| 1 | ”Man shall not live by bread alone, |
| | But by each word which doth proceed |
| | From God’s own mouth”; these we must eat |
| | And let them be our life indeed. |
| 2 | Not just a body we were made, |
| | But body, soul, and spirit too; |
| | The inmost part the spirit is |
| | To contact God and Him pursue. |
| 3 | Just as we need the earthly food |
| | Our body’s need to satisfy, |
| | We need the food for spirit too- |
| | Thyself, Thy Word, its true supply. |
| 4 | Thou art the Spirit, and Thy Word |
| | Thy very Self expressed doth make; |
| | Thus, it is Spirit as Thyself, |
| | Which by our spirit we must take. |
| 5 | Thus, to receive Thy Word is not |
| | To read it only with our eyes |
| | And understand it in our mind, |
| | But ‘tis the spirit’s exercise. |
| 6 | Thy Word in spirit we must eat |
| | And to our inmost part receive; |
| | ’Tis by our spirit’s exercise |
| | To pray with what our minds perceive. |
| 7 | Thy Word remaining in our mind |
| | Is only knowledge burdensome, |
| | But when it to the spirit goes |
| | Then life and spirit it becomes. |
| 8 | ’Tis only when our spirit acts |
| | To take Thy Word and contact Thee, |
| | We truly feed upon Thy Word |
| | And touch Thyself most inwardly. |
| 9 | Lord, teach us how to exercise |
| | Our spirit when Thy Word we read; |
| | Then will our spirit nourished be |
| | As thus upon Thyself we feed. |
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