“Be Jesus For Me”

johann_gerhardJohann Gerhard had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Church Father’s and was more than willing to cite them to underscore the points he made in his Theological Commonplaces. Here he quotes Anselm, De mis. hominis, p. 50.

O Jesus, for the sake of Your sweet name, do unto me according to Your name. Forget the arrogant one who provokes You. Look kindly upon the wretched one who calls upon You. O Jesus, Yours is a sweet name, a delightful name, a name that comforts the sinner, a name of blessed hope! For what is Jesus except Savior? Therefore for Your sake alone, O Jesus, be Jesus for me. Be my kind Savior! Do not, O Lord, do not pay attention to my wickedness so as to forget Your goodness. O good Lord Jesus, though I have admitted that for which You could condemn me, You have not lost that by which to save me.

Johann Gerhard On Christ 12-13