The Saints Sacrifice, Section 79 – Section 81
§. 79. Of a third property of right thanksgiving, to render it to God.
III. *§. 76. Semper habendae gratia, & nemini alteri niſi ſold Deo. Chryſ. Hom 2. in 1 Cor. 1.TRue gratefulneſſe hath eſpeciall relation to the Lord. A man that is well inſtructed in the right forme and due manner of thankſgiving will eſpecially returne all thanks to God, whether it be for ſuch benefits as come immediately from himſelfe, as all thoſe extraordinary benefits, whereof any that tooke due notice, might ſay, This is the finger of God, or, This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. (For ſuch as theſe, aExod 15. 1.Moſes and the men of Iſrael, b—20.Miriam and the women of Iſrael gave ſolemne thanks to God) or thoſe ordinary benefits to the conferring whereof man addeth no helpe (as the ſhining of the Sun, the courſes of the moone, the former and latter raine, the bounds ſet to the ſea, the ſweet ſprings and rivers of water paſſing thorow the earth, and many other ſuch as are reckoned up in the 104 Pſalme, for which praiſe is there given to God) or for ſuch benefits as are conferred upon vsus by the miniſtry of man. Thus Melchiſedech bleſſed God for Gen 14. 20.that victory which Abraham had gotten over his enemies: David bleſſed God for that counſell which wiſe Abigail 1 Sam. 25. 32. 1 Chro. 29. 13gave him: and for thoſe bountifull gifts which he, his Princes and people contributed towards the houſe of God: and 2 Cor. 9. 13.the Saints give thanks to God, for the liberality of the Chriſtians at Macedonia. So cleare is the point of returning thanks to God for all manner of benefits, as beſides the many ſimple formes of giving thankes to God ſet downe thorowout the whole Scripture, but eſpecially in the booke of Pſalmes, when man commeth in any competition with God about this matter, he is utterly excluded: as where the Pſalmiſt negatively Pſal 115 … ▪ Totum ſuperna gratia tribuamus. Chryſ. Hom 21 in Gen. 5. Pſal. 148. Eph 5. 20.of man, but affirmatively of God ſaith, Not unto vsus, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. If ye wel obſerve the precepts of Scripture for performing this duty of thankſgiuing, ye ſhal find this obiect, the Lord either plainly expreſſed, or neceſſarily vnderſtood. How frequent are theſe phraſes▪ Praiſe the Lord: GiueGive thankes to God. Yea to demonſtrate that God is the proper obiect of praiſe, theſe words, Praiſe ye the Lords, are ſo compounded together, as they foreignmake but one word in hebrew, which is this, Halleluiah.
See The whole armour of God. Treat 3. Part. 2. § 60, 61.All manner of benefits do originally come from God. If we receive any mediately by the miniſtry of man, or of any other creature, they are therein the inſtruments and hands of God whereby he reacheth out unto vsus, & conferreth upon vsus, his benefits. The benefits which we receive frō a wiſe King, iuſt magiſtrates, faithfull miniſters, conſcionable lawyers, skilfull phyſitians, honeſt tradeſmen, induſtrious husbandmen, or which any receive from good husbands or wives, provident parents, mercifull maſters, diligent and truſtie ſervants, or any other perſons, are Gods benefits. It is therefore moſt due that we enquire what may be rēdred to the Lord for thē.
Learne we hereby in all manner of benefits to roule up our Exhortation to render thanks to God.eyes to God, and as we taſte of the ſweetneſſe of them, ſo to lift vp a thankefull heart to him that giveth them. It is a ſwiniſh part to eate the maſt that falleth from a tree, and not to lift up an eye to the tree whence it falleth. It is not enough to render any thing to man, or to any other creature for the benefits we hauehave. The Prophets quaere is, What ſhall I render to the Lord? To render any thing to the creature and nothing to the Creator, is to neglect the principall doner; yea to thinke more highly of the ſervant then of the maſter, of man then of God, which is no better then idolatry. When therefore thou haſt a thought of rendring, enquire what thou mayſt render to God, what may be pleaſing and acceptable to him: for which we had a direction *§. 77, 78. …before.
§. 80. Of the conſideration of Gods benefits▪ working gratefulneſſe.
IIII. *§. 76.A Right underſtanding of Gods benefits workes gratefulneſſe. On this ground that aPſal. 139. 14.the Pſalmiſts ſoule did right well know Gods workes, he maketh this inference, I will praiſe thee. When b—106. 1…,the Iſraelites had ſuch c—100. 3, 4.evidence of Gods prouidence over them, as they beleeved his words, then they ſang his prayſe. To induce men to be thankefull unto God, and to bleſſe his name, the Pſalmiſt aduiſeth men to take notice of the kindneſſes of God towards them.
Hereby is man convinced of the equity of the duty; which is an eſpeciall meanes to work upon the conſcience, and provoke him to performe that which in his iudgement he ſeeth to be moſt iuſt and meet that it ſhould be performed.
Inſtruction in the cauſe of ingratitude.By this take notice of a maine reaſon of mans ingratitude. The benefits of the Lord which occaſion matter of thankſgiuing are either not at all obſerued, but paſſed ouer without regard; or elſe ſoone forgotten. When the Lord by his Prophet upbraideth to the Iſraelites their great ingratitude he rendreth this reaſon thereof, dIſa. 1. 3.Iſrael doth not know, my people doth not conſider. And when the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh of their like ingratitude, he rendreth this reaſon, ePſal. 106. 21.They ſorgat God their Sauiour, which had done great things in Aegypt. Where there is no knowledge of a benefit there can be no good eſteeme thereof. What is not eſteemed can not be affected. No man will enquire what hee may render for that which he affects not. Againe that which is forgotten is as not knowne, as not eſteemed, as not affected. They therefore Non dubium quin excitet ad laudandum beneficiorum recordatio Bern. ſuper Cant. ſerm. 10. Direction for gratitude.that either take no notice of Gods benefits, or ſoone forget them after they have once knowne them, muſt needs be ungratefull. But without all doubt, remembrance of kindneſſe incites gratefulneſſe.
To preuent this crime of ingratitude, (a crime moſt odious to God and man)
1. Be diligent in obſeruing Gods benefits. Pſal. 85. 8.
2. Oft and ſeriouſly meditate thereon, that they may not ſlip out of thy mind and memory. Pſal. 77. 11, 12.
3. Speake of them to others: as he that ſaid, Come, heare all yee that feare God, and I will declare what he hath done for my ſoule. Pſal. 66. 16.
This is the way to make thee ſee and ſay, Gods benefits are towards mee, and thereupon in teſtimonie of gratefulneſſe heartily to enquire, what ſhall I render to the Lord?
§. 81. Of a fourth property of gratitude, by one kindneſſe to be put in mind of many.
V. *§. 76.GRatefulneſſe raiſeth the mind from ſome favours to all. This generall particle, all, is not ſo ſtrictly to be taken as if no favour or benefit were to be left out: for ſo many are the benefits which God from time to time doth beſtow upon vsus, as it is not poſſible to faſten our mind upon them all: but it is to be taken of the ſeverall kinds of Gods benefits, (as Generall, Particular, Publike, Private, Temporall, Spirituall, &c.) and of as many ſeuerall and diſtinct brāches of theſe as we can. Thus whē David was ſetled in his Kingdome, and thereupon tooke occaſion to praiſe God, aCompare 1 Chro. 16. 8▪ &c▪ with Pſal. 10…. 1. &c. Read Pſal 78. to the end.in his Pſalme of praiſe he reckoneth up all thoſe kindneſſes which God had done to his people from the time of their firſtfathers Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob: yea he giveth this expreſſe charge, bPſal. 105. 2.Talke ye of All his wondrous workes. So c2 Chro. 20▪ 21Iehoſophat, when he conſulted upon the promiſe of victory which God by his Prophet had given him, to praiſe the Lord, the 136. Pſalme, which containeth a catalogue of all Gods mercies, was appointed to be ſung. That ſweet ſinger of Iſrael, who well knew how to order his formes of praiſe to God as affirmatively he promiſeth to dPſal 9. 1.ſhew foorth All c—103 2. A foreign per tran. ſp…ſi …one… … & tranſmutationem in foreign fit ullus.Gods marveilous works: ſo he giveth a negative charge to his ſoule, not to forget all (or any of) his benefits.
As more fuell added to fire maketh the flame the greater, ſo more benefits brought to an heart ſet on fire to praiſe the Lord, enlargeth it the more, and enflameth it with an holy zeale.
Direction to rouſe up our ſpirits in thankſgivingThis patterne is worthy our imitation, and affordeth an excellent rule, to ſtir us up heartily, cheerfully, and zealouſly to praiſe the Lord. The rule is this, to be ſo acquainted with the ſeverall kinds of Gods benefits, as on all occaſions they may be preſented to our minds. Without all queſtion the Prophets mind was upon many and ſundry ſorts of benefits, when he ſaid, all his benefits are towards me. He did not confuſedly uſe this generall particle all, as many doe when they profeſſe to thanke God for all his benefits, and yet have none at all in their minds. His ſpirit was otherwiſe diſpoſed, then to content it ſelfe with ſuch a generall, indefinite, cold, looſe, formall forme of acknowledging Gods benefits. If we would accuſtome our ſelves to make diaries of Gods bleſſings on us, and when we are before God, recompt them in order, & oft Pſal 22. 10.call to mind how frō our mothers womb he hath bone our God, how in every eſtate and degree of our age he hath bleſſed us, and that with all manner of bleſſings temporall and ſpiritual, See in the whole armour of God, Treat. 3. part. 2 § 64, 6…. &c. a catalogue of benefits.privative and poſitive, conferred on our ſelves and thoſe that belong unto us, yea on the nation, city, pariſh, or family where we live, then would not ſuch a generall clauſe as this, all his benefits are towards me, be an idle clauſe: but the mind which is large in apprehenſion, where it is well informed, would compriſe much matter on it, even ſo much as would ſet the heart on fire with zeale.