CHAPTER I. I08 Christ before all worlds, and make a covenant of grace with them in Christ Jesus, that their happiness might be secured, that thou shouldest reveal this mercy in various types and pro- anises to our fathers by the prophets, and that in thine own ap- pointed time thou shouldest send thy Son to take our nature upon him, and to redeem us by hi3t, death? We give glory to thy justice and to thy grace for this work of terror and compassion, this work of reconciling sinners to thyself by the punishment of thy Son: we praise thee for the gospel which thou hast publish- ed to the world, the gospel of pardon and peace ; and that thon hast confirmed it by such abundant testimonies, to- raise and establishour faith : we give glory to that power of thine that has guarded thy gospel in all ages, and through ten thousand oppositions of Satan has delivered it down safe to our age, and has proclaimedthe glad tidings of peace in our nation : we bless thee that thou hast built habitations for thyself amongst us, and that we should be born in such a land of light as this is : it is a distinguishing favour ofthine, that among the works of thy crea- tion we should be placed in the rank of rational beings ; but it is more distinguishing goodness, that we should be bornof reli- gious parents under the general promises of grace: We give thanks unto thy goodness for our preservation from many clan- gers which we could never foresee, and Which we could not ask thee to prevent : how infinitely are we indebted to thee, üLord, that thou hast not cut us off in a state of nature and sin, and that nur portion is not at this time amongst the children of eter- nal wrath ! That our education should be under religious care, and that we should have so many conveniences and com- forts of life conferred upon us, as well as the means of grace brought near to us ; and all this before we began to knew thee, or sought any of the mercies of this life or the other at thine hands ! 2. We must give thanks for the benefits we have received as an answer to prayer. Whatsoever blessings we have sought at the hands of God, demand our acknowledgments to his good- ness when we become receivers : and here there is no need to enlarge in particulars, for we may look back upon the fourth part of prayer, which consists in petition, and there read the matter of our thankfulness. There we learn to give glory to God for our deliverance from evils temporal and spiritual, and our hopes of deliverance from the evils that are eternal; for the communication of good for soul and body, and our comfortable expectation of the eternal happiness of both; for mercies be- stowed on churches, on nations, on our governors, on relatives and our friends, as well as ourselves. And we should rejoice in our praises, and say to the Lord, Verily thou art a God that ,nearestprayer, and thou hast not despised the cry of those that
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=