Reproof to the ungrateful world,and exhortation to saints 3/3

1. God hath a book of remembrance for your services; he takes kind notice of the little good that is in you, and done by you.  Not the least office of love to his name and house is overlooked, though mingled with much evil; he commands the one, pardons and pities you for the other.  ‘There is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel,’ it was said of Jeroboam’s son, I Kings 14:13.  What an honourable testi­mony doth God give of Asa, that ‘his was perfect all his days,’ II Chr. 15:17, though we find many wry steps he took.  The little strength Philadelphia had must not be forgot.  What a favourable apology doth Christ make for Joshua, accused by Satan for his fil­thy garments—‘Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?’ and for his drowsy disciples—‘The spirit is will­ing, but the flesh is weak?’  Now shall God take no­tice of the little good in his saints, apologize for their infirmities, commend and reward their weak services, yea eternize their memory with honour, ‘The righ­teous shall be in everlasting remembrance,’ Ps. 112:6; and doth not he deserve to be exalted for his infinite perfections? praised and loved, who is all good, ever good, and doing good to them?  Shall not he be ten­der of thy name, and thou be regardless of his hon­our, so as to entomb his precious mercies in the sepulchre of unthankfulness?
2. Consider what an ornament a thankful frame of heart is to religion.  This commends God to the unbelieving world, who knows little more of him than your lives preach to them. They read religion in that character you print it, and make their report of God and his ways as they see you behave yourselves in the world.  If you walk disconsolately, or grumble at di­vine providence, how they can believe the ways are so pleasant as they are told?  We listen what the servant saith of his master. If he commends him, and goes cheerfully through his work, this gains him credit among his neighbours.  It was a convincing testimony Daniel gave to the goodness of God, when he would praise him thrice a day with the hazard of his life.  To see a poor Christian thankful for his little pittance, yea, in the midst of his afflictions, as if he had crowns and kingdoms at his dispose, an ordinary understand­ing would reason thus, Surely this man finds some sweetness in his God that we see not, and is better paid for his service than we know of.  The joyful praise of dying saints in the midst of fiery flames, have made their spectators go home in love, not only with religion, but with martyrdom.
3. Consider the honour that is put upon you in this duty.  To attend on a prince, though bareheaded and on the knee, is counted more honour for a noble­man, than to live in the country, and have the service of his fellow-subjects.  Though we serve God all the day long, yet in acts of worship we have the honour immediately to attend on him, and minister to him. O blessed are they who may thus stand about him! Praise is the highest act of worship, and therefore to be continued in heaven's blissful state.  Whereas other graces shall be melted into love and joy, so other duties of worship, as hearing, praying, &c., into praise and thanksgiving.  The priesthood was a great honour under the law.  He chose Aaron and his tribe from among their brethren to serve at his altar; he would take that gift from their hand which he would not at a king’s.  But in this gospel state every believer hath a more honourable priesthood, because he brings better sacrifices, the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.  And while thou art honour­ing thy God, thou honourest thyself.  The whole body shines with the beams of that crown which is put on the head.

           6. Consider that thy praises will render thy prayers more grateful and successful.  It was thought a good omen for Alexander’s future victories, that he was liberal to the gods in his sacrifices, throwing frankincense by handfuls into the fire.  He is a nig­gard to himself that is so to his God.  Remittatur in suum principium cæleste profluvium, quo uberius terræ refundatur (Bern. Serm. 42 in Cantic.)—let the river of God’s mercies be returned to pay its tribute to God, their source and fountain, that they may refund more abundantly to us again.  You shall observe the saints in their greatest straits, when they have most to beg, deliver their prayers praise-wise.  Jehoshaphat sends his priest praising God into the field, and God fights for him.  David, in the cave, My heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise.’  Daniel, when a trap was laid for his life, ‘praiseth God thrice a day.’  Christ himself, when he would raise Lazarus, lifts up his eyes and blesseth God, ‘I thank thee, O Fa­ther,’ &c.; when he was to suffer, sings a hymn.  A thankful heart can­not easily meet with a denial.  ‘Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand,’ Ps. 149:6.

Reproof to the ungrateful world,and exhortation to saints 2/3

 But think not, sinners, that you shall escape thus.  God's mill goes slow, but it grinds small; the more admirable his patience and bounty now is, the more dreadful and unsupportable will that fury be which ariseth out of his abused goodness.  Nothing blunter than iron, yet when sharpened it hath an edge that will cut mortally.  Nothing smoother than the sea, yet when stirred into a tempest nothing rageth more.  Nothing so sweet as the patience and goodness of God, and nothing so terrible as his wrath when it takes fire.  Be therefore, in the fear of God, stirred up to bethink yourselves what you mean to do.  It is the trick, they say, of distracted people to spite their dear­est friends and nearest relations most.  These above all they seek to mischief.  But what folly and madness is it in thee to fly at the face of God with thy sins, that hath done more for thee than all thy friends, and can do more against thee than all thy enemies thou hast in the world!  But the more to move thee,

1. Consider that God keeps an exact account of all his mercies thou receivest.  You cannot steal God’s custom.  He that could tell the prophet where his servant Gehazi had been, and what he had received of Naaman, will one day tell thee to a farthing every talent thou hast received of him.  God hath, as a bag for thy sins, so a book for his mercies, and what he books he means to reckon for.
2. Consider how severely he hath dealt with those that never had so much mercy from him as thy­self.  If heathens are speechless in judgment, when God reckons with them for their mercies, O how con­founded wilt thou be that goest from gospel dispensa­tions to hold up thy hand at the bar before the Judge of all the world!  ‘They are without excuse, because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful,’ Rom. 1:21.  If the heathen that was not thankful for his penny, cannot lift up his hand in the day of the Lord, where wilt thou appear that hast so many hundred talents in thy hand to answer for?

           Question.  But may be, poor wretch, thou mayest now ask, what thou shouldst do to give God the praise of his mercies?

           Answer.  In a word, thou hast but one way to pay God this his tribute, and it is a strange one—even by running deeper into his debt than by all the mercies that yet thou hast received of him.  Hear therefore, poor sinner, what I mean: That God—who hath given thee life and being—that hath exercised unspeakable patience towards thee—been at a vast expense in his daily providence upon thee, to preserve, feed, clothe, and maintain thee—all which have been most wretchedly abused by thee, and for it thy life become forfeited to his justice—doth yet offer a greater mercy than all these, even the Lord Jesus, whom, if thou wilt, with shame and sorrow for thy past sins, but come unto, and accept to be thy Lord and Saviour, then wilt thou be in a posture, and not till then, to give God the praise of his other mercies.  He that rejects this, that is the greatest of all mercies, can never be thankful for any.  It is Christ who alone can give thee a spirit of thankfulness.  Not a Christian person in the world but is an unthankful person. ‘Evil’ and ‘unthankful’ are inseparable.  O what a blessed gospel is this, that teacheth us here to pay debts by running deeper into the score!—to be thankful for less mercies, by accepting that which is infinitely greater!           

Use Second.  For exhortation to the saints; not to call you to this duty, which if you answer your name is undoubtedly your practice, but to quicken you in it, and make you more in love with it.

1. Consider it is a duty that becomes you well, ‘Praise is comely for the upright,’ Ps. 33:1.  This gar­ment of praise sits so well on none as on your back; you should not think yourselves dressed in a morning till you have it on.  An unthankful saint carries a contradiction with it.  ‘Evil’ and ‘unthankful’ are the twins that live and die together.  As any ceaseth to be evil, he begins to be thankful.
2. Consider it is that which God both expects and promiseth himself at your hands; he made you for this end.  When the vote passed in heaven for your being, yea happy being, in Christ, it was upon this account, that you should be ‘a name and a praise’ to him on earth in time and in heaven to eternity. Should God miss of this, he would fail of one main part of his design.  What prompts him to bestow every mercy, but to afford you matter to compose a song for his praise?  They are ‘a people, children that will not lie: so he became their Saviour,’ Isa. 63:8.  He looks for fair dealing, you see, at your hands.  Whom may a father trust with his reputation, if not a child? Where can a prince expect honour, if not among his courtiers and favourites?  Your state is such as the least mercy you have is more than all the world can show besides.  Thou, Christian, and thy few brethren, divide heaven and earth among you.  What hath God that he withholds from you?  Sun, moon, and stars are set up to give you light, sea and land have their treasure and store for your use.  Others do but ravish them, you are the rightful heirs to them.  They groan that any other should be served by them.  The angels, bad and good, minister unto you; the evil, against their will, are forced, like scullions, when they tempt you to scour and brighten your graces, and make way for your greater comforts.  Like Haman, they hold your stirrup, while you mount up higher in favour with God.  The good angels are servants to your heav­enly Father, and disdain not to carry you, as the nurse her master's child in her arms.  Your God withholds not himself from you.  He is your portion, father, husband, friend, and what not.  The same heaven you shall have to dwell in with him; the same table and fare.  God is his own happiness, and admits you to enjoy himself.  O what honour is this, for the subject to drink in his prince's cup!  ‘Thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures,’ Ps. 36:8.  And all this, not as the purchase of your sweat, much less blood; the feast is paid for by another hand, and you are welcome; only he expects your thanks to the foun­der of it, at whose cost you are entertained.  No sin-offering is imposed upon you under the gospel; thank-offerings are all he looks for.

Application - Reproof to the ungrateful world,and exhortation to saints 1/3

           We shall wind up this head with a double application of reproof and exhortation.

           Use First.  Of reproof to the ungrateful world. How few, alas! can we find so ingenuous as to pay this little quit-rent to the great Lord of this world’s manor for all the mercies they hold of him!  Some are such brutes that, like swine, their nose is nailed to the trough in which they feed.  They have not the use of their understanding so far as to lift up their eye to heaven and say, there dwells that God that provides this for me, that God by whom I live, and from whom I have my livelihood.  It were well if we knew not in all our towns where such brutes as these dwell.  You would count it a sad spectacle to behold a man in a lethargy, with his senses and reason so blasted by his disease, that he knows not his nearest friends, and takes no notice of those that tend him or bring his daily food to him.  How many such senseless wretches are at this day lying on his hands?  Divine providence ministers daily supplies to their necessities, but they take no notice of his care and goodness.  Others there are, that feloniously, yea sacrilegiously, set the crown of praise on their own head which is due alone to God.  Thus Nebuchadnezzar writes his own name up­on his palace, and leaves God out of the story: ‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’ Dan. 4:30.  Proud wretch! was not every stone he used in that pile cut out of God’s quarry? and for every skep of sand did he not come upon God’s ground?  Thus the atheistical husband­man cons his plough and dung‑cart more thanks than the God of heaven, who ‘crowns the year with his goodness.’  The proud soldier stands upon his sword, daring to take the honour of his victory to himself, and not ascribe it to the Lord of hosts, who at his pleasure gives and takes away the heart from the mighty.

           Yea, some, rather than God shall have it, will give it to any other.  Thus Pope Adrian, in his blas­phemous inscription on the gates of a college he built, abuseth God with Scripture language, ‘Utrecht planted me, Lovian watered me, and Cæ­sar gave the increase;’ which made one underwrite, nihil hic Deus fecit—it seems God did nothing for this man.  Not that I think it unlawful to acknowledge our benefactors, as instruments in God’s hand for our good, but to blot out the name of God, our chief founder, to write the name of an underling creature, is a high piece of wickedness and ingratitude.  I like that form which a good man used to his friend for a kindness: ‘I bless God for you, I thank God and you.’ He that will exact more, requires what we owe him not.

           In a word, some, the worst of the three, instead of returning thanks to God for his mercies, abuse them to his dishonour.  It is not more sad than true, that the goodness of God with many serves but to feed and nourish their lusts.  They eat and drink at God’s cost, and then rise up to play the rebels against God; no weapons will serve them to use but the mer­cies he hath given them.  It is too bad if the tenant pays not his easy rent; but to make strip and waste of the trees on his landlord’s ground, this is more intol­erable.  Yet such outrages are daily practised in the wicked world with the mercies of God.

           Michael Balbus is infamous for his horrid ingratitude, who, the same night that the emperor had pardoned and released him, barbarously slew his saviour.  And do not many, whom God lets out of the prison of affliction, lift up their traitorous knife at God, wounding his name with their oaths, drunken­ness, and profaneness, as soon almost as the sentence of death is taken off and their prison door set open? To conclude, others that will needs pass for thankful, yet all the return is but windy praise—honour him with their lips, and pour contempt upon him in their lives.  What music more harsh and unpleasing than to hear a harper sing to one tune with his voice and play another with his hand?  O it grates in God’s ears when Jacob’s voice is attended with Esau’s rough hands.  Truly, when I consider how the goodness of God is abused and perverted by the greatest part of mankind, I cannot but be of his mind that said maximum miraculum est Dei patientia et munifi­centia—the greatest miracle in the world is God’s patience and bounty to an ungrateful world.  If a prince hath an enemy got into one of his towns, he doth not send them in provision, but lays close siege to the place, and doth what he can to starve them. But the great God, that could wink all his enemies into destruction, bears with them, and is at daily cost to maintain them.  Well may he command us to bless them that curse us, who himself ‘does good to the evil and thankful.’  O what would not God do for his crea­ture if thankful, that thus heaps the coals of his mercies upon the heads of his enemies!