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without understanding: The Doves, at every grain they pick, look upward, as giving Thanks the Jewel, which is illuftrated by the Sun-beams, coloureth the beams and the Earth which receiveth moisture from the Sky, repays it back again in vapours and exhalations; and each good Tree returns Thanks, as it were, for its goodness, by its fruitfulness: yea, the very Rocks and Stones, which receive a found from the Air, (before it be fully given ) return it by an Eccho. No marvel then, if holy David fhew himself fo follicitous and inquifitive about fome Boon or Gift to prefent his Lord withal. Enanogantã ¿v πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχεσιν αυτό, ἵνα τι άξιον ξούρη Swegy πs Awóry, faith Saint Bafil; He is in a million of fcrupulous Expoftulations and Quaries within himfelf, about that matter. But after all fearch and inquest made, he finds Πάντα μικρότερα της αξίας "QEgyεlho auTO', All too little, and below the worth of fuch a Benefactor.

Quid retribuam? What shall I render? He faith not here, Quid tribuam, fimply; What

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fball I give? But Quid retribuam? What fhall I give back? Acknowledging that all which he poffeffed he firft received from God. Domini eft terra, & plenitudo ejus ; The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness there- Pfal. 24. of; and fo are the cattel upon a thousand bills. We are but Ufu-fru&uaries, and Tenants at Will; if perhaps for a while we enjoy the poffeffion of things, howbeit the propriety is none of ours: So that none of us all can give de proprio, retribuere, render up onely, and give back, we may. Which again Royal David moft emphatically and amply acknowledged, in his Euchariftical Solemnity and Stupendious Preparations for the building of the Temple, faying; Thine, O Lord, is Greatness, and Power, and Glary, and Victory, and Praife; for all that is in Heaven and Earth is thine: Thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and thou excelleft as Head over all. Chron. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and 12, 13, praife thy glorious Name. But who am I? 14,16. and what are my People? that we should be able to offer willingly after this fort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own band have we given thee. O Lord our God, all this abun

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abundance that we have prepared to build thee an Houfe for thine holy Name, is of thine own band, and all is thine. Where our Royal Prophet seems almost as much taken up in preparing Materials for the Temple of the Lord, as in pouring out Bleffings, and accumulating Praises, unto the Lord of the Temple.

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I have read that an Eccho was held by Pythagoras in fuch facred and reverent Estimation, that he even adored it as fome admirable and divine thing; especially if there were any wind up and stirring at the production thereof. An Eccho now, we know, is but the multiplication or reflection of fome found or other, occafioned through the Refraction of the Air in fome hollow oppofite place (as the Philofopher describes it) or as the Wife man calls it, The rebounding Eccho of the hollow Mountains. Which Philofophical conceit, (or rather Poetical. Fiction) is by Francifcus Georgius thus drawn into a Moral. Seeing that (faith he) Man was made at the Word of God's command, and proceeded from him as some facred Elaft or heavenly Breath (for, infpi

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ravit in faciem ejus, & fecit animam viventem, he breathed on him, and fo made him a lìving Soul) tunc redit vox flante vento, quando gratia reflectitur in Deum, quantum poteft ; then (faith he) our Voice, Eccho-like, returns in a gentle Blaft and fweet Rebound, when we facrifice unto the Lord with the voice of Thanksgiving, and our tongues refound with his Praifes. O that men would pr. 107. therefore praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men! That (invited and excited by Royal David's example) they would facrifice unto him the Sacrifice of Thankf giving, and fhew forth all his Praife! that they would not so far degenerate,as to suffer themfelvs to be out-gone in point of Gratitude by the dumb Creatures! for even the Ox knoweth his Owner, and the Afs his Mafter's Efay 1. Crib and the Storks both feed and carry 3... the old ones that brought them forth. Many Stories tell us likewife of grateful Lions, kind Eagles, and trufty Dogs,qui etiam mori pro dominis, that are ready to dy for and with their Mafters, as Saint Ambrofe hath obferved....

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But come we now to Men, and oh ! what Ingratitude and Unkindness we presently. meet with there: Joafb remembred not the kindness of Fehoiada: The chief Butler Gen.23. quickly forgat Jofeph; and of ten Lepers that Luk. 17. were cleanfed, there returned but one to offer his Thanks.

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Hereupon the Lord was fo highly incenfed against degenerate and ingrateful Ifrael, that he fummoned heaven and earth to teEfay 1. ftifie against them. Hear, Oye Heavens, and bearken, O earth, (faith he) I have nourished and brought up Children, but they have rebelled against me. And again, They forgat God their Saviour which had done fo great things Pfal. 78. for them in Egypt, they remembred not his band for when they were filled, their heart was exalted. As the Mule having fuck'd to the full, prefently flingeth at the Dam; fo Deu.32. Fefurun waxed fat and kicked; be forfook the Lord that made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation. Howbeit 'tis otherwife with our Royal Prophet here,who never baulks the fountain of living Waters for Cifterns, broken Cifterns which hold no water ; rightly making his onely Lord and Maker

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