Doct. That it is the special duty of seamen., when God returns them to their habitations in peace^ thankfully to a^kiiowledge and bless his name, for all the preservations and mercies they have received J'rom his hand.
These are mercies indeed which are obtained from God by prayer, and returned to him again by praise. When we have received our mercies, God expects his praises : After the Psalmist had opened the hazards and fears of seamen upon the stormy ocean, and the goodness of God in brinmng- them to their desired haven, Psal. cvii. 30. he presently calls upon them for this duty, ver. 31. "O that men would " praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to " the children of men !"
O that men would ! why, how is it imaginable they should not ? He hath the heart of a beast, not of a man, that would not. Did I say the heart of a beast ? Give me that word again. There is a kind of gratitude, even in beasts, to their benefactors. " The ox knoweth *' his owner, and the ass his master s crib," Isa. i. 3.
Now the method into which I will cast the discourse, shall be,
First, To open the nature of the duty, and to shew you what it is to praise God for his mercies.
Secondly, To give you the grounds and reasons of the duty, why God expects it, and you ought to give it to him. And then.
Thirdly, To apply it in the several uses it is improveable unto.
1. The nature of the duty needs opening; for few understand what it is. Alas ! it is another manner of thing than a customary, formal, cold God be thanked. Now, if we search into the nature of this duty, we shall find that whoever undertakes this angelic work, must.
First, Be a heedful observer of the mercies he receives. This is fundamental to the duty. Where no observations of mercies have been made, no praises for them can be returned. God was never honoured by his unobserved mercies. When David had opened the providences of God to the several degrees and orders of men, in its various administrations, and called upon them distinctly to praise God for them ; he adds, in the close of all, " Whoso is wise, and will ob- '* serve these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness " of the Lord," Psal. cvii. idt. It is God's charge against Israel, Hosea ii. 8. " She did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, " and oil, and multiplied her silver :" i. e. She did not observe and take notice of these mercies, as coming from my hand ; but only
THE SEAMA^j's llETUKN. 409
looked at the next cause. Thus it is with many, they think not upon their own mercies : others can observe them, but they cannot ; they can quickly observe what troubles befal them, but take little notice of their own mercies. Such men can never be thankful.
Secondly, The thankful man must not only observe what mercies he hath, and from whom they come; but must particularly consider them in their natures, degrees, seasons, and manner of conveyance; there is much of God's glory, and our comfort lost for want of this. " The " works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have " pleasure therein,"" Psal. cxi. 2. And indeed, there is no employ- ment in all the world, that yields more pleasure to a gracious soul, than the anatomizing of providence doth. How sweet is it to ob- serve the mutual respects, coincidences, and introductive occasions of our mercies ; every minute circumstance hath its weight and value here. He hath little pleasure in his meat, that swallows it whole without chewing.
Thirdly, The thankful person must duly estimate and value his mercies. It is impossible that man can be thankful for mercies he little esteems. Israel could not praise God for that angels food with which he fed them, whilst they despised it in saying, There is nothing but this manna.
And surely it shews the great corruption of our nature, that those^ things which should raise the value of mercies with us,'causeus the more to slight them : yet thus it falls out. The commonness, or long- continuance of mercies with us, which should endear them the more, and every day increase our obligation to God, causes them to seem but cheap and small things. And therefore doth God so often threaten them, yea, and remove them, that their worth and excel- lency may thereby be acknowledged.
Fourthly, The thankful person must faithfully record his mercies, else God cannot have his due praise for them. " Bless the Lord, O " my soul, and forget not all his benefits," Psal. ciii. 2. Forgotten mercies bear no fruit : a bad memory in this case, makes a barren heart and life.
I confess the mercies of God are such a multitude, that a memory of brass cannot retain them. " I will come before thee in the mul- " titude of thy mercies," saith David, Psal. v. 7. They are called *' showers of blessings, Ezek. xxxiv. 26. And as impossible it is distinctly to recount all our mercies, as to number the drops of rain that fall in a shower. Nevertheless, it hath been the pious care and endeavour of the people of God, to preserve and perpetuate his mer- cies, by using all the helps to memory they could. Therefore they have kept registers, Exod. xvii. 14. endited Psalms, to bring to remem^ hrance, Ps. Ixx. title ; denominated places from the mercies received there. Thus Jacob called the place where he found so much mercy. Bethel. Hagar named the well, where God unexpectedly relieved
410 THE SEAMA:n's RETITJI^,
her, Beer-lahai-roi, the well of him that iiveth ancl looketh upon me, Gen. xvi. 13, 14.
They have stamped the mercies upon the days in which they re- ceived them. Thus the Jews called those days in which God wrought their deliverance, Purim, after the name Pur, signifying the lot Ha- man had cast for their lives ; Esther ix. 26. Yea, they have called their mercies upon their children, 1 Sam. i. 20. Thus thankful souls have striv.-ii; to recognize their mercies, that God might not lose the praise, nor themselves the comfort of them.
Fifthly, The thankful person must be suitably affected with the mercies he receives. It is not a speculative, but an affectio7iate remem- brance that becomes us : then God hath his glory, when the sense of his mercies melts our hearts into holy joy, love, and admiration. Thus David sits down before the Lord like a man astonished at his goodness to him ; 2 Sam. vii. 20. " And what can David say more ? " for thou Lord knowest thy servant."" The mercies of God have made the saints hearts leap for joy within them : Psal. xcii. 4. " Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works; therefore " will I triumph in the works of thy hands." Mercies are not mer- cies, deliverances are not deliverances to us, if we that receive them are not glad of them.