Eternal Light

Eternal Light! Eternal Light!
How pure the soul must be
When, placed within Thy searching sight,
It shrinks not, but with calm delight
Can live, and look on Thee!

The Spirits that surround Thy throne
May bear the burning bliss;
But that is surely theirs alone,
Since they have never, never known
A fallen world like this.

Oh how shall I, whose native sphere
Is dark, whose mind is dim,
Before the Ineffable appear,
And on my naked spirit bear
That uncreated beam?

There is a way for man to rise
To that sublime abode,—
An Offering and a Sacrifice
A HOLY SPIRIT’S energies,
An advocate with God:

These, these prepare us for the sight
Of holiness above;
The sons of ignorance and night
May dwell in the Eternal Light,
Through the Eternal Love.

Thomas Binney (1798-1874), The New Oxford Book of Christian Verse.

Peaceful project

LIGHT SHINING OUT OF DARKNESS

GOD moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain:
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

William Cowper (1731-1800), The New Golden Treaury of English Verse, Macmillan.

Peaceful project continued (from April 7th).

Written by John Clare from Northampton County Asylum, where he spent the last 22 years of his life (1842-1864). He was well treated and given much encouragement with his poetry, although at times he was very ill.

To Mary

I sleep with thee and wake with thee
And yet thou art not there;
I fill my arms with thoughts of thee
And press the common air.
Thy eyes are gazing upon mine
When thou art out of sight;
My lips are always touching thine
At morning, noon and night.

I think and speak of other things
To keep my mind at rest;
But still to thee my memory clings
Like love in woman’s breast.
I hide it from the world’s wide eye
And think and speak contrary;
But soft the wind comes from the sky
And whispers tales of Mary.

The night wind whispers in my ear,
The moon shines in my face;
A burden still of chilling fear
I find in every place.
The breeze is whispering in the bush
And the dew-fall from the tree,
All sighing on and will not hush
Some pleasant tales of thee.

John Clare, Selected Poems, Edited by Jonathan Bate, faber & faber.

No post next week but after that posting as usual.

Here are two poems by the enigmatic William Blake.

The Tyger.

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water’d heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

The Sick Rose

O ROSE, thou art sick!
The invisible worm
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm,
Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.

William Blake (1757-1827)
Poet, painter, engraver, and mystic, born in London, UK.

From, The Oxford Anthology of English Poetry, Volume 2.

Peaceful project

In a passage about peace of mind, the followers of Jesus are encouraged to think about lovely and excellent things (Philippians 4:6-8). I feel that this refers to all the beauty that we may find. So, over the next few weeks, I am hoping to post a series of beautiful poems. Here is the first.

LINDEN LEA
Within the woodlands flow’ry gladed,
By the oak trees’ mossy moot,
The shining grass blades, timber shaded,
Now do quiver underfoot;
And birds do whistle overhead,
And water’s bubbling in its bed;
And there for me,
The apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

When leaves, that lately were a-springing,
Now do fade within the copse,
And painted birds do hush their singing,
Up upon the timber tops;
And brown leaved fruit’s a-turning red,
In cloudless sunshine overhead,
With fruit for me,
The apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

Let other folk make money faster,
In the air of dark roomed towns;
I don’t dread a peevish master,
Though no man may heed my frowns.
I be free to go abroad,
Or take again my homeward road,
To where, for me,
The apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

William Barnes (1801-1886) a writer of poems about rural life in Dorset, England.
This poem was set to music most beautifully by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

An Easter poem for Everyone.

On Easter Sunday Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but here is something beautiful for everyone.

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

A. E. Housman, The New Golden Treasury of English Verse,
published by Macmillan.

STEPS TO PEACE OF MIND: THE GLORY OF THE LORD JESUS.

What Jesus said about himself.

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it for ever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25)

I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

What Jesus did.

His miracles. (Eg. Those reported in John’s Gospel.)

Jesus turned water into wine, see John 2:1-11.

Jesus healed the son of a royal official, even though the boy was miles away, see John 4:43-54.

Jesus healed a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years, see John 5:1-15.

Jesus fed a crowd of five thousand, see John 6:1-15.

Jesus walked on the stormy waters of Lake Galilee, see John 6:16-21.

Jesus gave sight to a man blind from birth, see John 9:1-12.

Jesus raised Lazarus who had been dead for four days, see John 11:38-44.

His death and resurrection.

Jesus predicted that “....the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life.” (Matthew 20:18-19.)

What His earliest followers said about Him.

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth....From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” (John 1:14, 16)

"In the past God spoke to our fore-fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (Hebrews 1:1-3)

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

A vision of Jesus reported by the Apostle John….“His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun in all its brilliance. When I saw him I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:14-18)

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Do you want to return His love?

STEPS TO PEACE OF MIND: EIGHT.

The benefits of being a Christian are many. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." And so it is!
God has blessed me (and continues to bless me ) so much that I am only able to give an outline.
Forgiveness. Jesus has forgiven me for the many wrong things I have done. This is the most important thing because without forgiveness my relationship with him could not have been restored and continued. (It is an unpalatable fact that if we do not get into fellowship with Jesus in this life, we shall be separated from God forever in the next.) So intimate is the Christian's fellowship with Jesus that he is "in us" and we are "in Christ". He certainly is my Lord (ie. Master) and I am thankful to have someone in charge of my life who (unlike me) knows what he is doing but just as surely I know him as a loving friend.
Purpose. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." By God s grace, this is just how I feel.
Strength. In 1987 I had an illness that left me weak and almost helpless for everyday life. This turned out to be a great blessing because it made me turn to the Lord empty handed for strength. From that time he has been enabling me to serve him in a way that would be impossible without the power of his love; of course I still have a very long way to go.
Peace of Mind. A most beautiful gift I have from the Lord is victory over anxiety. It is wonderful when God gives the ability to overcome worry. Since Jesus is the giver of these blessings, and I do not have to struggle for them or earn them, I can feel entirely secure. The result of all these things, I have found, is marvellous joy and peace.
As the Apostle Paul wrote, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"

Please leave a comment/question/challenge or e-mail me at svoakes@doctors.org.uk

STEPS TO PEACE OF MIND: SEVEN.

Thinking about the Christian Good News can sometimes be helped by looking at the words of certain hymns. This one was written by Philipp Bliss (1838-76). He was born in Pennsylvania and became a Christian at the age of twelve.

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, Who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

STEPS TO PEACE OF MIND: INTERMISSION.

How about another break for a lovely poem. This one is by the 19th century U.S. poet, Walt Whitman.

When I heard the learn'd astronomer,

When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,

When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,

When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture room,

How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,

Till rising and gliding out I wandered off by myself,

In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,

Looked up in perfect silence at the stars.

From Collins Albatross Book of Verse.

STEPS TO PEACE OF MIND: SIX.

But does it work? The answer is definitely "yes". Are lives progressively changed after commiting ourselves whole-heartedly to the Lord Jesus? The answer again is "yes". Sometimes the changes are gradual but sometimes dramatic, like my friend Mick. He was an alcoholic whose liver was becoming cirrhotic. He met a Christian couple on holiday in Spain and as a result became a Christian; he was freed from his alcoholism at once and several years later is still "dry" and is an inspiring Christian.
The account of how Jesus changed me is posted in my archives (December 3rd 2004) but here is the account of my wife Carol.

Carol's Testimony.—

I started going to church at the age of 11 so I could belong to the Girl Guides and the church youth club. I was confirmed in my early teens but my life never reflected any Christian values and I stopped going to church when I started nursing in 1968.

Stuart and I married in 1972. We had two sons and moved to Huddersfield in 1981 when he was appointed as a consultant psychiatrist at St Luke’s. We thought that we had everything----job security, money, a nice house, but then it all started to go downhill. That same year Stuart developed encephalitis (an infection of the brain) and subsequently developed manic depressive illness. Initially he was off work for 18 months. Over the next 6 years he had a few days off work here and there or was hospitalised. Our relationship and family life began to deteriorate due to his mental state and the long hours he spent at work when "well". He couldn't bear to see others suffering now he knew what it was like to be mentally ill.

In 1987 he became psychotic. I became afraid of him and at times I feared for my life. It was returning home early from a holiday in Ireland that I considered jumping off the overnight ferry but "something" held me back. It looked as though our marriage was going to end in divorce.

A few months after our return from Ireland, Stuart started going to church. He said he'd become a Christian and I thought if it kept him happy and out of my way, all the better—but he began to change. He became kinder and started doing things for me around the house.

In 1988 I went to Stuart's confirmation, led by a born-again Bishop and it was there that I acknowledged my need of a Saviour in my life. It wasn't until a couple of months later that I repented of the sin in my life: my attitude, how hard I'd become—and asked Jesus to sort out my life for me. It was then that I found out that Stuart's house group had been praying for me.

Those early months of becoming a Christian were especially memorable. I read my Bible, learning from the New Testament how Jesus wanted me to live. I prayed on my own and with others and was healed of past hurts; also our marriage was eventually healed and now we have a happy marriage thanks to Jesus.

To think that Jesus paid the price with his life for me is beyond comprehension at times but it encourages me to trust in him. He gives me peace, he's merciful and goes on forgiving and he answers my prayers (not always the way I expect). He continues to change me although I'm still a long, long way from perfection. But most of all he loves me.

The Lord gave me peace through Stuart’s last relapse of his depression. I also had an inner peace after an abnormal mammogram required me to go for needle biopsy—praise the Lord, there were no cancer cells. And I had no worries when Stuart recently had an endoscopy to eliminate cancer of the oesophagus; all that was found was a minor problem in his stomach.

We can both say from the heart,
“Give thanks to the LORD for he is good; his love endures forever.”
Psalm 106.

STEPS TO PEACE OF MIND: FIVE.

You will recall that

1. The Lord promises peace of mind to Christians.

2. We must rely upon Jesus for all our needs (including peace of mind).

3. Jesus is to be trusted completely because of who he is: Son of God, glorious Lord, sustainer of the universe, magnificent, awe-inspiring and yet how loving!

4. Jesus is to be trusted completely because of what he has done: his miracles of healing and forgiveness but, most importantly, his death and resurrection for us.

5. Jesus is to be trusted completely because those who have really put their trust in the Lord have found him to be absolutely reliable. Carol and myself know this is true.

6. We can put our trust in him by getting to know him, as our Saviour (since we are saved, from eternal separation from God, not by our own effort or worth but just by believing that Jesus has saved us) and as our Lord (a loving master but also a wonderful friend).

7. You can start your relationship with Jesus by accepting his offer to come through the door into your life as Saviour and Lord; Jesus says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)

If you want to say yes to Jesus, you can use this prayer. Read it through carefully before you pray it. If you cannot say it from the heart, then you should not say it.

LORD JESUS, I acknowledge that I have gone my own way. I have sinned in thought, word and deed. I am sorry for my sins. I turn from them in repentance. I believe that you died for me; you took the punishment for my sins when you suffered and died on the cross. You rose from the dead and offer me a place in heaven. I thank you for your great love. Now I open the door. Come in Lord Jesus. Come in as my Saviour and cleanse me. Come in as my Lord, and take control of me. And I will serve you as you give me strength, all my life. Amen.

If you have said this prayer (or would like to but have some problems with it) please contact me directly at stuartoakes@talk21.com

STEPS TO PEACE OF MIND: FOUR.

So we must put our trust in Jesus for all our needs, including peace of mind. We have seen sound evidence (in Step Three) that he is trustworthy, but how in practice can we come to rely upon him? The answer is that in order to put our faith in him, we must get into a right relationship with him. If we know him, as opposed to just knowing about him, then we can trust him. We must get to know him as he actually is as Saviour and Lord. You will recall that, at the time of Jesus' birth, the angels told the shepherds, "....a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)

SAVIOUR. Jesus has acted (with the authority and power unique to God) to save us from our sins (wrong thoughts, words and actions) and their eternal consequences. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:16-18) So we are saved not by our own effort or worth but just by trusting Jesus to save us "....whoever believes in him shall not perish [be separated from God for ever] but have eternal life [with God, where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain...." Revelation 21:4].

LORD. Jesus, after saving us, must also be in charge of our lives. There is nothing to fear in this as Jesus is a Lord of unfailing love. His motive in being our Master is to lead us to our place in heaven, blessing us and strengthening us to become more like him as we journey; and this includes the gift of peace, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27).
Here is a promise that Jesus has made to any one wanting him to come through the door into their life as Saviour and Lord, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20) The reference to eating is a metaphor for close fellowship and friendship. When you invite Jesus in as Saviour and Lord you discover that he is also a wonderful and constant friend!
Think over carefully what you have read in this Step. Then if you want to take Jesus up on this offer, as I did many years ago, I shall tell you how to proceed in the next Step.

STEPS TO PEACE OF MIND: INTERMISSION.

I think that it is a good idea to take a break between steps three and four of this series to look at a beautiful poem which came from the most unlikely of places, Northampton General Lunatic Asylum (UK) and written sometime during the years 1842-50.

A Vision

I lost the love of heaven above,

I spurned the lust of earth below,

I felt the sweets of fancied love

And hell itself my only foe.

I lost earth’s joys but felt the glow

Of heaven’s flame abound in me

Till loveliness and I did grow

The bard of immortality

I loved but woman fell away

I hid me from her faded fame,

I snatched the sun’s eternal ray

And wrote till earth was but a name.

In every language upon earth,

On every shore, o’er every sea,

I gave my name immortal birth

And kept my spirit with the free.

John Clare from John Clare Slected Poems, edited by Jonathan Bate, faber and faber,
ISBN 0-571-22371-0.