Monday, June 05, 2006

The Gift of Gifts

O Source of all Good,

What shall I render to thee for the gift of 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 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 infinetly apart
   he united them in indissolubale 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 new-born 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: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

What more can I say except that this puts into words my soul, and so, Amen.

1 Comments:

At 1:34 PM, Rachel DePue said...

Andy!
wow, I am so excited that you have actually started doing things with this page! This is GREAT! looks good so far, I am planning on reading more in-depth when I get home from work. You should send out a mass e-mail to the family and friends so they all know you're alive out there in portland.

I love you!! :-)

 

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