How remembering leads to refreshing

 Posted at Reformation Scotland:

Every believer in Jesus has by definition dedicated themselves to the Lord, to be His and for Him from now for ever. Sometimes it can be helpful for believers to explicitly reflect on this and articulate it in their own words. In Covenanting times it was not unusual for individual believers to formulate such “personal covenants” and sometimes to write them down. One godly woman who did this was Janet Hamilton, Lady Earlston (who died in 1696). Janet married Sir Alexander Gordon of Earlston (1650–1726), a Covenanter who fought at Bothwell Bridge. He was arrested some time after the battle, and ended up imprisoned in Blackness Castle. Janet voluntarily joined him in prison (and some of their children were born there).

At various stages in her life, Janet wrote down her reflections on the Lord’s dealings with her in the form of “soliloquies.” The earliest available of these follows in updated form. In her thoughts she moves seamlessly from addressing own soul by way of reminiscences and self-exhortations, to addressing the Lord in praise and prayer. Her recollections culminate in a renewal of her personal covenant with the Lord. Janet’s writings were discovered after her death and published at the request of her friends, with the hope that it would encourage others to write their own accounts and personal covenants.

Recollections of the Lord’s grace

Lord, I desire to bless Thy name for Thy former loving-kindnesses to me in the day of my trouble, in helping and standing by me when overcharged with affliction, and deserted by friends. What was I, and my father’s house? A poor insufficient creature, taken up with nothing but vanities of all sorts. Oh, what moved so holy a God ever to condescend to look upon me, and pass by so many much more worthy than poor undeserving me! Oh, praises be unto thee, O Most High! Oh that my tongue were employed through time in magnifying the holy name of so merciful a God!

Placing me among the godly

May not I say, His mercies are over all His other works to me? May not I sit down and admire free love? First, in inclining my heart to love Him and His people, and in casting my lot amongst the godly, and in bestowing a godly and kind husband on me (when I was left destitute without father or mother), and that He did so care for me as not to allow me to enjoy the desires of my heart, but was at pains to hedge in my ways with thorns. His infinite love did not allow me to sit at my ease, enjoying my pleasures in the day of Zion’s calamity, but prepared the way by smaller trials for greater.

Continue here.