Devotional Verses Founded on and Illustrative of select Texts of Scripture [by Bernard Barton] |
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A PRAYER AGAINST DECLENSION. |
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247
A PRAYER AGAINST DECLENSION.
“Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”
—Revelations, ii. 4.
Saviour! preserve within our hearts,
The memory of our spousal day,
Lest sin, by Satan's specious arts,
Should steal our earlier love away.
The memory of our spousal day,
Lest sin, by Satan's specious arts,
Should steal our earlier love away.
That earlier love our spirits felt,
In visitation's soft'ning hour,
Bidding our hearts before Thee melt,
Our tongues confess Thy praise and power.
In visitation's soft'ning hour,
Bidding our hearts before Thee melt,
Our tongues confess Thy praise and power.
When, lur'd from joys of time and sense,
Thou through the desert wast our Guide,
And gav'st us smiling gardens thence,
By Thee with living streams supplied.
Thou through the desert wast our Guide,
And gav'st us smiling gardens thence,
By Thee with living streams supplied.
248
The memory of those days renew
Within our souls by grace divine,
Lest, to ourselves and Thee untrue,
Our fervid love tow'rd Thee decline.
Within our souls by grace divine,
Lest, to ourselves and Thee untrue,
Our fervid love tow'rd Thee decline.
If somewhat of its earlier zeal,
The world unhappily have reft,
Thy power and love once more reveal,
To cherish that which still is left.
The world unhappily have reft,
Thy power and love once more reveal,
To cherish that which still is left.
That we, by penitence sincere,
May pardon for our fall obtain;
And, through Thy grace, in holy fear,
May do our former works again.
May pardon for our fall obtain;
And, through Thy grace, in holy fear,
May do our former works again.
Lest Thou no longer shouldst reprove
In mercy, or in pity plead;
But from its place our light remove,
And leave our spirits dark indeed.
In mercy, or in pity plead;
But from its place our light remove,
And leave our spirits dark indeed.
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