sharing the company benefits

If I Could Shut the Gate

If I could shut the gate against my thoughts
And keep out sorrow from this room within,
Or memory could cancel all the notes
Of my misdeeds, and I unthink my sin:
How free, how clear, how clean my soul should lie,
Discharged of such a loathesome company!

Or were there other rooms without my heart
That did not to my conscience join so near,
Where I might lodge the thoughts of sin apart
That I might not their clam'rous crying hear;
What peace, what joy, what ease should I possess,
Freed from their horrors that my soul oppress!

But, O my Saviour, who my refuge art,
Let thy dear mercies stand 'twixt them and me,
And be the wall to separate my heart
So that I may at length repose me free;
That peace, and joy, and rest may be within,
And I remain divided from my sin.

-Anonymous

This poem requires thought, and that's why I post it here. Not every couplet resounds with me, but in general, there is some fine thinking-material here.

As my inner-circle knows, I am a champion of the inner peace that Christ provides for His kids. I'm also a fan of a good night's sleep, which comes under the category of "perks of being a Christian." These benefits seem elusive to some, and that spurs me on to love and good deeds.
I'm not giving up 'til peace, joy, and rest are the portion of those I love.

Don't thank me...
Thank Him.