4 Unthankfulness, that's an evil and a wicked effect that comes from discontent. Unthankfulness the Scripture doth rank among very great sins. For men and women that are discontent though they enjoy many mercies from God, yet they are thankful for none of them, for this is the vile nature of discontentment, to lessen every mercy of God, to make those mercies they have from God to be as nothing to them, because they have not what they would have. Sometimes it's so even in spiritual things, if they have not all they would have, the comforts that they would have, then what they have is nothing to them, do you think that God will take this well? If you should give a friend, a kinsman, a purse of money to go and trade withal, and he should come and say, what do you give ⟨p. 136⟩me? they are but a few counters, they will do me no good: you cannot bear this at his hand if he should do so, because he hath not as much money as he would: So for you to be ready to say, All that God hath given me is nothing worth, will do me no good, they are but counters; though they are the precious Graces of Gods Spirit that are more worth than thousands of worlds, yet for you to say, they are nothing, they are but common gifts, and all is but in hypocrisy, all counterfeit, Oh! what an unthankful thing is this! the graces of Gods Spirit are nothing to a discontented heart that hath not all that it would have; and so for outward blessings, though God hath given you health of body, and strength, and hath given you some competency for your family, some way of lively-hood, yet because you are disappointed in somewhat that you would have therefore all is nothing unto you; Oh! what unthankfulness is here? God expects that every day you should spend some time in blessing his Name for what mercy he hath granted unto you, there's not any one of you who are in the lowest condition but you have abundance of mercies to bless God for, but discontentedness makes them nothing. It's an excellent speech that I remember Luther hath, (saith he) This is the Rhetoric of the Spirit of God, (it's a very fine speech of his) to extenuate evil things, and to amplify good things; if there falls out a cross, to make the cross to be but little, but if there be a mercy to make the mercy to be great;
4 Ʋnthankefulnesse, that's an evil and a wicked effect that comes from discontent. Unthankfulnesse the Scripture doth ranke among very great sins. For men and women that are discontent though they enjoy many mercies from God, yet they are thankfull for none of them, for this is the vile nature of discontentment, to lessen every mercy of God, to make those mercies they have from God to be as nothing to them, because they have not what they would have. Sometimes it's so even in spiritual things, if they have not all they would have, the comforts that they would have, then what they have is nothing to them, do you think that God will take this well? If you should give a friend, a kinsman, a purse of money to go and trade withal, and he should come and say, what do you give ⟨p. 136⟩me? they are but a few counters, they wil do me no good: you cannot bear this at his hand if he should do so, because he hath not as much money as he would: So for you to be ready to say, All that God hath given me is nothing worth, will do me no good, they are but counters; though they are the precious Graces of Gods Spirit that are more worth than thousands of worlds, yet for you to say, they are nothing, they are but common gifts, and all is but in hypocrisie, all counterfeit, Oh! what an unthankful thing is this! the graces of Gods Spirit are nothing to a discontented heart that hath not all that it would have; and so for outward blessings, though God hath given you health of body, and strength, and hath given you some competency for your family, some way of lively-hood, yet because you are disappointed in somwhat that you would have therefore all is nothing unto you; Oh! what unthankfulnesse is here? God expects that every day you should spend some time in blessing his Name for what mercy he hath granted unto you, there's not any one of you who are in the lowest condition but you have abundance of mercies to blesse God for, but discontentednesse makes them nothing. It's an excellent speech that I remember Luther hath, (saith he) This is the Rhetorick of the Spirit of God, (it's a very fine speech of his) to extenuate evil things, and to amplyfie good things; if there fals out a crosse, to make the crosse to be but little, but if there be a mercy to make the mercy to be great;
