Groaning for Redemption, Part 1

Lord, I confess my sins to Thee,
My sins beyond expression great;
Fast bound in sin and misery,
My spirit faints beneath the weight,
And struggles to throw off the load,
But cannot, cannot come to God.

O how shall I the anguish bear
Of inbred sin's envenom'd dart?
The mischief hence I cannot tear;
Tis enter'd deep into my heart,
Its poison drinks my spirits up,
And quenches my last spark of hope.

O wretched man, what must I do?
I neither can resist nor fly;
Hell, earth, and sin my soul pursue,
I cannot find my Saviour nigh;
Unhappy, I shall one day fall,
Shall perish by the hand of Saul.

Me from perdition what can save?
Justly my God His help denies:
No evil I abhor, and have
No fear of God before my eyes;
Self-harden'd in my lost estate,
All sin I love, all good I hate.

Whither, ah whither shall I go?
The snares of death my soul surround,
The floods of wickedness o'erflow,
And desperate is my spirit's wound;
The worm that never dies I feel,
Arrested by the pains of hell.

O could I but escape away,
And steal into the silent tomb,
Defraud the lion of his prey,
And at my latest hour o'ercome,
That hour I now would present have,
Would now rejoice to find a grave.

O God, behold my troubled breast:
Yet once again I Thee implore;
Indulge me in my last request,
And let me die, and sin no more;
Now, let me now lay down my head,
From pain and sin for ever freed.

O God, regard my bitter cry,
I groan to be redeem'd from sin;
To Thee I lift my weeping eye,
Open Thine arms and take me in;
To Thee my labouring soul I bow;
Require it, O require it now.

I know it is not now renew'd,
I am not fit Thy face to see,
But trust the virtue of Thy blood
In my last hour shall work on me
Some miracle of grace unknown,
Without a miracle undone.

My God, I cannot let Thee go
Without an answer to my prayer;
O tell me that it shall be so,
I soon shall lose in death my care,
Where fiends and sins no more molest,
And weary spirits are at rest.

I doubt not, Lord, but there remains
A rest from sin and sorrow here,
Thy people here are freed from pains,
From troubles, doubts, and guilt, and fear;
But let me hence this moment fly,
Save me from sin, and let me die.

I only wait for this glad hour,
Tis all my business here below;
Send down into my soul the power,
And let me die Thy love to know;
Renew me, and withdraw my breath;
Give power o'er sin and instant death.