The Lord Bless you from Zion; the Lord Who Made Heaven and Earth." (Ps.134)
I was Blessed by this Hymn of our Brother William Cowper this Morning, and Wanted to Share it:
O LORD, I WILL PRAISE THEE (Is. xii)
I will praise Thee every day
Now Thine anger's turn'd away;
Comfortable thoughts arise
From the bleeding sacrifice.
Here, in the fair gospel-field,
Wells of free salvation yield
Stream of life, a plenteous store,
And my soul shall thirst no more.
Jesus is become at length
My salvation and my strength;
And His praises shall prolong,
While I live, my pleasant song.
Praise ye, then, His glorious name,
Publish His exalted fame!
Still His worth your praise exceeds;
Excellent are all His deeds.
Raise again the joyful sound.
Let the nations roll it round!
Zion, shout! for this is He;
God the Saviour dwells in thee.
We Love and Praise You, Your Highness, Thanking You for Your Wonderous Grace. 'How Precious it is, Lord, to Realize that You are Thinking about me Constantly! I can't Even Count How Many Times a Day Your Thoughts Turn Towards me. And when I Waken in the Morning, You are still Thinking of me!' Thank You for Loving us, O Father our King. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we Worship You, O God, amen.
It is just like the Lord to use difficulty to Bring Blessing to us and Glory to His Name.
Not unlike many who serve the Lord, William Cowper was afflicted from time to time with depression, yet managed to live a life that glorified God in poetry and good works.
He was a Blessing to the people of his time, and to us also.
Thanks Kit for the hymn.
Here are a few links where you can read his poetry and learn about his time, and how he lived.
http://www.puritansermons.com/poetry/cowpindx.htm
http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/cnm/htmlpages/cowperintro.html