(1.) We must give thanks for his gracious defign and contrivance of man's redemption and falvation, when he was lost and undone by fin. O how wonderfully did the kindnefs and love of God our Saviour towards man appear, not by any works of righteousness which we had done, but according to his mercy he faved us P: We had destroyed ourselves, but in thee, and thee only, was our help. When we were caft out in the open field, and no eye pitied us, thou faweft us polluted in our own blood, and thou faidft unto us, Live; yea, thou faidft unto us, Live; and the time was a time of love'. When the redemption of the foul was fo precious as that it must have ceafed for ever, and no man could by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ranfom for him, then thou wast pleased to find a ransoms, that we might be delivered from going down to the pit t When we must needs die, and were as water spilt on: the ground, which cannot be gathered up again, then didst thou devife means that the banished might not be for ever expelled from him ". When thou fparedft not the angels that finned, but didst cast them down to hell w; thou faidft concerning the race of mankind, destroy it not for a bleffing is in it *. Herein appears the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wifdom which God ordained before the world for our glory Y. (2.) For the eternal purposes and counfels of God concern ing man's redemption. We are bound to give thanks always to thee, O God, because thou haft from the beginning chofen fome to falvation through fanctification of the fpirit: That there is a remnant according to the election of grace a p Tit. iii. 4, 5. 9 Hof. xiii. 9. r Ezek. xvi. 5, 6, 8. s Pfalm xlix. 7. Job xxxiii. 24. v2 Sam. xiv. 14. 2 Pet. ii. 4. xlfa. lxv. 8. y 1 Cor. ii..7. ≈ 2 Thef21. 13. a Rom. xi. 5. whom God hath chofen in Chrift before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy and without blame before thee in love, having predeftinated them to the adoption of children, by Jefus Chrift, unto thyself, according to the good pleasure of thy will, to the praise of the glory of thy grace b. Thine they were, and thou givest them to Chrift, and this is thy will, that of all that thou haft given him he should lofe nothing, but should raise it up at the last day c. (3.) For the appointing of the Redeemer, and God's gracious condefcenfion to deal with men upon new terms, receding from the demands of the broken covenant of inno cency. We bless thee, that when facrifice and offering thou wouldft not, and in it hadft no pleasure d, that then the eternal Son of God faid, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, and a body haft thou prepared me: And that as in the volume of the book it was written of him, he did delight to do thy will, O God, yea, thy law was within his heart. Thou haft laid help upon one that is mighty, one chofen out of the people: Thou haft found David thy fervant, with thy holy oil thou haft anointed him, even with the oil of gladnefs above his fellows, and didst promife that with him thy hand fhould be established, and thy arm should strengthen him, and that thou wouldeft make him thy first-born, higher than the kings of the Learth 5. We bless thee, that the Father now judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son: That as he has life in himself, fo he hath given to the Son to have life in himself, and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of mani. d Heb. x. b Eph. i. 4, 5, 6. c John xvii. 6. vi. 39. 5, 6, 7. e Pfalm xl. 7, 8. f Pial. lxxxix. 19, 20, 21, 27. 1. 7. b John v. xxii. 26, 27. iiii. 35. g That the Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand; and that the counsel of peace is between them both *. That he is thy fervant, whom thou dost uphold, thine elect in whom thy foul delighteth; thy beloved Son in whom thou art well pleafed : That thou haft given him for a covenant of the people 1, and that through him we are not under the law, but under grace TM. That God fo loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whofoever believes in him fhould not perifh, but have everlasting life ". (4.) For the early and ancient indication of the gracious defign concerning fallen man. We bless thee, that as foon as ever man had finned, it was gracioufly promised that the feed of the woman fhould break the ferpent's head; and that in the Old Teftament facrifices, Jefus Chrift was the lamb flain from the foundation of the world P. And that by faith the elders, though they received not the promife, yet obtained a good report, for they obtained witnefs that they were righteous 9. We bless thee for the promife made to Abraham, that in his feed all the families of the earth fhould be bleffed ; and to Jacob that the Shiloh, fhould come, and to him fhould the gathering of the people be; and that the Patriarchs rejoiced to fee Chrift's day, and they faw it and were glad t. (5) For the many glorious instances of God's favour to the Old Testament church. We adore that wisdom, peace and goodness with which thou broughtest the vine out of Eypgt, didft caft out the heathen and plant it; thou prepared ft room before it, and didft caufe it to take deep root, and it filled the land v. b Zech. vi. 13. m Rom, vi. 14. p Rev. xiii. 8 s xl. 10. i Ifa. Ixi. k Mal. xvii. 5. / Isa. xlix. 8. o. Gen. iii. 15. r Gen. xii. 3. n John xii. 16. And they got not the land in poffeffion by their own fword, neither did their own arm fave them, but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour to them ". We bless thee that to the Jews were committed the oracles of God x, that they had the adoption and the glory, and the covenant, the giving of the law, and the fervice of God, and the promises y: And that there did not fail one word of all thy good promife, which thou promifedit by the hand of Mofes thy fervant 2. We bless thee for all that which thou didst at fundry times and in divers manner fpeak in time paft unto the fathers by the prophets, thefe holy men of God, who fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft", and prophefied of the grace that should come unto us, teftifying before hand the fuffering of Christ, and the glory that fhould follow, and that not to theinfelves on. ly, but to us they ministered thofe great things, things which the angels themselves defire to look into . And efpecially we bless thee, that thou haft provided fome better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect“. (6.) For the wonderful and mysterious incarnation of the Son of God, and his coming into the world. We bless thee, that when the fulness of time was come, thou didst fend forth thy Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons e. That the eternal Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and there were those who faw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And without controverfy, great is the mystery of godlinefs, that God was manifefted in the flesh f. w Pfalm xliv. 3. viii. 56. a Heb. i. 1. 12. Heb. vi. 40. e Rom. iii. 2. y ix. 4.. 2 1 Kings b 2 Pet. i. 21. c 1 Pet. i. 10, 11, Gal. iv. 4. f John i. 14. We bless thee, that to this end he was born, and for this cause he came into the world, that he might bear witness of the truth; and we believe, and are fure, that he is that Chrift, the Son of the living God; that it is he that should come, and we are to look for no other i. We bless thee, that the Son of man is come to seek and to fave that which was loft ; that he is come that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly, and that for this purpose the Son of God was manifefted that he might destroy the works of the devil m. k Lord, we receive it as a faithful faying, and well worthy of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners, even the chief". We bless thee, that forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he alfo himself likewise 100k part of the fame: That he took not on him the nature of angels, but our nature, and was in all things made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Prieft in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the fins of the people : and that he is not ashamed to call them brethren o. And that the first-begotten was brought into the world with a charge given to all the angels of God to worship him P. (7.) For God's gracious owning of him in his undertaking, and in the carrying of it on. We bless thee, that thou waft in Chrift, reconciling the world to thyfelf, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them, and that thou haft committed unto us the word of reconciliation q. That thou haft thyfelf given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. That he was fanctified and fealed and fent into the world, b John xviii. 37: ivi. 69. k Luke xix. 10. x. 10. m 1 John iii. 8. 14, 16, 17. p Heb. i. 6. John n 1 Tim. i. 15.0 Heb. ii. 1. 9 2 Cor. v. 19. |