1.) We can lay no claim to any of his Favours, forafmuch as Sin is a forfiture of all. By our fins we infult the wisdom, goodness and authority of God: By our fins we defy his Power, and dare him, as it were, to do his worst against us. And can we imagine that in such a temper, we have any thing to expect, much lefs deferve? No,

-We have reafon always to fay with the Patriarch, We are not worthy of the leaft of thy Mercy and truth'. If God's goodness flows towards us, when we might have ex

pected his anger; if He appears kind, when He might have affumed the most dreadful Forms of Majefty: How fenfible should we be of fuch Clemency? How grateful in our language, faying, My Soul doth magnify the Lord and rejoyce in God my Saviour m.

2.) Gratitude is moreover a very cheap and eafy duty: What lies within the compafs of every Man's abilities. It is not fo much measured by the greatness of the requital; as the integrity of the Heart. For if there be firft a willing Mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that be

1 Gen. xxxii. 10.

m Lukę i. 46, 47.

he hath not ". We cannot requite God for his numerous Benefits, or extend our Goodness to Him; yet we can love, and praise Him; we can cherish the moft grateful fentiments in our hearts. The poorest creature upon Earth has an Heart to be fenfible, and a Tongue to exprefs that fenfe. And this is our Encouragement, He that offereth praise; glorifieth me.

3.) In justice we are bound to be grateful, because so much is ftrictly due to those high relations, in which God ftands to us. When we alienate our hearts and fervices from Him, it is from Our Creator, Preferver, and Lord.

The longer we live, the more we owe ourselves to Him. And by every new mercy and deliverance, He acquires a new Title to our love and Obedi

ence.

He gives us over again thofe lives, and those comforts He gave at first, and thereby ftrengthens every Right to us. If then We are Enlarged from narrow circumftances; if raised from a fick bed; and delivered from fear and oppreffion, it would be unjuft in us to with-hold our tribute of Thankfulness from so great a Benefactor.

4.) To return a benefit with love and Thankfulness, if we can do no more, is

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agree

2 Cor. viii, 12.

Pfal. 1. 23.

1

agreeable to the common Senfe of Mankind. We hear nothing fo frequent as profeffions of Obligation to one another, in our friendly intercourfes. By this it appears, men allow that every kindness is infeparably connected with fome Tie, and that they ought never to be separated in the mind. Heathens, as well as Chriftians, reverence Gratitude, and as feverely cenfure the contrary. Seneca tells us, that ingratitude is a compound of the moft hateful vices, and the true fource of them P. Cicero not only calls Gratitude the greatest Virtue; but the Mother of them all, of filial Piety, Patriotifm, and Religion; and therefore fays, He defired nothing more than to be grateful, and make it appear that he was fo . Such are the Sentiments of Wife Men, and fuch is ingratitude, that it can be looked upon in no other view, than as the reproach and scandal of human nature; something

Omnia ifta (viz. fcelera) ab ingrato animo funt, fine quo vix ullum magnum facinus accrevit. Hoc tu cave, tanquam maximum crimen, ne admittas. Sen. de Benef. I. 10.

a Nihil eft, quod malim, quàm me et gratum effe, et videri. Haec eft enim una virtus, non folum maxima, fed etiam mater virtutum omnium reliquarum. Quid eft Pietas nifi valuntas grata in parentes? Qui funt boni cives, qui belli, qui domi de patria bene merentes, nifi qui Patriae beneficia meminerunt? &c. Cic. Or. pro Plan. 33

thing odious to God and Man.

By what

name then shall we call that Sin, which converts a benefit into a means of Rebellion, and prompts us to affront God in the Strength of his own Mercies. This is no unusual Cafe, however it may create furprize on the mention of it. God turns our poverty into plenty, and we make that plenty the source of Pride, Luxury, and Extravagance. He recovers from a fick bed, and renews our Strength, that Strength we abufe to riot and iutemperance. He changes a dark and dreadful scene into light and joy; that peace tempts us to Jecurity or prefumption. We are delivered from the brink of a temporal ruin; and we defy an Eternal one. In short, when we should be thankful to God for his Goodnefs; we infult his Power. Hear O heaven, and give ear O Earth. Ye Sun, Moon and Stars, all ye Creatures, animate and inanimate, be astonished at this new daring wickedness of Man, I have nourished, and brought up Children, and they have rebelled against me1.

Thofe reflections on the cafe of the Lepers, will, I hope, lead us into others, that may be of use on this Occafion; at least, to prevent our falling under the Cenfure of Ingratitude. We are now to offer our united and heart y

C 2

Ifa. i. 2, 3.

hearty Thanksgivings to God for hearing our Prayers; Bleffing our Arms; and restoring to us all our pleafing profpects. That I may improve this day's joy, I fhall lay before you,

1.) Our Danger,

2.) Our Deliverance,

3.) Our Duty refulting from thence.

FIRST.... Let us take a fummary view of our Danger, for even this will afford us pleafure. It is pleafing to look back on the boisterous ocean, which we have miraculously efcaped. It is pleafing to view Ruin at a diftance, which juft now we were on the brink of. It is plefang to feel the Tumultuous Paffions fubfide, and light, and order, and every grateful thought flow in, to revive and rejoice us.

Our Danger arose from an infurrection of fome of our fellow-fubjects, who, unprovoked, and as foolishly as wickedly, fet up their Standard against King, Lords and Commons; who took up hoftile arms against their Country, in favour of a fugitive, abjured Pretender; the Tool of France, and the care of Rome. Their fuccefs must have been the fubverfion of all our happy fettlements, the lofs of our Religion and Liberty. For no doubt is to be made, but that France had ftipulated for the one, and Rome for the other.