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there remains the keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God: y and that when the Lord Jesus ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men, not only prophets, apostles, and evangelists, but pastors and teachers, for the perfecting 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, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: z and that while they teach us to observe all things which Christ hath commanded, he hath promised to be with them always even unto the end of the world: a that Jesus Christ hath built his church upon a rock, which the gates of hell cannot prevail against, but his seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.c

We bless thee for the cloud of witnesses with which we are encompassed about,d for the elders that have obtained a good report,e and are now through faith and patience inheriting the promises.f

Lord, give us to follow them, as they followed Christ.g

We thank thee for the crown of life, which

y Eph. iv. 9.

a Matt. xxviii. 20.

c Psal lxxxix. 29.

f Heb. vi. 12.

z Eph. iv. 8, 11, 12, 13.

b Matt. xvi. 18.

d Heb. xii. 1. e Heb. xi. 2. 1 Cor. xi. 1.

the Lord hath promised to them that love him; the inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us: h that having no continuing city,ż we are encouraged to seek the better country, that is, the heavenly, the city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.k

We bless thee, that thou hast not given us over to a reprobate mind, that our consciences are not seared, that thou hast not said concerning us,m they are joined to idols let them alone,n but that thy Spirit is yet striving with us.o

Hath God by his grace translated any of us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son? not unto us, O Lord, but unto thee be all the glory.

We adore the riches of thy mercy, that any of us have any reason to hope that we have passed from death unto life,q and are made to differ from those who are dead in trespasses and sins.r

It is by thy grace that we are what we are,s and all praise and glory belongs to thee.

We bless thee for the redemption we have through Christ's blood, even the forgiveness

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of sins, according to the riches of thy grace, wherein thou hast abounded towards us.t

Thou hast not quenched the smoking flax, nor broke the bruised reed; u but having obtained help of God we continue hitherto.w

In the day when we cried, thou hast answered us, and hast strengthened us with strength in our souls.x

Unless the Lord had been our help, our souls had almost dwelt in silence; but when we said our foot slippeth, thy mercy, O Lord, held us up and in the multitude of our thoughts within us, thy comforts have been the delight of our souls.y

Thou hast brought us to thy holy mountain, and made us joyful in thy house of prayer; z and we have found it good to draw nigh unto God.a

We have had reason to say, that a day in thy courts is better than a thousand, and that it is better to be a door-keeper in the house of our God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.b

We have sat down under thy shadow with delight, and thy fruit hath been sweet unto our taste; thou hast brought us into the banqueting house, and thy banner over us has been love.c

t Eph. i. 7.

x Psal. cxxxviii. 3.

z Isaiah lvi. 7.

Matt. xii. 20. w Acts xxvi 22. y Psal. xciv. 17, 18.

a Psal lxxiii. 28.

b Psal. lxxxiv. 10, 11, 12. c Cant, ii. 3. 4.

We have reason to love thee, O Lord, because thou hast heard the voice of our supplications, and because thou hast inclined thine ear unto us, we will therefore call upon thee as long as we live.d

Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their hearts, and cause thine ear to hear.e

Though no affliction for the present hath been joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterward it hath yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness, and hath proved to be for our profit, that we might be partakers of thy holiness.f

We have had reason to say, that it was good for us we were afflicted, that we might learn thy commandments; for before we were afflicted we went astray, but afterwards have kept thy word.g

Thou hast dealt well with thy servants, O Lord, according to thy word.h

And now, what shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards us? let our souls return to him as their rest, because he hath dealt bountifully with us, we will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.i

d Psal. cxvi. 1, 2. e Psal. x. 17. ƒ Heb. xii. 10, 11. Psal. cxix. 67, 71. b Psal. cxix. 65. i Psal. cxvi. 7.

f

CHAPTER V.

Intercession.

OH, look with compassion upon the world

that lies in wickedness,a let the prince of this world be cast out,b that has blinded their minds.c

Oh, let thy salvation and thy righteousness be openly shewed in the sight of the heathen, and let all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our God.d

Oh, give thy Son the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.e

Let all the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ.f

Let the people that sit in darkness see a great light, and to them which sit in the region and shadow of death, let light spring up.g

Add unto thy church daily such as shall be saved; enlarge the place of its tents, lengthen its cords, and strengthen its stakes.i Oh, let the earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.*

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