Hymns on God's Everlasting Love, Second Series, 4

Twas thus the subtle foe
Beguiled my foolish heart,
While weak in faith I did not know
His false, ensnaring art:
I listen'd to a lie
Which nature liked so well,
Believed the soothing fiend, that I
Could never fall — and fell.
The tempter now withdrew,
And left me free from care;
His own advantage well he knew,
My soul was in his snare:
Secure and lull'd in ease,
Sin vex'd me now no more,
My sorrows end, my troubles cease,
And all my pangs are o'er.
Freed from the inward cross,
Of all corruption full,
A prophet of smooth things I was
To my own wretched soul:
Unchanged and unrenew'd,
Yet still I could not fall;
Daub'd with untemper'd mortar stood
The tottering, whited wall.
My wound I slightly heal'd,
And quieted my grief,
With all the false assurance fill'd
Of damning unbelief;
One of the happy sect
Who scoff at mourners poor,
That will not dream themselves elect
Till they have made it sure.
How happier far was I,
From grief and scruple free,
Who could from all conviction fly
To God's supposed decree!
O what a settled peace,
What comfort did I prove,
And hug me in my sins, and bless
His sweet electing love!
What if I sinn'd sometimes
In this imperfect state,
It was not like the damning crimes
Of a lost reprobate;
Sin was not sin in mt,
God doth not blame His own,
Doth not behold iniquity
In any chosen one.
What if foullyte
I finally could not;
His grace is irresistible,
And back I must be brought:
What if in sin I lived,
The firm decree is past —
I must be at my death received,
I must be saved at last.

How could my folly dare
Satan and sin to slight?
The judgments of my God were far
Above, out of my sight:
"i Hymns on
His wrath was not for me;
And therefore I defied
Mine enemies, from danger free,
In self-electing pride.

Not all His threaten'd woes
My stubborn heart could move;
His threatenings only were for those
Who never knew His love:
He cannot take away
His covenanted grace,
Though I rebel, and disobey,
And mock Him to His face.

He cannot me pass by,
Or utterly reject,
Or judge His people, or deny
To save His own elect:
He swore to bring me in
To heaven; 't were perjury
For God to punish me for sin,
For God to pass by me.

Twas thus my wretched heart
Abused His patient grace,
Provoked His mercy to depart,
His justice to take place:
Unconscious of its state,
In death my soul abode,
Nor groan'd beneath its guilty weight,
Nor knew its fall from God.

I could not be restored,
By pardoning grace renew'd,'
While, trampling on His written word,
Self-confident I stood:
He only saves the lost,
Which I could never be;
I never could be damn'd, but must
Be saved by His decree.