The Gracious Designs of God, Accomplished by the Malice of His Enemies: Being the Substance of an Address, Delivered on Wednesday, November 24th, 1819, at the Surrey Tabernacle, by J. Church, Being the Day of His Deliverance.

								


Transcribed from the 1819 R. Thomas edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org



                   [Picture: Public domain book cover]

                               THE GRACIOUS

                              DESIGNS OF GOD

                             ACCOMPLISHED,

                                  BY THE

                          MALICE OF HIS ENEMIES.

                         BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF



                               An Address,



               Delivered on WEDNESDAY, November 24th, 1819,



                        AT THE SURREY TABERNACLE,



                              BY J. CHURCH,



                   Being the Day of his Deliverance.



                                * * * * *



     Commit thy Way unto the LORD; trust also in him, and he shall bring

                     it to pass.—PSALM xxxvii, 5th Verse.



                                * * * * *



                                SOUTHWARK:

             PRINTED BY R. THOMAS, RED LION STREET, BOROUGH.



                                  1819.



                                * * * * *

AN ADDRESS, &c.

              But God meant it unto good.—GEN. l. 20th verse.
THE sacred pages are designed by the God of all grace, to reveal the
glorious salvation of lost, ruined, guilty man.  The adorable Author of
this inestimable blessing, with its amazing contrivance, and the means
appointed for the knowledge and enjoyment of it—the eternal love of God
as the source, the finished work of Christ, God-Man Mediator, and the
gracious energy and operations of the Holy-making Spirit, are the
appointed means for the accomplishment and application of this glorious
salvation.  This is the subject matter of the Gospel, as set forth in the
word, and experienced by all who are taught of God; and while we would
adore the sacred Trinity in Unity, for the revelation of his gracious
will, in the matter of a sinner’s salvation from merited ruin, so we
desire, at the same time, to search the scriptures for all the suited
promises and encouragements therein given to the believer, in his
complicated trials; and whatever may be the nature of those trials, the
Bible fully assures him, that a covenant God has marked out his path in
love, and in infinite wisdom; and though the hand of God may lay heavy
upon him in deep afflictions, and the dispensations of divine providence
may be very dark, and his trials very severe, it is a mercy to know, to
believe, and be enabled to rest on the Staff of divine faithfulness; ever
bearing in mind, that the grand design of every conflict, is to answer
the purposes of the divine glory; and, ultimately, to bring the believer
to himself, to great nearness and conformity to Christ, and, finally, to
everlasting bliss.  For our light afflictions, which are but for a
moment, worketh for us an exceeding and eternal weight glory, while we
look not at the things which are temporal.