Sunday, December 8, 2013

The Great God

O Fountain of All Good,

Destroy in me every lofty thought
   Break pride to pieces and scatter it to the winds,
Annihilate each clinging shred of
   self-righteousness,
Plant in me true lowliness of spirit,
Humble me to a state of loathing and abhorring my sinful self,
Open in me a fountain of penitential tears,
Break me, then bind me up;
Thus will my heart be a ready dwelling
   for my God;
   Then can the Father take up residence in me,
   Then can the blessed Jesus come with healing in his touch
   Then can the Holy Spirit descend in sanctifying grace;
O Holy Trinity, three Persons and one God,
   inhabit me, a temple consecrated to your glory.
When you are present, evil cannot abide;
In your fellowship is fullness of joy,
Beneath your smile is peace of conscience,
By your side no fears disturb,
   no anxieties banish rest of mind,
With you my heart shall bloom with fragrance;
Make me fit, through repentance,
   for your indwelling.
Nothing exceeds your power,
Nothing is too great for you to do,
Nothing too good for you to give.
   Infinite is your might, boundless your love,
   limitless your grace, glorious your saving name.
Let angels sing for
      sinners repenting,
      prodigals restored,
      backsliders reclaimed,
      Satan's captives released,
      blind eyes opened,
      broken hearts bound up,
      the despondent cheered,
      the self-righteous stripped,
      the legalist driven from a refuge of lies,
      the ignorant enlightened,
      and saints built up in their holy faith.
I ask great things of a great God.