Hymn 136
Sincerity and hypocrisy; or, formality in worship.
John 4:24; Ps. 139:23,24.
God is a Spirit, just and wise,
He sees our inmost mind;
In vain to heav'n we raise our cries,
And leave our souls behind.
Nothing but truth before his throne
With honor can appear;
The painted hypocrites are known
Through the disguise they wear.
Their lifted eyes salute the skies,
Their bending knees the ground;
But God abhors the sacrifice,
Where not the heart is found.
Lord, search my thoughts, and try my ways,
And make my soul sincere
Then shall I stand before thy face,
And find acceptance there.
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Psalm 11
God loves the righteous and hates the wicked.
My refuge is the God of love;
Why do my foes insult and cry,
"Fly like a tim'rous, trembling dove,
To distant woods or mountains fly?"
If government be all destroyed,
(That firm foundation of our peace,)
And violence make justice void,
Where shall the righteous seek redress?
The Lord in heav'n has fixed his throne,
His eye surveys the world below:
To him all mortal things are known,
His eyelids search our spirits through.
If he afflicts his saints so far,
To prove their love and try their grace,
What may the bold transgressors fear?
His very soul abhors their ways.
On impious wretches he shall rain
Tempests of brimstone, fire, and death;
Such as he kindled on the plain
Of Sodom, with his angry breath.
The righteous Lord loves righteous souls,
Whose thoughts and actions are sincere;
And with a gracious eye beholds
The men that his own image bear.
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Psalm 89
Righteousness and justice
Are the foundations of your throne
Your faithfulness surrounds me
And I'll never walk alone
Who in all the heavens
Loves me like you do
You are high and lifted up
You alone are true
You rule the raging seas
And the rivers are subdued
You stand upon the mountain
You alone must be pursued
I will sing of all your mercies
And with my mouth I shall make known
That the heavens and the earth are yours
And glory surrounds your throne
Before your face goes mercy
And truth lights up the way
Your presence overwhelms us
It's where we want to stay
The sun and moon light up the way
And they'll be there till the end
You'll never leave us nor forsake us
You are closer than a friend
Sometimes we wander from the path
And cannot see your face
And all around the darkness falls
You shall not leave us in this place
Open up our eyes O Lord
And give us ears to hear
What the Spirit says to us
O Lord please make it clear
Then your light shines in the darkness
And you lead us in the way
Of mercy and forgiveness
And trust we never go astray
You shall be found by those who seek
Who walk the narrow way
The poor in Spirit and the meek
You'll guide them every day
The merciful and pure in heart
And those who thirst for thee
Will never be, from you apart
And your face they all shall see
poem by Frank McEleny
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Psalm 48 part 2
v.10-14
S. M.
The beauty of the church; or, Gospel worship and order.
Far as thy name is known,
The world declares thy praise;
Thy saints, O Lord, before thy throne,
Their songs of honor raise.
With joy let Judah stand
On Zion's chosen hill,
Proclaim the wonders of thy hand,
And counsels of thy will.
Let strangers walk around
The city where we dwell,
Compass and view thine holy ground,
And mark the building well;
The orders of thy house,
The worship of thy court,
The cheerful songs, the solemn vows,
And make a fair report.
How decent and how wise!
How glorious to behold!
Beyond the pomp that charms the eyes,
And rites adorned with gold.
The God we worship now
Will guide us till we die,
Will be our God while here below,
And ours above the sky.
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Psalm 19 part 2
God's word most excellent; or, Sincerity and watchfulness.
For a Lord's-day morning.
Behold, the morning sun
Begins his glorious way;
His beams through all the nations run,
And life and light convey.
But where the gospel comes
It spreads diviner light;
It calls dead sinners from their tombs,
And gives the blind their sight.
How perfect is thy word!
And all thy judgments just!
For ever sure thy promise, Lord,
And men securely trust.
My gracious God, how plain
Are thy directions giv'n!
O may I never read in vain,
But find the path to heav'n!
PAUSE.
I hear thy word with love,
And I would fain obey:
Send thy good Spirit from above
To guide me, lest I stray.
O who can ever find
The errors of his ways?
Yet with a bold, presumptuous mind
I would not dare transgress.
Warn me of every sin,
Forgive my secret faults,
And cleanse this guilty soul of mine,
Whose crimes exceed my thoughts.
While with my heart and tongue
I spread thy praise abroad,
Accept the worship and the song,
My Savior and my God.
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Worship
Worshippers by God are sought, from the souls He has bought,
Every believer bought by Christ, to worship throughout their life;
The worship that God does seek, is more than just once a week,
It's far beyond a weekly throng, of believers lifting up their song.
Worship is not in part, but whole, all one's mind, body, and soul,
We're to worship in spirit and Truth, with active worship as proof,
Worshipfully seeking God's face, this, at any time and any place,
Truly lifting up our heart to Him, with worshipful intent not a whim.
We worship any time or hour, compelled by love and Holy power.
As we truly lift up our heart to God, anywhere on this earthly sod,
Lifting up Worship to The Lord, worthy to be praised and adored,
For all that The Lord God has done, in giving to us His Only Son.
Our worship is for every nation, a worshipful praise for Salvation,
God's Salvation, offered to us, through The Savior, Christ Jesus,
Worshipfully telling Salvation's story, all to the Lord God's Glory,
Thinking on Him, we truly rejoice, lifting up praise, with one voice.
Compared to God we're quite small, so we worship Christ in awe,
Bowing our hearts in humbleness, as we extol His Righteousness,
For he had left His Eternal Throne, to redeem us as His very Own,
So, we go on in worshipful praise, throughout all our earthly days.
Ordinary Worship
Ordinary people in this life, are used for God through Jesus Christ,
To help other men come to see, what He has done for you and me.
First worship begins in our hearts; it’s where all true worship starts,
And true worship, you will find, is with all your heart, soul and mind.
We seek God in an ordinary way, and to The Lord we humbly pray,
We worship God in Spirit and Truth, with no need of a sign or proof,
Knowing that He’s a God of Love, we lift our heart to heaven above.
Not confined by just one steeple, we worship as a universal people.
Ordinary people from every nation, become as one in His Salvation,
Saved by One Extraordinary God, to serve Him wherever men trod.
We direct our worship to God above, expressing to Him all our love,
And thankfulness for His only Son, God’s gift unmatched by anyone.
Our worship is mediated by Christ, who died to give all men new life,
A life of service we devote to Him, who died as a sacrifice for our sin.
Worship is performed in The Spirit, and a blessing to all who hear it,
As believers we gather corporately, to praise The King of all Eternity.
With hearts bowing in submission, to The Lord’s Great Commission,
Filled with reverence and in awe, of Christ, The King and Lord of all,
Prepared for service and ministry, for The Lord and God of Eternity,
Are ordinary people saved by Christ, to be an extraordinary sacrifice.
(Copyright ©07/2006)
Psalm 18 part 2
v.20-26
L. M.
Sincerity proved and rewarded.
Lord, thou hast seen my soul sincere,
Hast made thy truth and love appear;
Before mine eyes I set thy laws,
And thou hast owned my righteous cause.
Since I have learned thy holy ways,
I've walked upright before thy face;
Or if my feet did e'er depart,
'Twas never with a wicked heart.
What sore temptations broke my rest!
What wars and strugglings in my breast!
But through thy grace, that reigns within,
I guard against my darling sin:
That sin which close besets me still,
That works and strives against my will:
When shall thy Spirit's sovereign power
Destroy it, that it rise no more?
[With an impartial hand, the Lord
Deals out to mortals their reward;
The kind and faithful souls shall find
A God as faithful and as kind.
The just and pure shall ever say,
Thou art more pure, more just than they;
And men that love revenge shall know
God hath an arm of vengeance too.]
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Hymn 170
God incomprehensible and sovereign.
[Can creatures to perfection find
Th' eternal, uncreated Mind?
Or can the largest stretch of thought
Measure and search his nature out?
'Tis high as heav'n, 'tis deep as hell
And what can mortals know or tell?
His glory spreads beyond the sky,
And all the shining worlds on high.
But man, vain man, would fain be wise;
Born like a wild young colt, he flies
Through all the follies of his mind,
And swells, and snuffs the empty wind.]
God is a King of power unknown,
Firm are the orders of his throne;
If he resolve, who dares oppose,
Or ask him why or what he does?
He wounds the heart, and he makes whole
He calms the tempest of the soul;
When he shuts up in long despair,
Who can remove the heavy bar?
He frowns, and darkness veils the moon;
The fainting sun grows dim at noon;
The pillars of heav'n's starry roof
Tremble and start at his reproof.
He gave the vaulted heav'n its form,
The crooked serpent, and the worm;
He breaks the billows with his breath,
And smites the sons of pride to death.
These are a portion of his ways;
But who shall dare describe his face?
Who can endure his light, or stand
To hear the thunders of his hand?
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
My Only Thoughts
How long ago did you hold me last
The memories of what has been
How have we let time go so fast
I hope it slows before the end
Those times I miss, your soft embrace
Those beautiful eyes
Your lips taste
But now you wear your disguise
Trying to fool the world
The fake face is your demise
The truth will be unfurled
So why do you hide
My love frozen in time
Why do I feel this thorn in my side
With empty words I made to rhyme
I cannot fill the hole where your heart once was
For nothing can be so whole
Yet I try and nothing does
So time once again takes its toll
Will you hear me Scream?
Will you hear my cry?
Will we once again be a team?
Or will you leave me here to die?
Answer I search for but never find
My shattered soul
My broken mind
Thoughts will no longer fill my head
The pain of lose to much to bear
The pain of things you could have said
Now I seem the worse for wear
And though I know I'm a fool
A court jester
The kings tool
I say this now
and say it again
for I could never say it too much
I love you now
I loved you then
and my love will stay as such
poem by John Dillenger II
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Three Songs
LOVE, thou art best of Human Joys,
Our chiefest Happiness below;
All other Pleasures are but Toys,
Musick without Thee is but Noise,
And Beauty but an empty Show.
Heav'n, who knew best what Man wou'd move,
And raise his Thoughts above the Brute;
Said, Let him Be, and let him Love;
That must alone his Soul improve,
Howe'er Philosophers dispute.
II
Quickly, Delia, Learn my Passion,
Lose not Pleasure, to be Proud;
Courtship draws on Observation,
And the Whispers of the Croud.
Soon or late you'll hear a Lover,
Nor by Time his Truth can prove;
Ages won't a Heart discover,
Trust, and so secure my Love
III
'TIS strange, this Heart within my breast,
Reason opposing, and her Pow'rs,
Cannot one gentle Moment rest,
Unless it knows what's done in Yours.
In vain I ask it of your Eyes,
Which subt'ly would my Fears controul;
For Art has taught them to disguise,
Which Nature made t' explain the Soul.
In vain that Sound, your Voice affords,
Flatters sometimes my easy Mind;
But of too vast Extent are Words
In them the Jewel Truth to find.
Then let my fond Enquiries cease,
And so let all my Troubles end:
For, sure, that Heart shall ne'er know Peace,
Which on Anothers do's depend.
poem by Anne Kingsmill Finch
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Psalm 84 part 1
The pleasure of public worship.
How pleasant, how divinely fair,
O Lord of hosts, thy dwellings are!
With long desire my spirit faints
To meet th' assemblies of thy saints.
My flesh would rest in thine abode,
My panting heart cries out for God;
My God! my King! why should I be
So far from all my joys and thee?
The sparrow chooses where to rest,
And for her young provides her nest;
But will my God to sparrows grant
That pleasure which his children want?
Blest are the saints who sit on high
Around thy throne of majesty;
Thy brightest glories shine above,
And all their work is praise and love.
Blest are the souls who find a place
Within the temple of thy grace;
There they behold thy gentler rays,
And seek thy face, and learn thy praise.
Blest are the men whose hearts are set
To find the way to Zion's gate;
God is their strength, and through the road
They lean upon their helper God.
Cheerful they walk with growing strength,
Till all shall meet in heav'n at length,
Till all before thy face appear,
And join in nobler worship there.
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Hymn 95
Regeneration.
John 1:13; 3:3, etc.
Not all the outward forms on earth,
Nor rites that God has giv'n,
Nor will of man, nor blood, nor birth,
Can raise a soul to heav'n.
The sovereign will of God alone
Creates us heirs of grace
Born in the image of his Son,
A new, peculiar race.
The Spirit, like some heav'nly wind,
Blows on the sons of flesh,
New-models all the carnal mind,
And forms the man afresh.
Our quickened souls awake, and rise
From the long sleep of death;
On heav'nly things we fix our eyes,
And praise employs our breath.
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Love
Let me but love my love without disguise,
Nor wear a mask of fashion old or new,
Nor wait to speak till I can hear a clue,
Nor play a part to shine in others' eyes,
Nor bow my knees to what my heart denies;
But what I am, to that let me be true,
And let me worship where my love is due,
And so through love and worship let me rise.
For love is but the heart's immortal thirst
To be completely known and all forgiven,
Even as sinful souls that enter Heaven:
So take me, dear, and understand my worst,
And freely pardon it, because confessed,
And let me find in loving thee, my best.
poem by Henry Van Dyke
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Have We Forgotten God?
Have we forgotten God today, regardless of what polls do say?
God is acknowledged by most, across this land, coast to coast,
But, is His Truth truly believed, or are many souls just deceived?
If God, by the country is lifted up, why are our ways so corrupt?
Yes, “Oh my God” we often hear, but, do you sense a holy fear?
In their voice as they proclaim, our Sovereign God’s Holy Name?
And what yet, is even worse, His Name is used more, as a curse,
As many say they believe in Him, while being led by cords of sin.
Truly the question one must raise, while living in these later days,
Regarding God, just if or when, He’s even in the thoughts of men,
And friend that is only just a start, for is He moving in their heart?
Is He accepted with a devout nod, or do they even think of God?
If no place for God is found, these men will be on shaky ground,
Only girded by the shifting sand, in hard trials they will not stand;
Such is the same for any nation, that falls from God’s Revelation,
Ignoring The Word, many cherish, many within our land will perish.
Saying they believe in The Lord, but God’s Holy Laws go ignored,
While we live in these darker days, with many seeking other ways,
If you’re concerned at all my friend, let us not continue to pretend,
Again, all across this land we trod, have men truly forgotten God?
(Copyright ©06/2010)
Psalm 119 part 4
Instruction from scripture.
ver. 9
How shall the young secure their hearts,
And guard their lives from sin?
Thy word the choicest rules imparts
To keep the conscience clean.
ver. 130
When once it enters to the mind,
It spreads such light abroad,
The meanest souls instruction find,
And raise their thoughts to God.
ver. 105
'Tis like the sun, a heav'nly light,
That guides us all the day;
And through the dangers of the night,
A lamp to lead our way.
ver. 99,100
The men that keep thy law with care,
And meditate thy word,
Grow wiser than their teachers are,
And better know the Lord.
ver. 104,113
Thy precepts make me truly wise:
I hate the sinner's road;
I hate my own vain thoughts that rise,
But love thy law, my God.
ver. 89-91
[The starry heavens thy rule obey,
The earth maintains her place;
And these thy servants night and day
Thy skill and power express.
But still thy law and gospel, Lord,
Have lessons more divine;
Not earth stands firmer than thy word,
Nor stars so nobly shine.]
ver. 160,140,9,116
Thy word is everlasting truth,
How pure is every page!
That holy book shall guide our youth,
And well support our age.
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Your Soul Will Make You Whole
for people like me
at times too blind to see
stumbling through darkness from day to day
trying to find the creator's way
not sure if deliverance can be found in church
in the depths of my soul is where i begin the search
i believe thats where my salvation lives
there i will find the light that only the life source gives
trodding along life's dangerous path
and exposed to evil one's deadly wrath
yes, in my soul that's where my salvation lies
hidden safely behind pain-filled eyes
his servants wear a beautiful disguise
seeking lost souls and plotting their demise
my logical mind will surmise
that to survive there should be compromise
but no, never bargain with your soul
within those walls lies the keys to make you whole...
poem by Monciana Edmondson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Hymn 30
Prayer for deliverance answered.
Isa. 26:12,20,21.
In thine own ways, O God of love,
We wait the visits of thy grace,
Our soul's desire is to thy name,
And the remembrance of thy face.
My thoughts are searching, Lord, for thee
'Mongst the black shades of lonesome night;
My earnest cries salute the skies
Before the dawn restore the light.
Look, how rebellious men deride
The tender patience of my God!
But they shall see thy lifted hand,
And feel the scourges of thy rod.
Hark! the Eternal rends the sky,
A mighty voice before him goes;
A voice of music to his friends,
But threat'ning thunder to his foes.
Come, children, to your Father's arms,
Hide in the chambers of my grace,
Till the fierce storms be overblown,
And my revenging fury cease.
My sword shall boast its thousands slain,
And drink the blood of haughty kings,
While heav'nly peace around my flock
Stretches its soft and shady wings.
poem by Isaac Watts
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
True Change
They live as if they don’t know, God above, as they come and go,
Always moving in and out of iniquity, as with eyes that cannot see.
They say that they really believe, and God’s Truth they did receive,
But, their own life has no proof, that they ever embraced The Truth.
Truth that changes how men live, through the Spirit, Christ will give,
Not just to some, but all men, who come to God, to be born again.
Sinful men, who by God’s love, are born anew, of the Spirit above,
God’s Holy Spirit, sent by Christ, to create in believers, a New Life.
The indwelling Spirit starts the change, when believing in the Name,
Of Jesus Christ, unto salvation, who then begins His New Creation.
Transforming our heart and mind, to leave our former ways behind,
Changing our wants and our ways, transforming lives to His Praise.
Through conviction, God will start, His brand new work in our heart,
Turning a heart and mind to Him, to move one from their life of sin,
Moving the heart, who truly trusts, away from sin and worldly lusts;
With open eyes they begin to see, the importance of Life Eternally.
That eternal life begins down here, in a heart moved by Godly fear,
Inspiring change in the present life, to honor our Lord Jesus Christ.
If in your heart there’s no change, while your life remains the same,
Maybe you have been deceived, because you never truly believed.
(Copyright ©09/2009)
The Pressed Gentian
The time of gifts has come again,
And, on my northern window-pane,
Outlined against the day's brief light,
A Christmas token hangs in sight.
The wayside travellers, as they pass,
Mark the gray disk of clouded glass;
And the dull blankness seems, perchance,
Folly to their wise ignorance.
They cannot from their outlook see
The perfect grace it hath for me;
For there the flower, whose fringes through
The frosty breath of autumn blew,
Turns from without its face of bloom
To the warm tropic of my room,
As fair as when beside its brook
The hue of bending skies it took.
So from the trodden ways of earth,
Seem some sweet souls who veil their worth,
And offer to the careless glance
The clouding gray of circumstance.
They blossom best where hearth-fires burn,
To loving eyes alone they turn
The flowers of inward grace, that hide
Their beauty from the world outside.
But deeper meanings come to me,
My half-immortal flower, from thee!
Man judges from a partial view,
None ever yet his brother knew;
The Eternal Eye that sees the whole
May better read the darkened soul,
And find, to outward sense denied,
The flower upon its inmost side
poem by John Greenleaf Whittier
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Verses Wrought
I do not know just how or when, God will send something to my pen,
From something that's on my heart, a thought God desires to impart,
Throughout my day, just as I go, thoughts from above seem to flow,
While I begin with simply a thought, by The Spirit verses are wrought.
It is The Lord God, Who blesses me, with these verses, that you see,
As these words that I pass along; the credit for all, does truly belong,
To The Lord God, Who reigns above, inspiring the verses, I speak of,
These very words, which I pen, that God has me share with other men.
God pens verses from my prose, through ways only The Spirit knows,
This when God's Spirit is inclined, to guide these thoughts in my mind,
In ways which only The Spirit can, as my Lord fills just an ordinary pen,
God blessing me, with His choice, to use my pen, instead of my voice.
Blessings, I hope to pass your way, with verses, on what I have to say,
As The Lord moves upon my heart, regarding thoughts I wish to impart,
From my thoughts God takes words, and He compiles them into verse,
Through ways that only God can do, so that I may share them with you.
Sharing with many through my life, the Truth and Grace of Jesus Christ,
Sharing Truths, you may have heard, that you find in God's Holy Word,
And Grace, which God bestows on us, when we follow The Lord Jesus,
All this as my Savior blesses me, while He guides me home to Eternity.