“Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.” (Psalm 73:24-25)
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Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus! Words: John Bakewell Tune: Love Divine - John Zundel
1. Hail, Thou once despised Jesus! Hail, Thou Galilean King! Thou didst suffer to release us; Thou didst free salvation bring. Hail, Thou agonizing Savior, Bearer of our sin and shame! By Thy merits we find favor; Life is given through Thy name.
2. Paschal Lamb, by God appointed, All our sins on Thee were laid; By almighty love anointed, Thou hast full atonement made: All Thy people are forgiven Through the virtue of Thy blood; Opened is the gate of heaven, Peace is made 'twixt man and God.
3. Jesus, hail! enthroned in glory, There forever to abide; All the heav'nly hosts adore Thee, Seated at Thy Father's side. There for sinners Thou art pleading, There Thou dost our place prepare, Ever for us interceding, Till in glory we appear.
4. Worship, honor, pow'r and blessing Thou art worthy to receive; Loudest praises, without ceasing, Meet it is for us to give. Help, ye bright angelic spirits, Bring your sweetest, noblest lays; Help to sing our Savior's merits, Help to chant Immanuel's praise!
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The Right Way “And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.” (Psalm 107:7) My soul, what are thy daily exercises concerning the way the Lord thy God is leading thee through a wilderness dispensation? Art thou convinced that it is the right way? What if it be a thorny way, a tempted way, frequently a dark way; yet art thou satisfied that it is the right way, because it is thorny, tempted, dark, and with numberless other exercises? This is the plan to judge by. And though, my soul, I trust thou hast grace enough given thee to see and know, in thy cool hours of thought, that whatever thy God appoints must be right, and His holy will must be done; yet there is an exercise of grace which goes much beyond these views of the subject, and which a believer is enabled to bring into practice, when he not only submits to a painful dispensation, but rejoiceth in it, because it is the right way. When he saith, I am afflicted; but afflictions are useful. I am in dark and trying circumstances; but these also are useful. I am buffeted by Satan; but this also I find to be right, because Christ is the more endeared thereby, and His strength is perfected in my weakness. My God is bringing me by a right way, to a city of habitation. Of this I am sure. And every step leading to the final attainment, is already marked by infinite wisdom, and provided for by infinite love; and Jesus Himself is with me through all the pilgrimage. Hence then, I conclude, that if at any time I am at a loss to see my way, to find comfort in my way, or if I am obstructed in my way, still it is the right way, because Jesus Himself is the Way, and His unerring wisdom is in the appointment. Oh for grace in lively exercise to be as satisfied now of all the dispensations concerning the church and people, as when of old, in the wilderness! The Lord is leading forth by a right way, to bring to a city of habitation, whose Builder and Maker is God. –Robert Hawker
***** Unreserved Confidence I would trust my God as unreservedly as Alexander trusted his friend, who was also his physician. The physician had mixed a medicine for Alexander, who was sick, and the potion stood by Alexander’s bed for him to drink. Just before he drank, a letter was delivered to him in which he was warned that his physician had been bribed to poison him, and had mingled poison with the medicine. Alexander read the letter, and summoned the physician into his presence, and when he came in, Alexander at once drank up the cup of medicine, and then handed his friend the letter. What grand confidence was this! To risk his life upon his friend’s fidelity! He would not let the accused know of the libel till he had proved beyond all disputes that he did not believe a word of it. Is not our heavenly Father in Christ Jesus worthy of even a grander faith? Shall I ever mistrust Him? The devil tells me, my Lord, that this affliction which I am suffering will work me ill. I do not believe it. Not for a moment do I believe it, and to prove that I have no suspicion, I accept it joyfully at Thy hands. I joy and rejoice in it, because thou hast ordained it, and I call upon Thee to make it work my lasting good. I will take bitter at Thy hand as well as sweet, and the gall shall be honey to me. If we act thus we shall be imitating the patience of Job. When his wife bade him curse God and die, what said he? “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” It seems to me we cannot glorify God better than by thus calling upon Him in the day of trouble, and thus showing that we do not believe ill of Him, or suspect Him either of error or unkindness. We go further, and are assured that infallible wisdom and infinite love are at the bottom of every trial which afflicts our spirit: thus we glorify the Lord. –C. H. Spurgeon ***** “Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple.” (Psalm 65:4) ***** SCRIPTURE READING AM: Luke 24:13-32
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