§. Sect. 4 Of thankful¦nes vnto God, what is requi∣red vnto it; and the meanes of it.
The third vertue arising from the loue of God, is vnfained thankfulnes: for when in consideration of Gods goodnesse, mercy, and bounty to∣wards vs, our hearts are inflamed with his loue, and replenished with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious, then doe we thinke, with Dauid, what wee may returne vnto him for all his benefits; and finding no possible meanes of making the least requitall, in regard of our impotency, and Gods all-sufficiency, we doe at last resolue to remaine for euer thankfull debters, and to expresse our thankefulnesse, both by our words in praysing and magnifying, and in all our actions by glorifying him our Benefa∣ctour, who hath beene so infinitely gracious vnto vs, seeing wee haue nothing else to returne vnto him. So that our loue of God, procee∣ding from his loue towards vs, is the roote of our thankefulnesse, and our reioycing in his loue and goodnesse, an inseparable companion of it. For this thankefulnesse is a vertue, whereby knowing, acknowledg∣ing, and reioycing in the sense and feeling of Gods loue, goodnesse, and bountie towards vs, wee are inwardly thankefull vnto him for all his benefits, and outwardly expresse it, by praysing and glorifying his holy Name, both by our lips and liues, whereby it appeareth what is re∣quired to this vertue of thankefulnesse. First, that wee apprehend Gods loue, and inwardly reioyce in it, hauing our hearts thorowly affected with the sense of his goodnesse and bounty towards vs. Secondly, that wee doe not ascribe the blessings and benefits which wee inioy, vnto any thing else, but onely vnto God, as our supreme and chiefe Benefactour, who is the principall Author of all our good. Thirdly, that wee doe not smother our thankefulnesse in our hearts, but cause it to breake forth, first, in our words, by praysing & magnifying Gods holy name; for as the Psal∣mist speaketh, It becommeth the righteous to be thankefull; and secondly, in our workes, by doing those things which are pleasing vnto God, in whom our soule delighteth; that so the light of our godly liues shining before men, we may cause them also to glorifie our Father which is in heauen. The which ought to be performed of vs in all things and at all times, both in prosperity and aduersity, plenty and penury, health and sicknesse; ac∣cording to that of the Apostle, But be filled with the Spirit, speaking to your selues in Psalmes, and Hymnes, and spirituall songs, singing and making melo∣die in your hearts to the Lord; giuing thankes alwayes for all things vnto God the Father, in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. An example whereof wee haue in Iob, who blessed the Lord when he was depriued of all his sub∣stance; and in the Church grieuously afflicted, who in the middest of all her calamities, did acknowledge Gods mercies, in that they were not vt∣terly consumed. Now the meanes whereby vve may be stirred vp to this