A Method for Prayer01 Matthew Henry (continued)
bestowed on them, according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. Isaiah 63:7.
2. WE MUST BE PARTICULAR IN OUR THANKSGIVING TO GOD.
2.1. For the discoveries which He has made to us in His word of the goodness of His nature.
We give thanks unto the God of gods, unto the Lord of lords, for his mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:2, 3.
Your goodness is your glory, and it is that for which all your works do praise you, and your saints do bless you. Exodus 33:19. Psalm
You are gracious and full ofcompassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy, and have told us that you dost not afflict willingly, or grieve the children of men, but though you cause grief, yet you will have compassion, according to the multitude of your mercies. Psalm
145:8. Lamentations 3:33, 32.
You take pleasure in them that fear you, in them that hope in your mercy. Psalm 147-11.
2.2. Thegoodness of Hisprovidence relating to our bodies, and the life that now is and this, 2.2.1. First, with reference to all the creatures, and the world of mankind, in general.
You have stretched out the heavens like a curtain, and in them have you set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices as a strong man to runa race. And you cause your sun to shine on the evil and on the good and send rain on the just and on the unjust. Psalm 104:2. Psalm 19:4, 5.
When we consider the heavens the work of your fingers, the sun, the moon, and the stars which you have ordained, Lord, what is man that you visit him? For truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: All the glory be to the Father of lights, who commands the morning, and causes the dayspring to know his place. Psalm 8:3, 4. Ecclesiastes 11:7. James
You didst not leave yourself without witness among the heathen, in that you didstgood, and gave them rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness. Acs 14:17.
You cover the heavens with clouds, and preparest rain for the earth, and make grass to grow upon the mountains: You give to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. Psalm 147:8, 9.
You cause it to rain on the wilderness where there is no man, to satisfy the desolate and waste ground. Job 38:26, 27.
You visit the earth, and water it, you greatly enrich it with the river of God, which is full of water; you preparest them corn when you have so provided for it: You water the ridges thereof abundantly, you settle the furrows thereof, you make it soft with showers, you bless the springing thereof; You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths drop fatness. Psalm 65:9, 10, 11.
You send the springs into the valleys which run among the hills; and they give drink to every beast of the field; and by them the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. Psalm 104:10, 11, 12.
You have laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever, and set bounds to the waters of the sea, that they turn not again to cover the earth; You have shut up the sea with doors, and broken up for it your decreed place, saying, Hitherto shalt you come but no further, here shall your proud waves be stayed. And you have made good what you have sworn, that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth. Psalm 104.5, 9.
Job 38:8, 10, 11. Isaiah 54:9.
Your covenant of the day and of the night is not broken, but still you give the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night; and are faithful to that covenant ofprovidence, that while the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.
Jeremiah 33:20. Jeremiah 31:35. Genesis 8:22.
The heaven, even the heavens are yours, but the earth you have given to the children of men; and you have put all things under their feet, and made them to have dominion over the works of your hands; so that the fear of man and the dread of man is upon every beast of the earth, and upon the fowl of the air, and into his hand they are delivered, because you hada favor to him, and your delights were with the sons of men. Psalm 115:16. Psalm 8:6. Genesis 9:2.
You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man, that you mayest bring forth food out of the earth; Wine that makes glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengthens man's heart. Psalm 104:14, 15.
You give to all life and breath and all things, and the earth, O Lord, is full of your mercy. Acts 17:25. Psalm 119:64.
All the creatures wait upon you, that you mayest give them their meat in due season; That you give them they gather, you open your hand, they are filled with good: You send forth your spirit they are created, you renew the face of the earth. This your glory shall endure forever, and you rejoice in these works. Psalm 104:27, 28,
It is through your goodness, O Lord, that as one generation of mankind passes away, another generation comes, and that you have not blotted out the name of that corrupt and guilty race from under heaven. Ecclesiastes 1:4. Deuteronomy 29:20.
2.2.2. Secondly, with reference to us inparticular.
2.2.2.1. We must give thanks that He hath made us reasonable creatures, capable ofknowing, loving, serving and enjoying Him, and that He hath not made us as the beasts thatperish.
We will praise you, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that our souls, our nobler pare, know right well; for what man knows the things ofaman, save the spirit of man which is in him?
Psalm 139:14. 1 Corinthians 2:11.
You have made us of that rank of beings which is little lower than the angels and is crowned with glory and honor; For there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. And the spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord.
Psalm 8:5. Job 32:8. Proverbs 20:27.
Our bodies are capable ofbeing the temples of the Holy Ghost, and our souls of having the Spirit of God dwell in them; we therefore glorify you with our bodies, and with our spirits, which are yours.1
Corinthians 6:19. 1 Corinthians 3:16. 1 Corinthians 6:20.
You, Lord, have formed us for yourself, that we might shew forth your praise. Isaiah 43.21.
2.2.2.2. We must give thanksfor ourpreservation, that our lives areprolonged, and that the use of our reason and understanding, our limbs and senses, is continued to us.
It was owing to your good providence that we died not from the womb and did not give up the ghost when we came out of the belly, that the knees prevented us, and the breasts that we should suck.
Though we were called transgressors from the womb, yet by your power we have been borne from the belly and carried from the womb; and you hold our souls in life and suffer not our foot to be moved. Isaiah 48:8. Isaiah 46:3. Psalm 66:9.
All our bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto you, for you keep all our bones, not one of them is broken. Psalm 35:10. Psalm 34:20.
We lay us down and sleep, for you, Lord, make us dwell in safety.
Psalm 3.5. Psalm 4:8.
You have given your angels a charge concerning us, to keep us in all our ways, to bear us up in their hands, lest we dash our foot against a stone. And they are all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for the good of them that shall be heirs ofsalvation. Psalm
91:11, 12. Hebrews 1:14.
2.2.2.3. For signal recoveries from danger by sickness, or otherwise.
When perhaps there has been but a step between us and death, and we have received a sentence of death within ourselves, and have been ready to say in the cutting offof our days we should go to the gates of the grave, and were deprived of the residue of our years, yet you have in love to our souls delivered them from the pit of corruption, and cast all our sins behind your back. 1 Samuel20:3. 2
Corinthians 1:9. Isaiah 38:10, 17.
When the sorrows of death have compassed us, and the pains of hell have got hold upon us, we have called upon the name of the Lord, and have found that gracious is the Lord and righteous, yea, our God is merciful; we have been brought low and he hath helped us, and hath delivered our souls from death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling. We will therefore walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 116:3-6, 8, 9.
2.2.2.4. For the supports and comforts of this life, which have hitherto made the land ofourpilgrimage easy andpleasant to us.
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with his benefits, even the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19.
You make us lie down in green pastures, you feed us beside the still waters: You preparest a table for us in the presence of our enemies, you anoint our head, and our cup runs over. Psalm 23:2, 5.
It may be we were sent forth without purse or scrip, but lacked we anything? Nothing, Lord. Luke 22:35.
The candle of God hath shined upon our head, and by his light we have walked through darkness, and the secret of God has been in our tabernacle. Job 29:3, 4.
You have given us all things richly to enjoy, and into our hands have brought plentifully. 1 Timothy 6:17. Job 12:6.
Manya time we have eaten and been filled and have delighted ourselves in your great goodness. Nehemiah 9:25.
When we remember all the way which the Lord our God hath led us for so many years in this wilderness, we must here set up a stone and call it Ebenezer, for hitherto the Lord hath helped us.
2.2.2.5. For success in our callings and affairs, comfort in relations, and comfortableplaces ofabode.
Itis God that girds us with strength and makes our way perfect; that hath blessed the work of our hands, and it may be so as that though our beginning was small, yet our latter end hath greatly increased.
Psalm 18:32. Job 1:10. Job 8:7.
Our houses have been safe from fear, and there hath been no rod of God upon us; so that the voice of rejoicing and salvation hath been in our tabernacle from day to day. Job 21:9. Psalm 118:15.
With our staff it may be we have passed over this Jordan, and now we are become two bands; and it is God that sets the solitary in families. Genesis 32:10. Psalm 68:6.
Ifwe have lived joyfully with our relations, and they have been to us as the loving hind and as the pleasant roe, we must give you thanks for it; for every creature is that to us, and no more, that you make it to be. Ecclesiastes 9:9. Proverbs 5:19.
2.2.2.6. For our share in the public plenty, peace, and tranquility.
When we have eaten and are full, we have reason to bless you for the good land which you have given us: A land which the eyes of the Lord our God are always upon, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year. Deuteronomy 8:10. Deuteronomy 11:12.
You make peace in our borders and fill us with the finest of the wheat: We are delivered from the noise of archers at the places of drawing water; there therefore will we rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even his righteous acts towards the inhabitants of his villages. Psalm 147.14. Judges 5:11.
We thank you that the powers that are set over us are ministers of God to us for good, that they seek the welfare of our people, speaking peace to all their seed. Romans 13:4. Esther 10:3.
2.3. Thegoodness of His grace relating to our souls, and the life that is to come. But especially blessed be the GodandFather of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ. Ephesians 1:3.
2.3.1. First, we mustgive God thanksfor His kindness to the children of men relating to their betterpare and theirfuture state, and His favors to the church in general.
2.3.1.1. We mustgive thanksfor the gracious design and contrivance of man's redemption and salvation, when he was lost and undone by sin.
O how wonderfully did the kindness and love of God our Savior towards man appear, not by any works of righteousness, which he had done, but according to his mercy he saved us: We had destroyed ourselves, but in you, and you only was our help. Titus 3:4, 5. Hosea
When we were cast out in the open field, and no eye pitied us, you saw us polluted in our own blood, and you said unto us, Live; yea, you said unto us, Live; and the time was a time of love. Ezekiel 16:5,
When the redemption of the soul was so precious, as that it must have ceased forever, and no man could by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him, then you was pleased to find a ransom, that we might be delivered from going down to the pit. Psalm 49.8, 7. Job 33:24.
When we must needs die, and were as water spilt upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up again, then didst you devise means that the banished might not be forever expelled from you. 2 Samuel
When you spared not the angels that sinned, but didst cast them down to hell, you said concerning the race of mankind, destroy it not for a blessing is in it.
2 Peter 2:4. Isaiah 65-8.
Herein appears the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world for our glory. 1
2.3.1.2. For the eternalpurposes and counsels of God concerning man's redemption.
We are bound to give thanks always to you, O God, because you have from the beginning chosen some to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit: That there is a remnant according to the election ofgrace, whom God hath chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy and without blame before you in love, having predestinated them to the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ unto yourself, according to