Inquiry for a Suitable Return for Continued Life In and After Time of Plague, Part 13
DIRECTION XIII.
Since you live after this Plague, give thanks to God.HAth God ſpared you in time of ſo great Mortality; Then give thankes to God, and the Praiſes that are due unto him for ſo great Preſervation: Every Perſon ſhould be very thankful unto God, that hath kept him alive; and every Family ſhould ſound forth his Praiſes: You ſpent time extraordinary, in ſeeking God by Prayer, in your Cloſet, in your Family, that he would preſerve you; and, hath God done ſo, in anſwer to your Prayers? and, will you not ſpend ſome time extraordinary in, and with your own Family in thankful acknowledgments of Gods love unto you, and his care over you? Oh ſet ſome time apart, every Family whom God hath preſerved, or ſo many that are left in every Family, in ſolemn praiſings of God for his ſignal preſervation vouchſafed unto you. In the time of your trouble, you called upon God, he hath delivered you, and now you ſhould glorifie him, Pſal. 50.15. and God is glorified by you when you offer praiſes to him, Ver. 23.
In the preſſing you to the practice of this Direction, I ſhall do three things:
1. How, or with what, muſt thoſe that are preſerved from death in time of Plague give thanks to God, or glorifie God for this mercy?
2. With what Arguments ſhould the people of God that are ſpared preſs themſelves to give praiſes to God?
3. What courſe muſt ſuch take to get a thankful heart for ſo great a mercy?
SECT. I.
3 Wayes you muſt Pra…ſe God with your Tongue.HOw, or with what, muſt thoſe that are pre…erved give thanks to God?
This muſt be done three waies:
1. You muſt praiſe God with your tongues: Your lips muſt ſhew forth his praiſes, Pſal. 51.15. Your tongue muſt ſing aloud of Gods righteouſneſs and mercy. For this end God hath preſerved you, Pſal. 30.11. Thou haſt turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou haſt put off my ſackcloath, and girded me with gladneſs. Ver. 12. To the end that my glory may ſing praiſe to thee, and not be ſilent: O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. By [glory] David means his tongue: The Tongue is the glory of a man, it being his priviledge above all Creatures, with the tongue to form articulate words, having diſtinction of ſound, for the communicating of the conceptions of his mind unto others. Thus we ſhould praiſe God by ſpeaking of his excellencies and perfections of his nature, of his works and waies, of his dealings with us, of the danger he hath delivered us from, of the good he hath given to us, of the ſalvation he hath wrought for us.
2.Heart.You muſt praiſe God with your heart as well as with your tongue; for as prayer for mercy with the tongue, without the heart will not be profitable to us, ſo praiſes with the tongue for mercy received, without the heart, will not be acceptable unto God. To praiſe God with the heart, is the very heart of our praiſes. Thus David, that before called upon his tongue to bleſs God, doth alſo elſewhere call upon his ſoul to do it, Pſal. 103.1. Bleſs the Lord O my ſoul, and all that is within me, bleſs his holy name. God bleſſeth us, by giving good things unto us, Eph. 1.3. We bleſs God, when we do thankfully acknowledge the good things we receive from God. You muſt then ſtir up your ſoul, and all that is within you unto this great work of praiſe for ſo great Preſervation.
3. Life.You muſt praiſe God in your lives, and by your works and converſations; You muſt not only ſpeak Gods praiſes, but you muſt live to his praiſe; you muſt do it with life, and in and by your life. Life is the mercy I call upon you to praiſe God for, and you muſt do it by your life. You may praiſe God with your lips, and not with your hearts, but if you do indeed praiſe God with your heart, you will alſo do it by your life. If you will give thanks indeed, you muſt live thanks. The beſt thanks-giving is thanks-doing. Thus if you would be thankful for the life of your children, ſhew it by your religious care in their holy Education; That God might not ſay of you, I ſpared ſuch a mans Children in time of Plague, and afterwards he brought them up to diſhonour me, and to ſin againſt me; if you would be thankful for your own life, then lay it out in holy walking with God.
SECT. II.
12 Arguments to thankfulneſs for life.WIth what Arguments ſhould the people of God urge their own hearts thus in tongue, in heart and life, to praiſe and glorifie God for his preſerving of them? Work your heart hereunto with theſe following Arguments. Conſider,
1. Should not you thus praiſe God for your preſervation from danger by the Plague, Who did make this one of your Arguments to prevail with God by prayer in time of danger to preſerve you? Did not you reaſon thus with God in time of ſickneſs? Lord lengthen out the life of thy ſervant, Pſal. 6.4, 5.O Lord deliver my ſoul, O ſave me for thy mercies ſake, for in death there is no remembrance of thee; in the grave who ſhall give thee thanks? What profit is there in my bloud, when I go down into the pit? Pſal. 30.9.Shall the duſt praiſe thee? Shall it declare thy truth? The grave cannot praiſe thee, death cannot celebrate thee: Iſa. 3….18, 19.They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living he ſhall praiſe thee. Were not theſe your pleadings at the throne of grace? And did not you promiſe to God, and purpoſe in your heart, that if God would ſpare you, you would celebrate his praiſes? And ſhall not there be a correſpondence betwixt your actions when you were in fears, and your actions, when your great danger (by the Plague) is over?
2. Should not you thus praiſe God for your preſervation, Who have ſuch examples for your practice, recorded in the Scripture. When Hezekiah had been ſick and was recovered he ſang forth the praiſes of the Lord, Iſa. 38.19, 20. When David had been in danger of death and was delivered, he deliberates with himſelf what he ſhould return and render to the Lord, Pſal. 116.12, 13 &c. What ſhall I render to the Lord, for all his benefits towards me? I will take the cup of Salvation, and will call upon the name of the Lord. Ver. 17. I will offer unto thee the ſacrifice of thanks-giving — For your imitation conſider Davids practice, (1.) He propounds a caſe of conſcience. Since I was brought low and the Lord hath helped me; ſince the ſorrows of death have compaſſed me about, and God hath delivered me, what ſhall I render? What muſt I do? What return muſt I make? And he preſſeth himſelf to this by four forcible Arguments, in theſe words, for all his benefits towards me. He conſidered,
Firſt, Benefits received. Kindneſſes call for acknowledgments; favours are obliging. We muſt give thanks in, and for afflictions, much more when we are delivered. I deſerved judgments, but benefits have been my receipt.
Secondly, The Author of them, [His] benefits; The kindneſſes of men ſhould not be forgotten, much leſs the benefits of God. Your life is a benefit, and God is the Author of it.
Thirdly, The Number of them; [All] his benefits; they were many, not a few. Three things are innumerable:
Gods mercies to us,
Our ſins againſt God,
The evils that good men ſuffer,
Pſal. 40.5, 12.
Fourthly, The Perſon to whom they were given: For all his benefits to [me.] Hath God indeed given ſuch mercy to me? Hath God continued life to me, ſo vile, ſo unworthy, Oh what ſhall I render? (2.) He reſolves this caſe propounded; I will take the Cup of ſalvation; I will offer the ſacrifice of praiſe. God hath taken from you (for the preſent) the Cup of death, which was to ſo many a Cup of trembling;Mat. 20.22, 23. Jer. 16.7. he hath removed your Cup of affliction, and inſtead thereof hath given you a Cup of Conſolation, and a cup running over with variety of mercies, and will not you take the Cup of Salvation, Pſal. 16.5.and offer the Sacrifice of praiſe? Do you ſee David (in the like caſe) ſo diligent and inquiſitive what to render, and ſo peremptory and reſolute, to offer praiſe to God, and will not you go and do likewiſe?
3. Is not this the nobleſt work you can engage in, to praiſe God, and to celebrate with thankfulneſs the greatneſs of his mercy and goodneſs? It is the work of Angels to be praiſing God; and when you take your flight into heaven, and are perfectly removed from ſin, ſorrow, ſuffering, temptation, wants, you ſhall do nothing elſe but love, and praiſe, and admire God? And will you not in the mean while accuſtome your ſelf to that work on earth, which ſhall be your imployment in heaven? And will you not take occaſion hereunto, by ſo great a mercy as God at ſuch a time as this hath vouchſafed you?
4. Is not God moſt worthy of your highest and your heartieſt praiſes? You were not worthy of Gods mercies, you were not worthy of life, but God is worthy of the beſt of your praiſes, were they as perfect as the Hallelujahs of the Saints in heaven. God indeed is above all praiſe, Neh. 9.5. But yet he is pleaſed with his peoples praiſing of him.
5. Will you praiſe the efficacy of your Antidotes, and the skill of your able Phyſitian, by whoſe help you have been (under God) preſerved: And will you not be much more in praiſing of God, for your ſafety, when without his bleſſing all had been ineffectual? Will you praiſe the Inſtrument and means, and ſay, I had an able Doctor, and not the principal cauſe of your preſervation, and ſay, I had a good God.
6. Will not you praiſe God for his mercy towards you, no, not for your life, when this is all that God requireth at your hands, that you ſhould be th…nkful for your life, and thankfully improve it for his glory? You cannot make a requital, but God expecteth ſome return; you cannot make a retaltation, but God looketh for ſome retribution: And will not you think an alms ill beſtowed upon that beggar, that will not give you thanks? And will not life be continued to the aggravation of your ſin, if you are not thankful for it?
7. Is not this a duty that will well become you? A Chriſtian doth then act moſt like a Chriſtian when he is praiſing God, in tongue, in heart, and life, Pſal. 33.1, 2. and 147.1. Praiſe is comely for the upright. Three things are very comely, To weep as a Sinner, to walk as a Saint, to rejoyce as a Son.
8. Will not you give to God the glory of his preſerving providence, when if you do not, (that are Gods people) none elſe will? The wicked that are ſpared, they will not, they cannot praiſe God; they will diſhonour him, they will ſpeak to Gods diſhonour, and act to Gods diſhonour, ſo that if you do not praiſe God for his ſparing ſo many alive, none elſe will: And ſhall God be without all thankful acknowledgments of his remembring mercy, in the midſt of judgment? God forbid: That amongſt all the thouſands that are ſpared, there ſhould be none found, making ſome thankful return to God. This number will be but ſmall; amongſt the Ten Lepers that were cleanſed there was but one found thankful. If you would not have God to loſe the glory of his providence, then you muſt be the men that muſt honour him for it. Many wicked men were not found praying to be preſerved, much leſs will they be found praiſing, when they are preſerved.
9. Have you more cauſe to bleſs God for life than others have, and yet will not you do it? Your life is more ſweet and comfortable to you, than the lives of wicked men are, or can be, foraſmuch as you have thoſe comforts with life, and that Communion with God in life, that wicked men have not: They live only a natural life, and have only the ſweetneſs of natural life, but you with this life have alſo the comforts of an higher life, and yet will not you bleſs God for it? They are delivered from the Grave for a while, but not from the wrath of God too; from the Grave, but not from the danger of hell too, but ſo are you: And have you ſo much cauſe to bleſs God for life, and will you want an heart to bleſs him?
10. Is this the moſt effectual way to have life continued to you, and yet will not you do it? To have life continued will be, to be thankful for it; elſe God (finding you unthankful) when the Plague is over, might commiſſion death by ſome other diſtemper, to take that from you, which you would not be thankful for.
11. Is not life the ſweeteſt of all earthly mercies, and more to be prized, and yet will not you be thankfull to God for it that hath ſo ſignally continued it unto you? Skin for skin, and all that a man hath he will give for his life: And yet will not you give thanks to God for life? What earthly thing will you be thankful for, …nd what mercy upon earth will you make returns to God for, if not for life?
12. Do you finde unthankful Men placed amongſt the greateſt rank of ſinners, and yet will you be unthankful? Unthankful Perſons are numbred among Blaſphemers, Covetous, Diſobedient to Parents, ſuch as are without Natural affection; falſe Accuſers, Deſpiſers of thoſe that are good, &c. 2 Tim. 3.2, 3, 4. and, will you yet be unthankful, and that for your Life? Thus, by theſe conſiderations you ſhould preſs your heart to give Praiſes to God for this ſo great Preſervation.
SECTION III.
III. 6 Helpes to thankfulneſs for life.WHat is the courſe that thoſe that remain, after this Judgment, ſhould take, to be thankful to God, and to render Praiſes to him for the Preſervation of themſelves, and thoſe of their Relations continued to them?
Take theſe Rules.
1. If you would render Thankes to God in Tongue, in He…rt and L…fe, for this Mercy, then get a right judgment of the worth and greatneſs of the Mercy, that you, and ſome of yours are continued after this Viſitation. Thoſe that do not prize a Mercy, will never be thankful for it: What a Mercy is life to you, that are not yet aſſured of the love of God? What a Mercy is life to you, that are not yet certain of the Salvation of your Soules? or, if you are ſure of Heaven, yet is life to you a great Mercy; that you have time to do the Works that God hath appointed you to do. Conſider alſo what a Mercy it is to have your Children continued, that you may yet Inſtruct them, and Pray for them; that you may ſee Chriſt formed in them before you or they do die.
2. If you would be thankful for life, and have an heart to render Praiſes to the Lord, for your own, and your Relations; conſider, how uncomfortable your Life had been, had God continued you, and taken away your neereſt Relations; and, how uncomfortable your Life would have been, had God continued them onelyonly, and taken you away from them: You may conſider while you live, the Diſcomforts of your Relations, and the ſorrow of their hearts, if God had removed you by death; What an uncomfortable Widow would your Wife (now) have been? what uncomfortable Orphans would your Children [now] have been! You have enough before you, and amongſt you, that are ſad Inſtances of this: Oh, conſider this, and it will be a meanes to make you thankful, and to give to God the Glory of your Preſervation.
3. Retain in your memory the greatneſs of this Mercy, when you have apprehended how great it is; a forgetfull perſon will be an unthankful perſon: When David would have his Soul to bleſs God for his Mercy, he layes a charge upon himſelf not to forget the Benefits he had received, Pſal. 103.2. Bleſs the Lord, oh my Soul, and forget not all his benefits: Record Gods Mercy to you herein, and get it imprinted on the Table of your heart: forgetfulneſs is a great hinderance to every duty; as, ſome Men forget their ſins, and they will not be humbled for them: Some Men forget Gods Mercies, and they will not be thankful for them: ſome forget both, and are neither penitent nor thankful. So, to remember ſome things, and forget others, is very injurious to Mens Soules; as, Some remember Gods Mercy, and forget their ſins: and theſe preſume. Some remember their ſins, and forget Gods Mercy: and theſe deſpaire. But, it is beſt to remember both our ſins and Gods Mercy: the one will make us humble, and the other thankfull.
4. Let the Relations that God hath continued unto you, have a roome in your heart and affection, according to the meaſure that God commands: He that hath Children ſpared, and hath not ſutable affections for them, will not, cannot be thankful unto God for the continuance of their lives, and ſo Husbands and Wives: but, then you muſt love them, and your own life, but according to the meaſure that God allowes: For, to love any of theſe, your Relations, or your Life immoderately, will not be to be thankful for them, but to abuſe them, and make Idols of them: Let your own Life and your Relations have their allowance of your love, but no …re.
5. Pray to God for a Praiſing Thankful heart for this Mercy. God gives us all our Mercies, and God muſt give us a Thankful heart for theſe Mercies, elſe we cannot give to God the glory of them: When you were in your danger you were afraid, leaſt God ſhould deny you life, when you Prayed unto him for it: but, are you as afraid, leaſt you ſhould not have an heart thankfully to improve it, when he hath granted it unto you? You Prayed for life, now Pray to God to make you thankful, and thankfully to improve it:
6. Labour to keep your Graces lively and vigorous: To Praiſe God is a lively Work, and a dull heart cannot do it: You muſt love God for his Mercy, if you would Praiſe him for his Mercy: You muſt delight in God, if you would Praiſe him: the more lively your graces are, the more ſweet and comfortable your Life will be; and, the more comfort you have in life, the more your heart will be engaged to give God the glory of it: and ſo ſhall you be found amongſt thoſe few that do endeavour to live in ſome meaſure anſwerably to ſo great a Mercy, as Preſervation from the grave, in a time of Plague.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Doolittle, Inquiry for a Suitable Return for Continued Life In and After Time of Plague (1666)