Valley of Vision: The Awakened Sinner

The Banner of Truth Trust ^ | 1975 | Arthur Bennett

[Gamecock]

O my forgetful soul,

Awake from thy wandering dream;

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 thou hast made me and canst not forget me.

Let thy Spirit teach me the vital lessons of Christ,

for I am slow to learn;

And hear thou my broken cries.

[Gamecock]

This prayer is taken from a collection of Puritan works titled "The Valley of Vision." First published in 1975 by Arthur Bennett, the book has been used by many Christians for prayer, as a devotional, or just plain reflection.

I plan to post one each day and hope that each of you will benefit from a brief glimpse into the mind of the Puritans. If you would like on or off of this ping list please let me know.

Please, no flaming, cussin' or wagering.

[Gamecock]

VoV Ping

"Sin in a wicked man is like poison in a serpent; it is in its natural place."

THOMAS BROOKS (1608-1680)

[johnk]

that is good stuff.... PTL..
Put me on that ping list....

[Dahlseide]

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,

Whatever my end, on this side only, will be I pray Thee Lord that I will be found, in my minds contemplations, with the peace of mind that passes all understanding; that I will be a witness of Thee to Thy mercy shown in Thy grace to myself & those who surround me; that from the time I first hear the words there is nothing medical science can do my joy will mount, my face will radiate that inward joy; that my family will rejoice with me.