Married?

You are either HELPING

 

                or HINDERING your mate

 

to/from making HEAVEN.  

 

Unmarried?

 

Do not marry ANYONE

 

                who will HINDER

 

your walk with God.

– eab,1/29/10

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YOU’LL NEVER KNOW

You’ll never know the victory’s glory,

Nor the triumph of ground won,

Till you’ve know the battle “gory,”

Till you’ve fought your way through one.

 

You’ll never know true lightness of heart,

Nor the face lit up, serene,

Till you’ve know the aching part,

Till you’ve faced the tremor keen.

 

You’ll never know the beauty of relieve,

Nor prayers answering calm,

Till you’ve born the load of grief,

Till you’ve tarried beyond – tarried long.

                – eab, 11/29/78

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Thomas Shepherd – death, Jan. 29, 1739

Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
And there’s a cross for me.

How happy are the saints above,
Who once went sorrowing here!
But now they taste unmingled love,
And joy without a tear.

The consecrated cross I’ll bear
Till death shall set me free;
And then go home my crown to wear,
For there’s a crown for me.

Upon the crystal pavement down
At Jesus’ piercèd feet,
Joyful I’ll cast my golden crown
And His dear Name repeat.

O precious cross! O glorious crown!
O resurrection day!
When Christ the Lord from Heav’n comes down
And bears my soul away.

                [Stanza 2: Apparently from missionary collection published in Norwich, England, early 19th Century.

                Stanza 3: The Oberlin Social and Sabbath School Hymn Book, by George N. Allen, 1844.

                S. 4-5: From Plymouth Collection of Hymns & Tunes, by Henry Beecher (NY: AMS. Barnes & Burr ]

Thomas Shepherd died this date, 1/29/1739, at Bocking, Essex, England.  He was a son of William Shepherd who was ordained an Anglican priest and served at least two locations.  Shepherd left the Church of England. In 1694 he became pastor of the Independent Castle Hill Baptist Meeting, Northampton (where Philip Doddridge later served).  Later yet he preached in a barn for years until a chapel could be built (Bocking, Essex). He is remembered for the first verse of, “Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone.”

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