SERM. ufual Figure) and it shall be recompenc'd I. unto him again? A Gift, it feems, al

ways requires a Recompence: Nay, but of him, and through him, and to him are all things s Of him, as the Author; Through him, as the Preserver and Governor; To him, as the End and Perfection of all Things: To whom, therefore, (as it follows) be Glory for ever, Amen!

Gratitude confifts in an equal Return of Benefits, if we are able; or of Thanks, if we are not which Thanks, therefore, must rise always in Proportion as the Favours receiv'd are great, and the Receiver incapable of making any other Sort of Requital. Now, fince no Man hath benefited God at any time, and yet every Man, in each Moment of his Life, is continually benefited by him, what ftrong Obligations muft we needs be under to Thank him? 'Tis true, our Thanks are really as infignificant to Him, as any other kind of Return would be; in themfelves, indeed, they are worthlefs; but his Goodness hath put a Value upon them: He hath declar'd, he will accept them in lieu of the vaft Debt we owe: and, after that,

I.

that, which is fitteft for us, to dispute SERM how they come to be taken as an Equivalent, or to pay them?

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It is, therefore, the Voice of Nature (as far as Gratitude it felf is fo) that the Good Things we receive from above, fhould be fent back again thither in Thanks and Praifes, as the Rivers run Eccles. into the Sea; to the Place (the Ocean ofi. 7. Beneficence,) from whence the Rivers come, thither fhould they return again.

II. We have confider'd the Duty II. abfolutely; we are now to compare it with Others, and to fee what Rank it bears among them. And here we shall find, that, among all the Acts of Religion, immediately addrefs'd to God, This is much the Nobleft, and moft Excellent; as it must needs be, if what hath been laid down be allow'd, that the End of Man's Creation was, to praife and glorify God. For That cannot but be the most noble and excellent Act of any Being, which beft anfwers the End and Defign of it. Other Parts of Devotion, fuch as Confeffion and Prayer, feem not Oringially

to

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SERM. to have been defign'd for Man, nor Man for them. They imply Guilt, and Want, with which the State of Innocence was not acquainted. Had Man continu'd in that Estate, his Worship (like the Devotions of Angels) had been paid to Heaven in pure Acts of Thanksgiving; and nothing had been left for him to do, beyond the enjoying the good. Things of Life, as Nature directed, and praifing the God of Nature who bestow'd them. But being fallen from Innocence, and Abundance; having contracted Guilt, and forfeited his Right to all forts of Mercies; Prayer and Confeffion became neceffary for a time, to retrieve the Lofs, and reftore him to that State, wherein he fhould be able to live without them. These are fitted, therefore, for a lower Difpenfation; before which, in Paradise, there was nothing but Praife, and after which, there shall be nothing but that, in Heaven, Our perfect State did at first, and will at laft confift in the Performance of this Duty; and herein, therefore, lies the Excellence and the Honour of our Nature.

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8.

'Tis the fame way of Reasoning, by which the Apostle hath given the preference to Charity, beyond Faith, and Hope, and every Spiritual Gift. Charity 1 Cor.xiii. never faileth, faith he; meaning, that it is not a Virtue useful only in This Life, but will accompany us alfo into the Next: But whether there be Prophefies, they shall fail, whether there be Tongues, they shall ceafe; whether there be Knowledge, it shall vanish away: These are Gifts of a Temporary Advantage, and shall all perish in the ufing. For we know in part, Ver. 9. and we prophesy in part: Our present State is imperfect; and, therefore, what belongs to That, and only That, must be imperfect too. But when that which is Perfect Ver. 10. is come, then that which is in Part shall be done away. The Argument of St. Paul, we fee, which fets Charity above the reft of Chriftian Graces, will give Praise alfo the Pre-eminence over all other Parts of Christian Worship; and we may conclude Our reasoning, therefore, as He doth His And now abideth Confeffion, VOL. I. C Prayer

ERM. Prayer, and Praife, these three; but the greatest of thefe is Praife.

It is fo, certainly, on other Accounts, as well as this; particularly, as it is the moft difinterested Branch of our Religi ous Service; fuch as hath the most of God, and the least of our Selves in it, of any we pay; and therefore approaches the nearest of any to a pure, and free, and perfect Act of Homage. For though a good Action doth not grow immediately worthless by being done with the Prospect of Advantage, as Some have strangely imagin'd; yet it will be allow'd, I suppose, that its being done without the Mixture of that End, or with as little of it as is poffible, recommends it fo much Jobi. 9. the more, and raises the Price of it. Doth Job fear God for nought? was an Objection of Satan; which imply'd, that those Duties were moft valuable, where our own Intereft was leaft aim'd at: And God feems, by the Commiffion he then gave Satan to try Experiments upon Job, thus far to have allow'd his Plea. Now our Requests for future, and even our

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