III. *True gratefulness hath especial relation to the Lord. A man that is well instructed in the right form and due manner of thanksgiving will especially return all thanks to God, whether it be for such benefits as come immediately from himself, as all those extraordinary benefits, whereof any that took due notice, might say, This is the finger of God, or, This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. (For such as these, aMoses and the men of Israel, bMiriam and the women of Israel gave solemn thanks to God) or those ordinary benefits to the conferring whereof man addeth no help (as the shining of the Sun, the courses of the moon, the former and latter rain, the bounds set to the sea, the sweet springs and rivers of water passing through the earth, and many other such as are reckoned up in the 104 Psalm, for which praise is there ⟨p. 161⟩given to God) or for such benefits as are conferred upon us by the ministry of man. Thus Melchizedek blessed God for 4that victory which Abraham had gotten over his enemies: David blessed God for that counsel which wise Abigail 5gave him: and for those bountiful gifts which he, his Princes and people contributed towards the house of God: and 6the Saints give thanks to God, for the liberality of the Christians at Macedonia. So clear is the point of returning thanks to God for all manner of benefits, as besides the many simple forms of giving thanks to God set down throughout the whole Scripture, but especially in the book of Psalms, when man cometh in any competition with God about this matter, he is utterly excluded: as where the Psalmist negatively 7of man, but affirmatively of God saith, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. If ye well observe the precepts of Scripture for performing this duty of thanksgiving, ye shall find this object, the Lord either plainly expressed, or necessarily understood. How frequent are these phrases▪ Praise the Lord: Give thanks to God. Yea to demonstrate that God is the proper object of praise, these words, Praise ye the Lords, are so compounded together, as they 8make but one word in hebrew, which is this, Hallelujah.
III. *TRue gratefulnesse hath especiall relation to the Lord. A man that is well instructed in the right forme and due manner of thanksgiving will especially returne all thanks to God, whether it be for such benefits as come immediately from himselfe, as all those extraordinary benefits, whereof any that tooke due notice, might say, This is the finger of God, or, This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. (For such as these, aMoses and the men of Israel, bMiriam and the women of Israel gave solemne thanks to God) or those ordinary benefits to the conferring whereof man addeth no helpe (as the shining of the Sun, the courses of the moone, the former and latter raine, the bounds set to the sea, the sweet springs and rivers of water passing thorow the earth, and many other such as are reckoned up in the 104 Psalme, for which praise is there ⟨p. 161⟩given to God) or for such benefits as are conferred upon vs by the ministry of man. Thus Melchisedech blessed God for 4that victory which Abraham had gotten over his enemies: David blessed God for that counsell which wise Abigail 5gave him: and for those bountifull gifts which he, his Princes and people contributed towards the house of God: and 6the Saints give thanks to God, for the liberality of the Christians at Macedonia. So cleare is the point of returning thanks to God for all manner of benefits, as besides the many simple formes of giving thankes to God set downe thorowout the whole Scripture, but especially in the booke of Psalmes, when man commeth in any competition with God about this matter, he is utterly excluded: as where the Psalmist negatively 7of man, but affirmatively of God saith, Not unto vs, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. If ye wel observe the precepts of Scripture for performing this duty of thanksgiuing, ye shal find this obiect, the Lord either plainly expressed, or necessarily vnderstood. How frequent are these phrases▪ Praise the Lord: Giue thankes to God. Yea to demonstrate that God is the proper obiect of praise, these words, Praise ye the Lords, are so compounded together, as they
- *§. 76. Semper habendae gratia, & nemini alteri nisi sold Deo. Chrys. Hom 2. in 1 Cor. 1.
- aExod 15. 1.
- b—20.
- 4Gen 14. 20.
- 51 Sam. 25. 32. 1 Chro. 29. 13
- 62 Cor. 9. 13.
- 7Psal 115 • ▪ Totum superna gratia tribuamus. Chrys. Hom 21 in Gen. 5. Psal. 148. Eph 5. 20.
- 8[Greek or Hebrew]〈non-Latin alphabet〉
