Meditation XIII

The widow and the fatherless,
Seek for his aid in sharp distress;
In him the poor and helpless find
A God just as a father kind.

"Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them." And, Lord, thou hast preserved me alive. Whilst thousands as good by nature, and better by practice, have gone to silence, thine eye hath watched the helpless years of my infancy and youth, and thou hast preserved me from thousands of temptations to which I have been exposed. And let thy widows trust in me. Lord, in thee I have trusted, let me never be confounded.

"Thou shalt by no means afflict any fatherless child: if thou afflict them, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry." Lord, when mine enemies multiplied themselves against me, then I cried unto thee in my trouble, and thou didst deliver me from all my distresses. Thou didst behold from thy holy habitation that I was wrongfully persecuted, and that there was none to help. Then was thine anger kindled, and thy wrath waxed hot against mine adversaries, and thine own arm saved me, and thine own right arm wrought salvation. Thou didst vindicate my cause in the presence of mine enemies, and didst bring forth my righteousness to light as the noonday. "Let all those be ashamed that wrongfully persecute my soul; that say unto me, ha, ha, where is thy God?"

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Come, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I cried unto him in my trouble, and he delivered me from all my distresses. Come, all ye that have breath, and I will tell you what great things the Lord hath done for my soul; how he hath delivered my feet from the miry clay and the horrible pit, and hath put a new song into my mouth, even praise unto God. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? I will take the cup of salvation, and will pay my vows before him in the presence of all his people. I will consecrate my soul and body and all the powers of my mind to his service, from this time henceforth; yea, even forever more; for his mercies are more to me than the hairs of my head or the sands upon the sea shore. Trust not in an arm of flesh; for vain is the help of man. Come, all ye poor and needy, ye widows and fatherless, trust in the Lord. He is your help and your shield; for whom he loveth he chasteneth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth; neither doth he willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine, yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Prayer

O Lord God, as the heavens are high above the earth, so are thy ways above our ways, and thy thoughts above our thoughts. For wise and holy purposes best known to thyself, thou hast seen fit to deprive me of all earthly relatives; but when my father and mother forsook me, then thou didst take me up. I desire to thank thee that I am this day a living witness to testify that thou art a God that will ever vindicate the cause of the poor and needy, and that thou hast always proved thyself to be a friend and father to me. O, continue thy loving kindness, even unto the end; and when health and strength begin to decay, and I, as it were, draw nigh unto the grave, O then afford me thy heart-cheering presence, and enable me to rely entirely upon thee. Never leave me nor forsake me, but have mercy upon me for thy great name's sake. And not for myself alone do I ask these blessings, but for all the poor and needy, all widows and fatherless children, and for the stranger in distress; and may they call upon thee in such a manner as to be convinced that thou art a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God; and thine shall be the praise forever. Amen.

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,
The Christian's native air;
His watch-word at the gate of death,
He enters heaven with prayer.