Things I want to share with you.
I found this poem an encouragement.
Hope you do too!
Are you eagerly awaiting His return?
I can't grasp how wonderful it will be to see the Saviour face to face, but I know it will be far more glorious than anything and everything else this life brings!
"Thoughts of Home;
I've been thinking of home,
of "my Father's house,
Where the many mansions be,"
Of the city whose streets are paved with gold,
Of its jasper walls, so fair to behold,
Which the righteous alone shall see.
I've been thinking of home,
where they need not the light
Of the sun, nor moon, nor star;
Where the gates of pearl
"are not shut by day,
For no night is there,"
but the weary may
Find rest from the world afar.
I've been thinking of home,
of the river of life
That flows through the city so pure; Of the tree that stands
by the side of the stream,
Whose leaves in mercy
with blessings teem,
The sin-wounded soul to cure.
I 've been thinking of home,
of the loved ones there,
Dear friends who have gone before, With whom we walked
to the death river side,
And sadly thought,
as we watched the tide,
Of the happy days of yore.
I've been thinking of home,
and my heart is full
Of love for the Lamb of God,
Who His precious life
as a ransom gave
For a simple race,
e'en our souls to save
From justice's avenging rod.
I've been thinking of home,
and I 'm homesick now;
My spirit doth long to be
In "the better land,"
where the ransomed sing
Of the love of Christ,
their Redeemer, King,
Of mercy so costly, so free.
I've been thinking of home, yea,
"home, sweet home;
O, there may we all unite
With the white-robed throng,
and forever raise
To the triune God
sweetest songs of praise,
With glory, and honor, and might!"
Found in Samuel Rutherford's
Garden of Spices.
Men are deficient in mercy — but God, our God in Jesus, will display the greatest kindness and compassion to His children. This renders Him so amiable, suitable, and glorious in the estimation of His people. Mercy is God's sweetest attribute . . .
as beautiful as the morning light,
as measureless as the waters of the ocean,
as boundless as illimitable space,
as refreshing as the early dew,
as glorious as the noon-day sun!
God's mercy is like His nature — pure, lovely, and eternal. His mercy is suited to all the needs of His children — it is free, full, and meets every case! Christian, the Lord assures you that He has mercy for you!
He has pardoning mercy — which will suit your sinfulness; mercy which will blot out your sins, and remove them from you as far as the east is from the west!
He has delivering mercy — which will meet your misery; mercy which will deliver you from . . .
the power of sin,
the bondage of Satan,
the curse of the law,
the fear of death,
the terrors of judgment, and
all the soul-troubles which may fall upon you on earth!
His mercy is tender mercy — which will suit the sickness of your soul. He will sympathize with you, pity you, and manifest the greatest forbearance and love. His mercy is so tender, that it will not break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking flax. It will . . .
encourage the weak desire,
fan the feeble spark into a flame,
and take the will for the deed.
His mercy is supplying mercy — to meet your needs and defects. It will supply all your needs,according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Whether your needs are temporal or spiritual — He will supply you. He will give you both grace and glory; and no good thing will He withhold from you, if you walk uprightly.
It is also sanctifying mercy — to suit your impurity. It will wash you in the laver of the Word, and in the fountain of a Savior's blood. It will teach you to wash your robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It will sanctify your troubles, and make all things work together for your good.
It is rescuing mercy, which will appear for you, and deliver you from all the dangers which may line your way — and at last present you faultless before the throne of God!
In a word — God's mercy will meet every case, circumstance, and condition in which it is possible for you to be placed!
Reader, let me exhort you to dwell much on this excellent attribute of your God. Meditate on God as all-merciful and all-sufficient for our every state!
Samuel Rutherford was born in Scotland in 1600 and he died in 1661. I recently started reading his "Garden of Spices" and wanted to share a couple of the poems found therein.
Some may find the very old fashioned language harder to understand but I think they're worth reading.
I hope you also find them encouraging.
