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 farther reflecting his grateful consideration, blesses God for his favor commenced before the beginning of things. Blessed,' saith he,' be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world.'

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. 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 before discoursed somewhat largely concerning the remembrance of benefits, I leave this point. Furthermore,

3. We should bless God, not only for new, rare, extraordinary accidents of providence, but for the common and daily benefits and indulgences thereof. These favors are usually the greatest and most valuable in their own nature. (For what can be imagined of higher consequence to us, than the preservation of our lives and of our estates, by which they are comfortably maintained; than the continuance of our bodies in good health, and our minds in their right wits; than the knowlege of heavenly truth, the encouragements to virtue and piety, the assistances of divine grace, and the promises of eternal bliss continually exhibited to us?*) Shall the com

* Quem vero astrorum ordines, quem dierum noctiumque vicissi

monness and continuance of these exceeding favors, 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 befal others. I exhort therefore,' saith St. 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 vπèρ Táνrwv in our 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.")

We are all citizens of the world, and concerned in its good constitution; and thence obliged thankfully to adore the mighty Upholder and wise Governor thereof, praising him for all the general benefits liberally poured forth on mankind. We partake in the commodities of civil society; and therefore should heartily thank him, by whose gracious disposal order is maintained, peace continued, justice administered, plenty pro vided, our lives made 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 knowlege 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

tudines, quem mensium temperatio, quemque ea quæ nobis gignun tur ad fruendum non gratum esse cogant; hunc hominem omnino numerare qui decet?-Cic. de Leg. ii.

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 endeavors 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 endeavors of good men for public benefit, and their thankful acknowlegements 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 out of charity, and humanity, and ingenuous pity, are we obliged to thank God for the benefits he is pleased to impart to others. If on these accounts we are commanded to do good to all men ;' to ⚫ rejoice with those that rejoice:' to 'love even those that hate us,' 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 endeavors, 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 splendor 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 on 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 neighbor'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 on 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 favor only and mercy showed particularly to himself, but for his common munificence toward all; for (to use his own phrases) 'his goodness to all, and his tender mercies over all his works ;' for executing judgment in behalf of the oppressed;' for 'feeding the hungry;' for loosening the prisoners;' for opening the eyes of the blind;' for 'raising them that are bowed down ;' for 'preserving the strangers,' and 'relieving the fatherless and widow;' for lifting up the meek;' for loving, and caring for, and defending the righteous;' for opening his hand, and satisfying the desire of every living thing;' for 'giving to the beast his food, and to the young ravens when they cry unto him;' in a word, for his goodness to every particular creature, not excluding the most contemptible nor the most savage of all. And how affectionately doth St. Paul every where thank God for the growth in grace and spiritual wisdom, for the patience in affliction and perseverance in faith, of those good Christians he writes unto! So should, with an unrestrained exuberance, both our charity to men, and our gratitude to God, abound. But moreover,

5. We are obliged to give thanks, not only for pleasant and prosperous occurrences of providence, but for those also which are adverse to our desire, and distasteful to our natural sense; for poverty, sickness, disgrace; for all the sorrows and troubles, the disasters and disappointments that befal us. We are bound to pay thanks, not for our food only, but for our physic also; (which, though ingrateful to our palate, is profitable for our health) we are obliged, in the school of providence, not only for the good instructions, but for the seasonable corrections also vouchsafed unto us, (whereby, though our senses are offended, our manners are bettered.*) Whatever proceeds from good purpose, and tends to a happy end, that is

Τὸν θεὸν ὁμοίως ἀνυμνεῖν χρὴ, καὶ κολάζοντα, καὶ ἀνιέντα κολάσεως· ἀμφότερα γὰρ κηδεμονίας, ἀμφότερα ἀγαθότητος, &c.-Chrysost. in Psal. cxlviii.

graciously designed, and effectually conduces to our good, is a fit subject of thanksgiving; and such may all adversities prove unto us. They proceed usually from love and kind intention toward us; for whom God loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth;' and I know, O Lord,' saith David, 'that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me:'in faithfulness,' that is, with a sincere intention of doing me good.

God thoroughly knows our constitution, what is noxious to our health, and what may remedy our distempers; and therefore accordingly disposeth to us

pro jucundis aptissima quæque- ;

instead of pleasant honey, he sometimes prescribes wholesome wormwood for us. We are ourselves greatly ignorant of what is conducible to our real good, and, were the choice of our condition wholly permitted to us, should make very foolish, very disadvantageous elections.

We should (be sure) all of us embrace a rich and plentiful estate; when as, God knows, that would make us slothful and luxurious, swell us with pride and haughty thoughts, incumber us with anxious cares, and expose us to dangerous temptations; would render us forgetful of ourselves, and neglectful of him. Therefore he wisely disposeth poverty unto us; poverty, the mother of sobriety, the nurse of industry, the mistress of wisdom; which will make us understand ourselves and our dependence on him, and force us to have recourse to his help. And is there not reason we should be thankful for the means by which we are delivered from those desperate mischiefs, and obtain these excellent advantages?

We should all (certainly) choose the favor and applause of men but this, God also knows, would corrupt our minds with vain conceit, would intoxicate our fancies with spurious pleasure, would tempt us to ascribe immoderately to ourselves, and sacrilegiously to deprive God of his due honor. Therefore he advisedly suffers us to incur the disgrace and displeasure, the hatred and contempt of men; that so we may place our glory only in the hopes of his favor, and may pursue more earnestly