PURPOSE

God’s purpose is that He should bless -

He blessed before the assault of sin

And blessed still though the fall came in:

But once sin’s challenge had begun

God showed the heart He would express

By blessing only in the Son.

God’s purpose is that He should dwell -

He intervened thus to reverse

Man’s state since he had proved perverse;

He sent His Son to draw us near,

To cleanse our hearts, and to dispel

Man’s need to hide from God in fear.

God’s purpose is that He should rule -

With all conforming to His will.

And in the time of faith, until

Christ intervenes as Judge and King

He rules among the people who’ll

Share His reign over everything.

THE SON AND THE SPIRIT

Firstly, a woman,

In whom that which was begotten in her,
As power of the Highest overshadowed her,
Was of the Spirit of God.
 

Then an ambience of receptors,

Like pistils for pollen,
Prepared for Him in the temple
By the Holy Spirit of God.
 

About thirty years progressed

Till the substance of divine approval
Anointing a praying Man
Was the Holy Spirit.
 

An active life followed

Each word, step or touch
Blessing to men
By the Spirit of God.
 

Qualified for glory, qualified

For rule - He was qualified
To offer Himself to God
By the eternal Spirit.

Risen, elevated, honoured,

At the Father’s right
He acted as Minister of grace
Giving His Holy Spirit.
 

He has His church now

Integrated and vital,
Welled by the love of God,
Through the One Spirit.

TIME

Before God’s earliest actions in creation had begun

The One we know as Father loved the One we know as Son.

Before God made our planet as a dwelling for mankind,
The Man who shed His precious blood was in the Father’s mind.
 

Before man’s course of sin and disobedience had its start

I had a status as a son, within the Father’s heart.
 

**********

 

After God’s operations in the realms of time are done

Our God and Father will receive the kingdom from the Son.
 

After rebellion’s last defeat when everything is blest

God’s tabernacle will be there and all will be at rest.

After He has disposed of worlds affected by sin’s taints

God will have Christ as source of joy - and Christ formed in the saints.

**********

Now God is working on the earth where Christ was crucified

That in the hearts of ransomed saints Christ might be magnified.

Now through the Son and Spirit’s work in testimonial ways

Saints are secured, and formed like Christ, to give the Father praise.

Now saints rejoice to be for Christ where He has been despised

While features of assembly light are being realised.

GREAT HIGH PRIEST

We give Thee praise, our Great High Priest,
Jesus the Son of God,
Help of the weakest and the least,
The poorest and most odd;
While heavens through which Thou hast passed
Acclaim the glory which Thou hast.

"THOU ART MY SON"

Before the years of testing
Amid our world of sin,
Where failure was around Thee,
Perfection was within;
Before the final trauma,
Before the fight was won,
Enamoured by Thy beauty
God said, "Thou art my Son".

WHAT ...

What a Friend the sinner has in Jesus
Who will take his burdens all away;
He endured the distance and the darkness
That we might be brought into the day.

What a Lord the Christian has in Jesus
Who is seated on the Father's throne;
From that place He gave the Holy Spirit
And gives grace which cherishes His own.

What a Son the Father has in Jesus
Who was always pleasing in His sight;
Through His worth and all He has accomplished
God eternally will have delight.

INFLUENCE

Distressed and storm-tossed seamen found a berth,

And hungry found an answer to their dearth,
Under the influence of the Son of God
Rejected and a pilgrim on the earth.

The savage man sat calmly at His feet;
The stricken woman's healing was complete;
The girl was raised - and given food to eat -
Under the influence of the Son of God.

Under the influence of the Son of God

The eunuch went upon his happy way,
The Pharisee was brought from night to day,
And Gentiles yielded to the Spirit's sway.

God will secure Himself a universe

Under the influence of the Son of God
Where His enjoyed affections will immerse
His world, expelling all that is diverse.

PERFECTLY

Only a divine Person
Could display divine love
Divinely.

Only a perfect Man
Could display perfect human love
Perfectly.

Only the Son
Is a divine Person
And a perfect Man.

A CROWN OF SONNETS II

Because the Son has made the Father known

I love the Father; while that Name of grace

Draws out my love so also does the place

That He has given Christ upon His throne.

I love the Father who could not condone

- So in the Son has acted to efface -

My sins.  I love the Father as I trace

His purposes, through which I am His own.

The attributes He chooses to evince

Or all the counsel to attain His ends

No human intuition apprehends.

I feel I need another at my side

As helper: so I love the Father since

The Father sent the Spirit as my Guide.

A CROWN OF SONNETS I

I love the Saviour since He died for me

To save me from my sins and their dire end;

And I love Jesus since He is my Friend,

Whom I am waiting longingly to see;

I love the One who has the right to be

Both Lord and Christ; the One who could ascend,

Having annulled what I was to offend

A holy God, to bless and set me free.

I love the Lord for all that He has done

To accomplish all the purposes of God;

And for His moral glories as He trod

On earth, while now in heaven His glory's shown

For faith to wonder at; I love the Son

Because the Son has made the Father known.

This is the first of fourteen linked sonnets.

I LOVE THE FATHER

A Song

Because the work of grace is done,
I love the Father;
Because He did not spare His Son,
I love the Father;
Because He saw me in my need,
And watched and blessed and loved and freed,
And fitted me as love decreed
I love the Father.

Elect before time had begun,
I love the Father;
Drawn by His favour to the Son,
I love the Father;
Because He marked me out before
For joys that flourish evermore
Released to me from heaven's store
I love the Father.

Because my distance made Him run,
I love the Father;
Because He gave me to the Son,
I love the Father;
Since I am kissed, since I am blessed,
Since I am clothed in Christ, His best,
Since I am welcomed to God's rest
I love the Father.

INFLUENCE

Distressed and storm-tossed seamen found a berth,

And hungry found an answer to their dearth,

Under the influence of the Son of God

Rejected and a pilgrim on the earth.

The savage man sat calmly at His feet;

The stricken woman's healing was complete;

The girl was raised - and given food to eat -

Under the influence of the Son of God.

Under the influence of the Son of God

The eunuch went upon his happy way,

The Pharisee was brought from night to day,

And Gentiles yielded to the Spirit's sway.

God will secure Himself a universe

Under the influence of the Son of God

Where His enjoyed affections will immerse

His world, expelling all that is diverse.

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.

THE SON OF GOD

After Christ’s pathway of perfection

In secret, in man’s situation,

His place as Son in God’s affection

Was marked by God’s annunciation.

Seeing Christ did not need to wrestle

To assert control in the creation

The twelve knew, as He joined their vessel,

The Son of God by observation.

And that was good - but saints would rather,

Knowing God’s joy in the relation,

Like Peter learn now from the Father

The Son of God by revelation.

Before Christ’s toil had its fruition

God gave in the transfiguration

The witness to His new position -

The Son of God in elevation.

THE GRACE OF GOD

Does God wish me, who wanders from His will

Following the inclinations of my pleasure

Within His presence? Does He wish to fill

His great eternal home with doubtful treasure

Such as I am? Can He find pleasure in

Unstable, weak, and self-regarding souls

Ensconced in lust and garrisoned by sin

Within whose life a selfish mind controls?

He, as a just and holy God, cannot

Tolerate sin - how can He wish for me,

The sinner? If, as sinful, I am brought

Before Him judgement must be His decree:

Yet such the grace of God that I am won

Into His presence, righteous in His Son.

THE SON AND THE SPIRIT

Firstly, a woman,

In whom that which was begotten in her

As power of the Highest overshadowed her

Was of the Spirit of God.

Then an ambience of receptors,

Like pistils for pollen,

Prepared for Him in the temple

By the Holy Spirit of God.

About thirty years progressed

Till the substance of divine approval

Anointing a praying Man

Was the Holy Spirit.

An active life followed

Each word, step or touch

Blessing to men

By the Spirit of God.

Qualified for glory, qualified

For rule - He was qualified

To offer Himself to God

By the eternal Spirit.

Risen, elevated, honoured,

At the Father’s right

He acted as Minister of grace

Giving His Holy Spirit.

He has His church now

Integrated and vital,

Welled by the love of God,

Through the One Spirit.

SPEAKING

God in His goodness

- The medium is the message -

Has spoken in Son.

THE GRACE OF GOD

Does God wish me, who wanders from His will

Following the inclinations of my pleasure

Within His presence? Does He wish to fill

His great eternal home with doubtful treasure

Such as I am? Can He find pleasure in

Unstable, weak, and self-regarding souls

Ensconced in lust and garrisoned by sin

Within whose life a selfish mind controls?

He, as a just and holy God, cannot

Tolerate sin - how can He wish for me,

The sinner? If, as sinful, I am brought

Before Him judgement must be His decree:

Yet such the grace of God that I am won

Into His presence, righteous in His Son.

THE

The words banner forth

Boldly expressive:

The Lord, the Christ, the Son of God,

The Son of Man, the Shepherd.

Substitute "a" for "the" -

And the fabric is grounded,

Like a banner

With no flagpole.

Alone the word "the" is gaunt

As an unused staff.

O Lord, help me to be

A definite article!

“SON OF THE HIGHEST”

“Son of the Highest,

He shall be called”:

Now in the glory

He is installed.

Soon from the glory

He will come out

Cheering the faithful,

Banishing doubt.

“Son of the Highest

He shall be called”:

Glories once granted,

Never recalled.

“He shall be Firstborn,

Highest of kings”,

Chief amongst brethren,

Head of all things.

“Son of the Highest

He shall be called”:

God is delighted;

Saints are enthralled.