They’re Gathering

There’s a crowd gathering on another shore,

The group’s grower larger every day.

They are gathering in from all directions,

Yet all came there by God’s narrow way.

 

That crowd had skins of different shades,

Spoke languages to each other quite unknown,

But they are connected by one Royal Blood,

For Christ firmly owns them for His own.

 

That crowd landed where they planned to land.

They found their long sought heavenly goal.

They weathered all life’s threatening storms,

Insisting on “saving” (at all cost) their soul.

 

Soon, Friend, you may be gathered with them,

Soon I may join the celestial number,

Where the Son is the light for all the day,

(And where we’ll need no night for slumber.)

 

Let us then be Faithful with a capitol “F,” 

To the Lord who rules that group, that shore,

And gather with the enumerable saints, young and old.

Gather to Christ, and gather to part nevermore.        – eab, 8/25/08  

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William Cowper – birth, Nov. 26, 1731

“There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood”

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.

Cowper is pronounced as if spelled “Cooper.”  He also wrote a long poem, “The Task.”

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Have you read It?

God does not send emails

 

          – He does have a Text-Message for you!  – eab, 8/17/07

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Lord of Thanksgiving

Tis a blessing to me and my kin

To have food, tall pantry and bin.

Our store is thick, not lean nor thin,

For all this I praise you Lord,

Living, Giving, Loving Lord.

 

It’s good to have clothes and more,

In dresser and behind closet door,

And shoes and boots on scattered floor,

For abundance I thank you Lord,

Great, Gallant and Faithful Lord.

 

Of far more blessings (by miles not feet),

Is the mate you allowed me to meet,

And four little Bryans to make us complete,

Thou who lovest family, Creative Lord,

My thanks for being a Love-making Lord.

 

Most of all I’m so grateful to be,

Redeemed and passed through my own Red Sea,

Through “Jordan” you also have guided me,

Redeeming and Sanctifying Lord, my Lord,

You surely deserve all the praise I afford. – eab, 11/24/99

   

Written at Hobe Sound, Florida 

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Isaac Watts – death, Nov. 25, 1748

“Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed?”  (stanzas 1,3,5)

 

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Refrain

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

 

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

 

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.       (Underlining -eab)

 

Isaac Watts died this day in England, his native land.  He is known for many worshipful hymns and, of course for, “Joy to the World.”  The average reader may be unaware that Watts also wrote, Logick (1725)  Knowledge of the Heavens and Earth (1726)  Philosophical Essays (1733)  The Improvements of the Mind (1741) all used for decades at Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, and Yale!

 

Watts is said to have rhymed so much as a kid that his dad wanted it stopped to which Isaac replied “O father, do some pity take

                                                And I will no more verses make.”

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David was schooling

David, as still a boy, was schooling:

                             he was slinging and singing

          – someday he’d be a soldier and a Psalmist. -eab

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Donald W Stump

Let a big drift so softly sift

Its way between the streets.

Let rain come down, all over town,

In blowing, whited sheets.

Let sleet and hail not one time fail

To come when they desired.

Why so adjure the weather?

I’m a postman that’s retired. ^[1]

 

May Dobermans make lanes their runs

And jump on every man.

May German sheps plague the back steps

Of white and blue marked vans.

May Saint Bernards and Great Danes charge

The walker most admired,

Cause I’m no longer out there –

I’m a postman that’s retired.

 

“I didn’t get my first class yet.”

“But I don’t know their zip.”

“Of course, I’m mad, I know it had

A…a stamp.”  Oh loud lip!

“You’re late again; it’s a big sin

This wage at which you’re hired!”

Their gripes I’ll no more endure –

Tell the next man.  I’m retired.

 

Here comes the first, with its date cursed

By mailings once a month.

Here comes junk mail, the annual sale,

Bulk printings by the “tonth.”

And the season with the reason,

To dislike cards inspired.

Ah, it bothers me not;

Not this Christmas, I’ve just retired. -eab 11/24/85  

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John Knox – death, Nov. 24, 1572

For those who may not know Knox, he was a powerful Presbyterian Minister who opposed Queen Mary and the system she represented.  With that opposition in mind the following prayer is an insight into his soul.

“Illuminate the heart of our Sovereign Lady Queen Mary with pregnant gifts of the Holy Ghost, and influence the hearts of her council with Thy true fear and love.”  – Wm M Taylor, John Knox, (NY: A C Armstrong & Sons, 1885), 67.

In direct conversation with this same Queen, in response to her question he said, “Yea, madame, to me it appertains no less to forewarn of such things as may hurt it [the commonwealth], if I foresee them, then it doth to any of the nobility; for both my vocation and conscience requires plainness of me.” – Wm M Taylor, John Knox, (NY: A C Armstrong & Sons, 1885), 171.

Some knew the possible danger he was in to which he replied, “As for the fear of danger that may come to me let no man be solicitious, for my life is in the custody of Him whose glory I seek, and therefore I cannot so fear their boast or tyranny that I cease from doing my duty, when of His mercy He offereth me the occasion.” – Wm M Taylor, John Knox, (NY: A C Armstrong & Sons, 1885), 124.

On another occastion when some questioned his speaking as he did; he replied, “I am in the place where I am demanded of my consiecne to speak the truth; and therefore the truth I will speak; impugn it who so list.”  – Wm M Taylor, John Knox, (NY: A C Armstrong & Sons, 1885), 176.

After hearing of the St. Bartholomew Day massacre he had an opportunity to address Le Croc, the French ambassador, “Go tell your master that sentence is pronounced against him; that the Divine vengeance shall never depart from him or from his house, except they repent…”    – Wm M Taylor, John Knox, (NY: A C Armstrong & Sons, 1885), 196.

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Please Don’t

When you walk away from light

          you make your world darker  – – –

                    your very shadow adding to the gloom. 

                                                                   – eab, 11/14/05

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A Grandkid’s Thanks

Thank you God for ten fingers, and my running toes,

Thank you for my two big ears and my runny nose.

Thank you for the hair on my head,

And for sentences my eyes have read,

Thanks for the words my tongue just said,

And thank You for my tummy–well fed.

 

Thank you for the good Mother of mine,

Who does my cloths and supper so fine.

Thank You God for my grand ole dad

Though at times he makes me sad,

Spanking (he thinks I’m been bad!)

All other hours he makes me glad.

 

Thank You God for your Holy Bible,

Because by it our family is able,

To read the promises that are very old,

To hear the story of David so bold,

Be warned to be either hot or cold,

And read of parables which are ten-fold.

 

And Lord, I’d really be remiss,

(Image my grandchild saying this.)

If I forgot to thank You for

Gram and Gramp (wish they lived next door).

Thanks for cousins, aunts, uncles and more,

Thanks for blessings, blessings galore.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ! ! !

            -Gramp, Thursday, November 23, 2000.

Written while Associate Professor of Bible, Hobe Sound Bible College, Florida

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