Hymns on God's Everlasting Love, 7

Jesu, hear! in bitterness
Of spirit hear me cry!
See me in my last distress,
And at the point to die!
Save me, or I perish, Lord;
I sink into the gulf beneath:

the tempted help afford,
And snatch my soul from death.
Compass'd with an host of foes,
Defenceless, and alone,
I have neither strength to' oppose,
Nor swiftness to outrun:
Or, could I their rage evade,
I cannot 'scape the foe within,
Sold to evil, and betray'd
By my own bosom sin.
Lord, as with my latest v,.eath
I ask, What shall A do?
Only ruin, sin, and death,
And hell are in my view.
No way to escape I see
From the infernal fowler's snare,
Everlasting misery,
And blackness of despair.
See me looking for my doom,
When sin shall claim its prey;
When the next temptation come,
And I am cast away.
I have neither will nor power
Temptation to resist, or fly:
Jesu, save me in this hour!
O save me, or I die!
Once Thou didst my doom revoke,
And set my spirit free;
Free from sin's Egyptian yoke
I lived awhile to Thee.
But, alas! I did not stand;
To Thee I did not faithful prove
Basely slighted Thy command,
And left my former love.
I am into bondage brought;
Again entangled, I
Yield to sin in every thought,
And cannot but comply:
Trembling, I expect the time
Which shall my full damnation seal;
When some horrid, horrid crime
Shall shut me up in hell.
Yet, O Lord, I still believe
Thou canst my soul restore;
Thou art ready to forgive,
And bid me sin no more:
Still salvation might be found,
If I would on my Saviour call:
Grace doth more than sin abound
Thy grace is free for all.
Thou art willing to forgive;
But O, my cursed heart
Cannot, will not, yet believe,
Nor with its idols part.
No, I would not, though I might,
Accept of perfect liberty;
Darkness rather than the light
I love, and sin than Thee.
Yet I may be saved I know,
I feel Thy Spirit strive:
Whether I repent, or no,
I may repent, and live.
I have choice of death or life,
They both on instant now depend:
Who shall tell me if the strife
In heaven or hell shall end?

Whether I shall ever yield
Only to God is known;
If I fall, 'tis uncompell'd,
The deed is all my own.
All the blame be on my head,
The Saviour from my blood is pure;
I, and only I, have made
My own damnation sure.

No decree of His consif 'u
My unborn soul to nell.
God was merciful and kind,
But I would still rebel;
Still self-harden'd I remain'd,
Would not receive salvation's cup,
Grieved His Spirit, and constrain'd
At last to give me up.

God forbid that I should dare
To charge my death on Thee;
No, Thy truth and mercy tear
The HORRIBLE DECREE!
Though the devil's doom I meet,
The devil's doctrine I disclaim;
Let it sink into the pit
Of hell, from whence it came.

I this record leave behind, —
Though damn'd, I was forgiven;
Every soul may mercy find,
Believe, and enter heaven;
All the heavenly drawings prove,
And all alike are free to' embrace
Special, sovereign, saving love.
And all-sufficient grace.
l' Hymns on

Sinners, hear my dying call;
Ye all are bought with blood!
Take ye warning by my fall,
Nor trample on your God:
Life to all His death imparts;
Receive what He doth freely give,
Harden not, like me, your hearts,
But turn, D turn and live.

God, the Good, the Just, I clear:
He did not die in vain;
Grace hath brought salvation near
To every soul of man:
I would not be saved from death,
And, self-destroy'd, I justly fall;
Publishing, with my last breath,
The Saviour died for all.