IX. glorious, all are to be discerned, all to be esteemed SERM. and thankfully entertained by us. The brightness of the one should not wholly obscure the other; if it do, it argues the weakness of our sense, the dulness of our spiritual faculty. For every beam of light that delights our eye, for every breath of air that cheers our spirits, for every drop of pleasant liquor that cools our thirst, for every minute of comfortable repose, for every step we safely take, for the happy issue of the least undertaking, for escaping the vengeance due to an idle word or a wanton thought, we owe a hymn of praise to God. But, 2. We are to render thanks, not only for new and present benefits, but for all we have formerly, all that we may hereafter receive. We find David not only frequently acknowledging the gracious dispensations of Providence toward him through the whole course of his life, but looking back in his thankful devotions as far as his very original being, and praising God for favours conferred on him beyond his memory, yea before his life. I will praise Ps. cxxxix. thee, saith he, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. And St. Paul, yet further reflecting his grateful consideration, blesses God for his favour commenced before the beginning of things. God and Father of our Blessed, saith he, be the Eph. i. 3, 4. IX. SERM. hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world. 4. Neither doth the memory only of former, and the enjoyment of present, but the hope and foresight also of future blessings, worthily claim our thanks. 1 Pet. i. 3, For, saith St. Peter, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, reserved in heaven for you. Beasts only, and men not much better than they, are affected with present good turns: but men of honest and generous temper resent indifferently the obligations of all times. Sense doth not confine their gratitude, nor absence remove, nor age wear it out. What once is done, is ever done to them; and what of courtesy is purposed, seems to them performed. But having 3. We should bless God, not only for new, rare, IX. bliss continually exhibited to us?) Shall the com- SERM. monness and continuance of these exceeding favours, that they are not given us once only, and transitorily, but continued, (that is, given us so often as time hath instants,) and with an uninterrupted perseverance renewed unto us; shall this abate and enervate our gratitude, which in all reason should mainly increase and confirm it? But this point I also touched before, and therefore, forbearing to insist thereon, I proceed. 4. We should give thanks, not only for private and particular, but for public benefits also, and for such as befall others. I exhort therefore, saith St. Tim. ii. 1. Paul, before all things, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men: not prayers only, for good things to be bestowed on others; but thanksgivings also, for the benefits received by others. (And imèp návτwy in our πάντων text, however otherwise commonly interpreted, may well admit this sense also; and be taken indifferently, pro omnibus, for all persons, and propter omnia, for all things.) in 2 Cor. We are all citizens of the world, and concerned in vid. Chrys. its good constitution; and thence obliged thank-Or. 2. fully to adore the mighty Upholder and wise Governor thereof, praising him for all the general benefits liberally poured forth upon mankind. We partake in the commodities of civil society; and therefore should heartily thank him, by whose gracious disposal order is maintained, peace continued, < Quem vero astrorum ordines, quem dierum noctiumque vicissitudines, quem mensium temperatio, quemque ea quæ nobis gignuntur ad fruendum non gratum esse cogant; hunc hominem omnino numerare qui decet ? Cic. de Leg. ii. BARROW, VOL. I. SERM. justice administered, plenty provided, our lives made IX. safe and sweet to us therein. We are members of a church, and highly interested in the prosperous estate and well-being thereof: when unity therefore is preserved, and charity abounds; when knowledge is increased, and virtue encouraged; when piety flourishes, and truth triumphs therein; we are bound to render all possible thanks to the gracious bestower of those inestimable blessings. We are much mistaken in our account, if we either determine our own concernments, or measure this duty, by the narrow rule of our private advantage for subducting either the benefits commonly indulged to mankind, or those which accrue from the welfare of public society, what possibility will remain of subsistence, of safety, of content unto us? what but confusion, want, violence, and disquiet? As we are concerned with our utmost endeavours to promote, to wish and pray for, to delight and rejoice in, the public good of mankind, the peace of our country, the prosperity of Sion; so we are to bless and thank him, by whose gracious help and furtherance they are attained. If we consult all history, (sacred and civil,) we shall find it to contain hardly any thing else considerable, but the earnest endeavours of good men for public benefit, and their thankful acknowledgments to the divine goodness for it. Moses, David, Nehemiah, St. Paul, all the prophets, and all the apostles, what other things memorable did they do, but serve God in procuring public good, and bless God for conferring it? Neither only as we are combined with others in common interest, but without selfish respects, purely IX. Ro. xii. 15. out of charity, and humanity, and ingenuous pity, are SERM. we obliged to thank God for the benefits he is pleased to impart to others. If upon these accounts we are commanded to do good to all men; to rejoice with Gal. vi. 1o. those that rejoice; to love even those that hate us, Matt. v. 44. and bless those that curse us; 'tis (by fair consequence) surely intended, that we should also bless God for the good issue of our honest endeavours, or of our good wishes for them. And verily could we become endowed with this excellent quality of delighting in others' good, and heartily thanking God for it, we needed not to envy the wealth and splendour of the greatest princes, not the wisdom of the profoundest doctors, not the religion of the devoutest anchorets, no, nor the happiness of the highest angels: for upon this supposition, as the glory of all is God's, so the content in all would be ours. All the fruit they can perceive of their happy condition, of what kind soever, is to rejoice in it themselves, and to praise God for it: and this should we then do as well as they. My neighbour's good success is mine, if I equally triumph therein his riches are mine, if I delight to see him enjoy them his health is mine, if it refresh my spirits: his virtue mine, if I by it am bettered, and have hearty complacence therein. By this means a man derives a confluence of joy upon himself, and makes himself, as it were, the centre of all felicity; enriches himself with the plenty, and satiates himself with the pleasure, of the whole world: reserving to God the praise, he enjoys the satisfaction of all good that happens to any. : Thus we see David frequently thanking God, not for his favour only and mercy shewed particularly |