Helps to T!Jankfulnefs. Chrill that dyed for them. 3• All Doctrine which makes God the phyfical, efficient predeter– miner of every act of the creature confidered in all its circumflances ; and fo tells you , that Javing grace is no more, nor no otherwife c1ufed of God, than fin and every natural act is; and our tbank.J thlt we owe him for keeping us from fin, i~ but for not isrefi(li.ble pre-moving us to it. Such DoCtrines cut the veins of tba1tkfulnefi; and being not d:Jllrints accordi1tg to godlineft, the life of gract, and fPirituat [tn[e of believers is againfi them. ~· 20. Direct. 18. Put not God off with verbal 'Ihankt, hut give him thy filf and aU thou haft. Direl/. 1 g, '1/;an~fi11nefi caufeth the foul 10 enquire, What jhaU I render unto the Lord for aU hi1 benefit 1 to· ward! me? Pfal. 116. 12· And it is no lefs than thy filf, and aU thuu haft that thou mull render; that is, thou mull give God not only thy 1ythu, and the Sacrifice of Cain, but thy filf to be entirely his fervam, and all that thou hafi to be at Jus command, and ufed in the order that he would have thee ufe it. A th•nk[ul foul devoteth it felf to God ; This is the living ac• crptable Sacrifice, Rom. 12. I• It llud~eth how to do h1m ferv1ce, and how to do good with all his mercies. 1hankfulne[1 lS a powerful fpnng of obed1ence, and makes men long to be fruitful and profitable, a~id glad of opportunities to be ferviceable to God. .Thus Law, and Go- ~ fpel, Obedience ~nd Gratitude concur. A thankful obedience, and an obedient thank[ulnefi are a Chrillians life, Pfal. 50. 14, 15, 23· Offer untu God thanl(fgiving, •nd pay thy Vow1 to the Mujl Higb: And call ttpon me in the day of trouble, andlwiUdeliver thee, andthoujbalt glorifie me-- Who [o ojftrrth praife, glorifictb me: and to him that orderetb hH convcrfotion aright, I willjhewtht falvJtiun uf Gud. ., .. §. 21• I befeech thee• now tMat readeft thefe Lines, be fo true to God, be fo ingenuous; be fo much a friend to the comfort of thy foul, and fo much love a life of pleafure , as to fer thy fdf for the time to come , to 'a more confcionable performance of this noble work : and fieep rhy thoughts in the abundant mercies of thy God, and exprefs them more in all thy fpeech to God and man. Say as David, [ Pfal.116. 16, '7· 0 LfTfd, truly I am thy Jirvant---tbou haft lqqfed nl)l bond1. ·I wiU offer tu tl!ee the Sacrifice of Thanl(Jgiving, and will call upon tbe Hilme of the Lortl. Pfal. 30. I, 2, 3, .:j., 1I, 12· I wiU extoU thee , 0 Lord, for thou haft lifted me ttp, and hajf not made my fou to rejoyce over me. 0 Lord my God, I cryed umo ther, and thuu haj! healed me. 0 Lord, thMe h>ft .bruught ,•P my foul from the g;avt : thou haft k,rpt me alive, tbat I jhould not go down to the pu. Smg tmto the L -rd, 0 ye SamtJ of hw, and give than~ at tbe r~membrance of his holinrfs---Tbou haft put off my fack..cloth, and girded mewitb gladneji, to tbe end that my glory may jing praifo to thee, and not be filcnt: 0 Lordmy God, I will give tb:mk.J to thee for ever. Pfal. 69. 30· I wiU praife the name of God rPith a Song, and magnifie him with tha•b.Jgiving: Tbir al[o jhaU pleafi the Lurd bmer than an Oxe----Pfal. 92 , 1 , •· It is 11 good thing to give thanks to tbe Lord, and to fing unto thy Name, 0 Moft High: Tu jhew · fortb thy lovin$ kjndnefi in the marniHg, and thy faithfulnrfs every night, Pfal. I 19. 6z. At mid-– nigbt. wiU I rije tu_give thank.f unt9 thee, becaH[e uf !by righteo;er ju~gemtntJ, Pfal. 140• I3· Surely the r1ghteou1 jhaU gwe thank.[ unto thy J::lame ; t?e upnght jhaU dweU m thy prefence. J Remember -. , .: :t that you are commanded, m every thutg to gtve tbank.f. I Thetf, 5· 18. When God is fcant in mercy to thee? t?en be th?u fcant in thankfulnefr t~ him.; and not when the Devil and a forgetful, or unbehevmg, or d1fcontented heart, would htde h1s greatdl mercies from thee. It is jufi with God to giv.e up that pcrfon to fadnefs of hearr, and to ~ncornforrable felf-rorrnc:nting melancholly, that w11l not be perfwaded by the greatnefs and mulurude of mercies, to be frequent in the fweet returns ofThanks. DIRECT.
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