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praises of God should be according to his name ". All things were made for no other end, but to return glory to him that made them. Because all things are of him, therefore all must be to him. And this the very figure of the world teacheth us: for a circular line ends where it began, and returns back into its original point,-by that means strengthening and preserving itself. For things are usually strongest, when nearest their original; and the more remote from that, the weaker they grow. As a tree is strongest at the root, and a branch or bough next the trunk or stock, and the further out it goes from thence, the smaller and weaker it grows too; and the further it is from the original of its being, the nearer it is unto not being;—so all creatures are hereby taught, both for preservation of that being they have, and for supply of what perfections they want, and in both, for the setting forth of the greatness of their Maker (out of whose infinite Being all finite beings are sustained and perfected),-to run back unto God, for whose sake they are and have been created. Rivers come from the sea, and therefore run back into the sea again. The trees receive sap from the earth; and, within a while, pay it back in those leaves that fall down to the earth again. Now as God hath made all creatures thus to show forth the glory of his greatness, so he will have them do it by these principles, and in that manner of working which he hath planted in them. Inanimate and mere natural creatures are bid to praise the Lord; but this they do blindly and ignorantly, like the arrow which flies toward the mark, but understandeth not its own motion, being directed thither by an understanding without and above itself. And thus when every thing, by the natural weight and inclination of its own form, moveth to the place where it may be preserved, or draweth to it those further degrees of perfection, whereby it may be improved, and have more of being communicated to it,-it may truly be said to praise the Lord, in that it obeyeth the law which he planted in it; and it is, by his wise providence, carried back towards him, to derive its conservation and perfection from the same fountain, from whence its being did proceed. But now reasonable creatures being by God

P Psalm xlviii. 10. xcvi. 8.

q Rom. xi. 36.

r Psalm cxlviii. 8, 9.

enriched with internal knowledge, and that knowledge in his church exceedingly raised by his manifestation of himself, as their uttermost blessedness, in the Word unto them, he therefore requires that we should work actively, and with intention of the end for which he made us,-guiding all our aims and inclinations towards his glory by that internal knowledge of his excellency, which he hath implanted in us, and revealed to us. And indeed all other creatures are, in this sense, said to glorify God, because the infinite power, wisdom, goodness, and perfection of God, which are in their beings and workings so notably relucent, do become the object of reasonable creatures, to contemplate upon, and by that means draw forth admiration and adoration of him.

SECT. 9. Secondly, By the consideration of God's goodness. He deserves it at our hands. He gives more to us than we are able to render unto him. The sun shines on the moon with his own glorious light; the moon returns but a faint and spotted light upon the world. We can return nothing unto God, but that which is his own ; and it goes not with that purity from us, as it came unto us. We cannot send forth a thought round about us, but it will return with a report of mercy, and that mercy calls for a return of praise. But above all, the goodness of God mentioned in the text, "Taking away iniquity, and receiving graciously," this calls for the "calves of the lips" to be offered, as in the new moons, with trumpets and solemnity". The beams of the sun the more directly they fall on the body of the moon, do fill it with the more abundant light: so the more copious and notable God's mercies are unto us, the more enlarged should our praises be unto him. Therefore true penitents that have more tasted of mercy, are more obliged unto thanksgiving . 'Excellent speech is not comely in the mouth of fools; but praise is comely for the upright." For as God is most dishonoured by the sins of holy men, when they are committed against light, and break forth into scandal,—as a

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s 1 Chron. xxix. 16. t Magna est gratia, quæ tribuitur hominibus vehementer egentibus, et in rebus magnis et difficilibus, et cum quis beneficium alicui dat aut solus, aut primus. Vid. Arist. Rhet. 1. 2. c. 7. Itaque in hujusmodi benefactores admissa gravius vindicantur. 1. 1. de obsequiis parentibus et patronis præstand. D. et 1. 28. de pœnis, sect. 8. u Numb. x. 10. * Psalm cxlvii. 20. y Prov. xvii. 7.

z Psalm xxxiii. 1.

spot in silk is a greater blemish than in sackcloth ;-so is he most honoured by the confession and praises of holy men, because they know more of his glory and goodness than others, and can report greater things of him. Wicked men speak of God by hearsay, and by notion only; but holy men, by intimate experience: as the queen of Sheba knew more of Solomon's wisdom from his mouth, than from his fame. He that sees but the outward court and building of a palace, can say it is a glorious place: but he that, like the ambassadors of the king of Babylon in Hezekiah's time, shall be admitted to see the house of precious things, and all the treasures of the palace,-can speak much more honourably of it. Every one might see and admire the stones of the temple without, who were not admitted to view the gold and curious workmanship within. The more intimate communion a man hath with God as a redeemer, the more glorious and abundant praises can he render unto him. Besides, praise is the language of Heaven ; the whole happiness of the saints there is to enjoy God, and their whole business is to praise him. And they who are to live in another country, will be more solicitous to learn the language, and foreacquaint themselves with the manners and usages of that country, than they who have no hopes nor assurance of coming thither. As they who have hope to be like Christ in glory, will purify themselves, that they may in the mean time be like him in grace; so they that have hope to praise him for ever in Heaven, will study the song of Moses, and of the Lamb, before they come thither. And indeed none. can praise God but they that can abase and deny themselves. Wicked men, in all duties, serve and seek themselves; but the very formality of praise is to seek God, and to make him the end of our so doing. The apostle exhorts us "to offer our

a Pretiosam vestem exigua quævis macula turpius decolorat; nobis ad immunditiem minima quævis inobedientia sufficit, &c. Bernard. ser. de triplici custodia. 2 Sam. xii. 14. b Est locus ubi vere quiescens et quietus cernitur Deus; locus omnino non judicis, non magistri, sed sponsi; sed heu rara hora, et parva mora! Bern. Ser, 23. in Cant.-Mens, ineffabili verbi illecta dulcedine, quodammodo se sibi furatur, imò rapitur atque elabitur a seipsa, ut verbo fruatur: dulce commercium: sed breve momentum et experimentum rarum. Ibid. Serm. 85. vid. etiam Serm. 83. et Serm. 1, 3, 31. e Illa domus lætitiæ est ; ista, militiæ:-Illa domus laudis ;-ista, orationis. Bern. ser. 2. in Dedicat. Eccle. d 1 John iii. 2, 3.

selves a living sacrifice;" that is to say, to separate ourselves for God, and for his uses. The sacrifice, we know, was God's; for his sake it was burnt, and broken, and destroyed. We must, by such sacrifices, deny ourselves, be lost to ourselves; not serve, nor seek, nor aim at ourselves; but resolve to esteem nothing dear in comparison of God's honour, and to be willing any way, whether by life or by death, that he may be magnified in us. Love of communion in natural creatures, is stronger than self-love. Stones will move upward, fire downward, to preserve the universe from a vacuity, and to keep the compages' of nature together. How much more is, and ought the love of God himself in the new creature to be stronger than self-love, whereby it seeks and serves itself! And without this, all other services are but Ananias's lie, lies to the Holy Ghost, keeping to ourselves what we would seem to bestow upon him. Lifting up the eyes, beating the breast, spreading the hands, bending the knee, hanging down the head, levelling the countenance, sighing, sobbing, fasting, howling, all nothing else but mocking of God. And we may say of such men, as the emperor of him that sold the glasses for pearl, (though in a sadder sense,) "Imposturam faciunt, et patientur ;"--they deceive God, and fail in his precepts, and they shall be themselves deceived, and fail in their own expectation: for "the hope of the wicked shall perish."

III. By a double consideration of ourselves.

SECT. 10. I. Of our natural torpor and sluggishness unto this duty. As the Dead Sea drinks in the river Jordan, and is never the sweeter; and the ocean all other rivers, and is never the fresher;-so we are apt to receive daily mercies from God, and still remain insensible of them, unthankful for them. God's mercies to us are like the dew on the ground; our thanks to him, like the dew on the fleece. We are like fishermen's weels, wide at that end which lets in the fish, but narrow at the other end, so that they cannot get out again: greedy to get mercy, tenacious to hold it; but unthankful in acknowledging or right using of it. The rain comes down from heaven in showers; it goes up but in mists. We sow in our land one measure, and receive ten :-yea,

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Isaac received a hundred fold; but God sows ten, it may be, a hundred mercies amongst us, when we scarce return the praise and the fruit of one. Our hearts in this case are like the windows of the temple, wide inward,' to let in mercies, but narrow outward,' to let forth praises. Now as Solomon says, "If the iron be blunt, we must put to the more strength :" and as husbandmen use where the nature of land is more defective, to supply it with the more importunate labour; so having hearts so earthly for the performance of so heavenly a duty, we should use the more holy violence upon them: and as the widow did extort justice from an unjust judge by her continual coming', we should press and urge, and with ingeminated importunity charge. this duty upon ourselves, as the psalmist doth ;-"O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men."

II. Of our own benefit. For indeed all the benefit which ariseth out of this duty, redounds to us, and none to God. His glory is infinite, and eternally the same; there is, nor can be, no accession unto that by all our praises'. When a glass reflecteth the brightness of the sun, there is but an acknowledgment of what was, not any addition of what was not. When an excellent orator makes a panegyrical oration in praise of some honourable person, he doth not infuse any dram of worth into the person, but only setteth forth and declareth that which is, unto others. A curious picture praiseth a beautiful face, not by adding beauty to it, but by representing that which was in it before. The window which lets in light into a house, doth not benefit the light, but the house into which the light shineth: so our praising of God doth serve to quicken, comfort, and refresh ourselves, who have interest in so good a God; or to edify and encourage our brethren, that they may be ambitious to serve so honourable a Master;-but they add no lustre or glory to God at all.

SECT. 11. Now lastly, for the right performance of this duty. It is founded on the due apprehensions of God's being good, and of his doing good ";- or on his excellency in him

8 Gen. xxvi. 12. cvii. 8, 15, 21, 31. Psalm cxix. 62.

b 1 Kings vi. 4.

i Luke xvii. 5.

k Psalm

1 Ipse sibi omnia. Tertul. contra Praxeam, c. 5.

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