part, "I will shew forth all thy marvellous works;" who can say? they are beyond us. And now, beloved, if it be our duty to praise God, to be thankful to him in every condition, when we are low: shall we not be thankful to him now, that the Lord hath raised us, and filled us thus ? You will say, there is one thing that hinders us in the work of praise and thanksgiving in these times: a reformation is now begun, and things do not succeed according to our desires in the matter of reformation: should we, can we be thankful now? : Yes; if the Lord give me a child, should not I be thankful for it, because it is not born a man? When the Jews built the temple, did not they shout, and praise God that the foundation was laid? When the Israelites had overcome their enemies, in Samuel's time; though the enemies were round about them, they set up a stone, and called it Ebenezer, "Hitherto the Lord hath helped us," 1 Sam. vii. 12. Beloved, in our thanksgiving we are to be like unto Jesus Christ he did not only praise God when he had the mercy, but before he had it, in the entrance upon it. When he raises up Lazarus from the dead: " Father (says he) I thank thee that thou hearest me always :" John xi. 41, 42. and then he commands Lazarus to come out. But first he gives thanks to God. In the Scripture, the Holy Ghost hath commanded us, 66 to honour the Lord with our substance; and with the first fruits of all our increase." Prov. iii. 9. Either ye have the first-fruits of reformation or not. If not, what mean all those precious ears and fruits which ye have been gathering in these latter times? And if ye have the first fruits, though ye have not reaped the harvest yet: then "honour the Lord with your substance, and with your first fruits; so shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses with the new wine of the gospel." God does give one mercy as a seal unto another; a first as a seal to the second: the second as a seal to the third : the lesser as a pledge of the greater. God does give a lesser mercy to try us whether we will be thankful, that he may give a greater. Beloved, these are trying times, God tries us whether we will be thankful for what we have. A reformation is now on foot: what though things do not suc ceed according to your desire, shall we not be thankful for what we have, because we want something of what we would have? when then shall we thankful? Aye, but it is not only want of reformation, but many errors that are risen up among us in these times: and should we be thankful now in this condition? Yes, shall I not be thankful for some grace, because it is mingled with much corruption; shall I not be thankful for my field of corn, because divers weeds are mingled therewith; shall I cast away the kernel, because it is compassed about with a shell? Luther, in the beginning of the reformation, met with many errors, and he comforted himself with this; When the corn is grown, the weeds will die alone. Meaning this; when reformation is come to greater strength, errors would die alone. It is said of our Lord and Saviour Christ, "He was numbered among transgressors :" Isa. liii. 12. Should not I love Christ, or own Christ, or be thankful for Christ; because he was numbered among transgressors ? The errors of the time, you say, are the transgressors of the time. Shall I not love the truth, and own the truth, and be thankful for the truth because it is numbered among the transgressors, the transgressors of the time? Blessed is the man that can see a beauty in truth when it hath a scratched face. And indeed every truth hath a beauty; and the Lord hath given you out many truths in these times that ye were ignorant of before. Beloved, I do not say that ye should be thankful for any error, we ought to be grieved for any error. But shall we be so mindful against error, crying out against error, error; as not to be thankful for any truth we have? If the whole world were spread with error; that one truth living: "Jesus Christ died for sinners ;" there were matter of praise. The more error does prevail, the more mercy it is, that you are kept. And truly the only way, or a special way to be kept from error, is to be thankful for truth. As a way to be kept from sin, is to be thankful for grace: so a special way to be kept from error is to be thankful for truth. So then, notwithstanding all this; yet you are to be thankful thankful even in this condition, though many errors, yet ye are to be thankful, to be in all things thankful, in every thing thankful. Thankful when ye are straitened, as well as when ye are most enlarged. Thankful when ye are deserted, as well as when God shines upon you. Thankful when ye are afflicted, as well as when ye are delivered. Thankful when ye have no victories, as well as when ye have victories. Some, it may be, now will praise the Lord and be thankful; hearing of so many victories; and because there may be some hopes of peace: but beloved, it is our duty to be in every thing thankful: it is the will of God our Father, that we should be thankful in every thing, thankful in every condition. Give me leave to propound some few encouragements hereunto for it seems a hard thing to be thankful in every thing, in every condition. : If you can be thankful in every thing, even when ye are low, you will engage God for to raise you up: if when you are weak, you engage God for to make you strong: if when you are deserted, you engage God to enlarge you, to shine upon you. It pleases God much, you cannot please him more, than to be thankful in every thing, even when ye are low. For example, suppose a man be convinced of sin, troubled in conscience, hath no assurance of God's love in Christ; if he should die, he does not know whether he shall go to heaven or hell. Yet notwithstanding, says he, whatever become of me, I bless the Lord that I am come hither: I was going on in the most sad condition: the Lord hath opened my eyes, I see indeed nothing but the wrath of God, due for my sins; but yet blessed be the Lord, that hath opened my eyes to see this: Aye, says the Lord, dost thou bless me because I have opened thy eyes for to see thy sins? I will open thine eyes for to see thy Saviour. Dost thou bless me because I have opened thy eyes to see thy own heart, and the naughtiness thereof? I will open thy eyes to see all my grace, and I will cause all my grace to pass before thee. This engages God, when we can be thankful for every thing; and when ye are low, it engages God much unto you. Again, Hereby your afflictions shall be made blessings unto you. You say, How shall I know whether an affliction be a blessing or no? Take this note: when thou canst bless God under an affliction, then thy affliction is made a blessing: thy very blessing of God under an affliction, makes thy affliction a blessing to thee. Job, was greatly afflicted, and he blessed God and his affliction was a blessing to him: so shall it be with you. Touch but thy affliction with a thankful heart, it will turn it into gold. Moreover, the more you can be thankful for any thing when ye are low; the more peace shall your heart and your soul be filled with. Some of you, it may be, want peace of conscience; and ye say: Oh, that I had peace within, whatever become of me outwardly: whatsoever the world do with me, oh, that I had peace within. To this purpose consider Phil. iv.; says the apostle: "Be ye in nothing careful," verse 6, "but in every thing, by prayer, and supplication, with thanksgiving; let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." This is the way to get a great, and a full peace. Be in nothing careful: be in all things thankful, then the peace of God shall guard you. Besides, hereby ye shall shame the devil: your great adversary shall retreat from tempting of you, as one ashamed and confounded. Some there are that shame the saints: and are a shame to the ways of God, and to the gospel: some there are that shame the devil. The devil said unto God concerning Job, "Do but touch him, and he will curse thee to thy face." Job i. 11. Says the Lord, "He is in thy hand, only save his life" and Satan touched him: what then? "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away; blessed be his name." The devil said he would curse God, and he blesses God: see how the devil is shamed and confounded here. Some there are that make the devil's words good: "Touch him, and he will curse thee to thy face:" and so do some do, and thereby they are a shame indeed unto the people of God, and the ways of God. But when people can bless God under affliction: if ye in every thing be thankful; the devil is confounded, God is much honoured. Wherefore, beloved, as ye desire that God may be much honoured by you, the devil confounded, your own peace settled, all your afflictions turned into blessings, and the Lord engaged to you, to raise you up when ye are low: learn out this lesson, not only to be thankful when ye are full, but to be thankful when ye are empty, to be in every thing thankful, this is the will of God your Father. 8 How shall we do this, you will say, how must that be done? Some few things in answer to that, and so I will wind up up all. Observe your own temper, and accommodate yourselves; put thyself upon that duty, and that grace, which thine own disposition lies next unto. God hath given us this indulgence. "Is any afflicted? let him pray: is any merry? let him sing psalms." According to your disposition, says he, that is the meaning; so let your work be, so let your grace be. It may be thou canst not pray; by that time thou hast been at another duty that thy disposition lies more unto, next unto, thou wilt be fit to pray. It may be thou canst not sing; by that time thou hast been at prayer, which thy disposition lies next unto, thou wilt be fit to sing. Let us not be more cruel to our souls than God is; he hath given us this indulgence: observe yourselves, accommodate yourselves; and by this means you shall be able upon all occasions to bless and praise the Lord. Again, Be sure of this, that you maintain your assurance fresh, and green. It is a hard thing for a man to be thankful in every thing that wants assurance; come to him for to praise God for a great work: but it may be, said he, it came in judgment to me, I have no assurance. Strengthen your assurance in these three things, and it will cause continual thankfulness, thankfulness in every thing: assurance of your interest in Christ, and union with him: assurance that all comes from love: assurance that all things work together for your good and then if the Tempter come, and says, Wilt thou praise the Lord; dost thou not see how all thy acquaintance hath left thee; and all thy friends left thee? you will answer again, Aye, but all this is for my good, and all this comes out of love, and so whatever falls out, you will be thankful in every thing. Desire not much he that desires much, will expect much; and he that expects much, he will not be content with little, much less thankful for every thing. Jacob was a plain hearted man; he desired little, he was content with less, he was thankful for every thing. So must you be. And if you do desire much, let your eye be as much upon what ye have, as upon what ye want. The covetous rich |