The Faith of Saints

The Faith of Saints

The faith of saints its Giver tries,
By fire and flood to purify;
Within the crucible of earth
To publish there their second birth.

Once Peter, fearing Martyr’s fate,
Stood at the crossroads of his faith;
Pretends his Saviour not to know,
Thus saves his skin, but mars his soul.

Now free without, but all within
Was wailing, groans, and tears for sin;
Confused, oppressed, by failure crushed,
Yet hope again would Mercy trust.

Despite the shame of Peter’s fall,
(Disqualified, no doubt, by all),
Yet thus was future prophet tooled
In shame and bitter failures school.

Or David on an eventide,
Was by Bathsheba turned aside,
To take his neighbor’s covenant wife,
All future years now marred in strife.

But God had put away his sin,
Fulfilled His mercy’s purpose, then,
Despite all God there grieving saw,
Restored his liberty in law.

Or Jonah, mad that mercy spared
His foes, though their great need he shared;
So fresh to trust and grace adore
From deepest trial on ocean floor….

Is this now he despising grace?
If shown to foes from distant place?
But oh those patient words that fell
From God to Jonah… Doest thou well?

And on through time this story rolls,
Down to this hour its tale unfolds;
The vict’ry, and the failure both,
That mark the saints embattled growth.

Yet none can stay Redemptions march
Though through a hail of Satan’s darts,
Through err of faith, and thought, and deed,
To God, through life’s uncertainties.

God made, God guides, His sovereign plan,
Not devil’s rage or failing man
Can stay the flood from mercy’s spring
That drives to saints His victory.

Before our awful dark assize
Christ answered for our sin and dies,
There charged with all His people’s crimes
Till justice, satisfied, resigns.

With pardon’s cup in mercy’s well,
Where Jesus bled to save from hell,
Where mercy true and sentence just
Convene to capture sinner’s trust,

There stands His remnant filled to brim
With worship and with Love for Him
Who followed them through height & vale
Until their unbelief had failed.

In grateful worship never done,
In thankfulness unto the One
Who’s Sovereign Reign of Grace has saved,
Who’s mercy would not be dismayed.

His mercy’s reign none can contest,
His spoils of war are safe at rest;
His conquest done, the victory His,
Our death has died, His worship lives.

Charles Church, Started sometime in 2022, finished 3/15/2023