Friday, September 02, 2011

GRACE ACTIVE


Grace! 'Tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear;
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.                       

O God, may Thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to Thee. Lord Jesus, great high priest, Thou hast opened a new and living way by which a fallen creature can approach Thee with acceptance.

Help me to contemplate the dignity of Thy Person, the perfectness of Thy sacrifice, the effectiveness of Thy intercession.
O what blessedness accompanies devotion, when under all the trials that weary me, the cares that corrode me, the fears that disturb me, the infirmities that oppress me, I can come to Thee in my need and feel peace beyond understanding!
The grace that restores is necessary" to preserve, lead, guard, supply, help me. And here Thy saints encourage my hope; they were once poor and are now rich, bound and are now free, tried and now are victorious.
Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, but not more than is found in Thee, the divine treasury in whom all fullness dwells. To Thee I repair for grace upon grace, until every void made by sin be replenished and I am filled with all Thy fullness.
May my desires be enlarged and my hopes emboldened, that I may honour Thee by my entire dependency and the greatness of my expectation.
Do Thou be with me, and prepare me for all the smiles of prosperity, the frowns of adversity, the losses of substance, the death of friends, the days of darkness, the changes of life, and the last great change of all. May I find thy grace sufficient for all my needs.
From The Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett, via  http://www.oldlandmarks.com/puritan.htm

Of course, this is Labor Day weekend in America. Many of us will be on vacation, and relaxing as we seek to honor the workers of our country. The history of Labor Day is interesting, because it began as an expression of fairness toward workers who were being  exploited by bosses. Today, most in our land simply regard it as a holiday. 

I thought it fitting to call us to prayer, and reflection of God's goodness and mercy to us. There are many things wrong that need correction. Frankly, this country is in great need of revival, and that can only come by God's grace. The effort of Arthur Bennett in England over 30 years ago to spread around some Puritan thoughts has been well received. It is with that in mind that I quoted these words for you. It is my prayer that they speak to you. May God choose to bless it to you and yours.
By Charles Woodruff, editor. Email: oursong2000@yahoo.com
Snail mail: 90 Raymond Ray St., Newnan, GA 30265-1611
Blog site:  http://cyberwordoftruth.blogspot.com/   September 2, 2011


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