Happy Birthday, Robert Burns

The Inauguration of Robert Burns as Poet Laureate of the Lodge, William Stewart Watson

Two hundred fifty years old, he’d be.

I don’t think he liked Presbyterians much, but I like his poetry anyway.

Holy Willie’s Prayer

O Thou, who in the heavens does dwell,
Who, as it pleases best Thysel’,
Sends ane to heaven an’ ten to hell,
A’ for Thy glory,
And no for ony gude or ill
They’ve done afore Thee!

I bless and praise Thy matchless might,
When thousands Thou hast left in night,
That I am here afore Thy sight,
For gifts an’ grace
A burning and a shining light
To a’ this place.

What was I, or my generation,
That I should get sic exaltation,
I wha deserve most just damnation
For broken laws,
Five thousand years ere my creation,
Thro’ Adam’s cause?

When frae my mither’s womb I fell,
Thou might hae plunged me in hell,
To gnash my gums, to weep and wail,
In burnin lakes,
Where damned devils roar and yell,
Chain’d to their stakes.

Yet I am here a chosen sample,
To show thy grace is great and ample;
I’m here a pillar o’ Thy temple,
Strong as a rock,
A guide, a buckler, and example,
To a’ Thy flock.

O Lord, Thou kens what zeal I bear,
When drinkers drink, an’ swearers swear,
An’ singin there, an’ dancin here,
Wi’ great and sma’;
For I am keepit by Thy fear
Free frae them a’.

….

Lord, bless Thy chosen in this place,
For here Thou hast a chosen race:
But God confound their stubborn face,
An’ blast their name,
Wha bring Thy elders to disgrace
An’ public shame.

….

Lord, hear my earnest cry and pray’r,
Against that Presbyt’ry o’ Ayr;
Thy strong right hand, Lord, make it bare
Upo’ their heads;
Lord visit them, an’ dinna spare,
For their misdeeds.

….

But, Lord, remember me an’ mine
Wi’ mercies temp’ral an’ divine,
That I for grace an’ gear may shine,
Excell’d by nane,
And a’ the glory shall be thine,
Amen, Amen!

I’ve shortened this poem up quite a bit, but you can read the whole thing, along with a more contemporary English version, here. (Warning: The fuller version does contain some adult themes and Burns’s language can be bawdy. After all, he’s trying to make Willie the Presbyterian elder sound as hypocritical as possible.)

Kim has a very pretty bit o’ Burns at Hiraeth.

Sunday's Hymn

Here’s a hymn I love. (And really, who doesn’t like this one?) I don’t think I’ve ever sung the fifth verse. Have you?

And Can It Be That I Should Gain?

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

—Charles Wesley

See and hear it sung by a group of young men at Christmas in (I think) a cabin.

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

(This must be double up Sunday)

• Give to Our God Immortal Praise at joythruChrist
• Forth in Thy Name, O Lord, I Go at Whatever Things…
• The Lord’s My Shepherd at Tapestry of Graces
• The Lord’s My Shepherd at Field Stone Cottage
• Lord’s Day 4, 2009 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Be a Ray of Sunshine at The Happy Wonderer
• We Sing the Glorious Conquest at Nova Scotia Scott
• We Sing the Glorious Conquest at Conjubilant With Song (This is the Sunday set aside to commemorate the conversions of Saul. This hymn, featured by both Nova Scotia Scott and Conjubilant With Song tells of the power of God’s grace in the conversion of Paul)
• Your Weekly Dose of Spurgeon at Pyromaniacs: Momento Mori and To Fetch Me Home
• All People That On Earth Do Dwell at Hiraeth

Have you posted a hymn today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.

Vulgar Language

Let’s say you have 12 minutes to name the 100 most commonly used words in the English language. How many would you get?

I got 59 of them. Can you beat me?

Find out.