Grace Active

Lord Jesus, great high priest, Thou hast opened a new and living way

   by which a fallen creature can approach Thee with acceptance.
Help me to contemplate the dignity of Thy Person, 

                                       the perfectness of Thy sacrifice, 

                                       the effectiveness of Thy intercession.
O what blessedness accompanies devotion, 

   when under all the trials that weary me, 

                            the cares that corrode me, 

                            the fears that disturb me, 

                            the infirmities that oppress me, 

   I can come to Thee in my need and feel peace beyond understanding!
The grace that restores is necessary to preserve, 

   lead, guard, supply, help me. 

And here Thy saints encourage my hope;

    they were once poor and are now rich, 

                             bound and are now free,

                             tried and now are victorious.

Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, 

   but not more than is found in Thee, 

   the divine treasury in whom all fullness dwells. 

To Thee I repair for grace upon grace, 

   until every void made by sin be replenished

      and I am filled with all Thy fullness.

May my desires be enlarged and my hopes emboldened, 

   that I may honour Thee by my entire dependency 

      and the greatness of my expectation.
Do Thou be with me, and prepare me for all 

   the smiles of prosperity, the frowns of adversity, 

   the losses of substance, the death of friends, 

   the days of darkness, the changes of life, and the last great change of all. 

May I find thy grace sufficient for all my needs.

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, Arthur Bennett, ed., Banner of Truth Trust, 2013, pg. 116.

Photo credit: By Andrés Nieto Porras from Palma de Mallorca, España (Primavera) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons