SAint Paul being incumbred with the reliques of sin, and thereupon crying out in the Verse immediately before, O wretched man that I am! who shall de­liver me from the body of this death? very abruptly bursts forth in this clause, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord: But this inference is not without a mystery, and insinuates three things.

Sect. 1 Why St. Paul abruptly breaks into thanksgiving. 1. How Prayer discharges the heart of troublesome cares and anxieties, and reposes it in the safe custody of divine peace: Phil 4.6, 7. Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, [Page 2]shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Thus we find David in many Psalms beginning with mournful ditties, unexpectedly to break into joyful Hymnes and gratulations, Felinus in Psal. 17. as if some Angel had in the midst of Prayer all on the sudden brought him better news from heaven.

2. That our Apostle practised such a duty as Lan­sperg bravely frequented. Toties te edoro & Laudo, toti­es pro illis lau­des tibi suavi­ssimas cano, & praecipuè eas quas spiritus ille reprobus, qui mihi talia nunc suggerit, modò caneret, si in bono per­stitisset, ut vel hoc modo in tui laude illius expleam vices In Pharetra Divini amo­ris, p. 23. So oft as wicked sugge­stions are forced upon me unwilling, so oft I adore and extol thee, so oft because of them I sing thy most sweet praises to thee, and chiefly those which that reprobate spirit, who now suggests such things to me, would have sung if he had persisted in good, that even by this means I may supply his course in praising thee. Did Christians constantly deal thus with the Devil, they would make him weary of his part in tempting.

3. Blessed Paul hath no sooner utter'd his distres­sed mind in petition, Who shall deliver me? but he is instantly inlarged with matter of thanksgiving, and therefore praises God, as feeling some ease. In ago­nies with concupiscence the Lord can in a moment transport the soul from the bottom of anguish to the top of delight: Esa. 65.24. Psal. 10.17. The Lord hears the desire of the poor, D [...]siderium pauneris exau­dit Dominus. Scilicet dum adhuc aliquid est in desiderio, to wit, while a thing is yet in the de­sire. God prevents the words of his Orators, attends their desires, minds their prayer in the fieri, whiles it is forging in the seed of desire he prepares relief. And a blessing hath so much the more of contentati­on, [Page 3]by how much the less it was in expectation. Hence the signal mercy of restoring the right Heir to the three Crowns, deserves the greater honour, by how much the more it is equal to our wishes, and far superior to our late hope and expectances: Who had the heart a few moneths since to promise himself to see such a day as this? That the Honourable Hou­ses of Peers and Commons should quietly meet and consult the Interests of Church and State, without the least controll, and recognize and proclaim the rightfull King, with wonderfull triumph and accla­mations of all the people, and solemnize this day of Thanksgiving for the same, with the greatest and most unanimous satisfaction that ever was perceiv'd in England? This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoyce and be glad in it. This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes, and fils every true En­glishmans mouth with Saint Pauls words, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Which contain these five Propositions:

That all thanks and praises are due to God.

That due praising and thanks to God cannot be perfor­med and given without Christ.

That it is peculiar to the Regenerate, whom S. Paul re­presents, to pay through Christ their debt of thanks and praises unto God.

That victory over temptations, and spirituall blessings, are the main objects for which the Regenerate thank God in Christ.

That such Thank-offerings are the highest sacrifice of the Church, Militant or Triumphant.

These I shall handle briefly in their order.

Sect. 2 That all thanks and praises are due to God. 1. That all thanks and praises are due to God. And our Doctors thanking of God is nothing else but his referring unto God all the good that he had, or could conceive or wish, as a small moyety of his immense perfections.

It is true that the Philosopher writes, In the first of his Ethicks, [...].— [...]. Praise is too low an expression for Gods acts; Honour, and some more lofty style must be used in speaking of his Di­vine Majesty and excellencies. Neh. 9.5. His glorious name is exalted above all praise. Higher epithets belong to him then those of Praise, and all our terms of glo­ry, respect, worship.

But God is pleased that poor mortals speak of him the best that they can. That is an observable locution, Psal. 71.23. My lips shall greatly rejoyce when I sing un­to thee. Which to understand, be pleased to take no­tice, That Joh. 7.38. the heart is called the belly of the soul, as the receptacle of grace and heavenly refresh­ments, and as it is enabled to communicate to other parts, and send forth streams of love and duty. Now as in Nature, which is well discovered by Bartholinus an eminent Anatomist, Ventriculus ha­bet membranam — nervosam, in quam vasa term nantur esophagi, oris & labiorum tunicae continuam, ut nihil ventri­culo ingratum recipiatur, — binc quando in ventriculo bilis, communicatur linguae amari­tudo & flavedo; e [...]cont [...]a [...]tiom oris & linguae vitia oesophago & ventriculo. Anato. l. 1. c 9. the ventricle hath a mem­brane or coat full of nerves, which is continued with [Page 5]the tunicle or skin of the mouth and lips, whence they sympathize mutually, and distempers in the mouth, lips, tongue, affect the stomach, and choler in the stomach causes bitterness and yellowness in the tongue: So in Reason and Grace, the matters that be in the belly of the soul affect the lips and tongue with vehement tinctures; and when the belly is full of the sweetness of God, it qualifies the lips and tongue with a divine gust and relish, and the name of God and his Christ is melody in the ears, Melos in aurc, m [...] in ore. hony in the mouth. As Bonaventure, a devout Scholastick, re­lates of his Master, that he was so enamour'd there­with, that in rehearsing of the Psalms, when Gods name occurred in them, In vita Fran­cisci c. 10. Prae suavitatis dulcedine labia sua lingere vi­debatur. out of the flavor of sweetness he seemed to lick his lips, and to be in a rapture when our Saviour was named. It is impossible to have any worthy thoughts what an infinite amiable good the Almighty is, but that it will alter the soul and body with affects of the sweetest savour. The Jews have all along had a godly usage, upon any occasion of na­ming God in their writings, to insert an abbreviature of praise, the holy one, the blessed. [...] Mark the spi­rits of the principal Apostles St. Paul and St. Peter, S. Chrys. de incomprehen si­bili, serm. 3. they cannot let the mention of God pass occasional­ly from them in their Epistles, without a Parenthesis of thanksgiving and praise, Rom. 1.25. Who is blessed for ever, Amen; 1 Pet. 4.11. alledging that God may be glorified through Christ, he interposes, To whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever, Amen: If any duration could be more than ever, he would have [Page 6]God honoured for evermore; as if he should say, in all eternity we cannot fully praise God; if there could be more than one sempiternity, he would long to have them all replenisht with the endless praising of God. And so you have a little taste that all thanks and praises be due to God.

Sect. 3 That due praise and thanks to God cannot be ex­hibited with­out Christ. 2. Our second task is to shew, that due praise and thanks to God cannot be exhibited without Christ, I thank God through Jesus Christ. Mat. 11.27. None knoweth the Father but the Son; he onely understand­ing the universal goodness of God, is alone able con­dignly to praise him, with praises equal to his su­preme worthiness: The praises of all men and An­gels fall short, and have no proportion to the divine goodness, and therefore all Angels and men ought to prefer their praises as well as their prayers in Christ.

Again, Thanksgiving is a part of divine Worship, and St. De Trinit. l. 1. Sine Deo Chri­sto, unum Deum confiteri irre­ligiositas sit. Hilary teaches right, It is Paganism and irre­ligion to worship God out of Christ, in whom alone he is well-pleased, and out of whom praises are natu­ral, not Christian, not spiritual, and therefore in no or­der to life eternal.

In Christ the thanksgiver renders praises to God cordially and reverently; cordially, for Christ is truth, and nothing void of sincerity can rise to his hand, to be thereby given unto God: none must ima­gine lip-labour shall serve, because thanksgiving is ex­pressed by fruit of our lips, Heb. 13.15. The Latines [Page 7]do finely circumscribe thankfulness by Gratus ani­mus, the hymne that praises God must be sung with grace in the heart, Col. 3.16. which makes melody in the heart, Ephes. 5.19. when all the strings thereof, all the faculties therein, are tuned by the holy Spirit to consent in Gods will and blessing him, as the strings in an Instrument are fitted to consent in Musick. Ve­ry divinely St. Athanasius the Great, [...]— ad Marcellum. p. 756. Reason would that a man should not be in discords with himself: As the best instrument gives an harsh sound if all the strings be not tunable and in mutual harmony; so our actions and praises yield an unpleasant sound in Gods ears, unless our whole spirit, soul and body, in all their parts and powers be in conformity to his wil, and united in his praise.

Reverently, as Paul performs it here, like a sacred dutie of divine adoration, and holy worship, with spirituall elevation in Christ: Psal. 111.9. Holy and reverend is his Name, and therefore not to be mentio­ned but with religious and awfull reverence: we must wash our mouths in Christ laver, before we presume to take Gods praises into them, Tingebat cala­mum lin­guae fonte Sancti Spiritus, ut mundas Deo laudes diceret. as Paschasius writes of the worthy Prince St. Adelhard, that was uncle to Charles the Great, he dipt the tip of his tongue in the fountain of the Holy Ghost, that he might utter pure praises to God.

This observation serves for warning, for learning, and for quickening. For warning, that God is, Exod. 15.11. dreadfull in praises; which reproves them that take the name and praises of God in vain, that lightly [Page 8]and inconsiderately use thanksgiving, and tremble not in recounting Gods holy and venerable praises; bold people, that are not afraid to have the glorious praises of God at their tongues end, and thank the Lord at every second word perfunctorily, without ad­vancing of their spirits and praises to him in Christ, or regard agreeable to acts of divine worship, have their consciences charged with the guilt of great irreve­rence. As for us, we are not worthy to take the high praises of God into our mouths, and defect in offer­ing them, if we shall dare to present them by them­selves without joyning Christs praising with them; or if we shall presume any acceptation of our prai­ses without Christs merits, which who so do must look to answer for ill setting forth and counterfeiting the divine vertues.

For learning, whence the Saints come to have such sense and feeling of their own poverty and insuffici­ency in praising God, Psal. 72.20. the Psalmist having poured forth his spirit to the utmost in praising the divine favours, and finding himself extremely short of them, Defecerunt lau­des David filii Jesse. daintily subjoyns, The praises of David the son of Jesse are finite and ended; which sentence is curi­ously contrived for the conclusion of the second book of Davids Psalms, (the whole Psaltery accor­ding to the Jews consisting of five Books) and for in­sinuation that all hymns are of too narrow limits to correspond in any degree unto the infinite glories and praises of God, And hereupon inspired men, out of their longing that God might be duly praised, not [Page 9]onely summe up all their own parts and appurtenan­ces, Psal. 57.8. Awake my glory, awake Lute and Harp, I my self will awake, but also invoke the aid and con­currence of all creatures, to assist them by their seve­ral vertues, excellent properties and abilities, Psal. 148. — the religious soul conceives so highly of God, as to burn in desires, that all creatures in the whole Universe would lay their forces together, and especially, that in the world of pure praises the holy Angels and perfected spirits would busie themselves in extolling him: But for us poor and ingrate souls, when we repeat the clauses wherein all creatures are invited to associate with us in setting out the praises of God, we may profitably remember that of Arno­bius junior, We excite, provoke and exhort all crea­tures to the praising of God, and unhappy we sleep our selves; behold, all things that we call upon, come together, saying, Why do you call upon us? we are come together that we might praise God, and we find his holy name, blasphemed onely by your fault, your seat and place is onely vacant in the Chorus.

For quickning in Christs supply not to despair of our praising God: Tacitus writes judiciously, Beneficia cô us (que) laeta sunt, dum videntur exolvi posse, si multum ante­v [...]nere, pro gra­tia [...]adium red­ditur. Anal. 5. Favors are so far satisfactory as they seem returnable; if they much exceed that, hatred is rendered for good will; good deeds are burthens when they be above mens possibility of requital. For this cause being our own thanksgivings are defective, and the praises of all creatures in earth and in heaven it self incompetent, [Page 10]sufficiently to glorifie God, that our aspiring worthi­ly to honour God may be satisfied, we must be sure to get Christs praises conjoyned with ours, and offer ours in union and merit of them; That whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we may do all to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10.30. Mingle Christs odors with our works of grace and nature, of Christian vocation and common calling, and so present them to God as a perfume compounded of sundry fragrant scents, Cant. 1.13.—make a posie of Mirrh and the other odorife­rous ingredients of our Lords oyntment, and by their mixture put value upon our praises. It were envy not to commend this passage of Androtius, We cannot present our selves in sacrifice to God without Christs assistance, and though a man should offer himself a thousand times, it were little; therefore that we might have what to render to God for all his bene­fits, Christ himself, as by dying on the Cross he offer'd himself to the Father, Traidd ti etiam se homini, ut ab homine possit cum meritis & amore suo infi­nito tanquam hostia pro pec­cato, & tan­quam oblatio pro beneficiis, Deo offerri, & sic homo potest patri offerre infinitum precium meritorum Christi, & ipsum Christum. Androtius de pass. & morte Christi, c. 5. v. c. 11. tradidit etiam se homini — hath made over himself also to man, that by man he might be offered to God with his deserts and infinite love, as a Sacrifice for sin, and as an Oblation for be­nefits, and so man may offer to the Father the infi­nite price of Christs merits, and Christ himself, which is the proper work of the regenerate.

Sect. 4 And so I am arrived at our third station, That it is peculiar to the regenerate, whom Paul represents, [Page 11](and in whose person he speaks as well as in his own) to pay through Christ their debt of thanks and prai­ses unto God. Psal. 33.1. Onely the re­generate pay through Christ the debt of thanks and praises unto God. Praise is comely for the up­right, it beseems the godly and holy to praise the God of holiness.

But it is unhandsom that the wicked should pollute Gods praises with their impure lips, Psal. 50.16. The brave Roman held that onely for a praise, which came, à viro laude dignus, from a man worthy of commendation; and should God have his praises pronounced by men of uncleane lips? Hence it was, that Thankfulness, that precious vertue, hath ever been so rare and such a stranger in the world, that the learned Languages of Greek and Latin have no proper word for it; the thing not appearing, their ingenuity left it nameles; but unthankfulness, as every where frequent, got a name in all tongues, [...] is a good Greek word, and ingratitudo a good Latin, so is not gratitudo, which sprang up after the purity of Latin speech was exspired, about the time of Tiberi­us, when they coyned for complements words with­out experiments. Humility and gratitude are ver­tues proper to Christianity, in Believers and Martyrs above others, to act not in themselves but in their Mediator; and when they have actually shewed the greatest thankfulness and charity, and died for their Lord, and are crowned for so doing, Apoc. 4.10. to prostrate their Crowns before his throne, and ac­knowledge him the onely-worthy of all glory, and honour, and that in his power and grace they conque­red [Page 12]and triumphed. Because this office is appropriate to the godly, the holy Scripture sets them to this work by name, Offer to the Lord thanksgiving, Psal. 50.14. thus we see David, the man after Gods heart for sin­cerity, love, devotion, to be the sweet singer of Israel, 2 Sam. 23.1. and the especial Trumpeter of Gods praises: And there is nothing that David so varies in his Psaltery in sundry wayes of repetition, as his Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord, beginning and ending divers Psalms therewith, ending every verse of some with invitation thereto, as the 150^th. the last verse excepted, which hath it doubled in the close; and in the 136^th. Ut quicquid o­peram Dei per­curritur, ideo intelligatur [...]f­fectum, ut ho­nitatis & mis­ricordiae ejus intelligatur ae­ternita [...]. S. Prosper 1b. paying six times at the end of every verse thankful acknowledgment of everlasting mercy, which manageth all Gods proceedings with his peo­ple: This moved the devotional King David, that prayed three times a day, Psal. 55.17. to give thanks se­ven times a day, Psal. 119.164. as the principal work of the sanctified: And because we have more rea­son to give thanks for free mercies than to crave un­deserved kindnesses, and God is more worthy to be praised than any thing in heaven or earth to be desi­red, and our fruitions exceed our wants, the vouch­safements which regenerates enjoy are above all they can desire, and more than all they need, the imitation and entring into the state of true grace harder than the progress, Vid. S. Chrys. [...]. him. 3. the new birth more difficult than the growth, the first conversion hath more of the creating hand than all proficiency and perfection.

Sect. 6 That regene­rates are the most obedient Subjects, and most thankful for Kings and Princes. As none are thankful for Supernaturals but onely they that have Christs grace, so neither are any e­qually thankful for terrene and political blessings, as the orthodox and truly pious; none so obodient to Princes, in as much as it is part of their faith that hu­mane laws bind Conscience, Rom. 13.5. And they consider the benefit of government and Kingship, what instruments and ministers they are of publique tranquility and repose: Sects and schisms are the is­sues of pride and contention in the Church, and so naturally prone to breed and foment divisions and di­sturbances in the State; but Orthodoxality is a daugh­ter of obedience in the Church, and consequently frames the spirits of men to be quiet and orderly in the State: Grace harbours not malignity towards equals or inferiours, to misconster, be jealous, suspi­tious, and interpreting all things to the worse; much less can it abide such humours against our Superiours, but ever hopes the best of governors, and takes their doings in the fairest sense: You have a most imitable temper for Subjects, 2 Sam. 3.36. Whatsoever the King did, pleased all the people, and that induced Al­mighty God to give the King a mind in all things to gratifie the people, 1 Chron. 13.2. And David said to all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good to you let us do so, and so, — confidence of Subjects excites trust and complyance in Kings. Further, conscientious people look upon it as a duty imposed on them from heaven, freely to contribute to the royal support [Page 14]of their Kings, Rom. 13.6, 7. render all their dues, Tribute to whom tribute is due, which in St. Augustines judgment is the way for a Nation to grow rich: M [...]j [...]res nostr ideo copiis om­ri [...]us abunda­bant, qui Deo decimas da­bant, & Caesari censum [...]edde­bant. hom. 48 Our Ancestors (the Christians of the primitive & best ages) therefore abounded in all plenties, because they gave tythes to God, and subsidies to Caesar; and well may your Honours confirme the tythes to God, who hath quit you of the danger of DECIMATION; and well may you leavie tributes for the King, who makes you masters of your Contributions, and frees you from the bondage of paying whatsoever Phana­tiques would pretend that Providence did act them to exact: The little finger of an Usurper is thicker than the loyns of a lawful possessor; nor can a vo­luntary people grudge to afford a third of that for the maintenance of a right Owner, which was for­cibly took from them to keep in an Intruder. He that another day shall feel in himself a tentation of unreadiness to pay taxes to his Prince, let him record this day, wherein after many years slavery under the tyranny of servants, our Sovereign Master being owned, there was as universal and as real a thanksgi­ving, as ever was known in England, and he for one heartily cried out, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sect. 6 That spiritual blessings are the main ob­jects for which the regenerate thank God in Christ. And so we are conducted to our fourth resting-place, That spiritual blessings are the main objects for which regenerate thank God in Christ. As our Apostle here thanks God for the delivery from sin; and the Psalmist quickens all his powers to unite their [Page 15]faculties in praising God for remission of sin, and for sanctification, Psal. 103.1, 2, 3. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy Name, — who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thine infirmities. This Truth is considerable for distincti­on, for discretion, for devotion: For distinction, this differenceth the Church and the world, The love of the Father is not in the world, 1 John 2.15. the Nati­ons have some love of God as the prime good and being, but it is without any consideration of Gods existing a Father to Christ, and us in him; therefore at the best it is but Philosophical love, it is no Chri­stian nor Theological charity; Mat. 15.31. They glo­rified the God of Israel, not the God of heaven and earth, as he was discern'd in light of Nature to the world, but the God of Israel, as he was discovered by light of sacred Scripture to the Church: In the Old Testament the Lord is familiarly styled, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, not of Europe, Asia and Africa, nor the God of the four Elements, &c. to intimate, that the saving knowledge is not by mani­festation from the creature, but by revelation to the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, &c. Ephes. 5.20. true thanksgiving and accepted with God is in the name of Christ, to God and the Father; to God, not barely considered as God, but to God as eternally the Father of our Lord Jesus, and in good time our Father through Christ, Col. 3.7. as Christians appre­hend him, and assume all the benefits for which they praise him, qualified in the relation of a Father, and [Page 16]the mediation of a Redeemer: Let me adde this to your meditations, Psal. 4.6, 7. the world many times word and mouthe some thanks to God for Corn, and Wine, and Oyle, but never is thankful about any oblations of praise to God for succours purely Evan­gelical, victory in tentations, assistance against sin, which ravisht Paul into this doxology. Carnal men may for self-love really beg favors, and pray, give and forgive, they cannot for Gods love cause their hearts to say, hallowed be thy name, because thou leadest not into temptation, but deliverest from evil, which is the effect of the Apostles thanksgiving. For discretion, to be intirely thankful we must distinguish betwixt our ten­tations and our sins; Paul was grievously buffeted by motions to sin, so as to wax weary of his life, but all the while he resisted; it was his infelicity not, his fault; it was concupiscence that sinned, not St. Paul, Rom. 7.17. and therefore in abatement of the agony he bursts out in thanksgiving. Vid. in [...]tis Sanctorum. Ap. 29. Catherine of Senes, a spiritual woman in her Age, having been vext with all manner of blasphemous thoughts and horrid sug­gestions, after some release and Christs gracious re­turn, inquires in a Soliloquie, Where wast thou, dear Lord, when my poor heart was pierced with fiery darts, and harased in woful wise? and had for an­swer, Fui in medio cordis tui, I was in the centre of thy heart, rendring those injections abominable, withholding thy consent, and enabling thee to stand out in resistance. For devotion, not to rest till we attain Christian inspiration and expirtion, and be able [Page 17]with St. Paul to breath Gospel-ayrs; Eph. 1.3. Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in which we are incomparably more happy than in any worldly enjoyments, which then onely are matters of true content and thankfulness, when they are em­braced as tokens of Gods good will, paternity, and gracious reference in Christ.

Sect. 6 That our tem­porals require many thanks of English­men, and our spirituals ma­ny more. The occasion of this solemnity calls upon me to insist a while upon this subject, that our temporals re­quire many thanks, our spirituals many more. Our temporals require many thanks, Psal. 12.1. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion, we were as them that dream: It fares with us now as it did with the Jews discharged from their captivity in Babylon by the gallant Emperor Cyrus, the turn was so unlikely, that an helpless poor company of Bondmen should get out of the hands of the mightiest Lords in the world, that when the Proclamation of Cyrus set them all free, and encouraged his loyal subjects to relieve them for their passage, and commanded his Officers to allow the expences for rebuilding the Temple out of his Imperial Exchequer, it was so much beyond the hope of the distressed Jews, that it lookt more like the dream of one asleep, than the vision of one awake: Likewise we, in these our excessive joys, can scarce believe our senses, and hardly think our selves well awake, that our vouchsafements are in re­ality, and not the aiery imagination of dreamers. Far be it from me to rip up, and publish in a Pulpit, the foul proceedings, which the goodness of our most [Page 18]gracious King, the wisdom of the Parliament, the charity of the Nation, would have buried in forget­fulness by an Act of oblivion; give me leave onely to propose the Parable of Jotham, Jud. 9.9. — The Trees would needs be making themselves a King, and tender the Kingship to the Olive-tree, the Fig­tree and the Vine severally, which are trees of the best quality and fruit; but they all joyntly refuse to take supreme dominion; then they offer it to the Bramble, no tree but a sorry shrub, and the Bramble at the first moving assumes domination; that which the most noble Families trembled to hear of, a youn­ger sprig of a stock in the Gentry boldly ventures up­on, and mounts into the throne and seat of highest Majesty and State; what is the issue? verse 15. fire proceeds out of the Bramble, and devours the Ce­dars: Mark the profundity of divine Scripture in Si­mile's; Lyranus out of Isidore informes us, the Bramble is a petty bush, Rhamnus est dumus parvus, qui vento agi­tatus ex se e­nittitignem. which tost up and down, to and fro by the wind, emits and springs fire out of it self; in the hotter regions and countries, the Bram­ble at times, by the agitation of the wind, conceives fire, and wastes it self and all the wood about it; of which also our compatriot Edmund Bunnie avouch­es that himself had seen some experience. In his Head Corner-stone, l. 1. c. 11. sect. 4. p. 235. The Bramble that domineer'd over these Kingdoms, tem­pested with choler that the great ones that chose and advanced him did not confide in his shadow and Protectorship, in a rage of heart-burning fosters dis­contents, and contrives an inhibition against the mee­tings [Page 19]of the grand Officers of the Army without li­cence from him, which kindled such a combustion a­mong them, that the Bramble was presently pulled out of the fence by his own allies and nearest affini­ty; but the fire stayed not there, but seised on the Cedars and chiefest of the Sword-men, and made them so hot one against another, that they were all soon down, and the whole Malignant party quasht and laid in the dust; and because they are in the dust, I shall not trample on them.

But your Lordships are assembled to give God the glory of this overture and stupendious revolution, and that for great cause; considering, that as God was blasphemed, his Truth questioned, his Religion dis­paraged, inasmuch as men of most erroneous princi­ples and most injurious practises triumphed and bare up by mis-apprehension of a continued series of Pro­vidences, (which were onely testimonies of Gods dis­pleasure at our sins, walking unworthy of a good go­vernment and our profession, they were no hints of Gods approving their whimsies, phansies and pre­tensions:) So now on the contrary, by this miracu­lous dispensation, our Lord is glorified with us at home, and with others abroad, declaimers are silen­ced, and beholders compelled to wonder at the mar­vellous out-goings of God in the Land. In Homer, Laertes being sure that his son Ulysses after twenty years absence was indeed return'd, and had quelled the abusers of his wife and family, the old man ex­claims, [...], Odyss. ult. [Page 20] High Jove, father of heaven, well then, yet you gods are still about the wide world! How then shall not English­men, observing how our gracious Sovereign, after many years expulsion and exile out of his Domini­ons, is in the turn of Gods right hand, when we were in desperate consusions, without any forreign help, or effusion of bloud, suddenly admitted to his just and hereditary rights, with the incredible satisfaction of the generality of his subjects, lift up our voices and say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous, verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth, Psal. 57.12. And neighbour-Nations must needs say, Psal. 126.2. God hath done great things for them: I, the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad, and do now keep a Festival, and shall for ever rejoyce. Honou­rable and beloved, no King upon the face of the earth hath such characters and demonstrations of heavenly favour to him, as our Sovereign Lord King Charles, which give more than humane assurances that God designs his most excellent Majesty a great blessing to these. Nations, and as glorious an ornament to Christendom as was Charlemaigne. May we not then justly take in the two readings of this my Text, gratia Deo and gratia Dei? Lately we might have said, Wretched men that we were! who shall deliver us from this slayery, baser than ever any gallant people suffered? and now by Gods mercy we may say, gra­tia Deo, We thank God — And again we may say, Wretched men that we were! who or what hath de­livered us from the basest tyranny? and must answer [Page 21]our selves, gratia Dei, the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ye have heard how great and many thankes our temporals require, now please to listen in a word, that our spirituals require many more: Psal. 144.15. When David had held forth in most ample circum­stances the felicity of a Kingdom in peace and plenty, he closeth with this Epiphomema, Happy are the people that are in such a case, and immediately corrects him­self, Yea, happy are the people whose God is the Lord: So then, our greatest happiness in a gracious King, and mighty Kingdoms abounding in wealth, and strength, and policy, and state, and unanimity, is but an em­bleme of the welfare and riches of a soul that can ap­propriate God to it self: Micah 4.9. Now why art thou contracted in sorrow, or is thy counsellor pe­risht? and if thou hast the invincible King for thy defender, why dost thou fear? and if the eternal Spi­rit be thy Advocate, and his Law thy Counsellor, how canst thou miscarry? [...]. The Septuagint divinely turn that Psal. 129.1. When the Lord turned the captivi­ty of Sion, we were as them that are comforted, for that greatest contents, redemptions and bodily delive­rances, are but a shadow to the freedom of the soul from the dangers of sin; and the solaces of the most prosperous are meer umbrages to the unutterable joyes in the holy Ghost, and peace of Conscience which passeth all understanding; and the fore-tasts of the holiest in this world, of heavenly contentments, are but quasi gaudia, as they speak in the Civil Law, [Page 22]or, as they phrase it in the common Law, misprisions of joy, to the consolations in the world to come, wherein they shall eternally sing praises and thanks­givings unto God.

Sect. 8 That thank-offerings to God through Christ, are the highest sac i­fice of the Church, mili­tant or Tri­umphant. And thus we are brought to the last Stage, That Thank-offerings to God through Christ are the highest sa­crifice of the Church, militant or triumphant: whereas the praise of God is the soveraign end of all creatures being and continuance, the praising of God, which is the nearest relation, and next acting to that end, must of consequence be the most super-excelling work of heaven and earth, the quintessence of all Divinity, the flowre of all Theologicall duty and Divine service, and clearly our best and highest office.

We shall improve the Use of this Doctrine for In­formation, Admiration, and Exhortation.

1. For Information, That it is the most noble state and height of the renewed soul, not onely to be pa­tient and contented, but delighted and thankfull in all conditions. When the regenerate recollecting how God causes all things to work together for his glory, the good of the Universe, the salvation of pre­destinates, doe comply with him in absolute accom­modation, and in reverentiall respect of his guberna­tion, accept from his divine hands prosperity, adver­sity, influences, desertions, good and evil, with indif­ferent minds, and with equall thanks. Job 2.10. Shall we receive good at the hands of God, De amico & amato, sect. 7.and shall we not re­ceive evill? As Blaquere alledges for proof of his lo­ving [Page 23]God, Quoniam inter laetitias & tribulationes, quas mihi donas, non facio differentiam: That he put no dif­ference between the joyes and tribulations which God confers. Psal. 25.10. All the wayes of God are mercy and truth: There are no forth goings of his pro­vidence towards men, that have not for their origi­nall, eternall mercy, and the fidelity of his gracious covenant in Christ, for whose sake all things are in­tended, guided and collated for our good, if we would so take them; that whether God give or take, whe­ther he afflict or inlarge, we may alwayes say with pa­tient Job, The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken, as it pleaseth the Lord so come things to pass, blessed be the name of the Lord for ever and ever, Job 1.21.

2. For Admiration; the kingly Prophet saying, Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee, Psal. 119.175. de­clares not onely that he desired life, for no other cause in chief but that he might therein give thanks and glorifie God, but also that the praises of Gods children here have in some respects prelation above the hymns of glorified spirits. Which Hezekiah also affirms, protesting that Hell cannot praise God, but the living, the living he shall praise God, Esa. 38.18. whereupon those religious Kings, notwithstanding the trust they had to celebrate among the Fathers immortal thanks, petitioned that they might abide here to praise God. In pirke avoth, It was a wise apothegme of Rabbi Jacob, that one hour of repentance and good works in this world is [...] better than all the life of the world to come, and one hour of re­freshment [Page 24]in the world to come is better than all the life of this world. The complete praises of the other world are without comparison diviner than our im­perfect thanksgivings upon earth, in regard of the acts themselves; but praises here have their priviledge, in that they be exemplary to sinners, and converting praises, not seldom attracting others from vanity to be companions in the true worshiping of God; as godly Hezekiah hints in those words, The father to the children shall make known thy truth. Moreover, divine praises here be operative and efficiently antecedent to our glory there; After death the blessed rest, Apoc. 14.13. and cannot promote in bliss; and the state of glory in heaven is proportioned to the measure of vertue and praise upon earth: whiles we are in the way every praise addes to the treasury of our future glory, when we come home into our country we take up our standing, and can proceed no further; here must we furnish our everlasting mansions, here must we lay up in store for our selves a good foundation for the future, 1 Tim. 6.19. and procure that degree of honour wherein we would sempiternally praise God.

3. For Exhortation, urging us above all studies to intend thanksgiving, and frequent Gods praises; as in our Lords prayer we are taught to begin our peti­tions with praying first and principally, Hallowed be thy name, enable us and all thy creatures to glorifie and praise thee; and in the close annexed in many Greek copies to that prayer, Mat. 6.13. to ascribe [Page 25]Kingdom, Power and Glory to God, as the father of lights, and donor of every good and perfect gift, which is the summary of thanksgiving. The hellish­ness of hell, and most horrible evil there, and that which most terrifies the godly in their contemplati­ons is, that the damned perpetually gnash their teeth, Psal. 112.10. and blaspheme and curse God that is blessed for ever; Apoc. 16.10, 11. They gnawed their tongues in pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven be­cause of their pains, — and repented not of their evils; if reprobates do so on earth, what will they [...]o in hell? And this is to the minds of them that fear God the heaven of heaven, that there is no cessati­on nor end of praising God there; Apoc. 5.13. none is silent in the heavenly Chorus, Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, heard I saying, Blessing, honour, glory and power be unto him that sittteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever, Apoc. 7.9, 10.

Sect. 9 Swasives to thanksgiving. Will you be pleased to ponder the commendati­ons heaped upon sacred thanksgivings? Psal. 147.1. It is good to sing praises unto God, it is pleasant, and praise is comely. It is good, and by consequence hath force to draw and allure every rational will, as con­venient for it; vox hominem sonat, it is a speech for a man to men, who will shew us any good? therefore God commends this duty to us as men, it is good, it is right, Eph. 6.1. it hath all reason for it.

It is pleasant, not onely pleasing to God (whose [Page 26]pleasure is more acceptable to the pious than any life) but pleasant to the thanksgiver, a duty which cannot possibly be performed without pleasure on his part. For that our good Lord would have us re­joyce evermore, 1 Thes. 5.16. Be alwayes chearful, he passes an injunction, that we should in every thing be thankful, vers. 18. Would any learn to go easily away with his burthen? [...]. In pareticis c. 35. let him hearken to Saint Nile, In adversity give thanks, and the yoke of afflictions will be easie and light; when and wherein soever we are dis­content, we detain praises in unthankfulness, and give not God the honour of governing all things for the best. Thank God unfeignedly for thy portion, for thy corrections, for all thy tryals, and the Lords dea­ling ceases to be any longer displeasant to thee.

It is comely, there is nothing so unseemly and odi­ous as ingratitude, nothing so amiable and decent in all eyes as thankfulness; how then doth it become Psal. 51.12. the free, ingenuous and princely spirit wherewith we are sealed, to officiate in this divine ser­vice, and sacrifice continual thank-offerings to the God of our praise, who hath made us his praise in pre­eminence of heavenly collations. — [...] P [...] Martyr. Ju­ [...]m. O happy David for an heroick spirit in practising Divinity! Psal. 116.12. What shall I render unto God? which is wisely expen­ded by St. Basil, to be the voice of one that was bravely in straits, and saw his penury on all sides, that he had nothing fit for retribution; but to the utmost of his power he was willing to lay out him­self, and spend and be spent for God, and that he was [Page 27]glad of an opportunity to serve his generation, and advance the interests of his maker. Honourable Lords, there is no higher decorum than to study grateful returns, do something worthy of God, and your Nobility, and this day of your triumph and joy. And whereas your goods and goodness cannot reach to God, but may reach to his substitutes, the recei­vers and takers of the King of heaven, let me beg leave to speak a word for Christs poverty in our Land, that in reception of so transcendent blessings you would remember the poor, and signalize this happy year with a provision, that there may be no complaining, no begging in our streets, and work­houses may be erected in these rich and populous ci­ties, that all that are able to work, may be blessed in eating the labour of their own hands, Psal. 128.2 and all that are absolutely impotent, be otherwise suffi­ciently relieved; a work that all mankind must ne­cessarily acknowledge excellent. Hodie (que) in cap­tivitate nullos mendicos habe­mus qui stipem postulent, sed onnes aut Sy­nagogarum pro­ventibus, aut divitum libera­litate susten­tantur, ita ut necessaria iis nunquam de­sint. Menasses Ben-Israel conciliator, p. 223. The Jews can provide for their poor throughout Christendome without begging, may not Christians much better do the like? Some neighbouring people in forreign parts prevent all need for their poor to beg, what hinders this magnificent Kingdom to do the same? Other Parliaments (as fame goes) have had this reli­gious design under consideration, but have left you the glory to complete the work, and put it in execu­tion. Your Honours have raised such extraordinary hopes in these three Nations, that they promise themselves from these two Houses the greatest be­nefits [Page 28]that can be procured by the best Parliament, and therefore I had the boldness humbly to propose this motion to you. And when I shall in three words have toucht upon three motives that exalt thanksgi­ving above all other service, I will dismiss this ho­nourable audience to the festivities of this joyful day.

1. It is very remarkable that ever and ever is ad­joyned to the close of the Doxology, Mat. 6 13. be­cause thanksgiving onely is an eternal and everlasting office; prayer is a duty of time, thanksgiving is a ser­vice of eternity; after the day of Judgment petitions shall cease, when once all desires are accomplished, but giving of thanks shall be sempiternal, Agobard ad c [...]mores occ [...]e­siae Lugd [...]ens. V. 612. that God hath filled up all our faculties of desiring, and left us no more space nor room for prayer.

2. Thanksgiving is an Angelical office, therefore to set an estimate upon sacred hymns and praises, Esa. 6.2, 3. You have the Seraphims of the supreme order veiling their faces and feet in token of reve­rence, and flying as they sing in testimony of affecti­on, and longing to draw near to God; and they be­ing, as it were, chief chantors and leading the song, all the Chorus of Angels accompany them with har­monious and according voices, and with incredible gladness and exaltation of spirit.

3. Thanksgiving as it is a Saint-like and Angelical performance, so it is the proper service of heaven, as it is the place of everlasting repose: Hence Luke 2.14. they sing glory to God in the highest (heavens) as the [Page 29]seat of eternal praises. Petition oft tends to our own good, thanksgiving looks entirely at Gods glory, which therefore is the grand duty and product of cha­rity, and the peculiar office of heaven, where having whatsoever they can wish, they have no other im­ployment but to bless the fountain of their blessed­ness: Prayer pertains to viators, and praise to com­prehensors, as satisfied in good, and secured of eterni­ty in bliss. Dionysius Carthusianus, Deum laudere est actus prae­clarior quam Deum orare; 1. qunniam a­ctus ille est ma­gis Angelicus; 2. quia actus ille est simplici­or ac purior, quia per illum m [...]gis purè in Deum conver­t [...]mur, per ora­tionem vero ad nos ipsos aliquo modo reflecti­mur. De S. Catharina sen. 1. a godly and lear­ned Writer, shall conclude for me, To praise God is a more eminent act than to pray unto God, both for that it is a more Angelical act, and because it is a pu­rer and more sublimated act, as in which we are pure­ly inclined and converted to God; whereas in prayer we reflect in some sort upon our selves. This then of all other is a most celestial function, to sing Hallelu­jahs, to coassist with the heavenly inhabitants in prai­sing God; this is to be in Paradise, to taste the first fruits, and in a manner to have the exercises and fru­itions of heaven upon earth.

Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and all the company of heaven, let us thank God through Je­sus Christ our Lord.