Madame Guyon
Recently I came across another hymn - one which I had never heard of before - from around the late 15th century, which has its whole theme as the issue of sin being our shameful usurping of the place that God's honour should have in our lives. In fact it is given as the description of our lack of love for God. And it is no short explanation….it is 10 verses! It was once asked of me, that if honour is so important, why is the 'greatest commandment' about loving God and doesn't say about honouring God?…maybe this hymn goes some way in explaining that issue, as it points out how much the issues of love and honour are intrinsically linked together.
It's a hymn that is not in modern hymnbooks, but was known by, and quoted by, Spurgeon in his devotional for December 19. He was speaking about trusting God to provide and care for us in the midst of our anxieties, saying "You are meddling with Christ's business, and neglecting your own when you fret about your lot and circumstances." and he went on to quote the 9th verse of this hymn:
His point of persuasion with this verse, is that the cause and solution for our anxieties is 'glory' based. When we have our glory/honour focus in the right direction (on God not ourselves) we can be like the hymn-writer and have rest and happiness for our soul. And who doesn't want rest and happiness? We all do. But they are to be found by getting our 'glory' focus right.My soul! rest happy in thy low estate,Nor hope, nor wish, to be esteemed or great,To take the impression of a will divine,Be that thy glory, and those riches thine.
This hymn was translated by British Poet William Cowper (probably around 1782) from the original French by Madame de la Mothe Guion written probably around a century earlier. Cowper is most famous for producing the 'Olney Hymns' hymnbook with his pastor (the well known John Newton who wrote 'Amazing Grace'). Read more about the hymn and William Cowper and Madame Guyon here and the hymn is explained verse by verse here.
The 10 verses are filled with words which are worth reading over and over:
Oh loved! but not enough—though dearer far
Than self and its most loved enjoyments are;
None duly loves thee, but who, nobly free
From sensual objects, finds his all in thee.
Glory of God! thou stranger here below,
Whom man nor knows, nor feels a wish to know;
Our faith and reason are both shocked to find
Man in the post of honour—Thee behind.
Reason exclaims—"Let every creature fall,
Ashamed, abased, before the Lord of all;"
And faith, o'erwhelmed with such a dazzling blaze,
Feebly describes the beauty she surveys.
Yet man, dim–sighted man, and rash as blind,
Deaf to the dictates of his better mind,
In frantic competition dares the skies,
And claims precedence of the Only wise.
Oh, lost in vanity, till once self–known!
Nothing is great, or good, but God alone;
When thou shalt stand before his awful face,
Then, at the last, thy pride shall know his place.
Glorious, Almighty, First, and without end!
When wilt thou melt the mountains and descend?
When wilt thou shoot abroad thy conquering rays,
And teach these atoms, thou hast made, thy praise?
Thy glory is the sweetest heaven I feel;
And, if I seek it with too fierce a zeal,
Thy love, triumphant o'er a selfish will,
Taught me the passion, and inspires it still.
My reason, all my faculties, unite,
To make thy glory their supreme delight:
Forbid it, fountain of my brightest days,
That I should rob thee, and usurp thy praise!
My soul! rest happy in thy low estate,
Nor hope, nor wish, to be esteemed or great,
To take the impression of a will divine,
Be that thy glory, and those riches thine.
Confess him righteous in his just decrees,
Love what he loves, and let his pleasure please;
Die daily; from the touch of sin recede;
Then thou hast crowned him, and he reigns indeed.
