Lord! smite my rocky
heart!
(Thomas Reade, "Christian Meditations")
Adorable Jesus! I acknowledge my vileness, my
worthlessness, my ingratitude. With shame
and
confusion of face I look up unto
you, O bleeding
Lamb, for having slighted your
goodness, and
your loving kindness towards
me.
Take away this earthliness from my mind; this
coldness from my heart;
this insensibility to the
things of God. Preserve me from a secret
alienation
of heart; from a growing lukewarmness.
You are the Rock of Ages, the everlasting Strength.
Endue me with power
from on high to overcome all
my indwelling corruptions, which, like a thick
cloud,
intervene between my soul and you, the Sun of
Righteousness; and
thus prevent the rays of your
consolation from gladdening my heart, and
making
me to abound in the fruits of righteousness.
To whom can I look, to whom can I go, but unto
You, O Friend of sinners.
Lord, at your sweet call,
I come for pardon, peace, and holiness.
Lord! I am sorely grieved, that I love you so little;
that my affections
move so slowly towards you.
Stir up my languid desires.
Inflame my cold affections.
Set my whole soul on fire with holy love.
How painful, that I should be so little affected
by the agony and bloody
sweat, the cross and
passion, of my suffering Redeemer.
Why is not my soul all on fire, when I think
of your love? Why is it not
melted into tears,
when I think of my dying Savior?
Am I harder than the rock in Horeb?
Am I colder than the northern ice?
Lord! smite my rocky heart with the rod of
your
loving kindness; dissolve my frozen affections,
by the melting
beams of your grace.
O! blessed Jesus! I praise you for such infinite love,
such abounding
grace to the chief of sinners!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Perish! What is
that?
(James Smith, "The Way of Salvation Set Forth")
"Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish!" Luke 13:3
Perish! What is that?
It is for hope to forever depart — and despair take eternal possession of the soul!
It is to be banished from God forever — and to be shut up with devils and damned spirits!
It is to be excluded from Heaven — and to be confined in Hell!
It is to be driven from the rivers of pleasure which are at God's right hand — and to be doomed to the lake of fire to dwell in everlasting burnings!
It is to be thrust into blackness, darkness, and eternal woe!
If therefore you live impenitent, then you are condemned already; your destiny is fixed, and fixed by yourself. Hell is your eternal abode! And in Hell, you will be forever deprived of the glorious presence of God. There you will be shut up in prison with all the enemies of God — shut up in a prison where there is . . .
no order — but horror;
no voice — but of blasphemers cursing God, themselves, and each other;
no sounds — but the dismal howlings of the tortured;
no society — but devils and the damned! And these being tormented themselves — will eternally torment you!
In Hell, you must experience . . .
punishment, without pity;
misery, without mercy;
sorrow, without support;
crying, without comfort;
mischief, without measure;
torment, without ease!
There the worm never dies — and the fire is never quenched. The wrath of God like flames of liquid brimstone, will seize upon your soul and body; and in that flame you will be . . .
forever burning — but never consumed;
ever dying — but never dead;
ever writhing in the pangs of the second death — and never for one moment be free from those pangs, nor know an end of those pains.
Your torments will be always beginning! Your cutting reflections will be:
"All this I procured by my sin! All this I chose in preference to Heaven! To this dreadful place, I forced my way — though warned, invited, and entreated by the servants of God! I despised the solemn warnings — but now I feel the dread reality! I slighted the invitation to embrace the Savior — and now I am banished forever from His presence! My destruction is of myself! I chose the path, I pursued the road — and now I am lost! Lost! Lost forever!
Justice condemns me,
holiness punishes me,
mercy and grace pass me by without pity,
all around curse me,
all within condemns me, and
I am obliged to confess that in this tremendous punishment, that God as fully just!"
(James Smith, "The Way of Salvation Set Forth")
"Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish!" Luke 13:3
Perish! What is that?
It is for hope to forever depart — and despair take eternal possession of the soul!
It is to be banished from God forever — and to be shut up with devils and damned spirits!
It is to be excluded from Heaven — and to be confined in Hell!
It is to be driven from the rivers of pleasure which are at God's right hand — and to be doomed to the lake of fire to dwell in everlasting burnings!
It is to be thrust into blackness, darkness, and eternal woe!
If therefore you live impenitent, then you are condemned already; your destiny is fixed, and fixed by yourself. Hell is your eternal abode! And in Hell, you will be forever deprived of the glorious presence of God. There you will be shut up in prison with all the enemies of God — shut up in a prison where there is . . .
no order — but horror;
no voice — but of blasphemers cursing God, themselves, and each other;
no sounds — but the dismal howlings of the tortured;
no society — but devils and the damned! And these being tormented themselves — will eternally torment you!
In Hell, you must experience . . .
punishment, without pity;
misery, without mercy;
sorrow, without support;
crying, without comfort;
mischief, without measure;
torment, without ease!
There the worm never dies — and the fire is never quenched. The wrath of God like flames of liquid brimstone, will seize upon your soul and body; and in that flame you will be . . .
forever burning — but never consumed;
ever dying — but never dead;
ever writhing in the pangs of the second death — and never for one moment be free from those pangs, nor know an end of those pains.
Your torments will be always beginning! Your cutting reflections will be:
"All this I procured by my sin! All this I chose in preference to Heaven! To this dreadful place, I forced my way — though warned, invited, and entreated by the servants of God! I despised the solemn warnings — but now I feel the dread reality! I slighted the invitation to embrace the Savior — and now I am banished forever from His presence! My destruction is of myself! I chose the path, I pursued the road — and now I am lost! Lost! Lost forever!
Justice condemns me,
holiness punishes me,
mercy and grace pass me by without pity,
all around curse me,
all within condemns me, and
I am obliged to confess that in this tremendous punishment, that God as fully just!"
"Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath!" 1 Thessalonians
1:10
Saturday, February 23, 2013
O Eternal God, who alone has immortality, ever living in glory, unchanged,
unchangeable, bend down Your ear to hear. We confess with
shame—past hours wasted in unprofitable reading and other worldly
entertainments. If future days are ours—guide us that no more time be squandered
in vain pursuits.
Impress on our minds . . .
the shortness of time,
the work to be done,
the account to be rendered,
the nearness of eternity,
the misery of lamps expired, when the voice of the Bridegroom is heard.
May we never forget that . . .
Your eye always sees us;
Your ear always hears us;
Your recording hand commits all to a book of remembrance;
all hidden works must be unveiled at the judgment day!
Above all things—may we seek Your favor!
Above all things—may we dread Your frown!
May Christ be the pulse of our hearts.
May He speak in every word of our lips.
May He shine in every step of our earthly walk.
Grant our requests, for His dear sake. Amen.
Impress on our minds . . .
the shortness of time,
the work to be done,
the account to be rendered,
the nearness of eternity,
the misery of lamps expired, when the voice of the Bridegroom is heard.
May we never forget that . . .
Your eye always sees us;
Your ear always hears us;
Your recording hand commits all to a book of remembrance;
all hidden works must be unveiled at the judgment day!
Above all things—may we seek Your favor!
Above all things—may we dread Your frown!
May Christ be the pulse of our hearts.
May He speak in every word of our lips.
May He shine in every step of our earthly walk.
Grant our requests, for His dear sake. Amen.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if You had been here — my brother would not have died!" John 11:21
We often think, if God were with us, and for us — such trials would not befall us. But He sends the trials in order to display His kindness and care! Whatever the Lord does for us, however painful, is a benefit — and therefore calls for praise and thanksgiving.
We often think, if God were with us, and for us — such trials would not befall us. But He sends the trials in order to display His kindness and care! Whatever the Lord does for us, however painful, is a benefit — and therefore calls for praise and thanksgiving.
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