Another, Part 1

Ah! my dear, loving Lord,
To Thee what shall I say?
Behold, I tremble at Thy word,
And scarce presume to pray:
Ten thousand wants have I;
Alas! I all things want;
And Thou hast bid me always cry,
And never, never faint.

Yet now, Thou know'st, I fear,
I fear to ask Thy grace;
So often have I, Lord, drawn near,
And mock'd Thee to Thy face:
With all pollutions stain'd,
Thy hallow'd courts L trod,
Thy name and temple I profaned,
And dared to call Thee God.

Nigh with my lips I drew,
My lips were all unclean;
Thee with my heart I never knew.
My heart was full of sin:
Far from the living God,
As far as hell from heaven,
Thy purity I still abhorr'd,
Nor look'd to be forgiven.

My nature I obey'd,
My own desire pursued;
And still a den of thieves I made
The hallow'd house of God:
The worship He approves,
To Him I would not pay;
My selfish ends, and creature-loves.
Had stole my heart away.

My sin and nakedness
I studied to disguise;
Spoke to my soul a flattering peace,
And put out mine own eyes:
In fig-leaves I appear'd,
Nor with my form would part;
But still retain'd a conscience sear'd,
An hard, deceitful heart.

A goodly, formal saint
I long appear'd in sight;
By self and Satan taught to paint
My tomb, my nature, white:
The Pharisee within
Still undisturb'd remain'd;
The strong man, arm'd with guilt of sin,
Safe in his palace reign'd.

But, O! the jealous God
In my behalf came down;
Jesus Himself the stronger show'd,
And claim'd me for His own:
My spirit He alarm'd,
And brought into distress;
He shook and bound the strong man, arm'd
In his self-righteousness.

Faded my virtuous show,
My form without the power;
The sin-convincing Spirit blew,
And blasted every flower:
My mouth was stopp'd, and shame
Cover'd my guilty face;
I fell on the Atoning Lamb,
And I was saved by grace.