SERM. the Devotion of the Heart was a Duty

I.

Then, as well as Now. One great Inftance of this Proof we have in the Words now before us; which are taken from a Pfalm of Afaph, written on purpose to set out the Weakness and Worthlefness of External Performances, when compar'd with more Substantial and Vital Duties. To enforce which Doctrine, God himself is brought in, as delivering it. Hear, O my People, and I will speak; O Ifrael, and I will testify against thee : I am God, even thy God. The Preface is very folemn; and, therefore, what it ufhers in, we may be fure, is of no common Importance: I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices, or thy Burnt-Offerings, to have been continually before me.

That

is, I will not So reprove thee for any Failures in thy Sacrifices and Burnt-Offerings, as if These were the Only, or the Chief Things I requir'd of thee. I will take no Bullock out of thy House, nor He-goat out of thy Folds. I prefcrib'd not Sacrifices to thee, for my Own fake, because I needed them: For every Beaft of the Foreft is mine, and the Cattle up

on

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on a thousand Hills. Mine they are, and SER M. were, before ever I commanded thee to offer them to Me; so that (as it follows) If I were hungry, yet would I not tell thee; for the world is Mine, and the fulnefs thereof. But can ye be fo gross and fenfless, as to think me liable to Hunger and Thirft? as to imagine that Wants of That kind can touch me? Will I eat the Flesh of Bulls, or drink the Blood of Goats? Thus doth he expoftulate feverely with them, after the most graceful manner of the Eastern Poetry. The Issue of which is, a plain and full Refolution of the Cafe, in those few Words of the Text. Offer unto God Thankfgiving. Would you do your Homage the most agreeable Way? would you render the most acceptable of Services? Offer unto God Thanksgiving.

The Ufe I intend to make of these Words is, from hence to raise some Thoughts about that very excellent and important Duty of Praise and Thanksgiving: A Subject, not unfit to be difcours'd of, at this Time ; whether we

SERM. confider, either the more than ordinary I. Coldness that appears of late in Mens

PL xlii, 4.

Tempers towards the Practice of this (or any other) Part of a warm and affecting Devotion; the Great Occasion of fetting afide this particular Day in the Kalendar, fome Years ago; or the New Inftances of Mercy and Goodness, which God hath lately been pleas'd to bestow upon us answering at laft the many Prayers and Faftings, by which we have befought him fo long for the Establishment of their Majefties Throne, and for the Success of their Arms; and giving us, in his own good time, an Opportunity of appearing before him in the more delightful Part of our Duty, with the voice of Joy and Praife, with a multitude that keep Holy-days.

Offer unto God Thanksgiving ----Which that we may do, let us enquire first, how we are to Understand this Command of Offering Praise and Thanksgiving unto God; and then how Reasonable it is, that we should comply with it.

Our

Our Enquiry into what is meant here, will be very fhort: For who is there, that understands any thing of Religion, but knows, that the offering Praise and Thanks to God implies, our having a lively and devout Senfe of his Excellencies, and of his Benefits; our recollecting them with Humility and Thankfulness of heart; and our expreffing these Inward Affections by fuitable Outward Signs; by reverent and lowly Poftures of Body, by Songs, and Hymns, and Spiritual Ejaculations; either Privately, or Publickly; either in the Customary and Daily Service of the Church, or in its more Solemn Affemblies, conven'd upon Extraordinary Occafions? This is the Account, which every Chirstian eafily gives himself of it; and which, therefore, it would be needlefs to enlarge upon. I fhall only take notice on this Head, That Praise and Thanksgiving do, in Strictnefs of Speech, fignify things fomewhat different. Our Praise properly terminates in God, on the account of his natural Excellencies and Perfections; and is that Act of DevoB 4

tion

SERM.

I.

SERM. tion by which we confefs and admire I. his several Attributes: But Thanksgiving

is a narrower Duty, and Imports only a grateful Senfe and Acknowledgment of paft Mercies. We Praise God for all his glorious Acts, of every kind, that regard either Us, or Other Men; for his very Vengeance, and thofe Judgment's which he fometimes fends abroad in the Earth But we thank him (properly speaking) for the Inftances of his Goodness alone; and for fuch only of thefe, as We our felves are fome way concern'd in. This, I fay, is what the two Words ftrictly imply But fince the Language of Scripture is generally lefs exact, and useth Either of them often to express the Other by, I fhall not think my felf oblig'd, in what follows, thus nicely always to distinguish them.

Now the great Reasonableness of this Duty of Praife, or Thanksgiving, and our feveral Obligations to it, will appear; if we either confider it abfolutely in it felf, as the Debt of our Natures; or compare it with other Duties, and fhew the Rank