MEDITATION

Meditation is the life of most other duties. ---- Richard Baxter

 

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-3.

STUDY

It is not the work of the Spirit to tell you the meaning of Scripture, and give you the knowledge of divinity, without your own study and labour, but to bless that study, and give you knowledge thereby.... To reject study on pretence of the sufficiency of the Spirit, is to reject the Scripture itself. ---- Richard Baxter

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8).

For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10).

WHOLLY

WHOLLY THE LORD'S

 

My whole though broken heart, O Lord

   From henceforth shall be Thine;

And here I do my vow record ---

   This hand, these words are mine;

All that I have, without reserve,

   I offer here to Thee;

Thy will and honor all shall serve

   That Thou bestow'st on me.

 

All that I save I lose;

   All that I lose I save;

The treasures of Thy love I choose,

   And Thou art all I crave.

My God, Thou hast my heart and hand;

   I all to Thee resign;

I'll ever to this covenant stand,

   Though flesh hereat repine.

 

I know that Thou wast willing first,

   And then drew my consent;

Having thus loved me at the worst

   Thou wilt not now repent.

Now I have quit all self-pretense,

   Take care of what's Thine own;

My life, my health, and my defense,

   Now lie on Thee alone. ---- Richard Baxter.

 

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

 

Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8). 

 

A Hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Christ of All My Hopes the Ground, Ralph Wardlaw, 1817.

Cross

The cross. The cross must be borne, carried; we are not at liberty to step over it, or go round to avoid it. Richard Baxter

 

Then said Jesus unto His disciples, 'If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Lift High the Cross: 

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, till all the world adore his sacred name (George W. Kitchin, 1887).