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Dan. II. 19-13. And Daniel anfwered and faid: bleed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his, and he changeth the times and the feafons; he revealeth the deep and fecret things; be knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him: I thank thee and praife thee, O thou God of my fathers, who baft given me wisdom and might, and haft made known unto me now, what we defired of thee ; for thou haft now made known unto us the king's matter.

And we find him afterwards practifing this duty, at a time when the performance of it was very dangerous. We read in the fixth chapter of Daniel, that at the inftigation of fome noblemen who were Daniel's enemies, king Darius made a decree, that whofoever should ask a petition of any God, or man, except of him, fhould be caft into the den of lions. Yet Daniel, nothing daunted hereat, continued his wonted practice of prayer and praife. When he knew that the writing was figned, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerufalem, he kneeled upon his · knees three times a-day, and prayed, and

gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime; Dan. VI. 10.

I fhall mention but one perfon more as an inftance of thankfulness; and that is the apostle Paul. See 1 Tim. 12, 13. I thank Chrift Jefus our Lord, who bath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blafphemer, a perfecutor, and injurious. And he did not give thanks for perfonal favours only, but for mercies bestowed upon others also. "Tis a common thing with him, in the beginning of his epiftles, to return thanks to God for the graces and virtues confpicuous in those to whom he wrote them, or fome benefit or other confered upon them. Thus in the epiftle to the Romans, chap. I. ver. 8. First I thank my God, through Jefus Chrift, for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. And to the Corinthians, chap. I. ver. 4, 5. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jefus Chrift, that in every thing ye are enriched by him in all utterance, and in all knowledge. And to the Ephefians, chap. I. ver. 15. I alfo, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jefus, and love unto all the faints,

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ceafe not to give thanks for you. And to the Philippians, chap. I. ver. 3, 5. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, for your fellowship in the gospel, from the first day until now.

All these that I have mentioned were eminent for piety and virtue. And if they were fo diligent in the practice of thanksgiving, we may well fuppose that it is a duty of great excellence and importance.

6. The last motive that I fhall ufe to excite you to thanksgiving is, because it will recommend our holy religion. Many perfons are prejudiced againft religion from a conceit of its being a dull unpleasant thing, and an enemy to joy. If chriftians would be more hearty and frequent in this work of praise and thanksgiving, they would do a great deal towards the removing of this prejudice, for hereby they would demonftrate, that religion is not that gloomy and melancholy thing which it hath by fome been reprefented to be. Men will be ready to imagine that there is fomething noble and beautiful in the christian religion, when they fee the profeffors of it fo much difpofed to joy and thankfulness. When they fee chriftians

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tians more chearful and grateful than other men, they will impute it to fomething in the doctrine which they embrace, and to fome peculiar inftances of the divine favour. We fhall hereby fhew that we ferve a kind and bountiful mafter, and shall allure others to his fervice. Therefore for the ho nour of God our creator, and of Jefus our faviour, and of that holy religion of which he is the author, let us always, and in every thing give thanks.

But let us take fpecial care that we honour God, not with our lips only, but also in our lives. To praise him for his mercies, whilft we rebel against his government, is vile hypocrify. Therefore let us evidence our gratitude by yielding a fincere obedience to his precepts, and leading fober, and righteous, and godly lives. Whofo offereth praife, glorifieth him; and to him who ordereth his converfation aright, will he fhew the falvation of God.

SER

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SERMON VI

The great bleffing of an enlarged

heart.

Pfalm CXIX. 32.

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I will run the way of thy com mandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

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Believe there never was a more pious man than David. A fpirit of true devotion breathes thro' almost all. the pfalms which he hath compofed; and discovers itself in none of them more than in this of which

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