::R1344 : page 134::

RENEW A RIGHT SPIRIT WITHIN ME

Renew a right spirit within me,
O Lord, is my prayer;
That only the perfect and holy
May find echo there.

The spirit of faith’s adoration—
Devotion to Thee.
No more should the world’s senseless idols
Hold sway over me.

A spirit of humble submission;
Of sweet, lasting peace—
That warrings of earthly ambition
Forever may cease.

The spirit of Christ and His teaching—
Thy spirit divine—
Which finds in Thy service its duty,
Its pleasure in Thine.

A spirit of deep understanding,
Of wisdom and love;
As wise as the serpent, and harmless
And pure as the dove.

Renew a right spirit within me—
All gifts of Thy grace;
That all who my character study
Thy likeness may trace.

Oh! make me a living epistle—
Inscribed with Thy name,
And sealed with the blood of the Savior—
Thy love to proclaim. —R. J. BALL.

====================

— October, 1891 —