I sin

Lord Jesus,
I sin--
Grant that I may never cease grieving because of it,
Never be content with myself,
Never think I can reach a point of perfection.

Kill my envy, command my tongue, trample down self.
Give me grace to be holy, kind, gentle, pure, peacable,
To live for thee and not for self,
To copy thy words, acts, spirit
To be transformed into thy likeness,
To be consecrated wholly to thee,
To live entirely to thy glory.

Deliver me from attachment to things in unclean,
From wrongful associations,
From the predominance of evil passions,
From the sugar of sin as well as it's gall,
That with self-loathing, deep contrition,
Earnest heart searching
I may come to thee, cast myself on thee,
Trust in thee, cry to thee,
Be delivered by thee.

O God, the Eternal All, help me to know
That all things are shadows, but thou art substance,
All things are quicksand, but thou art mountain,
All things are SHIFTING, but thou art ANCHOR,
All things are ignorance, but thou art wisdom.

If my life is to be a crucible amid burning heat, so be it,
But do thou sit at the furnace mouth
To watch the ore that nothing be lost.

If I sin willfully, grievously, tormentedly, in grace
Take away my mourning and give me music;
Remove my sackcloth and clothe me with beauty;
Still my sights and fill my mouth with song,
Then give me summer weather as a Christian.

The 'nevers' of the Gospel

"...may I never confine my religion to extraordinary occasions,
But ackowledge thee in all my ways;
Never limit my devotions to particular seasons
But be in thy fear all the day long..."

Election

"it is not feeling the Spirit that proves my saved state
But the truth of what Christ did perfectly for me;
All holiness in him is by faith made mine,
As if I had done it...
I rejoice to think all things are at thy disposal,
And I love to leave them there.
Then prayer turns wholly into praise,
And all I can do is to adore and love thee.
I want not the favour of man to lean upon,
For I know that thy electing grace is infinitely better."