588 \ Etvhefia>»s, ChapoS. e. Col.3.is. 'soxutrsa. Daft. Web, '3..1;5. Judg.16.z4. Pfal.146.1 Yfe. Waif. VER.,4. laughing a for a man in lamentable cafehaving a thoufand caufcs of teases, to caft forth pleafant fpeeches, and makeall fmile about hime howpitiful! and undecent arc the laughters of men gone withmetan. cholyand phrenfieefo unfeemelyare thefe carnal! laughters in a Chri- itian compaffed with a bodyof death. Wherefore it doth rebuke theopinion which thefe Jeffers haveof their vice, for they thinks a great grace, a graceleffe grace , and are fo in lovewith them, that rather then they would fmother thefe defor- med birthsof theirfoolifh mind,they would incurre great difpleafure, rather lofe a friend, then lofe a jcft ; which becommeth not Chrifti- an love, but Jewifh friendíhip. But rathergiving ofthanks.] Nowhe fetteth downe the fpeech that doth befit us, givingofthanks : the word fouie take for any gracious fpeech, and in the thirdofthe Colofans hefaith, Beye thankful!, gra- cious or amiable. But becaufeof ofScripture, by one fpeci- all kinde to fet downe the other, and the continual! acception of this word, therefore it is belt taking it for praife and thankfulnefe. Theduty then to be confideredis: That our tongues muf be thankfrll, and found the praife of God : in all things give thanks. By him let us offer thefacrifice ofpraire continually ; that is, thefruit ofour lips, gi- ving thanks to his name : thefe are our Sacrifices that are Chriftians, the calvesofourlips,confeffing to hisglory. Homer tels us how the Princes ofGrecia, till they had facrificed to their Gods, didnot cate : and thofe uncircumcifedPhiliffims , they did praife their gods when they were met together : And this is the feemely language, Praife be- commeth theSaints. Wemuff then labour to exchange our unfruitful! fpeech into the praifeofGods name. He hath put afong,a new fong into our mouths, the glorious deliveranceofus through Chrift, a benefit which foal! never waxe old : and the menof God, how fervent are they in this e While I have any breath I willpraife the Lord, I will tell his wondrous works anddeclare his righteoufnefe all theday long. There is little truc prayer in the world, but leffe praife , we are like the Lepers , we rel'urne not with thankfgiving, eaten bread is Toone forgotten, though thisduty is more excellent then the other: for as the Apontefaithoffaith,and love, fowe mayfay ofPetition,andthankf giving, this foall ceafe, that fhall be ourexercife inheaven. Now that wemay givethanks feelingly, thefe things muff be done. a. Wemuff labour to have a feeling ofour unworthineffe, for if any thing come inofdebt tous, we count it as our due , and take our felves not to owe thanks in that behalfe; nonecan bleffe God ashee fhould for all his mercies, but he that feeleth himfelfe leffe then all his mercies. When Davidapprehended on one fide his weake beliefe, and on the other fide Gods faithfulneffe and goodneffe, then he faid, What /hall igive the Lord? A Papift cannot give thanks for Heaven, but formally asthe Pharifee did , Lord I thank thee, be. for thiscaufe God lettethus not receive his mercies till we have matterbroken forth
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