Commentary on Judges, Sermon 29
THE TWENTIE NINE SERMON ON THE FOVRTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES.
IT followeth of Siſera, who being very dry with trauelling Verſ. 19. 20. 21.on foote, and inward griefe heating him, deſiring ſomewhat wherewith to quench his thirſt, and ſhee gaue him liberally milke to drinke, which was fitteſt to bring him aſleepe. But when he had well drunke, he forgets not the danger he was in, while ſuch as paſſed by might be ready to aske after him there; and therefore hee diligently inſtructeth her to be carefull eueryevery way for his preſeruation and ſafety. By the giuing him drinke that he might fall aſleepe, and ſo ſhe might the more conueniently diſpatch him by ſo good an opportunity, ſhe ſhewed her readines to help cut off Gods enemies, and therin as wel to ſerue him as his Church, which well appeareth in theſe three verſes: and this thing in generall, wee Doct. verſ. 19. 20. 21.all are bound to follow her in, though not in that particular manner.
For as God commended the vniuſt ſteward, for that he had done wiſely Luk. 16. 8.in making prouiſion for himſelfe, when he was put out of his ſtewardſhip; although he condemned his particular fact, in that he ſought it by falſhood and fraud: ſo is our godly care to helpe the members of the Church, and to reſiſt the enemies of it, both are very commendable in vsus, though we muſt beware of all vnlawfull meanes vſing, which tend thereto. Thus as Debora, Barak, and Iael wrought a wonderfull deliuerance for Gods people; ſo they who hauehave place and authority put in their hands by God, are bound to doe for the ſafety of the whole Church, if they will proue themſelues faithfull and zealous. And priuate perſons whoſe power cannot reach farre, ought to doe the ſame toward particular members of the Church, and that part of it where they dwell, ſo farre as they ſhall be able.
Of Iaels readineſſe to cut off Gods enemy Siſera, and of her faithfulneſſe wee hauehave heard: now further in this 19. and 20. verſes is ſhewed how God Verſ. 19. 20.did cauſe him to truſt Iael, and to put confidence in her for the hiding and keeping him from his enemies. And as he did in this; when he purpoſeth euill againſt wicked men, he commonly blindfoldeth them, takes away prouidence and counſell from them, and ſuffereth them to chuſe that courſe to follow in their liues and actions, which proues the vnhappieſt to them, euen worſe oft times then their greateſt enemie could take againſt them; as I may ſay of Pharaoh in his wilfull ventering on the ſea to follow after Iſrael: what Exod. 14. 28.enemy could ſo much hauehave hurt him, as he did himſelfe. So that a wicked man is neuer ſure of peace and ſafety when he is at the beſt; for the Lord is able to defeate him firſt and laſt, euen many waies: for why? there is no peace to the vngodly, as the Prophet faith; neither is there any counſell againſt Eſa. 57. 21.the Lord Iehouah. Againe, as hee truſted in her, ſo the Lord made her deceiue and diſappoint him. Both which doe confirme vsus in that which hath now been ſaid, and teach vsus, that when it pleaſeth him, hee leaueth the wicked deſtitute of all helpe, and fruſtrate of their hope of ſucceſſe, or that they put in their friends, yea and further, hee will make all his creatures to worke againſt them. Which he doth, to ſignifie to them, that hee is againſt them alſo. Which though hee teſtifie to them before by his word, which ſaith, the wicked are an abomination vntounto the Lord; and againe, the workers of iniquity Prou 1. 5. 9.doth hee abhorre; yet he ſeeing that his word is caſt behinde their Luk 13. 27.backes, doth therefore as it were, ſpeake to them by his creatures, and that as ſenſibly (to ſuch as can iudge) as hee did to Baalam, in opening the mouth Note this. Numb. 22. 28.of the dumbe Aſſe, and cauſing it to ſpeak to him, when he (ſeeking the wages of iniquity) would not hauehave heard the Lord ſpeake to him, nor enclined his heart to obey him.
Thus doth God deale with vile and vnconſcionable men, that he will ſet (as I ſay) not their friends onelyonly, but euen the hoſt of heauen, and the creatures of the earth againſt them. Thus Saul, when he had forſaked the Lord, 1. Sam. 19. 12. 1. Sam. 28. 15.could neither hauehave his daughter faithfull vntounto him, to ſend Dauid his enemie to him, neither could he hauehave any Prophet of God to ſpeake to him in his greateſt neceſſity and ſtraits, as his own words do teſtifie, he complaining thus; I am in diſtreſſe, for God is departed from mee, and ſpeaketh no more to me by Prophets, &c. Neither could Senacherib hauehave his ſonnes truſty to 2. King. 19. 37.him, but was ſlaine of them, by whom he ought by nature to hauehave been defended: yea and they did it in the Temple, while hee was worſhiping Niſhroch his god, in whom hee truſted, and looked alwaies for helpe from him, and notwithſtanding he preferred him before the true and liuing God; yet euen then he was diſappointed. Thus Ammon alſo and Iezabel were not ſecure 2. King 21. 23. 2. King. 9. 33.from their owne ſeruants. And if it bee thus done to the mighty; how much more then to the meane, who hauehave leſſe helpe to ſtand by him? And not onelyonly their beſt helpes faile and deceiue them, but, as I ſaid, all things are againſt them. Thus haileſtones helped Gods people to deſtroy their enemies the Canaanites: The Lord (ſaith the holy ſtory) caſt downe great ſtones Ioſh. 10. 11.from heauen vponupon them, and there were more that died of the haileſtones, then they whom the children of Iſrael ſlue with the ſword. So the waters, euen the riuer Kiſhon deuoured this hoſt of Siſera. So Abimelech was ſlaine with a piece of a milſtone. Abſalon by an oke catching hold of his long haire, (his ornament) Iudg 9. 53. 2. Sam. 1…. 9.Chorah ſwallowed vp of the earth. So a wallfel vponupon ſeuen and twenty thouſand Numb 16. 31 32. 1. King. 20. 30.Aramites that eſcaped the battell.
The Sunne alſo ſtood ſtill in the middeſt of the heauen, and haſted not to goe downe for a whole day: and this was to the end it might the longer Ioſh. 10. 12.giuegive light, and bee an helpe to Ioſhua and the people to auenge their enemies. And (to adde this one thing to the former,) I affirme, that there are not the meaneſt nor baſeſt creatures, but they are harneſſed as men of war, to fight in the Lords cauſe, and at his commandement, againſt the wicked, as the many plagues caſt vponupon Pharaoh, I meane the lice, flies, graſhoppers, Exod. 8. and 9. & 10. chap.and the like, euen they (I ſay) may teſtifie. So that in this one reſpect, in that neither the friends of the wicked ſhall be faithfull to them, when God will otherwiſe hauehave it; and namely when they are vnfaithfull to him, but that he himſelfe and his creature ſhall be armed againſt them, what can bee ſaid leſſe then this, euen woe be vntounto them. But infinite are the other plagues that hang ouer them, and doe oft times meete with, and take hold of them: beſides that they are eueryevery houre in danger, when ſome kind of fearefull death or other ſhall ſweepe them away to carrie them to their laſt and vttermoſt ruine. So that, as I note ſome of the wofull iudgements that hang ouer them, or be already vponupon them; ſo if there were many more particulars ſet downe as they might bee, with the intolerable and moſt terrible paines of the damned, one would thinke there were ſmall cauſe, why any ſhould flock Note.to their company, or long and deſire to be of them, and to taſte of their dainties. And yet they are at this day, (which is ſo much the more to bee bewailed,) as the ſand of the ſea, and ſwarme in all places; that for my part (I ſay) when I cannot but know it to be ſo, and thinke vponupon it, and what little hope there is to reclaime the moſt of them; Oh that mine eyes were a fountaine of Ier. 9. 1.teares, that I might weepe bitterly for the woe and loſſe of ſo many people. If it ſeeme ſtrange which hath been ſaid of the multitudes of them that ſhall periſh, Rom. 9. 27. Mat. 20. 16.the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it. Though Iſrael bee as the ſand of the ſea, yet but a remnant ſhall be ſaued. And although I cenſure not men by the miſchances as they are called, that befall them (but are indeed the iuſt iudgements of God vponupon them) ſithence neither all wicked men are thus puniſhed, nor all thus handled are wicked men: yet ſeeing this is the lot of the vngodly, and the portion of their cup which their wicked life hath brought vponupon them, let none of them eaſe their ſtomacks by charging God, neither waſh off all with crying out of their hard fortune and hap, as they count it; their onelyonly hope (if any be) is to beleeue and bewaile it. Neither let the godly call into queſtion the prouident care of their louing father, becauſe they ſee that oftentimes theſe caſualties and calamities betide them, but cleaue more firmely to the promiſes and the whole truth of the word, beleeuing that (ſeeing they are at amity and peace with the Lord) hee can make all creatures inſtruments of their good; and not onelyonly their friends faithfull to them, both in heauen and earth; yea their very enemies to bee at one with them, and more truſtie to them, then they are one to another. And if God thus tender their whole perſon, then their ſoules be pretious in his eyes, and their bodies (no man doubteth) are alſo regarded of him, and both are ſafe vnderunder his protection.Mat. 4. 6.
But now to ſpeake a little of Iaels faithfulneſſe, though a like point to this An Obiect.hath been handled, yet her action in alluring Siſera into her tent (with promiſe that he ſhould be ſafe there, and bidding him not feare,) and yet murthering him afterward ſo cruelly (as it ſeemeth) this (I ſay) beſide that I hauehave ſaid of it, is thought to be ſo farre from the truſtineſſe which ſhould bee in them, who vndertake the ſafety of thoſe whom they receiue into their houſes, that it is counted rather barbarous cruelty & trechery. And the more to vrge an anſwere hereunto, it is obiected, that it hath alwaies been as well the care as the credit of ſuch as take ſtrangers into their cuſtodie, to ſee thē ſafely kept in their houſes from annoyance and danger. Iure hoſpitij, as we ſay, that Gen 19. 8.is, by the right due to them by thoſe that receiue them. The example of Lot is alleaged, who for the defence of thoſe ſtrangers that turned in vntounto him, offered much inconuenience to himſelfe, and his daughters, that hee might free the ſtrangers whom he receiued, from iniurie. The like is ſaid of the care Iudg. 19. 23.of that old man (mentioned hereafter in this booke) to the Leuite and his concubine, whom he had receiued as ſtrangers into his houſe. Hereupon and by the like, it is concluded, that as it were by an vniuerſall law, the promiſes that are made to ſtrangers for their ſafety, ſhould bee inuiolably kept. The very Barbarians ſhewed much kindnes in a like caſe, as wee reade in the Act. 28. 10.booke of the Acts to Paul and his company entertaining them kindly, yea and did more alſo then that vntounto them, for they laded them with neceſſaries at their departing.
To all that hath been ſaid of faithfulneſſe to bee ſhewed to ſuch as it is Anſw.promiſed to, as Iael did: I anſwere, that I am of the ſame mind, that it ought to be ſo; and the Scripture doth ſtraitely vrge the ſame. But yet wee muſt know, that no bands of familiarity and equity are ſo neerely ioyned together, and ſo iuſt, but that if God for cauſes beſt knowne to him, command otherwiſe, they are to bee broken. And ſo it may ſeeme to bee of this act of Iael. For ſeeing the Lord had now curſed, and commanded to be deſtroyed, theſe Canaanites, and Siſera their captaine, therefore neither ſhee nor any other might heere take vponupon them to ſaue or ſpare them, but doe to them as God directed them, and ſo ſhe did. Thus the Leuites followed and Exod. 32. 27.obeyed Moſes in killing their friends and kindred, who had committed idolatry with the Calfe which they had made, and pleaſed God highly in ſo doing. In this reſpect, and by vertue of this commandement of God, Abraham went about to kill his ſonne: and they that thinke fooliſh pitie ought to be ſhewed contrary to the word of God, let them remember what befell the King of Iſrael, who when hee had ſpared Benhadad the King of Aram, 1. King. 20. 42.contrary to the word of God, was reproued by the Prophet at the cōmandement of God, in theſe words; Becauſe thou haſt let goe out of thy hands a man whom I appointed to die, thy life ſhall goe for his life. And therefore to returne to Iael, foraſmuch as I ſee, that the Lord was the only gouernour of this worke, and commended her for it, in the next chapter, by Debora, yea pronounced her bleſſed, when the action of killing Siſera is ſpoken of; therefore I conclude, that ſhe being certainly perſwaded of Gods wil in that which ſhe did, and commanded of God ſo to doe; her deceiuing of his hope, was no more ſince in her, then Abrahams attempt to kill his ſonne was, or the Leuites ſleying of their kindred for their idolatry. And this for anſwering the queſtion. The doctrine hath been taught already, that wee hauehave no authority to The vſe of the anſwere.follow her example, but the word, wherby our actions muſt be guided as by a rule, and by no example without it. Thus wee hauehave ſeene (as I ſaid in the beginning of the chapter) that the Lord by Barak, Debora, and Iael, ſubdued Siſera with his huge armie.
It followeth:
Verſ. 22. And behold, as Barak purſued after Siſera, Iael came out to meete him, and ſaid, Come, and I will ſhew thee the man whom thou ſeekeſt, and when he came into her tent, behold Siſera lay dead, and the naile in his temples.
Verſ. 23. So God brought downe Iabin the King of Canaan that day before the children of Iſrael.
Verſ. 24. And the hand of the children of Iſrael proſpered, and preuailed againſt Iabin the King of Canaan, vntill they had destroyed Iabin King of Canaan.
NOw it is ſhewed, how Iael came out to meete Barak, who not finding The ſenſe of theſe 3. verſes.Siſera among thoſe who were ſlaine, followed after him; and ſhe told him what ſhe had done vntounto him, and thus ſhe preuented Barak, leſt hee ſhould wearie himſelfe with ſeeking him, and bee grieued when he found him not, and hee came into her tent, and found it ſo. And by Baraks purſuing him, it appeareth that Siſera was not deceiued in that hee feared it, and warned Iael to preuent it. Likewiſe it appeareth here, that the Lord deliuered his people out of the hands of Iabin, and deſtroied him. Here let vsus note two or three things, and ſo come to an end of the whole chapter. And firſt, though Iael muſt imbrace and hold peace with Iabin, yet wee ſee her heart Doct.went not with him, neither did ſhe like his crueltie and oppreſſion of Gods people, but ſought to turne it away, and ſhe reioyced to ſee the people of God to preuaile, and to helpe them all that ſhe could, as Nehemiah and Eſter did, vſing their fauour they found with Kings, to this end. It teacheth, that the godly doe giuegive good teſtimonie how they diſlike it, when the wicked Doct. verſ. 22. 23.rule, and hauehave all in their hands: as Iael did here, by her worthie helping to beate downe Iabins and Siſeras power. For (as Salomon ſaith) when they beare rule, the people ſigh. And contrarily, what ioy they hauehave, when God giues them godly guides, and makes them to proſper, ſuch as Moſes and Ioſua Prou. 29. 2.were, with other, who did more aduance the Lord and his true worſhip, as it became them, then they did themſelues. And ſo it is in meaner eſtates, that we hauehave great cauſe to praiſe God, when he feebleth and diſgraceth the vngodly, and proſpereth the enterpriſes of his ſeruants, in any place of ſuperioritie and gouernment, and ſo in meaner conditions. And let all ſuch as are vnderunder them, glorifie God by bringing foorth much fruite, when they enioy ſuch liberties, and let them feruently intreate (for much good may be Iohn 15. 9.done in ſuch times) the Lord when it is otherwiſe, to change it: remembring that which is written in the Pſalme: Pray for the peace of Ieruſalem, they Pſal. 122. 62.ſhall proſper that louelove thee, I will procure thy peace, &c.
Further we may learne, that as Barak purſuing Siſera, as he was commanded, Doct. 2. out of all theſe verſes.obtained a great bleſſing of God; ſo ſhall all that incline their hearts to follow the commandements of God with a pure heart. For it is the fruit of Gods promiſe, and he is not pleaſed, if wee walking wiſely and diligently in Pſal. 19. 11.our calling, doe not beleeue the ſame. For through vnbeleeſe, wee depriue God of his honour, and our ſelues of our owne due, which hee hath freely and graciouſly bequeathed vsus. But contrarily, by giuing credit to God, and walking in a good courſe, (as frailtie will permit) we may in reuerence, and yet in confidence, looke ſurely for bleſſing, either outward with other, or at the leaſt, the inward ioy of a good conſcience, that is as continuall feaſting, which is alwaies a companion in ſuch a caſe. And therefore great pitie it is that wee ſhould through our owne folly, at any time, depriue our ſelues of ſuch a benefit. And eſpecially this bleſſing wee may enioy by faithfull diſcharging of our duties, that as Barak here heard by Iael the good tidings concerning Siſera that ſhe had ſlaine him; euen ſo, much good ſhall wee reape by the members of the Church to the gladding of our hearts: It is one of the fruites of well doing, which followeth it, as the ſhadow doth the bodie: as good report, and ſucceſſe in things, and incouragement to goe forward. Whereas if our waies be crooked, and euill in the ſight of the Lord, wee may looke for no better in places where we come, but to heare of that which will ſting vsus, as the coales of Iuniper. And from hence are many of the cries and complaints that we heare: for mens ill doings are rung about their eares, with reproch, threatnings of them, and ſuch like, as doe make them take little ioy in their liues. So on the contrarie, many ſhall bee the comforts of them that doe well. And as Iael here did not a little glad the heart of Barak, by telling him of the death of Siſera the chiefe enemie of Gods people, while hee purſued after him; ſo it is the part and dutie of all Gods people to bring ioy and gladneſſe to their brethren, as they are able, and to keepe ſorrow and griefe from them by all meanes, as occaſion ſhall be offered. And this ſhould be one ſpeciall fruite of the communion and fellowſhip of Gods ſeruants here on earth. But in as much as for all Barak purſuing of Siſera, yet he ſlew him not himſelfe, but Iael. Here Barak ſaw the Doct. 3.word of God liuely verified, which Debora had ſpoken of vntounto him before in the 9. verſe, to wit, that the honour of that victorie ſhould not go to him, but to a woman, as we ſee it did to Iael. And euen ſo, if we marke, we ſhall as cleerely ſee the ſame, when we hauehave offended againſt the Lord, that one or other chaſtiſement ſhall meete with vsus, and ſeaze vponupon vsus, and if it be not with vsus after we hauehave ſinned, as if an arrow ſhould pearce thorow our liuer, Prou. 7. 23.for the ſorrow wee conceiue for it, be wee well aſſured it is behinde and to come, and in the meane while, or one time or other, wee ſhall carrie ſome marke of our diſobedience, as Barak did here, for that was the word of the Lord that it ſhould be ſo, as Debora ſaid, I will goe with thee, but the honour of the victorie ſhall not be thine: as hath been noted before with the vſe thereof.
Laſtly, we may ſee by this ſubduing of Siſera, and deſtroying his mightiē Doct. verſ. 24.armie, how eaſily the Lord can breake the forces of his enemies, and pull downe, and turne away their wrath and rage from his people, (as a man would turne the riuers of waters, which way he liſteth) or cut off their perſons from the earth; and if it were not ſo, what good man could liue by them? And what a comfort that may be to Gods people, in that the Lord cuts off their enemies in due ſeaſon, is not hard to conceiue, when we conſider what a ſcourge and plague one man oft times is to another, being inraged and incenſed, euen a wolfe, nay a diuell. But waight a little, and behold, in time, the arrow of Gods deliuerance to his, and ſhame and confuſion vponupon his impenitent and implacable enemies, except (as is rather to bee deſired) he change their hearts. But of this more largely before verſ. 15. Thus much for this chapter: I will end this Sermon with the beginning of the next.
THE FIFTH CHAPTER ON THE Booke of IVDGES.
Verſ. 1. Then ſang Debora and Barak the ſonne of Abinoam, the ſame day, ſaying;
Verſ. 2. Praiſe ye the Lord, for the reuenging of Iſrael, and for the people that offered themſelues willingly.
Verſ. 3. Heare ye Kings, hearken ye Princes, I, euen I, will ſing vntounto the Lord, I will ſing praiſe to the Lord God of Iſrael.
THe ſumme of this Chapter is a praiſing of God by Debora and Barak, The ſumme and parts of this Chapter.after the victorie.
The parts of it are three: the firſt is, one point of their ſong conſiſting in offering praiſes to God, to verſ. 14. The ſecond laieth out the goodneſſe of God to Iſrael ſundrie waies in this battell, and namely three: firſt, ſhe bringeth in them that did helpe in it, to verſ. 19. by occaſion whereof, mention is made of ſuch as did not helpe. Secondly, ſhe ſheweth how vnproſperouſly it fell out againſt the Canaanites in the battell, to verſ. 23. Thirdly, the hinderers of the victorie from Iſrael, are curſed, and Iael that did helpe to get it them, is pronounced bleſſed, to verſ. 28. The third part of the chapter ſheweth how in their ſong they mocked the boaſting of Siſeras friends, to verſ. 31. and ſo as an addition thereto, they ſhut vp the ſong with a prayer in the 31. verſe.
The firſt part of the Chapter.
NOw to leaue the two laſt parts, to bee conſidered of in their due place, I come to the firſt, and that is their ſong, which containeth three things. The firſt that is in their ſong, is this; that they exhort the Iſraelites to praiſe God with them for thoſe that offered themſelues willingly to the battell, in the two firſt verſes; and the Kings and gouernours, that were ſtrangers, to heare what they ſaid, and that is in the third verſe. In the ſecond part, and next verſes following, they ſet downe the Lords mercies long before powred out on their fathers, and now lately to them in the deliuerance of his people, to the eighth verſe, and exhort them to praiſe God who inioyed the commodities that came by the victory, to the twelfth verſe. The third thing is, that Debora ſtirreth vp her ſelfe againe to ſing praiſe to God, and Barak to the triumph, verſ. 12. 13.
Now to begin with the firſt and ſecond verſes, wherein they exhort Iſrael Doct. verſ. 1.to praiſe God with them, before they begin the ſong: for they enioyed the benefit of deliuerance, as well as they that got the victorie: It teacheth, that all ſuch as receiue Gods benefits, doe owe this dutie of praiſe to him, and that the heart and the tongue, if it may be, ought to goe together in that action. The Lord looketh for it, and the Church hath alwaies practiſed it, Luke 17. 17.though not in a like manner. As Moſes and Miriam did full ſolemnely at the Exod. 15. 1.drowning of Pharaoh and his charets: ſo the women for the many victories that God granted to Iſrael, came foorth ſinging in this manner: Saul hath killed his thouſand, and Dauid his tenne thouſand. Likewiſe Ezechias after his 1. Sam. 18. 6.recouerie, with Anna the mother of Samuel, and many other. And it was Iſai. 38. 9. &c.the vſe and practiſe of Gods ſeruants to penne their ſongs, and often to repeate them, to quicken the memoriall of Gods benefits and his kindnes, in their owne and the hearts of other, and to knit themſelues more neerely to him by this part of his ſeruice performed in Chriſt Ieſus, according to his will.
Agreeable to this is the exhortation of the Apoſtle, In all things be thankfull: 1. Theſſ. 5. 18.for as Gods mercies are renued eueryevery morning, ſo good reaſon, that our Lamen. 3. 23.thankes ſhould be alſo. And as it is acceptable to God, ſo it is no ſmall benefit that redoundeth thereby to our ſelues, for it drieth vp the bitternes that is readie to riſe vp in vsus by occaſion of Gods afflicting vsus, and crucifieth and ſcattereth ſuch like poyſons as lie lurking in our hearts; thankfulneſſe, I ſay, Note.chaſeth them away, and ſuffereth them to hauehave no place there. Indeede it is proper to Gods people to offer to him this dutie, euen as it is ſaid, in Sion is God praiſed, the hypocrites (as the Phariſie, who gloſingly vttered theſe Pſal 65. 1. Luke 18. 11.words, Lord I thanke thee, that I am not as other men) they cannot praiſe him, but the conſent of mindes and hearts ſanctified, as the ſweete harmonie in Note.muſicke, this onelyonly can doe it, and teach others the skill to doe it alſo. As therefore the thankes of moſt men (wanting the feeling of Gods louelove and bleſſings) is meere diſſimulation and taking Gods name in vaine: ſo it is much to be lamented, that the better ſort (whom it would become ſo well) ſtirre themſelues vp ſo little and ſlowly hereto. For thankſgiuing, as confeſſion and ſupplication, ſhould be ſeaſoned and accompanied with feruencie, as a companion: which amplifieth and (as Debora here did) makes ſongs of the bleſſings which others paſſe ouer in ſilence: beſides the affection it ſelfe, which is inlarged in a more then common manner, eſpecially being quickned (as ſhe here was) by ſome new or rare teſtimonie of Gods louelove, either bodily or ſpirituall mercies, or deliuerances from euill of both ſorts. But here we may ſay, Plenty makes vsus barren: for though we hauehave ſo much cauſe of thankes, that we can looke on no ſide, but wee may ſee many: in ſo much as we be bound to ſhew it in things, yet moſt men know neither how to begin, nor to make an end. The daily benefit of health, recouerie out of diſeaſes, protection from dangerous caſualties, peace of land, and peace in familie, poſteritie, thriuing in the world, credit, our harueſts and commodities, nay our Sabbath and Communion, in the Goſpell and the fruites of it; who (may it be thought) makes his daily ſong of theſe, adding hereto perſonall benefits, which eueryevery one receiueth in his owne perſon. Many mens prayers conſiſt of ſuite and requeſt making to God, without any thankes either adioyned or following, as in the nine lepers is to be ſeene; others giuegive thankes in words, but they want wings to lift them vp to heauen, I meane, faith, feruencie and louelove. And the beſt thinke it enough to mumble a little inward thankes, and that ſometimes, for ſome bleſſings: but who is the man of many, that makes his thankes breake out into ſongs? Songs are more then common praiſes. Chriſtians ſhould hauehave two bookes, in the one to record their faults and falles; in the other to regiſter Gods benefits: both ſhould ſerue to ſet them a worke in confeſſion and thankes. For thankes neuer goe alone without other graces: A thankfull heart is patient alſo, humble, faithfull, Note.conſcionable, dutifull: by thankſgiuing we quicken vp our faith, zeale, feare of God, and renue our couenants daily: for how can wee diſhonour him, when we profeſſe our ſelues to be infinitly beholding to? This, beſides that it iuſtleth out iangling, contention, and ill ſpending the time; ſo it drieth vp the froth of our euill hearts, fretting, diſcontentment, impatience, hardneſſe of heart, and all of the ſame kinde, as I hauehave ſaid. In a word, he that praiſeth God aright, worſhips him aright, as we ſee in the Pſalme: and ſo to Pſal. 50. 23.ſay much in one word, he that is thankfull is a good Chriſtian. Oh then let vsus looke better to this, and make amends for our arrearages herein. For hee that lookes wee ſhould bee thankfull for affliction, as that holy man Iob was, much more (a man would thinke) lookes that it ſhould be ſo for bleſſings, which moſt iuſtly by many degrees do more chalenge it. Let eueryevery one that of the Iſrael of God ſay, The mercies of the Lord continue for euer. Let it not ſeeme tedious to recount old mercies, both the greateſt of redemption, and the leſſer of preſeruation: yea helpe we our ſelues forward mutually, as Barak and Debora here did ſing in conſort. Doubtleſſe an vnthankfull life, is Note.a ſottiſh, helliſh life, ouergrowne with all that naught is, and therefore lothſome to a Chriſtian. He that ſaith, I would I could doe eueryevery duty as well as this of thankes, is a foole, not knowing what he ſaith, he prates like a Parrot. Thankfulneſſe is not without godlineſſe. But I cannot well proceed further as this time.