From the Scriptures. Holy FATHER, keep, through thine own name, those whom THOU haft given me." John xvii. II. See also John xvii. 1, 3, 5, 13, 24, 25, and Acts iv. 24, &c. "Bleffed be GOD, even the FATHER of our lord Jefus Chrift, the FATHER of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation." 2 Cor. See alfo Eph. i. i. 3. 3. "Bleffed be the GoD and FATHER of our lord Jefus Chrift, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead." 1 Peter i. 3.* From the Com. Prayer,&c. the godhead distinctly: to the Father, the fon, and the holy ghoft." Henry's Method of prayer. "Thou art the king of glory, O Chrift. Thou art the everlasting son of the Father." " We therefore pray thee to help thy fervants, whom thou haft redeemed with thy precious blood.— Make them to be numbered with thy faints in glory everlafting." Deum. Te "O God the son, redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us miferable finners. "O God the holy ghoft, proceeding from the father and the fon, have mercy upon us mife rable finners. * We read, Acts vii. 59. that "they ftoned Stephen calling (upon God is Lord Jefus receive not in the original) and faying, my fpirit," or breath of life, as From the Scriptures. "According to the will of GOD, the FATHER, to whom be glory for ever and ever." Gal. i. 4, 5. «Now unto GOD, even our FATHER, be glory for ever and ever." Phil. iv. 10. "Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invifible, the only wife GOD, be honour and glory for ever and ever." I Tim. i. 17. See alfo Matt. vi. 13. Luke ii. 14. Rom. From the Com. Prayer, c. "O holy, bleffed, and glorious trinity, three perfons and one God, have mercy upon us miferab finners. "Whom thou haft redeemed with thy most precious blood. By the mystery of thy holy incarnation; by thy holy nativity and circumcifion; by thy baptifm, fafting and temptation; by thy agony and bloody fweat; by thy crofs and paffion; by thy precious death and burial; if he had faid, accept this facrifice of my life which "I lay down for thy fake." Stephen had juft seen the heavens opened, and the fon of man ftanding at the right hand of God. The impreffion made by fo grand a spectacle would not quickly wear off. Is it wonderful then that he should addrefs that fon of man? When we are in fimilar circumstances, it is to be prefumed that we may do the fame. Paul fays to Timothy, 1 Tim. i. 12. "I thank Jefus Chrift our lord.", But we may exprefs our thankfulness towards any abfent friend and benefactor, without directly addreffing, much more without worshipping, that friend. peace from GOD, our world, have mercy upon * There are in fcripture a few afcriptions of praise and glory to the lord Jefus, 2 Peter iii. 8. Rev. i. 5, 6. v. 9, 11, 12, 13. vii. 9, 10. but not one, as if he were the great God. Indeed, they are not addressed to him, as if he were fuppofed to be prefent, except in the Revelation, c. v. and vii. where he is reprefented as being actually before the angels who addrefs him. It fhould also be obferved that he is there addreffed as the lamb that was flain, as a creature capable of dying, which can never be faid of the eternal, unchangeable Jehovah. Indeed, they address him as a Being entirely diftin&t from God; "thou wast slain, and haft redemed us to God." v. ç. If he be joined with God in this act of praise, it is no more than David was. "All "the congregation bowed down their heads, and wor 66 fhipped the lord and the king." 2 Chron. xxix. zo. Honour will be due to the holy Jefus, but not religious worship. Rom. ix. 5. may be tranflated-the "GOD over all (the fupreme GoD) be bleffed for "ever." From the Scriptures. FATHER, and the lord Jefus Chrift." Rom. i. 7. "Grace, mercy, and peace, from GOD, the FATHER, and Jefus Chrift our lord." 1 Tim. i. 2. "Grace be with you, mercy and peace from GOD the FATHER, and from the lord Jefus Chrift, the fon of the FATHER, in truth and love." 2 John 3. "Grace be unto you, and peace, from HIM who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the faven spirits*, who are before the throne-and from Jefus Chrift, who is the faithful witnefs, and the firft begotten from the dead, From the Com. Prayer, &c. us. O Chrift hear us. Lord have mercy us. Christ have mercy upon us. Lord have mercy upon us. -From our enemies defend us O Chrift. O fon of David have mercy upon us. Gracioufly hear us, O Chrift; gracioufly hear us, O lord. Chrift." Litany. "For thou only art holy, thou only art the lord: thou only, O Christ, with the holy ghost, art moft high in the glory of God the Father." munion Service. Com "Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invifible, the only wife God, and our God in three perfons, father, fon, and holy ghoft, be honour and glory, dominion andpraife,hence *This expreffion fhews that this and the three preceding paffages fhould be confidered only as pious wishes and not prayers, for furely the writer would not pray to the feven fpirits. From the Scriptures. and the prince of the kings of the earth." Rev. i. 4, 5. See alfo Rom. xvi. 20, 24. 1 Cor. i. 3. 2 Cor. i. 2. xiii. 14. Gal. i. 3. vi. 18. Eph. i. 2. vi. 23. 24. Phil. i. 2. iv. 23. Col. i. 2. iv. 18. 1 Theff. i. 1. iii. 11. 12. V. 23, 28. 2 Theff. i. 2. ii. 16, 17. iii. 5. 16, 18. 2 Tim. i. 2, 18. iv. 22. Titus i. 4. iii. 15. Philem. iii. 25. Heb. xiii. 20, 25. 1 Peter i. 2. v. 10, 14. 2 Peter i. 2. Jude 2. Rev. xxii. 21. From the Com. Prayer, &c. forth and forever. Amen.” -Henry on Prayer. -Through Jefus Chrift our lord; to whom with thee, O Father, and thine holy spirit, be everlafting praises." Doddridge. "Jefus, my God, thy blood alone, Hath power fufficient to atone." Watts, Pf. 1. 51. "To God the Father, God the fon, And God the fpirit, three in one, Be honour, praise and glory given, By all on earth and all in heaven." Watts's Doxology. See alfo Pf. xix. long metre, ver. 5, 6. pf. xlv. c. cx. cxviii. &c. "God the Father, God the fon, and God the holy ghoft, blefs, preferve and keep you." Matrimony. |