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VII.

over a most populous nation; the which he fed with a SERM. faithful and true heart, and ruled prudently with all his power; who waged great wars, vanquished mighty ene- Pf. lxxviii. mies, achieved many glorious exploits, underwent many 72. grievous troubles? Yet could not fuch engagements diftract or deprefs his mind from a constant attendance on devotion. I will blefs the Lord at all times; his praife Pf. xxxiv. 1. Shall be continually in my mouth. My mouth shall fhew xxi. 6. forth thy righteousness and thy falvation all the day. Ixxxv. 28. will abide in thy tabernacle for ever. So he declareth his lxi. 4. refolution and his practice. Who is more preffingly employed than was Daniel, first president over so vaft a kingdom, chief minister of state to the greatest monarch on earth? Yet conftantly thrice a day did he pray and give Dan. vi. 19. thanks unto his God. Who can be more entangled in varieties and intricacies of care, of pains, of trouble, than was he that prescribeth unto us this rule of praying continually? Upon him did lie the care of all the churches ; 2 Cor. xi. night and day with labour and toil did he work for the 28, fuftenance of his life, that he might not (to the disparage- 8. ment of the Gospel) burden any man; perpetually he was engaged in all forts of labour and travail, ever conflicting with perils, with wants, with inconveniences numberless : yet did he exactly conform his practice to his rule, being no lefs indefatigable and inceffant in his devotion than he was in his business. Who ever managed a greater empire than Constantine? Yet every day, as Eufebius reporteth, at stated times, shutting himself up, he alone privately did converfe with his Godb. The most pious men indeed have never been idle or carelefs men, but always moft busy and active, most industrious in their callings, moft provident for their families, moft officious toward their friends, most ready to ferve their country, most abundant in all good works; yet have they always been moft conftant in devotion. So that experience clearly doth evidence, how reconcileable much devotion is to much bu

* Καιροῖς ἑκάσης ἡμέρας τακτοῖς ἑαυτὸν ἐγκλείων, μόνος μόνῳ τῷ αὐτῷ προσωμίλει . Eufeb. de Vita Conft. iv. 22.

2 Theff. iii.

SERM. finefs; and that confequently the profecution of the one VII. cannot well palliate the neglect of the other.

II. No better can any man ward himself from blame, by imputing the neglect of devotion to some indifpofition within him thereto. For this is only to cover one fault with another, or to lay on a patch more ugly than the fore. It is, in effect, to say we may fin, because we have a mind to it, or care not to do otherwife. Our indifpofition itself is criminal; and, as fignifying fomewhat habitual or fettled, is worse than a fingle omiffion : it ought therefore to be corrected and cured; and the way to do it is, by setting presently upon the practice of the duty, and perfifting refolutely therein: otherwise how is it poffible that it should ever be removed? The longer we forbear it, the more feldom we perform it, the ftronger furely will our indifpofition grow, and the more difficult it will be to remove it. But if (with any degree of seriousness and good intention) we come indifpofed to prayer, we may thereby be formed into better difpofition, and by continual attendance thereon, we fhall (God's grace cooperating, which never is wanting to ferious and honest intentions) grow toward a perfect fitness for it: prayer by degrees will become natural and delightful to us.

SERMON VIII.

OF THE DUTY OF THANKSGIVING.

EPHES. V. 20.

Giving thanks always for all things unto God.

vi. &c.

THESE words, although (as the very fyntax doth im- SERM. mediately discover) they bear a relation to, and have a fit VIII. coherence with, those that precede, may yet, (especially confidering St. Paul's style and manner of expreffion in the preceptive and exhortative part of his Epistles,) with- Vid. Rom. out any violence or prejudice on either hand, be fevered xii. Eph. from the context, and confidered distinctly by themselves. And (to avoid encumbrance by farther comparison) fo taking them we may obferve, that every fingle word among them carries with it something of notable emphafis and especial fignificancy. The first [Giving thanks] expreffes the fubftance of a duty, to which we are exhorted. The next (I mean, in order of construction) [to God] denotes the object or term to which it is directed. The following [always] determines the main circumstance of this and all other duties, the time of performance. The laft [for all things] declares the adequate matter of the duty, and how far it should extend. These particulars I fhall confider feverally, and in order.

I. First then, concerning the duty itself, to give thanks, or rather, to be thankful; (for eʊxapiseiv doth not only fignify gratias agere, reddere, dicere, to give, render, or de

SERM. clare thanks, but also gratias habere, grate affectum esse, VIII. to be thankfully difpofed, to entertain a grateful affection,

sense or memory: in which more comprehenfive notion I mean to confider it, as including the whole duty or virtue of gratitude due to Almighty God for all his benefits, favours, and mercies;) I fay, concerning this duty itself, (abstractedly confidered,) as it involves a respect to benefits or good things received; fo in its employment about them it imports, requires, or supposes these following particulars.

1. It implies a right apprehenfion of, and confequently a confiderate attention unto, benefits conferred. For he that is either wholly ignorant of his obligations, or mistakes them, or paffes them over with a flight and superPf. cvii. 43. ficial view, can nowife be grateful. Whofo is wife, and

will obferve these things, even they shall understand the Pf. lxiv. 9. loving-kindness of the Lord. Men fhall fear, and shall

declare the work of God; for they shall wifely confider of Pf. cxi. 2. his doings. The works of the Lord are great, fought out of Pf. xxxiv. 8' all that have pleasure therein. O taste (first, and then) fee that the Lord is good.

This is the method that great mafter of thanksgiving prescribes; first experimental notice, then wife confideration, then grateful sense, then public acknowledgment. And those we find both by him and by the Prophet Ifaias (in the very same words) reprehended as wickedly inPf. xxviii. grateful perfons, who regarded not the work of the Lord, nor confidered the operation of his hands. 'Tis part therefore of this duty incumbent on us, to take notice of diligently, and carefully to confider, the divine benefits; not to let them pafs undifcerned and unregarded by us, as perfons either wofully blind, or stupidly drowsy, or totally unconcerned.

5.

Ifa. v. 12.

'Tis a general fault, that the most common and frequent, the most obvious and conspicuous favours of God, (like the ordinary phenomena of nature, which, as Ariftotle obferves, though in themselves most admirable, are yet leaft admired,) the conftant rifing of the fun upon us, the defcent of fruitful fhowers, the recourfe of temperate

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seasons, the continuance of our life, the enjoyment of SERM. health, the providential dispensation of wealth, and com- VIII. petent means of livelihood, the daily protection from incident dangers, the helps of improving knowledge, obtaining virtue, becoming happy, and fuch like most excellent benefits, we commonly little mind or regard, and confequently feldom return the thanks due for them. Poffibly fome rare accidents of providence, fome extraordinary judgment, fome miraculous deliverance, may rouse and awaken our attention: (as it is faid of the Ifraelites, When he flew them, then they fought him—and Pf. lxxviii, remembered that God was their rock, and the high God 34, 35. their Redeemer :) but such advertency is not the effect so much of gratitude, as of curiofity or of neceffity: the notable rarity invites, or fome powerful impulse commands our notice. But the truly grateful industriously design, and are ftudious to know throughly their obligations, that they may be able to render answerable returns for them.

ὅτις εὖ παθὼν

Benef. cap.

2. This duty requires a faithful retention of benefits Ax in memory, and confequently frequent reflections upon them. For he that is no longer affected with a benefit than it incurs the fenfe, and fuffers not itfelf to be difregarded, is far from being grateful; nay, if we believe the philosopher, is ingrateful in the worst kind, and highest degree. For, Ingratus eft, faith he, qui beneficium ac- Sen. iii. de cepiffe fe negat, quod accepit; ingratus eft, qui diffimulat ; [0 ingratus, qui non reddit: ingratiffimus omnium, qui oblitus eft. He that falfely denies the reception of a benefit, and he that diffembles it, and he that doth not repay it, is ingrateful; but most ingrateful of all is he that forgets it. It is a fign the benefit made no deep impreffion on his mind, fince it left no difcernible footstep there; that he hardly ever thought of making recompenfe, fince he hath fuffered himself to become altogether uncapable of doing it neither is there any hope of his amending the past neglect; no fhame, no repentance, no fair occafion can redeem him from ingratitude, in whom the very remembrance of his obligation is extinguished.

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