sons of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

A sense of our unworthiness enters into the essence of thankfulness. Why should we bless God for that, which we call the fruit of our own merit, and which, we think, he could not justly deny us? "I am not worthy," says the patriarch," of the least of all the mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant." "What is man," says David, "that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? How excellent is thy name in all the earth!

In the exercise of gratitude, we shall improve God's favors to the ends for which he bestows them. He be stows his benefits upon us, that we may be happy in the enjoyment, and useful in the distribution of them. Solomon says, "I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice and do good in his life." The Apostle directs us, "to offer the sacrifice of praise continually ;" and he especially cautions us, that "to do good and to communicate we forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."

Gratitude delights to express its feelings and sentiments. "Offer the sacrifice of praise," says the Apostle, "even the fruit of the lips." We must be thank. ful to God, and bless his name; praise him with a song, and magnify him with thanksgiving; shew forth his praise and talk of his wonderous works.

Thankfulness studies a suitable return.

The glorious selfsufficient Jehovah can receive no real benefit from us. If we are righteous, what do we to him? He is exalted far above all blessing and praise. But yet, as his creatures and dependants, we are under indispensable obligations to love and serve him. These obligations are mightily increased and strengthened by his favors. His goodness should lead us to repentance. When favor is shewed us, we should learn righteousness. His mercies should persuade us to present ourselves to him, as living sacri

fices.

This is our reasonable service.

His disinterested love should awaken in us sentiments of benevolence to our fellow men. "Love your enemies," says our Saviour, “do good and lend—and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind to the unthankful and the evil. Be ye merciful, as your Father is merciful." Let us proceed,

II. To consider the character of that being, to whom our thanks must be supremely directed. "Give thanks to GOD, even the FATHER."

God is the Father of the universe, and the giver of all the blessings which we receive, and which we behold around us. Every good gift comes down from him.

To him we must give thanks; for all things are his. We walk on his earth, and breathe his air; we are sustained by his food, and clothed with his garments; our frame is his work, our reason is his inspiration, and our spirits are preserved by his influence.

To him we must give thanks, for he has given us all things richly to enjoy. He has formed a spacious world for us to inhabit, and subjected a variety of crea tures to our dominion. He commands his sun to warm us, his winds to fan us, his rains to refresh us, his fields to support us, and his brutal herds to serve us. He has furnished us with senses and appetites, by which we are capable of delight in the use of material objects; and given us an intelligent mind, which can contemplate him in his works, and enjoy him in his gifts.

This world is a temporary abode, in which we are to prepare for glory and immortality. And God has given us all things which pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, who has called us to glory and virtue.

To open a way for, and give us a hope of admission to his favor, he has sent his divine Son into our world, who, having assumed our nature, has borne our sins in

his body, expiated our guilt by his death, confirmed the truth of his doctrines by his resurrection, and ever lives in heaven to make intercession for us.

To God we must give thanks, for his goodness is free and disinterested. He gives liberally and upbraids not-he neither faints nor is weary-he is the Father of mercies-his tender mercies are over all his works, and they endure forever.

III. We are required to give thanks always to God. This and other universal terms must be understood with such limitations as the nature of the subject suggests. Various are the duties which religion enjoins; each one claims its place, and none has a right to claim

more.

This expression imports, in general, that we ought to be always in a habit of thankfulness, and in a readi ness for actual thanksgiving, whenever Providence calls us to it. We must set the Lord always before us, contemplate his continual providence, and our absolute dependence, maintain a serene, cheerful, contented mind, and banish from our hearts all those malignant passions and worldly tempers, which are contrary to a spirit of gratitude; such as envy, malice, pride, ambition and avarice. If we would live in a thankful temper, we must walk by faith in unseen things, have our conversation in heaven, be at peace among ourselves, and put on charity toward all men. The necessity of a friendly, social and charitable Spirit, in order to the exercise of real thankfulness, the Apostle clearly expresses in his exhortation to the Colossians. "Put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering and above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness; and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, and be ye thankful.

Thanksgiving should find a place in all our stated addresses to God. We are commanded to 66 pray without ceasing." The expression alludes to the daily

sacrifice which was offered morning and evening continually. As we are to pray always with all prayer, so we are to offer the sacrifice of praise continually. This must be a part of our morning and evening cblation every day."Be careful for nothing," says the Apostle," but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Whenever we approach the throne of God, we should bring thither hearts enlarged with gratitude for the things we enjoy, as well as with the desires of the things we need, "Every day," says the Psalmist, will I bless thee; I will praise thy name for ever and ever. It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to thy name, O most High, to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,

All special favors should be distinctly observed and acknowledged. God daily loads us with benefits. "Many are the wonderful works which he has done, and his thoughts, which are to us ward; they cannot be reckoned up in order to him; if we would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." But there are, in every man's life, and perhaps, in every year, some remarkable interpositions of God -some seasonable protections and deliverances, supplies and comforts, directions and restraints, which cannot be wholly unnoticed, and which ought to be always remembered. If for such as these we give thanks explicitly, and exercise a general gratitude for benefits which cannot be recollected, we then give thanks always.

We should be thankful in every condition. Prosperity should not dissipate, nor adversity drown a sense of our obligations to God. When we receive evil, we also receive good at his hands. And the good becomes more conspicuous, when it is placed over against the evil. God has set the one over against the the other, that man might find nothing after him. VOL. III.

3 Q:

Though the figtree shall not blossom," says the prophet," neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of my salvation."

"While I

We should never cease to give thanks. live" says the Psalmist, "I will praise the Lord, I will sing praises to my God, while I have any being. Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee; thus will I bless thee, while I live. Every day will I praise thy name, I will bless thee for ever and ever."

IV. We will next consider the matters for which we are to give thanks. These are all things.

Walk forth in a cloudless evening; look up to the skies, and attempt to number the stars. Where will you begin? How will you proceed? You gaze and wonder at the scene. The objects soon lose their distinction. They are mingled in a general blaze.

Such was the state of the Apostle's mind. He recommends the duty, prescribes the manner, and delineates the temper of thanksgiving; but the matters admit no detail. They baffle the power of numbers. It can only be said, "Give thanks for all things.'

David, bringing his thankoffering before God, begins his address with this remarkable expression, "Praise waiteth," or praise is silent, "for thee, O God, in Zion." It is as if he had said, "Such is thine inconceivable excellency, and unbounded goodnesssuch is the countless multitude of thy mercies, that, when we attempt thy praise, our tongues faulter, our devotion sinks under the weight of the subject. We cannot express; we silently adore thy glories."

"Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord ? Who can shew forth all his praise ?"-How precious are thy thoughts unto us, O God? How great is the sum of them? If I should count them, they are more