First, if we be not thankful, it stops the current of benefits.
Secondly, if we be thankful God will give us more mercies and deliver- ances. When we praise him in our hearts, in our lives, in our bounty to others, in real thankfulness, when we are ready to good works, then he is ready to bestow new still.
(3.) Again, to stir us up to this duty of praising God for ourselves and others, consider it is the beginning of heaven xqmn earth. What a happiness is it, that when our persons cannot go to heaven till we die, till our bodies be raised, yet we can send our ambassadors, we can send our prayers and thanksgivings to heaven ; and God accepts them, as if we came in our own persons. ' Let your conversation be in heaven,' saith the apostle, Philip, iii. 20. How is that ? By praising God much. I pray, what is the em- ployment of heaven, of the angels, and blessed spirits ? They praise God continually for the work of creation, and for the work of redemption. That is their especial task in heaven. Our duty is to be much this way, in prais- ing God. Self-love forceth prayer ofttimes ; but to praise God comes from a more heavenly affection.
(4.) Again, do but consider, that no creature in the world is unthankfid, but devils only, and devilish men ; and good men, only so far as they are cor- rupt and hold correspondency with their corruptions. For every .creature praiseth God in his kind, set the devil aside, who is full of envy and pride and malice against God. Therefore, except we will be like the devil, let us be thankful. God hath made all creatures to praise him, and to serve us, that we may praise him ; and when they praise him, shall we blaspheme him ? May not the swearer think with himself, every creature blesseth God, even the senseless creatures, and shall I dishonour God b}' my tongue which should be my glory, to glorify him ? Shall I blaspheme him, and be like to the devil ? Shall I be more base than the senseless creatures ? What glory hath God by many men that live in the church, that blaspheme God ; and their whole life is a witness against God, as the whole life of a Chris- tian, after he is in the state of grace, is a witness for God, and a praising of him. His whole life is a thanksgiving. So the whole life of wicked and careless creatures, is a dishonour of God, it is a witness against God. There
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 11. 201
are none but devils, devilish-minded men, but they praise God, even the very dumb creatures. Let us labour to have a part in that blessed music and harmony to praise God. If we do not praise God here, we shall never do it in heaven.
, But we must remember, by the way, that this thankfulness it must be a fruitful thanksgiving. As for us to pray to God to bless us, and then to do nothing, it is a barren prayer ; so to thank God, and then to do nothing, it is a barren thanksgiving. Our deeds have words, our deeds have a voice to God. They speak, they pray. There is a kind of prayer, a kind of thanks in our works. Works pray to God. They have a kind of cry to God, both ill works and good works. And if good works have a cry to God in prayer, they will have a voice in thanksgiving. This fruitful, this real thanks, is that which God stands upon.
And therefore it is alway joined with a study how to improve the things that we thank God for to the best advantage. If we thank God for health, and recovery, and deliverance, we will labour to improve it to God's glory. If we be thankful to God for riches, for peace, we will improve that to grow in grace, to do good to others. There is never a thankful heart, but it studies to improve that which it is thankful for really, that God may have the glory, and it the comfort, and benefit by it ; or else it is but a lip-labour, but a lost labour.
Let us shame ourselves, and condemn ourselves for our unthankfulness ; and that will be done by comparing our carriage to men with our carriage to God. If so be that a man do us a little courtesy, how are we confounded if we have not returned some thanks ? And yet, notwithstanding, from God we have all that we have, all that we are, all that we hope to have ; and yet how many benefits do we devour, and do not return God thanks ?
This disproportion will shame the best Christian, that he is not so quick in his devotion to God to be thankful there, as he is sensible of small kind- nesses done by men. This is a good way to make us more thankful.
And now when we come to the sacrament, let us bless God. The Eucharist is a thanksgiving. Where there are many, there should be thanksgiving. Where there is a communion there is many ; and thanks- giving should be especially of many met together to thank God for Christ, and for the good we have by him. For if many joined together in praise for St Paul that was but a minister, that was but an instrument to set out the praise and the doctrine of Christ, much more should we be thankful to God for Christ himself, which is the gift of all gifts, and for which he gives us all other gifts. If he give us him, can he deny us anything ? If we be thankful for the health of our bodies, as indeed we should, if we be thank- ful for the peace of oiu- humours, much more should v.'e be thankful for the peace of our consciences, when our souls are set in tune, when God and we are friends, when the soul by the Spirit of God is set at peace, and is fit for the praise of God, and is fit to do good ; when it is a health- ful soul.