did forsake those that put their trust in him Is he thy strong hold Feare then no persecution of any enemy whatsoever For no Battery can make breach in this Castle nor any craft of Man or Devill undermine it This Fortresse is God in whom onely David trusted who having created the World and all that is therein commands and over-rules all his Creatures so that nothing shall offend those his Children whom hee hath taken into his protection Yea Satan himselfe shall tempt Iob no further then God shall permit him Some put their trust in Chariots and Horses but they are brought downe and falne Psalme 20. But wee that remember the Name of the Lord our God are risen and stand upright Ver. 7 8. O then trust not in Princes nor in any child of man for there
Angell strikes where he commands and spares those whom hee would have preserved It is a swift flying Arrow that lights on us unawares and commonly strikes at the heart Witnesse the first-borne of Egypt who were all destroyed by it in one night the Army of Sennacherib of whom the Angell of the Lord slew 185000. by the Pestilence in another night and the mutinous murmuring Israelites who were smitten in a moment For no sooner had Moses said Wrath is gone out from the Lord but immediately 14700. died of the Plague Num. 16. It is noisome and by consequence uncomfortable depriving men of succour assistance or reliefe so that he who is visited therewith may truly say with David My loynes are filled with a sore disease and there is no sound part in my Body Psal 38.7 Adde hereunto out of the same Psalme My lovers and Neighbours did stand looking on my trouble and my Kinsmen stood a far off It is a Terror and that by night when small dangers seeme great and great apprehensions are terrible But as it walkes in Darkenesse which is dreadfull so it flies by Day and destroies likewise at Noone-day not only affrighting but astonishing and amazing us with fearefull spectacles of Mortality as thousands that fall besides us and tenne thousand at our right hand It respects no persons as wee see by example of Ezekias who being a King and a good King was therwith visited There 's no avoyding it because it proceeds immediately from God from whom thou canst not flye Whither shall I goe from thy Spirit or from thy presence If I climbe up to Heaven thou art there if I descend to Hell thou art there also Psal 139. Is there then no remedy must wee despaire of helpe or comfort in this time of Mortality Is there no Balme in Gilead yes sure When Naaman had the Leprosie a Captive Mayd told her Maister Would God my Lord were with the Prophet that is in Samaria for he would recover him of his Leprosy 2 Kings 5. Could a Prophet cure the Leprosy Then remember there is here a greater then any Prophet See what a Physitian the Psalmist hath provided what Antidote he ministers against this deadly Disease The Physitian is God Omnipotent who will defend thee under His Wings so that thou shalt bee safe under His Feathers The Antidot and Preservative is thy Hope Affiance in Him * Credere est extra nos ire in Christum transire Repaire then to that Physitian take that Antidote and thou shalt not be afraid for any terrour by night nor for the Arrow that flies by Day A thousand shall fall beside thee and tenne thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee Pray then for Faith and Confidence in God and nothing shall dismay thee God is our Hope and strength a very present Helpe in Trouble therefore will we not feare though the Earth be moved or the Hills throwne into the midst of the Sea Psalme 42.1 2. Doth not the Prophet tell thee in this Psalme that His Faithfulnesse and Truth shal be thy Shield and Buckler He hath commanded thee to invocate Him when thou art in Trouble and promised to deliver thee Iames 5.13 Psalme 50.15 Returne to the Lord thy God and be obedient to His Voice He will not forsake nor destroy thee Deut. 4.30 Cast thy Burden on the Lord and Hee shall nourish thee Psal 55.22 Come to me saith He all yee that labour and are heavy-laden and I will refresh you Mat. 11 28. Consider then with whom thou hast to deale and bee confident of His Clemency who is so rich * Men oft falsify but God wil be as good as His Word in mercy so bountifull in His promises and so * See Rom. 10.12 faithfull and punctuall in performance of His Word If His fidelity and verity be thy Shield and Buckler thou hast a good and warrantable Ground for thy Hope and Trust in Him For God is not like Man that he should lie nor like the Sonne of man that He should repent but immutable and without variation His promises are yea and Amen Hee will not suffer His Truth to faile nor breake His Covenant nor alter the thing that is gone out of His mouth Psalme 89.33 34. He hath beene ever mindefull of His Covenant and Promise that He made to a thousand Generations Psalme 105.8 His word cannot be frustrated Esay 55.11 Heaven and Earth shall passe but My Word shall not passe away saith our Saviour Matth. 24.35 Having therefore in this perillous time of the Plague such a Physitian at hand who can and will either cure or preserve us we may rest secure under His wings and safe under His Feathers if we will Beware that wee bee not like the Iewes of whom our Saviour spake O Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathers her chickens under her Wings and ye would not Matth. 23.37 If chickens runne from under the wings of the hen no mervaile if the Kite seize on them Since then thou hast in this Danger the Wings of God for thy defence and His Feathers for thy safety keepe thee there without wandring after vaine pleasures for feare of being caught And since our Physitian hath prescribed us such Soveraigne Antidotes and Preservatives it must be our care to use them * Cum debito regimine as Physitians say according to His Prescript The ingredients of this Diacatholicon are Faith Hope Repentance and Prayer No Affliction or visitation befalls us but as a chastisement or punishment for sin He therefore that would be freed of the Paine which hee suffers must endeavour to remove the Cause whereto he must put his owne helping hand and apply to himselfe those salves that are proper for his Sore Naaman the Syrian was not cured of his Leprosie till he had washed himselfe seven times in Iordan Doe thou every night wash thy Bed and water thy Couch with thy Teares Psalme 6.6 and then thou shalt be cleane likewise When the murmuring Israelites had provoked God and pulled downe the Plague upon themselves Moses perceaving that wrath was gone out from God commanded Aaron to take a Censer and put Incense therein and quickely * Numb 16.46 to make an Attonement for the People When wee see Gods hand neere us or over us or feele it in our selves wee must presently * Zec. 8.21 seeke to make an Attonement and offer to Him first the Calves of our lips which is Thankes for having given us warning and next the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart which he doth never despise When the first-borne of Egypt were smitten the Israelites were commanded to kill a * This Lamb was a type which prefigured Christ Lambe and sprinkle it's Bloud on the Lintells of their Doors that the ministeriall Angell sent to punish the Egyptians â—eing the Bloud of the Lamb on their Doores might passe over them
intreated to open their eyes mollisie their hearts and give them a quicke sense of their sins and of the danger whereinto they have cast them These Remedies appl'd may by the assistance of the Holy Spirit awake them out of that spirituall slumber and reduce them to the fold of that good shepheard who rejoyceth more for finding one lost sheepe thē 99. which went not astray When they are once reclaimd salva res est Mar. 18.13 For when they feele their burthen they wil be induc'd to cast it off as too heavy and addresse themselves by invocation and repentance to our Lord Iesus confessing their sins aggravating every circumstance of them and Imploring Hi◠GRACE and Mercy till they obtain both Heb. 4.16 Lastly they will set their hearts to seeke God and with the Spouse in Solomons song never leave seeking their LORD and Saviour till they have happily found him The next Symptome observable in carnall Gospellers was a dull stupidity and drowzinesse in Gods service which though not so dangerous as the Vertigo praemention'd yet shewes their disposition to a Lethargy And although their chiefe Errand to the Church bee to gaze or sleepe or serve God pro forma yet as many followed Christ more for Curiosity to see his Miracles then for any devotion to His Doctrine and yet at last some of them became His Disciples so there may be some hope conceav'd of these Superficialists that if one Sermon rowze them not another * Therefore M. Latimer wisht such to come to Church though they came a napping may and that they may meet with such a Chapter or such a Psalm as may touch them to the quicke Thus one Sermon of Saint Peters converted three thousand * Acts 2.41 who came about him to heare onely what hee would say whereas in these dayes three thousand Sermons can scarce convert One. Thus Augustine comming to heare Saint Ambrose at Milan out of an impression of his Eloquence was caught unawares and of one Hereticall Manichee became the greatest light of Christianity that the Church enjoyd since the Apostles times These faint and formall Christians must remember and consider that God is a Spirit and will be worshipt in Spirit and truth In truth that is in sincerity of heart and not hypocritically for fashions sake In Spirit that is with Zeale and Fervour not coldly and drowzily Awake then thou that sleepest supinely and dreame not * Read Zechar 7.6 11 12 13. that God will protect thee or deliver thee from danger if thou offer him the Sacrifice of fooles and demeane thy selfe so profanely * Profaners of Gods Worship encrease their owne condemnation See 1 Cor. 11.29 and irreverentlie in the house of Prayer Eccles 5.1 What though Ahab purchasd a temporall blessing with a formall shew and Vizor of Repentance it profited not his Soule and the Vengeance denounc'd against him fell heavie on his Posterity So may the cold Formalist and profane Varlet prosper a while upon Earth and though He goe to the grave in peace his children may be hewd in peeces with Calamities for those sinnes of his whereof he had no feeling Wherefore when thou seest the Clouds of Gods Iudgments gather and some blacke Disaster threaten thee for thy sins thou must imitate the Prophet Eliah who when the storme approcht girt up his Loines and ranne before Ahab to Iezreel 1 King 18.45 46. If thou rowze thy selfe in that sort to runne the way of Gods Commandements then maist thou safely shelter thy selfe under his protection Eliah's Translation to Heaven in a fiery Chariot is an Emblem of that inflamed Zeale which must mount us to Heaven The Kingdome of Heaven saith our Saviour suffers violence and the Violent take it Thus Iacob wrestled with GOD for a blessing and prevailed T is quoque fac simile Doe thou so likewise thou dull drowzie Christian Such Laodiceans are but halfe baked as Hosea's cake was Hose 7.8 They imagin a greater latitude in Religion then there is so that they need not to bee zealous nor make such post-hast to Heaven that servest God betwixt sleeping and wakeing and remember what befell Eutychus who was taken up dead for sleeping at Saint Pauls Sermon Acts 20.9 The third marke of this spirituall Lethargy like a Scorpion carries about her both her Poyson and Antidote For when wee perceave our sinnes of Omission and the dangerous Sequele thereof wee cannot but know that the Reformation must needs bee advantageous to us Seeing therefore that wee are in continuall Danger of our sworne and deadly enemies the Devill and his Angels it concerns us to be armd at all points and stil to stand upon our guard least being disarmd we be suddenly surprized Gen. 14. Abraham having armd 318. of his own Family and assisted with Aner Eshcol and Mamre overcame 4. Kings whom he surprised by night when questionles they were disarmd ' and thought themselves secure From this victory of Abraham some derive the first original of the order of Knight-hood affirming that he Knighted Aner Eshcol and Mamre for their good service in that expedition Originall of Knight-Hood However we may thence conclude that a handfull of men may defeate great Armies by the like stratagem And seeing our spirituall enemies are innumerable of Devils which are not only exceeding potent but ever vigilant and ful of stratagems it concernes us to put on the whole Panoply or Armour of God and to be sober and vigilant like good Christian Souldiers resisting the Devill with the sword of the Spirit and retorting his fiery Darts with the shield of Faith The same reason may induce us likewise to carry about us still our spirituall Antidotes for as long as wee live wee shall have need of Prayer and Penitence which are the Cordials of the Soule Wee came soule-sicke into this World of Originall sinne which being daily reenforc'd with Actuall transgressions will in time grow to a Pestilentiall Disease and bring us to utter Perdition if wee take not that Physicke which God the Physitian of our soules hath prescrib'd in his Divine dispensatory beseeching him daily on our bended knees to wash and purge us in the sacred bloud of his onely Sonne and our only Saviour But thou wilt say thou art of a temperate disposition and findest thy selfe so well as that thou hast no need of Physicke Be not deceav'd Parum distat ab agroto qui tantum sanus est Hee is neere being sicke that is but well Strength and Vigour are requir'd likewise which are oft wanting in those that feele not their owne Indisposition Againe there are many secret diseases of the Soule which thou seest not as Selfe-love spirituall pride vaine thoughts stragling inordinate-desires Uncharitable * Charitie ever interprets doubtfull things favourably Conceits and the like which are so much the more dangerous to bee cured being so difficultly discern'd Distrust therefore thy owne Iudgement of thy selfe remembring that Prudentiae
mater est diffidentia Diffidence is the mother of Prudence For if thou examine thy life by the Rule of GODS Law thou wilt finde thy soule full of a spirituall Leprosie which nothing can cure but the bleeding wounds of the immaculate Lambe of God which taketh away all the sinnes of the World The 4th note of our inclination to that Lethargik disease was the want of selfe-examination viz. how we stood affected to holy duties in times of adversitie and Prosperity respectively If then wee feele the Pulse of our Soules to beate more faintly and weakely in our prosperous and flourishing estate then it did when we were in Trouble or Danger it is high time to looke to our selves lest we fall into a Lethargy For as the lest Declination of the Sunne from the Meridian though insensible at the beginning ever encreases till the Sunne bee set so the lest relenting in the zealous * M. Latimer being asked why there was so much preaching and so little practising answered Deest ignis there wants fire viz. of Zeale practice of Piety and Charity will in short time prove a Retrogradation which will cast us mainly backward and take quite from us in the end the light and Comfort of the Sunne of Righteousnesse There are few men that after they have sung Te Deum for any great Deliverance will seriously remember or thinke upon Miserere mei Deus present Prosperitie making them secure of future Danger as if they needed not to pray Leade us not into Temptation They have a Custome in Italy A relation of the Italian Revels and Bacchanals the week before Lent of putting out the Quaranta hore as they terme it in the principall Churches in the last week of Carneval when Feasting Dicing Dancing and Masking with all sorts of licentious revelling is shamefully priviledg'd among them During those fortie houres they which have any Devotion attend to the hearing of Sermons fasting and praying for the Remission of their owne sinnes and of those that sinne in that time of excesse and loosenesse which was the best peece of Pietie that I observed in the Roman Church Weaknesse of Faith is in degree Want of Faith When we finde therefore a weakenesse of Faith a faintnesse in our Devotions cold affection to God and good men fewer Teares shed for sinne then formerly lesse remorse of Conscience and dread of Gods Iudgments we may well suspect in our selves a carnall and Carnevall Securitie which by all pious meanes wee must labour to prevent Howbeit in this Synchronisme or Collation of the times of our Adversity and Prosperity I require not in all points the same spirituall exercises without Variation as if there were no difference betwixt Christmas-day and Good-Friday but a constant Tenour of serving God all the dayes of our life without intermission or remission of the essentiall duties of Religion that as in Affliction we call'd on him for deliverance so being deliverd we forget not to glorifie his Divine Majesty as he hath * See Psal 50. ver 15. and 23. commanded us having ever a watchfull eye to our selves that our Zeale to his service relent not nor our Charity to our neighbour wax * Coldnesse is a Symptom and degree of death cold and learning of holy Iob ch 9. to feare all our workes as knowing that wee are to worke out our salvation c. as wee are taught Phil. 2.12 which is not to bee understood that we are to bee so fearefull as to doubt of the end if we continue in our faith but to be so carefull and punctually circumspect as to omit no means thereto conducent The last signe indicating a propension in our soules to carnall security was the Omission of the Spirituall Sacrifices of Praise and Thanks after any blessing comfort or deliverance receaved from God To remedie this requires only an inspection into the Booke of GOD where wee shall finde innumerable Precepts and Precedents seconded with most gracious promises exciting and even enforcing us to that heavenly exercise of glorifying God for all his Mercies Moses in Deuteronomy doth preach to the Israelites and mainly presse on their Soules and Consciences two chiefe Doctrinall Points viz. Obedience and Thanksgiving This was the Reverend Patriarchs Practise who never receav'd any blessing The ancient practise of Piety by Geds true servants worthy our imitation but immediately wee reade of an Altar by them erected yea if they found but Water for their Cattell they gave to the Wells they had digged significant Names expressing their Gratitude The Israelites deliverance at the Red Sea produced the Song of Moses The Victory of Barak the Song of Debora The birth of Samuel the Song of Hanna The birth of the Baptist the Song of Zachary and the Annunciation of our Saviours Nativity the Blessed Virgins Magnificat The Prophet David hath left us only seven penitentiall Psalms but his Eucharisticall psalms of Thanksgiving are very numerous not omitting to compose an Hymne of praise for every signall favour that hee receaved at the hands of God Motives and Reasons impelling yea compelling us to the performance of this duty are many First among Ethniks and meere Morall men Ingratitude is reputed the Metropolis of Vices and ingrate persons branded with the greatest infamy Ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris It is a violation of naturall Iustice Secondly Partem beneficij reddidit qui gratias dedit He hath in part requited a benefit that returnes thankes The Prophets demand was Quid retribuam arguing that some kinde of retribution was due to God for his blessings Ex aequo bono the neglect whereof must needs bee adjudg'd a violation of naturall Equity Gratitude a due debt Doe yee thus requite the Lord ye Fooles saith Moses * See Deut. 32.6 Thirdly Gratitude for Mercies receav'd is the next way to purchase more from God as the servant in the Parable that improved the pound left with him by his Master was made Ruler over tenne Cities Luke 19 16.17 Fourthly whosoever is truely thankfull to God will endeavour to expresse his gratitude by Obedience extending it to the whole course of his life and to all the divine Commandements not taking liberty in any one sinne but striving to avoid all nor omitting any Duty of Piety or Charity but conscionably * The Law may bee kept sincerely though not fulfilld exactly performing all like Zachary and Elizabeth who walked in all the Precepts and Ordinances of the Lord unblameably Luk. 1.6 As God never ceaseth to bestow his blessings on us so should wee incessantly serve laud and magnifie him all our days In which heavenly exercises if wee continue constant faithfull to death wee shall receave a Crowne of Life Revel 2.10 Fifthly this holy Duty is full of comfort and contentment and a singular solace to the religious soule O praise the Lord saith the Prophet for it is a good thing to * Sing Davids Psalms with Davids