Chapter 4: Thanksgiving

Of the fourth part of prayer, which is thanksgivings for the mercies we have received from God, and the many favours of his we are interested in, and have, and hope for benefit by.

Our errand at the throne of grace is not only to seek the favour of God, but to give unto him the glory due unto his name, and that not only by an awful adoration of his infinite perfections, but by a grateful acknowledgment of his goodness to us, which cannot indeed add any thing to his glory; but he is pleased to accept of it, and to reckon himself glorified by it, if it come from a heart that is humbly sensible of its own unworthiness to receive any favour from God, that values the gifts, and loves the giver of them.

The heads

• 1. We must stir up ourselves to praise God with the consideration both of the reason and of the encouragement we have to praise him.
• 1. We must be particular in our thanksgivings to God
• 1. For the discoveries which he hath made to us in his word of the goodness of his nature.
• 2. For the many instances of his goodness.
• 1. The goodness of his providence relating to our bodies, and the life that now is; and
• 1. With reference to all the creatures, and the world of mankind in general.
• 2. With reference to us in particular.
• 1. We must give thanks that he has made: us reasonable creatures, capable of knowing, loving, serving, and enjoying him, and that he hath not made us like the beasts that perish.
• 2. We must give thanks for our preservation, that our lives are prolonged, and the use of our reason and understanding, our limbs, and senses, is continued to us.
• 3. For signal recoveries from danger by sickness or otherwise.
• 4. For the supports and comforts of this life, which have hitherto made the land of our pilgrimage easy and pleasant to us.
• 5. For success in our callings and affairs, comfort in relations, and comfortable places It is God that girdeth us with strength, and maketh our way perfect; that hath blessed the work of our hands, and it may be so that though our beginning was small, yet our latter end hath greatly increased. . ; .
• 6. For our own share in the public plenty, peace, and tranquillity.
• 2. The goodness of his grace relating to our souls and the life that is to come.
• 1. We must give God thanks for his kindnesses to the children of men, relating to their better part, and their future state, and his favours to the church in general.
• 1. We must give thanks for his gracious design and contrivance of man’s redemption and salvation, when he was lost and undone by sin.
• 2. For the eternal purposes and counsels of God, concerning man’s redemption.
• 3. For the appointing of the Redeemer, and God’s gracious condescension to deal with men upon new terms, receding from the demands of the broken covenant of innocency.
• 4. For the early and ancient indications of the gracious design concerning fallen man.
• 5. For the many glorious instances of God’s favour to the Old Testament church.
• 6. For the wonderful and mysterious incarnation of the Son of God, and his coming into the world.
• 7. For God’s gracious owning of him in his undertaking, and in the carrying of it on.
• 8. For his holy life, his excellent doctrine, and the glorious miracles he wrought to confirm his doctrine.
• 9. For the great encouragement Christ gave to poor sinners to come to him.
• 10. For the full satisfaction which he made to the justice of God for the sin of man by the blood of his cross, for the purchases, victories, and triumphs of the cross, and for all the precious benefits which flow to us from the dying of the Lord Jesus.
• 11. For his resurrection from the dead on the third day.
• 12. For his ascension into heaven, and his sitting at God’s right hand there.
• 13. For the intercession which he ever lives to make, in the virtue of his satisfaction.
• 14. For the dominion and sovereignty to which the Redeemer is exalted.
• 15. For the assurance we have of his second coming to judge the world.
• 16. For the sending of the Holy Spirit to supply the want of Christ’s bodily presence, to carry on his undertaking, and to prepare things for his second coming.
• 17. For the covenant of grace made with us in Jesus Christ, and all the exceeding great and precious privileges of that covenant, and for the seals of it.
• 18. For the writing of the scriptures, and the preserving of them pure and entire to our day.
• 19. For the institution of ordinances, and particularly that of the ministry.
• 20. For the planting of the Christian religion in the world, and the setting up of the gospel church, in despite of all the opposition of the powers of darkness.
• 21. For the preservation of Christianity in the world unto this day.
• 22. For the martyrs and confessors, the lights of the church, and the good examples of those that are gone before us to heaven
• 23. For the communion of saints, that spiritual communion which we have in faith, and hope, and holy love, and in prayers and praises with all good Christians.
• 24. For the prospect and hope of eternal life, when time shall be no more.
• 2. We must give God thanks for the spiritual mercies bestowed upon us in particular, especially if we are called with an effectual call, and have a good work of grace begun in us.
• 1. We must bless God for the strivings of his Spirit with us, and the admonitions and checks of our own consciences.
• 2. We must bless God if there be a saving change wrought in us by his blessed Spirit.
• 3. We must give thanks for the remission of our sins, and the peace of our consciences.
• 4. For the powerful influences of the divine grace to sanctify and preserve us, to prevent our falling into sin, and to strengthen us in doing our duty.
• 5. For the sweet communion with God in holy ordinances, and the communications of his favo
• 6. For gracious answers to our prayers.
• 7. For support under afflictions, and spiritual benefit and advantage by them.
• 8. For the performances of God’s promises.

Henry’s text is in the public domain. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, No. 265 Chestnut Street. Undated, about 1840 to 1860. The preface is dated Chester, March 25, 1710. From the Internet Archive scan. The KJV text is in the public domain.