I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

True Religion

Lord God Almighty,

I ask not to be enrolled amongst the earthly
great and rich,
   but to be numbered with the spiritually blessed.
Make it my present, supreme, persevering concern
   to obtain those blessings which are
      spiritual in their nature,
      eternal in their continuance,
      satisfying in their possession.
Preserve me from a false estimate of the whole
   or a part of my character;
May I pay regard to
   my principles as well as my conduct,
   my motives as well as my actions.
Help me
   never to mistake the excitement of my passions
      for the renewing of the Holy Spirit,
   never to judge my religion by occasional
      impressions and impulses, but by my
         constant and prevailing disposition.
May my heart be right with thee,
   and my life as becometh the gospel.
May I maintain a supreme regard to another
      and better world,
   and feel and confess myself a stranger
      and a pilgrim here.
Afford me all the direction, defense, support,
   and consolation my journey hence requires,
   and grant me a mind stayed upon thee.
Give me a large abundance of the supply of
      the Spirit of Jesus,
   that I may be prepared for every duty,
   love thee in all my mercies,
   submit to thee in every trial,
   trust thee when walking in darkness,
   have peace in thee amidst life’s changes.
Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief
   and uncertainties.

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

John 8:31–36

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
   34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

These verses show us, for one thing, the importance of steady perseverance in Christ’s service. There were many, it seems, at this particular period, who professed to believe on our Lord, and expressed a desire to become His disciples. There is nothing to show that they had true faith. They appear to have acted under the influence of temporary excitement, without considering what they were doing. And to them our Lord addresses this instructive warning,—“If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed.”
   This sentence contains a mine of wisdom. To make a beginning in religious life is comparatively easy. Not a few mixed motives assist us. The love of novelty, the praise of well-meaning but imprudent professors, the secret self-satisfaction of feeling “how good I am,” the universal excitement attending a new position,—all these things combine to aid the young beginner. Aided by them he begins to run the race that leads to heaven, lays aside many bad habits, takes up many good ones, has many comfortable frames and feelings, and gets on swimmingly for a time. But when the newness of his position is past and gone, when the freshness of his feelings is rubbed off and lost, when the world and the devil begin to pull hard at him, when the weakness of his own heart begins to appear,—then it is that he finds out the real difficulties of vital Christianity. Then it is that he discovers the deep wisdom of our Lord’s saying now before us. It is not beginning, but “continuing” a religious profession, that is the test of true grace.
   We should remember these things in forming our estimate of other people’s religion. No doubt we ought to be thankful when we see any one ceasing to do evil and learning to do well. We must not “despise the day of small things.” (Zech. iv. 10.) But we must not forget that to begin is one thing, and to go on is quite another. Patient continuance in well-doing is the only sure evidence of grace. Not he that runs fast and furiously at first, but he that keeps up his speed, is he that “runs so as to obtain.” By all means let us be hopeful when we see anything like conversion. But let us not make too sure that it is real conversion, until time has set its seal upon it. Time and wear test metals, and prove whether they are solid or plated. Time and wear, in like manner, are the surest tests of a man’s religion. Where there is spiritual life there will be continuance and steady perseverance. It is the man who goes on as well as begins, that is “the disciple indeed.”
   These verses show us, for another thing, the nature of true slavery. The Jews were fond of boasting, though without any just cause, that they were politically free, and were not in bondage to any foreign power. Our Lord reminds those who there was another bondage to which they were giving no heed, although enslaved by it.—“He that committeth sin is the servant of sin.”
   How true that is! How many on every side are total slaves, although they do not acknowledge it! They are led captive by their besetting corruptions and infirmities, and seem to have no power to get free. Ambition, the love of money, the passion for drink, the craving for pleasure and excitement, gambling, gluttony, illicit connections,—all these are so many tyrants among men. Each and all have crowds of unhappy prisoners bound hand and foot in their chains. The wretched prisoners will not admit their bondage. They will even boast sometimes that they are eminently free. But many of them know better. There are times when the iron enters into their souls, and they feel bitterly that they are slaves.
   There is no slavery like this. Sin is indeed the hardest of all taskmasters. Misery and disappointment in the way, despair and hell in the end,—these are the only wages that sin pays to its servants. To deliver men from this bondage, is the grand object of the Gospel. To awaken people to a sense of their degradation, to show them their chains, to make them arise and struggle to be free,—this is the great end for which Christ sent forth His ministers. Happy is he who has opened his eyes and found out his danger. To know that we are being led captive, is the very first step toward deliverance.
   These verses, show us, lastly, the nature of true liberty. Our Lord declares this to the Jews in one comprehensive sentence. He says, “If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
   Liberty, most Englishmen know, is rightly esteemed one of the highest temporal blessings. Freedom from foreign dominion, a free constitution, free trade, a free press, civil and religious liberty,—what a world of meaning lies beneath these phrases! How many would sacrifice life and fortune to maintain the things which they represent! Yet, after all our boasting, there are many so-called freemen who are nothing better than slaves. There are many who are totally ignorant of the highest, purest form of liberty. The noblest liberty is that which is the property of the true Christian. Those only are perfectly free people whom the Son of God “makes free.” All else will sooner or later be found slaves.
   Wherein does the liberty of true Christians consist? Of what is their freedom made up?—They are freed from the guilt and consequences of sin by the blood of Christ. Justified, pardoned, forgiven, they can look forward boldly to the day of judgment, and cry “Who shall lay anything to our charge? Who is he that condemneth?”—They are freed from the power of sin by the grace of Christ’s Spirit. Sin has no longer dominion over them. Renewed, converted, sanctified, they mortify and tread down sin, and are no longer led captive by it.—Liberty, like this, is the portion of all true Christians in the day that they flee to Christ by faith, and commit their souls to Him. That day they become free men. Liberty, like this, is their portion forevermore. Death cannot stop it. The grave cannot even hold their bodies for more than a little season. Those whom Christ makes free are free to all eternity.
   Let us never rest until we have some personal experience of this freedom ourselves. Without it all other freedom is a worthless privilege. Free speech, free laws, political freedom, commercial freedom, national freedom,—all these cannot smooth down a dying pillow, or disarm death of his sting, or fill our consciences with peace. Nothing can do that but the freedom which Christ alone bestows. He gives it freely to all who seek it humbly. Then let us never rest until it is our own.

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007).

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

The ‘Nevers’ of the Gospel

O Lord,

May I never fail to come to the knowledge
      of the truth,
   never rest in a system of doctrine, however
      scriptural, that does not bring or further
         salvation,
      or teach me to deny ungodliness and
         worldly lusts,
      or help me live soberly, righteously, godly;
   never rely on my own convictions and resolutions,
      but be strong in thee and in thy might;
   never cease to find thy grace sufficient
      in all my duties, trials, and conflicts;
   never forget to repair to thee
      in all my spiritual distresses and outward
         troubles,
      in all the dissatisfactions experienced in
         creature comforts;
   never fail to retreat to him who is full of grace
      and truth, the friend that loveth at all times,
      who is touched with feelings of my infirmities,
      and can do exceedingly abundantly for me;
   never confine my religion to extraordinary
      occasions, but acknowledge thee in all my ways;
   never limit my devotions to particular seasons
      but be in they fear all the day long;
   never be godly only on the Sabbath,
      or in thy house, but on every day abroad
         and at home;
   never make piety a dress but a habit,
      not only a habit but a nature,
      not only a nature but a life.
Do good to me in all thy dispensations,
   by all means of grace,
   by worship, prayers, praises,
And at last let me enter that world where is
   no temple, but only thy glory
   and the Lamb’s.

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

John 7:14–24

Christ’s Authority from the Father

But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach. 15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” 16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
   19 Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one deed, and you all marvel. 22 For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

We learn first in this passage, that honest obedience to God’s will is one way to obtain clear spiritual knowledge. Our Lord says, “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”
   The difficulty of finding out “what is truth” in religion is a common subject of complaint among men. They point to the many differences which prevail among Christians on matters of doctrine, and profess to be unable to decide who is right. In thousands of cases this professed inability to find out truth becomes an excuse for living without any religion at all.
   The saying of our Lord before us is one that demands the serious attention of people in this state of mind. It supplies an argument whose edge and point they will find it hard to evade. It teaches that one secret of getting the key of knowledge is to practice honestly what we know, and that if we conscientiously use the light that we now have, we shall soon find more light coming down into our minds.—In short, there is a sense in which it is true, that by doing we shall come to knowing.
   There is a mine of truth in this principle. Well would it be for men if they would act upon it. Instead of saying, as some do,—“I must first know everything clearly, and then I will act,”—we should say,—“I will diligently use such knowledge as I possess, and believe that in the using fresh knowledge will be given to me.” How many mysteries this simple plan would solve! How many hard things would soon become plain if men would honestly live up to their light, and “follow on to know the Lord!” (Hosea vi. 3.)
   It should never be forgotten that God deals with us as moral beings, and not as beasts or stones. He loves to encourage us to self-exertion and diligent use of such means as we have in our hands. The plain things in religion are undeniably very many. Let a man honestly attend to them, and he shall be taught the deep things of God.
   Whatever some may say about their inability to find out truth, you will rarely find one of them who does not know better than he practices. Then if he is sincere, let him begin here at once. Let him humbly use what little knowledge he has got, and God will soon give him more.—“If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Matt. vi. 22.)
   We learn, secondly, in this passage, that a self-exalting spirit in ministers of religion is entirely opposed to the mind of Christ. Our Lord says, “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory; but he that seeketh His glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”
   The wisdom and truth of this sentence will be evident at once to any reflecting mind. The minister truly called of God will be deeply sensible of his Master’s majesty and his own infirmity, and will see in himself nothing but unworthiness. He, on the other hand, who knows that he is not “inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost,” will try to cover over his defects by magnifying himself and his office. The very desire to exalt ourselves is a bad symptom. It is a sure sign of something wrong within.
   Does any one ask illustrations of the truth before us? He will find them, on the one side, in the Scribes and Pharisees of our Lord’s times. If one thing more than another distinguished these unhappy men, it was their desire to get praise for themselves.—He will find them, on the other side, in the character of the Apostle St. Paul. The keynote that runs through all his Epistles is personal humility and zeal for Christ’s glory:—”I am less than the least of all saints—I am not fit to be called an Apostle—I am chief of sinners—we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (Ephes. iii. 8; 1 Cor. xv. 9; 1 Tim. i. 15; 2 Cor. iv. 5.)
   Does any one ask for a test by which he may discern the real man of God from the false shepherd in the present day? Let him remember our Lord’s weighty words, and notice carefully what is the main object that a minister loves to exalt. Not he who is ever crying,—“Behold the Church! behold the Sacraments! behold the ministry!” but he who says,—“Behold the Lamb!”—is the pastor after God’s own heart. Happy indeed is that minister who forgets self in his pulpit, and desires to be hid behind the cross. This man shall be blessed in his work, and be a blessing.
   We learn, lastly, in this passage, the danger of forming a hasty judgment. The Jews at Jerusalem were ready to condemn our Lord as a sinner against the law of Moses, because He had done a miracle of healing on the Sabbath-day. They forgot in their blind enmity that the fourth commandment was not meant to prevent works of necessity or works of mercy. A work on the Sabbath our Lord had done, no doubt, but not a work forbidden by the law. And hence they drew down on themselves the rebuke, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
   The practical value of the lesson before us is very great. We shall do well to remember it as we travel through life, and to correct our estimate of people and things by the light which it supplies.
   We are often too ready to be deceived by an appearance of good. We are in danger of rating some men as very good Christians, because of a little outward profession of religion, and a decent Sunday formality,—because, in short, they talk the language of Canaan, and wear the garb of pilgrims. We forget that all is not good that appears good, even as all is not gold that glitters, and that daily practice, choice, tastes, habits, conduct, private character, are the true evidence of what a man is.—In a word, we forget our Lord’s saying,—”Judge not according to the appearance.”
   We are too ready, on the other hand, to be deceived by the appearance of evil. We are in danger of setting down some men as not true Christians, because of a few faults or inconsistencies, and “making them offenders because of a word.” (Isa. xxix. 21.) We must remember that the best of men are but men at their very best, and that the most eminent saints may be overtaken by temptation, and yet be saints at heart after all. We must not hastily suppose that all is evil, where there is an occasional appearance of evil. The holiest man may fall sadly for a time, and yet the grace within him may finally get a victory. Is a man’s general character godly?—Then let us suspend our judgment when he falls, and hope on. Let us “judge righteous judgment.”
   In any case let us take care that we pass fair judgment on ourselves. Whatever we think of others, let us beware of making mistakes about our own character. There, at any rate, let us be just, honest, and fair. Let us not flatter ourselves that all is right, because all is apparently right before men. “The Lord,” we must remember, “looketh on the heart.” (1 Sam. xvi. 7.) Then let us judge ourselves with righteous judgment, and condemn ourselves while we live, lest we be judged of the Lord and condemned forever at the last day. (1 Cor. xi. 31.)

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007).

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

A Neophyte’s Devotion

Glorious and holy God,

Provocations against thy divine majesty have
   filled my whole life.
My offenses have been countless and aggravated.
   Conscience has rebuked me,
   friends have admonished me,
   the examples of others have reproached me,
   thy rod has chastised me,
   thy kindness allured me.
Thou hast seen and abhorred all my sins and
   couldst easily and justly have punished me,
   yet thou hast spared me,
      been gracious unto me,
      given me thy help,
      invited me to thy table.
Lord, I thankfully obey thy call,
   accept of thy goodness,
   acquiesce in thy gospel appointments.
I believe that Jesus thy Son has plenteous
   redemption;
I apply to him for his benefits,
   give up my mind implicitly to his instructions,
   trust and glory in his sacrifices,
   revere and love his authority,
   pray that his grace may reign in my life.
I will not love a world that crucified him,
   neither cherish nor endure the sin,
      that put him to grief,
   nor suffer him to be wounded by others.
At the cross that relieves my conscience
   let me learn lessons of self-denial, forgiveness
      and submission,
   feel motives to obedience,
   find resources for all needs of the divine life.
then let me be what I profess,
   do as well as teach,
   live as well as well as hear religion.

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

John 6:35–40

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

Three of our Lord Jesus Christ’s great sayings are strung together, like pearls, in this passage. Each of them ought to be precious to every true Christian. All taken together, they form a mine of truth, into which he that searches need never search in vain.
   We have, first, in these verses, a saying of Christ about Himself. We read that Jesus said,—“I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
   Our Lord would have us know that He himself is the appointed food of man’s soul. The soul of every man is naturally starving and famishing through sin. Christ is given by God the Father, to be the Satisfier, the Reliever, and the Physician of man’s spiritual need. In Him and His mediatorial office,—in Him and His atoning death,—in Him and His priesthood,—in Him and His grace, love, and power,—in Him alone will empty souls find their needs supplied. In Him there is life. He is “the bread of life.”
   With what divine and perfect wisdom this name is chosen! Bread is necessary food. We can manage tolerably well without many things on our table, but not without bread. So is it with Christ. We must have Christ, or die in our own sins. Bread is food that suits all. Some cannot eat meat, and some cannot eat vegetables. But all like bread. It is food both for the Queen and the pauper. So is it with Christ. He is just the Saviour that meets the needs of every class. Bread is food that we need daily. Other kinds of food we take, perhaps, only occasionally. But we need bread every morning and evening in our lives. So is it with Christ. There is no day in our lives but we need His blood, His righteousness, His intercession, and His grace. Well may He be called, “The bread of life!”
   Do we know anything of spiritual hunger? Do we feel anything of craving and emptiness in conscience, heart, and affections? Let us distinctly understand that Christ alone can relieve and supply us, and that it is His office to relieve. We must come to Him by faith. We must believe on Him, and commit our souls into His hands. So coming, He pledges His royal word we shall find lasting satisfaction both for time and eternity. It is written,—“He that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
   We have, secondly, in these verses, a saying of Christ about those who come to Him. We read that Jesus said,—“Him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out.”
   What does “coming” mean? It means that movement of the soul which takes place when a man, feeling his sins, and finding out that he cannot save himself, hears of Christ, applies to Christ, trusts in Christ, lays hold on Christ, and leans all his weight on Christ for salvation. When this happens, a man is said, in Scripture language, to “come” to Christ.
   What did our Lord mean by saying,—“I will in nowise cast him out”? He meant that He will not refuse to save any one who comes to Him, no matter what he may have been. His past sins may have been very great. His present weakness and infirmity may be very great. But does he come to Christ by faith? Then Christ will receive him graciously, pardon him freely, place him in the number of His dear children, and give him everlasting life.
   These are golden words indeed! They have smoothed down many a dying pillow, and calmed many a troubled conscience. Let them sink down deeply into our memories, and abide there continually. A day will come when flesh and heart shall fail, and the world can help us no more. Happy shall we be in that day, if the Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we have really come to Christ!
   We have, lastly, in these verses, a saying of Christ about the will of His Father. Twice over come the solemn words,—“This is the will of him that sent me.” Once we are told it is His will, “that every one that seeth the Son may have everlasting life.” Once we are told it is His will that, “of all which he has given to Christ he shall lose nothing.”
   We are taught by these words that Christ has brought into the world a salvation open and free to everyone. Our Lord draws a picture of it, from the story of the bronze serpent, by which bitten Israelites in the wilderness were healed. Every one that chose to “look” at the bronze serpent might live. Just in the same way, every one who desires eternal life may “look” at Christ by faith, and have it freely. There is no barrier, no limit, no restriction. The terms of the Gospel are wide and simple. Every one may “look and live.”
   We are taught, furthermore, that Christ will never allow any soul that is committed to Him to be lost and cast away. He will keep it safe, from grace to glory, in spite of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Not one bone of His mystical body shall ever be broken. Not one lamb of His flock shall ever be left behind in the wilderness. He will raise to glory, in the last day, the whole flock entrusted to His charge, and not one shall be found missing.
   Let the true Christian feed on the truths contained in this passage, and thank God for them. Christ the Bread of life,—Christ the Receiver of all who come to Him,—Christ the Preserver of all believers,—Christ is for every man who is willing to believe on Him, and Christ is the eternal possession of all who so believe. Surely this is glad tidings and good news!

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007), 3:367–370

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

The Great Discovery

Glorious God,

I bless thee that I know thee.
I once lived in the world, but was ignorant
      of its Creator,
   was partaker of thy providences, but knew not
      the Provider
   was blind while enjoying the sunlight,
   was deaf to all things spiritual, with voices
      all around me,
   understood many things, but had no knowledge
      of thy ways,
   saw the world, but did not see Jesus only.
O happy day, when in thy love’s sovereignty
   thou didst look down on me, and call me by grace.
Then did the dead heart begin to beat,
   the darkened eye glimmer with light,
   the dull ear catch thy echo,
   and I turned to thee and found thee,
   a God ready to hear, willing to save.
Then did I find my heart at enmity to thee,
   vexing thy Spirit;
Then did I fall at thy feet and hear thee thunder,
   ‘The soul that sinneth, it must die’,
But when grace made me to know thee,
   and admire a God who hated sin,
   thy terrible justice held my will submissive.
My thoughts were then as knives cutting my head.
Then didst thou come to me in silken robes of love,
   and I saw thy Son dying that I might live,
   and in that death I found my all.
My soul doth sing at the remembrance of
   that peace;
The gospel cornet brought a sound unknown
   to me before that reached my heart — and I lived —
   never to lose my hold on Christ or his hold on me.
Grant that I may always weep to the praise of
      mercy found,
   and tell others as long as I live,
   that thou art a sin-pardoning God,
   taking the blasphemer and the ungodly,
   and washing them from their deepest stain.

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

John 5:30–39

I can do nothing on My own initiative As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Witness of John the Baptist

Witness of the Works of Christ

Witness of the Father

Witness of the Scriptures

In these verses we see the proof of our Lord Jesus Christ being the promised Messiah, set forth before the Jews in one view. Four different witnesses are brought forward. Four kinds of evidence are offered. His Father in heaven,—His forerunner, John the Baptist,—the miraculous works He had done,—the Scriptures, which the Jews professed to honour,—each and all are named by our Lord, as testifying that He was the Christ, the Son of God. Hard must those hearts have been which could hear such testimony; and yet remain unmoved! But it only proves the truth of the old saying,—that unbelief does not arise so much from lack of evidence, as from lack of will to believe.
   Let us observe for one thing in this passage, the honour Christ puts on His faithful servants. See how He speaks of John the Baptist.—“He bore witness of the truth;”—“He was a burning and a shining light.” John had probably passed away from his earthly labours when these words were spoken. He had been persecuted, imprisoned, and put to death by Herod,—none interfering, none trying to prevent his murder. But this murdered disciple was not forgotten by his Divine Master. If no one else remembered him, Jesus did. He had honoured Christ, and Christ honoured him.
   These things ought not to be overlooked. They are written to teach us that Christ cares for all His believing people, and never forgets them. Forgotten and despised by the world, perhaps, they are never forgotten by their Saviour. He knows where they dwell, and what their trials are. A book of remembrance is written for them. “Their tears are all in His bottle.” (Psalm lvi. 8.) Their names are engraved on the palms of His hands. He notices all they do for Him in this evil world, though they think it not worth notice, and He will confess it one day publicly, before His Father and the holy angels. He that bore witness to John the Baptist never changes. Let believers remember this. In their worst estate they may boldly say with David,—“I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me.” (Psalm xl. 17.)
   Let us observe, for another thing, the honour Christ puts upon miracles, as an evidence of His being the Messiah. He says,—“The works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me.”
   The miracles of the Lord receive far less attention, in the present day, as proofs of His Divine mission, than they ought to do. Too many regard them with a silent incredulity, as things which, not having seen, they cannot be expected to care for. Not a few openly avow that they do not believe in the possibility of such things as miracles, and would like to strike them out of the Bible as weak stories, which, like burdensome lumber, should be cast overboard, to lighten the ship.
   But, after all, there is no getting over the fact, that in the days when our Lord was upon earth, His miracles produced an immense effect on the minds of men. They aroused attention to Him who worked them. They excited inquiry, if they did not convert. They were so many, so public, and so incapable of being explained away, that our Lord’s enemies could only say that they were done by satanic agency. That they were done, they could not deny. “This man,” they said, “doeth many miracles.” (John xi. 47.) The facts which wise men pretend to deny now, no one pretended to deny eighteen hundred years ago.
   Let the enemies of the Bible take our Lord’s last and greatest miracle—His own resurrection from the dead—and disprove it if they can. When they have done that, it will be time to consider what they say about miracles in general. They have never answered the evidence of it yet, and they never will. Let the friends of the Bible not be moved by objections against miracles, until that one miracle has been fairly disposed of. If that is proved unassailable, they need not care much for quibbling arguments against other miracles. If Christ did really rise from the dead by His own power, there is none of His mighty works which man need hesitate to believe.
   Let us observe, lastly, in these verses, the honour that Christ puts upon the Scriptures. He refers to them in concluding His list of evidences, as the great witnesses to Him. “Search the Scriptures,” He says: “these are they which testify of me.”
   The “Scriptures” of which our Lord speaks are of course the Old Testament. And His words show the important truth which too many are apt to overlook, that every part of our Bibles is meant to teach us about Christ. Christ is not merely in the Gospels and Epistles. Christ is to be found directly and indirectly in the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets. In the promises to Adam, Abraham, Moses, and David,—in the types and emblems of the ceremonial law,—in the predictions of Isaiah and the other prophets,—Jesus, the Messiah, is everywhere to be found in the Old Testament.
   How is it that men see these things so little? The answer is plain. They do not “search the Scriptures.” They do not dig into that wondrous mine of wisdom and knowledge, and seek to become acquainted with its contents. Simple, regular reading of our Bibles is the grand secret of establishment in the faith. Ignorance of the Scriptures is the root of all error.
   And now what will men believe, if they do not believe the Divine mission of Christ? Great indeed is the obstinacy of infidelity. A cloud of witnesses testify that Jesus was the Son of God. To talk of lacking evidence is childish folly. The plain truth is, that the chief seat of unbelief is the heart. Many do not wish to believe, and therefore remain unbelievers.

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007), 3:300–302

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Amazing Grace

O thou giving God,

My heart is drawn out in thankfulness
      to thee,
   for thy amazing grace and condescension
      to me
   in influences and assistances of thy Spirit,
   for special help in prayer,
   for the sweetness of Christian service,
   for the thoughts of arriving in heaven,
   for always sending me needful supplies,
   for raising me new to life when I am
      like one dead.
I want not the favor of man to lean upon
   for thy favor is infinitely better.
Thou art eternal wisdom in dispensations
   towards me;
   and it matters not when, nor where, nor how
      I serve thee,
   nor what trials I am exercised with,
   if I might but be prepared for thy work and will.
No poor creature stands in need of divine grace
   more than I do,
And yet none abuses it more than I have done
   and still do.
How heartless and dull am I!
Humble me in the dust for mot loving thee more.
Every time I exercise any grace renewedly
   I renewedly indebted to thee,
   the God of all grace, for special assistance.
I cannot boast when I think how dependent
   I am on thee for the being and every act
      of grace;
I never do anything but depart from thee,
   and if I ever get to heaven it will be because
      thou willest it, and for no reason beside.
I love, as a feeble, afflicted, despised creature,
   to cast myself on thy infinite grace and goodness,
   hoping for no happiness but from thee;
Give me special grace fit me for special services,
   and keep me calm and resigned at all times,
   humble, solemn, mortified,
   and conformed to thy will.

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

John 4:27–30
Christ Witnesses to the Disciples

At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.

These verses continue the well-known story of the Samaritan woman’s conversion. Short as the passage may appear, it contains points of deep interest and importance. The mere worldling, who cares, nothing about experimental religion, may see nothing particular in these verses. To all who desire to know something of the experience of a converted person, they will be found full of food for thought.
   We see, firstly, in this passage, how marvelous in the eyes of man are Christ’s dealings with souls. We are told that the disciples “marvelled that he talked with the woman.” That their Master should take the trouble to talk to a woman at all, and to a Samaritan woman, and to a strange woman at a well, when He was wearied with His journey,—all this was amazing to the eleven disciples. It was a sort of thing which they did not expect. It was contrary to their idea of what a religious teacher should do. It startled them and filled them with surprise.
   The feeling displayed by the disciples on this occasion, does not stand alone in the Bible. When our Lord allowed publicans and sinners to draw near to Him and be in His company, the Pharisees marvelled. They exclaimed, “This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.” (Luke xv. 2.)—When Saul came back from Damascus, a converted man and a new creature, the Christians at Jerusalem were astonished. “They did not believe that he was a disciple.” (Acts ix. 26.)—When Peter was delivered from Herod’s prison by an angel, and brought to the door of the house where disciples were praying for his deliverance, they were so taken by surprise that they could not believe it was Peter. “When they saw him they were astonished.” (Acts xii. 16.)
   But why should we stop short in Bible instances? The true Christian has only to look around him in this world in order to see abundant illustrations of the truth before us. How much astonishment every fresh conversion occasions. What surprise is expressed at the change in the heart, life, tastes, and habits of the converted person! What wonder is felt at the power, the mercy, the patience, the compassion of Christ! It is now as it was eighteen hundred years ago. The dealings of Christ are still a marvel both to the Church and to the world.
   If there was more real faith on the earth, there would be less surprise felt at the conversion of souls. If Christians believed more, they would expect more, and if they understood Christ better, they would be less startled and astonished when He calls and saves the chief of sinners. We should consider nothing impossible, and regard no sinner as beyond the reach of the grace of God. The astonishment expressed at conversions is a proof of the weak faith and ignorance of these latter days. The thing that ought to fill us with surprise is the obstinate unbelief of the ungodly, and their determined perseverance in the way to ruin. This was the mind of Christ. It is written that He thanked the Father for conversions. But He marvelled at unbelief. (Matt xi. 25; Mark vi. 6.)
   We see, secondly, in this passage, how absorbing is the influence of grace, when it first comes into a believer’s heart. We are told that after our Lord had told the woman He was the Messiah, “She left her water-pot and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did.” She had left her home for the express purpose of drawing water. She had carried a large vessel to the well, intending to bring it back filled. But she found at the well a new heart, and new objects of interest. She became a new creature. Old things passed away. All things became new. At once everything else was forgotten for the time. She could think of nothing but the truths she had heard, and the Saviour she had found. In the fullness of her heart she “left her water-pot,” and hastened away to tell others.
   We see here the expulsive power of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grace once introduced into the heart drives out old tastes and interests. A converted person no longs cares for what he once cared for. A new tenant is in the house. A new pilot is at the helm. The whole world looks different. All things have become new. It was so with Matthew the tax-collector. The moment that grace came into his heart he left the receipt of custom. (Matt. ix. 9.)—It was so with Peter, James, and John, and Andrew. As soon as they were converted they forsook their nets and fishing-boats. (Mark i.19.)—It was so with Saul the Pharisee. As soon as he became a Christian he gave up all his brilliant prospects as a Jew, in order to preach the faith he had once despised. (Acts ix. 20.)—The conduct of the Samaritan woman was precisely of the same kind. For the time present the salvation she had found completely filled her mind. That she never returned for her water-pot would be more than we have a right to say. But under the first impressions of new spiritual life, she went away and “left her water-pot” behind.
   Conduct like that here described is doubtless uncommon in the present day. Rarely do we see a person so entirely taken up with spiritual matters, that attention to this world’s affairs is made a secondary matter, or postponed. And why is it so? Simply because true conversions to God are uncommon. Few really feel their sins, and flee to Christ by faith. Few really pass from death to life, and become new creatures. Yet these few are the real Christians of the world. These are the people whose religion, like the Samaritan woman’s, tells on others. Happy are they who know something by experience of this woman’s feelings, and can say with Paul, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ!” Happy are they who have given up everything for Christ’s sake, or at any rate have altered the relative importance of all things in their minds! “If thine eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Philip. iii. 8; Matt. iv. 22.)
   We see, lastly, in this passage, how zealous a truly converted person is to do good to others. We are told that the Samaritan woman “went into the city, and said to the men, Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” In the day of her conversion she became a missionary. She felt so deeply the amazing benefit she had received from Christ, that she could not hold her peace about Him. Just as Andrew told his brother Peter about Jesus, and Philip told Nathanael that he had found Messiah, and Saul, when converted, immediately preached Christ, so, in the same way, the Samaritan woman said, “Come and see Christ.” She used no abstruse arguments. She attempted no deep reasoning about our Lord’s claim to be the Messiah. She only said, “Come and see.” Out of the abundance of her heart her mouth spoke.
   That which the Samaritan woman here did, all true Christians ought to do likewise. The Church needs it. The state of the world demands it. Common sense points out that it is right. Every one who has received the grace of God, and tasted that Christ is gracious, ought to find words to testify of Christ to others. Where is our faith, if we believe that souls around us are perishing, and that Christ alone can save them, and yet remain silent? Where is our charity if we can see others going down to hell, and yet say nothing to them about Christ and salvation?—We may well doubt our own love to Christ, if our hearts are never moved to speak of Him. We may well doubt the safety of our own souls, if we feel no concern about the souls of others.
   What are we ourselves? This is the question, after all, which demands our notice. Do we feel the supreme importance of spiritual things, and the comparative nothingness of the things of the world? Do we ever talk to others about God, and Christ, and eternity, and the soul, and heaven, and hell? If not, what is the value of our faith? Where is the reality of our Christianity? Let us take heed lest we awake too late, and find that we are lost forever, a wonder to angels and devils, and, above all, a wonder to ourselves, because of our own obstinate blindness and folly.

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007), 3:227–232

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

A Christian’s Prayer

Blessed God,

Ten thousand snares are mine without
and within,
            defend thou me;
When sloth and indolence seize me,
   give me views of heaven;
When sinners entice me,
   give me disrelish for their ways;
When sensual pleasures tempt me,
   purify and refine me;
When I desire worldly possessions,
   help me to be rich toward thee;
When the vanities of the world ensnare me,
   let me not plunge into guilt and ruin.
May I remember the dignity of my spiritual release,
   never be to busy to attend my soul,
   never be so engrossed with time
      that I neglect the things of eternity;
   thus may I not only live, but grow towards thee.
Form my mind to right notions of religion,
   that I may not judge of grace by wrong
      conceptions,
   nor measure my spiritual advances by the efforts
      of my natural being.
May I seek after an increase of divine love to thee,
   after an unreserved resignation to thy will,
   after extensive benevolence to my fellow
      creatures,
   after a patience and fortitude of soul
   after a heavenly disposition
   after a concern that I may please thee in public
      and private.
Draw on my soul the lineaments of Christ,
   in every trace and feature of which thou wilt
   take delight, for I am
      thy workmanship, created in Christ Jesus,
      thy letter written in the Holy Spirit’s pen,
      thy tilled soil ready for sowing, then harvest.

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

John 2:12–25

The second miracle which our Lord is recorded to have wrought demands our attention in these verses. Like the first miracle at Cana, it is eminently typical and significant of things yet to come. To attend a marriage feast, and cleanse the temple from profanation were among the first acts of our Lord’s ministry at His first coming. To purify the whole visible Church, and hold a marriage supper, will be among His first acts, when He comes again.
   We see, for one thing, in this passage, how much Christ disapproves all irreverent behavior in the house of God.
   We are told that He drove out of the temple those whom He found selling oxen and sheep and doves within its walls,—that He poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables,—and that He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things hence, make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise!” On no occasion in our Lord’s earthly ministry do we find Him acting so energetically, and exhibiting such righteous indignation, as on the occasion now before us. Nothing seems to have called from Him such a marked display of holy wrath as the gross irreverence which the priests permitted in the temple, notwithstanding all their boasted zeal for God’s law. Twice, it will be remembered, He discovered the same profanation of His Father’s house going on, within three years, once at the beginning of His ministry and once at the end. Twice we see Him expressing his displeasure in the strongest terms. “The thing is doubled” in order to impress a lesson more strongly on our minds.
   The passage is one that ought to raise deep searchings of heart in many quarters. Are there none who profess and call themselves Christians, behaving every Sunday just as badly as these Jews? Are there none who secretly bring into the house of God their money, their lands, their houses, their cattle, and a whole train of worldly affairs? Are there none who bring their bodies only into the place of worship, and allow their hearts to wander into the ends of the earth? Are there none who are “almost in all evil, in the midst of the congregation?” (Prov. v. 14.) These are serious questions! Multitudes, it may be feared, could not give them a satisfactory answer. Christian churches and chapels, no doubt, are very unlike the Jewish temple. They are not built after a divine pattern. They have no altars or holy places. Their furniture has no typical meaning. But they are places where God’s word is read, and where Christ is specially present. The man who professes to worship in them should surely behave with reverence and respect. The man who brings his worldly matters with him when he professes to worship, is doing that which is evidently most offensive to Christ. The words which Solomon wrote by the Holy Spirit are applicable to all times, “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God.” (Eccles. v. 1.)
   We see, for another thing, in this passage, how men may remember words of religious truth long after they are spoken, and may one day see a meaning in those who at first they did not see.
   We are told that our Lord said to the Jews, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” St. John informs us distinctly that “He spake of the temple of His body,” that he referred to His own resurrection. Yet the meaning of the sentence was not understood by our Lord’s disciples at the time that it was spoken. It was not until “He was risen from the dead,” three years after the events here described, that the full significance of the sentence flashed on their hearts. For three years it was a dark and useless saying to them. For three years it lay sleeping in their minds, like a seed in a tomb, and bore no fruit. But at the end of that time the darkness passed away. They saw the application of their Master’s words, and as they saw it were confirmed in their faith. “They remembered that He had said this,” and as they remembered “they believed.”
   It is a comfortable and cheering thought, that the same kind of thing that happened to the disciples is often going on at the present day. The sermons that are preached to apparently heedless ears in churches, are not all lost and thrown away. The instruction that is given in schools and pastoral visits, is not all wasted and forgotten. The texts that are taught by parents to children are not all taught in vain. There is often a resurrection of sermons, and texts, and instruction, after an interval of many years. The good seed sometimes springs up after he that sowed it has been long dead and gone. Let preachers go on preaching, and teachers go on teaching, and parents go on training up children in the way they should go. Let them sow the good seed of Bible truth in faith and patience. Their labour is not in vain in the Lord. Their words are remembered far more than they think, and will yet spring up “after many days.” (1 Cor. xv. 58; Eccles. xi. 1.)
   We see, lastly, in this passage, how perfect is our Lord Jesus Christ’s knowledge of the human heart.
   We are told that when our Lord was at Jerusalem, the first time, He “did not commit Himself” to those who professed belief in Him. He knew that they were not to be depended on. They were astonished at the miracles which they saw Him work. They were even intellectually convinced that He was the Messiah, whom they had long expected. But they were not “disciples indeed.” (John viii. 31.) They were not converted, and true believers. Their hearts were not right in the sight of God, though their feelings were excited. Their inward man was not renewed, whatever they might profess with their lips. Our Lord knew that nearly all of them were stony-ground hearers. (Luke viii. 13.) As soon as tribulation or persecution arose because of the word, their so-called faith would probably wither away and come to an end. All this our Lord saw clearly, if others around Him did not. Andrew, and Peter, and John, and Philip, and Nathanael, perhaps wondered that their Master did not receive these seeming believers with open arms. But they could only judge things by the outward appearance. Their Master could read hearts. “He knew what was in man.”
   The truth now before us, is one which ought to make hypocrites and false professors tremble. They may deceive men, but they cannot deceive Christ. They may wear a cloak of religion, and appear, like whited sepulchers, beautiful in the eyes of men. But the eyes of Christ see their inward rottenness, and the judgment of Christ will surely overtake them, except they repent. Christ is already reading their hearts, and as He reads He is displeased. They are known in heaven, if they are not known on earth, and they will be known at length to their shame, before assembled worlds, if they die unchanged. It is written, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” (Rev. iii. 1.)
   But the truth before us has two sides, like the pillar of cloud and fire at the Red sea. (Exod. xiv. 20.) If it looks darkly on hypocrites, it looks brightly on true believers. If it threatens wrath to false professors, it speaks peace to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. A real Christian may be weak, but he is true. One thing, at any rate, the servant of Christ can say, when cast down by a sense of his own infirmity, or pained by the slander of a lying world. He can say, “Lord, I am a poor sinner, but I am in earnest, I am true. Thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. Thou knowest all hearts, and thou knowest that, weak as my heart is, it is a heart that cleaves to thee.” The false Christian shrinks from the eye of an all-seeing Saviour. The true Christian desires his Lord’s eye to be on him morning, noon, and night. He has nothing to hide.

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007), 3:102–106

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

KEPT BY GOD

Jehovah God,

Thou Creator, Upholder, Proprietor of all
things,
I cannot escape from thy presence or control,
   nor do I desire to do so.
My privilege is to be under the agency of
   omnipotence, righteousness, wisdom,
   patience, mercy, grace.
Thou art love with more than parental affection;
I admire thy heart, adore thy wisdom,
   stand in awe of thy power, abase myself before
      thy purity.
It is the discovery of thy goodness alone that can
   banish my fear,
   allure me into thy presence,
   help me to bewail and confess my sins.
When I review my past guilt
   and am conscious of my present unworthiness
      I tremble to come to thee,
      I whose foundation is in the dust,
      I who have condemned thy goodness,
         defied thy power,
         trampled upon thy love,
         rendered myself worthy of eternal death.
But my recovery cannot spring from any cause
   in me,
   I can destroy but cannot save myself.
Yet thou hast laid help on One that is mighty,
   for there is mercy with thee,
   and exceeding riches in thy kindness
      through Jesus.
May I always feel my need of him.
Let thy restored joy be my strength;
May it keep me from lusting after the world,
   bear up heart and mind in loss of comforts,
   enliven me in the valley of death,
   work in me the image of the heavenly,
   and give me to enjoy the first fruits of spirituality,
      such as angels and departed saints know.

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

John 1:15–18
15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

The passage before us contains three great declarations about our Lord Jesus Christ. Each of the three is among the foundation principles of Christianity.
   We are taught, firstly, that it is Christ alone who supplies all the spiritual wants of all believers. It is written that “of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.”
   There is an infinite fulness in Jesus Christ. As St. Paul says, “It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.”—“In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Coloss. i. 19; ii. 8.) There is laid up in Him, as in a treasury, a boundless supply of all that any sinner can need, either in time or eternity. The Spirit of Life is His special gift to the Church, and conveys from Him, as from a great root, sap and vigour to all the believing branches. He is rich in mercy, grace, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Out of Christ’s fulness, all believers in every age of the world, have been supplied. They did not clearly understand the fountain from which their supplies flowed, in Old Testament times. The Old Testament saints only saw Christ afar off, and not face to face. But from Abel downwards, all saved souls have received all they have had from Jesus Christ alone. Every saint in glory will at last acknowledge that he is Christ’s debtor for all he is. Jesus will prove to have been all in all.
   We are taught, secondly, the vast superiority of Christ to Moses, and of the Gospel to the Law. It is written that “the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
   Moses was employed by God “as a servant,” to convey to Israel the moral and ceremonial law. (Heb. iii. 5.) As a servant, he was faithful to Him who appointed him, but he was only a servant. The moral law, which he brought down from Mount Sinai, was holy, and just, and good. But it could not justify. It had no healing power. It could wound, but it could not bind up. It “worked wrath.” (Rom. iv. 15.) It pronounced a curse against any imperfect obedience.—The ceremonial law, which he was commanded to impose on Israel, was full of deep meaning and typical instruction. Its ordinances and ceremonies made it an excellent schoolmaster to guide men toward Christ. (Gal. iii. 24.) But the ceremonial law was only a schoolmaster. It could not make him that kept it perfect, as pertaining to the conscience. (Heb. ix. 9.) It laid a grievous yoke on men’s hearts, which they were not able to bear. It wag a ministration of death and condemnation. (2 Cor. iii 7—9.) The light which men got from Moses and the law was at best only starlight compared to noon-day.
   Christ, on the other hand, came into the world “as a Son,” with the keys of God’s treasury of grace and truth entirely in His hands. (Heb. iii. 6.) Grace came by Him, when He made fully known God’s gracious plan of salvation, by faith in His own blood, and opened the fountain of mercy to all the world.—Truth came by Him, when He fulfilled in His own Person the types of the Old Testament, and revealed Himself as the true Sacrifice, the true mercy-seat, and the true Priest. No doubt there was much of “grace and truth” under the law of Moses. But the whole of God’s grace, and the whole truth about redemption, were never known until Jesus came into the world, and died for sinners.
   We are taught, thirdly, that it is Christ alone who has revealed God the father to man. It is written that “no man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
   The eye of mortal man has never beheld God the Father. No man could bear the right. Even to Moses it was said, “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” (Exod. xxxiii. 20.) Yet all that mortal man is capable of knowing about God the Father is fully revealed to us by God the Son. He, who was in the bosom of the Father from all eternity, has been pleased to take our nature upon Him, and to exhibit to us in the form of man, all that our minds can comprehend of the Father’s perfections. In Christ’s words, and deeds, and life, and death, we learn as much concerning God the Father as our feeble minds can at present bear. His perfect wisdom,—His almighty power,—His unspeakable love to sinners,—His incomparable holiness,— His hatred of sin, could never be represented to our eyes more clearly than we see them in Christ’s life and death. In truth, “God was manifest in the flesh,” when the Word took on Him a body. “He was the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of His person.” He says Himself, “I and my Father are one.” “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” “In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Coloss. ii. 9.) These are deep and mysterious things. But they are true. (1 Tim. iii. 16; Heb. i. 3; John x. 30; xiv. 9.)
   And now, after reading this passage, can we ever give too much honour to Christ? Can we ever think too highly of Him? Let us banish the unworthy thought from our minds for ever. Let us learn to exalt Him more in our hearts, and to rest more confidingly the whole weight of our souls in His hands. Men may easily fall into error about the three Persons in the holy Trinity if they do not carefully adhere to the teaching of Scripture. But no man ever errs on the side of giving too much honour to God the Son. Christ is the meeting-point between the Trinity and the sinner’s soul. “He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which sent Him.” (John v. 23.)

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007), 3:34–37

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

LIVING FOR JESUS

O Saviour of Sinners,

Thy name is excellent,
thy glory high,
        thy compassions unfailing,
        thy condescension wonderful,
        thy mercy tender.
I bless thee for the discoveries, invitations,
      promises of the gospel
   for in them is pardon for rebels,
      liberty for captives,
      health for the sick,
      salvation for the lost.
I come to thee in thy beloved name of Jesus;
   re-impress thy image upon my soul;
Raise me above the smiles and frowns of the world,
   regarding it as a light thing to be judged by men;
May thy approbation be my only aim,
   thy Word my one rule.
Make me to abhor that which grieves thy
      Holy Spirit,
   to suspect consolations of a worldly nature,
   to shun a careless way of life,
   to reprove evil,
   to instruct with meekness those who oppose me,
   to be gentle and patient towards all men,
   to be not only a professor but an example
      of the gospel,
   displaying in every relation, office, and condition
      its excellency, loveliness and advantages.
How little have I illustrated my principles
   and improved my privileges!
How seldom I served my generation!
How often have I injured and not recommended
   my Redeemer!
How few are those blessed through me!
In many things I have offended,
   in all come short of thy glory;
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

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

Psalme 119:153–160
(Geneva Bible)
Resh.
153 Beholde mine affliction, and deliuer mee: for I haue not forgotten thy Lawe.
154 Pleade my cause, and deliuer me: quicken me according vnto thy word.
155 Saluation is farre from the wicked, because they seeke not thy statutes.
156 Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to thy iudgements.
157 My persecutours and mine oppressours are many: yet doe I not swarue from thy testimonies.
158 I saw the transgressours and was grieued, because they kept not thy worde.
159 Consider, O Lord, how I loue thy preceptes: quicken mee according to thy louing kindenesse.
160 The beginning of thy worde is trueth, and all the iudgements of thy righteousnesse endure for euer.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

BELONGING TO JESUS

O Heavenly Father.

Teach me to see
that if Christ has pacified thee and
            satisfied divine justice
      he can also deliver me from my sins;
   that Christ does not desire me, now justified,
      to live in self-confidence in my own strength,
      but gives me the law of the spirit of life
      to enable me to obey thee;
   that the spirit and his power are mine
      by resting on Christ’s death;
   that the spirit of life within answers to
      the law without;
   that if I sin not I should thank thee for it;
   that if I sin I should be humbled daily under it;
   that I should mourn for sin more than other
         men do,
      for when I see I shall die because of sin,
         that makes me mourn;
      when I see that sin caused Christ’s death,
         that makes me mourn;
   that sanctification is the evidence of reconciliation,
      proving that faith has truly apprehended Christ;
Thou hast taught me
   that faith is nothing else than receiving thy
      kindness;
   that it is an adherence to Christ, a resting on him,
      love clinging to him as a branch to a tree,
      to seek life and vigor to him.
I thank thee for showing me the vast difference
   between knowing things by reason,
   and knowing them by the spirit of faith.
By reason I see a thing is so;
   by faith I know it is as it is.
I have seen thee by reason and have not
   been amazed,
I have seen thee as thou art in thy Son and have
   been ravished to behold thee.
I bless thee that I am thine in my Savior,
   Jesus.

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

Psalme 119:105–112
(Geneva Bible)
Nun.
105 Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete, and a light vnto my path.
106 I haue sworne and will performe it, that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements.
107 I am very sore afflicted: O Lord, quicken me according to thy word.
108 O Lord, I beseeche thee accept the free offerings of my mouth, and teach mee thy iudgements.
109 My soule is continually in mine hande: yet doe I not forget thy Lawe.
110 The wicked haue layed a snare for mee: but I swarued not from thy precepts.
111 Thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer: for they are the ioy of mine heart.
112 I haue applied mine heart to fulfill thy statutes alway, euen vnto the ende.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

FREEDOM

O Holy Father, thou hast freely given thy Son,
O Divine Son, thou hast freely paid my debt,
O Eternal Spirit, thou hast freely bid me come,
O Triune God, thou dost freely grace me with salvation.

Prayers and tears could not suffice to pardon
my sins,
   nor anything less than atoning blood,
   but my believing is my receiving,
   for a thankful acceptance is no paying of the debt.
What didst thou see in me?
   that I a poor, diseased, despised sinner
      should be clothed in thy bright glory?
   that a creeping worm
      should be advanced to this high state?
   that one lately groaning, weeping, dying,
      should be as full of joy as my heart can hold?
   that a being of dust and darkness
   should be taken like Mordecai from captivity,
      and set next to the king?
   should be lifted like Daniel from a den
      and be made ruler of princes and provinces?
Who can fathom immeasurable love?
As far as the rational soul exceeds the senses,
   so does the spirit exceed the rational in its
      knowledge of thee.
Thou hast given me understanding to compass
      the earth,
   measure the sun, moon, stars, universe,
   but above all to know thee, the only true God.
I marvel that the finite can know the Infinite,
   here a little, afterwards in full-orbed truth;
Now I know but a small portion of what
      I shall know,
   here in part, there in perfection,
   here a glimpse, there a glory.
To enjoy thee is life eternal,
   and to enjoy is to know
Keep me in the freedom of experiencing thy
   salvation continually.

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

Psalme 119:57–64
(Geneva Bible)
Cheth.
57 O Lord, that art my portion, I haue determined to keepe thy wordes.
58 I made my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart: be mercifull vnto me according to thy promise.
59 I haue considered my waies, and turned my feete into thy testimonies.
60 I made haste and delaied not to keepe thy commandements.
61 The bandes of the wicked haue robbed me: but I haue not forgotten thy Lawe.
62 At midnight will I rise to giue thanks vnto thee, because of thy righteous iudgements.
63 I am companion of all them that feare thee, and keepe thy precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercie: teache me thy statutes.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

VICTORY

O Divine Redeemer,

Great was thy goodness
in undertaking my redemption,
         in consenting to be made sin for me,
         in conquering all my foes;
Great was thy strength
   in enduring the extremities of divine wrath
   in taking away the load of my iniquities
Great was thy love
   in manifesting thyself alive,
   in showing thy sacred wounds,
      that every fear might vanish,
      and every doubt be removed;
Great was thy mercy
   in ascending to heaven
   in being crowned and enthroned
      there to intercede for me,
      there to succour me in temptation,
      there to open the eternal book,
      there to receive me finally to thyself;
Great was thy wisdom
   in devising this means of salvation;
Bathe my soul in rich consolations
   of thy resurrection life;
Great was thy grace
   in commanding me to come hand in hand
      with thee to the Father,
      to be knit to him eternally,
      to discover in him my rest,
      to find in him my peace,
      to behold his glory,
      to honor him who is alone worthy;
   in giving me the Spirit as teacher, guide,
      power,
   that I may live repenting of sin,
   conquer Satan,
   find victory in life.
When thou art absent all sorrows are here,
When thou art present all blessings are mine.

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

Psalme 119:9–16
(Geneva Bible)
Beth.
9 Wherewith shall a yong man redresse his waie? in taking heede thereto according to thy woorde.
10 With my whole heart haue I sought thee: let me not wander from thy commandements.
11 I haue hid thy promise in mine heart, that I might not sinne against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teache mee thy statutes.
13 With my lippes haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth.
14 I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies, as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy waies.
16 I will delite in thy statutes, and I will not forget thy worde.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE LIFE LOOK

O God,

I bless thee for the happy moment
when I first saw thy love fulfilled in Christ;
   wrath appeased, death destroyed, sin forgiven,
      my soul saved.
Ever since, thou hast been faithful to me:
   daily have I proved the power of Jesus‘ blood,
   daily have I known the strength on the Spirit,
      my teacher, director, sanctifier.
I want no other rock to build upon than that I have,
   desire no other hope than that of gospel truth,
   need no other look than that which gazes
      on the cross.
Forgive me if I have tried to add anything
      to the one foundation,
   if I have unconsciously relied upon my knowledge,
   experience, deeds, and not seen them
      as filthy rags,
   if I have attempted to complete what is perfect
      in Christ;
May my cry be always, Only Jesus! only Jesus!
In him is freedom from condemnation,
   fullness in his righteousness,
   eternal vitality in his given life,
   indissoluble union in fellowship with him;
In him I have all that I can hold;
   enlarge me to take in more.
If I backslide,
   let me like Peter weep bitterly and return to him;
If I am tempted, and have no wit,
   give me strength enough to trust in him;
If I am weak,
   may I faint upon his bosom of eternal love;
If in extrremity,
   let me feel that he can deliver me;
If driven to the verge of hope and to the pit
      of despair,
   grant me grace to fall into his arms.
O God, hear me, do for me more
   than I ask, think or dream.

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

Psalme 63
(Geneva Bible)
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

A CONVERT’S FIRST PRAYER

My Father,

I could never have sought my happiness
in thy love,
   unless thou had’st first loved me.
Thy Spirit has encouraged me by grace to seek thee,
   has made known to me thy reconciliation in Jesus,
   has taught me to believe it,
   has helped me to take thee for my God
      and portion.
May he grant me to grow in the knowledge
      and experience of thy love,
   and walk in it all the way to glory.
Blessed for ever be thy fatherly affection,
   which chose me to be one of thy children
   by faith in Jesus:
I thank thee for giving me the desire to live as such.
In Jesus, my brother, I have my new birth,
      every restraining power,
      every renewing grace.
It is by thy Spirit I call thee Father,
      believe in thee, love thee;
Strengthen me inwardly for every purpose
      of my Christian life;
Let the Spirit continually reveal to me my interest
      in Christ,
      and open to me the riches of thy love in him;
May he abide in me that I may know my union
      with Jesus,
      and enter into constant fellowship with him;
By thy Spirit may I daily live to thee,
      rejoice in thy love,
      find it the same to me as to thy Son,
      and become rooted and grounded in it
         as a house on rock;
I know but little —
      increase my knowledge of thy love in Jesus,
      keep me pressing forward for clearer discoveries
         of it,
      so that I may find its eternal fullness;
Magnify thy love to me according to its greatness,
      and not according to my deserts or prayers,
      and whatever increase thou givest,
      let it draw out greater love to thee.

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

Psalme 21
(Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid.
1 The King shall reioyce in thy strength, O Lord: yea how greatly shall he reioyce in thy saluation!
2 Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire, and hast not denyed him the request of his lips. Selah.
3 For thou diddest preuent him with liberall blessings, and didest set a crowne of pure gold vpon his head.
4 He asked life of thee, and thou gauest him a long life for euer and euer.
5 His glory is great in thy saluation: dignitie and honour hast thou laid vpon him.
6 For thou hast set him as blessings for euer: thou hast made him glad with the ioy of thy countenance.
7 Because the King trusteth in the Lord, and in the mercie of the most High, he shall not slide.
8 Thine hand shall finde out all thine enemies, and thy right hand shall finde out them that hate thee.
9 Thou shalt make them like a fierie ouen in time of thine anger: the Lord shall destroy them in his wrath, and the fire shall deuoure them.
10 Their fruite shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seede from the children of men.
11 For they intended euill against thee, and imagined mischiefe, but they shall not preuaile.
12 Therefore shalt thou put them aparte, and the strings of thy bowe shalt thou make readie against their faces.
13 Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy strength: so will we sing and prayse thy power.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

ASSURANCE

Almighty God,

I am loved with everlasting love,
clothed in eternal righteousness,
         my peace flowing like a river,
         my comforts many and large,
         my joy and triumph unutterable,
         my soul lively with a knowledge of salvation,
         my sense of justification unclouded.
I have scarce anything to pray for;
Jesus smiles upon my soul as a ray of heaven
   and my supplications are swallowed up in praise.
How sweet is the glorious doctrine of election
   when based upon thy Word
   and wrought inwardly within the soul!
I bless thee that thou wilt keep the sinner
      thou hast loved,
   and hast engaged that he will not forsake thee,
   else I would never get to heaven.
I wrong the grace in my heart
   if I deny my new nature and my eternal life.
If Jesus were not my righteousness and redemption,
   I would sink into nethermost hell
   by my misdoings, shortcomings, unbelief, unlove;
If Jesus were not by the the power of his spirit
   my sanctification,
   there is no sin I should not commit.
O when shall I have his mind!
   when shall I be conformed to his image?
All the good things of life are less than nothing
   when compared with his love,
   and with one glimpse of thy electing favor.
All the treasures of a million worlds could not
   make me richer, happier, more contented,
   for his unsearchable riches are mine.
One moment of communion with him, one view
   of his grace,
   is ineffable, inestimable.
But O God, I could not long after thy presence
   if I did not know the sweetness of it;
   and such I could not know except by the Spirit
   in my heart, nor love thee at all unless thou didst
   elect me,
   call me,
   adopt me,
   save me.
I bless thee for the covenant of grace.

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

Psalme 129
(Geneva Bible)
A song of degrees.
1 They haue often times afflicted me from my youth (may Israel nowe say)
2 They haue often times afflicted me from my youth: but they could not preuaile against me.
3 The plowers plowed vpon my backe, and made long furrowes.
4 But the righteous Lord hath cut the cordes of the wicked.
5 They that hate Zion, shalbe all ashamed and turned backward.
6 They shalbe as the grasse on the house tops, which withereth afore it commeth forth.
7 Whereof the mower filleth not his hand, neither the glainer his lap:
8 Neither they, which go by, say, The blessing of the Lord be vpon you, or, We blesse you in the Name of the Lord.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

ELECTION

Holy Trinity,

All praise to thee for electing me
to salvation,
   by foreknowledge of God the Father,
   through sanctification of the Spirit,
   unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood
      of Jesus;
I adore the wonders of thy condescending love,
   marvel at the true believer’s high privilege
   within whom all heaven comes to dwell,
   abiding in God and God in him;
I believe it, help me experience it to the full.
Continue to teach me that Christ’s righteousness
   satisfies justice and evidences thy love;
Help me to make use of it by faith as the ground
   of my peace
   and thy favour and acceptance,
   so that I may live always near the cross.

It is not feeling the Spirit that proves
   my saved state but the truth of what
   Christ did perfectly for me;
All holiness in him by faith made mine.
   as if I had done it;
Therefore I see the use of his righteousness,
   for satisfaction to divine justice and making
      me righteous.
It is not inner sensation that makes Christ’s death
      mine
   for that may be delusion, being without the Word,
   but hes death apprehended by my faith,
   and so testified by Word and Spirit.
I bless thee for these lively exercises of faith,
   for the righteousness that is mine in Jesus,
   for grace to resign my will to thee;
I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal,
   and I love to leave them there.
Then prayer turns wholly into praise,
   and all I can do is to adore and love thee.
I want not the favour of man to lean upon,
   for I know that thy electing grace
      is infinitely better.

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

Psalme 74
(Geneva Bible)
A Psalme to give instruction, committed to Asaph.
1 O God, why hast thou put vs away for euer? why is thy wrath kindled against the sheepe of thy pasture?
2 Thinke vpon thy Congregation, which thou hast possessed of olde, and on the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, and on this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift vp thy strokes, that thou mayest for euer destroy euery enemie that doeth euill to the Sanctuarie.
4 Thine aduersaries roare in the middes of thy Congregation, and set vp their banners for signes.
5 He that lifted the axes vpon the thicke trees, was renowmed, as one, that brought a thing to perfection:
6 But nowe they breake downe the carued worke thereof with axes and hammers.
7 They haue cast thy Sanctuarie into the fire, and rased it to the grounde, and haue defiled the dwelling place of thy Name.
8 They saide in their hearts, Let vs destroy them altogether: they haue burnt all the Synagogues of God in the land.
9 We see not our signes: there is not one Prophet more, nor any with vs that knoweth howe long.
10 O God, howe long shall the aduersarie reproche thee? shall the enemie blaspheme thy Name for euer?
11 Why withdrawest thou thine hand, euen thy right hand? drawe it out of thy bosome, and consume them.
12 Euen God is my King of olde, working saluation in the middes of the earth.
13 Thou didest deuide the sea by thy power: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou brakest the head of Liuiathan in pieces, and gauest him to be meate for the people in wildernesse.
15 Thou brakest vp the fountaine and riuer: thou dryedst vp mightie riuers.
16 The day is thine, and the night is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sunne.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemie hath reproched the Lord, and the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name.
19 Giue not the soule of thy turtle doue vnto the beast, and forget not the Congregation of thy poore for euer.
20 Consider thy couenant: for the darke places of the earth are full of the habitations of the cruell.
21 Oh let not the oppressed returne ashamed, but let the poore and needie prayse thy Name.
22 Arise, O God: mainteine thine owne cause: remember thy dayly reproche by the foolish man.
23 Forget not the voyce of thine enemies: for the tumult of them, that rise against thee, ascendeth continually.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

RESURRECTION

O God of my Exodus,

reat was the joy of Israel‘s sons, when Egypt died upon the shore,

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

salme 141
(Geneva Bible)
A Psalme of David.
1 O Lord, I call vpon thee: haste thee vnto me: heare my voyce, when I cry vnto thee.
2 Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense, and the lifting vp of mine hands as an euening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keepe the doore of my lips.
4 Incline not mine heart to euill, that I should commit wicked workes with men that worke iniquitie: and let me not eate of their delicates.
5 Let the righteous smite me: for that is a benefite: and let him reprooue me, and it shalbe a precious oyle, that shall not breake mine head: for within a while I shall euen pray in their miseries.
6 When their iudges shall be cast downe in stonie places, they shall heare my wordes, for they are sweete.
7 Our bones lye scattered at the graues mouth, as he that heweth wood or diggeth in the earth.
8 But mine eyes looke vnto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my trust: leaue not my soule destitute.
9 Keepe me from the snare, which they haue layde for me, and from the grennes of the workers of iniquitie.
10 Let the wicked fall into his nettes together, whiles I escape.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

REGENERATION

O God of the highest heaven,

ccupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme,
   lay low every rebel lust,
   let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
   manifest thy mighty power,
      and make me thine forever.
Thou art worthy to be
   praised with my every breath,
   loved with my every faculty of soul,
   served with my every act of life.
Thou hast loved me, espoused me, received me,
   purchased, washed, favored, clothed,
      adorned me,
   when I was a worthless, vile soiled, polluted.
I was dead in iniquities,
   having no eyes to see thee,
   no ears to hear thee,
   no taste to relish thy joys,
   no intelligence to know thee;
But thy Spirit has quickened me,
   has brought me into a new world as a
      new creature,
   has given me spiritual perception,
   has opened to me thy Word as light, guide,
      solace, joy.
Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me form thy sympathy,
   for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
   and dost forgive me daily, hourly.
O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
   of my hopes, and my vocation.
Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
Let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
   hold converse with thee,
That I may be salt of the earth
   and a blessing to all.

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

salme 41
(Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid.
1 Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore: the Lord shall deliuer him in ye time of trouble.
2 The Lord will keepe him, and preserue him aliue: he shalbe blessed vpon the earth, and thou wilt not deliuer him vnto the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord wil strengthen him vpon ye bed of sorow: thou hast turned al his bed in his sicknes.
4 Therefore I saide, Lord haue mercie vpon me: heale my soule, for I haue sinned against thee.
5 Mine enemies speake euill of me, saying, When shall he die, and his name perish?
6 And if hee come to see mee, hee speaketh lies, but his heart heapeth iniquitie within him, and when he commeth foorth, he telleth it.
7 All they that hate me, whisper together against me: euen against me do they imagine mine hurt.
8 A mischiefe is light vpon him, and he that lyeth, shall no more rise.
9 Yea, my familiar friend, whom I trusted, which did eate of my bread, hath lifted vp the heele against me.
10 Therefore, O Lord, haue mercy vpon mee, and raise me vp: so I shall reward them.
11 By this I know that thou fauourest me, because mine enemie doth not triumph against me.
12 And as for me, thou vpholdest me in mine integritie, and doest set me before thy face for euer.
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel worlde without ende. So be it, euen so be it.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

DELIVERANCE

O God of unsearchable greatness,

efore thee I am nothing but vanity, iniquity,
perishing;
Sin has forfeited thy favor,
stripped me of thy image,
banished me from thy presence,
exposed me to the curse of thy law;

I cannot deliver myself, and am in despair.
But a resource is found in thee,
for without my desert or desire
thou didst devise an everlasting plan,
honorable to thy perfections,
and which angels desired to look into.
And the Word which announces all the glory
of this goodness
is nigh me, invites me, beseeches me.
May I, a convinced and self-despairing sinner,
find Jesus as the power unto salvation,
his death the center of all relief,
the source of all gospel-blessings.
Help me to repair to that cross,
be crucified to the world by it,
and in it find deepest humiliation,
motives to patience and self-denial,
grace for active benevolence,
faith to grasp eternal life,
hope to lift up my head,
love to bind me for ever
to him who died for me.
May his shed blood make me
more thankful for thy mercies,
more humble under thy correction,
more zealous in they service,
more watchful against temptation,
more contented in my circumstances,
more useful to others.

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

salme 4
(Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth on Neginoth. A Psalme of Dauid.
1 Heare me when I call, O God of my righteousnes: thou hast set me at libertie, when I was in distresse: haue mercie vpon me and hearken vnto my prayer.
2 O ye sonnes of men, howe long will yee turne my glory into shame, louing vanitie, and seeking lyes? Selah.
3 For be ye sure that the Lord hath chosen to himselfe a godly man: the Lord will heare when I call vnto him.
4 Tremble, and sinne not: examine your owne heart vpon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousnes, and trust in the Lord.
6 Many say, Who will shewe vs any good? but Lord, lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs.
7 Thou hast giuen mee more ioye of heart, then they haue had, when their wheate and their wine did abound.
8 I will lay mee downe, and also sleepe in peace: for thou, Lord, onely makest me dwell in safetie.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

RECONCILIATION

Lord God Almighty

hou art beforehand with men
for thou hast reconciled thyself to the world
through the cross,
and dost beseech men to accept reconciliation.
It is my responsibility to grasp thy overtures of grace,
for if thou, the offended part, act first
with the word of appeasement,
I need not call in question thy willingness to save,
but must deplore my own foolish maliciousness;
If I do not come to thee as one who seeks thy favour,
I live in contempt, anger malice, self-sufficiency,
and thou dost call it enmity.
Thou hast taught me the necessity of a Mediator,
a Messiah,
to be embraced in love with all my heart,
as king to rule me,span>
as prophet to guide me,
as priest to take away my sin and death,
and this by faith in thy beloved Son
who teaches me,
not to guide myself,
not to obey myself,
not to try to rule and conquer sin,
but to cleave to the one who will do it all for me.
Thou hast made known to me
that to save me is Christ’s work,
but to cleave to him by faith is my work,
and with this faith is the necessity of my
daily repentance
as a mourning for the sin which Christ
by grace has removed.
Continue, O God, to teach me
that faith apprehends Christ’s righteousness
not only for the satisfaction of justice,
but as unspotted evidence of thy love to me.
Help me to make use of his work of salvation as
the ground of peace,
and of thy favour to, and acceptance of me
the sinner,
so that I may live always near the cross.

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

salme 126
(Geneva Bible)
A song of degrees, or Psalme of David.
1 When ye Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Zion, we were like them that dreame.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with ioye: then sayd they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for vs, whereof we reioyce.
4 O Lord, bring againe our captiuitie, as the riuers in the South.
5 They that sowe in teares, shall reape in ioy.
6 They went weeping and caried precious seede: but they shall returne with ioye and bring their sheaues.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE SAVIOUR

Thou God of all grace,

hou hast given me a Saviour,
produce in me a faith to live by him,
to make him all my desire,
all my hope,
all my glory.
May I enter him as my refuge,
build on him as my foundation,
walk in him as my way,
follow him as my guide,
conform him as my guide,
conform to him as my example,
receive his instruction as my prophet,
rely on his intercession as my high priest,
obey him as my king.
May I never be ashamed of him or his words,
but joyfully bear his reproach,
never displease him by unholy
or imprudent conduct,
never count it a glory if I take it patiently
when buffeted for a fault,
never make the multitude my model,
never delay when thy Word invites me
to advance.
May they dear Son preserve me
from this present evil world,
so that its smiles never allure,
nor its frowns terrify,
nor its vices defile,
nor its errors delude me.
May I feel that I am a stranger and a pilgrim
on earth,
declaring plainly that I seek a country,
my title to it becoming daily more clear,
my meetness for it more perfect,
my foretastes of it more abundant;
and whatsoever I do may it be done
in the Saviour’s name.

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

salme 101
(Geneva Bible)
A Psalme of David.
1 I will sing mercie and iudgement: vnto thee, O Lord, will I sing.
2 I will doe wisely in the perfite way, till thou commest to me: I will walke in the vprightnes of mine heart in the middes of mine house.
3 I wil set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the worke of them that fall away: it shall not cleaue vnto me.
4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will knowe none euill.
5 Him that priuily slandereth his neighbour, wil I destroy: him that hath a proude looke and hie heart, I cannot suffer.
6 Mine eyes shalbe vnto the faithfull of the lande, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfite way, he shall serue me.
7 There shall no deceitful person dwell within mine house: he that telleth lyes, shall not remaine in my sight.
8 Betimes will I destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the workers of iniquitie from the Citie of the Lord.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

LOVE LUSTRES AT CALVARY

My Father,

nlarge my heart, warm my affections,
open my lips,
supply words that proclaim ‘Love lustres
at Calvary.’
There grace removes my burdens and heaps them
on thy Son,
made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote that man,
thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified,
and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was due,
and infinite punishment was endured.
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy
that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell’s worst
that I might attain heaven’s best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be conformed,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.
My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped
from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pains that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorny crown that I might have
a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive
welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze
on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might for ever live.
O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou
mightest spare me,
All this transfer thy love designed and
accomplished;
Help me to adore thee be lips and life.
O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise,
my every step a buoyant with delight, as I see my
enemies crushed,
Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,
sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,
hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open.
Go forth, O conquering God, and show me
the cross, mighty to subdue, comfort and save.

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

salme 66 (Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth. A song or Psalme.

1 Rejoice in God, all ye inhabitants of the earth.
2 Sing forth the glory of his name: make his praise glorious.
3 Say vnto God, Howe terrible art thou in thy workes! through the greatnesse of thy power shall thine enemies be in subiection vnto thee.
4 All the worlde shall worship thee, and sing vnto thee, euen sing of thy Name. Selah.
5 Come and beholde the workes of God: he is terrible in his doing towarde the sonnes of men.
6 He hath turned the Sea into drie land: they passe through the riuer on foote: there did we reioyce in him.
7 He ruleth the worlde with his power: his eyes beholde the nations: the rebellious shall not exalt them selues. Selah.
8 Prayse our God, ye people, and make the voyce of his prayse to be heard.
9 Which holdeth our soules in life, and suffereth not our feete to slippe.
10 For thou, O God, hast proued vs, thou hast tryed vs as siluer is tryed.
11 Thou hast brought vs into the snare, and layed a strait chaine vpon our loynes.
12 Thou hast caused men to ryde ouer our heads: we went into fire and into water, but thou broughtest vs out into a welthie place.
13 I will go into thine House with burnt offrings, and will pay thee my vowes,
14 Which my lippes haue promised, and my mouth hath spoken in mine affliction.
15 I will offer vnto thee the burnt offerings of fat rammes with incense: I will prepare bullocks and goates. Selah.
16 Come and hearken, all ye that feare God, and I will tell you what he hath done to my soule.
17 I called vnto him with my mouth, and he was exalted with my tongue.
18 If I regard wickednesse in mine heart, the Lord will not heare me.
19 But God hath heard me, and considered the voyce of my prayer.
20 Praysed be God, which hath not put backe my prayer, nor his mercie from me.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE PRECIOUS BLOOD

Blessed Lord Jesus,

efore thy cross I kneel and see
the heinousness of my sin,
my iniquity that caused thee to be
‘made a curse’,
the evil that excites the severity
of divine wrath.
Show me the enormity of my guilt by
the crown of thorns,
the pierced hands and feet,
the bruised body,
the dying cries.
Thy blood is the blood of incarnate God,
its worth infinite, its value beyond all thought.
Infinite must be the evil and guilt
that demands such a price.
Sin is my malady, my monster, me foe, my viper,
born in birth,
alive in life,
strong in my character,
dominating my faculties,
following me as a shadow,
intermingling with my every thought,
my chain that holds me captive in the
empire of my soul.
Sinner that I am, why should the sun give me light,
the air supply breath,
the earth bear my tread,
its fruits nourish me,
its creatures subserve my ends?
Yet thy compassions yearn over me,
thy heart hastens to my rescue,
thy love endured my curse,
thy mercy bore my deserved stripes.
Let me walk humbly in the lowest depths
of humiliation
bathed in thy blood,
tender of conscience,
triumphing gloriously as an heir of salvation.

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

salme 38 (Geneva Bible)
A Psalme of Dauid for remembrance.

1 O Lord, rebuke mee not in thine anger, neither chastise me in thy wrath.
2 For thine arrowes haue light vpon me, and thine hand lyeth vpon me.
3 There is nothing sound in my flesh, because of thine anger: neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne.
4 For mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head, and as a weightie burden they are too heauie for me.
5 My woundes are putrified, and corrupt because of my foolishnes.
6 I am bowed, and crooked very sore: I goe mourning all the day.
7 For my reines are full of burning, and there is nothing sound in my flesh.
8 I am weakened and sore broken: I roare for the very griefe of mine heart.
9 Lord, I powre my whole desire before thee, and my sighing is not hid from thee.
10 Mine heart panteth: my strength faileth me, and the light of mine eyes, euen they are not mine owne.
11 My louers and my friends stand aside from my plague, and my kinsmen stand a farre off.
12 They also, that seeke after my life, laye snares, and they that go about to do me euil, talke wicked things and imagine deceite continually.
13 But I as a deafe man heard not, and am as a dumme man, which openeth not his mouth.
14 Thus am I as a man, that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofes.
15 For on thee, O Lord, do I waite: thou wilt heare me, my Lord, my God.
16 For I said, Heare me, least they reioyce ouer me: for when my foote slippeth, they extol themselues against me.
17 Surely I am ready to halte, and my sorow is euer before me.
18 When I declare my paine, and am sory for my sinne,
19 Then mine enemies are aliue and are mightie, and they that hate me wrongfully are many.
20 They also, that rewarde euill for good, are mine aduersaries, because I follow goodnesse.
21 Forsake me not, O Lord: be not thou farre from me, my God.
22 Haste thee to helpe mee, O my Lord, my saluation.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE MEDIATOR

Everlasting Creator-Father,

have destroyed myself,
my name is defiled,
the powers of my soul are degraded;
I am vile, miserable, strengthless,
but my hope is in thee.
If ever I am saved it will be by goodness
undeserved and astonishing,
not by mercy alone but by abundant mercy,
not by grace but by exceeding riches of grace;
And such thou has revealed, promised, exemplified
in thoughts of peace, not of evil.

Thou hast devised means
to rescue me from sin’s perdition,
to restore me to happiness, honor, safety.
I bless thee for the everlasting covenant,
for the appointment of a Mediator.
I rejoice that he failed not, nor was discouraged,
but accomplished the work thou gavest him
to do;
and said on the cross, ‘It is finished.’
I exult in the thought that
thy justice is satisfied,
thy truth is established,
thy law magnified,
and a foundation is laid for my hope.
I look to a present and personal interest
in Christ and say,
surely he has borne my griefs,
carried my sorrows,
won my peace,
healed my soul.
Justified by his blood I am saved by his life,
Glorying in his cross I bow to his sceptre,
Having his spirit I possess his mind.
Lord, grant that my religion may not be
occasional and partial,
but universal, influential, effective,
and may I always continue in thy words
as well as thy works,
so that I may reach my end in peace.

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

salme 17 (Geneva Bible)
The prayer of Dauid.

1 Heare the right, O Lord, consider my crye: hearken vnto my prayer of lips vnfained.
2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence, and let thine eyes beholde equitie.
3 Thou hast prooued and visited mine heart in the night: thou hast tryed me, and foundest nothing: for I was purposed that my mouth should not offend.
4 Concerning the workes of men, by the wordes of thy lips I kept mee from the paths of the cruell man.
5 Stay my steps in thy paths, that my feete doe not slide.
6 I haue called vpon thee: surely thou wilt heare me, O God: incline thine eare to me, and hearken vnto my wordes.
7 Shewe thy marueilous mercies, thou that art the Sauiour of them that trust in thee, from such as resist thy right hand.
8 Keepe me as the apple of the eye: hide me vnder the shadowe of thy wings,
9 From the wicked that oppresse mee, from mine enemies, which compasse me round about for my soule.
10 They are inclosed in their owne fat, and they haue spoken proudely with their mouth.
11 They haue compassed vs now in our steps: they haue set their eyes to bring downe to the ground:
12 Like as a lyon that is greedy of pray, and as it were a lyons whelp lurking in secret places.
13 Vp Lord, disappoint him: cast him downe: deliuer my soule from the wicked with thy sworde,
14 From men by thine hand, O Lord, from men of the world, who haue their portion in this life, whose bellies thou fillest with thine hid treasure: their children haue ynough, and leaue the rest of their substance for their children.
15 But I will beholde thy face in righteousnes, and when I awake, I shalbe satisfied with thine image.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

GOD AND MYSELF

Lord God Almighty,

hy understanding is unreachable and infinite,
Thy arm cannot be stayed,
Thy agency extends through limitless space,
All works hang on thy care,
With thee time is present now.

Holy is thy wisdom, power, mercy ways, works.
How can I stand before thee
with my numberless and aggravated offences?
I have often loved darkness,
observed lying vanities,
forsaken thy given mercies,
trampled underfoot thy beloved Son,
mocked thy providences,
flattered thee with my lips,
broken thy covenant.
It is of thy compassion that I am not consumed.
Lead me to repentance, and save me from despair;
Let me come to thee renouncing, condemning,
loathing myself,
but hoping in the grace that flows
even to the chief of sinners.
At the cross may I contemplate the evil of sin,
and abhor it,
look on him whom I pierced,
as one slain for me, and by me.
May I never despise his death by fearing
its efficacy for my salvation.
And whatever cross I am required to bear,
let me see him carrying a heavier.
Teach me in health to think of sickness,
in the brightest hours to be ready for darkness;
in life prepared for death.
Thus may my soul rest in thee, O immortal
and transcendent one,
revealed as thou art in the Person and work
of thy Son,
the Friend of sinners.

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

salme 146 (Geneva Bible)

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise thou the Lord, O my soule.
2 I will prayse the Lord during my life: as long as I haue any being, I wil sing vnto my God.
3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sonne of man, for there is none helpe in him.
4 His breath departeth, and he returneth to his earth: then his thoughtes perish.
5 Blessed is he, that hath the God of Iaakob for his helpe, whose hope is in the Lord his God.
6 Which made heauen and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth his fidelitie for euer:
7 Which executeth iustice for the oppressed: which giueth bread to the hungry: the Lord loseth the prisoners.
8 The Lord giueth sight to the blinde: the Lord rayseth vp the crooked: the Lord loueth the righteous.
9 The Lord keepeth the strangers: he relieueth the fatherlesse and widowe: but he ouerthroweth the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord shall reigne for euer: O Zion, thy God endureth from generation to generation. Prayse ye the Lord.

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Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

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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Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE CONVICTING SPIRIT

Thou blessed Spirit, Author of all grace and comfort,

ome, work repentance in my soul;
Represent sin to my in its odious colours that
I may hate it;
Melt my heart by the majesty and mercy of God;
Show me my ruined self and the help there is
in him;
Teach me to behold my Creator,
his ability to save,
his arms outstretched,
his heart big for me.
May I confide in his power and love,
commit my soul to him without reserve,
bear his image, observe his laws,
pursue his service,
and be through time and eternity
a monument to the efficacy of his grace,
a trophy of his victory.
Make me willing to be saved in his way,
perceiving nothing in myself, but all in Jesus:
Help me not only to receive him but
to walk in him,
depend upon him,
commune with him,
be conformed to him,
follow him,
imperfect, but still pressing forward,
not complaining of labor, but valuing rest,
not murmuring under trials, but thankful
for my state
Give me that faith which is the means of salvation
and the principle and medium of all godliness;
May I be saved by grace through faith,
live by faith,
feel the joy of faith,
do the work of faith.
Perceiving nothing in myself, may I find in Christ
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
redemption.

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

salme 104 (Geneva Bible)

1 My soule, prayse thou the Lord: O Lord my God, thou art exceeding great, thou art clothed with glorie and honour.
2 Which couereth himselfe with light as with a garment, and spreadeth the heauens like a curtaine.
3 Which layeth the beames of his chambers in the waters, and maketh the cloudes his chariot, and walketh vpon the wings of the winde.
4 Which maketh his spirits his messengers, and a flaming fire his ministers.
5 He set the earth vpon her foundations, so that it shall neuer moue.
6 Thou coueredst it with the deepe as with a garment: the waters woulde stand aboue the mountaines.
7 But at thy rebuke they flee: at the voyce of thy thunder they haste away.
8 And the mountaines ascend, and the valleis descend to the place which thou hast established for them.
9 But thou hast set them a bounde, which they shall not passe: they shall not returne to couer the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the valleis, which runne betweene the mountaines.
11 They shall giue drinke to all the beasts of the fielde, and the wilde asses shall quench their thirst.
12 By these springs shall the foules of the heauen dwell, and sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the mountaines from his chambers, and the earth is filled with the fruite of thy workes.
14 He causeth grasse to growe for the cattell, and herbe for the vse of man, that he may bring forth bread out of the earth,
15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oyle to make the face to shine, and bread that strengtheneth mans heart.
16 The high trees are satisfied, euen the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted,
17 That ye birdes may make their nestes there: the storke dwelleth in the firre trees.
18 The high mountaines are for the goates: the rockes are a refuge for the conies.
19 He appoynted the moone for certaine seasons: the sunne knoweth his going downe.
20 Thou makest darkenesse, and it is night, wherein all the beastes of the forest creepe forth.
21 The lions roare after their praye, and seeke their meate at God.
22 When the sunne riseth, they retire, and couche in their dennes.
23 Then goeth man forth to his worke, and to his labour vntill the euening.
24 O Lord, howe manifolde are thy workes! in wisdome hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is this sea great and wide: for therein are things creeping innumerable, both small beastes and great.
26 There goe the shippes, yea, that Liuiathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27 All these waite vpon thee, that thou maiest giue them foode in due season.
28 Thou giuest it to them, and they gather it: thou openest thine hand, and they are filled with good things.
29 But if thou hide thy face, they are troubled: if thou take away their breath, they dye and returne to their dust.
30 Againe if thou send forth thy spirit, they are created, and thou renuest the face of the earth.
31 Glory be to the Lord for euer: let the Lord reioyce in his workes.
32 He looketh on the earth and it trembleth: he toucheth the mountaines, and they smoke.
33 I will sing vnto the Lord all my life: I will prayse my God, while I liue.
34 Let my wordes be acceptable vnto him: I will reioyce in the Lord.
35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the wicked till there be no more: O my soule, prayse thou the Lord. Prayse ye the Lord.

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R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

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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Bret Capranica
Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
Jason Robertson
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE GOSPEL WAY

Blessed Lord Jesus,

o human mind could conceive or invent
the gospel.
Acting in eternal grace, thou art both
its messenger and its message,
lived out on earth through infinite compassion,
applying thy life to insult, injury, death,
that I might be redeemed, ransomed, and freed.
Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way,
Eternal thanks to thee, O Holy Spirit,
for applying this way to my heart.
Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul,
until its virtue diffuses every faculty;
Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt.
Teach me to secure this mighty blessing;
Help me to give up every darling lust,
to submit heart and life to its command,
to have it in my will,
controlling my affections,
moulding my understanding;
to adhere strictly to the rules of true religion,
not departing from them in any instance,
nor for any advantage to escape evil,
inconvenience or danger.
Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy;
Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness
by my own doings.
O gracious redeemer,
I have neglected thee too long,
often crucified thee,
crucified thee afresh with my impenitence,
put thee to open shame.
I thank thee for the patience that has borne with me
so long,
and for the grace that now makes me willing
to be thine.
O unite me to thyself with inseparable bonds,
that nothing may ever draw me back from thee,
my Lord, my Saviour.

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

salme 62 (Geneva Bible)
To the excelletn musician Ieduthun. A Psalme of David.

1 Yet my soule keepeth silence vnto God: of him commeth my saluation.
2 Yet he is my strength and my saluation, and my defence: therefore I shall not much be mooued.
3 How long wil ye imagine mischiefe against a man? ye shalbe all slaine: ye shalbe as a bowed wall, or as a wall shaken.
4 Yet they consult to cast him downe from his dignitie: their delight is in lies, they blesse with their mouthes, but curse with their hearts. Selah.
5 Yet my soule keepe thou silence vnto God: for mine hope is in him.
6 Yet is hee my strength, and my saluation, and my defence: therefore I shall not be mooued.
7 In God is my saluation and my glory, the rocke of my strength: in God is my trust.
8 Trust in him alway, ye people: powre out your hearts before him, for God is our hope. Selah.
9 Yet the children of men are vanitie, the chiefe men are lies: to lay them vpon a balance they are altogether lighter then vanitie.
10 Trust not in oppression nor in robberie: be not vaine: if riches increase, set not your heart thereon.
11 God spake once or twise, I haue heard it, that power belongeth vnto God,
12 And to thee, O Lord, mercie: for thou rewardest euery one according to his worke.

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Bret Capranica
Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
Jason Robertson
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE SPIRIT AS TEACHER

O God the Holy Spirit,

hat which I know not, teach thou me,
Keep me a humble disciple in the school
of Christ,
learning daily there what I am in myself,
a fallen sinful creature,
justly deserving everlasting destruction;
O let me never lose sight of my need of a Saviour,
or forget that apart from him I am nothing,
and can do nothing.
Open my understanding to know
the Holy Scriptures;
Reveal to my soul the counsels and works
of the blessed Trinity;
Instil into my dark mind the saving knowledge
of Jesus;
Make me acquainted with his covenant undertakings
and his perfect fulfilment of them,
that by resting on his finished work
I may find the Father's love in the Son,
his Father, my Father,
and may be brought through thy influence
to have fellowship with the Three in One.
O lead me into all truth, thou Spirit of wisdom
and revelation,
that I may know the things that belong unto
my peace,
and through thee be made anew.
Make practical upon my heart the Father's love
as thou hast revealed it in the Scriptures;
Apply to my soul the blood of Christ, effectually,
continually,
and help me to believe, with conscience
comforted, that it cleanseth from all sin;
Lead me from faith to faith,
that I may at all times have freedom to come
to a reconciled Father,
and may be able to maintain peace with him
against doubts, fears, corruptions, temptations.
Thy office is to teach me to draw near to Christ
with a pure heart,
steadfastly persuaded of his love,
in the full assurance of faith.
Let me never falter in this way.

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

salme 27 (Geneva Bible)
A Psalme of Dauid.

1 The Lord is my light & my saluation, whom shall I feare? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whome shall I be afraide?
2 When the wicked, euen mine enemies and my foes came vpon mee to eate vp my flesh; they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an hoste pitched against me, mine heart should not be afraide: though warre be raised against me, I will trust in this.
4 One thing haue I desired of the Lord, that I will require, euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life, to beholde the beautie of the Lord, and to visite his Temple.
5 For in the time of trouble hee shall hide mee in his Tabernacle: in the secrete place of his pauillion shall he hide me, and set me vp vpon a rocke.
6 And nowe shall hee lift vp mine head aboue mine enemies rounde about mee: therefore wil I offer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of ioy: I wil sing and praise the Lord.
7 Hearken vnto my voyce, O Lord, when I crie: haue mercie also vpon mee and heare mee.
8 When thou saidest, Seeke ye my face, mine heart answered vnto thee, O Lord, I will seeke thy face.
9 Hide not therefore thy face from mee, nor cast thy seruat away in displeasure: thou hast bene my succour: leaue me not, neither forsake mee, O God of my saluation.
10 Though my father and my mother shoulde forsake me, yet the Lord will gather me vp.
11 Teache mee thy way, O Lord, and leade me in a right path, because of mine enemies.
12 Giue me not vnto the lust of mine aduersaries: for there are false witnesses risen vp against me, and such as speake cruelly.
13 I should haue fainted, except I had beleeued to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing.
14 Hope in the Lord: be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart, and trust in the Lord.

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Bret Capranica
Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
Jason Robertson
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE SPIRIT OF JESUS

Lord Jesus Christ,

ill me with thy Spirit
that I may be occupied with his presence.
I am blind — send him to make me see;
dark — let him say, ‘Let there be light’!
May he give me faith to behold
my name engraven in thy hand,
my soul and body redeemed by thy blood,
my sinfulness covered by the life of
pure obedience.
Replenish me by his revealing grace,
that I may realise my indissoluble union with thee;
that I may know thou hast espoused me
to thyself for ever,
in righteousness, love, mercy, faithfulness;
that I am one with thee,
as a branch with its stock, as a building
with its foundation.
May his comforts cheer me in my sorrows,
his strength sustain me in my trials,
his blessings revive me in my weariness,
his presence render me a fruitful tree of holiness,
his might establish me in peace and joy,
his incitements make me ceaseless in prayer,
his animation kindle in me undying devotion.
Send him as the searcher of my heart,
to show me more of my corruptions
and helplessness
that I may flee to thee,
cling to thee,
rest on thee,
as the beginning and end of my salvation.
May I never vex him by my indifference
and waywardness,
grieve him by my cold welcome,
resist him by my hard rebellion.

Answer my prayers, O Lord,
for thy great name’s sake.

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

salme 6 (Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth on Neginoth vpon the eight tune. A Psalme of Dauid.

1 O lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chastise me in thy wrath.
2 Haue mercie vpon me, O Lord, for I am weake: O Lord heale me, for my bones are vexed.
3 My soule is also sore troubled: but Lord how long wilt thou delay?
4 Returne, O Lord: deliuer my soule: saue me for thy mercies sake.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the graue who shall prayse thee?
6 I fainted in my mourning: I cause my bed euery night to swimme, and water my couch with my teares.
7 Mine eye is dimmed for despight, and sunke in because of all mine enemies.
8 Away from mee all ye workers of iniquitie: for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping.
9 The Lord hath heard my petition: the Lord will receiue my prayer.
10 All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed: they shall be turned backe, and put to shame suddenly.

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Bret Capranica
Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
Jason Robertson
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

GOD THE SPIRIT

O Lord God,

pray not so much for graces as for
the Spirit himself,
because I feel his absence,
and act by my own spirit in everything.
Give me not weak desires but the power
of his presence,
for this is the surest way to have all his graces,
and when I have the seal I have the impression
also;
He can heal, help, quicken, humble suddenly
and easily,
can work grace and life effectually,
and being eternal he can give grace eternally.
Save me from great hindrances,
from being content with a little measure
of the Spirit,
from thinking thou wilt not give me more.
When I feel my lack of him, light up life and faith,
for when I lose thee I am either in the dark
and cannot see thee,
or Satan and my natural abilities content me
With a little light,
so that I seek no further for the Spirit of life.
Teach me then what to do.
Should I merely humble myself and not stir up
my heart?
Should I meditate and use all means to bring
him near,
not being contented by one means,
but trust him to give me a blessing by the use
of all,
depending only upon, and waiting always for,
thy light, by use of means?
Is it a duty or an error to pray
and look for the fullness of the Spirit in me?
Am I mistaken in feeling I am empty of the Spirit
because I do not sense his presence within,
when all the time I am most empty
and could be more full by faith in Christ?
Was the fullness of the Spirit in the apostles
chiefly a power,
giving the subsistence outside themselves
in Christ,
in whom was their life and joy?
Teach me to find and know fullness of the Spirit
only in Jesus.

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

salme 135 (Geneva Bible)


1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Name of the Lord: ye seruants of the Lord, praise him.
2 Ye that stande in the House of the Lord, and in the courtes of the House of our God,
3 Praise ye the Lord: for the Lord is good: sing praises vnto his Name: for it is a comely thing.
4 For the Lord hath chosen Iaakob to himselfe, and Israel for his chiefe treasure.
5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is aboue all gods.
6 Whatsoeuer pleased the Lord, that did hee in heauen and in earth, in the sea, and in all the depths.
7 He bringeth vp the cloudes fro the ends of the earth, & maketh the lightnings with ye raine: he draweth foorth the winde out of his treasures.
8 He smote the first borne of Egypt both of man and beast.
9 He hath sent tokens and wonders into the middes of thee, O Egypt, vpon Pharaoh, and vpon all his seruants.
10 He smote many nations, and slew mightie Kings:
11 As Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og King of Bashan, & all the kingdomes of Canaan:
12 And gaue their lande for an inheritance, euen an inheritance vnto Israel his people.
13 Thy Name, O Lord, endureth for euer: O Lord, thy remembrance is from generation to generation.
14 For the Lord will iudge his people, and be pacified towardes his seruants.
15 The idoles of the heathen are siluer and golde, euen the worke of mens handes.
16 They haue a mouth, and speake not: they haue eyes and see not.
17 They haue eares and heare not, neither is there any breath in their mouth.
18 They that make them, are like vnto them: so are all that trust in them.
19 Praise the Lord, ye house of Israel: praise the Lord, ye house of Aaron.
20 Praise the Lord, ye house of Leui: ye that feare the Lord, praise the Lord.
21 Praised bee the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth in Ierusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

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Jason Robertson
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Phil Johnson & Don Green
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David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

SPIRITUS SANCTUS

O Holy Spirit,

s the sun is full of light,
the ocean full of water,
Heaven full of glory, so may my heart
be full of thee.
Vain are all divine purposes of love
and the redemption wrought by Jesus
except thou work within,
regenerating by thy power,
giving me eyes to see Jesus,
showing me the realities of the unseen world.
Give me thyself without measure,
as an unimpaired fountain,
as inexhaustible riches.
I bewail my coldness, poverty, emptiness,
imperfect vision, languid service,
prayerless prayers, praiseless praises.
Suffer me not to grieve or resist thee.
Come as power,
to expel every rebel lust, to reign supreme
and keep me thine;
Come as teacher,
leading me into all truth, filling me with
all understanding;
Come as love,
that I may adore the Father, and love him
as my all;
Come as joy,
to dwell in me, move in me, animate me;
Come as light,
illuminating the Scripture, moulding me
in its laws;
Come as sanctifier,
body, soul and spirit wholly thine;
Come as helper,
with strength to bless and keep, directing my
every step;
Come as beautifier,
bringing order out of confusion, loveliness
out of chaos.
Magnify to me thy glory by being magnified in me,
and make me redolent of thy fragrance.

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

salme 107 (Geneva Bible)

1 Praise the Lord, because he is good: for his mercie endureth for euer.
2 Let them, which haue bene redeemed of the Lord, shewe how he hath deliuered them from the hand of the oppressour,
3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the East and from the West, from the North and from the South.
4 When they wandered in the desert and wildernesse out of the waie, and founde no citie to dwell in,
5 Both hungrie and thirstie, their soule fainted in them.
6 Then they cried vnto the Lord in their trouble, & he deliuered them from their distresse,
7 And led them forth by the right way, that they might goe to a citie of habitation.
8 Let them therefore confesse before ye Lord his louing kindnesse, and his wonderfull woorkes before the sonnes of men.
9 For he satisfied the thirstie soule, and filled the hungrie soule with goodnesse.
10 They that dwell in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death, being bounde in miserie and yron,
11 Because they rebelled against the wordes of the Lord, and despised the counsell of the most High,
12 When he humbled their heart with heauines, then they fell downe and there was no helper.
13 Then they cried vnto the Lord in their trouble, & he deliuered them from their distresse.
14 He brought them out of darkenes, and out of the shadowe of death, and brake their bandes asunder.
15 Let them therefore cofesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse, and his wonderfull woorkes before the sonnes of men.
16 For hee hath broken the gates of brasse, and brast the barres of yron asunder.
17 Fooles by reason of their transgression, and because of their iniquities are afflicted.
18 Their soule abhorreth al meat, and they are brought to deaths doore.
19 Then they crie vnto the Lord in their trouble, and he deliuereth them from their distresse.
20 He sendeth his worde and healeth them, and deliuereth them from their graues.
21 Let them therefore cofesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse, & his wonderful workes before the sonnes of men,
22 And let them offer sacrifices of praise, and declare his workes with reioycing.
23 They that goe downe to the sea in ships, and occupie by the great waters,
24 They see the woorkes of the Lord, and his wonders in the deepe.
25 For he commaundeth and raiseth the stormie winde, and it lifteth vp the waues thereof.
26 They mount vp to the heauen, and descend to ye deepe, so that their soule melteth for trouble.
27 They are tossed to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and all their cunning is gone.
28 Then they crie vnto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresse.
29 He turneth the storme to calme, so that the waues thereof are still.
30 When they are quieted, they are glad, and hee bringeth them vnto the hauen, where they would be.
31 Let them therfore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse, and his wonderfull woorkes before the sonnes of men.
32 And let them exalt him in the Congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the Elders.
33 He turneth the floodes into a wildernesse, and the springs of waters into drinesse,
34 And a fruitfull land into barrennes for the wickednes of them that dwell therein.
35 Againe hee turneth the wildernesse into pooles of water, and the drie lande into water springs.
36 And there he placeth the hungrie, and they builde a citie to dwell in,
37 And sowe the fieldes, and plant vineyardes, which bring foorth fruitfull increase.
38 For he blesseth them, & they multiplie exceedingly, and he diminisheth not their cattell.
39 Againe men are diminished, and brought lowe by oppression, euill and sorowe.
40 He powreth cotempt vpon princes, & causeth them to erre in desert places out of the way.
41 Yet he raiseth vp the poore out of miserie, and maketh him families like a flocke of sheepe.
42 The righteous shall see it, and reioyce, and all iniquitie shall stoppe her mouth.
43 Who is wise that hee may obserue these things? for they shall vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lord.

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Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
Jason Robertson
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE SECOND COMING

O Son of God and Son of Man,

hou wast incarnate, didst suffer, rise, ascend,
for my sake;
Thy departure was not a token of separation
but a pledge of return;
Thy Word, promises, sacraments, show thy death
until thou come again.
That day is no horror to me,
for thy death has redeemed me,
thy Spirit fills me,
thy love animates me,
thy Word governs me.
I have trusted thee and thou hast not betrayed
my trust;
waited for thee, and not waited in vain.
Thou wilt come to raise my body from the dust,
and re-unite it to my soul,
by a wonderful work of infinite power and love,
greater than that which bounds the oceans’ waters,
ebbs and flows the tides,
keeps the stars in their courses,
and gives life to all creatures.
This corruptible shall put on incorruption,
this mortal, immortality,
this natural body, a spiritual body,
this dishonoured body, a glorious body,
this weak body, a body of power.
I triumph now in thy promises as I shall do
in their performance,
for the head cannot live if the members are dead;
Beyond the grave is resurrection, judgment,
acquittal, dominion.
Every event and circumstance of my life will be dealt with –
the sins of my youth, my secret sins,
the sins of abusing thee, of disobeying thy Word,
the sins of neglecting ministers’ admonitions,
the sins of violating my conscience –
all will be judged;
And after judgment, peace and rest, life and service,
employment and enjoyment, for thine elect.
O God, keep me in this faith,
and ever looking for Christ’s return.

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

salme 86 (Geneva Bible)
A prayer of Dauid.

1 Incline thine eare, O Lord, and heare me: for I am poore and needy.
2 Preserue thou my soule, for I am mercifull: my God, saue thou thy seruant, that trusteth in thee.
3 Be mercifull vnto me, O Lord: for I crie vpon thee continually.
4 Reioyce the soule of thy seruant: for vnto thee, O Lord, doe I lift vp my soule.
5 For thou, Lord, art good and mercifull, and of great kindenes vnto all them, that call vpon thee.
6 Giue eare, Lord, vnto my prayer, & hearken to the voyce of my supplication.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call vpon thee: for thou hearest me.
8 Among the gods there is none like thee, O Lord, and there is none that can doe like thy workes.
9 All nations, whome thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, & shall glorifie thy Name.
10 For thou art great and doest wonderous things: thou art God alone.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walke in thy trueth: knit mine heart vnto thee, that I may feare thy Name.
12 I wil prayse thee, O Lord my God, with all mine heart: yea, I wil glorifie thy Name for euer.
13 For great is thy mercie toward me, & thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue.
14 O God, the proude are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men haue sought my soule, and haue not set thee before them.
15 But thou, O Lord, art a pitifull God and mercifull, slowe to anger and great in kindenes and trueth.
16 Turne vnto me, and haue mercy vpon me: giue thy strength vnto thy seruant, and saue the sonne of thine handmayd.
17 Shew a token of thy goodnes towarde me, that they which hate me, may see it, and be ashamed, because thou, O Lord, hast holpen me and comforted me.

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Phil Johnson & Don Green
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David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

LOVE TO JESUS

Lord Jesus,

f I love thee my soul shall seek thee,
but can I seek thee unless my love to thee
is kept alive to this end?
Do I love thee because thou art good,
and canst alone do me good?
It is fitting thou shouldest not regard me,
for I am vile and selfish;
yet I seek thee,
and when I find thee there is no wrath
to devour me,
but only sweet love.
Thou dost stand as a rock between the scorching sun
and my soul,
and I live under the cool lee-side as one elect.
When my mind acts without thee
it spins nothing but deceit and delusion;
When my affections act without thee
nothing is seen but dead works.
O how I need thee to abide in me,
for I have no natural eyes to see thee,
but I live by faith in one whose face to me
is brighter than a thousand suns!
When I see that all sin is in me,
all shame belongs to me;
let me know that all good is in thee,
all glory is thine.
Keep me from the error of thinking thou dost
appear gloriously
when some strange light fills my heart,
as if that were the glorious activity of grace,
but let me see that the truest revelation of thyself
is when thou dost eclipse all my personal glory
and all the honour, pleasure and good
of this world.
The Son breaks out in glory
when he shows himself as one who outshines
all creation,
makes men poor in spirit,
and helps them to find their good in him.
Grant that I may distrust myself, to see
my all in thee.

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

salme 51 (Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid, when the Prophet Nathan came vnto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.

1 Haue mercie vpon me, O God, according to thy louing kindnes: according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie, and clense me from my sinne.
3 For I know mine iniquities, and my sinne is euer before me.
4 Against thee, against thee onely haue I sinned, and done euill in thy sight, that thou mayest be iust when thou speakest, and pure when thou iudgest.
5 Beholde, I was borne in iniquitie, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me.
6 Beholde, thou louest trueth in the inwarde affections: therefore hast thou taught mee wisedome in the secret of mine heart.
7 Purge me with hyssope, & I shalbe cleane: wash me, and I shalbe whiter then snowe.
8 Make me to heare ioye and gladnes, that the bones, which thou hast broken, may reioyce.
9 Hide thy face from my sinnes, and put away all mine iniquities.
10 Create in mee a cleane heart, O God, and renue a right spirit within me.
11 Cast mee not away from thy presence, and take not thine holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation, and stablish me with thy free Spirit.
13 Then shall I teache thy wayes vnto the wicked, and sinners shalbe conuerted vnto thee.
14 Deliuer me from blood, O God, which art the God of my saluation, and my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy righteousnes.
15 Open thou my lippes, O Lord, and my mouth shall shewe foorth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest no sacrifice, though I would giue it: thou delitest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit: a contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Bee fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure: builde the walles of Ierusalem.
19 Then shalt thou accept ye sacrifices of righteousnes, euen the burnt offering and oblation: then shall they offer calues vpon thine altar.

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Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

The Love of Jesus

O Father of Jesus,

elp me to approach thee
with deepest reverence,
not with presumption,
not with servile fear, but with holy boldness.
Thou art beyond the grasp of my understanding,
but not beyond that of my love.
Thou knowest that I love thee supremely,
for thou art supremely adorable, good, perfect.

My heart melts at the love of Jesus,
my brother, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh,
married to me, dead for me, risen for me;
He is mine and I am his,
given to me as well as for me;
I am never so much mine as when I am his,
or so much lost to myself until lost in him;
then I find my true manhood.

But my love is frost and cold, ice and snow;
Let his love warm me,
lighten my burden,
be my heaven;
May it be more revealed to me in all its influences
that my love to him may be more fervent
and glowing;
Let the mighty tide of his everlasting love
cover the rocks of my sin and care;
Then let my spirit float above those things
which had else wrecked my life.

Make me fruitful by living to that love,
my character becoming more beautiful every day.
If traces of Christ's love-artistry be upon me,
may he work on with his divine brush
until the complete image be obtained
and I be made a perfect copy of him,
my Master.

O Lord Jesus, come to me,
O Divine Spirit, rest upon me,
O Holy Father, look on me in mercy
for the sake of the well-beloved.

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

salme 30 (Geneva Bible)
A Psalme or song of the dedication of the house of Dauid.

1 I will magnifie thee, O Lord: for thou hast exalted mee, and hast not made my foe to reioyce ouer me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried vnto thee, and thou hast restored me.
3 O Lord, thou hast brought vp my soule out of the graue: thou hast reuiued me from them that goe downe into the pit.
4 Sing praises vnto the Lord, ye his Saintes, and giue thankes before the remembrance of his Holinesse.
5 For he endureth but a while in his anger: but in his fauour is life: weeping may abide at euening, but ioy commeth in the morning.
6 And in my prosperitie I sayde, I shall neuer be moued.
7 For thou Lord of thy goodnes hadest made my mountaine to stande strong: but thou didest hide thy face, and I was troubled.
8 Then cried I vnto thee, O Lord, and praied to my Lord.
9 What profite is there in my blood, when I go downe to the pit? shall the dust giue thankes vnto thee? or shall it declare thy trueth?
10 Heare, O Lord, and haue mercy vpon me: Lord, be thou mine helper.
11 Thou hast turned my mourning into ioy: thou hast loosed my sacke and girded mee with gladnesse.
12 Therefore shal my tongue praise thee and not cease: O Lord my God, I will giue thankes vnto thee for euer.

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Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

JESUS MY GLORY

O Lord God,

hou 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.
His water and blood were not severed
in their flow at the cross,
may they never be separated in my creed
and experiences;
May I be equally convinced of the guilt
and pollution of sin,
feel my need of a prince and a savior,
implore of him repentance as well as forgiveness,
love holiness, and be pure in heart,
have the mind of Jesus, and tread in his steps.
Let me not be at my own disposal,
but rejoice that I am under the care of one
who is too wise to err,
too kind in injure,
to tender to crush.
May I scandalize none by my temper and conduct,
but recommend and endear Christ to all around,
bestow good on every one as circumstances permit
and decline no opportunity of usefulness.
Grant that I may value my substance,
not as the medium of pride and luxury,
but as the means of my support and stewardship.
Help me to guide my affections with discretion,
to owe no man anything,
to be able to give to him that needeth,
to feel it my duty and pleasure to be merciful
and forgiving,
to show to the world the likeness of Jesus.

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

salme 9 (Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth vpon Muth Labben. A Psalme of Dauid.

1 I will praise the Lord with my whole heart: I will speake of all thy marueilous workes.
2 I will bee glad, and reioyce in thee: I will sing praise to thy Name, O most High,
3 For that mine enemies are turned backe: they shall fall, and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right & my cause: thou art set in the throne, and iudgest right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen: thou hast destroyed the wicked: thou hast put out their name for euer and euer.
6 O enemie, destructions are come to a perpetual end, and thou hast destroyed the cities: their memoriall is perished with them.
7 But the Lord shall sit for euer: hee hath prepared his throne for iudgement.
8 For he shall iudge the worlde in righteousnes, and shall iudge the people with equitie.
9 The Lord also wil be a refuge for the poore, a refuge in due time, euen in affliction.
10 And they that know thy Name, will trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not failed them that seeke thee.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: shewe the people his workes.
12 For whe he maketh inquisition for blood, hee remembreth it, and forgetteth not the complaint of the poore.
13 Haue mercie vpon mee, O Lord: consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate mee, thou that liftest me vp from the gates of death,
14 That I may shewe all thy praises within the gates of the daughter of Zion, and reioyce in thy saluation.
15 The heathen are sunken downe in the pit that they made: in the nette that they hid, is their foote taken.
16 The Lord is knowen by executing iudgement: the wicked is snared in the worke of his owne handes. Higgaion. Selah.
17 The wicked shall turne into hell, and all nations that forget God.
18 For the poore shall not bee alway forgotten: the hope of the afflicted shall not perish for euer.
19 Vp Lord: let not man preuaile: let the heathen be iudged in thy sight.
20 Put them in feare, O Lord, that the heathen may knowe that they are but men. Selah.

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Phil Johnson & Don Green
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R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

CHRIST ALONE

O God,

hy main plan, and the end of thy will,
is to make Christ glorious and beloved
in heaven
where he is now ascended,
where one day all the elect will behold his glory
and love and glorify him forever.
Though here I love him but little,
may this be my portion at last.
In this world thou hast given me a beginning,
one day it will be perfected in the realm above,
Thou hast helped me to see and know Christ,
though obscurity,
to take him, receive him,
to possess him, love him,
to bless him in my heart, mouth, life.
Let me study and stand for discipline,
and all the ways of worship,
out of love for Christ;
and to show my thankfulness;
to seek and know his will from love,
to hold it in love,
and daily to care for and keep this state of heart.
Thou had led me to place all my nature
and happiness
in oneness with Christ,
in having heart and mind centered only on him,
in being like him on communication good
to others;
This is my heaven on earth,
But I need the force, energy, impulses of they Spirit
to carry me on the way to my Jerusalem.
Here, it is my duty
to be as Christ in this world,
to do what he would do,
to live as he would live,
to walk in love and meekness;
then would he be known,
then would I have peace in death.

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

salme 138 (Geneva Bible)
A Psalme of Dauid.

1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: euen before the gods will I praise thee.
2 I will worship toward thine holy Temple and praise thy Name, because of thy louing kindenesse and for thy trueth: for thou hast magnified thy Name aboue all things by thy word.
3 When I called, then thou heardest me, and hast encreased strength in my soule.
4 All the Kings of the earth shal praise thee, O Lord: for they haue heard the wordes of thy mouth.
5 And they shall sing of the wayes of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord is great.
6 For the Lord is high: yet he beholdeth the lowly, but the proude he knoweth afarre off.
7 Though I walke in the middes of trouble, yet wilt thou reuiue me: thou wilt stretch foorth thine hand vpon the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall saue me.
8 The Lord will performe his worke toward me: O Lord, thy mercie endureth for euer: forsake not the workes of thine handes.

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I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

UNION WITH CHRIST

O Father,

hou hast made man for the glory of thyself,
and when not an instrument of that glory,
he is a thing of nought;
No sin is greater than the sin of unbelief,
for if union with Christ is the greatest good,
unbelief is the greatest sin,
as being cross to thy command;
I see that whatever my sin is,
yet no sin is like disunion from Christ by unbelief.
Lord, keep me from committing the greatest sin
in departing from him,
for I can never in this life perfectly obey
and cleave to Christ.
When thou takest away my outward blessings,
it is for sin,
in not acknowledging that all I have is of thee,
in not serving thee through what I have,
in making myself secure and hardened.
Lawful blessings are the secret idols,
and do most hurt;
the greatest injury is in the having,
the greatest good is in the taking away.
In love divest me of blessings that I may glorify
thee the more;
remove the fuel of my sin,
and may I prize the gain of a little holiness
as overbalancing all my losses.
The more I love thee with a truly gracious love
the more I desire to love thee,
and the more miserable I am at my want of love;
The more I hunger and thirst after thee,
the more I faint and fail in finding thee,
The more my heart is broken for sin,
the more I pray it may be far more broken.

My great evil is that I do not remember
the sins of my youth,
nay, the sins of one day I forget the next.
Keep me from all things that turn to unbelief
or lack of felt union with Christ.

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

salme 117
(Geneva Bible)

1 All nations, praise ye the Lord: all ye people, praise him.
2 For his louing kindnes is great toward vs, and the trueth of the Lord endureth for euer. Praise yee the Lord.

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I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

FULLNESS IN CHRIST

O God,

hou hast taught me
that Christ has all the fullness and
so all the plentitude of the Spirit,
that all fullness I lack in myself is in him,
for his people, not for himself alone,
he having perfect knowledge, grace,
righteousness,
to make me see,
to make me righteous,
to give me fullness;
that it is my duty, out of a sense of emptiness,
to go to Christ, possess, enjoy his fullness
as mine,
as if I had it in myself, because it is
for me in him;
that when I do this I am full of the Spirit,
as a fish that has got from the shore to the sea
and has all fullness of waters to move in,
for when faith fills me, then I am full;
that this is the way to be filled with the Spirit,
like Stephen, first faith, then fullness,
for this way makes me most empty,
and so most fit for the Spirit to fill.
Thou hast taught me that the finding of
this treasure of all grace in the field of Christ
begets strength, joy, glory,
and renders all graces alive.
Help me to delight more in what I recieve
from Christ,
more in that fullness which is in him,
the fountain of all his glory.
Let me not think to receive the Spirit from him
as a ‘thing’
apart from finding, drinking, being filled
with him.
To this end, O God,
do thou establish me I Christ,
settle me, give me a being there,
assure me with certainty that all this is mine,
for this only will fill my heart with joy
and peace.

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

Psalme 96 (Geneva Bible)

1 Sing vnto the Lord a newe song: sing vnto the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing vnto the Lord, and prayse his Name: declare his saluation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among all nations, and his wonders among all people.
4 For the Lord is great and much to be praysed: he is to be feared aboue all gods.
5 For all the gods of the people are idoles: but the Lord made the heauens.
6 Strength and glory are before him: power and beautie are in his Sanctuarie.
7 Giue vnto the Lord, ye families of the people: giue vnto the Lord glory and power.
8 Giue vnto the Lord the glory of his Name: bring an offering, and enter into his courtes.
9 Worship the Lord in the glorious Sanctuarie: tremble before him all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, The Lord reigneth: surely the world shalbe stable, & not moue, and he shall iudge the people in righteousnesse.
11 Let the heauens reioyce, and let the earth be glad: let the sea roare, and all that therein is.
12 Let the field be ioyfull, and all that is in it: let all the trees of the wood then reioyce
13 Before the Lord: for he commeth, for he cometh to iudge the earth: he wil iudge the world with righteousnes, and the people in his trueth.

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I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

CHRIST IS ALL

O Lover to the uttermost,

ay I read the meltings of my heart to thee
in the manger of thy birth,
in the garden of thy agony,
in the cross of thy suffering,
in the tomb of thy resurrection,
in the heaven of thy intercession.
Bold in this thought I defy my adversary,
tread down his temptations,
resist his schemings,
renounce the world,
am valiant for truth.
Deepen in me a sense of my holy relationship
to thee,
as spiritual bridegroom,
as Jehovah’s fellow,
as sinners’ friend.
I think of thy glory and my vileness,
thy majesty and my meanness,
thy beauty and my deformity,
thy purity and my filth,
thy righteousness and my iniquity.
Thou hast loved me everlastingly, unchangeably,
may I love thee as I am loved;
Thou hast given thyself for me,
may I give myself to thee;
Thou hast died for me,
may I live to thee,
in every moment of my time,
in every movement of my mind,
in every pulse of my heart.
May I never dally with the world
and its allurements,
but walk by thy side,
listen to thy voice,
be clothed with thy graces,
and adorned with thy righteousness.

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

Psalme 68 (Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth. A Psalme or song of Dauid.

1 God will arise, and his enemies shalbe scattered: they also that hate him, shall flee before him.
2 As the smoke vanisheth, so shalt thou driue them away: and as waxe melteth before the fire, so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But the righteous shalbe glad, and reioyce before God: yea, they shall leape for ioye.
4 Sing vnto God, and sing prayses vnto his name: exalt him that rideth vpon the heauens, in his Name Iah, and reioyce before him.
5 He is a Father of the fatherlesse, & a Iudge of the widowes, euen God in his holy habitation.
6 God maketh the solitarie to dwell in families, and deliuereth them that were prisoners in stocks: but the rebellious shal dwell in a dry land.
7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people: when thou wentest through the wildernesse, (Selah)
8 The earth shooke, and the heauens dropped at the presence of this God: euen Sinai was moued at the presence of God, euen the God of Israel.
9 Thou, O God, sendest a gracious raine vpon thine inheritance, and thou didest refresh it when it was wearie.
10 Thy Congregation dwelled therein: for thou, O God, hast of thy goodnesse prepared it for the poore.
11 The Lord gaue matter to the women to tell of the great armie.
12 Kings of the armies did flee: they did flee, and she that remained in the house, deuided the spoyle.
13 Though ye haue lien among pots, yet shal ye be as the winges of a doue that is couered with siluer, and whose fethers are like yelowe golde.
14 When the Almightie scattered Kings in it, it was white as the snowe in Zalmon.
15 The mountaine of God is like the mountaine of Bashan: it is an high Mountaine, as mount Bashan.
16 Why leape ye, ye high mountaines? as for this Mountaine, God deliteth to dwell in it: yea, the Lord will dwell in it for euer.
17 The charets of God are twentie thousande thousand Angels, and the Lord is among them, as in the Sanctuarie of Sinai.
18 Thou art gone vp on high: thou hast led captiuitie captiue, and receiued giftes for men: yea, euen the rebellious hast thou led, that the Lord God might dwell there.
19 Praysed be the Lord, euen the God of our saluation, which ladeth vs dayly with benefites. Selah.
20 This is our God, euen the God that saueth vs: and to the Lord God belong the issues of death.
21 Surely God will wound the head of his enemies, and the hearie pate of him that walketh in his sinnes.
22 The Lord hath sayde, I will bring my people againe from Bashan: I will bring them againe from the depths of the Sea:
23 That thy foote may bee dipped in blood, and the tongue of thy dogges in the blood of the enemies, euen in it.
24 They haue seene, O God, thy goings, the goings of my God, and my King, which art in the Sanctuarie.
25 The singers went before, the players of instruments after: in the middes were the maides playing with timbrels.
26 Praise yee God in the assemblies, and the Lord, ye that are of the fountaine of Israel.
27 There was litle Beniamin with their ruler, and the princes of Iudah with their assemblie, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28 Thy God hath appointed thy strength: stablish, O God, that, which thou hast wrought in vs,
29 Out of thy Temple vpon Ierusalem: and Kings shall bring presents vnto thee.
30 Destroy the company of the spearemen, & multitude of the mightie bulles with the calues of the people, that tread vnder feete pieces of siluer: scatter the people that delite in warre.
31 Then shall the princes come out of Egypt: Ethiopia shall hast to stretche her hands vnto God.
32 Sing vnto God, O yee kingdomes of the earth: sing praise vnto the Lord, (Selah)
33 To him that rideth vpon ye most high heauens, which were from the beginning: beholde, he will send out by his voice a mightie sound.
34 Ascribe the power to God: for his maiestie is vpon Israel, and his strength is in the cloudes.
35 O God, thou art terrible out of thine holie places: the God of Israel is hee that giueth strength and power vnto the people: praised be God.

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Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

CHRIST THE WORD

My Father,

n a world of created and changeable things,
Christ and his Word alone remain unshaken.
O to forsake all creatures,
to rest as a stone on him the foundation,
to abide in him, be borne up by him!
For all my mercies come through Christ,
who has designed, purchased, promised,
effected them.
How sweet it is to be near him, the Lamb,
filled with holy affections!
When I sin aganst thee I cross thy will, love, life,
and have no comforter, no creature, to go to.
My sin is not so much this or that particular evil,
but my continual separation, disunion,
distance from thee,
and having a loose spirit towards thee.
But thou hast given me a present, Jesus thy Son,
as mediator between thyself and my soul,
as middle-man who in a pit
holds both him below and him above
for only he can span the chasm breached by sin,
and satisfy divine justice.
May I always lay hold upon this Mediator,
as a realized object of faith,
and alone worthy by his love to bridge the gulf.
Let me know that he is dear to me by his Word;
I am one with him by the Word on his part,
and by faith on mine;
If I oppose the Word, I oppose my Lord
when he is most near;
If I receive the Word I receive my Lord
wherein he is nigh.
O thou who hast the hearts of all men
in thine hand,
form my heart according to the Word,
according to the image of thy Son,
So shall Christ the Word, and his Word,
be my strength and comfort.

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

Psalme 47 (Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth. A Psalme committed to the sonnes of Korah.

1 All people clap your hands: sing loude vnto God with a ioyfull voyce.
2 For the Lord is high, and terrible: a great King ouer all the earth.
3 He hath subdued the people vnder vs, and the nations vnder our feete.
4 Hee hath chosen our inheritance for vs: euen the glory of Iaakob whom he loued. Selah.
5 God is gone vp with triumph, euen the Lord, with the sound of the trumpet.
6 Sing prayses to God, sing prayses: sing prayses vnto our King, sing prayses.
7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing prayses euery one that hath vnderstanding.
8 God reigneth ouer the heathen: God sitteth vpon his holy throne.
9 The princes of the people are gathered vnto the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the world belong to God: he is greatly to be exalted.

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Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE GIFT OF ALL GIFTS

O Source of all good,

hat shall I render to thee for the gift of all gifts,
thine own dear Son, begotten, not created,
   my Redeemer, proxy surety, substitute,
   his self-emptying incomprehensible,
   his infinity of love beyond the heart’s grasp.
Herein is the wonder of wonders;
   he came below to raise me above,
   was born like me that I might become like him.
Herein is love;
   when I cannot rise to him he draws near on
      wings of grace,
   to raise me to himself.
Herein is power;
   when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart
   he united them in indissoluble unity,
      the uncreated and the created.
Herein is wisdom;
   when I was undone, with no will to return to him,
   and no intellect to devise recovery,
   he came, God-incarnate, to save me
      to the uttermost,
   as man to die my death,
   to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
   to work out a perfect righteousness for me.
O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,
      and enlarge my mind;
   let me hear good tidings of great joy,
      and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
      my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
      my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;
   place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,
      to look with them upon my redeemer’s face,
      and in him account myself delivered from sin;
   let me with Simeon clasp the newborn child
      to my heart,
   embrace him with undying faith,
   exulting that he is mine and I am his.
In him thou hast given me so much
      that heaven can give no more.

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

Psalme 26 (Geneva Bible)
A Psalme of Dauid.

1 Ivdge me, O Lord, for I haue walked in mine innocency: my trust hath bene also in the Lord: therefore shall I not slide.
2 Proue me, O Lord, and trie mee: examine my reines, and mine heart.
3 For thy louing kindnesse is before mine eyes: therefore haue I walked in thy trueth.
4 I haue not hanted with vaine persons, neither kept companie with the dissemblers.
5 I haue hated the assemblie of the euill, and haue not companied with the wicked.
6 I will wash mine handes in innocencie, O Lord, and compasse thine altar,
7 That I may declare with the voyce of thankesgiuing, and set foorth all thy wonderous woorkes.
8 O Lord, I haue loued the habitation of thine house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
9 Gather not my soule with the sinners, nor my life with the bloodie men:
10 In whose handes is wickednes, and their right hand is full of bribes.
11 But I will walke in mine innocencie: redeeme me therefore, and be mercifull vnto me.
12 My foote standeth in vprightnesse: I will praise thee, O Lord, in the Congregations.

Recommended Sermons

Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING

O my God,

hou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
   for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
   and I would pour out all that fullness before thee
      in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
   ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
   ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
   ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
   crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
   for adorning it, sanctifying it,
      though it is fixed in barren soil;
   for the body thou hast given me,
   for preserving its strength and vigour,
   for providing senses to enjoy delights,
   for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
   for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
   for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
   for a full table and overflowing cup,
   for appetite, taste, sweetness,
   for social joys of relatives and friends,
   for ability to serve others,
   for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
   for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
   for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
   for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
   for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.
I love thee above the powers of language
      to express,
    for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time
   and eternity.

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

Psalme 5 (Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth vpon Nehiloth. A Psalme of Dauid.

1 Heare my wordes, O Lord: vnderstande my meditation.
2 Hearken vnto the voyce of my crie, my King and my God: for vnto thee doe I pray.
3 Heare my voyce in the morning, O Lord: for in the morning will I direct me vnto thee, and I will waite.
4 For thou art not a God that loueth wickednes: neither shall euill dwell with thee.
5 The foolish shal not stand in thy sight: for thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speake lyes: the Lord will abhorre the bloodie man and deceitfull.
7 But I wil come into thine house in the multitude of thy mercie: and in thy feare will I worship toward thine holy Temple.
8 Leade me, O Lord, in thy righteousnes, because of mine enemies: make thy way plaine before my face.
9 For no constancie is in their mouth: within, they are very corruption: their throte is an open sepulchre, and they flatter with their tongue.
10 Destroy them, O God: let them fall from their counsels: cast them out for the multitude of their iniquities, because they haue rebelled against thee.
11 And let all them that trust in thee, reioyce and triumph for euer, and couer thou them: and let them, that loue thy Name, reioyce in thee.
12 For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous, and with fauour wilt compasse him, as with a shielde.

Recommended Sermons

Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

GOD HONOURED

O God,

raise waiteth for thee, and to render it is my noblest exercise;

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

Psalme 113 (Geneva Bible)

1 Prayse ye the Lord. Prayse, O ye seruants of the Lord, prayse the Name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the Name of the Lord from hencefoorth and for euer.
3 The Lords Name is praysed from the rising of ye sunne, vnto ye going downe of the same.
4 The Lord is high aboue all nations, and his glorie aboue the heauens.
5 Who is like vnto the Lord our God, that hath his dwelling on high!
6 Who abaseth himselfe to beholde things in the heauen and in the earth!
7 He raiseth the needie out of the dust, and lifteth vp the poore out of the dung,
8 That he may set him with the princes, euen with the princes of his people.
9 He maketh the barren woman to dwell with a familie, and a ioyfull mother of children. Prayse ye the Lord.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

MAN’S GREATEST END

Lord of all being,

here is one thing that deserves my greatest care,
that calls forth my ardent desires,
That is, that I may answer the great end for which
      I am made –
   to glorify thee who hast given me being,
   and to do all the good I can for my fellow men;
Verily, life is not worth having
   if it be not improved for this noble purpose.
Yet, Lord, how little is this the thought of mankind!
Most men seem to live for themselves,
   without much or any regard for thy glory,
   or for the good of others;
They earnestly desire and eagerly pursue
   the riches, honours, pleasures of this life,
   as if they supposed that wealth, greatness,
      merriment,
   could make their immortal souls happy;
But, alas, what false delusive dreams are these!

And how miserable ere long will those be that
      sleep in them,
   for all our happiness consists in loving thee,
   and being holy as thou art holy.
O may I never fall into the tempers and vanities,
   the sensuality and folly of the present world!
It is a place of inexpressible sorrow, a vast empty
   nothingness;
Time is a moment, a vapour,
   and all its enjoyments are empty bubbles,
   fleeting blasts of wind,
   from which nothing satisfactory can be derived;
Give me grace always to keep in covenant with thee,
   and to reject as delusion a great name here
      or hereafter,
   together with all sinful pleasures or profits.
Help me to know continually
   that there can be no true happiness,
   no fulfilling of thy purpose for me,
   apart from a life lived in and for
      the Son of thy love.

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

Psalm 92 (Geneva Bible)
A Psalme or song for the Sabbath day.

1 It is a good thing to praise the Lord, and to sing vnto thy Name, O most High,
2 To declare thy louing kindenesse in the morning, and thy trueth in the night,
3 Vpon an instrument of tenne strings, and vpon the viole with the song vpon the harpe.
4 For thou, Lord, hast made mee glad by thy workes, and I wil reioyce in the workes of thine handes.
5 O Lord, how glorious are thy workes! and thy thoughtes are very deepe.
6 An vnwise man knoweth it not, and a foole doeth not vnderstand this,
7 (When the wicked growe as the grasse, and all the workers of wickednesse doe flourish) that they shall be destroyed for euer.
8 But thou, O Lord, art most High for euermore.
9 For loe, thine enemies, O Lord: for loe, thine enemies shall perish: all the workers of iniquitie shall be destroyed.
10 But thou shalt exalt mine horne, like the vnicornes, and I shalbe anoynted with fresh oyle.
11 Mine eye also shall see my desire against mine enemies: and mine eares shall heare my wish against the wicked, that rise vp against me.
12 The righteous shall flourish like a palme tree, and shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon.
13 Such as bee planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courtes of our God.
14 They shall still bring foorth fruite in their age: they shall be fat and flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord my rocke is righteous, and that none iniquitie is in him.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

A PRESENT SALVATION

Creator and Redeemer God,

uthor of all existence, source of all
bessedness,
I adore thee for making me capable of knowing thee,
   for giving me reason and conscience,
   for leading me to desire thee;
I praise thee for the revelation of thyself
      in the gospel,
   for thy heart as a dwelling place of pity,
   for thy thoughts of peace towards me,
   for thy patience and thy graciousness,
   for the vastness of thy mercy.
Thou hast moved my conscience to know how
   the guilty can be pardoned,
   the unholy sanctified,
   the poor enriched.
May I always be amongst those who not only
      hear but know thee,
   who walk with and rejoice in thee,
   who take thee at thy word and find life there.

Keep me always longing
   for a present salvation in Holy Spirit comforts
      and rejoicings,
   for spiritual graces and blessings,
   for help to value my duties as well as my privileges.
May I cherish simplicity and godly sincerity
   of character.
Help me to be in reality before thee
   as in appearance I am before men,
   to be religious before I profess religion,
   to leave the world before I enter the church,
   to set my affections on things above,
   to shun forbidden follies and vanities,
   to be a dispenser as well as a partaker of grace,
   to be prepared to bear evil as well as to do good.
O God, make me worthy of this calling,
   that the name of Jesus may be glorified in me
      and I in him.

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

Psalme 71 (Geneva Bible)
To him that excelleth. A Psalme committed to the sonnes of Korah.

1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

GOD ENJOYED

Thou incomprehensible
but prayer-hearing God,

nown, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
   my wants and welfare draw me to thee,
   for thou hast never said, ‘Seek ye me in vain’.
To thee I come in my difficulties, necessities,
      distresses;
   possess me with thyself,
      with a spirit of grace and supplication,
      with a prayerful attitude of mind,
      with access into warmth of fellowship,
   so that in the ordinary concerns of life
      my thoughts and desires may rise to thee,
   and in habitual devotion I may find a resource
      that will soothe my sorrows,
      sanctify my successes,
      and qualify me in all ways for dealings
      with my fellow men.

I bless thee that thou hast made me capable
   of knowing thee, the author of all being,
   of resembling thee, the perfection of all excellency,
   of enjoying thee, the source of all happiness.
0 God, attend me in every part of my arduous
      and trying pilgrimage;
   I need the same counsel, defence, comfort
      I found at my beginning.
Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
   more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven,
   may I reflect him on earth,
While he pleads my cause, may I show forth
   his praise.

Continue the gentleness of thy goodness
   towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence
      go with me,
   thy blessing attend me.
Thou hast led me on and I have found thy
      promises true,
I have been sorrowful, but thou hast been my help,
   fearful, but thou hast delivered me,
   despairing, but thou hast lifted me up.
Thy vows are ever upon me,
   And I praise thee, O God.

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

1 The God of Gods, euen the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising vp of the sunne vnto the going downe thereof.
2 Out of Zion, which is the perfection of beautie, hath God shined.
3 Our God shall come and shall not keepe silence: a fire shall deuoure before him, and a mightie tempest shall be mooued round about him.
4 Hee shall call the heauen aboue, and the earth to iudge his people.
5 Gather my Saints together vnto me, those that make a couenant with me with sacrifice.
6 And the heauens shall declare his righteousnes: for God is iudge himselfe. Selah.
7 Heare, O my people, and I wil speake: heare, O Israel, and I wil testifie vnto thee: for I am God, euen thy God.
8 I wil not reproue thee for thy sacrifices, or thy burnt offerings, that haue not bene continually before me.
9 I will take no bullocke out of thine house, nor goates out of thy foldes.
10 For all the beastes of the forest are mine, and the beastes on a thousand mountaines.
11 I knowe all the foules on the mountaines: and the wilde beastes of the fielde are mine.
12 If I bee hungry, I will not tell thee: for the world is mine, and all that therein is.
13 Will I eate the flesh of bulles? or drinke the blood of goates?
14 Offer vnto God praise, and pay thy vowes vnto the most High,
15 And call vpon me in the day of trouble: so will I deliuer thee, and thou shalt glorifie me.
16 But vnto the wicked said God, What hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances, that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth,
17 Seeing thou hatest to bee reformed, and hast cast my wordes behinde thee?
18 For when thou seest a thiefe, thou runnest with him, and thou art partaker with the adulterers.
19 Thou giuest thy mouth to euill, and with thy tongue thou forgest deceit.
20 Thou sittest, and speakest against thy brother, and slanderest thy mothers sonne.
21 These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue: therefore thou thoughtest that I was like thee: but I will reproue thee, and set them in order before thee.
22 Oh cosider this, ye that forget God, least I teare you in pieces, and there be none that can deliuer you.
23 He that offereth praise, shall glorifie mee: and to him, that disposeth his way aright, will I shew the saluation of God.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

DIVINE MERCIES

Thou Eternal God,

hine is surpassing greatness, unspeakable
goodness, super-abundant grace;
I can as soon count the sands of ocean’s ‘lip’
   as number thy favours towards me;
I know but a part, but that part exceeds all praise.
I thank thee for personal mercies,
   a measure of health, preservation of body,
   comforts of house and home, sufficiency of food
      and clothing,
   continuance of mental powers,
   my family, their mutual help and support,
      the delights of domestic harmony and peace,
      the seats now filled that might have been vacant,
   my country, church, Bible, faith.
But, O, how I mourn my sin, ingratitude, vileness,
   the days that add to my guilt,
   the scenes that witness my offending tongue;

All things in heaven, earth, around, within, without,
      condemn me–
   the sun which sees my misdeeds,
   the darkness which is light to thee,
   the cruel accuser who justly charges me,
   the good angels who have been provoked to leave
      me,
   thy countenance which scans my secret sins,
   thy righteous law, thy holy Word,
   my sin-soiled conscience, my private and
      public life,
   my neighbours, myself–
         all write dark things against me.
I deny them not, frame no excuse, but confess,
   ‘Father, I have sinned’;
Yet still I live, and fly repenting to thy outstretched
      arms;
   thou wilt not cast me off, for Jesus brings me near,
   thou wilt not condemn me, for he died in
      my stead,
   thou wilt not mark my mountains of sin,
      for he levelled all,
   and his beauty covers my deformities.
O my God, I bid farewell to sin by clinging
      to his cross,
   hiding in his wounds, and sheltering in his side.

salme 29 (Geneva Bible)
A Psalme of Dauid.
1 Giue vnto the Lord, ye sonnes of the mightie: giue vnto the Lord glorie and strength.
2 Giue vnto the Lord glorie due vnto his Name: worship the Lord in the glorious Sanctuarie.
3 The voyce of the Lord is vpon the waters: the God of glorie maketh it to thunder: the Lord is vpon the great waters.
4 The voyce of the Lord is mightie: the voyce of the Lord is glorious.
5 The voyce of the Lord breaketh the cedars: yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to leape like a calfe: Lebanon also and Shirion like a yong vnicorne.
7 The voice of the Lord deuideth the flames of sire.
8 The voice of the Lord maketh the wildernes to tremble: the Lord maketh the wildernes of Kadesh to tremble.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hindes to calue, & discouereth the forests: therefore in his Temple doth euery man speake of his glory.
10 The Lord sitteth vpon the flood, and the Lord doeth remaine King for euer.
11 The Lord shall giue strength vnto his people: the Lord shall blesse his people with peace.

Grace and peace to you this Lord’s Day.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

THE DIVINE WILL

O Lord,

hang on thee;
I see, believe, live,
      when thy will, not mine, is done;
I can plead nothing in myself
   in regard of any worthiness and grace,
   in regard of thy providence and promises,
   but only thy good pleasure.
If thy mercy make me poor and vile, blessed be thou!
Prayers arising from my needs are preparations for
   future mercies;
Help me to honour thee by believing before I feel,
   for great is the sin if I make feeling a
      cause of faith.

Show me what sins hide thee from me
   and eclipse thy love;
Help me to humble myself for past evils,
   to be resolved to walk with more care,
For if I do not walk holily before thee,
   how can I be assured of my salvation?

It is the meek and humble who are shown
      thy covenant,
   know thy will, are pardoned and healed,
   who by faith depend and rest upon grace,
   who are sanctified and quickened,
   who evidence thy love.
Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will,
   by leaning hard on thy rich free mercy,
   by believing thou wilt give what thou hast
      promised;
Strengthen me to pray with the conviction
   that whatever I receive is thy gift,
   so that I may pray until prayer be granted;
Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy arise
   from several degrees of prayer,
   that when faith is begun it is imperfect and
      must grow,
   as chapped ground opens wider and wider
      until rain comes.

So shall I wait thy will, pray for it to be done,
   and by thy grace become fully obedient.

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

Ecclesiastes 7 (Geneva Bible)

1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Heidelberg Catechism for Lord’s Day 50 from CoffeeSwirls.

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.