We bless thee, that by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified,*-that he hath finished transgression, made an end of sin, made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteousness. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed; for thou, O Lord, hast laid on him the iniquity of us all.† This, O Lord, is our joy and rejoicing, that Christ Jesus, thy beloved Son, having appeared once in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, he did, by the Eternal Spirit, offer himself without spot unto God; and, by his own blood, entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.‡ Thanks be unto God, that Christ is our peace, who hath broken down the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, and hath made of himself one new man, that he might reconcile both unto * Heb. x. 14. + Isaiah liii. 5, 6. 10. Heb. ix. 12. 26. God in one body, by the cross, having slain the en mity thereby.* Salvation and blessing, and honour and glory, be unto him who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God.† O the height and depth, the length and breadth, of the love of God in Christ Jesus, it passeth understanding.+ Help us, O Lord, to bear continually about with us the dying of the Lord Jesus; by his cross may the world be crucified to us, and we unto the world; and as he died for our sins, may we also die with him to all sinful affections.§ * Eph. ii. 14, 15, 16. + Rev. i. 5, 6. + Eph. iii. 18. § Gal. v. 24. THANKSGIVING FOR THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. ONE generation passeth away, and another gene ration cometh.* Our fathers are dead, and the prophets have not lived for ever;—we also shall soon be gathered to our fathers, and the place that now knows us shall know us no more for ever. But blessed, O God, be thy name, that though a man die he shall live again,-that the hour is coming when all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live,†-and that, when the earthly house of our tabernacle is dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. We thank thee, O Lord our Father, that as thou gavest Jesus Christ thy Son to die for our * Eccles. i. 4. + John v. 28. offences, he was also raised again for our justification,*-that he is risen as the first-fruits of them that sleep,†—and that as Jesus died and rose again, them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Blessed, therefore, be thy name, that though he was dead he is now alive, and liveth for evermore, and hath the keys of hell and of death,‡—and that for this end he died, and rose and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and of the living. Come, let us see the place where the Lord lay. He is not there, but he is risen as he said:—for God did not suffer his Holy One to see corruption, but loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of them; and thus hath God declared to all men, that the same Jesus who was crucified is both Lord and Christ.§ Enable us, O Lord, to keep holy the Sabbathday; because on this day Jesus our Lord came * Rom. iv. 28. + 1 Cor. xv. 23. Rev. i. 18. Acts ii. 24. 31. 36. |