Psalms 40:17

REFLECTIONS

My soul! here look at Jesus with a steady fixed eye, until thou goest forth with all the affections of love, praise, thanksgiving, and every testimony of obedience, after him, and unto him, who so loved thee, as to give himself for thee, an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling savour!

Blessings be everlastingly given by all the redeemed on earth and in heaven, to God the Holy Ghost, for this sweet scripture, explained as it is to the church in another scripture, by which we are enabled, without the possibility of a mistake, to discover to whom the whole applies. We thank thee, O thou blessed Spirit of all truth, for thus glorifying the Lord Christ to our view, and we beseech thee to supply us here below with continual grace, that we may see Christ our beloved thus sweetly set forth as a propitiation through faith in his blood. Here would my soul say, as oft as I look to the cross of Christ, here is every poor sinner's strong hold, here is his sure, his only hope. When neither sacrifice nor burnt-offering would atone, Jesus came to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Blessings be everlastingly given by all the redeemed on earth and in heaven to God the Father, for his unequalled love in the gift of his dear Son. Yes! most gracious God and Father, the holy Church, both in grace and glory, adores thee, not only for raising up this holy One mighty to save, but for setting him apart and constituting him our glorious Head, whereby he hath borne our sins, and through thy gracious appointment his righteousness is ours, and thou, even thou thyself, hast said that this is the name whereby he shall be called, 'The Lord our righteousness.'

And blessings be everlastingly given by all the redeemed on earth and in heaven to thee, thou holy, blessed, precious Jesus, for thy merciful, kind, and compassionate undertaking. And when neither the blood of bulls nor goats, nor the sacrifices on a thousand altars, could atone for our guilt, thou camest full of grace and love, and by the one offering of thyself, hast forever perfected them that are sanctified!

Hail! holy, blessed, gracious, undivided Three in One, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! May all the redeemed below praise thee, in the same strain of adoration as the church above, until both churches join in one to celebrate the glories of redemption in an unceasing hymn of love and thanksgiving through all eternity. Amen, Hallelujah, Amen.