The Christian Book of Mystical Verse

Tozer compiled many of Christianity's  profound mystical voices. In His own word..

"The purpose of this book is to bring together in one convenient volume 

some of the best devotional verse the English language affords, and thus

 to make available to present day Christians a rich spiritual heritage 

which the greater number of them for various reasons do not now enjoy. 

For Tozer, these mystics had “been brought by the gospel into intimate fellowship with the Godhead.”  Tozer didn't  not want these voices to be ignored or forgotten gathered them together “to make available to present-day Christians a rich spiritual heritage which the great number of [us] for various reasons do not now enjoy.”

"This is a book is intended the  worshiper rather than for the student.  

It has been carefully and lovingly prepared for those God-enamored 

persons who, while they feel as deeply as the enraptured poet, yet 

lack the gift that would enable them to express their feelings adequately." 

The hymns and poems Tozer has compiled are mystical in the sense that they are God-oriented—they begin with God, embrace the worshiping soul and return to God again.

"The word mystic as it occurs in the title of this book refers to that

 personal spiritual experience common to the saints of Bible times

 and well known to multitudes of persons in the post-Biblical era.

I personal came across this priceless little volume in 1980. while reading Tozer's "The pursuit of God."  It was through these pages i became acquainted with the  christian mystics.  I'm ever grateful to Tozer for the introduction to this deep, rich and often ignored and forgotten  stream  of  the christian tradition. My heart was emblazoned by their passion and i never turned back. The mystics have been constant companions, fellow pilgrims,  bell weather voices in my journey toward the Divine.I highly recommend Mystical verse to any post modern pilgrim who hungers for solid food on the journey toward the divine presence.

 It was here i found kindred spirits in the poetry, hymns and devotional writing  of   Isaac Watts, Frederick William Faber, Christina Rossetti, Charles Wesley, Paul Gerhardt, Madame Guyon, oliver wendall holmes and Gerhard Terstegan and to name only a few. You'll find many of these voices already represented here at   Living water from an ancient well.