A Guide to Godliness, Book 5 · Chapter 33
CAP. XXXIII.
Of extraordinary meanes of a godly life, and firſt, of feaſting, and ſolemne thankeſgiuing.
§. Sect. 1 Of ſolemne thankeſgiuing what it is, and when to be performed.
HAuing intreated of the ordinary meanes of a godly life; it now followeth that we ſay ſomething of the extraordinary, which are ſuch as are to be vſed vponupon extraordinary occaſions, when God offereth them vntounto vsus. And theſe are ſpecially two; the firſt is, holy feaſting, wherein we returne vntounto God thankes and praiſe, for his ſpeciall bleſſings and benefits; the other, an holy faſt, wherein we doe, after an extraordinary manner, humble our ſelues before him, in the ſight and ſenſe of our ſinnes, or ſome afflictions which they hauehave deſeruedly brought vponupon vsus. Concerning the former, I ſhall not need to ſay much, ſeeing I hauehave already ſpoken of it, and am here onelyonly to ſhew, what extraordinary thankes and praiſe we are to returne vntounto God, when as we are ſtirred vp thereunto by ſome extraordinary and ſpeciall benefit. The which is the ſame thankſgiuing ſpoken of before, performed in a ſolemne & ſpecial maner, for ſome great & extraordinary fauour of God, ſhining cleerly in ſome more then vſuall benefit receiued (as it were) from his owne hand, when in reſpect of ſecondary cauſes, we could not ſo much as hope for it, and in regard of our ſinnes and vnworthineſſe, we had good cauſe to expect the contrary. As when God hath magnified his wiſedome, power and goodneſſe vntounto vsus in ſome wonderful deliuerance from ſome dreadful and deſperate danger, threatening imminent deſtruction; or out of ſome grieuous calamity, into which we are already plunged, when as we could not reaſonably expect helpe and ſafety from our owne meanes, or the aſſiſtance of any creature, but from God alone, to whom nothing is impoſſible; or in beſtowing vponupon vsus ſome poſitiue benefit of great vſe and worth, when vponupon the former conſiderations we could conceiue ſmall hope, that euer we ſhould hauehave inioyed it. Of the former we hauehave diuers examples in the Scriptures. As in that ſolemne thankſgiuing rendred vntounto God by the people of Iſrael, for their freedome out of the Egyptian bondage, and for drowning their enemies in the red Sea, for which Moſes, Miriam, with the reſt of the people, Exod. 15.men and women, reioyce before God, and ſing vntounto him ſongs of deliuerance. The which they yeerly renewed in a moſt ſolemne manner, in the celebration of the Feaſt of the Paſſeouer, wherein they litterally magnified Gods mercy for that temporary deliuerance, and typically for their ſpirituall Redemption from ſinne, Satan, and all other enemies of their ſaluation, by the true Paſchall Lambe, the Meſſias, who was to bee ſlaine and offered to God his Father, as a propitiatory ſacrifice, and all-ſufficient price of Redemption for their ſinnes, and all others who ſhould beleeue in him. And ſuch a ſolemne thankeſgiuing was made by Deborah Iudg. 5.and the people, for their victory ouer Siſera, and their freedome from the tyranny of Iabin King of Canaan, who had long oppreſſed them. By Dauid, when as God had deliuered him out of the hands of all his enemies, and eſpecially out of the hand of Saul; and by Heſter, Mordecay, and the Iewes Heſt. 9.of the Captiuity, from that feareful conſpiracy of Haman, who had plotted the deſtruction of the whole Nation. And ſuch a feaſt of thankſgiuing we worthily celebrate vponupon the fifth of Nouember, for that maruellous and almoſt miraculous deliuerance of our King and State, from that horrible and vnmatchable Powder-treaſon, by giuing wiſdom to our gracious Soueraigne, to interpret their darke riddle, as he did ſomtime to Daniel, for the expounding of Nebuchadnezzars dreame, when the wiſedome of the wiſeſt in the Land could not vnfold it. Of the other we hauehave an example in Abraham, who made a ſolemne feaſt, that he might render vntounto God, Gen. 21.praiſe and thankeſgiuing, for giuing vntounto him, contrary to all hope, a ſon in his old age, of whom ſhould come that promiſed ſeed, in which, both himſelfe, and all the Nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed.
§. Sect. 2 When this ſolemne thankſgiuing is moſt ſeaſonable; how it differeth from that which is ordinary, and the kinds of it.
Which examples we ought to imitate, conſecrating vntounto God ſome day for ſolemne thankeſgiuing, whenſoeuer wee receiue from him any great and extraordinary benefits, either priuatiue, conſiſting in deliuerance from ſome imminent or preſent euill; or poſitiue, when as he vouchſafeth vntounto vsus ſome great and vnexpected bleſſing. But aboue all other times we muſt performe this duty, when wee celebrate the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, in remembrance of that ineſtimable benefit, the great worke of our Redemption, wrought by the death and Paſſion of Ieſus Chriſt, whereby we are deliuered out of the hands of all our ſpirituall enemies. The which is called the Euchariſt, or a Sacrament of thankeſgiuing, becauſe therein wee doe, in a ſolemne manner, render vntounto God thankes and praiſe, for Chriſt and all his benefits, the pardon of our ſins, and that great Charter of our peace, ſealed firſt by his blood, and now by this Sacrament inſtituted to put vsus in remembrance of it, and as it were afreſh to renew his Couenant, and to put our Pardon into our owne hands. Now this extraordinary thankeſgiuing to bee vſed vponupon ſuch ſpeciall occaſions, differeth from that which is ordinary, not in the matter, which is one and the ſame, but in the manner and meaſure, which according to the occaſion, ought to be extraordinary in quantity and degree. For our hearts muſt be more then vſually inflamed with the apprehenſion of Gods louelove and goodneſſe, and inward ioy in the ſpeciall fruition of his ſingular bleſſings, which muſt affect them with extraordinary zeale to glorifie and praiſe him, and to expreſſe our thankfulneſſe by renewing our couenant with God, binding our ſelues by firme reſolution, that in ſenſe of his preſent fauours, wee will be more deuout and zealous in all duties of his ſeruice for the time to come, then euer we hauehave been in time paſt. And by continuing our thankeſgiuing in a ſolemne manner, for a longer time then ordinary, ſetting it apart as a Sabbath of reſt from all our worldly labours, that it may be wholly ſpent in Gods praiſes, and in teſtifying our louelove and inward ioy and reioycing in him, by outward feaſting, and more liberall vſe of meates and drinkes, and all other comforts of this life; and in ſhewing our louelove and bounty in obedience to God, by entertaining at our table, and by ſending gifts and rewards vntounto our poore neighbours, that they alſo may reioyce with vsus. And this ſolemne feaſting and thankeſgiuing is, according to the occaſion of it, publike or priuate. Publike, for ſome publike benefit which concerneth the welfare of the Church or Common-wealth, which is to bee appoynted onelyonly by the publike authority of Chriſtian Magiſtrates; and is to be celebrated in a moſt ſolemne and publike manner, all ſorts and conditions of men aſſembling together in the Church, to magnifie and praiſe Gods holy name, and to craue the continuance of his louelove and fauour. The which prayers and prayſes are profitably conioyned with the preaching of the Word, for the ſtirring vp of the whole Aſſembly to extraordinary thankfulneſſe, when as thereby the greatneſſe of the bleſſings receiued, and the ineſtimable merciemercy of God is ſet forth vntounto them. Priuate, for ſome ſpeciall benefits beſtowed, either on a particular perſon, or a whole family, which is to bee ſolemnized by ſinging of Pſalmes, prayer and thankeſgiuing, reading of ſome portions of holy Scriptures, fit for the preſent occaſion; holy conferences, whereby wee are to magnifie Gods mercies, and to recount and tell what great things hee hath done for vsus; and alſo expreſſing our inward ioy, by a more free and liberall vſe of Gods creatures, whereof wee muſt alſo cauſe our poore neighbours to hauehave ſome taſte. The which kind of feaſting and ſolemne thankeſgiuing is a notable helpe vntounto true godlineſſe, as it worketh our hearts to a more liuely ſenſe & feeling of Gods louelove, ſtirreth vsus vp to more zealous performance of all religious duties vntounto him, who hath been ſo gracious and good vntounto vsus; and as it giueth vsus occaſion to renew our couenant with God, and to confirme our reſolution, that wee will be more diligent and zealous in doing all things which may pleaſe and glorifie him.