--- title: 'The Poetic Prayers of John Craig' type: post author: 'R. Andrew Myers' date: 2019-06-08 url: https://confessional.org/blog/2019-the-poetic-prayers-of-john-craig --- # The Poetic Prayers of John Craig The 1769 autobiography of the [Rev. John Craig (1709-1774)](/authors/john-craig), the Irish-American pioneer Presbyterian pastor who ministered in Augusta County, Virginia and elsewhere was originally titled “A Preacher Preaching to Himself From a Long Text of No Less Than 60 Years: On Review of Past Life.” The full text of this manuscript was included in Lillian Kennerly Craig’s *Reverend John Craig, 1709-1774: His Descendants and Allied Families* (1963), a valuable genealogical history, which was recently made available to the public domain via the Internet Archive, and recently added to Log College Press. It is a rich treasury of material, historical and devotional in nature, including Craig’s 1764 *Farewell Sermon* addressed to the congregation at Tinkling Spring of Fisherville, Virginia.. ![](https://assets.confessional.org/images/craig-john-autobiography-title-page.jpg)The editor has noted that Craig’s recorded prayers are poetic in nature. > Not intended by him to be blank verse, but that is what his beautiful prose really is. Reverend Craig was a gifted writer. I suggest that you rewrite aIl of his prayers in the form of blank verse. Two particular prayers were rendered in blank verse by the editor. > O my God, > Perfect what Thou hast early begun in me. > Oh, let me lean upon Thee! Thou, Thou alone art the only > beloved of my Soul! > Keep my love stead to Thee, > and be Thou ever near me. > Drive away all my fears; give me true and saving faith in Thee, > and in Thy promises. > Strengthen, help and uphold me in life, and thro Death, > by the right hand of Thy Righteousness. > Forsake me not, or I am undone forever! > Save me or I perish! Oh grant these to me > for Christ’s sake. > Amen And another: > Eternal and Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, > who rules and over rules all the events therein, > Thou art my God by creation, and by dedication, > by preservation, and by personal covenant relation. > Make me Thine by renovation and sanctification. > And thro faith in Christ, make me one of Thy children, > precious in Thy sight. > Oh Heavenly Father in Christ, > I now praise Thee with all my heart! > Thou early won my love, and Thou hast been > the Guide of my youth. Thy love, care and bounty > never failed. And as a loving and tender parent, > Thou took notice of my pride, vice and folly, > chastised and corrected me, yet took not > Thy loving kindness from me. Ye delivered me > from the Gates of Death, from the grave’s cruel > and devouring mouth. Thou sanctify’d the corrections, > and brought me to a sense of sin. Thou humbled me > in mine own sight, brought me to repentance > and to a cheerful resignation to Thy will. > > Thou brought me to serve Thee > how, when, and where Thou pleas’d to call me — > with a firm dependence on Thy promise of the Holy Spirit > to guide, support and comfort me. > Glory in the highest to my God! > who not withstanding all my shortcomings and backslidings > from Thee, hast not left me to myself, > but by various chastisements and kind restraints; > with many comfortable providence, and constant striving > of the Holy Spirit still calling after me, > ”This day return, my backsliding child, > I will heal thy backslidings!” > O my God, for Christ’s sake, give, O give me a heart to say > ”Behold I come unto Thee, for Thou art the Lord, > Thou art my God!” > > Oh leave me not now when old age steals in upon me, > but hold me up with the right hand > of Thy Righteousness. > Wean my heart from the world and all its sensual pleasures! > Dearest Lord, > Arm me to meet the king of terrors with courage; > he is Thy captive, and Thy messenger. > Let his sting and terror be taken away; > let him be the welcome messenger at Thy command > to call me from a world of misery > to Thy kingdom of Glory, purchased by Thy Blood — > for all that believe in Thy Name! > There I shall be one monument of Thy richest mercy, > to the eternal Glory of Thy free Grace, > of Thy unmerited Grace to sinners of whom I, even I > am Chief. But yet I am Thine! > O, Save me for Thy Glory’s Sake > Amen. The present writer has taken it upon himself to follow the editor’s precedent and to put another of Rev. Craig’s prayers into blank verse (without changing the spelling) as follows: > O Father of Mercy, > ye Foundain of all Good, make me truly thankful to thee > for that mercy, goodness, and care thou hast taken of me — > especially in my days of foolish childhood and youthful vanity. > O remember not the errors of my youth, > but forgive them all for Christ’s sake, and in Him now > accept me a poor, guilty sinner. > Oh give strength and courage now, when Nature fails, > to fight the good fight of faith and to finish my course with joy; > not fearing even the King of Terrors thro Christ his Conqueror, > the Captain of my Salvation, the foundation of all my hopes, > and the Purchaser of present comfort and future joy and Glory for me, > and for all that truly believe in his name! > Make me faithful unto death so that I may truly expect life from thee! > And to ye, Three-in-one, thro Christ, > be all Glory, now and thro Endless Eternity. > Amen. Further editing of the poetic prayers of [John Craig](/authors/john-craig) might result in a devotional work not unlike the *Valley of Vision* on a smaller scale. For now, this brief introduction to Craig’s personal writings — indeed, the soliloquy of a soul crying out to God — may serve to whet the appetite of those who share Craig’s spiritual hunger for his beloved Christ.