good food for thought

"O Lord God,
Thou hast commanded me to believe in Jesus;
and I would flee to no other refuge,
wash in no other fountain,
build on no other foundation,
receive from no other fullness,
rest in no other relief..."
-- "Jesus My Glory," The Valley of Vision

"Glorious Jehovah, my Covenant God,
All thy promises in Christ Jesus are
yea an amen, and all shall be fulfilled.
Thou hast spoken them, and they shall be done,
commanded, and they shall come to pass.
Yet I have often doubted thee,
have lived at times as if there were no God.
Lord, forgive me that death in life,
when I have found something apart from thee,
when I have been content with ephemeral things.
But through thy grace I have repented;
Thou hast given me to read my pardon in the wounds of Jesus,
and my soul doth trust in him, my God incarnate,
the ground of my life, the spring of my hope.
Teach em to be resigned to thy will,
to delight in thy law, to have no will but thine,
to believe that everything thou doest is for my good.
Help me to leave my concerns in thy hands,
for thou hast power over evil,
and bringest from it an infinite progression of good,
until thy purposes are fulfilled.
Bless me with Abraham's faith
that staggers not at promises through unbelief.
May I not instruct thee in my troubles,
but glorify thee in my trials;
Grant me a distinct advance in the divine life;
May I reach a higher platform,
leave the mists of doubt and fear in the valley,
and climb to hill-tops of eternal security in Christ
by simply believing he cannot lie,
or turn from his purpose.
Give me the confidence I out to have in him
who is worthy to be praised,
and who is blessed for evermore."
-- "Divine Promises," The Valley of Vision

"Eternal Father,
It is amazing love,
that thou hast sent thy Son
to suffer in my stead,
that thou hast added the Spirit
to teach, comfort, guide,
that thou hast allowed
the ministry of angels
to wall me round;
All heaven subserves
the welfare of a poor worm.
Permit thy unseen servants
to be ever active on my behalf,
and to rejoice when grace expands in me.
Suffer them never to rest
until my conflict is over,
and I stand victorious
on salvation's shore..."
-- "Spiritual Helps," The Valley of Vision

"O Lord,
Whose power is infinite and wisdom infallible,...
Let me dwell in thy most secret place under thy shadow,
where is safe impenetrable protection from
the arrows that flieth by day,
the pestilence that walketh in darkness,
the strife of tongues,
the malice of ill-will,
the hurt of unkind talk,
the snares of company,
the perils of youth,
the temptation of middle life,
the mournings of old age,
the fear of death...
All my jewels I give to the shadow of the safety
that is in thee-
my name anew in Christ,
my body, soul, talents, character,
my success, wife, children, friends, work,
my present, my future, my end.
Take them, they are thine, and I am thine,
now and for ever."
-- "Refuge," The Valley of Vision

"Lord Jesus,
Give me to love thee, to embrace thee,
though I once took lust and sin in my arms.
Thou didst love me before I loved thee,
an enemy, a sinner, a loathsome worm.
Thou didst own me when I disclaimed myself;
Thou dost love me as a [daughter],
and weep over me as over Jerusalem.
Love brought thee from heaven to earth,
from earth to the cross,
from the cross to the grave.
Love cause thee to be
weary, hungry, tempted,
scorned, scourged,
buffeted, spat upon,
crucified, and pierced.
Love led thee to bow thy head in death.
My salvation is the point where
perfect created love
and the most perfect uncreated love
meet together;
for thou dost welcome me,
not like Joseph and his brothers,
loving and sorrowing, but loving and rejoicing.
This love is not intermittent, cold, changeable;
it does not cease or abate for all my enmity.

Holiness is a spark from thy love
kindled to a flame in my heart by thy Spirit,
and so it ever turns to the place
from which it comes.
Let me see thy love everywhere,
not only in the cross,
but in the fellowship of believers
and in the world around me.
When I feel the warmth of the sun
may I praise thee who art the Sun of righteousness
with healing power.
When I feel the tender rain
may I think of the gospel showers
that water my soul.
When I walk by the river side
may I praise thee for that stream that makes
the eternal city glad, and washes white my robes
that I may have the right to the tree of life.
Thy infinite love is a mystery of mysteries,
and my eternal rest lies
in the eternal enjoyment of it."
-- "Love," The Valley of Vision