"...none but Zion's children know."

This morning in church, we heard an excellent exposition of Psalm 48, and spent time together pondering the gift of God to us in His body, the church, and the everlasting nature of that relationship.  It was a beautiful, significnt thing to contemplate!

One of the mental rabbit-trails this took me down was to remember that my mother's family descends from French Huguenots: French protestants who followed the teachings of Jean Calvin.  In following after that great Reformed tradition, I imagine those ancient grandfathers and grandmothers praying for those who would come after them.  I can hear their prayers for preserving in the family a remnant of those who would seek after Christ and follow Him alone.  And I can imagine that I, myself, am a partial answer to their prayers. And in turn, that thought leads me to pray for those generations coming after me- my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and those stretching on as long as the Lord tarries.  I pray that God would call this family faithful, by His gift of grace to us.  May there always be a remnant to follow Him from among this family!

And that leads me to think (in the opposite direction) of that great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us in this race of faith.  God not only provides a straight, smooth path for our feet, but provides generations of examples in the past to show us how it's done.  His church is truly a thing against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. John Newton wrote about it beautifully in this selection from the Olney Hymns, which we enjoyed singing together this morning.  May we, indeed, Gentle Readers, be raised by His love, over self, to reign with Him.

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He, whose Word cannot be broken,
Formed thee for His own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded,
Thou may’st smile at all thy foes.


See! the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love;
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove:
Who can faint while such a river
Ever flows their thirst t’assuage?
Grace, which like the Lord, the Giver,
Never fails from age to age.

Round each habitation hovering,
See the cloud and fire appear!
For a glory and a cov’ring
Showing that the Lord is near.
Thus deriving from our banner
Light by night and shade by day;
Safe they feed upon the manna
Which He gives them when they pray.

Blest inhabitants of Zion,
Washed in the Redeemer’s blood!
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God.
’Tis His love His people raises,
Over self to reign as kings,
And as priests, His solemn praises
Each for a thank offering brings.

Savior, if of Zion’s city,
I through grace a member am,
Let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in Thy Name.
Fading is the worldling’s pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion’s children know.