he fpared him. The latter infulted him most barbarously in his flight from his fon Abfalom: he gave him the most vile and fcurrilous language; and not content with that, he threw ftones and duft at him as he paffed along: Abishai offered to go over and kill him: but king David, instead of feconding the motion, feverely reprimanded him for it; and afterwards, in his return to Jerufalem upon the defeat of Abfalom, when Shimei came and fubmitted himself to him, he freely forgave him his crime.

Here is an example of gratitude and generofity meeting together in the same perfon. And most commonly indeed. where we find one we find the other alfo. Nor need we wonder at it, for they both spring from the fame ingenuous temper of mind. If I am thankful to my benefactor, it is because I feel that he hath done me good, and cannot refift the impreffion which his kindnefs makes upon me: and if I am generous and beneficent, it is because I am defirous of the felicity of my neighbour, and feel a pleasure in promoting his welfare. Now if gratitude and generofity usually go together, and proceed from the fame ingenuous temper;

then

then there is a noblenefs in the one as well as in the other: and 'tis from this argument, viz. the nobleness of gratitude, that I am now exhorting to the practice of it.

But further, the noblenefs of praife and thanksgiving will appear from the confideration of its being the employment of angels. I can hardly fuppofe that angels pray to God, because I do not apprehend that they have any thing to pray to him for. Prayer takes its rife from want, and weakness, and imperfection. Now these are characters which agree not to angels: they have all that heart can with, and are already completely happy; and they have no need to pray for the prefervation of their beings, and the continuance of their felicity, for that they are sure of, fo long as they act in conformity to reafon and the laws of their Maker. The righteous God doth not act by humour and caprice: he doth not beftow happiness upon his creatures for a time, and then in an arbitrary way deprive them of it, whether they do any thing to forfeit it or no. His difpenfations are always adapted to their conduct; good, if they are good; and evil, if they are evil: therefore angels L 2

may

may be fure that he will never put a period to their felicity whilft they perfevere in their obedience. And if they are already in the poffeffion of all that is defirable, and are fure of the continuance of it, what occafion have they to pray?

But let that be as it will: whether angels pray to God, or whether they forbear; yet this we are fure of, that angels praise him. They reft not day and night, faying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. They fall down before him that fitteth upon the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever; and caft their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and bonour, and power; for thou haft created all things, and for thy pleafure they are and were created. Now that can never be a mean fervice, which angels are employed in. To be fure. fuch noble and excellent beings have exercises suited to their noble and excellent natures. Therefore we should be ambitious to celebrate the praises of the divine majefty, because this is the employment of angels, and by the exercife of it we do honour to ourselves,

inafmuch as we fhew that we are capable of the fame exalted worship as the inhabitants of heaven itself.

3. I will exhort you to praife and thanksgiving, from the confideration of the pleasantnefs of it. The pfalmift makes use of this argument to excite men to the practice of this duty, Pfal. CXXXV. 3. Praife ye the Lord, for the Lord is good; fing praises unto his name, for it is pleafant. And again, in Pfalm CXLVII. 1. Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to fing praises unto our God; for it is pleafant. Wif dom's ways indeed are all ways of pleasantness, after a man has been for fome time inured and accustomed to them, and if we abstract from the cafe of perfecution for righteousness fake, which doth not ordinarily happen. But still it must be acknowledged, that fome duties of religion are more pleafant than others. It is more pleasant to perform acts of mercy and beneficence to our fellow creatures, than it is to fubdue pride or anger, or any beloved luft. It is more pleasant to love our brethren and friends, than to love our enemies. It is more pleasant to be righteous and just in our dealings with men, than

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than it is to forgive those who have greatly injured us. It is more pleasant in profperity to be charitable to the poor, than in affliction and adverfity to be patient and contented. It is more pleafant to pray to God, than to mortify any beloved luft. And it is more pleafant to give thanks to God, than it is to pray to him: for if we pray as we ought, we pray for the pardon of our fins, and accordingly make confeffion of them before God: and if we do this fincerely, we are filled with forrow and fhame, and feel uneafiness in our minds at the remembrance of our guilt. But there is nothing unpleasant in praise and thanksgiving. It doth not thwart any natural appetite and inclination: it doth not difpofe to sadness and melancholy: on the contrary, it diffipates them, and cre ates joy and gladness. It is fuited to the moft chearful tempers: therefore Saint James recommends it to fuch: Is any merry let him fing pfalms, James V. 13. It must needs be a delightful exercife, for it is the employment of the faints in glory. To ufe the words of an ingenious Poet:

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