A Petition for Peace with the Reformation of the Liturgy, Part 18
The Churches Praiſe, For our Redemption, to bee uſed at Diſcretion.
OUr Souls do magnifie thée O Lord! Our ſpirits rejoyce Luke 1. 46. Pſa. 136. 23. Rom. 5. 12. Pſa. 78. 10. Rom. 3. 23. and 5. 18. Luke 1. 68. 69. 70. Iſa. 7 14. Luke 1. 35. Mat. 1. 21. Luke 2. 12.in God our Saviour, who remembred us in our Low, and loſt Eſtates, for his mercy endureth for ever. By one man ſin entred into the World, and death by ſin: Wée kept not the Covenant of God, and refuſed to walk in his Law: For all have Sinned and come ſhort of the Glory of God, and Judgement came upon all men to Condemnation. But Bleſſed bée the Lord God of Iſrael, that hath viſited and redéemed his people, and hath raiſed up a mighty Salvation for us in the Houſe of his ſervant David: As hée ſpake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets: which have béen ſince the World began: A Uirgin hath conceived and brought forth: The Holy Ghoſt did come upon her; the power of the Higheſt did over-ſhadow her, therefore the Holy one that is born of her, is called; the Son of God: …His name is called Jeſus, for hée ſaveth his people from their ſins: Col. 1. 15,To us is born a Saviour, which is Chriſt the Lord. Hée is the Image of the Inviſible God: The firſt born of every Creature, 16. 17.for by him All things are created that are in Heaven and in Earth, 2 Cor. 1, 24.viſible and inviſible; whether Thrones or Dominions, or Principalities or Powers; All things were Created by him and for him, and hée is before all things, and by him all things do conſiſt. Hée is the Power of God, and the Wiſdome 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, Joh. 1. 9. 14,as the Glory of the onelyonly begotten of the Father, full of Grace Col. 1. 19.and Truth: For it pleaſed the Father that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell. When the fulneſs of time was come, God ſent his Gal. 4. 4.Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redéem them that are under the Law. This is the beloved Son, in whom the Mat. 17. 5.Father is well pleaſed. For ſuch a high Prieſt became us, who is Holy, Harmleſs, Undefiled, ſeparate from ſinners, hée did Heb 7. 26.no ſin, neither was there any guile found in his mouth, when hée 1 Pet. 2. 22, 23,was reviled, hée reviled not again, leaving us an Enſample; Who his own ſelf bare our ſins in his own body on the Trée. For 24.God layed on him the Iniquity of us all, and by his ſtripes wée are Iſa. 53. 5, 6.healed. When wée 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 wée might live by him. Foraſmuch as the Children were Partakers of Fleſh and Blood, hée Rom. 5. 6 1 Pet. 3. 18. 1 John 4. 4. Heb. 2. 14, 15. Col 2. 15. 1 Cor. 15. 4. Act. 2. 24 2 Tim. 1. 10.himſelf likewiſe took part with them, that hée 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 life time ſubject to Bondage. Having ſpoiled Principalities and Powers, hée made ſhew of them openly triumphing over them in his Croſs. Hée was Buried and roſe again the third day according to the Scriptures. For God raiſed him having looſed the pains of death, becauſe it was not poſſible that hée ſhould bée holden of it, hée hath aboliſhed death, and brought life and Immortality to light by the Goſpel. O Death! where is thy Sting; O Grave! where is thy Uictory.1 Cor. 15. 55. Mat. 28. 18.
All Power is given him in Heaven and Earth; when hée aſſcended up on high, hée led Captivity Captive, and gave gifts Epheſ. 4. 8. 11. 12, 13.to men: And hee gave ſome Apoſtles, and ſome Prophets, and ſome Evangeliſts, and ſome Paſtors, and ſome Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtry, for the Edifying of the Body of Chriſt, till wee all come in the unity of the Faith of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man; hee is ſet at Gods right hand in the Celeſtials, far above all Principalities, and Powers, and Might, Epheſ. 1. 20, 21 22, 23.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 bee head over all things, to the Church which is his Body, the fulneſs of him that filleth all in all.
Without Controverſie great is the Myſtery of Godlineſs; 1 Tim. 3. 16.God manifeſted in the Fleſh, juſtified in the Spirit, ſeen of Angels, preached to the Gentiles, beleeved on in the World, received up into glory. This is the Record, that God hath 1 John. 5. 10.given us Eternal life, and this Life is in his Son; Hee that hath the Son hath life, and hee that hath not the Son hath John. 1. 10. 11. 11, 12,not life. Hee was in the World, and the World was made by him, and the world knew him not; Hee 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 Rom. 8. 1.rather than light, becauſe their Deeds are Evil. But as many as receive him, to them gives hee Power to become Heb. 8. 12.the Sons of God, even to them that beleeve in his Name; There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Chriſt Jeſus, who walk not after the fleſh but after the ſpirit. He forgiveth our Iniquities, and will remember our ſins no more; Pſa. 103. 3.who ſhall lay any thing to Charge of Gods elect? It is God that Juſtifieth, who is hee that Condemneth? It is Chriſt that Rom. 8 33, 34.died; Yea, rather that is riſen again, who is even at the right hand of God; who alſo maketh interceſſion for us. Who Tit. 2. 13, 14.gave himſelf for us, that hee might redéem us from all Iniquity; & purifie to himſelf a peculiar people zealous of good works. Rom. 8. 9.If any man have not the ſpirit of Chriſt, the ſame is none of his. Hee that nameth the name of Chriſt muſt depart from Iniquity. If wee regard Iniquity in our hearts, God will 2 Tim. 2. 19. Pſalm. 66. 18not hear our Prayers. But wee are waſhed, wee are ſanctified, 1 Cor. 6. 11.wee are juſtified in the name of the Lord Jeſus and by the ſpirit of our God. Not by works of Righteouſneſs which wee have done, but according to his mercy hee ſaved us by the waſhing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoſt. Titus 3. 5.And being juſtified by faith, wee have peace with God through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; by whom alſo wee have Acceſs by Rom. 5. 1, 2, 5.Faith into this Grace wherein wee ſtand, and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God; And hope maketh not aſhamed, becauſe 10.the love of God is ſhed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghoſt which is given to us. For if when wee were Enemies Rom. 8. 32.wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being Reconciled, wee ſhall bee ſaved by his life? Hee John 14. 2, 3.that ſpared not his own Son, but gave him up for us All, John 17. 24.how ſhall hee not with him alſo freely give us all things? hee that is gone to prepare a place for us, will come again and Iohn 14. 19.receive us to himſelf, that where hee is, there wee may bee alſo. It is his will that they that, the Father hath given him bee with him where hee is, that they may behold the Glory Colloſ. 3. 3, 4.that is given him, Becauſe hee liveth wee ſhall live alſo; For wee are dead, and our life is hid with Chriſt in God: 2 Theſ. 1. 10.When Chriſt who is our life, ſhall appear, then ſhall wee alſo appear with him in Glory; when hee ſhall come to bee glorified Mal. 3. 18.in his Saints, and to bee admired in all them that do beleeve. Then ſhall men diſcern between the Righteous and Matth. 13. 43.the Wicked, between thoſe that ſerve God, and thoſe that Rev. 21. 7. Matth. 25. 21. Rev. 3. 12.ſerve him not. Then ſhall the Righteous ſhine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father, Hee that overcometh ſhall inherit all things. Hee ſhall enter into the Joy of his 21.Lord: Hee ſhall bee a Pillar in the Temple of God; and ſhall go out no more. Chriſt will grant him to fit with him Zeph. 8. 17.in his Throne, even as hee overcame, and is ſet down with his Father in his Throne, hee will rejoyce ever as with joy, Rev. 21. 2.hee will teſt in his love: Even in the Holy City, the new Jeruſalem, prepared as a Bride adorned for her …, 3.where the Tabernacle of God will bee with men, and hee will dwell with them, and they ſhall bee his people, and God 4. 23.himſelf ſhall bee with them, their God, and ſhall wipe away all tears from their Eyes, and there ſhall bee no more death, Rev. 22. 3.nor ſorrow, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things are paſſed away. And the City needeth not the Sun, or the 4.Moon to ſhine in it, for the Glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof. The Throne of God and of 1 Tim. 6. 15.the Lamb ſhall bee in it, and his Servants ſhall ſerve him, Rom. 11. 36.and ſhall ſee his face, who is the Bleſſed and only Potentate the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; Of him, Through him, and To him are all things: To him bee Glory for ever.
Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Baxter, A Petition for Peace with the Reformation of the Liturgy (1661)