Christian Hospitality October 08, 2012
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions in Genesis.Tags: Christian Hospitality, Genesis 24, Grace, Hospitable, hospitality, Laban, Motivation, Praise, What is our Motivation?, What is Your Motivation?
2 comments
“He said, ‘Come in, blessed of Yahweh. To what end do you stand outside? I have tidied up the house and a place for the camels.’ And the man went into the house and unharnessed the camels. He gave straw and fodder to the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”
(Genesis 24:31-32)
In light of the verses that precede these verses, one needs to ask the motivation behind this family’s generosity. Certainly brother Laban’s character we know and it seems that Laban has taken the role of speaking for the family. His father, being Abraham’s nephew, would likely have been fairly old and perhaps, Laban being the rightful heir, was running the activities of his father’s house at this point. We are not told for sure, but he takes charge of the situation. The needs of Eliezer and his men are met, as well as the needs of their mounts, which means that Laban’s household is certainly not a modest one, and this wealthy visitor is brought in. There seems no question that Laban wants to see what he might get out of this deal. Sadly, that seems to motivate his hospitality.
As Christians, we are commended to show hospitality to others, especially to those believers who are traveling to do the Lord’s work (3 John 5-8). Yet, we too should examine our hearts to discern what our motivation is for being hospitable to those in our midst. Are we hoping for money having done so? Are we hoping that our expenses will be recouped — if we have our expenses recouped as a matter of course, we are offering a lodging service, not generously offering hospitality. Are we seeking the praise of others? Jesus reminds us that if we act well for the purpose of the praise of men, then that is all the praise we will ever receive (Matthew 6:2-4). Surely we cannot hope to earn merit in God’s eyes through hospitality because those things that we have, were given to us by God in the first place and thus are not truly our own. We are simply rightly stewarding God’s possessions when we offer hospitality.
Instead of seeking our own interests, let us set as our motivation for hospitality the glory of God. It is for His praise that we host and it is by His grace that we can gratefully receive the hospitality of others. It is for His glory that we may serve the needs of those whom God places in our midst. When we take our own motivations out of the equation, grace can be offered and received to the praise of our God and King. So long as we place our own desires into the mix, as does Laban, the name of man is only ever lifted up, and that is not hospitality.
God is Truth September 15, 2012
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions in Genesis.Tags: covenant faithfulness, Genesis 24:27, God is True, God is Truth, Jesus and Truth, Praise, Prayer, Seeking Truth, Truth
add a comment
“And he said, ‘Blessed be Yahweh the God of my lord Abraham who has not forsaken his covenant faithfulness or his truth from over my lord. As for me, Yahweh has led me to the household of my lord’s brother.’”
(Genesis 24:27)
Recently I was speaking with a Christian man who had become convicted that he spent all of his time praying for the things he wanted and not enough time giving thanks to God for the things that God had given him. What a remarkably convicting statement. How often we are quick to treat God like a celestial Santa Claus wanting sweet treats and as soon as God gives us a good thing, we turn around and ask for more, like a spoiled child who takes for granted that which he does have.
Eliezer comes before the Lord in worship and then in praise for what God has done. He praises God for his dRsRj (chesed) — God’s covenant faithfulness in spite of our covenantal unfaithfulness — and for being tRmTa (emeth) — True. We have often talked about the covenantal faithfulness of God, but the second part of this declaration is also worth mentioning. God is true. He is true to his word and he is true to himself and to his character. And it is on the basis of God’s truthfulness, we find assurance within his covenantal promise. His promises will not change because he is True and therein we can rest our hope.
We live in a world that is yearning for truth. The sad thing is that those in this world tend to seek it in all of the wrong places — avoiding the one place where truth can genuinely be found. Such is our fallen nature. Yet, for we who know the God of truth, we can draw great hope from knowing that He is, has always been, and always will be true to his word and to his promise.
Hope in the Name of God July 02, 2012
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions on Psalm 52.Tags: chasiyd, cheesed, faithful ones, God, Grace, hagios, holy ones, hope, hope in the midst of loss, horrible things, ones who have received cheesed, Praise, praise in the midst of sorrow, Rest, saints, The Name of God, trust, Vengeance
add a comment
“I will praise you forever, because of your work;
I will hope in your name, because it is good in the presence of your saints.”
(Psalm 52:11 [verse 9 in English translations])
And here, David, in the midst of the grief and sorrow of loss turns his heart to praise. What a remarkable statement and model for our lives we have in the character in this great king over Israel. How often we find ourselves stuck or absorbed by our grief that we can never find ourselves being pulled out of it; David says that even in the midst of this sorrow, he will give God praise because God has preserved his life and has promised to judge the wicked who have done these horrible things. Loved ones, God will avenge and will make right every wicked act that is done against the lives of his people; may we always follow David’s example and model that in our lives as we praise God in the midst of our crises.
A note should be made here in terms of the word “saints” in translation. Literally, the word that David uses is dyIsDj (chasiyd), which is derived from the word, dRsRj (chesed). The word dRsRj (chesed), as we have discussed above, refers to God’s covenant faithfulness to us despite our lack of faithfulness in return. Similarly, then dyIsDj (chasiyd) refers to those who are the object or recipients of God’s dRsRj (chesed). In the New Testament, the term a¡gioß (hagios — literally, “holy ones”) is rendered as “saints,” yet it seems that the sentiment being communicated is rather similar, for indeed, just as there are none of us who are deserving of God’s faithfulness apart from His divine grace, so too, there are none of us who are holy, but instead we are made holy by God’s divine grace through the completed work of his Son, Jesus Christ.
And it is we, the saints, who have faith in the name of God almighty. Notice that the language referring to “the name” of God is singular. God has many names that are applied to him in scripture, but in a very real sense, these names are just aspects of his one true and Triune name: Yahweh — “I am.” When Jesus gives the disciples what we now know as the “Great Commission,” we find him using the same language once again in the context of baptism: “you shall baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19b). Notice that it does not say, “in the names” (plural), but “in the name” (singular). God may be three persons, but he is one in name. And hope is one of those funny little things. It does not exist in and of its own right, but hope must rest on something (a promise, a coming reality, the character of another, etc…). For the believer, we hope in the name of God for we know that he will not forsake his character or his promises to those who are his holy ones.
Beloved, it is in that hope that we can draw confidence and know that God is our fortress and our protector. He will allow us to grow up strong within his gates. He will defend us against our foes. And he will be the one who will avenge us of the wickedness that the ungodly do against us because of His name. Trust Him to that end.
His Majesty Covers the Heavens (Habakkuk 3:3) January 10, 2009
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Various.Tags: Glory, God's Glory, God's Majesty, importance of singing, kavod, Praise, praise fills the earth, Selah, tehilla, transcending geography
add a comment
“God entered from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran—Selah!
His majesty covers the heavens and his praise fills the earth.”
(Habakkuk 3:3)
From here on out, there is a shift of focus from God’s coming judgment on Israel to God’s judgment on the Babylonians for coming to destroy Israel. Teman and Paran are both areas that are part of the territory ruled by the Edomites (the descendents of Esau). The language of God “entering from” this area is not so much language meant to suggest that God is not with his people, but instead meant to depict the God of Glory who knows no national boundaries executing judgment on his enemies even as he moves to redeem his people. It is worth noting that while the Edomites were not the invading force that overthrew Judah and their capitol city, Jerusalem, they did assist the Babylonians by helping to round up the Israelites that sought to escape from the region. For this action, God uses the harshest language of judgment. Thus, God judges without, but also brings strict discipline upon his people within the covenant.
Mid verse (not at the end like some of our translations render it) there is a “Selah,” a liturgical term of which no one really knows the meaning. Some have suggested that it is related to the term ll;s’ (salal), which means “to raise up,” suggesting that it is an instruction to singers to raise their voices at this section of music. Others suggest that it is derived from the verb hl;s’ (salah), which means “to discard” or “to throw away,” suggesting this is where voices were to drop off. Simply speaking, we just do not know, though the context of this passage at least would suggest a crescendo, not a decrescendo.
Either way, Habakkuk moves from the focus on geography to the God who transcends Geography and enters into a wonderful description of God on high in this and the following verses. To begin with, Habakkuk speaks of God’s majesty covering the heavens. The word that Habakkuk uses here is dAh (hod), which speaks of the power, the splendor, or the majesty of God. It is similar in use to the word dAbK’ (kavod), which means “weighty” and is used to speak of God’s glory. The bottom line is that God’s majesty, his glory, his honor, his splendor, his wonder, etc…—all of these attributes—are too big and glorious for the world to contain. Like a weighty blanket, God’s glory is spread across the earth.
And, as a result of God’s majesty spread across the earth, the earth resounds with God’s praise. The word employed here is hL’hiT. (tehillah), which typically speaks of songs of praise. This is worth noting initially because the Hebrew language contains numerous words to describe the praise of God’s people as they enter into his presence. The second reason to point this out is because in the Hebrew culture, singing was a very important part of life and worship and I wonder sometimes whether we have lost some of that in our modern culture—the idea of singing God’s praises both inside and outside of the sanctuary—singing God’s praises even as a form of our outward testimony of God’s grace. And when I am speaking, I don’t so much have in mind the professionals, but the average person like you or me—do the events of God’s grace and splendor all around us in life move us to sing his praises as we go through life? They do for Habakkuk as you will see at the end of this chapter.
The final reason that this language of praise needs to be pointed out is that the earth is described as being filled with God’s praises. Indeed, in the heavenly presentation of worship, all of creation sings its praises to God (Revelation 5:13) and if mankind does not sing, nature will take his place (Luke 19:40). Part of the Dominion Mandate (Genesis 1:28-30) is to do just what Habakkuk is talking about—fill the earth with praise. We are to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations (Matthew 28:19-20) and make disciples so that the earth will be filled with the praises of God. The question we must always be asking ourselves is what are we doing to fulfill that mandate? Are we going to the ends of the world ourselves? Are we sharing the gospel with our neighbors so that our communities will be filled with the praises of God? Are we equipping others to fulfill this mandate? Are our churches doing the same? Beloved, this is our call—to fill the earth with the praises of those who love our Great and Majestic King, Jesus Christ.
We’ve a story to tell to the nations,
That shall turn their hearts to the right;
A story of truth and mercy,
A story of peace and light,
A story of peace and light.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
And the dawning to noon-day bright;
For Christ’s great kingdom shall come to the earth,
The kingdom of love and light.
-Ernest Nichol
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 6) June 19, 2008
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions on Psalm 63.Tags: hallelujah, Praise, Psalm, Psalm 63, Redeemer, satisfaction, satisfied
add a comment
“As with fat and the choicest cuts of meat, my soul will be satisfied.
My lips will exult; my mouth will exclaim hallelujah!”
(Psalm 63:6 {Psalm 63:5 in English versions})
Now, in a culture that is as health conscious as ours is, we somewhat lose the impact of the initial metaphor. We usually think of fatty food as something bad and to be avoided because it is just simply not good for you (or at least, in a society that is as sedentary as ours is, it is not good for you). Yet, one thing that must never be forgotten is that typically, when you are dealing with meats, the fattiest cuts are also the tastiest cuts. As a child, before I became aware of this and that health concern and when I was active enough that I could eat whatever I wanted and never gain a pound, one my favorite things about when Dad made steaks on the grill, was eating the fat on the outside of the cut. And that is exactly what David is communicating. Take all of your health issues and set them to the side and think simply of the wonderful taste that comes with fat, and recognize that David is saying that his soul enjoys his God in the same way as his taste buds enjoys the fatty cuts of meat.
We, as humans, respond to food. This is not a cultural thing, but it is tied to our very being—we like to eat and we like to eat well. We have made an art out of fine cooking, and almost everything we do on a social level is done around food. Different cultures may have different styles of food that is popular with their palates, but there is food, none-the-less. And what David is seeking to communicate to us through the ages is that as satisfying as the best meal may be—and when we have an exceptional meal prepared for us, it is not uncommon for us to think of that meal for days if not weeks—and crave it again—so too, David says, his soul enjoys God. The question that needs to be asked, then, is does your soul crave God in the same way your mouth craves a favorite food. Do you look forward all day to your morning or evening prayer time in the same way that you look forward all day to a special meal that is being prepared? Do you savor your time in prayer as you do a good meal or do you see it as just one more thing to do?
Beloved, I think that we are all guilty of falling short of the mark that David sets for us, but he continues his metaphor in the second line of the psalm. Just as your lips and mouth do not remain silent, but instead rejoice, in a good meal, so too, his lips and mouth cannot remain silent at the presence of God in his life. And, indeed, David’s mouth did not remain silent, but from his mouth came the many sweet psalms of the first part of the book of Psalms. Loved ones, does your heart sing, do your lips exult, does your voice refuse to remain silent at the wonders of God? If so, then praise God, but if not, I pray that these words of David will spur you on and help nurture within you a heart of praise.
I will sing of my Redeemer, and his wondrous love to me:
On the cruel cross he suffered, from the curse to set me free.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer! With his blood he purchased me;
On the cross he sealed my pardon, paid the debit and made me free.
-Philip Bliss
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 8) June 16, 2008
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions on Psalm 63.Tags: exaltation, exult, help, Praise, Psalm 63, shadow of your wings
add a comment
“For you are my help
and in the shadow of your wings I will exult!”
(Psalm 63:8 {Psalm 63:7 in English Bibles})
The language of God being as a mother eagle to his people, Israel, is a common Old Testament image (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11; Ruth 2:12; Psalm 17:8; etc…). And oh, what a wonderful image it is—that of God providing his strong protection over his people, sheltering them from the storms by his great and mighty wings. And it is from under the protection of God’s wings that we may not only rest in confident assurance of that protection, but we may sing to God undistracted by the cares of this world. What assurance there is when you know that you are safe and protected! What peace comes to a child’s heart when, after they have been threatened, they rest once again, safely in their parent’s arms!
Sadly, we live in a culture where many do not understand this concept. Many children grow up in families where both spouses work and are out of the homes and have to learn to protect themselves from life’s difficulties. Many children grow up without their fathers and don’t know the peace that comes from the assurance of the safety of being in their father’s arms. Many adults put their own interests and goals ahead of the good of their families, again creating an environment where children are forced to find protection elsewhere. Abuse, too, runs rampant in our culture, making the home anything but a safe place to be. As a result, these young men and women have grown up relying on themselves, not trusting too many people, and not knowing the assurance of resting in the arms of one who loves them and is able to keep them safe from the cares of the world.
Oh, the damage we have done to our families by pursuing our own agendas instead of the agenda of God—instead of pursuing his glory and righteousness. Oh, beloved, what a message of hope we have to offer, though, in the Gospel! In Christ, there is hope and peace and rest for the weary soul. In Christ there is safety; under God’s strong wings we may find rest and help. And under God’s strong wings we may finally sing for joy—exult—in the glory of Him who is greater than all the threats of this world put together. In Christ and in Him alone we may find our help.
Our God, Our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come.
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:
Under the shadow of your throne
Your saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is your arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
-Isaac Watts
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 6) June 16, 2008
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions on Psalm 63.Tags: hallelujah, Praise, Psalm, Redeemer, satisfaction
add a comment
“As with fat and the choicest cuts of meat, my soul will be satisfied.
My lips will exult; my mouth will exclaim hallelujah!”
(Psalm 63:6 {Psalm 63:5 in English versions})
Now, in a culture that is as health conscious as ours is, we somewhat lose the impact of the initial metaphor. We usually think of fatty food as something bad and to be avoided because it is just simply not good for you (or at least, in a society that is as sedentary as ours is, it is not good for you). Yet, one thing that must never be forgotten is that typically, when you are dealing with meats, the fattiest cuts are also the tastiest cuts. As a child, before I became aware of this and that health concern and when I was active enough that I could eat whatever I wanted and never gain a pound, one my favorite things about when Dad made steaks on the grill, was eating the fat on the outside of the cut. And that is exactly what David is communicating. Take all of your health issues and set them to the side and think simply of the wonderful taste that comes with fat, and recognize that David is saying that his soul enjoys his God in the same way as his taste buds enjoys the fatty cuts of meat.
We, as humans, respond to food. This is not a cultural thing, but it is tied to our very being—we like to eat and we like to eat well. We have made an art out of fine cooking, and almost everything we do on a social level is done around food. Different cultures may have different styles of food that is popular with their palates, but there is food, none-the-less. And what David is seeking to communicate to us through the ages is that as satisfying as the best meal may be—and when we have an exceptional meal prepared for us, it is not uncommon for us to think of that meal for days if not weeks—and crave it again—so too, David says, his soul enjoys God. The question that needs to be asked, then, is does your soul crave God in the same way your mouth craves a favorite food. Do you look forward all day to your morning or evening prayer time in the same way that you look forward all day to a special meal that is being prepared? Do you savor your time in prayer as you do a good meal or do you see it as just one more thing to do?
Beloved, I think that we are all guilty of falling short of the mark that David sets for us, but he continues his metaphor in the second line of the psalm. Just as your lips and mouth do not remain silent, but instead rejoice, in a good meal, so too, his lips and mouth cannot remain silent at the presence of God in his life. And, indeed, David’s mouth did not remain silent, but from his mouth came the many sweet psalms of the first part of the book of Psalms. Loved ones, does your heart sing, do your lips exult, does your voice refuse to remain silent at the wonders of God? If so, then praise God, but if not, I pray that these words of David will spur you on and help nurture within you a heart of praise.
I will sing of my Redeemer, and his wondrous love to me:
On the cruel cross he suffered, from the curse to set me free.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer! With his blood he purchased me;
On the cross he sealed my pardon, paid the debit and made me free.
-Philip Bliss
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 5) June 16, 2008
Posted by preacherwin in Devotions, Devotions on Psalm 63.Tags: Bless God's name, Blessing God, Praise, Psalm 63
add a comment
“Thus, I will bless you with my life;
in your name I will lift my hands.”
(Psalm 63:5 {Psalm 63:4 in English Bibles})
Not only will David lift his voice in praise, but he will lift his hands as well—fully praising his God and redeemer. What a simple, but wonderful thought to keep before us! Not only should our lips be lifted up in praise to our God, but so too should all of our body—everything that we do in life should be done for the praise and honor of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And, indeed, this is exactly what David is getting at when he says that he will bless God with his life. Life is about worship and nothing less. Life is not about accomplishing goals, learning facts, making money, or building families—it is about worship and everything else that we do (accomplishing goals, learning facts, making money, and building families included) is to be done to that end.
Loved ones, set this before you as you go through your day. Is what you are doing—whatever it may be—done in a way that is worshipful toward God? Do you do what you do out of a heart that is motivated by personal desires, or a desire to worship? Beloved, there is nothing more satisfying than the worship of God. A tool is most useful when it is used for the task for which it was created. When used for other things, its usefulness is reduced and it will likely become damaged and less effective a the task for which it was created. Beloved, you were created to worship God; you will never find satisfaction in anything else and in seeking those other things, you will likely damage yourself. Yet worship is a perfect and right fit and when you do all that you do (work, recreation, chores, etc…) out of a heart of worship toward God, you will find these things to be satisfying as well.
And let us not stop there, for it is not just the believer that has an obligation to worship, but all people—again, that is what we were created to do. And our being created in that way implies an obligation on us to do that which we were created to do. Not only must we be worshiping God for all that he has done—especially in our redemption—but we must worship God for who he is, and even those who have not experienced redemption owe this to God. God is infinitely wise, wonderful, beautiful, glorious, lovely, and powerful, and to neglect to praise one who is so much greater than you or I in every way is downright rude and arrogant—downright sinful.
Oh, loved ones, how easy it is to become burdened and distracted by all of the cares of the world and all of our daily and weekly obligations. Yet, beloved, how this causes us to lose focus of what we are to be about in this world. We are to worship and we are to be about worship in all that we do. If we lose sight of this, we will not only be less effective at all we do, but we will find that we are wounding and damaging ourselves, just as a flathead screwdriver is damaged when one takes to use it as a chisel. Commit yourself to worship, friends, and all the other things will fall into their proper places.
O bless the Lord, my soul;
Let all within me join,
And aid my tongue to bless his name,
Whose favors are divine.
-Isaac Watts
The Contagiousness of Worship! (New Song, part 11) May 13, 2008
Posted by preacherwin in A New Song!, Devotions.Tags: Christ, contagious worship, Hymn, new song, Praise, Song, worship
add a comment
“The Contagiousness of Worship”
Worship, when it is filled with the Holy Spirit, is contagious. I expect that this is part of the reason that the scriptures emphasize that believers are to live within a covenant community. Not only can we support one another, but in our joined worship, we enable each other and lift each other up. I don’t expect that this principle could be displayed any more graphically than it is displayed here at the end of Revelation, chapter 5. As soon as the twelve elders finish their song (which we have been looking at), they are joined by the four living creatures, the four cherubim, that are around the throne. Then they are joined by “myriads of myriads” of angels.
If you are interested in mathematics, a myriad is 10,000. Thus, a myriad of myriads, would be 10,000 times 10,000, or 100,000,000. And John describes “myriads of myriads,” both being plural. Thus, if we take this number literally, there are hundreds of millions of angels around the throne singing praise (this would require a choir loft that was 10 miles long and 10 miles deep!). Regardless of whether you take this number literally or figuratively as an uncountable number, it is one heck of a large chorus!
I had the blessing a number of years ago to participate in a evening worship service at a youth retreat where there were an estimated 90,000 youth and adults—all lifting their praises to heaven. It was a beautiful thing to behold. In Exodus 15, we are told that when the Israelites had crossed over the Red Sea safely, they sang praise to God—the men being led by Moses and the women by Miriam. We can safely assume that there were at least a million people present at this event. The sound of their voices must have shook the earth! Now multiply that and imagine for a moment hundreds of millions of angelic voices lifted up in perfect harmony to our Lord and God! What an amazing thing that must have been for John to witness!
And if that wasn’t enough, all of creation lifted its voice to join the heavenly song! True worship is contagious, oh believer, what joy you have to look forward to! This chapter closes appropriately, indeed. Once this amazing chorus finishes it’s last verse, the four cherubim around the throne, say, “Amen!” And the elders fall on their faces and worship. Loved ones, this is what God has planned for you. Don’t be too busy worrying about the individual blessings that are promised in scripture—in comparison to this—they are nickels and dimes.
O For a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace.
Hear him, ye deaf; his praise ye dumb,
your loosen’d tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your Savior come;
and leap, ye lame, for joy.
-Charles Wesley
Reigning with Christ! (New Song, part 10) May 13, 2008
Posted by preacherwin in A New Song!, Devotions.Tags: Hymn, Praise, reign, reigning with Christ, Revelation, Song
add a comment
“We will reign with Christ”
One of the major themes of Revelation is that the prize to those who overcome is not only eternal life with Christ, but a co-reign with Christ as well (see Revelation 2:26-27, 3:21). As the Messiah is given authority over the nations (see Psalm 2:8), here we see Jesus, who is the Messiah, sharing that authority with believers.
We are not given all of the details as to exactly how this will look, though some have built entire theologies around their speculations as to what this is about. While we don’t know all of the specifics, one thing that we can say is that any authority that we might be given will be given through Christ himself. The new heavens and earth, will be a world restored to the perfection of Eden, and we, in our glorified bodies, will fill it. Just as Adam and Eve were given governorship of the world as stewards of God, so too, we will be Christ’s stewards over the world. If we add much more we enter into the realm of speculation.
What amazing gifts and blessings Jesus promises to his own! Not only does he bless us and provide for us while we are here on earth, but he has prepared a land for us and has promised to shower us with blessings upon joining him in paradise. Simply being in the presence of God is infinitely more than enough, but Jesus goes beyond our capacity to imagine and has prepared a city in which we may live blessedly with him forever! And yet, at times, we begrudge him the praise he is due…
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.
-Isaac Watts
