Christlikeness

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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 the 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 Saivour 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.

~ The Valley of Vision
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