"Turn Us, O LORD, And We Shall Be Turned!"

If we spend our time on the newspaper, 
or sit hour after hour reading trashy novels!
(Charles Spurgeon, "Flowers from a Puritan's Garden" 1883)

"Take a mirror and turn it toward Heaven--
and there you shall see the reflection
of Heaven, the clouds and things above.

Turn it downward toward the earth, you
shall see the reflection of the earth, trees,
meadows, men. Just so does the soul
receive a reflection from the things
to which it is set.

If the heart is set toward Heaven--
that puts you into a heavenly frame.
If you set your heart on earthly objects--
you are a man of the earth!"

Are our thoughts and our affections 
full of worldliness? Let us make good
use of the above figure, and turn the mirror
the other way. Our mind will readily enough
reflect divine things, if we turn it in that
direction. Let us see if it is not so.

Prayerfully read your Bible,
or some lively devotional book--
and see if the heart is not immediately
filled with holy and heavenly reflections.

At any rate, if we spend our time 
on the newspaper, or sit hour after 
hour reading trashy novels--
we have no reason to wonder that 
thought and heart go after vanity! 

The turning of the mind upward is half
the battle. We cannot expect it to reflect
that toward which it does not turn.

Those who mind earthly things--

are earthly.  Those who set their 

affections upon things above--

are heavenly.

Paul shows how practically useful it is 

to turn the mind Godward, when he says 

that denying ungodliness and worldly 

lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, 

and godly in this present world, 

"looking for that blessed hope, and 
the glorious appearing of the great GOD 
and our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST." 
(Titus 2:13)

We may well cry concerning this matter, 

"Turn us, O LORD, and we shall 

be turned!" 

"Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; 

save me, and I shall be saved: for THOU 

art my praise."  (Jeremiah 17:14)

If we cannot see divine truth to our enjoyment--

let us nevertheless look that way; for that eye 

is blessed which looks in the direction of the light.

He who would behold the sun at its rising--

must look to the east. Just so, he 

who would see GOD as his delight--

must look Godward.

If the mirror of the soul is resolutely set toward 

the LORD, we shall with open face behold, as in 

a mirror, the glory of the LORD, and be changed 

into the same image from glory to glory!

O, my blessed MASTER, help me 

I beseech YOU, to keep the mirror 

of my mind in the right position--

that evermore I may see YOU! 

True, it will be but as in a dark mirror, but 

even that will be a marvelous preparation 

for beholding YOUR face to face in glory!

"Those who live according to the sinful nature--
have their minds set on what that nature desires;
but those who live in accordance with the SPIRIT--
have their minds set on what the SPIRIT desires."
Romans 8:5

"Since, then, you have been raised with CHRIST, 
set your hearts on things above, where CHRIST 
is seated at the right hand of GOD. Set your minds 
on things above, not on earthly things!" Colossians 3:1-2

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GraceGems has published the superb book, 

"Flowers from a Puritan's Garden".