Posted on 01/17/2006 10:29:53 AM PST by Gamecock
O my forgetful soul,
Awake from thy wandering dream;
turn from chasing vanities,
look inward, forward, upward,
view thyself,
reflect upon thyself,
who and what thou art, why here,
what thou must soon be.
Thou art a creature of God,
formed and furnished by him,
lodged in a body like a shepherd in his tent;
Dost thou not desire to know Gods ways?
O God,
Thou injured, neglected, provoked Benefactor
when I think upon thy greatness and thy goodness
I am ashamed at my insensibility,
I blush to lift up my face,
for I have foolishly erred.
Shall I go on neglecting thee,
when every one of thy rational creatures
should love thee,
and take every care to please thee?
I confess that thou hast not been in all my thoughts,
that the knowledge of thyself as the end of
my being has been strangely overlooked,
that I have never seriously considered
my heart-need.
But although my mind is perplexed and divided,
my nature perverse,
yet my secret dispositions still desire thee.
Let me not delay to come to thee;
Break the fatal enchantment that binds
my evil affections,
and bring me to a happy mind that rests in thee,
for thou hast made me and canst not forget me.
Let thy Spirit teach me the vital lessons of Christ,
for I am slow to learn;
And hear thou my broken cries.
I plan to post one each day and hope that each of you will benefit from a brief glimpse into the mind of the Puritans. If you would like on or off of this ping list please let me know.
Please, no flaming, cussin' or wagering.
"Sin in a wicked man is like poison in a serpent; it is in its natural place."
THOMAS BROOKS (1608-1680)
that is good stuff.... PTL..
Put me on that ping list....
Whatever my end, on this side only, will be I pray Thee Lord that I will be found, in my minds contemplations, with the peace of mind that passes all understanding; that I will be a witness of Thee to Thy mercy shown in Thy grace to myself & those who surround me; that from the time I first hear the words there is nothing medical science can do my joy will mount, my face will radiate that inward joy; that my family will rejoice with me.
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