Select thoughts, or, Choice helps for a pious spirit a century of divine breathings for a ravished soule, beholding the excellencies of her Lord Jesus / by J. Hall ...
About this Item
Title
Select thoughts, or, Choice helps for a pious spirit a century of divine breathings for a ravished soule, beholding the excellencies of her Lord Jesus / by J. Hall ...
Author
Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.
Publication
London :: Printed for Nath. Brooke ...,
1654.
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Subject terms
Devotional literature.
Cite this Item
"Select thoughts, or, Choice helps for a pious spirit a century of divine breathings for a ravished soule, beholding the excellencies of her Lord Jesus / by J. Hall ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A45315.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 2, 2024.
Pages
XIV.
Speak Lord, for thy ser∣vant
heareth: What is it
which thou wouldst have me
do that I may finde rest to my
soul? I am willing to exer∣cise
my self in all the acts of
piety which thou requirest;
I am ready to fast, to pray, to
read, to hear, to meditate, to
communicate, to give alms, to
exhort, admonish, reprove,
comfort where thou bid'st
me; and if there be any other
duty appertaining to devoti∣on,
or mercy, let me serve
thee in it: But, alas, O my
God, howsoever I know these
works are in themselves well-pleasing
descriptionPage 20
unto thee, yet as they
fall from my wretchedness,
they are stained with so many
imperfections, that I have
more reason to crave pardon
for them, then to put confi∣dence
in them; and if I could
performe them never so ex∣quisitely,
yet one sin is more
then enough to dash all my o∣bedience.
I see then, O Lord,
I well see there is no act that
I can be capable to do unto
thee, wherein I can finde any
repose; it must be thine act to
me, which only can effect it;
It is thy gracious word,Come
unto me all ye that labour, and
are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest; Lo this rest must be
thy gift, not my earning; and
what can be freer then gift?
Thou givest it then, but to
descriptionPage 21
those that come to thee; not
to those that come not; To
those that come to thee laden
and labouring under the sense
of their own wretchedness;
not to the proud, and care∣less;
O Saviour, thy sinner
is sufficiently laden with the
burden of his iniquities; lade
thou me yet more with true
penitent sorrow for my sins;
and inable me then to come
unto thee by a lively faith;
Take thou the praise of thine
own work; Give me the
grace to come; and give me
rest in coming.