Taylor: Lord, come away

Saturday, November 28, 2009
Meditation:
    When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
    “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
        “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
    Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
    “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
    —Luke 19:37-40 (NIV)
Quotation:
        Lord, come away;
        Why dost thou stay?
Thy road is ready and thy paths made straight
            With longing expectations wait
    The consecration of thy beauteous feet.
Ride on triumphantly: behold, we lay
Our lusts and proud wills in thy way.
Hosannah! welcome to our hearts: Lord, here
Thou hast a temple, too, and full as dear
As that of Sion; and as full of sin;—
Nothing but thieves and robbers dwell therein,
Enter, and chase them forth, and cleanse the floor;
Crucify them, that they may never more
        Profane that holy place
        Where thou hast chose to set thy face.
And then if our stiff tongues shall be
Mute in the praises of thy deity,
        The stones out of the temple wall
        Shall cry aloud and call
Hosannah! and thy glorious footsteps greet.
    ... Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667), The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D., v. XV, London: Ogle, Duncan & Co., 1822, p. 77 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You have conquered our hearts of stone. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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