Monday, March 27, 2017

Rejoice, my heart, be glad and sing

Rejoice, my heart, be glad and sing,
A cheerful trust maintain;
For God, the source of ev’rything,
Your portion shall remain.

He is your treasure, He your joy,
Your life and light and Lord,
Your Counselor when doubts annoy,
Your shield and great reward. 

Why spend the day in blank despair,
In restless thought the night?  
On your Creator cast your care;
He makes your burdens light.

Did not His love and truth and pow’r
Guard ev’ry childhood day?
And did He not in threat’ning hour
Turn dreaded ills away?

He only will with patience chide,
His rod falls gently down;
And all your sins He casts aside
In ocean depths to drown.

His wisdom never plans in vain,
Nor falters nor mistakes,
All that His counsels may ordain   
A blessed ending makes.

Upon your lips, then, lay your hand
And trust His guiding love;
Then like a rock thy peace shall stand
Here and in heav’n above.
              Paul Gerhardt


.....but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.                                                 
                                                         Psalms 73:26

     “And my portion.” It is a metaphor taken from the ancient custom among
the Jews, of dividing inheritances, whereby every one had his allotted portion; as
if he had said, God is not only my rock to defend me from those tempests which
assault me, and, thereby, my freedom from evil; but he is also my portion, to supply
my necessities, and to give me the fruition of all good.  Others, indeed, have their
parts on this side the land of promise, but the author of all portions is the matter
of my portion.  My portion doth not lie in the rubbish and lumber, as theirs doth
whose portion is in this life, be they never so large; but my portion containeth him
whom the heavens, and heaven of heavens, can never contain.  God is the strength
of my heart, and my portion “for ever;” not for a year, or an age, or a million of
ages, but for eternity.  Though others’ portions, like roses, the fuller they blow,
the sooner they shed; they are worsted often by their pride, and wasted through
their prodigality, so that at last they come to want and surely death always rends
their persons and portions asunder; yet my portion will be ever full, without
diminution.  Without alteration, this God will be my God for ever and ever, my
guide and aid unto death; nay, death, which dissolveth so many bonds, and untieth
such close knots, shall never part me and my portion, but give me a perfect and
everlasting possession of it.
                                                                                             George Swinnock

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