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invaluable in itself, it is also the evidence of better gifts, namely, that God has given you his Spirit, has given you Christ, and in him has given himself, a propitious and gracious God, and with himself has given you all things, Rom. viii. 32. When you know God aright, and his gifts aright, knowing all things in God, and God in all things, then you will be full of praises and thanks.

Secondly, Be humble and base in your own eyes, 1 Chron. xxix. 13, 14. Let all things be base in your eyes, in comparison of God, account them worthless and helpless things, without him, Psa. cxlvi. 1, 3, xxxiii. 16, 17. Judge yourself to be, as indeed you are, less than the least of God's mercies, Gen. xxxii. 10. For what are you of yourself, but a compound of dust and sin, unworthy any good, deserving of all misery? You stand in need of God, but not he of you; it is of his mercy that you are not consumed, Lam. iii. 22. When you are thus sensible of your own need, and that help can come only from God, and that you are worthy of no good thing, then you will be glad and thankful at heart to God for any thing. An humble man will be more thankful for the least mercy, than a proud man will for the greatest.

Thirdly, Frequently reflect upon the infinite excellencies of God and his great benefits. Commune with your soul, and cause it to represent lively to your thoughts, what God is in himself, what to his church, and to you, how precious his thoughts are to you-ward, Psa. cxxxix. 17. Consider often what God has done, and what he will do for your soul, Psa. xl. 5. Call to mind with what variety of good gifts he enriches his church, and has blessed you: and you will find that they will pass all account and number. When also you consider that God is free in all his gifts to you, who are unworthy the least of them; if you would thus dwell upon these, and such like thoughts, they would excite in you a holy rapture and admiration, causing you to break out, with David, into these, or in the like praises; O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Psa. viii. 1.