VERSE 15
made him believe, speak confidently for the present. And therefore, with cheerfulness attend upon the blessed means of the word and sacrament, that God hath appointed to strengthen our union and communion with Christ. Christ is our life, and the nearer communion with him, the more life we have. And the sacrament is appointed for to seal to us this communion, to strengthen this near union, and receive* with the spring and fountain of life, Jesus Christ.
And therefore, come with exceeding comfort; and the more our union with Christ, the more our comforts in life or death. All depends on that: as we see hope of resurrection, hope of deliverance, hope of glory, doth all depend upon that, union first in Christ, then in us, and in us because in Christ. Therefore, strengthen union with Christ, and strengthen all. For matter of the sacrament, you are acquainted with the doctrinal part of it, have this conceit of it. It is a high ordinance of God, which strengthens faith, which being strengthened, strengthens all the powers of soul.
VERSE 15 For all things are for your sakes, that most plenteous grace, by the thanksgiving of many, may redound to the praise of God.
The holy apostle, as we heard, labours to arm himself and all others against all discouragements in religion, by comforts fetched from religion.
He bringeth in divers springs of comfort in this latter part of the chapter. 'I believe, and therefore I have spoken; as David believed,
and therefore he spake.' It is no otherwise with us than with David and other saints before us, as we shewed at large.
The last day this comfort was handled, that God would raise him out of his trouble, and present him together with the Corinthians in his life, and at the last in the world to come. And from this ground,
'Because God raised up Jesus.' 'Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up by Jesus, and shall present us with him.'
Of this I have spoken at large already.
I beseech you, before I leave this point, learn this, that in all our dejections, we make use of that last and powerful work of God, in raising from the dead.
I now proceed to what followeth.
'For all things are for your sakes.' Here is a farther ground of comfort, both of present deliverance, as for their sakes.
The second ground is, 'All is for the glory of God.'
And the means of that glory, 'Because the grace aboundeth,' that these deliverances spring from, 'thanksgiving abound to the glory of God.' Why should we be discouraged in suffering, since God will be presented with us in sufferings, delivering us in time, considering it is for the church's good, and for the glory of God? And for the glory of God in this way, because it will minister matter of praise, not of one, but of many, out of which praise God will be glorified. This is the scope of the words.
The first ground of comfort is, 'All are for your sakes,' both our sufferings, and assistance, and presence of God in them, and deliverance out of them, all is for you, 2 Tim. 2:10: 'We suffer for the
elect's sake,' all is for your sake. Indeed, beloved, it is a large diffused consideration, for all is for the church's sake, the world itself. The standing of the world is for the church's sake. If God had gathered his elect, there would be an end of these sinful days. Another sinful generation, God would not suffer the world to stand for a company of wretches, that daily blaspheme his name, that pollute and defile their souls and bodies, that oppose his truth like rebels.
That the world continueth, it is for the elect's sake, that they may be gathered out [of] the world. The world is as it were reprieved, because many are to be born in the world; as lewd women are reprieved, being with child, for that's sake that is to be born. So the world continueth because there is a generation to come; the number of the elect is not yet accomplished.
Thus you see the very world, and the standing of the world, is for the 'church's sake. The world is elect; and so are things in the world, in heaven or earth, in some sort. They are for the church's sake. 'To us a child is born, to us a son is given,' Isa. 9:6; for the church he died, for the church he rose again, for the church 'he appears in heaven and makes intercession,' as Rom. 8:34. He sits at God's right hand making intercession for us. John 17:17, 19, 'I sanctify myself;' that is,
I prepare myself as a sacrifice to suffer for them. 'I pray not for the world, but for them thou hast given me out of the world.' All that Christ did suffer, enjoy, and do in heaven, as our head, it is for the church's sake. That he giveth gifts to wicked men, that they continue, it is for the church's sake, that they may be instruments and servants of the church. In that sense they be redeemed by Christ as servants of the church. We see in nature that summer and winter serveth for vines, and fruitful trees, and plants, for the good corn. Cold weather and warm weather, they have the leaves to cover them. And every thing serveth to bring forth the fruit; all these circumstantial things.
So whatsoever is circumstantial in the world, as kingdoms, states, government, they think to tumble in the world for their own ends, and to toss the world as they list. It is for a number of men unregarded, unknown, that pass here as unknown men, hidden men for the most part, it is for the church's sake that they continue, that they have any favours. They are beholden to the church for their lives, to the church for their standing, and for the gifts they have, though they think not so. God, the great God of heaven and earth, and Christ the great king of the church, in reference to his church, giveth gifts to men, magistrates, ministers, people, yea, even to them that be not good men, and all for the good of his church. So that 'all is for you,' word, sacraments, every thing.
I might make a large dispute here, but that I unfolded it at large out of that place in Corinthians, 'All is yours,* which is the general. The church is yours, 'whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or things present, or things to come, or life, or death, or the world, all is yours, you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.'
And from this general truth the apostle deducts this, 'it is for your sake.' All things that we suffer, all things that are done to us is for your sake. If so be all things are for the church's sake, beloved, we ought to join with God, as Paul doth here. Christ hath passed as it were a deed of gift of all things to the church, to serve her turn, to bring the church to heaven. Shall not God's intent, and Christ's intent, be ours? Saith he, all that I do and suffer is for your sake. It is a happy thing when God's intentions and ends, and our ends, shall meet in one, beloved, voluntarily. And God will bring all men's ends to serve his against their wills. Oh but happy are we if we can make our ends meet with God's ends willingly and cheerfully.
Quest. What is the ground of this, 'that all things are for the church's sake'?
Reason 1. The ground of it is, that covenant, wherein God passeth over himself as it were to the church, 'I will be your God.' And Christ he is as it were not his own; he is the church's. Christ is the church's.
Therefore all are the church's. All the three persons of the Trinity have their title of excellency from relation to the church. God a Father in regard of the church; Christ a redeemer in regard of the church; the Holy Ghost a comforter in regard of the church. So God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, they are in covenant with the church. And they are the church's, as it were making themselves the church's, out of that infinite bottomless love; being God, they have made themselves the church's.
Now if God himself be the church's, and in covenant with it, that the church may improve him, and whatsoever is in him, all his excellent attributes for their comfort and good, shall not all other things be the church's? If God himself be reconciled to the church, shall not all things else be reconciled? If God be in covenant, shall not every thing? 'The stones in the street be in covenant with him,' as Job saith, 5:23.
Reason 2. A second subordinate ground to this is, the union with Christ the king of the church. Now all things serve Christ, who is the king of heaven and earth; his kingdom reaches from heaven to the bottom of hell; he overruleth cursed devils and wicked spirits. Who is he whom the devils obey? saith God. Now if all things serve Christ, they serve his spouse, by reason of the union and spiritual commerce with Christ, to whom God hath dedicated and committed the rule and government of heaven and earth. All things are mine in heaven and earth, committed to me, saith Christ, when he ascended into
heaven; and therefore as Christ is the great Lord of the world, so the church is the great queen and empress of the world. All things serve
Christ the husband, and all things must serve the church his spouse.
It must be so. God is in covenant with the church, and Christ is hers by union with the church. 'Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm,' Ps. 105:15. Withhold the hand of violence from them, they are mine. So Christ is head, king, and husband of the church, and will not suffer her to be wronged in his sight, but all things shall serve for the church's good.
Reason 3. Again, to come nearer and lower to us. If you look to us, all is for the church's sake, the children of God too; because God hath put a Spirit into his church to extract good out of all. 'All is for your sakes.' The Spirit of God shall teach you to see God seeking your good in all things. God puts it into the spirit of his children to seek the good of his church in all things. Paul had the Spirit of God to direct his aims, as none but the child of God hath right aims to seek
God in all things, and his glory.
The church hath the Spirit of God to see God seeking their good in all things. 'This shall turn to my good,' saith Paul, 'through the supplies of the Spirit and your prayers,' Philip. 1:19. The church prayeth that all things may serve for his good; that God would sanctify all his crosses and afflictions; that God would bless magistrates, ministers, and all ordinances for their good; that, with the Spirit of God, and this action's* exercise of the Spirit of thanksgiving and prayer, all things are made for the church's good, because they have a spirit specially shewing itself in a spirit of prayer, to work good out of everything. Therefore the children of God pray that God would bless his sufferings and deliverances, and all things, not for his own good, but for the church's good. And the church itself and every good
Christian labours to see God, seeking and deriving good to
themselves out of everything; for the covenant of God, being friends of God; and they are near to Christ, and near to God in Christ. And they labour to see the love of God and the love of Christ in all things, that so the sweetness and communion of the love may be increased.
God acquaints them with his secrets in everything, so much as may be for their eternal good; and with the secrets of his election, how he directeth and ordereth all things to their good. He never corrects but he instructs with it; he never afflicteth but they know the ground of it; and so by the Spirit of God are enabled to draw good out of everything. In prosperity they see God seeking their encouragement; in crosses they see God seeking their humility and repentance. So that on these and other grounds which I might name, all things are for the church's sake. Why do the children of God look for the good of the church?
The reason why Saint Paul as a minister sought the good of the church, was the relation between a master and a people, between an apostle and people, called and gathered by him; and in relation as a Christian, because fellow-members with them.
If I were to speak to ministers, I would speak of the relation between pastors and people, how they should seek the good one of another; but as a Christian, all is for your sake. No Christian but as soon as [he is] a Christian hath a public mind inspired into him to seek the good of others; he concurs with God willingly. As soon as ever he is a Christian, he learneth self-denial; he knows he hath given up himself and all to God, to the church, and he is become a servant to others for Christ's sake. As soon as ever a man begins to be a Christian he hath a spirit of love, and seeketh not his own good. As soon as ever a man becomes a Christian, he hath a spirit enlarged, he hath higher and farther aims, and large affections towards God and the church; his soul is large. All other men are straitened in their affections, and
strengthened in their aims. They have poor aims and ends of their own. And in their affections they be straitened; they cannot love, nor long after good things, yea, they be straitened to their own in all things. He is within his own circumference, within his own term; his terminus reductivus is himself. He reduceth all to himself, and seeks himself in all things. He thinks not that he doth sin, but he doth, for it is impossible any but a Christian should seek the good of others as they should; but as soon as [he is] a Christian, the Spirit of God maketh the heart public to seek the good of others. And the more
Spirit of Christ, the more they seek the good of others; and they that be greatest in heaven are the greatest servants. Christ is greatest in heaven, and who was more made a servant? He became a curse to make us blessed: poor to make us rich. As he was the greatest servant that died for others, so they that be the greatest next to him have learned self-denial.
Not they that heap up great states, and are put into great places, but they that have public minds and public spirits, that seek the good of others, and abase themselves for the good of others, such as Paul is here, 'All is for you, and for your sake.'
I beseech you, therefore, make this use of it; learn of so excellent an apostle as Saint Paul was, to have large affections and public aims and ends. Labour to discern of your conditions and states by this, that you have the Spirit of Christ in you; because to do good to others you can deny yourselves. 'All things are for your sake.'
This should teach us likewise to have honourable and high esteems of God's people. Are they such whom Christ gave himself for, and made himself of no reputation and power for? Are they such as heaven and earth serve, and shall we despise them? Are they God's darlings, as dear to him as the apple of his eye? Are they the jewels,
as the Scripture sets them out in such excellent terms? Are they his friends? are they his heirs and fellow-heirs with Christ? Are they such as the Holy Scriptures sets them down? Are 'all things for their sakes?' and shall not we have honourable esteems of them? Let this rectify our conceits of them, that they be not worthy to live in the world, when indeed the world is not worthy of them, 'All things are for your sake.' Suppose they have nothing in possession, yet in use and service all things serve them to bring them to heaven, and direct them for their good.
They are here as princes in a strange country, that must be honoured for their father's sake, and for their country's sake. They shall be great men when they come home; and therefore howsoever the world valueth and esteemeth them, when we see any price of grace and of the Spirit of God, think that these be yours, for the present all things be theirs. Oh but how great will they be? These shall be Christ's, not the world's; these shall sit and judge the world; they shall judge me, if I be not a Christian, ere long. Now, therefore, let me take heed how
I despise one of Christ's little ones, how I debase such a one that is so great in God's esteem, for whose sake the world stands; and let this respect to them evidence to us that have another spirit than the world hath, that we know another Christ.
And again, let it comfort God's people, who have some testimony that they are his, in their losses, in their crosses, in their misusage in the world. Let them consider, are they so to God, are they so to Christ?
Oh no! Let them labour therefore for a spirit of patience and courage to go through good reports, bad reports; good usage, bad usage; for the worst thing that befalls them hath a command to do them good.
'Do the young man no harm,' saith David of Absalom, 2 Sam. 18:5.
And so all things have a command to do God's people no harm. Kings have a prohibition: 'Touch not mine anointed,' Ps. 105:15. There is a
prohibition given that no hurt shall be done. They may kill them, but not hurt them; imprison them, but not hurt them; they may wrong them, but not hurt them; that is, they cannot hinder their everlasting good, they cannot take away their Christ, their comfort, their peace, or touch them in their names; but oftentimes, against their wills, do them most good when they think to do them most harm. And therefore, I beseech you, labour for a spirit of comfort, considering all things are for our sakes, if we be Christ's.
I have been something long in the point, but it is comfortable and useful. I will now haste to that which followeth.
'All things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace, through the thanksgiving of many, may redound to the glory of God.'
The second ground of comfort is from the main end of all, which is the glory of God. Here is a sweet combination of the grace of God and the glory of God, 'that abundant grace, through the thanksgiving of many, might redound to the glory of God.' The links of this chain are these:—God suffers his children in this world to be exercised; in the exercise he giveth evidence of his presence, by grace and by comfort; and after all delivers them, giving them cause and matter of praise; and that praise is the praise not only of themselves, but of many. The praise of themselves and many, returneth to the glory of God. Here is grace breedeth praise, praise breedeth glory.
We will handle the words as they lie: 'that the abundant grace, through the thanksgiving of many, may redound to the glory of God.'
'The abundant grace.' What doth he mean by abundant grace? We shall know it a little by distinguishing a little the word of grace in the Scripture.
Primitive* grace is the free favour of God in forgiving of sins, and access to life everlasting.
Secondly, The next grace that springs from that is grace whereby we are sanctified, usually called habitual grace, whereby our natures have a stamp of Christ on them, and we are transformed into his image.
Thirdly, Grace is the stirring of us up, exciting grace stirring up that grace that is in us; and draws it forth to particular actions, of doing, and suffering, and resisting, and carrying ourselves as Christians should do. For besides the favour of God, and the fruit of that favour, which is of our nature, there must be spiritual stirring grace to act and stir up the grace which would otherwise lie sleeping in us; there must be new grace on all occasions. 'God must give the will and the deed,' Philip. 2:13. God must stir us up to every good action, as I have shewed at large heretofore. A man cannot do the good he is enabled to do by an habitual grace, unless he have grace to stir him up to do.
As he hath all graces in general to enable him, so he must have new graces for every new act; he must have constancy of spirit. And if the troubles be great, there be enlargements of grace; as if a man carries a greater burden, he must have more strength. But,
Fourthly, Grace is any favour that cometh from the primitive grace and favour of God. As we say of a great man, when he giveth a petty thing to an inferior person, This is such [a] man's grace.
Or grace is such a thing that springeth from his love and favour to us.
So not only the favour of God that accepts to life everlasting, and that inward grace of God's Spirit, and that actual grace that stirs to every good action, but everything that comes from God is grace.
When God once enters into covenant with us, to become our God, to love us in Christ, whatsoever befalls us comes to us as a fruit of that love; for he being Lord of heaven and earth, and having all things at command, will not suffer the wind to blow upon his church, will not suffer the waves to beat upon it, but out of love, and for the good of the church; for otherwise his government and wisdom would be impeached. And, Fifthly and lastly, By abundant grace is meant the presence of God, the assistance of God unto Paul in suffering, and God's delivering him out of trouble. These two things he specially means. God's presence in troubles, and delivering him out of them.
It is a grace of God that we have faith. It is a grace of God that we have strength to suffer for that faith. To endure anything is a special grace. 'To you it is given to suffer,' Philip. 1:29. It is a more special grace when we have not only grace to believe, and grace to suffer, but strength of faith. And therefore 'it is given, not only to believe, but to suffer.' It is grace to have special peace, and joy, and comfort in the midst of all spiritual contrary conditions. And therefore God's presence and comfort in the midst of his disconsolate estate was a grace; and not only the doctrine of suffering for Christ [is] a grace, but whatsoever comes from the presence of God is a grace likewise.
And likewise his deliverance out is a grace. For as gold comes purer out of the furnace, so Paul comes richer in experience out of trouble; rich in faith, rich in love, rich in mortification; more heavenlyminded in the experience of God and his ways, and every way; and therefore it is an exceeding grace. And then [it is] a grace that God will bound and limit the malice of the devil and his instruments, that thus long they shall trouble them, and then set them at liberty. So that hereby we may plainly see, that all is done in favour of the church.
So it is a grace, that God hath put bounds and limits to the boundless malice of Satan and his instruments, to deliver the church, or any poor member of the church, as Paul was, at any time; and therefore they were to reckon all graces that they were to praise God for, both for his trouble and for his deliverance out of trouble, they being both graces.
Quest. But why doth he call it 'abundant grace?'
Ans. This St Paul doth out of his abundant humility, and out of his abundant love to God; out of his abundant measure of knowledge of the love of God towards him; for Paul's seeing and knowing were his own; want of worth in himself and his own weakness in himself, at the best, are nothing in themselves.* And St Paul, weighing and considering the mighty power and malice of the enemy, the devil and his instruments, that laboured to trouble him and oppose the gospel,
—when Paul saw that opposition and his own weakness; when Paul saw likewise the evidence and demonstration of the excellency of God in being present with him in trouble, and delivering him out of trouble, saw the power, and goodness, and mercy of God, here was an abundant grace, here was a spring-tide of grace, as an overflowing, as he saith, 'My cup overfloweth,' Ps. 23:5. I have not only for necessity, but something for abundance: 'My cup overfloweth, and thou hast spread my table in the sight of mine enemies.' David considered the circumstances of God's bounty, for it was abundant. And Paul considering the great comforts that he had in the Lord, his great enemies and God's, and the malice of them against him and his God; here was an abundant grace.
Beloved, let us learn from hence, first of all, to see God in everything that befalls us: in sufferings, deliverance, the dealing of others towards us. See the grace of God in it. There is, you know, in things
in this world, the bulk and surplus, or body of things; and then there is the spirit, and quintessence, and vigour of things: an extract, the vigour and quintessence of things. What are they? They are next to nothing. Take out God's grace, God's mercy out of things, what are things? what is the world? Take away God's love, what is riches? what is honour and worth? Therefore, in every thing, see it as a grace, see it as derived from the primitive grace, from the favour and mercy of God in Jesus Christ. And then we cannot but be thankful, for we shall see the sweetness of grace. Every little gift, though by the hand of man, nay, every injury that is sanctified, he seeth it as a grace of God, looks to see God in it, his free love and grace among men.
What is that that commends any thing to us that comes from another? Not the thing, but the mind of the person that sends it; not the bringer, but the sender. So when we have anything, look to God the sender. Look not to the thing, but to the love of God in the thing, which is the spirit, and quintessence, and vigour of the thing, the best thing. Nay, anything in the world is the love of God in it, derived to us through it. Let the grace of God be derived through losses, crosses, injuries; they be sweet. 'It is given to suffer,' Philip. 1:29.
Every one is not partaker of such a favour. See the grace and favour of God in health, and wealth, and strength, and riches, the life and quintessence of all, which commends all to a Christian soul. God deriveth and conveyeth his grace and love to men through this. This is a little drop of that great love that he beareth to me in Jesus Christ.
This cometh from that love by which he intends heaven to me. And when God intends heaven and happiness, and to be with him for ever, everything that befalls us by the way hath something of that love, as it were dipped in that love. Whatsoever befalls us between this and heaven, if we be God's children, it hath a tincture of that love, to make him keep heaven for us. And therefore labour to see the grace and love of God in everything, see the language of Canaan, the language of the Spirit of God. That that puts the style upon grace, a
free gift, an undeserved thing issuing from love, it implieth love and freeness and undeserving in the person that hath it. Therefore, conceive of every thing, we have it first from it; is undeserved on my part, comes from love. This will make us use things as we should, to the glory of the Giver, and it will make us comfortable in all conditions, as grace. And labour, as the apostle doth here, to see them abundant graces, to raise the favours of God to an high esteem, as Paul doth here: 'It is abundant grace.' And that we may think the grace of God is great, considering to whom he hath denied it. Hath not he denied it to thousands? Therefore we have abundant grace in us, with great opposition; therefore an abundant grace. Consider the designs of the devil and devilish-minded men, who would have the church trampled under foot. Is it not above our worth? Do we deserve so much? Oh no! Then it is 'abundant grace.' We that deserve nothing should be thankful for everything, as a beggar that deserveth nothing is thankful for every little gift. Labour thus to see a grace in everything, and labour to see an abundant grace.
The graces of God bestowed on St Paul raiseth up thankfulness of many, and that tendeth to the glory of God. Many had the prayers of St Paul,* for he had commended himself to their prayers: Rom.
15:30, 'Strive with God for me by prayer;' and so the Philippians and others, 'I shall be delivered by your prayers,' Philem. ver. 22. It was usual with Paul to commend himself to the church and people of God; and having done so, he knew that of course they would praise
God. As he desires them to pray for him, that God would be present with him in trouble, and deliver him out, so he knew they would praise God. And as many prayers for him, so many praises for him; and therefore, 'through the thanksgiving of many,' &c.
Beloved, here see that the blessing of God bestowed upon public persons, or upon the church, or public persons in the church, should
stir up thanks, and many thanks of many persons. Many thanks were given for the grace of God shewed to St Paul.
Reason 1. I said before, that a Christian, when he becometh a true Christian, hath the Spirit of Christ in him, and hath learned selfdenial. He can love others, especially public persons that be eminent in their standing for the good of the church, upon whom the good and honour of the church dependeth in a great measure. And therefore you see the Corinth[ian]s praise God for St Paul.
We should therefore labour for to consider what favours God sheweth to his church, to any public person in the church, magistrates, ministers, or any notable Christian or friend; praise God for his benefits to others. Thus, in the prophet David's time, the good people made a circle as it were; 'The righteous shall come about me,' and were glad and joyful, and gave praise for his sake, and this made him, Ps. 66:16, say, 'Come hither, ye children, and I will teach you what the Lord hath done for my soul.' He inviteth them to come, and tells them what the Lord hath done for him, that they may praise
God. 'The righteous shall hear it and be glad,' Ps. 64:10. And therefore, in the communion of saints, the sweetest communion is the rejoicing and giving of thanks for the good that God doth to others, especially those that be eminent in the church.
Reason 2. Another reason that concerns ourselves is this: Our good is laid up in the good and prosperity of others; our good is in the communionship of the church and commonwealth; our private welfare in the public. As it is in the state, so especially in that heavenly commonwealth of the church, the communion of saints, the good of one dependeth on the good of the other. Why? Because God deriveth and conveyeth all good to man by man. It is his ordinance, he will have it so. And therefore, considering he deriveth good to
men by men, therefore, when he sheweth any favour unto men, we ought to praise God for it, because God deriveth good by that man to us. A Christian is a public good, because he hath a public mind.
When any favour he hath of God, he is sure the public shall be the better for it, he will be useful, he will be serviceable. As soon as ever a man is a Christian, he becomes as a tree of righteousness; and therefore, if you see favours bestowed upon any good man, thank
God for it, especially if it be a Paul, a blessed instrument on whom the good of many dependeth.
Therefore, what shall we say of them that be led by the spirit of envy, that think they have the less the more others have, that have an ill eye? Oh, beloved, take away that cursed spirit of envy! That that I have is thine, and that that thou hast is mine; in religion, there is a kind of blessed community. The more thou hast the more I have. If thy envy hinder thee not, and if envy be taken away, the more thou hast the more I have. Oh take heed of this cursed spirit, that hinders us from praising God for the good of others; as Paul doth here, that saith, God shall have praise, and many praises for his goodness shewed to me.
Now, he saith many praises, because many had prayed. When they receive the harvest of prayers, they are thankful. You know prayer is a sowing in God's bosom. Prayer is a seed. So many prayers, so many seeds sown in heaven. When the harvest comes, when they see the fruit and issue of their prayers, then they praise God.
If we will therefore praise God, learn this one thing, for to observe what we pray for; not to pray at random and never to observe whether God answers or no, that we may be able to render his tribute due to him. How he answers our prayers for the church, for the special instruments of the church's good, king, and state; how he
answers our prayers for our particular friends; and then let him have the tribute that he requires of every one, which is only praise. There is a kind of friendship between God and us, by which we enter into covenant with him; and friendship is maintained by duty, by returning of whatsoever we receive. Now, when we pray to God, and have this blessing, and that blessing, and give nothing to God again, friendship will not be maintained without. When men are graves for benefits, to bury them, and return nothing again, this dissolveth the bonds of friendship among men, and it dissolveth also that bond with God, when they derive blessed benefits and return nothing back again. Thanks is nothing but a reflection to the favours wherein he hath shined on us first. It is his due, and an echo; therefore, give thanks for blessings to ourselves and others. And to that end, observe how he hears our prayers for ourselves and others.
But how doth the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God?
Certainly it doth, 'that the thanksgiving of many may redound to the glory of God.' The more heart, the better music in God's ears, the better music and the louder music; the more the prayers are, the more are the praises, Prov. 14:28. The wise man saith, 'The glory of a king is in the multitude of his subjects,' and the glory of God is in the multitude of subjects, thankful subjects, that will return praise to him, give him the tribute he requires at our hands; the wages and service is to him the more the better. When a company can, as it were, levy an army, not only in prayers, to offer an holy violence to God, to get a blessing, but when it is gotten to join in company to praise God, Oh it is a blessed sound, a blessed noise in God's ears, when many do it.
Reason. The reason is this, because there is more abundance of incense. Prayers and praises be incense, and if the prayer of any one man be powerful with God, of one righteous man, what is the prayer
of many righteous men? If the praise of one man be incense, what are the praises of many? 'If where two or three be gathered together,
Christ is in the midst of them,' Mat. 18:20, what will he do where two or three thousand be gathered? will not he be much more in the midst of them? O beloved, company is excellent here, and therefore as you have it recited well in the psalms, stir up one another to praise the Lord, 'Praise the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, praise his holy name,' Ps. 103:1. But that is not enough, 'Praise the Lord all his angels, all the creatures.' The holy prophet, he puts a voice into hills, dragons, mountains, rivers, and every creature, that they may praise the Lord, Ps. 148:7.
But fearing he should not have heart and spirit enough to praise God enough, he stirs up 'sons of Levi, sons of Aaron, angels of heaven, to praise God.' So large was the heart of that blessed man, because he knew if the praises of one would be acceptable, what would the praises of many be? Why have we such narrow hearts? Indeed, God intends our good, God intendeth it, for to make us heavenly-minded, who would otherwise have been like moles in the earth, but in regard of God, that we may think of God, and praise God, and therefore, Ps.
92, there is a psalm of the Sabbath, wherein is a high exaltation of God's works. And we have the sacrament. Why is it called eucharist, the Greek word,* but because it is a praising of God? We having the sacrament are to praise God for the good we have by his body broken, his blood shed; and therefore have cause of the greatest praise that ever was, for the greatest gift that ever was given, 'the Son of man.' It is God's end in Sabbaths, in sacraments, his end in all his favours and blessings both in this and a better life; and therefore let us stir up our hearts, and stir up others to praise God, that thanksgiving may abound by many. But I cannot finish this argument so necessary.
For some rules how to do it I will not go out of the text, because I have spoken of thanksgiving upon every occasion.
If we will praise God, see that everything be a grace, be a grace and abundant grace, answerable to the degrees of goodness. The abundant grace indeed is Jesus Christ, who is the gift of gifts, and cause of all gifts, and the good we have by him. The abundant mercy in God is, new birth in Christ. There is the abundant grace. But even in the things of this life, that we have sacraments, ministers, helps to heaven, is abundant grace. Beloved, whatsoever we have more than hell by nature, it is all grace; and when we be Christians, and delivered from fear of hell, whatsoever is overplus is a grace. If we were poor all our life, and miserable all our life, what were it? But when to our way to heaven God giveth double portions, mercy here, and abundant hereafter, here is 'abundant redundant grace.'
Therefore if we will be thankful, see grace and abundant love in everything. And consider the circumstances that increase the favours of God in Christ towards us, when We were unworthy, when we deserved the contrary. It came in opposition of the enemy; it came when we had much comfort in it, being stripped of all other comforts. See it come from the spring of God's favour, and see all the sweet circumstances of it, and that will make us thankful.
And then consider it is all we can do or need to do. It is just we should do it. God needeth not our thanks or praises, but it is justice on our part. Is it not just that we should return praise, 'that rivers should run into the sea, from whence they came?' that beams should reflect to the sun, from whence they came? An unthankful person is an unjust person. Therefore stir up others, that the thanksgiving may be by many.
But now ye see what cause he gave the church to be thankful.
Beloved, if we have the Spirit of God; and if we consider the churches abroad to whom is not only grace, but to us also, we being all the spouse of one husband, branches of one root, heirs of one inheritance, sheep of one flock and pasture, all as from one head; whatsoever God doth, and whatsoever favours he sheweth to our brethren beyond the seas, there is grace, and abundant grace shewed. And now there ought to be thanksgiving, and 'thanksgiving of many,' if there were many prayers, and for the church. Every one that hath the spirit of prayer, hath many prayers for the church of God. And so much humiliation for the misery of the church, that, as the psalmist saith, 'lay among the pots,' Ps. 68:13, as scullions do, all besmeared and all bedaubed with misery. But now God hath brought it from 'among the pots, and covered it with silver wings,' the wings of a dove, and begins to restore beauty and excellency to the church.
As we were then ready to pour forth our prayers in the behalf of the church, now let us labour to have our hearts enlarged for his mercy to the church, that there may be thanksgiving, and thanksgiving of many. This is our duty, and all that have the Spirit of God will do it.
Thus the saints of God have done at all times. You see when the ark was brought into Jerusalem, how David forgot himself and kingly state, and danced before the ark, so far that Michal his wife scoffed at him, 2 Sam. 6:14, seq. And so we should rejoice so, as if we had forgot ourselves, especially them that it nearly concerneth; as it concerneth us all, indeed, as if we were in their case, we would desire others to rejoice in our behalfs. Prayers went 'out of Zion.' God blessed the church out of our Church of England; our prayers did help them. An army of prayers is as good as an army of fighters. Now as an army of prayers went out of our Zion, so let an army of praises go out of our Zion: 'Praises wait for thee in Zion,' saith the psalmist,
Ps. 65:1.
When there is matter of praise, make the best use of it. We have waited for matter of praise, we have waited for good news, and we have news. Now as God hath helped out of Zion, so let us help with our praises, for praises help as well as prayer. As in the story of Jehoshaphat, after they had praised God in solemn special manner, the victory came, 2 Chron. 20:21. Now praises prevail more than prayers, for there is more self-denial in praises than in prayer. God hath more honour, and all his attributes to him, whereas self-love may move a man to pray. Therefore, I beseech you, as we have helped them with our prayers, so help them with our praises to God, for that will help them still farther and farther. When God sees he gaineth a return by our praises, we shall have matter of praise more and more, and still cause to pray that we have an heart to praise; and praises shall be evermore a pleasing obligation to God. But a place of all places is, Rev. 19, where you see a voice in heaven crying to God to avenge the blood of his saints, on that man of sin, and that cursed seat there; how all creatures in heaven and earth, they have their alleluiahs against these things. 'I heard a great voice and much people in heaven,' that is, the church, say, 'Alleluiahs! Salvation, glory, and honour, and power, be given to the Lord our God,' much people. Here is many thanksgiving. When antichrist begins to fall,
Babylon to fall, we that belong to the people of God, if we have part in heaven, or any portion in heaven, we will praise God, we will have our alleluiahs. And now because the work is beginning we should join with a choir of heaven, join with the people of God, join with angels, join with all God's people. 'Alleluia! Salvation, glory, honour, and power, be to the Lord our God.' Why, what is the reason? 'For true and righteous are his judgments; he hath judged the great whore, which corrupted the earth with her abominations.' And again
'they cried, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever;' and so 'the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped God. Alleluia.
Praise God all ye servants, ye that fear him, both small and great,'