Union with Christ

Here is another devotion/prayer from "The Valley of Vision"

UNION WITH CHRIST

O FATHER,

Thou hast made man for the glory of thyself,
and when not an instrument of that glory,
he is a thing of nought;
No sin is greater than the sin of unbelief,
for if union with Christ is the greatest good,
unbelief is the greatest sin,
as being cross to thy command;

I see that whatever my sin is,
yet no sin is like disunion from Christ by unbelief.
Lord, keep me from committing the greatest sin
in departing from him,
for I can never in this life perfectly obey
and cleave to Christ.
When thou takest away my outward blessings,
it is for sin,
in not acknowledging that all that I have is of thee,
in not serving thee through what I have,
in making myself secure and hardened.
Lawful blessings are the secret idols, and
do most hurt;
the greatest injury is in having,
the greatest good in the taking away.
In love divest me of blessings that I may glorify
thee the more;
remove the fuel of my sin,
and may I prize the gain of a little holiness
as overbalancing all my losses.
The more I love thee with a truly gracious love
the more I desire to love thee,
and the more miserable I am at my want of love;
The more I hunger and thirst after thee,
The more my heart is broken for sin,
the more I pray it may be far more broken.

My great evil is that I do not remember
the sins of my youth,
nay, the sins of one day I forget the next.
Keep me from all things that turn to unbelief
or lack of felt union with Christ.

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"The Valley of Vision" A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, 1975
Edited by Arthur Bennett
The Banner of Truth Trust, P O  Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013