Gospel Meditation

How important it is to continually meditate upon the gospel! Our heart easily becomes distracted and preoccupied by so many other things. And so worry and stress invade our sensibilities. Oh to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith! This hymn by Joseph Hart, following the very contours of Scripture, helped me to do so. I pray it does for you as well:

“O ye sons of men be wise,

trust no longer dreams and lies,

Out of Christ, almighty pow’r

can do nothing but devour.

God you say is good. ‘Tis true.

But he’s pure and holy too;

just and jealous is his ire,

burning with vindictive fire.

This of old himself declared:

Israel trembled when they heard.

But the proof of proofs indeed

is he sent his Son to bleed.

When the blessed Jesus died

God was clearly justified:

Sin to pardon without blood

never in his nature stood.

Worship God, then, in his Son,

there he’s love and there alone.

Think not that he will, or may,

pardon any other way.

See the suff’ring Son of God,

panting, groaning, sweating blood!

Brethren, this had never been

had not God detested sin.

Be his mercy therefore sought

in the way himself has taught:

There his clemency is such,

we can never trust too much.

He that better knows than we,

bids us all to Jesus flee.

Humbly take him at his Word

and your souls will bless the Lord!”