Christlikeness
Father of Jesus,
Dawn returns, but without thy light
within
no outward light can profit;
Give me the saving
lamp of thy Spirit that I may
see thee,
the God of my salvation, the
delight of my soul,
rejoicing over me in love.
I commend my heart
to thy watchful care,
for I know its treachery and
power;
Guard its every
portal from the wily enemy,
Give me quick
discernment of his deadly arts,
Help me to recognize
his bold disguise as an
angel of light,
and bid him begone.
May my words and
works allure others to the
highest walks of
faith and love!
May loiterers be
quickened to greater diligence
by my example!
May worldlings be
won to delight in acquaintance
with thee!
May the timid and
irresolute be warned
of coming doom by my zeal for
Jesus!
Cause me to be a
mirror of thy grace,
to show others the joy of thy
service,
May my lips be
well-tuned cymbals
sounding thy praise,
Let a halo of
heavenly-mindedness
sparkle around me
and a lamp of kindness sunbeam my
path.
Teach me the happy
art of
attending to things temporal
with a mind intent on things
eternal.
Send me forth to
have compassion
on the ignorant and miserable.
Help me to walk as
Jesus walked,
my only Saviour and perfect
model,
his mind my inward guest,
his meekness my covering garb.
Let my happy place
be amongst the poor in spirit,
my delight the gentle ranks of
the meek.
Let me always esteem
others better than myself,
and find in true humility
an heirdom to two worlds.
