Meditations When My Soul hath been Refreshed with the Consolations which the World Knows Not
by Anne Bradstreet
Lord, why should I doubt any more when Thou hast given me such assured
pledges of Thy love? First, Thou art my Creator, I Thy creature, Thou
my master, I Thy servant. But hence arises not my comfort, Thou art my
Father, I Thy child; “Ye shall be My sons and daughters,”
saith the Lord Almighty. Christ is my brother, I ascend unto my
Father, and your Father, unto my God and your God; but lest this
should not be enough, thy maker is thy husband. Nay more, I am a
member of His body, He my head. Such privileges had not the Word of
Truth made them known, who or where is the man that durst in his heart
have presumed to have thought it? So wonderful are these thoughts that
my spirit fails in me at the consideration thereof. and I am
confounded to think that God, who hath done so much for me, should
have so little from me. But this is my comfort, when I come to Heaven,
I shall understand perfectly what He hath done for me, and then shall
I be able to praise Him as I ought. Lord, having this hope, let me
purify myself as Thou art pure, and let me be no more afraid of death,
but even desire to be dissolved and be with Thee, which is best of
all.