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5. Blessed be the God of all consolation. Yesterday, when engaged in receiving
new members into Church Communion, I received a friendly letter from my dear
brother Dominee Meijer, with the minutes of the last Synod, and I was also
strengthened out of weakness to perform the duty of the afternoon. May the Lord,
of His infinite mercy, graciously bless my discourse to the new communicants,
and they be enabled to receive Christ Jesus the Lord, and to walk in Him, and oh,
may my health and strength be restored this day, and I prepared for the Day of the
Lord. I desire humbly and patiently to wait on His boundless, free, sovereign
mercy and grace, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever.
Amen.
P.S. I would bless the Lord for calling me to this country and being instrumental
in calling also Dominee Meijer, but above all, as I humbly hope, for calling me
out of darkness to His marvelous light, the light of life in Christ Jesus, whereby I
have known myself to be a guilty, self-condemned, helpless sinner, and Jesus oft
as the only refuge for pardon and peace, access to and acceptance with God, and I
desire to bless the Lord that, notwithstanding all my innumerable sins,
shortcomings, and backslidings, I still live to praise and record His mercies
towards me and my friend, whom the Lord, through many trials has supported and
given a name, even of honor and usefulness in His Churches. May the Lord
accept of this my gratitude, bless him and me and all His servants and people, my
family also and friends, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
7. Blessed be the Lord, my Almighty Creator and bountiful benefactor, for His
aid and assistance of yesterday. May I remember with gratitude His mercy and
strength made perfect in my weakness. Though feeble and painful, yet the Father
of mercies has not left nor forsaken me, but supported throughout the whole work
of the day, and I humbly hope comforted my soul, with His precious words Go
Thou in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with Thee. 559 Oh, may
both these be verified unto me, and the Lord be my peace, my life, health,
strength, and the glory thereof. Father of mercies, look upon us in Jesus Christ,
our advocate, and accept of us in Him, in whom Thou art well pleased, who is also
the propitiation for our sin. Oh, may this text be sanctified (1 John 2.1-2 560 ) to me
and others, and we receive grace and mercy and help, in every time of need,
against all sins and temptations of Satan, and a vain world to depart from the Lord
and His worship, but may it also keep and fortify our drooping and tempted spirits
against despondency and despair and that great sin of unbelief, which extinguishes
all true love and fear and worship of the Lord. May our faith increase and be
established in the Word and by the Spirit of the Lord, and we become more and
more meet for Heaven. O, blessed Jesus, unto Thee and the Word of Thy grace do
I most humbly and fervently commit and commend my all and all mine, body and
soul, in time and to all eternity. Restore our health, and return in mercy to us. Be
Thou our Savior to the uttermost, complete and merciful, pity and pardon, heal
and help, and accept of my gratitude. Amen.
559
1 Samuel 20:13.
560
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our
sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
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