Make me [to] feel and confess this necessity common to all the children of Adam, that for the canceling of this obligation, which held us bound to eternal death—the just reward of sin— we were forced to have this great King of heaven—holy, innocent, and separate from all sinners—to be our High Priest, our sacrifice and oblation, upon the altar of the cross, to the end, O Lord, that according to your unsearchable decree—grounded on mercy and justice— your well-beloved Son having to himself united our nature the bond-slave of Satan, might lead it to the combat, directing it how to overcome this great adversary.
And this has he done, obtaining for us the victory, when he broke the sting of death, and the bonds of hell, and that he rose out of the tomb, carrying with him this human nature as the earnest of our hope, to your right hand into heaven.
Let the remembrance of this singular benefit be always before my face, that I may offer to you, O my God, the sacrifice of thanksgiving all the days of my life.
So that having my Redeemer for a perpetual object and sure foundation of my faith in the knowledge of your name, I may thoroughly learn Christ, not only to believe by his word the sacred history of his conception and birth, with his office of a sovereign King, great Prophet, and perpetual law-giver of his church, and his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, but also that in full assurance of his promises, I may appropriate to myself the gifts and graces which he purchased for us by fulfilling that charge that he had received from you, O Father, to the end, through him to make us worthy of your salvation.
So as I may comfort and wholly repose myself upon his obedience and righteousness, showing forth and sealing this my hope by good works to your glory, O eternal God and the peace of my conscience. So be it. -Beza @Presbyterianism
