2. Why this is the great matter of our thanksgiving to God. That I shall evidence in the following considerations : —
[1.] That thanksgiving to God is a great and necessary duty, ex- pressly enjoined by him, and expected from us : 1 Thes. v. 18, * In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus.' When God hath interposed his will, all debates are silenced. If there were nothing else in the case, this is motive enough to a gracious heart ; for the fundamental reason of all obedience is the will of God. Our thankfulness is no benefit to God, yet he is pleased with it, as it showeth our honesty and ingenuity. And to us Christians, the very life and soul of our religion is thankfulness; therefore, God will have us continually exercised in it : Heb. xiii. 15, ' Let us offer tlie sacrifice of praise continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks unto his name.' As our understanding was given us to think of God, and know him ; so our speech was given us to speak of God, and praise him. We praise God for all his works, we give iiim thanks for such as are beneficial to us. In praise, we ascribe all honour, ex- cellency, and perfection unto him. In giving thanks, we express what he hath done for ourselves or others. N(jw this must be done con- tinually, for God is continually beneficial unto us, by daily mercies giving us new matter of prai.se and tlianksgiving. Besides, there are some mercies so great, that they should never be forgotten,
[2.] That we are to give thanks chiefly for spiritual and eternal mercies : Eph. i. 3, ' Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath ble.'^sedus with all spiritual l)le.ssings in heavenly places in Christ.' For we cannot give thanks rightly without a just esteem of the mercy we give thanks for. ]>ut sjjiritual and eternal mercies do much excel those that are temporal and tiansilory. We are bound to bless the Lord for temporal favours and the comforts of this life, but a renewed heart is most taken up with spiritual and heavenly blessings. A man may give thanks carnally as well as pray carnally.
2 TheS, II. 13.] THE ELEVENTH SERMON. 109
A carnal man in prayer giveth vent to the desires of the flesh, James iv. 3. So in blessing God he may speak from the relish of the flesh ; though usually carnal men seldom give thanks to God : Hosea xii. 8, *I am become rich, I have found me out substance,' &c. Surely spiritual blessings should have the pre-eminence, because they concern our well-being, and they discriminate us from others, which temporal mercies do not : Eccles. ix. 1, % ' For all this I considered in my heart, even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God : no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all : there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked ; to the good, to the clean, and to the unclean ; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not ; as' is the good, so is the sinner ; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.' The wicked have many of these mercies : Ps. xvii. 14, ' From men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure ; they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.' And they may own God in them as pleased, and well satisfied with the prosperity of the flesh, or as desirous to have more.
[3.] That the best prospect we have of God's goodness to us, as to those spiritual mercies, is in election.
(1.) There we see all our blessings in their rise, fountain, and bosom cause, which is the eternal love and grace of God. Dulcius ex ipso fonte — waters are sweetest and freshest in their fountain. There we see that antecedent love which provided a Pwedeemer for us, which should be matter of continual love and reverence to us, John iii. 16. There we see the rich preparations of grace in the new covenant, which could never have entered into our hearts if elective love had not provided them for us, 1 Cor. ii. 9. There we see what it was that disposed all those providences that conduced to our good birth, education, acquaint- ance, relations. Alas ! we knew not the means of all these things, but elective love was at work for us, to cast all circumstances, that we might be best taken in our month, ^ Rom. viii. 28. There we see what it was that made all the means eft'ectual to draw us unto God : Jer. xxxi. 3, ' He loved us with an everlasting love.'
(2.) It showeth us the Lord's distinguishing grace, and who it was that made us difler from others, who are left to perish in their sins. All are not called, and why we ? John xiv. 22, ' Judas saith unto him (not Iscariot), Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world ?' Yea, many mighty and many noble are not called, 1 Cor. i. 26. God taketh not all, nor many of the highest in esteem among men, not many wise and prudent : Mat. xi. 25, 26, ' At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes ; even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.' Yea, many others are left to perish by their own delusions. The repi'obates are specula judicii divini. The judgments of God on the wicked do exceedingly amplify his mercies towards us. It was the mere elective love of God, issuing forth by his powerful and differencing grace, that put the distinction