THE CRY OF A CONVICTED SINNER

Thou righteous and holy Sovereign,

n whose hand is my life and whose are all
my ways,
Keep me from fluttering about religion;
fix me firm in it,
for I am irresolute;
my decisions are smoke and vapor,
and I do not glorify thee,
or behave according to thy will;
Cut me not off before my thoughts grow
to responses,
and the budding of my soul into full flower,
for thou art forbearing and good,
patient and kind.
Save me from myself,
from the artifices and deceits of sin,
from the treachery of my perverse nature,
from denying thy charge against my offences,
from a life of continual rebellion against thee,
from wrong principles, views, and ends;
for I know that all my thoughts, affections,
desires and pursuits are alienated from thee.
I have acted as if I hated thee, although thou art
love itself;
have contrived to tempt thee to the uttermost,
to wear out thy patience;
have lived evilly in word and action.
Had I been a prince
I would love ago have crushed such a rebel;
Had I been a father
I would long since have rejected my child.
O, though Father of my spirit,
thou king of my life
cast me not into destruction,
drive me not from thy presence,
but wound my heart that it may be healed;
break it that thine own hand
may make it whole.

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

salme 125 (Geneva Bible)
A song of degrees.

1 They that trust in the Lord, shalbe as mount Zion, which can not be remooued, but remaineth for euer.
2 As the mountaines are about Ierusalem: so is the Lord about his people from henceforth and for euer.
3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous, least the righteous put forth their hand vnto wickednes.
4 Doe well, O Lord, vnto those that be good and true in their hearts.
5 But these that turne aside by their crooked wayes, them shall the Lord leade with the workers of iniquitie: but peace shalbe vpon Israel.

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