A help to holy walking, or, A guide to glory containing directions how to worship God, and to walk with him in the whole course of our lives / by Edward Bury.

3. Direct. In the observation of these days see thy grounds be good, and that thou hast a lawful calling to it; or otherwise God will not own it. 'Tis true, Thanksgiving is a work of every day; but every day is not to be observed as an holy Festival to God: come not superstitiously to it, as the Papists, nor pro∣fanely, as the Sensualist, nor wickedly, as the profane Enmies to God, and Godliness: See thou be invited to it, by real mercies received; and in giving thanks, mistake not Judgements

for Mercies, and Mercies for Judgments; 'tis, true, we ought to Observe all God's Provi∣dences, and Bless God for all Chastisements, as well as others, that is for the good which we receive by them, as Job 1.21. But this should be with Humiliation, not Exultation: If thy Foundation be rotten, the Building can∣not be good; there are many that heartily re∣joyce, and give thanks also to God, after their manner, for the downfall of the Church, and the extirpation of the Power of Godliness. I fear our times are not barren of Examples, of this Nature: This was the Sin of the Am∣monites, and will be the Sin of those that are guilty, Ezek. 25.6. Because thou hast clapped thy Hands, and stamped with thy Feet, and Re∣joyced in thine Heart, with all despight against the Land of Israel, therefore I will stretch forth my hand against thee, and deliver thee for a spoil to the Heathen, &c. See, God takes it ill, when Men exult over his People in distress; and if they praise him for Correcting them, 'tis unpleasing Service to him; his Ends are their Reformation, not their desolation, Zach. 1.15. I am sorely displeased with the Heathen that are at ease, for I was but a very little displea∣sed, and they helpt forward the Affliction: There is a Prophetick Prayer put up against Edom, which in Jerusalem's Troubles Cryed, Rase it, Rase it, even to the Foundations thereof, Psal. 137.7. God made the King of Assyria a Rod in his Hand to Correct his People, but he in∣tended to destroy them; but God threatens

when he hath done his work upon Mount Si∣on, to punish the stout Heart of the King of As∣syria, Isa. 10.5, &c. When Afflictions lye upon the Church of God, do not, with the Wicked cry Aha, so would we have it, Psal. 35.25. These are mourning Times, and God expects that thou shouldest sympathize with them in their Suffering: When one Child is beaten, the other should not Rejoyce; they know not but their turn may be next: If Judg∣ment begin at the House of God, where shall the Wicked and ungodly appear? Isa. 22.12,13. In that day did the Lord of Hosts call to weeping, to mourning, to baldness, and to girding with Sack cloath, and behold Joy and Gladness, slay∣ing Oxen, and killing Sheep, &c. But this Ini∣quity shall never be purged off till they dye, saith the Lord. God also threatens those that Re∣joyce in mourning times, Amos 6.4,5,6,7. Let the manner of the performance of this thankfulness be what it will, never so specious in the Eyes of Man, if the ground of thy re∣joycing be the Ruine of the Church, the Af∣fliction of the People of God, the extirpation of the power of Godliness, or the Liberty of Prophaness, or Increase of it; 'tis abomina∣ble in the sight of God, and thy Feast will please God no better than Jezebels Fast, where God's Laws were broken, under pretence of his Honour. The like pretence we may read, Isa. 66.5. Hear the Word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his Word, your Brethren that hate you, and cast you out for my sake, said, let the Lord

be Glorified, but he shall appear to your Joy, and their shame. Some think God is Glorified, when indeed he is dishonoured; Men shall kill you, saith Christ, and think they do God good Service: Oh, the mischie of Ignorance, and Superstition! But the Godly, in all Ages, have made the Flourishing of the Church, and the down-fall of implacable Enemies, the Cause of such Rejoycing; and not when one part of the Church ruins another, and imbrues their Hands in one anothers Blood; this is Cause of Lamentation. When Israel had de∣stroyed their Brother Benjamin, though in a just Quarrel, and by God's appointment, yet they lift up their Voyce and wept, because one Tribe was Cut off, Judg. 21.2.6. And 'tis said, they Repented for their Brother Ben∣jamin's sake. 'Tis Cause of mourning when Protestants shed each others Blood, and the Enemies laugh at it, in their Sleeves: And for Personal Mercy, see it be such as God hath really given thee, and not like the Phari∣see, for those thou hast not. As for Election, Redemption, Vocation, Justification, San∣ctification, and the hopes of Glory, these well deserve thy greatest praise, but boast not of them before thou hast some good ground to believe thou hast them; God will not thank that Man, that thanks him for Gifts and Graces, which he never did, and, perhaps, never will bestow upon him.