Meditations by Bradstreet and Newton...
Romans 11:33-36:
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
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Meditation by Anne Bradstreet
Edited by Jeannine Hensley
My soul, rejoice thou in thy God,
Boast of Him all the day,
Walk in His law, and kiss His rod
Cleave close to Him alway.
What though thy outward man decay,
Thy inward shall wax strong.
Thy body vile it shall be changed,
And glorious made erelong.
With angel's wings thy soul shall mount
To bliss unseen by eye,
And drink at unexhausted fount
Of joy unto eternity.
Thy tears shall all be dried up,
Thy sorrows all shall fly,
Thy sins shall ne'er be summoned up
Nor come in memory.
Then shall I know what
Thou hast done For me, unworthy me,
And praise Thee shall ev'n as I ought
For wonders that I see.
Base world, I trample on thy face,
Thy glory I despise,
No gain I find in ought below,
For God hath made me wise.
Come Jesus quickly, Blessed Lord.
Thy face when shall I see?
O let me count each hour a day
'Till I dissolved be.
The World
By John Newton
1 See, the world for youth prepares,
Harlot-like, her gaudy snares!
Pleasures round her seem to wait,
But 'tis all a painted cheat.
2 Rash and unsuspecting youth
Thinks to find thee always smooth,
Always kind, till better taught,
By experience dearly bought.
3 So the calm, but faithless sea
(Lively emblem, world, of thee)
Tempts the shepherd from the shore
Foreign regions to explore.
4 While no wrinkled wave is seen,
While the sky remains serene,
Fill'd with hopes, and golden schemes
Of a storm he little dreams.
5 But ere long the tempest raves,
Then he trembles at the waves;
Wishes then he had been wise,
But too late—he sinks and dies.
6 Hapless thus, are they, vain world,
Soon on rocks of ruin hurl'd,
Who admiring thee, untry'd,
Court thy pleasure. wealth, or pride.
7 Such a shipwreck had been mine,
Had not Jesus (name divine!)
Sav'd me with a mighty hand,
And restor'd my soul to land.
8 Now, with gratitude I raise
Ebenezers to his praise;
Now my rash pursuits are o'er,
I can trust thee, world, no more.
