O LORD GOD,
The first act of calling is by thy command in thy Word,
‘Come unto me, return unto me’;
The second is to let in light,
so that I see that I am called
particularly,
and so perceive the sweetness
of the command as well as its truth,
in regard to thy great love of
the sinner,
by inviting him to come,
though vile,
in regard to the end of the
command, which is fellowship with thee,
in regard to thy promis in the
gospel, which is all of grace.
Therefore, Lord,
I need not search to see if I
am elect, or loved,
for if I turn thou wilt come
to me;
Christ has promised me
fellowship if I take him,
and the Spirit will pour
himself out on me,
abolishing sin and
punishment,
assuring me of strength to
persevere.
It is thy pleasure to help all that pray for grace,
and come to thee for it.
When my heart is unsavoury with sin, sorrow, darkness, hell,
only thy free grace can help
me act
with deep abasement under a
sense of unworthiness.
Let me lament for forgetting daily to come to thee,
and cleanse me from the deceit
of bringing my heart to a duty
because the act pleased me or
appealed to reason.
Grant that I may be salted with suffering,
with every exactment tempered
to my soul,
every rod excellently fitted
to my back,
to chastise, humble, break
me.
Let me not overlook the hand that holds the rod,
as thou didst not let me
forget the rod that fell on Christ,
and drew me to him.
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