This day ever memorable to my soul for the commencement of these memoirs, has been set apart as a day of secret prayer and fasting. It has pleased God, I hope, to return to me after a painful absence of several months, and after I had almost despaired of so great a blessing. May I be humbly thankful all my days that the Lord, as I hope, has come to look up and bring home his long lost wandering sheep. May the pains of absence teach me to wander no more. Alas, how have new relations, and the new cares of a family state, drawn my mind away from God. There are more dangers in every pleasing earthly scene than the inexperienced are aware of. Adversity, I find, is a much safer state than prosperity. May adversities uninterrupted be my lot, if a humble dependance on God and sweet communion with him can be enjoyed on no easier terms. Sure I am that the possession of the whole world for the same space of time could not produce so much happiness, as the absence of God for fourteen months past has produced misery. The conclusion is, that all the world cannot countervail the loss of God. (12)

. . .

If Thou but Suffer God to Guide Thee
(Georg Neumark, 1641, tr. to English by Catherine Winkworth, 1855)

If thou but suffer God to guide thee
And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee,
And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trust in God’s unchanging love
Builds on the rock that naught can move.

What can these anxious cares avail thee
These never ceasing moans and sighs?
What can it help if thou bewail thee
O’er each dark moment as it flies?
Our cross and trials do but press
The heavier for our bitterness.

Be patient and await His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whatever thy Father’s pleasure
And His discerning love hath sent,
Nor doubt our inmost want are known
To Him who chose us for His own.

God knows full well when time of gladness
Shall be the needful thing for thee.
When He has tried thy soul with sadness
And from all guile has found thee free,
He comes to thee all unaware
And makes thee own His loving care.

Nor think amid the fiery trial
That God hath cast thee off unheard,
That he whose hopes meet no denial
Must surely be of God preferred.
Time passes and much change doth bring
And set a bound to everything.

All are alike before the Highest:
’Tis easy for our God, We know,
To raise thee up, though low thou liest,
To make the rich man poor and low.
True wonders still by Him are wrought
Who setteth up and brings to naught.

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,
Perform thy duties faithfully,
And trust His Word: though undeserving,
Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.
God never yet forsook in need
The soul that trusted Him indeed.

Deuteronomy 8:5, 15-16
Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that,
as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee...

Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness,
wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought,
where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not,
that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee,
to do thee good at thy latter end...

 Proverbs 3:11-12
My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD;
neither be weary of his correction:
For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth;
even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

When my faithfulness is as fading leaf,
Why would Christ ride unto me with relief?

Why, when I sinned, caused Him so much grief,
Unstable as water, my heart full of deceit?

Why should my Father's heart still zealously yearn,
When all I did was wander, gad about, and turn?

Despised His commands, quenched His Breath,
Spurned His fellowship – sin gave birth to death!

Why should God in all His majesty appear,
Give me beauty for ashes, joy for my tears?

Why should Christ Jesus favor me, why would He take heed?
– Only because I was born of His incorruptible seed.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you,
that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
~ I John 1:5-10

Who is a God like unto thee,
that pardoneth iniquity,
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?
he retaineth not his anger for ever,
because he delighteth in mercy.
He will turn again,
he will have compassion upon us;
he will subdue our iniquities;
and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
~ Micah 7:18-19

No thorns or briers could hinder the LORD
At an instant - suddenly! – girded with sword

My King came riding at the break of dawn
Rejoiced o'er me with joy, singing this song:

"Daughter of Zion, in whom I am pleased
My blood has ransomed you and made you clean

"Your broken heart has proved that you are Mine,
Bearing fruits of repentance from the True Vine

"The poor and humble I set on high
The meek with salvation, I beautify

"Your pleas for mercy have been heard above
There is forgiveness through My precious blood

"I, the LORD of hosts, am faithful, I am just
To cleanse you of all sin and unrighteousness!

"Once afflicted and desolate – but no more!
Into your thirsty soul, I abundantly pour.

"Fear not! For the praise, glory and honor of My name,
I welcome you, sister – stand before Me without shame!"

For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one:
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Saying,
I will declare thy name unto my brethren,
in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

And again,
I will put my trust in him.

And again,
Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
he also himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,
he is able to succour them that are tempted.
~ Hebrews 2:11-18

For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes...
~ Psalm 26:3a

Lovingkindness set before mine eyes
Shekinah Glory – as the Son did arise

A lovely glimpse, brightening gleam
My heart indites a goodly theme

Overflowing from Zion's sparkling stream
In my gloom suddenly shone a beam

Heavenly manna upon the ground
Once more His grace did abound

Lebanon refreshed, a fruitful field
The honeycomb dripped, the Spirit sealed

The hills flowed with milk, the mountains wine
Gladdening oil made my face to shine

O! Cloudy pillar, Glory's descent
Grace upon grace, the heavens rent!

Who am I, but the sinner chief,
Dust and ashes, a guilty thief!

Why should the Rock burst forth with cheer
When I mocked Christ, yea, I did jeer?

Why should I receive wheat so fine?
Why should I drink the choicest wine?

Yet, I opened my mouth and was supplied
With Jesus my soul was perfectly satisfied

No single drop or morsel I do deserve
Yet bliss gushes forth from heav'n's reserve!

In raining mercies our God takes great delight
Awak'ning, satisfying me with His Light

A nest provided, but far, far more
Fresh joy and gladness from treasure store

Welcomed as a son, wrapped in His fold
His love so fervent, it melts the cold

His voice resounds, makes the deer give birth
Effectually calls, infuses holy mirth

Among the branches, my song displayed:
Glory to God! Hallowed be His Name!

Chosen in Christ before break of day
Why me? Why me? What can I say?

Father, Son, and Spirit, they do decide
Grace falls like dew, He comes to abide

My bones were lifeless, so very dry
Yet the Sovereign Spirit, He did fly

Upon the wind, Jehovah did ride
The River's fullness, His mercies wide

Rapture's transport by His drenching tide
Ushered in to sup with God Most High!

In His presence, pleasures and peace multiply
How could He forsake the apple of His eye?

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem:
behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation;
lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
~ Zechariah 9:9

Sing, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy:
the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee:
thou shalt not see evil any more.
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not:
and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy;
he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly,
who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee:
and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out;
and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you:
for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth,
when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.
~ Zephaniah 3:14-20

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled.
~ Matthew 5:4, 6

He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
~ Psalm 104:10-12

... that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.