THE AWAKENED SINNER

O my forgetful soul,

wake from thy wandering dreams
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 God’s 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 though hast made me and canst not forget me.
Let they Spirit teach me the vital lessons of Christ,
for I am slow to learn;
And hear thou my broken cries.

—from The Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennett, editor (Banner of Truth Trust, 2002).

salme 83 (Geneva Bible)
A song, or Psalme committed to Asaph.

1 Keep not thou silence, O God: bee not still, and cease not, O God.
2 For lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee, haue lifted vp the head.
3 They haue taken craftie counsell against thy people, and haue consulted against thy secret ones.
4 They haue said, Come and let vs cut them off from being a nation: and let the name of Israel be no more in remembrance.
5 For they haue consulted together in heart, and haue made a league against thee:
6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Agarims:
7 Gebal and Ammon, and Amalech, the Philistims with the inhabitants of Tyrus:
8 Asshur also is ioyned with them: they haue bene an arme to the children of Lot. Selah.
9 Doe thou to them as vnto the Midianites: as to Sisera and as to Iabin at the riuer of Kishon.
10 They perished at En-dor, and were dung for the earth.
11 Make them, euen their princes like Oreb and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes like Zebah and like Zalmuna.
12 Which haue said, Let vs take for our possession the habitations of God.
13 O my God, make them like vnto a wheele, and as the stubble before the winde.
14 As the fire burneth the forest, and as the flame setteth the mountaines on fire:
15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraide with thy storme.
16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may seeke thy Name, O Lord.
17 Let them be confounded and troubled for euer: yea, let them be put to shame and perish,
18 That they may knowe that thou, which art called Iehouah, art alone, euen the most High ouer all the earth.

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