Because we receive every day Family mercies from the hand of God. 1He loads us daily with his benefits, Psal. 68.19. When you wake in the morning, and find your dwelling safe, not consumed with fire, not broke through by thieves, is not this a Family mercy? When you wake and find none dead in their beds, that news is not brought you in the morning, there is one Child dead in one bed, and another in another, and there is not a lodging room in the house, but the last night one or other died in it; but on the contrary, you find all well in the morning, and refreshed by the rest and sleep of the night; are not these, and many more such mercies to the Family, that when you rise, you should call them altogether jointly to bless God for? If it had been otherwise, Master or Mistress dead, Children or Servants dead, would not the rest say, It would have been a mercy to us all if God had spared him, her, or them? if your house had been consumed by flames, and God had turned you all out of doors before morning, would you not have said, It would have been a mercy if God had ⟨p. 326⟩safely preserved us and our dwellings? and caused us to rest and sleep and rise in safety? Why Sirs, will you not acknowledge mercies to be mercies, till God hath taken them away from you? and if you do, should you not give the praise daily unto God? Was it not God himself that watched over you, while you did sleep, and could not, did not, watch your selves? When you all did sleep, you knew not where you were, nor what dangers you were exposed unto, nor how you might prevent them, but God then was good unto you; and should you not conjunctly acknowledge this when you do wake and rise and see that God hath kept you, and do enjoy the comfort and the benefit of his watchful Providence over you? Psal. 127.1.— Except the Lord keep, the City, the Watchman waketh but in vain. 2.—for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Because we receive every day Family mercies from the hand of God. 1He loads us daily with his benefits, Psal. 68.19. When you wake in the morning, and find your dwelling safe, not consumed with fire, not broke through by thieves, is not this a Family mercy? When you wake and find none dead in their beds, that news is not brought you in the morning, there is one Child dead in one bed, and another in another, and there is not a lodging room in the house, but the last night one or other died in it; but on the contrary, you find all well in the morning, and refreshed by the rest and sleep of the night; are not these, and many more such mercies to the Family, that when you rise, you should call them altogether jointly to bless God for? If it had been otherwise, Master or Mistress dead, Children or Servants dead, would not the rest say, It would have been a mercy to us all if God had spared him, her, or them? if your house had been consumed by flames, and God had turned you all out of doors before morning, would you not have said, It would have been a mercy if God had ⟨p. 326⟩safely preserved us and our dwellings? and caused us to rest and sleep and rise in safety? Why Sirs, will you not acknowledg mercies to be mercies, till God hath taken them away from you? and if you do, should you not give the praise daily unto God? Was it not God himself that watched over you, while you did sleep, and could not, did not, watch your selves? When you all did sleep, you knew not where you were, nor what dangers you were exposed unto, nor how you might prevent them, but God then was good unto you; and should you not conjunctly acknowledg this when you do wake and rise and see that God hath kept you, and do enjoy the comfort and the benefit of his watchful Providence over you? Psal. 127.1.— Except the Lord keep, the City, the Watchman waketh but in vain. 2.—for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
- 11. (1) Alorationem statam quotidi: hibendam à Deo viriis beneficiis invitamur. Commoda, quibus utimur, Lucé•que qua fruimur, spiritú nque quem ducimus, ab co [Deo] nobis dari atque impertiri vidimus. Cicero. pro Ros. Ameri. Ante omnes actus seculi debemus actus habere pictatis, qui nos quiescentes & dormientes in l•ctulis custodivit: quis enim nisi Deus dormientem custodit hominem? qui ita resolutus in s•mnum, & oblitus sui vigoris humani, à see alienus efficitur, ut ne sciat quid ipse sit, ubinam demoretur, adesse sibi ipsi certè non p•ssit. Necessarius igitur Deus adest dormientibus, quia do mientes sibi adess• non possunt; & à nectu•nis insidiis genus hominum ipse custodit; quia id temporis ad custodiendum alter nemo pervigilat: debeo ergo illi gratiam▪ quia, ut ego securus dormiam, lie pe•vigilat — Sed & cum vespera diem claudit, ipsi debemus per Psalteriam laudem dicere, & gloriam ejus modulata voce concinere. Ambros. lib. Serm. Serm. 23.1. (1) Alorationem statam quotidi: hibendam à Deo viriis beneficiis invitamur. Commoda, quibus utimur, Lucé•que qua fruimur, spiritú nque quem ducimus, ab co [Deo] nobis dari atque impertiri vidimus. Cicero. pro Ros. Ameri. Ante omnes actus seculi debemus actus habere pictatis, qui nos quiescentes & dormientes in l•ctulis custodivit: quis enim nisi Deus dormientem custodit hominem? qui ita resolutus in s•mnum, & oblitus sui vigoris humani, à se alienus efficitur, ut ne sciat quid ipse sit, ubinam demoretur, adesse sibi ipsi certè non p•ssit. Necessarius igitur Deus adest dormientibus, quia do mientes sibi adess• non possunt; & à nectu•nis insidiis genus hominum ipse custodit; quia id temporis ad custodiendum alter nemo pervigilat: debeo ergo illi gratiam▪ quia, ut ego securus dormiam, lie pe•vigilat — Sed & cum vespera diem claudit, ipsi debemus per Psalteriam laudem dicere, & gloriam ejus modulata voce concinere. Ambros. lib. Serm. Serm. 23.
