We must stir up ourselves to praise God with the consideration both of the reason and of the encouragement we have to praise him.
2. The goodness of his grace relating to our souls and the life that is to come.
But especially blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ. Eph 1:3.
Under this head
- We must give God thanks for his kindnesses to the children of men, relating to their better part, and their future state, and his favours to the church in general.
- We must give thanks for his gracious design and contrivance of man’s redemption and salvation, when he was lost and undone by sin.
- For the eternal purposes and counsels of God, concerning man’s redemption.
- For the appointing of the Redeemer, and God’s gracious condescension to deal with men upon new terms, receding from the demands of the broken covenant of innocency.
- For the early and ancient indications of the gracious design concerning fallen man.
- For the many glorious instances of God’s favour to the Old Testament church.
- For the wonderful and mysterious incarnation of the Son of God, and his coming into the world.
- For God’s gracious owning of him in his undertaking, and in the carrying of it on.
- For his holy life, his excellent doctrine, and the glorious miracles he wrought to confirm his doctrine.
- For the great encouragement Christ gave to poor sinners to come to him.
- For the full satisfaction which he made to the justice of God for the sin of man by the blood of his cross, for the purchases, victories, and triumphs of the cross, and for all the precious benefits which flow to us from the dying of the Lord Jesus.
- For his resurrection from the dead on the third day.
- For his ascension into heaven, and his sitting at God’s right hand there.
- For the intercession which he ever lives to make, in the virtue of his satisfaction.
- For the dominion and sovereignty to which the Redeemer is exalted.
- For the assurance we have of his second coming to judge the world.
- For the sending of the Holy Spirit to supply the want of Christ’s bodily presence, to carry on his undertaking, and to prepare things for his second coming.
- For the covenant of grace made with us in Jesus Christ, and all the exceeding great and precious privileges of that covenant, and for the seals of it.
- For the writing of the scriptures, and the preserving of them pure and entire to our day.
- For the institution of ordinances, and particularly that of the ministry.
- For the planting of the Christian religion in the world, and the setting up of the gospel church, in despite of all the opposition of the powers of darkness.
- For the preservation of Christianity in the world unto this day.
- For the martyrs and confessors, the lights of the church, and the good examples of those that are gone before us to heaven
- For the communion of saints, that spiritual communion which we have in faith, and hope, and holy love, and in prayers and praises with all good Christians.
- For the prospect and hope of eternal life, when time shall be no more.
‹ For our own share in the public plenty, peace, and… · We must give God thanks for his kindnesses to the children… ›
Pray now: a guided prayer in six parts, with the next heads each day.
Henry’s text is in the public domain. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, No. 265 Chestnut Street. Undated, about 1840 to 1860. The preface is dated Chester, March 25, 1710. From the Internet Archive scan. The KJV text is in the public domain.