SERM. fant fertility of the earth; the curious figure and fragrant IX. sweetness of plants; the exquifite frame of animals; and all other amazing miracles of nature, wherein the glorious attributes of God (especially his transcendent goodness) are most confpicuously displayed; (fo that by them not only large acknowledgments, but even gratulatory hymns, as it were, of praise have been extorted from the mouths of Ariftotle, Pliny, Galen, and fuch like men, never suspected guilty of an exceffive devotion;) then should our hearts be affected with thankful fenfe, and our lips break forth into his praise. Yea, from every object of sense, from every event of providence, from every common occurrence, we may extract fit matter of thanksgiving: as did our Saviour, when, confidering the stupid infidelity of those proud people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, (who were not at all affected by his miraculous works, nor moved to repentance by his pathetical difcourfes,) and comparing it with the pious credulity of his meaner difciples, he Luke x. 21. brake forth into that divine ejaculation; I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou haft concealed these things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them unto babes. Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἀποκριθεὶς Ἰησοῦς εἶπε, faith the evangelical narration; Upon that occafion Jefus thus fpake: he embraced that convenient opportunity of thankfully acknowledging God's wife and gracious difpenfation. And frequent occafion is afforded us daily (were our minds suitably disposed) of doing the like. But fo much concerning the time of performing this duty. IV. We proceed to the matter thereof, for all things. St. Chryfoftom (in his Commentary upon the 145th Pfalm) having enumerated feveral particulars for which we are bound to thank God; "Because," (I recite his words punctually rendered,) " Because, faith he, he hath "made us, who before had no being, and made us "fuch as we are; because he upholds us being made, "and takes care of us continually, both publicly " and privately, fecretly and openly, with and without IX. "our knowledge; for all vifible things created for our SERM. "fake, the miniftry of them afforded to us; the conform"ation of our bodies, the nobleness of our fouls; his "daily difpenfations by miracles, by laws, by punish"ments; his various and incomprehenfible providence ; "for the chief of all, that he hath not fpared his only"begotten Son for our fake; the benefits conferred on 66 us by baptism, and the other holy myfteries, (or fa"craments;) the ineffable good things to be bestowed "on us hereafter, the kingdom of heaven, the resurrec❝tion, the enjoyment of perfect bliss;" having, I fay, in thefe words comprised the things for which we are obliged to thank and praise God, he thus defpondently concludes: ('Αν γὰρ ἕκασόν τις τούτων καταλέγῃ, εἰς πέλαγος. ἄφατον ἐμπεσεῖται εὐεργεσιῶν, καὶ ὄψεται πόσων ἐςὶν ὑπεύθυνος τῷ Θεῷ.) "If any one shall endeavour to recount particu"larly every one of these things, he will but plunge him"self into an unexpreffible deep of benefits, and then per"ceive for how unexpreffibly and inconceivably many "good things he stands engaged to God." And to the like non plus doth the devout Pfalmist seem to be reduced, when he thus exclaims, How precious are thy thoughts Pl. cxxxix. unto me, O God! how great is the fum of them! If I17, fhould count them, they are more in number than the 7. fand. 18. xxxvi. 5, 6. I shall not therefore confound myself by launching too far into this immenfe ocean, nor ftrive minutely to compute the incomprehenfible fum of the divine benefits; but only obferve, that in grofs, according to our Apoftle's calculation, all things, which however happen to us, are ingredients thereof. No occurrence (great or small, common or particular, present or past, pleasant or fad, perpetual or tranfitory) is excluded from being the subject of our thanksgiving each one may prove beneficial to us; and we are with a cheerful contentedness and a grateful refentment to receive them all from God's hand. But to obferve fome little diftinction: I fay, 1. We are to give thanks, not only for great and notable benefits, but for the leaft and moft ordinary favours SERM. of God: though indeed none of God's favours are in themIX. felves fmall and inconfiderable. Men are wont to blefs themselves, if they receive but a tranfient glance from a prince's eye; a smile from a great perfonage; any flender intimation of regard from him that is in capacity to do them good. What is it then to receive the leaft teftimony of his good-will, from whom alone every good thing can be expected; upon whofe difpofal all happy fuccefs of our wishes, our hopes, and our endeavours do entirely depend! We repute him unjuft, who withholds the leaft part of what is due from the true owner: and is not he ingrateful then, that omits to render thanks for the least of divine mercies? 1 Cor. xv. 41. The There is one glory of the fun, another of the moon, another of the ftars, faith St. Paul. Some works of God indeed excel in luftre; yet all are glorious, all are to be discerned, all to be esteemed and thankfully entertained by us. brightness of the one should not wholly obfcure the other; if it do, it argues the weakness of our fenfe, the dulness of our spiritual faculty. For every beam of light that delights our eye, for every breath of air that cheers our fpirits, for every drop of pleafant liquor that cools our thirst, for every minute of comfortable repose, for every step we fafely take, for the happy iffue of the least undertaking, for escaping the vengeance due to an idle word or a wanton thought, we owe a hymn of praise to God. But, 2. We are to render thanks, not only for new and present benefits, but for all we have formerly, all that we may hereafter receive. We find David not only frequently acknowledging the gracious difpenfations of providence toward him through the whole course of his life, but looking back in his thankful devotions as far as his very original being, and praifing God for favours conferred on him Pf. cxxxix. beyond his memory, yea before his life. I will praise 14, 15, 16. thee, faith he, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works, and that my foul knoweth right well. My fubftance was not hid from thee, when I was made in fecret, and curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth. Thine eyes did fee my fubftance, yet being im IX. perfect; and in thy book all my members were written, SERM, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. And St. Paul, yet farther reflecting his grateful confideration, bleffes God for his favour commenced before the beginning of things. Blessed, faith he, be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath Eph. i. 3, 4. bleffed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Chrift, according as he hath chofen us before the foundation of the world. 4. Neither doth the memory only of former, and the enjoyment of present, but the hope and forefight also of future bleffings, worthily claim our thanks. For, faith St. 1 Pet. i. 3, Peter, Bleed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead: to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, referved in heaven for you. Beafts only, and men not much better than they, are affected with present good turns but men of honeft and generous temper refent indifferently the obligations of all times. Senfe doth not confine their gratitude, nor abfence remove, nor age wear it out. What once is done, is ever done to them; and what of courtesy is purposed, seems to them performed. But having before discoursed somewhat largely concerning the remembrance of benefits, I leave this point. Furthermore, 3. We fhould blefs God, not only for new, rare, extraordinary accidents of providence, but for the common and daily benefits and indulgences thereof. These favours are ufually the greatest and most valuable in their own nature. (For what can be imagined of higher confequence to us, than the preservation of our lives and of our estates, by which they are comfortably maintained; than the continuance of our bodies in good health, and our minds in their right wits; than the knowledge of heavenly truth, the encouragements to virtue and piety, the affiftances of divine grace, and the promises of eternal blifs continually exhibited to us c?) Shall the commonnefs and continuance • Quem vero aftrorum ordines, quem dierum noctiumque viciffitudines, VOL. I. N SERM. of thefe exceeding favours, that they are not given us once IX. only, and tranfitorily, but continued, (that is, given us fo often as time hath inftants,) and with an uninterrupted perfeverance renewed unto us; fhall this abate and ener vate our gratitude, which in all reason should mainly increase and confirm it? But this point I also touched before, and therefore, forbearing to insist thereon, I proceed. 4. We should give thanks, not only for private and particular, but for public benefits alfo, and for fuch as befall 1 Tim. ii. 1. others. I exhort therefore, faith St. Paul, before all things, Vid. Chryf. in 2 Cor. Or. 2. that fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and thanksgivings be made for all men: not prayers only, for good things to be bestowed on others; but thanksgivings also, for the benefits received by others. (And úπèp Távτwv in our text, however otherwife commonly interpreted, may well admit this fenfe alfo; and be taken indifferently, pro omnibus, for all perfons, and propter omnia, for all things.) We are all citizens of the world, and concerned in its good conftitution; and thence obliged thankfully to adore the mighty Upholder and wife Governor thereof, praising him for all the general benefits liberally poured forth upon mankind. We partake in the commodities of civil fociety; and therefore fhould heartily thank him, by whofe gracious difpofal order is maintained, peace continued, juftice administered, plenty provided, our lives made safe and fweet to us therein. We are members of a church, and highly interested in the profperous eftate and wellbeing thereof: when unity therefore is preferved, and charity abounds; when knowledge is increased, and virtue encouraged; when piety flourishes, and truth triumphs therein; we are bound to render all poffible thanks to the gracious bestower of those ineftimable bleffings. We are much mistaken in our account, if we either determine our own concernments, or measure this duty by the narrow rule of our private advantage: for subducting either the benefits commonly indulged to mankind, or quem menfium temperatio, quemque ea quæ nobis gignuntur ad fruendum non gratum effe cogant; hunc hominem omnino numerare qui decet ? Cic. de Leg. ii, |