joiced in receiving and acknowledging his blessings, but cheerfully embraced reproach and mockery, shame and sufferings, for His sake? Surely, brethren, no man should be ashamed to confess his dependence upon God, at the very time, and in the very circumstances, in which he feels it most; and no man, who shrinks from avowing his dependence on God, can expect God's support. After recovering also from sickness, or escape from calamity, how few think of thus sending in their name to return thanks! Yet it is our duty so to do, and the neglect of it argues a very insufficient sense of our obligations to our Heavenly Father, of that public tribute of gratitude so justly due to Him, and so edifying to our fellowworshippers. The same arguments as we have applied to the asking the prayers of the congregation, apply to returning public thanks. We have treated this subject in a single point of view, and one which we think is much overlooked. We know that we are enjoined in the Scriptures to ask the prayers of the Church, and to give public thanks; and that many other reasons, and good reasons, for it, are to be given. But as these have been dwelt upon by others, and the above has not, we have confined ourselves chiefly to that. However, we subjoin, from Dr. Comber, the following excellent general remarks on thanksgiving in the Church:

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(Particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings for thy late mercies vouchsafed unto them.)

"We cannot pass this, so generally neglected, parenthesis, without a just complaint of the base ingratitude of this present age; wherein, though many desire the particular prayers of the Church to be made for them, in their sickness or danger; yet scarce any take care to return public thanks upon their recovery. The Church hath provided thanksgivings as well as prayers, and expects we should use the one (when God gives occasions) as well as the other; so that it is the fault of private men, if either of them be omitted. When our Lord Jesus had cured the ten lepers, though all received their desired health, yet none returned to give glory to God, but one poor Samaritan stranger, Luke xvii. 16, 17, 18. But now men are more negligent, for of many hundreds which do recover by the Church's prayers, we hear of not one that comes to make a just acknowledgment. Whether it be out of ingratitude or negligence, I will not determine; but whatever be the cause, I am sure the crime is very great. When the God of Israel had healed Naaman, he came back to confess the mercy he had received, and proffered large oblations, yea, and requested to have as much consecrated earth as might serve to build an altar within his own country, whereon he might particularly sacrifice to the true God for the health he had received. 2 Kings v. 15, &c.

"For it was the custom of the very heathens, to come and offer sacrifices and gifts, and to pay their vows at the temples of those gods to whom

they had prayed, in the time of sickness or danger. Strabo mentioneth a famous temple of Esculapius at Tetrapolis, a city of the Ionians and Carians, in which there were multitudes of sick and miserable petitioners, and the walls thereof were every where covered with painted tablets, in which were written the disease, and the name of the party which had been restored; the like also was done in the island of Coos, and elsewhere.

"In like manner, those who were delivered from shipwreck, by praying unto Neptune, hung up their garments, like tablets in his temple, and paid their vows there; those poor gentiles, taking more care to do honour to their false gods than we Christians to the true. But if heathen examples will not shame us, let instances of Holy Scripture prevail with us; for, among the Jews, it was so constant and known a custom for all, upon their recovery, to go up to the temple, and give solemn thanks, that in the history of Hezekiah's sickness, the going up to the house of the Lord, is put to signify his recovery, Isaiah xxxviii. 22. What shall be the sign, that I shall go up into the house of the Lord? that is, what shall be the sign, that I shall recover, and, as usual, be able to go to the temple and make my acknowledgments? And the duty was approved by our Saviour and his apostles. The lame man, whom our Saviour cured at the pool of Bethesda, made first use of his legs to carry him to the Temple, to praise God, and there the Jews found him. He, also,

whose limbs were restored by the prayers of St. Peter and St. John, no sooner was able to stand up, but immediately he waited on the apostles, in the Temple, to praise God there, according to the pious use of his nation. Acts iii. 8. It were endless to relate how it was used, of the ancient Christians, and of our pious forefathers, to return thanks, and offer rich oblations, and distribute large alms, upon the receipt of such mercies, as we, in this irreligious generation, are wont to take no notice of at all. But yet, if we will amend, let us consider how we obscure the glory of God, disparage the prayers of the Church, and show ourselves unworthy of the mercy received, if we do not cause open thanks to be given for our deliverance. Let us observe how base a temper it shows, to be craving and importunate till we get a mercy, and when we have it, to regard him no more of whom we begged it. How shall it be known that God hath shown mercy, or that the prayers of the faithful prevailed? How shall any be encouraged to seek to God, or desire the Church's prayers hereafter, when the efficacy of both is smothered by thy vile ingratitude? We hear the petitions, but whether they be answered or no, we cannot tell, through the unworthiness of those for whom they are made.

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They have many of them obtained their base end; which was ease and health to enable them to serve the world, or the devil, as they did before; and neither God, nor his Church, hear of them any more,

till another sickness do arrest them, which, when it comes to pass, it is very likely He will be deaf to their next intreaties, that was so little regarded for his former answers; and they who do not give thanks for the first recovery, deserve never to be heard the second time. Let us imitate, therefore, the best examples, and consider how holy David did not only pray in sickness to be delivered; but, when his prayers were heard, he made psalms on purpose, and gave them to the choir, to be sung openly in the temple, for his restoring to health: on which occasion, the 6th, and 116th, with some others, were written. We have a form made ready, the good Lord grant us a heart rightly disposed when we are delivered, and then we shall never neglect to pay our solemn acknowledgments to the glory of God, the encouragement of the Church, and the procuring relief for ourselves, whenever we relapse into like distress."

II. All prayer is homage to God; and as private prayer is private homage, so public prayer is public homage. And we are bound to offer this homage not only as a just tribute to God, but for the sake of the salvation of our fellow-creatures, and even for the happiness and welfare of civil society. On this point I shall lay before you the plain, forcible observations of an able divine', of whose assistance