Need of Grace – Valley of Vision

O Lord,

Thou knowest my great unfitness for service,

my present deadness,

my inability to do anything for thy glory,

my distressing coldness of heart.

I am weak, ignorant, unprofitable,

and loathe and abhor myself.

I am at a loss to know what thou wouldest

have me do,

for I feel amazingly deserted by thee,

and sense thy presence so little;

Thou makest me possess the sins of my youth,

and the dreadful sin of my nature,

so that I feel all sin,

I cannot think or act but every motion is sin.

Return again with showers of converting grace

to a poor gospel-abusing sinner.

Help my soul to breathe after holiness,

after a constant devotedness to thee,

after growth in grace more abundantly every day.

O Lord, I am lost in the pursuit of this blessedness,

And am ready to sink because I fall short

of my desire;

Help me to hold out a little longer,

until the happy hour of deliverance comes,

for I cannot lift my soul to thee

if thou of thy goodness bring me not nigh.

Help me to be diffident, watchful, tender,

lest I offend my blessed Friend

in thought and behaviour;

I confide in thee and lean upon thee,

and need thee at all times to assist and lead me.

O that all my distresses and apprehensions

might prove but Christ’s school

to make me fit for greater service

by teaching me the great lesson of humility.

- from Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers

Come, Thou Almighty King

This was posted at www.sliceoflaodicea.com over the weekend. A great hymn that I’ve missed and forgotten about.

Come, Thou Almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing,
Help us to praise:
Father, all glorious,
O’er all victorious,
Come, and reign over us,
Ancient of days.

Come, Thou Incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword,
Our prayer attend:
Come, and thy people bless,
And give Thy word success,
Spirit of holiness,
On us descend.

Come, Holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear,
In this glad hour:
Thou who almighty art,
now rule in ev’ry heart,
And ne’er from us depart,
Spirit of pow’r.

To the great One in Three,
Eternal praises be,
Hence evermore,
His sov’reign majesty,
May we in glory see,
And to eternity,
Love and adore.

Text unknown 1757
Music Felice de Giardini 1769