sSo                                          OF THANKFULNESS TO GOD.                                                         Book I.

1. It is entirely a free gift; it is one of those things,
and the chief of them, which are freely given unto us
of God, i Cor. ii. !2. unmerited and undeserved;
wholly of free grace, and flowing fi'om the pure love
of God, to persons of all the most unworthy, John
iii. 16.     2. It is a suitable one; nothing could have
been given us more suitable to our case and circum-
stances; Such an High-priest became us; such a Pro-
phet, such a King, such a Mediator between God and
men, such a Redeemer and Saviour, such an Advocate
and Intercessor, one so full of grace and truth, who
is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redempl;ion, who is indeed ALL. in aLL; all that we
want, all that we can desire; for,             3. It is a very
large and comprehensive gift; God, with Christ, freely
gives us all things; and blesses, with all spiritual bless-
ings in him, the blessings of grace and of glory, Rom.
viii. 32. Eph. i. 3. Christ being ours, all things are ours;
and therefore we have reason to be thankful, 1 Cor.
iii. 22, 23.    -4. It is an unchangeable and irreversible
gift; it comes from the Father of lights, with whom is
no variablehess, neither shadow of turning; and not
only the giver, but the gift itself is unchangeable;
    .      
who is Jesus, the same yesterday,, to-day, and for ever;
and is one of the gifts of God which are without re-
pentance; to which may be added, that it is unspeak-
able; none can say how great it is, what is contained in
it, and what the benefits arising from it in time and to
eternky.
Fourthly, For the Spirit of God, and his gifts and
graces. The Spirit himself is the gift of God, Luke
xi. 13. and a great and glorious gift he is, for which
we have reason to be thankful; especially when we
consider to what ends and purposes he is given, as to
be a Comforter of his people, He shall give you another
Comforter, John xiv. 16. and to be a Spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, and to
strengthen the saints with all might in the inward man,
and to be the earnest and pledge of their future glory
and happiness, 2 Cor. v. 5. Epb. i. 14, 17. and iii. 16.
The several graces of the Spirit are gifts and free
grace-gifts, and very valuable ones; faith, which is of
the operation of the Spirit, is not of ourselves, it is the
gift of God, which no man has nor can exercise unless
it be given him of God; and all men have it not, and
therefore it is distinguishing grace to those who have
it, and should be thankful for it; a good hope is
through grace, and is given both by God the Father
and our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Thess. ii. 16. and so love
is from ,trace, 1 Tim. i. 14. These are now the all
things for which we should be thankful.
II. When, in what cases and circumstances, and for
whom thanks are to be given.               1. When; always,
this is the rule, giving thanks always for all things ;
every day, night and day, constantly, continually, all
the days of a man's life; for there are ever new mercies,
they are returning every day and every morning: hence
says the Psalmist, Every day will I bless thee, Psalm
cxlv. 2. and cxlvi. 2,--2. In what cases and circum-
stances, it, what state and condition, are we to be
thankful? in every one, in every thing, that is, in
every state, give thanks, 1 Thess. v. 18.--(1.) Not in

prosperity only, when we are to be joyful, cheerful,
and thankful; and when we are not to attribute our
prosperity to ourselves, nor to second causes, but to
God, and be thankful; otherwise we shall only sacrifice
to our own net, and burn incense to our own drag,
Hub. i. 16.--(2. ) But in adversity also; as Job blessed
God, or was thankful, when he was stripped of all;
and the people of God have reason to be thankful
under afflictions, when the Lord puts underneath his
everlasting arms, and supports them under them; when
he strengthens them on a bed of languishing, and
makes their bed in their sickness; when he chooses
them in the furnace of affliction, and knows their souls
in adversity; when he manifests his love and fayour;
when he is with them passing through the fire and
water, so that the one shall not kindle upon them, nor
the other overflow them; in short, since he makes all
things work together for their good here and hereafter,
they should be thankful. Andalso,--(3.) In times of
temptation; since the temptation might have been
suffered to have been greater and heavier than it is ;
and since the grace of God is sufficient to support
under it, and carry through it, and the faithfulness of
God will not suffer his people to be tempted above
what they are able to bear; and since Christ is able
to succour..them that are tempted, and sympathizes
with them, and prays for them that their faith fail
not.--(4.) When in very uncomfortable frames; at
least better mightbe wished for, since these might have
been worse and have issued in despair, or bordering on
it; and in the midst of all it should be considered,
that though frames are chano,,'eable things, Jehovah
changes not, Christ is the same always, the covenant
of grace is sure, and the gifts and calling of God with-
out repentance; and the Lord knows them that are
his, and they shall never perish.--(5.) Amidst all the
reproaches and persecutions of men; so the apostles
were thankful that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for the name of Christ; the apostle Peter says
such are happy, I Pet. iv. 14. and such who are per-
secuted for righteousness-sake are pronounced blessed
by Christ, and are exhorted to rejoice, and be exceed-
ing glad, Matt. v. 10--12..            3. For whom; for all
men, for kings and all in authority, I Tim. ii. 1, 2.
since these are powers ordained of God, and are
ministers for the good of men, are terrors to evil doers,
and a praise to them that do well; if they are good
kings and worthy magistrates, such are to be honoured
and obeyed, and thanks to be given for them, which
is good and acceptable in the sight of God. We are
to be thankful for our relations and friends, and for the
continuance of them; children are the gifts of God
to parents, and as such to be owned with gratitude, as
they were by Jacob and Joseph, Gen. xxxiii. 5. and
xlviii. 9. see Psalm cxxvii. 3--5. and likewise for the
churches of Christ, and all the saints in them; for
their prosperity, for their grace and the increase of it;
for their faith, both as a doctrine and a grace, and for
their love to one another; these are what the apostle
expresses his thankfulness for in almost all his epistles;
and so for the ministers of the gospel saints should be
thankful, who are the gifts of God to the churches,