A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 6 That after our meals we must show our thankfulness by praising God.

§. Sect. 6 That after our meales we must shew our thankefulnesse by praysing God.

And these are the duties which ought to be performed at our meals. The duty to be performed afterwards, is true thankfulness in the heart, and outwardly expressed both by our words and actions. Unto inward thankfulness of the heart is required, that we know and acknowledge that we have received our food at Gods hand, and that by his bounty and gracious providence we are fed and nourished, and not by our own policy and power, industry and labour. The which Moses presseth ¹upon the Israelites to make them thankful; for if we know, that God of his rich mercy hath bestowed these blessings upon us, and hath fed and nourished us with his good creatures, it is a notable means ⟨p. 296⟩to make us also acknowledge it, with all due thankfulness. Even as contrariwise when we take no notice of this bounty and providence of God in feeding us, we are ready to sacrifice unto our own nets, and to ascribe the praise of our provision to our own wisdom, and endeavours, ²and so to make Idols of them. And of this we have an example in the Israelites, who received Gods blessings for their use, but not as from his hand, ³and therefore were not thankful unto him, but gave the praise to their lovers. The which ungratitude God will punish by depriving us of his blessings, that by our wants we may be driven to go unto him by prayer for a supply, who in the time of plenty would not go unto him by thanksgiving, as not acknowledging the Author of these benefits; the which also the Lord threateneth against his people of Israel in the same place. Secondly, unto this inward thankfulness there is required, not