scudderpage126

ness be offered? Even by Christ only Eph. v. 20; Heb. xiii. 15, the only high-priest of our profession, out of whose golden censer our prayers and praises ascend, and are acceptable to God as incense, Rev. viii. 3, 4.

Fourthly, For what must we praise God and give him thanks? We must praise him in all his works, be they for us, or against us; we must thank him for all things, spiritual and temporal, wherein he is any way good unto us, Eph. v. 20.

Fifthly, With what must we praise and thank him? Even with our souls, and all that is within us, and with all that we have, Psa. ciii. 1. We must praise and thank God with the inward man; praise him with the spirit, and with the understanding, 1 Cor. xiv. 15; praise him with the will; praise and thank him with all the affections, with love, desire, joy, and gladness; praise him with the whole heart. We must likewise praise him with the outward man, both with tongue and hands, Psa. xxxv. 28; our words and our deeds must show forth his praise. When our thanks are cordial and real, then they make a good harmony and sweet melody, most pleasant in the ears of God.

Sixthly, When must we give thanks? Always, morning, noon, evening, at all times; as long as we live and have any being, we must praise him, Eph. v. 20. Psa. lv. 17. cxix. 164. civ. 33.

Seventhly, How much? We must praise and thank him abundantly, Psa. xlviii. 1. We must endeavour to proportion our praise to his worthiness and goodness: As we must love him, so we must thank him, with all our soul, and with all our strength.

(3.) The evil of unthankfulness, and dissuasives against it.

There is no sin more common than unthankfulness, Luke xvii. 17, 18; for scarce one out of ten gives thanks to God for his benefits; and those who do give thanks, besides many errors in thanksgiving, do not thank God for one mercy in twenty. Many in distress will pray, or cry and howl at least, Hosea vii. 14, as they of old, for corn and oil; but who returns proportionable praises to his prayers? Whereas the Chris-