And yet notwithstanding all this, I conceive there is no one duty wherein God is more dishonoured, or his name more profaned then in this duty. The world is full of Thanking of God, blessed be God, praised be God. But I beseech ye tell me. Are we not formal in this duty? Do we not content our selves with the bare Carcass, and outside of praises? Do we not take Gods name in vain, while we are blessing his name? Do we not content our selves with a drop of praises for a sea of mercies? Do we not praise him with our lips, while we dispraise him with our lives? Are we not like unto Actors upon a stage that now play one part, and by and by act a quite contrary part? While we are at Church we seem to cry Hallelujah, and with the Jews to sing Hosanna. But as soon as ever we come out of the Church, are there not many that will with the Jews cry Crucifige, acting the quite contrary part, and curse, and swear profanely by that God whom they ⟨p. 3⟩blessed at Church? The devil was the first that ever named Gods name in Scripture, and one of the first that ever confessed Christ to be the Son of God, and yet he was a devil for all that. It is a devilish thing to praise God with our lips, and serve the devil with our lives. Now therefore for the avoiding of this great sin, and for the raising up of your hearts to praise God, not only with your lips, but with your lives, I have pitched upon these words, which I may very well call, A rare plot-form, and excellent pattern of true and real thankfulness. For this is to thank God as we ought to do for his goodness, to become good our selves. Then we praise God aright, when we dedicate our lives to his praise, and become a people of his praise. Josiah did not only offer a thank-offering, but he commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. It is not enough to thank God for a mercy, unless we serve him with that mercy. 1It is not the singing of a thousand Psalms will praise God so much for this Deliverance as the mortifying of one lust. Let the drunkard praise God this day by sacrificing up his drunkenness as a Thank-offering. Let the swearer and the Adulterer forsake his swearing and his Adultery, as a testimony of his Thankfulness. God hath bin real in his mercies to us, let us be real in our thanks to him.
And yet notwithstanding all this, I conceive there is no one duty wherein God is more dishonoured, or his name more prophaned then in this duty. The world is full of Thanking of God, blessed be God, praised be God. But I beseech yetell me. Are we not formall in this duty? Doe we not content our selves with the bare Carkasse, and outside of praises? Doe we not take Gods name in vaine, while we are blessing his name? Doe we not content our selves with a drop of praises for a sea of mercies? Do we not praise him with our lips, while we dispraise him with our lives? Are we not like unto Actors upon a stage that now play one part, and by and by act a quite contrary part? While we are at Church we seeme to cry Hallelujah, and with the Jewes to sing Hosannah. But assoone as ever we come out of the Church, are there not many that will with the Jews cry Crucifige, acting the quite contrary part, and curse, and sweare prophanely by that God whom they ⟨p. 3⟩blessed at Church? The devill was the first that ever named Gods name in Scripture, and one of the first that ever confessed Christ to be the Sonne of God, and yet he was a devill for all that. It is a devillish thing to praise God with our lips, and serve the devill with our lives. Now therfore for the avoiding of this great sin, and for the raising up of your hearts to praise God, not only with your lips, but with your lives, I have pitched upon these words, which I may very well call, A rare plat-forme, and excellent pattern of true and reall thankfullnes. For this is to thanke God as we ought to do for his goodnes, to become good our selves. Then wee praise God aright, when wee dedicate our lives to his praise, and become a people of his praise. Iosiah did not only offer a thank-offering, but he commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. It is not enough to thanke God for a mercy, unlesse we serve him with that mercy. 1It is not the singing of a thousand Psalmes will praise God so much for this Deliverance as the mortifying of one lust. Let the drunkard praise God this day by sacrificing up his drunkennesse as a Thank-offering. Let the swearer and the Adulterer forsake his swearing and his Adultery, as a testimony of his Thankfullnesse. God hath bin reall in his mercies to us, let us be reall in our thankes to him.
- 12 Chron. 33. 16.
