神的怜悯
你 - 永恒神,
你有超越万有的伟大,
述说不尽的良善,
极其丰盛的恩典;
当我数算你给我的好处,
就如点数海边的沙;
我知道仅一小部分,
仅那一小部分
已超过一切赞美。
我为你赐的实际恩惠感谢你:
健康的顾惜,
身体的保守,
住所的舒适,
衣食的丰富,
心力的持续,
我的家庭,
他们的彼此帮助与支持,
家中的和谐与平安所带来的愉悦,
原本空缺的座位如今被填满,
还有我的国家、教会、
圣经和信仰。
但,哦,
我为我的罪哀嚎,
为我的忘恩负义和卑鄙,
为我与日俱增的罪疚,
为我得罪你的言语;
一切天上、地上、
在内、在外、围绕我的,
都在咒诅我——
太阳看见我的妄行,
黑暗竟成了光明,
严厉指控者公正地控诉我,
被激怒的好天使离我而去,
你的面容审视我隐秘的罪,
你的律法公义,
你的话语圣洁,
而我的良心被罪玷污,
我私下和公开的生活,
我的邻舍,我自己——
都记录着不利于我的黑暗事。
我无法否认这些,
没有藉口,只能承认:
“父啊,我犯罪了。”
然而,我竟还活着,
且带着悔改飞向你伸出的膀臂;
你不会将我驱离,
因耶稣把我带近,
你也不咒诅我,
因祂代替我死,
你也不记念我众罪如山,
因祂已将它们担当,
祂的荣美遮盖了我的畸形。
哦,我的神,
我要与罪诀别,
依附于祂的十字架,
藏身于祂的伤口里,
寻求遮蔽在祂身旁。
DIVINE MERCIES
THOU ETERNAL GOD,
Thine is surpassing greatness,
unspeakable goodness,
super-abundant grace;
I can as soon count the sands of ocean’s ‘lip’
as number thy favours towards me;
I know but a part,
but that part exceeds all praise.
I thank thee for personal mercies,
a measure of health, preservation of body,
comforts of house and home,
sufficiency of food and clothing,
continuance of mental powers,
my family, their mutual help and support,
the delights of domestic harmony and peace,
the seats now filled that might have been vacant, my country, church, Bible, faith.
But, O, how I mourn my sin,
ingratitude, vileness,
the days that add to my guilt,
the scenes that witness my offending tongue;
All things in heaven, earth, around, within, without,
condemn me—
the sun which sees my misdeeds,
the darkness which is light to thee,
the cruel accuser who justly charges me,
the good angels who have been provoked to leave me,
thy countenance which scans my secret sins,
thy righteous law, thy holy Word,
my sin-soiled conscience,
my private and public life, my neighbours, myself—
all write dark things against me.
I deny them not,
frame no excuse, but confess,
‘Father, I have sinned’;
Yet still I live,
and fly repenting to thy oustretched arms;
thou wilt not cast me off,
for Jesus brings me near,
thou wilt not condemn me,
for he died in my stead,
thou wilt not mark my mountains of sin,
for he levelled all,
and his beauty covers my deformities.
O my God,
I bid farewell to sin by clinging to his cross,
hiding in his wounds,
and sheltering in his side.
—————
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