The Invocation is: "O merciful God, who hast made all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made, nor wouldest the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live;" Here God is invoked as "Merciful;" and we further state, 1. That He is the maker of all men. Gen. i. 26, 27; Ps. c. 3; xcv. 6; Prov. xxii. 2; Isa. xlv. 9; 1 Cor. viii. 6. 2. That He loves everything that He has made, and so, of course, men. Ps. cxlv. 9; Matt. v. 45; Acts, xiv. 17. 3. That it is not His wish that sinners should die. Ezek. xviii. 23, 31, 32; Jer. v. 1; Luke, xix. 41, 42; Matt. xxiii. 37; Acts, xiii. 46. 4. That, on the other hand, He rather desires their life. John, iii. 16, 17; Ezek. xxxiii. 11; Luke, xv. 7, 10; 1 Tim. ii. 4. 5. That, to this end, conversion is necessary. Acts, iii. 19; Matt. xviii. 3; John, iii. 3-7; Titus, iii. 5; Rom. xii. 2. All of which points supply encouragement to the prayer which follows. The Petition is (reaching to the end): 66 Have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Heretics, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word; and so fetch them home, blessed Lord, to thy flock, that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites, and be made one fold under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen." In this petition a great many points are involved; among others, 1. That our blessed Lord has a flock in the world. Cant. i. 7; Isa. xl. 11; Jer. xiii. 17-20; Ezek. xxxiv. 9-16; Luke, xii. 32; Acts, xx. 28, 29; 1 Pet. v. 2, 3. 2. That this flock consists of those who are true Israelites, who are but a remnant compared with the rest; and amongst whom all who would be saved must be numbered and found. Rom. ix. 27; xi. 5; Gal. iii. 27-29; Eph. ii. 12-14, 19, 20; Rom. ii. 28, 29; ix. 6. 3. That this flock should rest in one fold under one Shepherd. John, x. 16; Ezek. xxxiv. 14; Jer. xxiii. 1-4; Isa. lvi. 8; Jer. xxxi. 10–14. 4. That of this flock the one fold is the Church of Christ; and the one Shepherd is that Jesus Christ our Lord, who is living and reigning with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Matt. xxvi. 31; Zech. xiii. 7; John, x. 11; Heb. xiii. 20; 1 Pet. ii. 25; v. 2-4; Ps. xxiii. 1. 5. That there are four classes of persons yet out of this fold, and away from this flock, viz. (a) Jews, (b) Turks, (c) Infidels, and (d) Heretics. Luke, ii. 30, 32; Rom. ix. 1-4; x. 1; Mark, xvi. 16; Rev. xxi. 8; Tit. iii. 10; 1 Tim. iv. 1; Rom. x. 13–18; xi. 23-26. 6. That their remaining out of this fold is to be ascribed to three things, viz. : (a) Ignorance. Isa. i. 3; Rom. x. 14-17; Jer. (b) Hardness of heart. Acts, xxviii. 27; Heb. Hence our prayer that God would be pleased to Supplementary Questions. What do we first state of God in the Invocation of this Collect? What feelings does God exercise towards the works of His hands? What is it that God has no desire for ? What on the contrary does He wish? Who are sinners ? What is necessary in order to the life of sinners? What do we mean by "conversion?" By Whose agency alone can this change be effected? Into connexion with what do we pray that all such unconverted sinners may be brought? Of whom does the flock of God consist? What do we mean by "true Israelites ?" 66 Why do we speak of them as a remnant?" Does Christ desire more folds than one for His flock? Or more shepherds? What is the one fold here referred to? And who the one Shepherd ? Where is this Jesus Christ now? How many classes of persons are here spoken of as being out of this fold? Describe who they respectively are. To what causes is their remaining out of this fold to be attributed? Who only can remove this ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of God's word and commandment? No. XXXI. Easter Even. A PRAYER FOR A JOYFUL RESURRECTION. The Invocation is: "O Lord," simply; and contains no statement beyond what is implied in that term. The Petition is (reaching to the end) : 66 Grant... that as we are baptized into the death of thy blessed Son our Saviour, Jesus Christ, so by continual mortifying our corrupt affections we may be buried with him; and that through the grave, and gate of death, we may pass to our joyful resurrection; for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rose again for us, thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen." Here the following points are set forth: 1. That Jesus Christ is God's blessed Son and our Saviour. Matt. iii. 17; i. 21; Heb. i. 2; John, iv. 42. 2. That this Jesus Christ has died, been buried, and risen again. John, xix. 30-34; Matt. xxvii. 57–66 ; xxviii. 1-8; 1 Cor. xv. 20. 3. That all this was done for us; i.e. on our account, or for our sakes. Matt. xx. 28; xxvi. 28; Rom. v. 8; 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4; Rom. iv. 25; 2 Cor. v. 21; Heb. v. 9. 4. That into the death of this Jesus Christ we have been baptized. Rom. vi. 3; Col. iii. 3; Rom. vi. 5, 11; vii. 4; viii. 3. 5. That this baptism into His death should be followed by a burial with Him also. Rom. vi. 4; Col. ii. 12. 6. That this burial with Him is not an actual burial in the ground, but consists in a continual mortification of our corrupt affections. Col. iii. 5; Rom. Gal. v. 24. vi. 6; viii. 10, 11; 1 Pet. iv. 1-3; 7. That it is, however, through the grave and gate of actual death, we, as well as Christ, must pass to that joyful resurrection, which we, through His merits, hope to arrive at. Gen. iii. 19; Heb. ix. 27; Rom. vi. 23; v. 12; Eccl. iii. 20; Ps. lxxxix, 48; 1 Cor. xv. 21, 42-49; 1 Thess. iv. 14-17. Hence our prayer for grace to mortify our affections, and for a passage to that joyful resurrection which is here referred to. Supplementary Questions. What is the title here given to the Son of God, and what is this Son here said to be? What do we mean by "Saviour?" What does "saving" imply? From what does He save us, and how? What three things is this Son said to have passed through on our accounts? On what evidence are these statements based? May we trust this evidence, and why? What do we mean by "baptized into the death of this Son of God? Who are said to have been so baptized? When did this take place? By what should this baptism into Christ's death be fol lowed? How are we to be buried with Him? |