2. The adjunct, ' righteous,' or the judgments of thy righteousness ; so called because they are holy, just, and full of equity.
Doct. 1. One special duty wherein the people of God should be much ■exercised is thanksgiving.
Doct. 2. That, God's providence rightly considered, we shall in the worst times find much more cause to give thanks than to complain.
Doct. 3. That a heart deeply affected with God's providence will take all occasions to praise God and give thanks to his name, both in season and out of season.
Doct. 1. One special duty wherein the people of God should be much exercised is thanksgiving. This duty is often pressed upon us : Heb, xiii. 15, ' Let us oft'er the sacrifice of praise continually, which is the fruit of our lips ;' giving thanks unto his name. There are two words there used, praise and thanksgiving : generally taken, they are the same ; strictly taken, thanksgiving differeth from praise. They agree that we use our voice in thanksgiving, as we do also in praise, for they are both said to be the fruit of our lips. AYhat is in the prophet Hosea,
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chap. xiv. 2, ' calves of our lips/ is in the Septuagiut, * the fruit of our lips ; ' and thev both agree that they are a sacrifice offered to our su- preme benefactor, or that they belong to the thank-offerings of the gospel. But they differ in that thanksgiving belongeth to benefits bestowed on ourselves or others ; but in relation to us, praise to any excellency whatsoever. Thanksgiving may be in word or deed ; praise in words only. Well, then, thanksgiving is a sensible acknowledg- ment of favours received, or an expression of our sense of them, by word and work, to the praise of the bestower. The object of it is the works of God as beneficial unto us, or to those who are related to us, or in whose good or ill we are concerned. As public persons, as magis- trates : 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2, 'I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, suppli- cation, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men ; for kings, and for all that are in authority.' Pastors of the church: 2 Cor. i. 11, ' You also helping together by jDrayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf.' Or our kindred accord- ing to the flesh, or some bond of Christian duty : Kom. xii. 15, ' Kejoice with them that do rejoice.' Another place where this duty is enforced is Eph. V. 20, where we are bidden to ' give thanks always for all things unto Grod and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ;' where you see it is a duty of a universal and perpetual use, and one wherein the honour of God and Christ is much concerned. A third place is 1 Thes. v. 18, ' In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.' See what reason he urgeth ; the express will of God requiring this worship at our hands. We are to obey intuitu voluntatis. God's will is the fundamental reason of our obedience in every commandment ; but here is a direct charge, now God hath made known the wonders of his love in Christ.
I shall prove to you that this is a necessary duty, a profitable duty, a pleasant and delightful duty.
1. The necessity of being much and often in thanksgiving will appear by these two considerations : —
[1.] Because God is continually beneficial to us, blessing and deliver- ing his people every day, and by new mercies giveth us new matter of praise and thanksgiving : Ps. Ixviii. 19, ' Blessed be the God of our salvation, who loadeth us daily with his benefits, Selali.' He hath con- tinually favoured us and preserved us, and poured his benefits upon us. The mercies of every day make way for songs which may sweeten our rest in the night ; and his giving us rest by night, and preserving us in our sleep, when we could not help ourselves, giveth us songs in the morning. And all the day long we find new matter of praise : our whole work is divided between receiving and acknowled2:in2:.
[2.] Some mercies are so general and beneficial that they should never be forgotten, but remembered before God every day. Such as redemption by Christ : Ps. cxi. 4, ' He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered.' We must daily be blessing God for Jesus Christ : 2 Cor. ix. 15, ' Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.' I understand it of his grace by Christ. We should ever be thus blessing and praising him ; for the keeping of his great works in memory is the foundation of all love and service to God.
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2. It is a profitable duty. The usefulness of thanksgiving appeareth with respect to faith, love, and obedience.
[1.] With respect to faith. Faith and praise live and die together ; if there be faith, there will be praise ; and if there be praise, there will be faith. If faith, there will be praise, for faith is a bird that can sing in winter : Ps. Ivi. 4, ' In God will I praise his word, in God have I put my trust ; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me ; ' and ver. 10, ' In God I will praise his word, in the Lord I will praise his word.' His word is satisfaction enough to a gracious heart ; if they have his word, they can praise him beforehand, for the grounds of hope before they have enjoyment. As Abraham, when he had not a foot in the land of Canaan, yet built an altar and offered sacrifices of thanks- giving, because of God's grant and the future possession in his pos- terity, Gen. xiii. 18. Then, whether he punisheth or pitieth, we will praise him and glory in him. Faith entertaineth the promise before performance cometh, not only with confidence, but with delight and praise. The other part is, if praise, there will be faith ; that is, supposing the praise real, for it raiseth our faith to expect the like again, having received so much grace already. All God's praises are the believer's advantage, the mercy is many times given as a pledge of more mercy. In many cases Deiis donando debet. If life, he will give food and bodily raiment. It holdeth good in spiritual things. If Christ, other things with Christ. One concession draweth another ; if he spares me, he will feed me, clothe me. The attributes from whence the mercy cometh is the pillar of the believer's con- fidence and hope. If such a good, then a fit object of trust. If I have found him a God hearing prayer, ' I will call upon him as long as I live,' Ps. cxvi. 2. Praise doth but provide matter of trust, and repre- sent God to us as a storehouse of all good things, and a sure foun- dation for dependence.