2 More

funny how staying in a hotel room with your mom and sister, neither of whom are night people, can affect your blogging routine. hence two hymns tonight.

Love Constraining to Obedience
to see the law by Christ fulfilled, to hear His pard'ning voice
changes a slave into a child, and duty into choice.

no strength of nature can suffice
to serve the Lord aright.
and what she has, she misapplies,
for want of clearer light.

to see the law by Christ fulfilled, to hear His pard'ning voice
changes a slave into a child, and duty into choice.

how long beneath the law i lay
in bondage and distress!
i toiled the precept to obey
but toiled without success.

to see the law by Christ fulfilled, to hear His pard'ning voice
changes a slave into a child, and duty into choice.

then to abstain from outward sin
was more than i could do;
now if i feel its power within,
i feel i hate it too.

to see the law by Christ fulfilled, to hear His pard'ning voice
changes a slave into a child, and duty into choice.

then all my servile works were done,
a righteousness to raise -
now freely chosen in the Son
i freely choose His ways.

to see the law by Christ fulfilled, to hear His pard'ning voice
changes a slave into a child, and duty into choice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus sets us free by His death, and from that point on, our lives are not sin offerings or guilt offerings, but thanksgiving offerings. we seek to please God, not because we need to get His favor, but because we love Him. we are rescued, set apart from sin and death and for life in the Spirit - life and health and peace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
Jesus, i my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee.
destitute, despised, forsaken - Thou from hence my all shall be.
perish every fond ambition, all i sought or hoped or known.
yet how rich is my condition! God and heaven are still my own.

let the world despise and leave me; they have left my Savior too.
human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like man, untrue.
o while Thou dost smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all in bright.

man may trouble and distress me - 'twill but drive me to Thy breast.
life with trials hard may press me; heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
o 'tis not in grief to harm me while Thy love is left to me.
o, 'twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

go, then, earthly fame and treasure; come, disaster, scorn, and pain.
in Thy service, pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
i have called Thee Abba Father, I have stayed my heart on Thee.
storms may howl, and clouds may gather; all must work for good to me.

soul, then know Thy full salvation, rise o'er sin and fear and care.
joy to find in every station, something still to do or bear.
think what Spirit dwells within thee, think what Father's smiles are thine,
think that Jesus died to win thee; child of heaven, canst thou repine.

haste thee on from grace to glory, armed by faith and winged by prayer.
heaven's eternal days before thee, God's own hand shall guide us there.
soon shall close thy earthly mission; swift shall pass thy pilgrim days.
hope shall change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus is enough for us. since i have Him, as jo dee messina would say, "bring on the rain."