sires and attempts. And do thou convert and pardon our enemies, slanderers, oppressors, persecutors, and others that have done us wrong. James 4.7. 2 Tim. 2. 3. Keep us from running upon temptations, suffer Matt. 26. 41. not the tempter by subtlety or importunity to cor- Prov. 4. 23. rupt our judgments, wills, affections, or conversa- Job 31. 1. tions. Cause us to maintain a diligent and constant Matt. 12. 36. watch over our thoughts and hearts, our senses and Heb. 2. 10. appetites, our words and actions; and as faithful 1 John 2. 13; soldiers by the conduct and strength of the Captain of our salvation, with the whole armour of God, to resist and overcome the world, the devil, and the flesh unto the end. 5.4. Rom. 8.13. 2 Tim. 2.8. 1 John 2. 15, 16. Rom. 8. 18. Save us from the temptations of prosperity and Prov. 30. 8, 9. adversity, let us not be drawn from thee to sin by Rom. 8. 17. the pleasures, profits, or honours of the world; Mat. 13. 21, 22; strengthen us for sufferings, let us not forsake thee, 8. 24. or fall in time of trial. Help us to deny ourselves, and take up our cross and follow Christ, accounting the sufferings of this present time, unworthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed. Psal. 140.1-3; Deliver us from the enmity and rage of Satan and Matt. 6. 13. his instruments, and give not up thy servants, their Rom. 16. 20. souls or bodies, their peace or liberties, estates or 31.8; 17.2.12. names, to their malicious wills: but save us and 1 Tim. 4. 18. preserve us to thy heavenly kingdom. Acts 17. 31. We ask all this of thee, O Lord! for thou art the 1 Tim. 1. 17. universal King, holy and just, to whom it be- Psal. 145. 17. longeth in righteousness to judge the world, and Psal. 72. 4. 15. save thy people: all power is thine to execute wrath Jude 14, 15. upon thine enemies, and to deliver and glorify thy 2 Thess. 1. 10. flock; and none is able to resist thee: Of thee, and 147. 5. through thee, and to thee, are all things, and the Job 9. 4. glory shall be thine, for ever. Amen. The Church's Praise for our Redemption, to be used at Discretion. Psal. 62. 1; Rom. 11. 36. OUR souls do magnify thee, O Lord! our spirits Luke 1. 46. rejoice in God our Saviour, who remembered us in Psal. 136. 23. our low and lost estates, for his mercy endureth for Rom. 5. 12. Psal. 78. 10. ever. By one man sin entered into the world, and Rom. 3. 23; death by sin: we kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law: for all have sinned and Luke 1.68–70. come short of the glory of God, and judgment came 5. 18. Isa. 7. 14. Luke 1. 35. Col. 1. 15. upon all men to condemnation. But blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us in the house of his servant David: as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: A virgin hath conceived and brought forth the Holy Ghost did come upon her; the power of the Highest did overshadow her, therefore the holy One that is born of her, is called, the Son of God: his name is called Jesus, for he saveth his people from their sins: To us is born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord: he is the image of the in16, 17. visible God, the firstborn of every creature; for by him all things were created that are in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things do consist. He is the John 1. 9. 14. power of God and the wisdom of God; the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world: The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and men beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. When the fulness of time was come, God sent his Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that are under the law. This is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well1 Pet. 2. 22; 23. pleased. For such a high-priest became us, who is 1 Cor, 1. 24. Col. 1. 19. Matt. 17.5. Heb. 7. 26. 24. Isa. 53. 5. 6. 1 Pet. 3. 18. 1 John 4. 4. holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, he did no sin, neither was there any guile found in his mouth, when he was reviled, he reviled not again, leaving us an example: who his ownself bare our sins in his own body on the tree for God laid on him the iniquity of us all, and by his stripes we are healed. When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly, the just for the unjust: in this was manifest the love of God towards us, that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live by him, Forasmuch as the chilHeb. 2. 14, 15. dren were partakers of flesh and blood, he himself likewise took part with them that he might destroy through death, him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and might deliver them, who through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing Col. 2. 15. Eph. 4. 8-13. over them in his cross. He was buried, and rose 1 Cor. 15. 4. again the third day according to the Scriptures, for God raised him, having loosed the pains of death, Acts 2. 24. because it was not possible that he should be holden 2 Tim. 1. 10. of it, he hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel. O death! where 1 Cor. 15. 55. is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory? Matt. 28. 18. All power is given him in heaven and earth; when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men: And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors, and some teachers, for the perfection of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man; he is set at God's right hand Eph. 1. 20—23. in the celestials, far above all principalities, and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that to come. God hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Without controversy great is the mystery of god- 1 Tim. 3. 16. liness: God manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. This John S. 19. is the record, that God hath given us eternal life, and 1 John 5. 11. this life is in his Son: he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. He was in the world, and the world was made John 1. 10, 11. by him, and the world knew him not; he came to his own and his own received him not. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. But as many as receive him, to John 1. 12. them gives he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name. There is Rom. 8. 1. therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but Psal. 103. 3. after the Spirit. He forgiveth our iniquities, and Heb. 8. 12. will remember our sins no more. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who gave himself for us, that he might re- Tit. 2. 11. 14. deem us from all iniquity and purify to himself a Rom. 8.9 Rom. 8. 33, 34. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Psal. 66. 18. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Tit. 3. 5. 10. Rom. 8. 32. John 14. 2, 3. peculiar people, zealous of good works. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is none of his. He that nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, God will not hear our prayers. But we are washed, we are sanctified, we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Rom. 5. 1.2.5. And being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given us. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. He that spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? He that is gone to prepare a place for us, will come again and receive us to himself, that where he is, there we may be also. It is his will that they that the Father hath given him be with him where he is, that they may behold the glory that is given him. Because he liveth we shall live also; For we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God: When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory; 2 Thes. 1. 10. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that do believe. Then shall men discern between the righteous and the wicked, between those that serve God, and those that serve him not. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that overcometh shall inherit all things. He shall enter into the joy of his Lord. He shall be a pillar in the temple of God, and shall go out no more. Christ will grant him to sit with him in his throne, even as he overcame and is set down with his Father in his throne, he will rejoice over us with joy, he will rest in his love: Then in the holy city, the new Jerusalem, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, where the tabernacle of God will be with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, their John 14. 19. Mal. 3. 18. Matt. 13. 34. Rev. 21. 7. Matt. 25. 21. Rev. 3. 12. 21. Zeph. 3. 17. 3. 23. God, and shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 21. 4. and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, no crying, nor pain, for the former things are passed away. And the city needeth not the sun, or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God doth lighten Rev. 22. 3. 4. it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him, and shall see his face, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and 1 Tim. 6. 15. Lord of lords: Of him, through him, and to him, are Rom. 11. 36. all things: To whom be glory for ever. Amen. END OF THE REFORMED LITURGY. |