Baxter: Lord, it belongs not to my care

Sunday, June 14, 2015
    Commemoration of Richard Baxter, Priest, Hymnographer, Teacher, 1691
Meditation:
I will praise you forever for what you have done;
    in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
I will praise you
    in the presence of your saints.
    —Psalm 52:9 (NIV)
Quotation:
Lord, it belongs not to my care,
    Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is my share,
    And this Thy grace must give.

If life be long I will be glad,
    That I may long obey;
If short—yet why should I be sad
    To soar to endless day?

Christ leads me through no darker rooms
    Than He went through before;
He that unto God’s kingdom comes,
    Must enter by this door.

Come, Lord, when grace has made me meet
    Thy blessèd face to see;
For if Thy work on earth be sweet,
    What will Thy glory be!

Then shall I end my sad complaints,
    And weary, sinful days;
And join with the triumphant saints,
    To sing Jehovah’s praise.

My knowledge of that life is small,
    The eye of faith is dim;
But ’tis enough that Christ knows all,
    And I shall be with him.
    ... Richard Baxter (1615-1691), in Memoirs of Margaret Baxter, London: Richard Edwards, 1826, p. 403 (see the book)
    See also Ps. 52:9; 91:16; Matt. 6:27; 7:13; John 13:15; Rom. 6:4-5,8; 2 Cor. 13:4; 1 Pet. 2:21; 3:10-11
Quiet time reflection:
    May I enter Your gates, Lord, with thanksgiving and praise.

CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    Jonah