The Sacred Diary, Section 14
SECT. XIV. Of Thanksgiving.
THis is very neceſſary to be performed every Morning, conſidering the benefits we receive continually from the Hand of God. We ſhould not be like the Clouds that obſcure the Sun that raiſed them, but (as one ſaith) let us rather imitate the Looking-Glaſs, which returns the Image as ſoon as the Face is repreſented to it.
In the time of the Law it was commanded, that the Fire on the Altar ſhould never go out, but be always kept burning. By that ſame Fire, Phil… ſaith, Thankfulneſs was fignified; for as the Fire ſtill aſcendeth upwards, ſo Thankfulneſs lifteth up our Hearts, and makes them aſcend unto God: And it is fit that the Divine Benefits ſhould never be forgotten, as the Fire of the Altar was never to be extinguiſhed. It well becometh the Righteous to be thankful, Pſal. 33.1. That which becometh us well, we are apt to like well: Any Habit, any Dreſſing, any Faſhion or Geſture that makes us graceful and comely in the places where we are. Now Thank fulneſs, ſaith the Prophet, is a comely thing: It renders us lovely and amiable, both in the Eyes of God and Man, whereas Unthankfulneſs on the other ſide, like ſome ſordid Diſguiſe, or like ſome ugly Blemiſh upon the Body, makes us Monſtrous and Deformed in the eyes of the Beholders.
The Creatures teach us the retribution of Thankfulneſs. The Air draws us up vapours out of the Earth: When it hath turned the vapours into Showres, it poureth them into the Earth again, and moiſteneth the dry Womb of it. The Earth hath Seed caſt into her Boſom, ſhe keeps it not long, but ſhe returns it back again with Profit to the Husbandman, Intereſt with the Principal, thirty, ſixty, an hundred fold. You know what Solomon ſaith of the Sea, All Rivers go into the Sea, Eccleſ. 1.7. to note the place whence they return and go. St. Bernard hath a Meditation upon it, That God is as the Sea, and we ſhould be as the Rivers: All Bleſſings come from God, as Rivers from the Sea; and as Rivers to the Sea, ſo we ſhould return our praiſes to him. Indeed, that is as much as we can do, and ſo much we ſhould do.
This Act (as one noteth) conſiſteth in three things. 1. In the Memory, which repreſenteth to the underſtanding the benefit received; and this Underſtanding conſiders the Hand that gives them, and to whom, and how, and by what ways and means, and in what meaſure. Thereupon an affectionate acknowledgment is made in the Will; which not able to continue idle, ſpreads it ſelf into outward Acts, to teſtifie the fervour of its affection. Now to practiſe this well, it is requiſite that we ſhould make and keep a Catalogue of all the Benefits of God. Bleſs God eſpecially for the benefits of Creation, Preſervation, Redemption, Vocation, and for all other ſecret Benefits particularly received.
1. For the benefits of Creation, conſider what thou waſt before thou waſt Created, even no more than very nothing, and that from the very beginning thou waſt nothing; and that nothing could not make it ſelf any thing. Now he that drew this great Univerſe, out of the Chaos and Darkneſs of nothing, to the light of Being and Life, it pleaſed him out of his meer Grace, to ſhew upon thee his Almighty Power, to bring thee to a being, and make thee ſomething. And (as St. Auguſtine ſaith) not every ſomewhat, not a Stone, not a Bird, not a Toad, not a Serpent, but even a Man, one of the moſt noble Creatures in the World; he made thee as a little Miracle of Nature, with the adornments of ſo many pieces well compacted together, to bear in thine aſpect the Beams of his own Majeſty. He framed this thy Body, and beautified it in all parts, both with Members and Senſes; and that with ſuch curious Art and wonderful Providence, that every one of them (if they be well conſidered) is of it ſelf a great Wonder, and a great Benefit. This Job humbly and thankfully acknowledgeth. Thine Hands have made me, and faſhioned me together round about, &c. Job 10.8, 9, 10, 11.Remember, I beſeech thee, that thou haſt made me as the Clay, &c. Haſt thou not poured me out as Milk, and crudled me like Cheeſe? Thou haſt clothed me with Skin, and Fleſh, and haſt fenced me with Bones and Sinews, &c.
Our making and natural conſtitution, are to be reckoned among the great Benefits received from God: I will praiſe thee, ſaith David, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
The greateſt wonders of Man's Creation are unſeen. God hath packt many Rarities, Myſteries, Wonders, in Man's Cheſt. All the vital Inſtruments and Wheels, whereby the watch of our Life is in perpetual motion, from the firſt Hour to the laſt, are locked up in a curious internal Cabinet, where God himſelf prepared the Pulleys, hung on the Weights, and wound up the Chime, by the Hand of his Infinite Power, without opening of any part: As a learned Anatomiſt of ours, hath elegantly inſtructed us in the Preface to his ſixth Book.
Conſider what uſefulneſs and commodiouſneſs, Beauty and Convenience do meet together in every part. What Beauty is ſtampt on the Face? What majeſty in the Eye? What ſtrength is put into the Arms and Back? What activity into the Hands? What Muſick and Melody is in the Tongue? Nothing in this whole Fabrick could be well left out, or better placed, either for Ornament, or for Uſe.
But the excellency of Man conſiſteth in his Soul: And as Man was the principal part of the Creation, ſo the Soul is the principal part of Man. God by a Divine Breathing, communicated this fountain of Life, which heavenly form without noiſe or delay, diffuſed it ſelf entire into the Body, remaining nevertheleſs whole in every part. The frame of the Body is an exquiſite frame, but the frame of the Soul, the faculties and powers, motions and operations of the Soul, are far more exquiſite. The Inhabitant is more noble than the Houſe, and the Jewel than the Cabinet: And ſo great is the capacity of the Soul, that all the things of the World put together, are not able to ſatisfie it. Beſides, there is no ability, no perfection in any Creature here below, but that a Man hath the ſame in him in a higher and far greater perfection, and by the capacity of his Soul he is able to attain unto it; whereby it is manifeſt, that God by giving us this thing alone (viz. our Soul) hath given us therewith at once all things together. The conſideration hereof, ſhould ever make thee thankful to thy moſt Gracious and Bountiful Lord, for this ſurpaſſing great Benefit.
2. Be thankful to him for thy Preſervation, and the Benefits thereof. Conſider, that God hath not only created thee in ſo great Glory and Dignity, but it is He alſo that preſerveth thee; for thou art not able to live one moment, nor to move one ſtep without him. Conſider alſo how he hath created all things in the World for thy uſe and ſervice; yea, he hath appointted the very Angels in Heaven to be thy guard and defence. They are all Officers in this great Houſe and Family of God, unto whom is committed the defence and ſafeguard of Men. Here conſider the particular favours received from God in your Birth, Nouriſhment, Education, Inſtruction, in gifts of Soul and Body, in Means and Conveniences, in Health, Strength, Life, Suſtenance, and all other Temporal Helps and Succours; in Friends, Allies, Kindred, in thy Calling, Profeſſion, and eſtate of Life, in a continued Protection, in deliverance from ſo many Dangers, and freedom from manifold Miſeries, into which thou ſeeſt others to fall every Day; and thou thy ſelf mightſt alſo have fallen into the ſame, had not Almighty God of his great Mercy preſerved thee: In guiding thee through the degrees of Ages, wherein every one in his own particular, may acknowledg infinite paſſages of the Divine Providence. How ſhould the conſideration hereof, together with the Circumſtances of each Benefit, make thee to cry out with the Prophet David: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my Houſe, that thou haſt brought me hitherto? 2 Sam. 7.18.
3. Be exceeding thankful for thy Redemption. We are all by Nature in miſerable bondage to Sin and Satan, and we have all ſold our ſelves for nought, Iſa. 52.3. and by this felling our ſelves to Sin and Satan, we have put our ſelves out of our own, into their Dominion, and during that eſtate, abide wholly to be diſpoſed at their pleaſure. They are now become our Lords, and no drudgery muſt we refuſe, be it never ſo irkſome or burdenſome, whereabout they ſhall liſt to employ us. Now, how ſhould all God's Redeemed Ones, aſcribe Honour and Glory to their God, acknowledging the infinite Love, and abundant Grace of God, in procuring Redemption for poor Bond-ſlaves, Captives, Priſoners; that he hath appointed and anointed a Redeemer to preach Glad-tidings unto the Meek, to bind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Priſon to them that are Bound, to proclaim the acceptable Year of the Lord; to proclaim a Jubilee, a Year of releaſe to Priſoners and Bond-men! Iſa. 61.1, 2. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his Mercy endureth for ever. Let the Redeemed of the Lord ſay ſo, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the Enemy. It was a cuſtom among the Romans, when any of their Commanders had gotten a great Victory, and obtained the honour of Publique Triumph, if he had delivered any of his Country-men by this Victory, who before were Captives among the Enemies, theſe redeemed ones uſed to attend the triumphant Chariot of the Conquerour, when he entred the City, thereby to do him Homage, and to ſet forth the glory of his Victory. In this caſe it becometh thoſe whom the Lord hath redeemed from Sin, from Satan, from the Curſe of the Law, and from everlaſting Deſtruction, to wait upon their Triumphant Redeemer, and do him all poſſible Honour, and give him all Praiſes and thankful Acknowledgments for their Redemption, procured by his Victory over all thoſe Enemies and Evils.
4. Bleſs the Lord for thy Vocation, that he hath called thee out of Darkneſs into his marvellous Light by his Word and Spirit; that he hath taken thy Soul to be his Spouſe, and decked it with the Gifts and Graces of his Spirit. What had become of thee if thou hadſt been born among Infidels, who are without Chriſt, being A liens from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, Epheſ. 2.12.and ſtrangers from the Covenant of Promiſes, having no hope, and without God in the World, who wanting the knowledg of the true Living God, worſhipped Stocks and Stones for God. And among many that periſh in Ignorance and Prophaneneſs, that are under the found of the Word; To whom the Goſpel is hid, whoſe eyes the God of this World hath blinded, 2 Cor. 4.4.leſt the Light of the Glorious Goſpel of Chriſt, who is the Image of God, ſhould ſhine unto them. Bleſs the Lord, that it pleaſed him, that thou ſhouldſt be born in the lap of the True Church, and be nouriſhed there with the ſincere Milk of the Word, and with the precious Blood of Jeſus Chriſt. Conſider how long God did wait for thy Converſion, giving thee ſpace to Repent, and how he ſuffered thee ſo long to continue in that ſtate of Sin and Wickedneſs, and did not cut down ſuch an unfruitful and unprofitable Tree that cumbred the Earth, and received the influence of Heaven ſo long in vain. Conſider likewiſe how many good Inſpirations and holy purpoſes he breathed into thy Heart, even in the midſt of thy very Sins, and wicked Life; and that he perſiſted in calling thee ſo long a time; and at length to bring thy great ſtubbornneſs, and obſtinate reſiſtance ſo long continued, to an end; and to call thee with ſuch a mighty, loud, and effectual Voice, that thereby thou mightſt riſe from Death to Life, and come forth as it were another Lazarus, out of the dark and obſcure Grave of thy wicked and ſinful Life, and not with thine Hands and Feet bound, but looſed and ſet at liberty out of the ſtinking Priſon and Thraldom of the enemy of Mankind. Praiſe the Lord for granting thee not only pardon for thy Sins paſt, but alſo. Grace from that time forward, not to return to thy former Bondage; and likewiſe that he hath given thee a ſweet taſte and ſavour of the things of his Spirit, which before ſeemed very unſavoury to thee, and withal a loathſomneſs and miſliking of the things of the Fleſh, and of the World, which before were very delightful to thee. Then think with thy ſelf, unto how many hath God denied this Benefit, which he hath ſo freely granted unto thee? And whereas thou being as unworthy of this Calling as they, yet it hath pleaſed God to ſuffer them to continue in their Impenitency and Obſtinacy, and to call thee unto the ſtate of Grace and Salvation: Oh what thanks and ſervice doſt thou owe unto him for this ineſtimable Benefit!
5. There be other Benefits that are given to particular Perſons, which none other knoweth but he hath hath received them, for which we are bound to give thanks unto the Lord, as for the more general, for as much as they are more certain Tokens of the ſpecial and particular Love and Providence that the Lord beareth toward us. Such Benefits as theſe cannot be written in Books, but every one is to write them in his Heart, and ſo to joyn them with the other general Benefits, and to give moſt humble thanks unto the Lord for them. There are alſo other Benefits more ſecret which are unknown, or ſcarce obſerved by the party which doth receive them. Theſe are certain Snares and privy Dangers, which the Lord doth often prevent and diſappoint by his Providence, he knowing what great prejudice they might do unto us, did not he prevent them, and diſappoint them. Who is able to recount how many Dangers he hath eſcaped, from how many Temptations God hath preſerved him, from how many occaſions of Sin he hath delivered him, how often he hath ſtopt the paſſages, and taken out of the way the ſubtile and deceitful Snares of the Devil, our vigilant Adverſary, that we ſhould not fall into them? Likewiſe, a Man may have many ſecret Sins, which the Perſon that committeth them, knoweth not. Wherefore as touching theſe ſecret Sins, we ought daily to pray with the Pſalmiſt, Cleanſe me, O Lord, from my ſecret ſins, Pſal. 19.12. Even ſo it is requiſite every day to yield him moſt hearty thanks for this kind of Benefit.