17 A Godly man is a thankful man; praise and thanksgiving,1 is the work of heaven, and he begins that work here, which he shall bee alwaies doing in heaven. The Iews have a saying, the world subsists by three things; the Law, the worship of God, and2 thankfulness; as if where thankfulness were wanting, one of the Pillars of the world were taken away, and it were ready to fall. The Hebrew word for praise, comes from a radix, that signifies to shoot3 up; the Godly man sends up his praises, as a volly of shot towards heaven. David who was modelled after Gods heart, how melodiously did he warble out Gods praises? therefore was called the sweet singer of Israel, 1 Sam. 23. 1. Take a Christian at the worst, yet hee is thankful: The Prophet Ionah, who was homo […], a man of a waspish spirit; the sea did not so work with the tempest, (Jon. 1. 13) as Ionahs heart wrought with passion; yet, through this cloud you might see grace appear; he had a thankful heart, Ionah 2. 9. I will Sacrifice to thee with the voice of thanksgiving, I will pay that which I have vowed. For the clearer illustrating of this, I shall lay down these four particulars.
1 Praise and thanksgiving is a Saint-like work; we finde in Scripture, the godly are still called upon to praise God, Psa. 135. 20. Ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord. Psa. 149. 5. Let the Saints bee joyful in glory, let the high praises of God be in their mouth; praise is a work proper to a Saint.
1 None but the godly can praise God aright; as all have not skill to play on the Lute, so every one cannot sound forth the harmonious praises of God; wicked men are bound to praise God, but they are not fit to praise him; none but a living Christian can tune Gods praise; wicked men are dead in sin, how can they lift up Gods praises, that are dead? Isa. 38. 19. The grave cannot praise thee: A wicked man stains and eclipseth Gods praise, if a foul hand work in Damask, or flowred Sattin, it will slur the beauty of it; God will say to the sinner, what hast thou to do, to take my name into thy mouth? Psa. 50. 16.
2 Praise is not comely for any, but the godly, Psa. 33. 1. Praise is comely for the righteous: A prophane man stuck with Gods praises, is like a dunghill stuck with flowers; praise in the mouth of a sinner, is like an Oracle in the mouth of a fool; how uncomely is it for him to praise God, whose whole life is a dishonouring of God? it is as undecent for a wicked man to praise God, as it is for an Usurer to talk of living by faith, or for the Devil to quote Scripture; the godly only are fit to be queristers in Gods praises, ‘tis called the Garment of praise, Isaiah 61. 3. this garment sits handsome only on a Saints back.
2 Thanksgiving is a more noble part of Gods worship; our wants may send us to prayer, but it argues an heart highly ingenuous to bless God; the Raven cries, the Lark sings; in petition we act like men, in thanksgiving we act like Angels.
3 Thanksgiving is a God-exalting work, Psa. 50. 23. Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me, though nothing can adde the least cubit to Gods essential glory, yet praise exalts him in the eyes of others; praise is a setting forth of Gods honour, a lifting up of his name, a displaying the trophy of his goodness, a proclaiming his excellency, a spreading his renown, a breaking open the box of oyntment, whereby the sweet savour and perfume of Gods name is sent abroad into the world.
4 Praise is a more distinguishing work; by this a Christian excels all the infernall spirits; dost thou talk of God? so can the Devil, hee brought Scripture to Christ; dost thou profess religion? so can the Devil, he transforms himself into an Angel of light; dost thou fast? he never eats; dost thou beleeve? the Devils have a faith of assent, they believe and tremble, Iam. 2. 19. but, as Moses wrought such a miracle, as none of the Magicians could do the like; so here is a work Christians may be doing, which none of the Devils can do, and that is the work of thanksgiving; they blaspheme, but do not bless; Satan hath his fiery darts, but not his harp and viol.
Use 1 See here the true genius and complexion of a godly man,4 hee is much in doxologies and praises.5 ‘Tis a saying of Lactantius, hee cannot bee a good man, who is unthankful to6 his God: A godly man is a God-exalter; the Saints are Temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 3. 16. where should Gods praises bee sounded, but in his Temples? a good heart is never weary of praising God, Psa. 34. 1. His praise shall continually bee in my mouth. Some will be thankful while the memory of the mercy is fresh, but afterwards leave7 off; The Carthaginians used at first; to send the tenth of their yearly revenue to Hercules, but by degrees they grew weary, and left off8 sending. David as long as hee drew his breath, would chirp forth Gods praise, Psa. 146. 2. I will sing praises to my God, while I have any being: David would not now and then give God a fit of Musick, and then the instrument must be hung up, but he would continually be celebrating Gods praise.