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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The narrow way, by Cowper

The narrow way.

What thousands never knew the road!
What thousands hate it when 'tis known!
None but the chosen tribes of God,
Will seek or choose it for their own.

A thousand ways in ruin end,
One, only, leads to joys on high;
By that my willing steps ascend,
Pleased with a journey to the sky.

No more I ask, or hope to find,
Delight or happiness below;
Sorrow may well possess the mind
That feeds where thorns and thistles grow.

The joy that fades is not for me,
I seek immortal joys above;
There, glory without end, shall be
The bright reward of faith and love.

Cleave to the world ye sordid worms,
Contented lick your native dust;
But God shall fight, with all his storms,
Against the idol of your trust.


William Cowper (1731-1800)
Olney Hymns, 1779

4 comments:

Mark said...

I thought I would post something by J. R. Graves that was perhaps more in line with what we discussed elsewhere. Still, it could be seen as OK to place here.

Page 105, The Work Of Christ In Seven Dispensations:"In support of the view I advanced, that there was a sense in which Christ died for others than the elect, even for all those who ultimately perish..."

R. L. Vaughn said...

I would think this statement, and probably Graves's view as a whole, would be in accord with what some Baptist scholars called Fullerism -- that Christ died for all men, but effectively only for the elect. Or something like that.

R. L. Vaughn said...

This thread, Definition of terms, discusses Amyraldism or Fullerism.

Mark said...

Just read Definition of terms. What an exercise that was, especially after doing some more reading up on Sandemanianism.I think Graves' views were certainly orthodox in comparison although he is wordy to the extreme.