Bitter and Sweet, by John Newton

Once in a while I like reading some of John Newton's letters. I find some of them on the website, "Fire and Ice: Puritan and Reformed Writings." There's other good stuff there, too. Like this poem -- which expresses the tension I feel day in and day out as I go through life in a fallen world. I'm still not sure what it means to both live in this tension and also in the reality of grace as I'm constantly looking for relief from frustration and disappointments. The poem teaches me a little about what it looks like to pray in the midst of this tension: "Often Lord, repeat your grace."

1 Kindle, Saviour, in my heart,
A flame of love divine;
Hear, for mine I trust thou art,
And sure I would be thine;
If my soul has felt thy grace,
If to me thy name is known;
Why should trifles fill the place
Due to thyself alone?

2 'Tis a strange mysterious life
I live from day to day;
Light and darkness, peace and strife,
Bear an alternate sway:
When I think the battle won,
I have to fight it o'er again;
When I say I'm overthrown,
Relief I soon obtain.

3 Often at the mercy-seat,
While calling on thy name,
Swarms of evil thoughts I meet,
Which fill my soul with shame.
Agitated in my mind,
Like a feather in the air,
Can I thus a blessing find?
My soul, can this be pray'r?

4 But when Christ, my Lord and Friend,
Is pleas'd to show his pow'r
All at once my troubles end,
And I've a golden hour;
Then I see his smiling face,
Feel the pledge of joys to come:
Often, Lord, repeat this grace
Till thou shalt call me home.