SERM. to those who do good to you, what thanks is it? for even IX. finners (that is, men of apparently lewd and diffolute converfation) do the fame.

Yea even beafts, and those not only the moft gentle and fociable of them, (the officious dog, the tractable horse, the docile elephant,) but the wildeft alfo and fierceft of them, (the untameable lion, the cruel tiger, Vid. Gell. and ravenous bear, as ftories tell us, and experience attests,) bear some kindness, fhew some grateful affection to those that provide for them.

lib. v. c. 14.

Neither wild beasts only, but even inanimate creatures seem not altogether infenfible of benefits, and lively represent unto us a natural abhorrence of ingratitude. The rivers openly discharge into the fea those waters, which by indifcernible conduits they derived thence; the heavens remit in bountiful showers what from the earth they had exhaled in vapour; and the earth by a fruitful increase repays the culture bestowed thereon; if not, (as Heb. vi. 8. the Apoftle to the Hebrews doth pronounce,) it deserves curfing and reprobation. So monftrous a thing, and univerfally abominable to nature, is all ingratitude. And how execrable a prodigy is it then toward God, from whom alone we receive whatever we enjoy, whatever we can expect of good?

II. The fecond obligation to this duty is most just and Laberius. equal. For, (as a he faid well,) Beneficium qui dare nefcit, injufte petit; He unjustly requires (much more unjustly receives) a benefit, who is not minded to requite it. In all reason we are indebted for what is freely given, as well as for what is lent unto us. For the freeness of the giver, his not exacting security, nor expreffing conditions of return, doth not diminish, but rather increase the debt. He that gives, indeed, according to human (or political) law, (which, in order to preservation of public peace, requires only a punctual performance of contracts,) transfers his right, and alienates his poffeffion: but according to that more noble and perfect rule of ingenuity, (the law which God and angels and good men chiefly obferve, and govern themselves by,) what is given is but committed to

IX.

Καλὸν δὲ

κειμένη χάσ

lib. viii.

сар. 6.

the faith, depofited in the hand, treasured up in the cuf- SERM. tody of him that receives it: and what more palpable iniquity is there, than to betray the truft, or to detain the pledge, not of fome inconfiderable trifle, but of ineftimable good-will? Excepta Macedonum gente, faith Seneca, gis. non eft ulla data adverfus ingratum actio: In no nation De Benef. (excepting the Macedonians) an action could be preferred against ingrateful perfons, as fo. (Though Xenophon, no mean author, reports, that among the Perfians also there were judgments affigned, and punishments appointed for ingratitude.) However, in the court of heaven, and at the tribunal of confcience, no offender is more conftantly arraigned, none more furely condemned, none more feverely punished, than the ingrateful man.

Since therefore we have received all from the divine bounty; if God should in requital exact, that we facrifice our lives to the teftimony of his truth; that we employ our utmost pains, expend our whole estate, adventure our health, and prostitute all our earthly contents to his fervice; fince he did but revoke his own, it were great injustice to refuse compliance with his demands: how much more, when he only expects from us and requires fome few acknowledgments of our obligation to him, fome little portions of our fubftance, for the relief of them. that need, fome eafy obfervances of his moft reasonable commands?

III.

Thirdly, This is a most sweet and delightful duty. Praise the Lord, faith the most experienced Pfalmist, for Pf. cxxxv. the Lord is good; fing praifes to his name, for it is pleasant: 3. and otherwhere, Praife the Lord, for it is good to fing praises Pf. cxlvii. 1. to our God; for it is pleasant, and praife is comely. The ix. 1. performance of this duty, as it especially proceeds from good humour, and a cheerful difpofition of mind; so it feeds and foments them; both root and fruit thereof are hugely sweet and fapid. Whence St. James; If any man be Jam. v. 13. afflicted, let him pray; is any merry, let him fing pfalms. (Pfalms, the proper matter of which is praife and thankfgiving.)

Other duties of devotion have fomething laborious in

SERM. them, fomething difguftful to our sense. Prayer minds IX. us of our wants and imperfections; confeffion induces a fad remembrance of our misdeeds and bad deferts but thanksgiving includes nothing uneasy or unpleasant; nothing but the memory and sense of exceeding goodness.

Vid. Pfal.

1. 13, 14.

23.

All love is fweet; but that especially which arises, not from a bare apprehenfion only of the object's worth and dignity, but from a feeling of its fingular beneficence and usefulness unto us. And what thought can enter into the heart of man more comfortable and delicious than this, that the great Master of all things, the most wife and mighty King of heaven and earth, hath entertained a gracious regard, hath expreffed a real kindness towards us? that we are in capacity to honour, to please, to present an acceptable facrifice to him, who can render us perfectly happy? that we are admitted to the practice of that wherein the supreme joy of paradise, and the perfection of angelical blifs confifts? For praise and thankfgiving are the most delectable bufinefs of heaven; and God grant they may be our greatest delight, our most frequent employment upon earth.

To these I might add such farther confiderations: That Ixix. 30,31. this duty is of all most acceptable to God, and most profitable to us. That gratitude for benefits procures more, difpofing God to beftow, and qualifying us to receive them. That the ferious performance of this duty efficaciously promotes and facilitates the practice of other duties; fince the more we are fenfible of our obligations to God, the more ready we shall be to please him, by obedience to his comVid. divi- mandments. What St. Chryfoftom saith of prayer, It is niff. Chryf. impoffible that he, who with competent promptitude of mind doth constantly apply himself thereto, should ever fin, is most especially true of this part of devotion: for how can we at the fame time be fenfible of God's goodnefs to us, and willingly offend him? That the memory of past benefits, and sense of present, confirms our faith, and nourishes our hope of future. That the circumftances of the divine beneficence mightily ftrengthen the obligation to this duty; especially his abfolute freeness

locum tom.

V. p. 76.

in giving, and our total unworthinefs to receive; our SERM. very ingratitude itself affording ftrong inducements to IX. gratitude. That giving thanks hath de facto been always the principal part of all religion, (whether instituted by divine command, or prompted by natural reason, or propagated by general tradition ;) the Ethnic devotion confifting (as it were totally) in the praise of their gods, and acknowledgment of their benefits; the Jewish more than half in euchariftical oblations, and in folemn commemorations of providential favours; and that of the ancient Christians fo far forth, that bye-ftanders could hardly difcern any other thing in their religious practice, Plin. Epift. than that they fang hymns to Chrift, and by mutual facraments obliged themselves to abstain from all villainy. But I will rather wholly omit the prosecution of these pregnant arguments, than be farther offenfive to your patience.

Now the bleffed Fountain of all goodness and mercy inSpire our hearts with his heavenly grace, and thereby enable us rightly to apprehend, diligently to confider, faithfully to remember, worthily to esteem, to be heartily affected with, to render all due acknowledgment, praife, love, and thankful obedience for all his (infinitely great and innumerable many) favours, mercies, and benefits freely conferred upon us: and let us fay with David, Blessed be the Lord Pf. Ixxii. God of Ifrael, who only doth wondrous things: and blessed be his glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael Pf. cvi. 48. from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people fay, Amen.

18, 19.

SERMON X.

ON THE KING'S HAPPY RETURN.

X.

Ver. 6.

I TIM. ii. 1, 2.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men : for kings, and for all that are in authority.

SERM. SAINT Paul in his preceding discourse having infinuated directions to his fcholar and fpiritual fon, Timothy, 1 Tim. i. 3. concerning the discharge of his office, of instructing men in their duty according to the evangelical doctrine; (the main defign whereof he teacheth to confift, not (as some men conceited) in fond stories, or vain fpeculations, but in practice of fubftantial duties, holding a fincere faith, maintaining a good confcience, performing offices of puré Ver. 5. 19. and hearty charity ;) in pursuance of such general duty, and as a principal inftance thereof, he doth here first of all exhort, or, doth exhort that first of all all kinds of devotion fhould be offered to God, as for all men generally, fo particularly for kings and magiftrates. From whence we may collect two particulars. 1. That the making of prayers for kings is a Christian duty of great importance. Παρακαλῶ (St. Paul judging fit to exhort thereto πρῶτον πάντων, Ueἦν πρῶτον TAYTAY - fore all other things; or, to exhort that before all things it should be performed.) 2. That it is incumbent on the paftors of the church (such as St. Timothy was) to take fpecial care, that this duty fhould be performed in the