Devotion

GOD OF MY END,

It is my greatest, noblest pleasure
to be acquainted with thee
and with my rational, immortal soul;

It is sweet and entertaining
to look into my being
when all my powers and passions
are united and engaged in pursuit of thee,
when my soul longs and passionately breathes
after conformity to thee
and the full enjoyment of thee;

No hours pass away with so much pleasure
as those spent in communion with thee
and with my heart.

O how desirable, how profitable to the Christian life
is a spirit of holy watchfulness
and godly jealousy over myself,
when my soul is afraid of nothing
except grieving and offending thee,
the blessed God, my Father and friend,
whom I then love and long to please,
rather than be happy in myself!

Knowing, as I do, that this is the pious temper,
worthy of the highest ambition, and closest
pursuit of intelligent creatures
and holy Christians,
may my joy derive from glorifying and
delighting thee.

I long to fill all my time for thee,
whether at home or in the way;
to place all my concerns in thy hands;
to be entirely at thy disposal,
having no will or interest of my own.

Help me to live to thee for ever,
to make thee my last and only end,
so that I may never more in one instance
love my sinful self.


The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions Aurthur Bennett, ed. (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975), p. 236-7.

With thanks to Bob Roach, in memory of Jean Roach.

Come Make a Place in Me

What will we pray this Christmas?

Sam Harris, my favorite neo-atheist says confidently, "minds cease to exist when bodies cease to function." He says this as if it were an irrefutable fact of science.  However, the scientific community really has no language to describe consciousness, or mind.  Harris' assertion, while giving comfort to college age rebels who are "losing their religion," must remain an assertion.

I believe, by faith, that our hearts are God's home. I believe that our souls are immortal, and that we are in danger of leaving ourselves under God's eternal judgment on sin if we "live and let live" in our relationship with God. There's a nice Christmas present.

Of course there are many responses to the notion that sin leads to judgment. In much of theistic Judaism, finding a way to keep Torah, a way to be faithful to God's law, is a key to overcoming the gulf between God's holiness and our weaknesses. In Islam, God is focused on our striving for obedience to the commandments revealed to the Prophet.  If one is obedient enough, then God may be merciful to a person on judgment day.  Doesn't that sound hopeful?  In other religions, heartfelt sacrifice and worship, along with proper offerings, will appease whatever deities there are in one's sphere of life.  One other answer is that sin isn't our immediate concern, but we ought to focus on the alleviation of suffering in the here and now.  

It is abundantly clear that scripture says we are much more than our material selves. While avoiding simple dualism, the Bible tells us that we our bodies are the temple of the holy spirit (I Cor. 6:19). We are told that we have early tents, in which we groan (2 Cor. 5).  We long to have a house in the heavens, made not with hands, but by God. God teaches us that there are two aspects of humankind, body and soul.  In fact, we are lights that have been lit by God Himself (Prov. 20:27)!  So we should realize that all of us, the whole person, belong to God (I Cor. 6:20).

Somehow or another, Augustine and Pascal (those often quoted) said that there was a place within ourselves made for God.  The ideal state of a person is that God dwells within, for the redemption of the person and for the glorification of God who gives us life.  One favorite phrase is, "Our souls are restless until they find rest in thee." 

I firmly believe the Christian answers to life better fit the evidence that human history provides for us.

So at Christmas time, may we all say to God, "come make a place in me."  One of our Christmas songs at church this year says, "as you did in the manger, come do it all again.  Show us your grace, come make a place in me."  Finally, the song declares, "there is room in my heart for you."

My hope is that you'll join with me in praying through Christmas with those words of faith in your soul.