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in general confifts in a due Senfe and Valuation of Benefits, join'd with humble Acknowledgments of them, and hearty Defires and Endeavours of Requital. This is the Nature of this Vertue: Where I ftile it,

(1.) A due Senfe and Valuation of Benefits. 'Tis great Ingratitude not to be fenfible of Favours, nor to remember or regard them as we ought: and therefore we find the Pfalmift often blaming the Ifraelites, for not keeping God's Mercies in remembrance; They regarded not the Works of the Lord (faith he) neither confider'd they the Ope ration of his Hand, Pfal. 28. 5. Yea, of the Rock that begat them they were unmindful, and forgat the God that form'd them, Deut. 32 18. This made him often to call upon his Soul, faying, Blefs the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all bis Benefits;, Pfal. 103. 1, 2. He refolv'd to rub up his Memory, faying, I will remember thy Wonders of old, and will meditate on all thy Works; for thou hast been gracious unto mes and thy Mercy is over all thy Works. Pfal. 143. 5.

And as Gratitude requires the remembring and recollecting of Benefits, fo does it the high efteeming and valuing of them too: For we meafure our Thankfulness not fo much by the Worth of the things, as by the Efteem we have of them. He that undervalues a Benefit, his Gratitude will be but fmall, if any; but he that fets a high Price and Va lue upon it, his Heart will be fill'd with Thankfulness and therefore we find David often extolling and magnifying the Works of the Lord; The Mercies of the Lord are great (faith he) fought out of all that have pleasure therein; Pfal. III.2. And elfewhere, His Mercy is great unto the Heavens, and his Faithfulness reacheth unto the Clouds. And indeed he that confiders the undeferved Freenefs of God's Bounty, and his own Unworthinefs of the leaft of his Mercies, will be still magnifying of God's Goodness, and raise his Thankfulness accordingly.

(2.) Iftile it a due Senfe and Valuation of Benefits, join'd with bumble and frequent Acknowledgments of them. 'Tis a known piece of Gratitude, to own and publish what we have receiv'd; and indeed where the Heart is truly fenfible of a Kindness, there the Tongue will not be filent. Thus we find David, that great Example of Thanksgiving, often acknowledging the Loving-kindness of the Lord; faying, I will fing of the Mercies of the Lord for ever, with my Mouth will I make known his Faithfulness to all Generations & Pfal. 89. 1. will publish with the Voice of Thanksgiving, and

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Speak of all thy wondrous Works; Pfal. 26. 7. I have not hid thy Righteoufnefs within my Heart, my Talk hath been of thy Salvation; Pfal.40. 10. Thefe Calves of the Lips are more acceptable unto God, than all the Calves in the Stall; neither doth he call fo much for the Fruit of our Land, as the Fruit of our Lips, in thefe Acknowledgments.

(3.) To fuch humble Acknowledgments we are to add hearty Defires and Endeavours of Requital; which is the juft Tribute we owe to our great Benefactor. Hence we find David the devout Thanksgiver frequently asking, What Shall I render unto the Lord for all his Benefits? He knew fomething was to be render'd to him, but knew not what was able to make any Compenfation to the Donor, or anfwer the many and great Obligations of the Receiver. And indeed we can make no Returns fuitable to the Number and Greatnefs of God's Mercies; for our Righteousness extendeth not unto him, neither is he the better for all our Sacrifices. And therefore the Pfalmift adds, I will take the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord: I will pay my Vows unto him, and praife him with joyful Lips. This he hath promis'd to accept as the beft Requital we can make, which therefore we fhould not fail to return to him. This is the Vertue of Thankfulness, here taught us in these words, I thank my God.

But, Secondly, when is this Duty to be perform'd? Why that, our Apoitle tells us, must be always, I thank my God always. Which cannot be understood of a continual unintermitted Course of Thanksgiving; for then we must do nothing else, which would be both unreasonable and unpracticable: but of fuch a Perfeverance in the Duty, as is agreeable with the Nature of the thing, and the Poffibili. ty of doing it. And fo the Phrafe implies,

ift, The frequent Performance of the Duty. What is feldom or never done, is in Scripture-Dialect faid not to be done at all; and what is often done and repeated, is said to be done always: of both which, many Examples might be given. Every day (faith David, that eminent Example in this kind) will I blefs the Lord, and fing Praises unto him for ever and ever: As God renews his Mercies upon us every day, fo are we every day to renew our Thanksgivings; and what is done thus daily, is faid to be done always.

zdly, The thanking of God always, may imply the appointing and obferving feme certain Seafons and Opportu

nities for the performing of this Duty; the conftant obferving whereof, tho it includes not every Minute of Time, may and ufually is term'd the doing it always.

But this Phrafe here chiefly implies a conftant Readiness and Preparation for this Duty: he that is habitually difpos'd to give Thanks, and willingly embraces all fit Opportunities of expreffing it, is in the Scripture-Senfe faid to do it always. So we are bid to pray continually, and to pray without ceafmg; which does not require us to be always upon our knees, offering up our Prayers, but to be ftill in à Readi nefs and Difpofition for it upon every fit Occafion. The good Man is faid to be ever merciful, and lendeth; not that he is always actually difpenfing of Alms, but that his Mind is ever inclin'd to do it as occafion offereth. In like manner, a grateful Perfon is faid to give thanks always, because he is always difpos'd to do it upon all fit Opportunities.

But, Thirdly, who are the Perfons, for whom we are thus to thank God always? Why, the Apoftle's doing this here in the behalf of the Corinthians, fhews that we are to do it for others as well as our felves. Yea, the fame Apoftle exhorts, that Prayers and giving of Thanks be made for all Men, 1 Tim. 3. 1,2. We are not to confine this Office to our felves, and only to blefs God for the Mercies we receive in our own Perfon; but we are to enlarge it to others, and thank him for the Bleffings beftow'd on them likewife. So the Apoftle did for thefe Corinthians, and we find him doing the fame in the behalf of the Philippians: and likewife requiring us, as we have opportunity, to do the like for all Men; Gal. 4. 10.

But, Fourthly, for what did the Apostle here thank God in the behalf of the Corinthians? Why that the next words declare; 'twas for the Grace of God, which was given to them by Jefus Christ. Where by the Grace of God we are to understand the Gospel of Grace, or the Revelation of thofe fublime and faving Truths contain'd in it; in which sense it frequently occurs in Holy Scripture. So in the Epiftle to Titus, The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation, is faid to appear unto all Men, Tit. 2. 11. that is, the Gospel of Grace which bringeth the glad Tidings of Salvation, hath been made manifeft both to Jew and Gentile, and Men of all Nations may now fee and partake of the Salvation of God. And fo Grace here fignifies the great Mercy of the Gospel

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preach'd unto them, which is a Mercy worthy of the greatest Thanksgivings, for by it they were brought out of the Darkness of Paganifm, and led into the marvellous Light of Chriftianity: and they who before fate in the Re gions of the Shadow of Death, were by this means tranf lated into the Land of everlafting Life; for which reafon, Life and Immortality are faid to be brought to light by the Gofpel. And this Grace is here faid to be given to them by Jefus Chrift: for he first preach'd this Golpel unto them, and enlighten'd their Minds with the Knowledg of these divine and heavenly Truths; upon which account he is ftiled, The true Light that lighteneth every one that cometh into the World. He who lay in the Bofom of the Father, was alone able, and accordingly hath reveal'd the whole Mind and Will of God to us; fhewing in the Gospel the Way to Happiness, and difcovering to all Mankind the Means of their Salvation. Chrift was the firft Purchafer, and likewife the first Revealer of the Kingdom of Heaven, and 'tis he alone that hath difcover'd the Way that leads to it; fo that the Light of the Gospel is intirely his Gift, and is indeed fuch an invaluable Bleffing, as well deferves the loudeft Praises and Thanksgivings. And therefore well might the Apoftle here thank God for this Grace and Favour beftow'd on these Corinthians; efpecially confidering the many and great Benefits they receiv'd thereby, of which he gives fome account in the following Verfes. As,

(1.) That in every thing they were enrich'd by him: meaning, that in all things pertaining unto Chrift they were plentifully furnish'd, and wanted no means to attain unto them. He particularly inftances first in their being enrich'd in all Utterance, which refers to that miraculous Gift of Tongues, which was granted to fome of them, for the Benefit and Inftruction of the reft. By this they learnt the Chriftian Religion themselves, and were able alfo to teach and propagate it unto others; having thereby fuch a won derful Variety and Fluency of Language, as enabled them to discover to all Men the wonderful Works of God. This the Apostle calls here their being enrich'd, and elsewhere their abounding in all Utterance; 2 Cor. 8.7.

Next, he tells us, they were enrich'd and abounded in all Knowledg; that is, in the Knowledg of all the Myfteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. They had the understanding of Prophecies, and the difcerning of Chrift in them, which was one of the richest and most exalted parts of Know

ledg; infomuch that what was to the Jews a Stumblingblock, and to the Greeks Foolinefs, was difcern'd by them to be the Power of God unto Salvation. St. Paul prefer'd this above all other Knowledg, and therefore inftill'd it into thefe Corinthians, who abounded in this rich Treasure of Divine Knowledg; which they learnt likewife from him, in whom are hid all the Treafures of Wisdom and Knowledg. Moreover, the Apostle adds,

(2.) That by this Grace of God, the Testimony of Chrift was confirm'd in them: meaning, that by preaching the Gopel to them, the Teftimony which they before gave of Chrift is abundantly made good and confirm'd in them; viz. that he was the promis'd Mefliah, and that great Prophet that, was to come to teach and to fave Mankind. Of this the Light and Knowledg they had receiv'd of him afforded Evidence enough to remove all Doubts out of Mens Minds concerning him; and the good Fruits they had already reap'd from this Belief of him, was a fufficient Argument to incline them and others to confent to the Truth of it.

From all which, the Apoftle infers, in the next Verfe, concerning thefe Corinthians, that they came behind in no Gift, that was neceffary to the Demonftration of the Gofpel, or the Salvation of their own Souls; fo that now there was no need of any farther Addition to be made to them, but only to perfevere in their Faith unto the end; waiting for the Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, when he fhall appear in Glory with his holy Angels, to crown his faithful Servants with endless Felicity, and to bring everlafting Destruction upon all his Enemies. Adding withal,

That if they do their part, Christ will confirm them unto the end, and give them Grace to hold out to that time, that they may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and may be found true and fincere Chriftians, when that 'time fhall come,

Thus we see the Sum and Senfe of the Epiftle for this Day, which contains St. Paul's rejoicing and giving of thanks in the behalf of the Corinthians, for the Grace of God given unto them by Jefus Chrift, and for their Faith in the Gospel; fhewing the many and great Benefits they receiv'd by it at prefent, and the much greater Happiness they might expect from it hereafter.

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