Yea, our very crosses, Happy is he whom God vouchsafeth to be angry with, that he doth not give him over to a reprobate sense to fill up his sins, but that he will correct him, to pull him from ill courses. Happy is he that God vouchsafeth to be angry with in evil courses. There is a bless- ing hid in ill, in the cross. ' In all thinr/s give thanks,' saith the apostle, Eph. V. 20. What ! in aflllictions ? Aye, not for the afiliction itself, but for the issue of it. There is an effect in afllictions to draw us from the world, to draw us to God, to make us more heavenly-minded, to make us see better into these earthly things, to make us in love with heavenly things. ' In all things give thanks.' When we want matter in ourselves, let us look abroad, and give thanks to God for the prosperity of others.
2. And withal, in the second place, when we look about us, let us dwell in the yneclitation of tJie nsefuhiess of these thiiu/s, of the r/oochiess of God in them, till our hearts he warmed. It is not a slight ' God be thanked ' that will serve, but we must dwell upon it. Let our hearts dwell so long on the favom-s and blessings of God till there be a blessed fire kindled in us. The
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host l)onc-firc- of all is'to have our hearts Idiidled with love to God in the consideration of his mercy. Let us dwell so lon^^ upon it till a tlanic be kindled in us. A slij^ht praise is neither acceptable to God nor man.
8. And then let us consider our oirii lourorthiness, let iis dwell upon that. ' I am less than the least (jf all thy favours,' saith good Jacol), Gen. xxxii. 10. If we be less than the least, then wo must be thaid<t'ul for the least. Humility is alway thankful. A humble man thinks himself unworthy of anything, and therefore he is thankful for anything.
A proud man praiseth himself above the common rate. He overvalues and overprizcth himself, and therefore ho thinks he never hath enough. When he hath a great deal, he thinks he hath less than he deserves, and therefore he is an unthankful person ; and that makes a proud man so in- tolerable to God. He is alway an unthankful person, a murmuring person. A humble man, because he undervalues himself, he thinks he hath more than he deserves, and he is thankful for everything. He knows he de- serves nothing of himself. It is the mere goodness of God whatsoever he hath.
The best direction to thanksgiving is to have a humble and low heart. Therefore David, 1 Chrou. xxix. 14, when he would exercise his heart to thankfulness, when the people had given liberally, saith he, ' Who am I, or what is this people, that we should be able to otfer willingly after this sort ? All comes of thee, and all is thine own that we give.' What am I, or what is this people, that we should have hearts to give liberally to the temple ? See how he abaseth himself. And Abraham, ' I am dust and ashes, shall I speak to my Lord ? ' Gen. xviii. 27. And Job, ' I abhor myself in dust and ashes,' xlii. 6, when he considered God's excellency and his own base- ness. A humble heart is alway thankful, and the way to thankfulness is to consider our humility. * What am I '? ' saith David. He had a heart to be thankful. ' Of thine own I give thee.' Not only the matter to be thankful for, but of thine own I give thee ; when I give thee thanks, thou givest me a thankful heart.
As the sacrifice that Abraham oftered was found by God, so God must find the sacrifice that we ofier, even a thankful heart. Of thine owti, Lord, I give thee, even when I give thee thanks.
Therefore yon may make tliat a means to have a thankful heart, to pray for a thankful heart. And when we have it, bless God for it, that we may be more thankful. God must vouchsafe the portion of a thankful heart with other blessngs. He that gives matter to be thankful, must give a heart to be thankful.
4. Again, to make us more thankful, do but consider the misery of our- selves if ive ivaitted tJie hlesaings ive are thanJxful for, and the Diiserif of others that have them not. Thou that hast health, if thou wouldst be thankful for it, look abroad, look into hospitals, look on thy sick friends that cannot come abroad. Thou that wouldst be thankful for the liberty of the gospel, look beyond the seas, look into the Palatinate, and other countries, and certainly this will make thee thankful, if anything will. If we would be thankful for spiritual blessings, consider the misery of those that are under the bondage of Satan, how there is but a little step between them and hell, that they are ready to sink into it. Thei'e is but the short thread of this life to be cut, and they are for ever miserable. If we would be thankful for any blessing, let us consider the misery to be without it. If we would be