A PSALM ON THE TITLES OF CHRIST

 

If He is the Alpha and the Omega

All titles between belong to Jesus;
If He is the Father's Beloved
He is the assembly's Beloved too.
Since the Lord Jesus is the Christ of God
How wonderful a Christ-ian is to God!
Since the Dayspring from on high has risen
What guidance we have in the way of peace!
Emmanuel has come in - God with us -
So that by His grace we should be with God;
He came that He might become Friend to me
And fold me with those who are friends of God.
If God distinguishes His "gracious one"
He will also pour grace into His lips;
Since He is the Head of the assembly
He's worthy to be Head of every man;
The Person who could call Himself, "I am"
Said also, "I am the door of the sheep".
Since the Just One has suffered on the cross
The just may be justified by his faith. 
Jesus, the rejected King of the Jews,
Will reign in universal kingship.
He is Lord of all we willingly say, 
Before the day when all confess Him Lord.
If already we have the Morning Star
Soon the world shall shine in Messiah's light.
How suitable that the Nazareaen
Should be the branch of true nazariteship;
Since He is the Alpha and Omega
He must have as spouse the Aleph to Tau.
He is a clearer Prophet than Moses;
He is a purer Priest than Aaron;
For the dead the Son is the Quickener:
For the storm-tossed He is the Quietener;
If in His grace He is the Redeemer
Such grace made Him a Ransom for many;
To the One who is Saviour and Shepherd
Belongs the title of the Son of God;
We receive instruction from the Teacher
And refreshing fruit from the Tree of life.
Our  holy, harmless, undefiled High Priest
Bears to our unfading inheritance.
O Wisdom of God, the incarnate Word,
Come and show us the way of prudence.
He who expired is risen: exult Him!
He who excels us all: exult in Him!
We are awaiting the once-slain Yearling:
"Yea, I come quickly", the Lord Jesus says.
Zechariah tell us where His feet shall stand;
And Zephaniah tells where He will rest.

Completed 5 August 2019.

Around Berwick-upon-Tweed

TO THE SUPREME BEING

Near Callander

Thou Pow'r Omnipotent, supremely just;
Parent of Nature, never failing trust!
Incline thine ear, and graciously impart,
Thy holy dictates to direct my heart :
Enlighten'd by the rays of holy writ.
Implicit I obey, and meek submit;
From clear conviction, that thy wise decrees. 
Are ministers of good and future ease.
Thy providential care supplies our need ; 
What Pow'r but thee, could form, protect, and feed? 
Diffusive blessings, Virtue, Peace, and Health, 
Are far superior to superfluous wealth: 
Wealth, which vain mortals seek, to shun disgrace,
Ascribed to Poverty's neglected race.
Creator infinite! thy works proclaim,
In gratulations high, thy glorious Name!
The Sun's bright orb, and Moon's reflected light.
And Planetary system charm the sight:
The feather'd choir, in sweet harmonic lays.
Join in full chorus to resound thy praise:
Each Beast, and Insect, all that breathe or move.
Excite our wonder, and the Godhead prove.
The various Elements, and glowing Mine,
With Vegetation fair, are gifts divine.
The Seasons as they change, with grace appear.
And form the beauties of the solar year.
Eternal Source! these blessings I explore,
Thy love paternal, zealously adore;
Inspire my heart with gratitude sincere,
Perfect obedience, reverential fear!
Can Man, thy last and noblest work, refuse
The tribute of applause, thy gifts abuse?
Endow’d with pow’rs to fit him for the skies,
Tho’ mortal in his nature, formed to rise;
But yet deprav’d, degen’rate, weak, and vain,
Prone to transgress, and rectitude disdain;
He needs correction, and provokes thine ire,
He wishes to escape the vengeful fire;
Mistakes the means, nor sees th’important end,
Embraces foes, and spurns his faithful friend.
Fetter’d by Sin, of Innocence bereft,
What hope of pardon, could he then have left?
Yet Thou in mercy, and transcendent love,
Sent his Redeemer from the realms above.
Lord, what is Man, that Thou in pity gave,
Thy only Son, his forfeit soul to save!
All die in Adam, yet in Christ all live;
And for his sake, our flagrant sins forgive!
Accept his ransom, to redeem our loss,
His precepts we revere, and bear his cross;
In him alone we trust to plead our cause,
As vile transgressors of thy sacred laws!
Father of light! Jehovah! Holy King!
To whom th’angelic host enraptured sing,
To thy Omnipotence, let incense rise,
From earth thy footstool, to thy Throne the Skies!

Ann Murry (1750 to after 1818)

LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED

 

In Glen Orchy (this summer)

"Let not your heart be troubled", Jesus told

The eleven as He girt them for their grief:
Knowing their faith in God He could unfold
That He would be their Object of belief.
He told them, "In the Father's house there are
Many abodes"; He would prepare a place
Distinctly ours, above the highest star,
Where we shall be before the Father's face.

"I go", He told them, and the going meant
The cross, the tomb, the garden, and the throne;
He came alone; but through the way He went
The Christ our Lord did not remain alone.

For, taken from the scene where we have grieved,
It is unto Himself we are received.

GLORY

More around Loch Leven

When Satan offered Him glory

He rejected it, giving

The glory to God.

When men offer Him glory

He departed to the mountains

Himself alone.

But, speaking to the Father,

He could rejoice to

Ask to be glorified.

FANFARE FOR THE EARTH'S REDEMPTION

Loch Leven, Highlands, Scotland

O!                     

Wrest                     

A bold note from the trumpet  Christ at last                     

Returns; with jubilation sound a blast                     

Prest                     

O!                    

I                                                             

Am                                                             

Voicing all beasts' joy in their lot                                                             

Lorises, gnats, pangolins, hippopot                                                             

Am-                                                             

I!                                                             

A                                                                                         Grand                                                                                        

Rejoicing echoes, loud and resonant,                                                                                       

From antelope, flea, dolphin, elephant,                                                                                       

Pand                                                                                        

a!                                                                                        

HYMN: Response to Psalm 150

At Glencorse Reservoir, Midlothian

Our God, we praise Thee in Thy sanctuary,

A place Thou has prepared with Thine own hand,

Where Thou art dwelling in complacency,

And where Thy grace has caused Thy saints to stand.

Our God, we praise Thee in Thy firmament

In which Thy power and splendour are arrayed:

All is Thy handiwork; in its extent

Thy glory and Thy blessing are displayed.

Our God, we praise Thee in Thy mighty acts:

Creation and redemption show Thy might.

We fear Thee, yet abundant grace attracts,

And Thou hast made us precious in Thy sight.

 Our God, we praise according to Thy power;

Thy hands would make Thy people great and strong;

To Thee, our Rock, our Refuge, and our Tower

The people Thou hast purchased raise their song.

Who hath believed our report?

Blackbird Fledgling in our Garden

Prophets had delivered
Their report: telling of God's
Power and love, His Servant,
His coming, suffering and triumph:
A drum roll.  But had to ask:
Who hath believed our report?

Apostles have spoken: trumpets
With more certain sound, for they
Report what they have seen: a Man
Triumphant over sin and death
Sits glorified.  Still they must ask:
Who hath believed our report?

And feeble saints have whispered,
Or roared the report:
Written it on parchment or
Paper; printed it, broadcast it,
Posted it; yet still must ask:
Who hath believed our report?

The Lord Himself testified it;
The Father endorsed it, and Him;
The Holy Spirit joined His help
To men preaching in weakness.
Still They must send the challenge:
Who hath believed our report?

FRAGMENT

(From a Lord's day 2000)

It is well to advance
To the point where worship is no longer
In point, for the Man of the heart
Is the Man
To whom we are "his like".

And to advance from the Man
Of authority - He is Lord of all - 
To the Man of resource - 
Head to His assembly.

Yet never to eschew the point
From which we have advanced: as a tower,
Advancing on the heights, settles,
Nestles on its foundation.

(Fragment of a verse letter discovered in digging in the archives.)

GLORIOUS

In no circumstance
Was Christ so glorious to God
As when He suffered.

QUESTIONS

“How shall this be?” the virgin asked

When told of how she had been tasked.

“The Spirit” Gabriel said, “shall be

On thee, and power will shadow thee”.

“Where is the King?” the magi said,

Expecting some soft royal bed;

His star led to the Lord of all

Laid in a manger in a stall.

“Who then is this?” whispering in awe

Those on the sea with Jesus saw

The calm His speaking spread abroad

And recognised the Son of God.

“When shall He die?” the world replied,

Only content when Jesus died;

Yet we can gladly understand

The time, and death, were in God’s hand.

“Why dost thou weep?” The risen Man

In care that was not other than

Care shown before - while now He could

Bring saints into new realms of good.

“What shall I do?” the jailed called,

Fearing as one whom sin enthralled;

No longer fearful and depraved,

Through faith in Jesus he was saved.

TRUE

Their illumination constrained
To the sparks they had kindled
Men lay in sorrow: when
Christ came they preferred
The flickering of their caves
Yet we can know in its brightness
The pure illumination
Of the true Light.

A faithful Creator provided
Food for the journey:
They ate, and lived, and died.
But now the Father gives,
As a spiritual reality
For lasting life, lasting substance
And lasting satisfaction
The true Bread.

Once on a fruitful hill,
Dug and relieved of stones,
Was planted that unsatisfactory vine,
Israel, bearer of wild grapes;
Now He stands, to God's satisfaction,
Without earthly moisture,
Clusters ripening into grapes,
Christ, the true Vine.

Blind, and unaware
Of poverty and nakedness,
How could Laodicea give
Testimony? The source of eye-salve,
Of gold and garments speaks:
What words the Amen asserts!
What can He not introduce,
The faithful and true Witness?

What dignity He has
The reality of every type,
The One who supersedes every
Shadow. Who has the right
To the key of David - who
Maintains everything for God,
But the One who can call Himself
The holy, the true?

 

ONLY JESUS

No one lived as Jesus lived

For He never once demurred

When He knew the Father's will;

Since His joy was to fulfil

All the details of God's word

No one lived as Jesus lived.

No one died as Jesus died

Since, despite the public shame,

He was shown to be God's Son;

And because His work was done

While He glorified God's name

No one died as Jesus died.

No one rose as Jesus rose

Since the glory of God's might

Brought Him scatheless from the grave;

Since He came with power to save

And emerged through His own right

No one rose as Jesus rose.

No one saves as Jesus saves,

For eternity and time,

To the uttermost extent;

Since in graciousness He went

To atone for every crime

No one saves as Jesus saves.

No one loves as Jesus loves

For He laid down His own life,

And He shed His blood for me;

Since He would not go out free

For His Master, children, wife

No one loves as Jesus loves.

(An old one re-posted)

RHYMES

See how apt the old rhymes:
The One who loved me
Set me free.

For the Son of God
Humbly trod to the place
Where God's judgment-rod
Wreaked justice.

All was in grace; we love to trace His path
When His face was set
To the cross where He died.

He was crucified;
He is glorified
I am justified: the rhymes
Neat as a glove.

For all was in love
High above our thought; rest now
For the dove's feet!

16/06/2019

THOU DIDST LOVE US ...

Lord and Saviour, "Thou didst love us"
And didst come to save,
And the way of love has brought Thee
To the cross and grave;
All the work that love laid on Thee
Thou didst then fulfil:
"Thou hast loved us; Thou dost love us,
Thou wilt love us still".

Lord and Shepherd, "Thou dost love us"
On our pilgrim way;
Love supports us through the night time,
Guides us through the day:
Love delights to see us flourish
As we do God's will:
"Thou hast loved us; Thou dost love us,
Thou wilt love us still".

Lord and Bridegroom, "Thou wilt love us"
Till our path is done,
And Thou still wilt love in heaven
Every gathered one:
We will know, through endless ages
Love's eternal thrill:
"Thou hast loved us; Thou dost love us,
Thou wilt love us still".

The words in quotes are from a dear brother as he gave thanks for the emblems at the Lord's supper.

Sunbury

GLORIES OF CHRIST

We see the love displayed by Christ,

With reverence observing

The One who came to be with us

To spend His time in serving.

His grace has served our fevered state

To bring in regulation;

His love has served to cleanse our feet

To give us liberation.

How blessed is the way He serves

The saints His love was seeking

And clears the way into His thoughts

By His prophetic speaking.

A prophet's character was seen

In such a man as Moses;

But all is superseded by

What Jesus Christ discloses.

The Man who walked a priestly path

To help us in our weakness

With a new priestly order sits

In glory and uniqueness.

Throughout our times of doubt and tests

His priestly grace sustains us;

While in response to God, in love,

His priestly love maintains us.

A King shall reign in righteousness

As He whom God appointed,

Whose character of royalty

Is fit to be anointed.

Yet having served as Prophet, Priest,

And Sovereign, in perfection

Eternally the Son shall show

The glory of subjection.

EXCELLENCES

There's nothing like the cross;
Its rigours cut across
The wisdom and the pride
In which men would confide.

There's nothing like the grave:
If Jesus were to save
The rigour of its clasp
Must hold Him in its grasp.

There's nothing like the place
Before the Father's face,
Beyond all grief and loss
Since Christ endured the cross.

There's nothing like the throne
He'll sit on with His own
For whom He faced the grave
And rose with power to save.

03/03/2019