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 the like praises, "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" I thank thee, I praise thee, I devote myself, as my best sacrifice to thee. I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

I am

4. Be persuaded of God's love to you in these good things, which he giveth to you: First, He loveth you as his creature, and if only in that respect he doth preserve you, and do you good, you are bound to thank him. Secondly, You know not but God may love you with a special love to salvation; God's revealed will professeth as much, for you must not meddle with that which is secret. sure he giveth all-sufficient proof of his love, making offers of it to you, and which you are daily receiving the tokens of, both in the means of this life, and that which is to come. Did not he love you, when, out of his free and everlasting goodwill towards you, he gave his Son to die for you, that you, believing in him, should not die, but have everlasting life? What though you are yet in your sins, doth he not command you to return to him? and hath he not said, he will love you freely? What though you cannot turn to him, nor love him as you would, yet apply by humble faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, as your only saviour and great physician, and endeavour, in the use of all good means, to be, and do, as God will have you; then doubt not but that God doth love you; and patiently wait, till you see it in the performance of all his gracious promises unto

you.

Seventh, Signs to know when God giveth good things in love.

If you would consider things aright, you may possibly know with certainty, that the good things you have received of God, are bestowed in love to you; I will only ask you these questions: Hath God's mercies excited you to labour more diligently to please him well in all things? Have you had a will to be thankful upon the consideration thereof? Or, if you find a defect and barrenness herein, hath not this unfruitful and unthankful receiving of blessings from God, been a great burden and grief of heart to you? If so, this is an evident sign that God gave those good things to you in love, because this holy and good effect is wrought in you by them. Again, Do you love God? Would you love God, and his ways, and ordinances yet more? This proveth that God loveth you; for no man can love God, till God hath first loved him. Likewise, Do you love the children of God? Then certainly you are God's child, and are beloved of God. By these things you have proof of your calling and election, that you are now translated from death to life. So

that, though God may give you some things in anger, as a father giveth correction, yet he never giveth any thing in hatred and in wrath, as he doth to his enemies. "All things work together for good to them that love God;" therefore, whatsoever he giveth to such, is in love.

5. Prefer the honour and glory of God, before and above all things that may be beneficial to yourself: prefer, likewise, the kindness and love of God, in the gift, far above the gift itself; then you will

never be so taken up with the enjoyment of the gift, as to forget to give praise and thanks to the giver.

6. Unto the former helps, add this: Lay a holy command upon your soul, and strictly charge yourself to be thankful; and, since you have such good reason for it, make no excuses against it, but say, with David, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name."

Lastly, To all other means, join earnest prayer to God, to give you a thankful heart. It is not all the reasons you can allege for it, nor all the moral persuasions you can propose to yourself, can effect it, though these be good means, yea, God's means, yet if you go about to raise your heart to it, in the power of your own might, all will be vain. For as you cannot pray but by God's Spirit, so neither can you give thanks but by the same Spirit. Therefore say, as David did, "Renew, O Lord, a right spirit in me; and open my lips, that my mouth may show forth thy praise."

III. Of the real Proofs of Gratitude and Thankfulness to God.

It is not enough to profess and utter praise and thanks to God; but you must give real proof thereof.

1. By devoting and giving yourself to God; to be at the will of him, who is your sovereign Lord, who giveth you all that you have, who is always giving unto you, and always doing you good; paying your vows to him that performs his promises to you. Let it appear that you acknowledge him to be such a one as you say in your praises, and that you stand

obliged and beholden to him indeed, as you say in your thanks, in that both, in the frame of your heart, and the conduct of your life, you behave towards him as one who only is excellent, who only is God, who is your God, the God of your life and salvation; and that in all holy service. For thanks

living is the best way of thanksgiving, and it is a divine saying, "The good life of the thankful, is the life of thankfulness." Wherefore, let every new mercy quicken your resolution to persevere and increase in well-doing, serving God so much the more "with gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things."

2. Do good with those blessings which God. giveth you. For every good gift is given to a man to profit withal; not only himself, but every member of that body, whereof he is part. Whatsoever good gift God hath given you, whether temporal or spiritual, it must be employed to God's glory, and to your neighbour's good, as well as to your own, as you have opportunity. If riches (and the same rule will serve for health, strength, wisdom, skill, &c.) be given to you, you must honour God therewith, and as God doth prosper you in any thing, you must communicate to them that need, as to the poor, sick, weak, simple, and ignorant. If God give knowledge, faith, spiritual wisdom, ability to pray, or any other of his rich graces, you must not hoard them up, and keep them reserved for your own private benefit, but you must communicate them to others, and improve them for the promoting their spiritual good, and edifying them in faith, hope, and love.

By communicating your good and common gifts of

God in this sort, you make yourself friends with them, against a day of need; and when you honour God, and do good with the talents which God putteth into your hand, then you make the best improvement of them. He who thus walketh with God in prosperity, shall certainly find him to be his sure friend in adversity, and when he shall be put out of his stewardship at death, then he shall be received into the everlasting habitations. When, the more you prosper, the better you desire and endeavour to be, and do, more good, this is an infallible proof of true thankfulness, and is an evident sign that you walk with God in prosperity as he would have you.

Give all diligence, therefore, to learn this lesson, How to be full, and how to abound; but know, it can be learned no where but in Christ's school, and can never be practised but by Christ's strength. This is it which the apostle had learned, and said, he was able to do it through Christ that strengthened him. It is a most needful and high point of learning, to be instructed, and to know, every where, and in every thing, how to be full, and how to abound: of the two, it is more rare and difficult, than to know how to be abased, and to suffer want, which shall be the subject of the next chapter.