"Glorious things are spoken of thee, O thou word of God. Thou hast changed lions into lambs, ravens into doves, beasts into men, and men into angels. Thou hast subdued headstrong passions, mortified natural and riveted corruptions, tore up old and sturdy lusts by the roots, conquered principalities and powers, let captivity captive, and turned the world upside down. By thee wonders are wrought, the blind restored to their sight, the dead raised, the deaf hear, the dumb speak, the lepers are cleansed, and the poor have the gospel preached to them, and are changed into the nature of it… Thou bringest heaven down to earth, and carriest earth up to heaven… Infinite wisdom contrived thee; infinite truth proclaimed thee, and infinite goodness discovered thee; the Father indicted thee; the Son confirmed thee; and the Spirit revealed thee to the children of men… By thee fools have been made wise, sinners made saints, ignorant men have been instructed, wandering men reduced, weak ones confirmed, and lost ones saved. By thee the heavens were established, the foundations of the earth formed, the sorrowful are comforted, the scandalous reformed, the needy relieved, and the righteousness of God revealed. Thou art eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, and food to the hungry, and rest to the weary, and physic to the sick, and life to the dying… O thou savour of life, thou living water, thou well of salvation, thou tidings of joy to all nations, thou ministration of righteousness, thou mystery of godliness, thou mine of unsearchable riches, thou way of holiness, thou word of the kingdom… Thou art a counsellor to the doubting, and comforter to the distressed; thou art health to the navel, and marrow to the bones, an ornament of grace unto the head, and a chain of gold about the neck… Thou art the church’s charter, containing all the privileges which the blessed Jesus purchased for her…O my soul, what honour can be high enough, what love hot enough, for the Holy Scriptures…
Lord I will through thy strength ponder all thy sayings in my heart, and make them the rule of my life; I will delight in the law, and meditate therein day and night. I will give diligence to reading, be frequent in hearing, and uniform and constant in obedience to it. I will teach it diligently my children and talk of it when I sit in mine house, and when I walk by the way, when I lie down, and when I rise up.”
Lord I will through thy strength ponder all thy sayings in my heart, and make them the rule of my life; I will delight in the law, and meditate therein day and night. I will give diligence to reading, be frequent in hearing, and uniform and constant in obedience to it. I will teach it diligently my children and talk of it when I sit in mine house, and when I walk by the way, when I lie down, and when I rise up.”
– George Swinnock (1627-1672)