Hymns and Prayers to the Trinity, 49

Who God in Christ discover
By His own Spirit's power,
And love our heavenly Lover,
And One in Three adore,
The secret hid from ages,
Having our Saviour's mind,
We in the sacred pages
And we alone can find.

Assenting to the letter
A sinner nothing gains:
It cannot free the debtor,
Or break the prisoner's chains;
The truest, soundest notion
Can never guilt remove,
Or give that heart-devotion
Which flows from humble lo c.

Thou God who sin forgivest,
To Thee if sinners turn,
And in Thine arms receivest
When after Thee we mourn;
Thy gospel's controversy
Against the men maintain
Who spurn Thy pardoning mercy,
And bear Thy name in vain.

The world of misbelievers
Thou only canst convince,
Orthodox self-deceivers
Shut up in all their sins:
Darkness for light mistaking
And light for darkness, they
O'erlook the one thingTacking,
Or scornfully gainsay.

Our faith, imagination,
Our hope they count a lie,
The present, sure salvation,
The heartfelt love deny;
The witness of that Spirit,
The antepast, and seal,
And His imputed merit
Who saves us all from hell.

Their shadowy faith embracing,
A creature of their own,
Thee with their sins confessing
They bow to three in one;
Assured they only know Thee,
With sin they will not part,
Or render that they owe Thee,
An undivided heart.

Stir up Thy saving power,
Mysterious One in Three,
Nor let the pit devour
The souls redeem'd by Thee:
Convince of their delusion
The enemies of grace,
And clothe them with confusion,
That they may seek Thy face.

Beneath their burden groaning
When after Thee they cry,
Their unbelief bemoaning
As at the point to die,
From guilt and condemnation
Thy penitents to clear,
The God of their salvation,
The Triune God appear.