CoIiI. I 'f Prayer and?bankgiting. chap.' I, c q no inferiour creature, from aboved'a'bfrom the Father of lights. Nor mutt we con: Jamesr i teal what we have received. Saint Auguffine faith, that as he ,9.4ii ¡untofe háberë quad nonhabet temerariuseff, he is rafh that thinks he hath that he hath not, fohe that confe1Teth not what he hath is unthankful. And therefore we mutt acknowledge them, asdata not inn.rtta, as of Gods gift, not of our own acquiring. 2. The frond is, contentment and complacency in Gods gifts by a grateful acce tation of what it pleafethGod tobelow upon us, romplacùi. I am well pleated. King :David may bea pattern to us in this point. The lot is fallen tome in a fairgroúnd, yea Pfa1'.'¿6. 6. I.have a goodlyheritage, Itliked himwell, hedeired no more. For as Saint Ben. hard faith, S,pirituigratia contameliamfacit, quibenfciuindantisgrata mentenonfufci. pit, The undervaluing of Gods bleffings by not being content with what he fends InEpfi. us, is areproach to the fpirit of Grace. And it was the difeafeof the Meares roue_ tyyears together. Of which Saint Augutine faith, Denulla re migas Deum offendife In Johan; jic populoo 7udaicus dicitur, quam contra Deum murmurando , The Jews offended Phi ip., t tt God in nothingmore than in murmuring againft him. St. Pan/learned better, that Hß'3 is, to becontent in whatfoever effete he was. And hiscollard was, be content with that ye have. 3. The next is, Promulgationor publithing to othersthe benefits we receive Ánn.. 1'Ca1, 66. i 4. tam, I will declare. I will tell yob ( faith the Pfalmift ) what Godbath done to my s r t. ai ub Soul; and in another place he faith, he will not only tell it inprivate, but publickly . 3 in thecongregation, and in magna Congregations,in the greatcongregation : and (that - 57. ; a being not enough ) toall the people and among all Nations. And 'yet higher, to his -t. s, feed and pofterity; and beyond.that, to all generations tocorné. Which he bath done, . 40.9 we feeit. For as Saint Chryfofone faith well, 'óptinsa-benefieiorrsm cufitos eft errs Hon, 25. ;a memoria beneficiorum, & perpetua confefogratiarum, The beltpreferver of benefits is Math. the memory of them, andperpetual thankfulnefs for them. . 4. TheFourth and left is, Ineitatio, a ftirring up or provocation of others to do the like. Venue, Ocome let us lingunto the Lord, &c. Saiththe.Pfalmi(}. Andpraife Prf} 9f. Y, theLord O 7erufalem, praife thy God O Sion. And again, praire ye theLord, Sing unto theLord anew Song, and his praife in the congregation of Saints. And his ¡alt }Tatra is all incitation, not only to men, but to theCreatures, toperform this Miitya . Now as there is Deprecation,orinterceffïon for others, fo this duty ofthank fgiving is to beperformed not only for our felves, but alto for others; in which the firft ex- ample we have in Scripture isAbrahams Servant, after he had found a Wife for his matters Son, Gen.-2.27. So did Daniel for the fecret revealed,Dan..2. zo. Mores com- pored a Song for the deliverance out of e gyps, Exod. is. I. Deborah and Barak_ for thevielory over Sifern, Judg.. 5. and fo Saint Paul ufually begins his Epidles with thankfgiving for others, as Rom. t. 8. r Cor, 1.4. and 2 Cor. r, z, Ephef. r. 3. To firus up to thisduty of praife, King David hath the commendation above till other of the Patriarchs for his exalt performance of it, in all the parts above i Sam. t;, 54. mentioned; and in this refpee} was called a man after Gods own Heart, asSamsgel told Saul. St. Chryfof}eme examining why he was fo (tiled rather than Abraham -and Mores and the ref, faith, he could find no other reafon for it, but this, becaufe ( God defines that his name fhould be exalted and praÿ'cd above all) helaboured more plenteoufly in this.point than any other, and in that refpeft defcrved that titlebetter thananyother. I.n the 55. Pfalmhe profetfeth that he will keephis hours for Prayer) pr 55. i7. l In the evening and morning and at noon daywill I pray. But for.praifes in the 119. Nairn, Thrice a day (hallnot ferve, but (even timesa day do I praife thee. Yea he Pf', t9. t6," would praife God at midnight, Pfalm t 19. 62. Pfalm 6.7. and Kahn r r 8. t Pfal. 39. 15. And the delire he had to have his life prolonged (vas, ro praife and '75 Olet me live ( faith he, and wherefore) and I (hall praife thee, and thisthe rather; becaufeheknew that iv(vasnot only the end of loans Creation, but of Angels alto . whom hedefired to imftate,who continually praife God.It wasand is their fong,Gloty Lu`e be to God on high and in theRevelation, bleffing, glory, and wifdom, and thank f- R¡i9c. 7; 3. giving, and Honour, and power, beontoour God for everand ever. And in this re- P1'1í cos. u fpeft it was that Davidaccounted his Tongue the belt memberhe had, and called it hisGlory becaufe heemployed it to the glory and Praife of God; which was theend why God created both it and all theother members. And
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