6. What else do we thank Him for?

The hope of glory. "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is entered, even Jesus." (Heb. vi. 19.) 7. What effect do we pray may be produced upon our hearts by a due sense of God's mercies?

That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful. That we may say like David, "I will praise thee with my whole heart, I will shew forth all thy marvellous works." (Ps. ix. 1.)

8. How ought we to shew forth God's praise?

Not only with our lips, but in our lives. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. v. 16.)

9. To whose service ought we to give up ourselves?

To God's service. "I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Rom. xii. 1.)

10. In what ought we to walk all the days of our lives?

In holiness and righteousness. "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John ii. 6.) 11. To whom do we ascribe all honour and glory?

"To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen." (Rom. xvi. 27.)

1. Repeat the thanksgiving

For Rain.

O GOD, our heavenly Father, who by thy gracious providence dost cause the former and the latter rain to descend upon the earth, that it may bring forth fruit for the use of man; We give thee humble thanks that it hath pleased thee, in our great necessity, to send us at the last a joyful rain upon thine inheritance, and to refresh it when it was dry, to the great comfort of us thy unworthy servants, and to the glory of thy holy Name; through thy mercies in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2. Why does the Church order these particular forms of thanksgiving?

Because when we have prayed for deliverance from any particular affliction, in the prayers appointed to be used on particular occasions, and the calamity has been removed by the blessing of the Almighty, the Church has thought that particular thanksgivings should be made to God for the mercies graciously vouchsafed.

3. For what purpose does the providence of God cause the rain to descend upon the earth?

That it may bring forth fruit for the use of man. "He watereth the hills from his chambers, the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart." (Ps. civ. 13, 14, 15.)

4. What do we thank God for?

"Thou, O

That it has pleased Him to send a joyful rain, &c. God, sentest a gracious rain upon thine inheritance, and refreshedst it when it was weary." (Ps. lxviii. 9.)

5. How does this tend to the glory of God's holy name?

It shews that "the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." (Ps. cxlv. 9.)

1. Repeat the thanksgiving

For fair Weather.

O LORD God, who hast justly humbled us by thy late plague of immoderate rain and waters, and in thy mercy hast relieved and comforted our souls by this seasonable and blessed change of weather; we praise and glorify thy holy Name for this thy mercy, and will always declare thy loving-kindness from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2. By what instrument of God's wrath do we acknowledge ourselves to have been justly humbled ?

By a plague of immoderate rain and water. "And God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of his heart was only evil continually. And behold I, even I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh." (Gen. vi. 5. 17.)

3. For what do we now thank God?

For a seasonable and blessed change of weather.

"He left not

himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food, and gladness." (Acts xiv. 17.)

4. For what do we praise and glorify God's holy name?

For this his mercy. "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant." (Ps. cxxxv. 3.)

5. How long do we promise to declare his loving-kindness? From generation to generation. "So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever; we will shew forth thy praise to all generations." (Ps. lxxix. 13.)

1. Repeat the thanksgiving

For Plenty.

O MOST merciful Father, who of thy gracious goodness hast heard the devout prayers of thy Church, and turned our dearth and scarcity into cheapness and plenty; We give thee humble thanks for this thy special bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness unto us, that our land may yield us her fruits of increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2. Into what has God of his gracious goodness turned our dearth and scarcity?

Into cheapness and plenty. "Ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wonderfully with you, and my people shall never be ashamed." (Joel ii. 26.)

3. For what do we humbly give God thanks?

For this his special bounty. "I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." (Ps. xiii. 6.)

4. Why do we beseech Him to continue his loving-kindness to us? That our land may yield her increase. "Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our own God shall bless us.” (Ps. Ixvii. 12.)

5. To what will this conduce?

1st. To the glory of God. "What reward shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord." (Ps. cxvi. 13.)

2ndly. To the comfort of his people. "The Lord shall make thee plenteous in all goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, and in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee." (Deut. xxviii. 11.) 1. Repeat the thanksgiving

For Peace and Deliverance from our Enemies.

O Almighty God, who art a strong tower of defence unto thy servants against the face of their enemies; We yield thee praise and thanksgiving for our deliverance from those great and apparent dangers wherewith we were compassed: We acknowledge it thy goodness that we were not delivered over as a prey unto them; beseeching thee still to continue such thy mercies towards us, that all the world may know that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2. What protection does God afford to his servants against the face of their enemies?

A strong tower of defence. "They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood, but the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge." (Ps. xciv. 21, 22.)

3. For what do we yield Him praise and thanksgiving?

For our deliverance from the great dangers wherewith we were compassed. "All nations compassed me about, but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord." (Ps. cxviii. 11. 17.)

4. By whose goodness is it that we have not been given over as a prey to our enemies?

By the goodness of God. "Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey unto their teeth: our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler, the snare is broken, and we are delivered." (Ps. cxxiv. 6, 7.)

5. Why do we beseech God to continue his mercies towards us? That all the world may know that He is our Saviour and mighty Deliverer. "All men that see it shall say, This hath God done, for they shall perceive that it is his work." (Ps. lxiv. 9.)

1. Repeat the thanksgiving

For restoring Public Peace at Home.

O ETERNAL God, our heavenly Father, who alone makest men to be of one mind in a house, and stillest the outrage of a violent and unruly people; We bless thy holy Name, that it hath pleased thee to appease the seditious tumults which have been lately raised up amongst us; most humbly beseeching thee to grant to all of us grace, that we may henceforth obediently walk in thy holy commandments; and, leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, may continually offer unto thee our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for these thy mercies towards us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2. What do we here assert of the eternal God?

That He alone maketh men of one mind in a house, and stilleth the outrage of a violent and unruly people. "He is the God that maketh men to be of one mind in an house." (Ps. lxviii. 6.)

3. What do we bless his holy name for?

That it hath pleased Him to appease the seditious tumults which have been raised up amongst us. "Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen." (2 Sam. xxii. 44.)

4. For what purpose do we humbly beseech Him to grant us his grace?

That we may henceforth obediently walk in his holy commandments. "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments, for therein do I delight." (Ps. cxix. 35.)

5. What kind of life do we pray we may lead?

A quiet and peaceable one “in all godliness and honesty." (1 Tim. ii. 2.)

6. What do we pray we may offer continually unto God?

The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. "By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips: giving thanks to his name." (Heb. xiii. 15.)

1. Repeat the thanksgiving

For Deliverance from the Plague, or other common Sickness. O LORD God, who hast wounded us for our sins, and consumed us for our transgressions, by thy late heavy and dreadful visitation; and now, in the midst of judgment remembering mercy, hast redeemed our souls from the jaws of death; We offer unto thy fatherly goodness ourselves, our souls and bodies which thou hast delivered, to be a living sacrifice unto thee, always praising and magnifying thy mercies in the midst of thy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2. Why does God wound and consume us?

For our sins and transgressions. "Thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us because of our iniquities." (Isa. lxiv. 7.) 3. What does He remember in the midst of judgment?

His mercy. "I will visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes; nevertheless, my loving-kindness, will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." (Ps. lxxxix. 32, 33.)

4. From what does God redeem our souls?

From death. "The Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not given me over unto death." (Ps. cxviii. 18.)

5. What do we offer our souls and bodies to be?

A living sacrifice unto God. "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Rom. xii. 1.)

6. Where shall we always praise and magnify God's mercies? "In the midst of thy church will I sing praise unto thee.” (Heb. ii. 12.)

1. Repeat the second thanksgiving from the Plague or other common sickness.

WE humbly acknowledge before thee, O most merciful Father, that all the punishments which are threatened in thy law might justly have fallen upon us, by reason of our manifold transgressions and hardness of heart: Yet seeing it hath pleased thee of thy tender mercy, upon our weak and unworthy humiliation, to asswage the contagious sickness wherewith we lately have been sore afflicted, and to restore the voice of joy and health into our dwellings; We offer unto thy Divine Majesty the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, lauding and magnifying thy glorious Name for such thy preservation and providence over us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2. What do we acknowledge might justly have fallen upon us by reason of our transgressions, and hardness of heart?

All the punishments written in God's law. "It shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe, to do all his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee." (Deut. xxviii. 15.)

3. When does it please God to assuage the contagious sickness with which He afflicts us?

"Seest thou how

Upon our weak and unworthy humiliation. Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days." (1 Kings xxi. 29.)

4. What does God restore within our dwellings?

The voice of joy and health. "The voice of joy and health is in the dwellings of the righteous." (Ps. cxviii. 15.)

5. What do we offer unto the Divine Majesty for his preservation and providence over us?

"By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Heb. xiii. 15.)