Hymns and Sacred Poems (1749), Hymn 3

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin."

VOUCHSAFE to keep me, Lord, this day
Without committing sin,
And with me let Thy Spirit stay,
Till He is fix'd within.

Thou canst from every sin secure;
And is it not Thy will
Still to preserve Thy servant pure
From every touch of ill?

Ye advocates for sin, and hell,
Which of you all dares say,
With God this is impossible
To keep my soul this day?

He can, He can, yourselves confess,
Almighty is my Lord:
But will He guard me by His grace?
But will He keep His word?

Whate'er I ask, the Truth hath said,
I surely shall receive:
I ask to be made free indeed,
And without sin to live.

Whate'er I ask in faith, I have,
As sure as God is true;
My faithful God is strong to save,
And He is ready too.

Jesus from sin shall save His own,
Who wait the truth to prove:
Poor, faithless souls, have ye not known
That God, my God, is love?
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day? &c. 5

Willing He is, that all should live
From all their sins set free:
Lord, I Thy solemn word receive,
Thy oath to rescue me.

Thou canst, Thou wilt for one short day
Preserve me spotless here,
And why not then (let Satan say)
A week, a month, a year?

Why wilt Thou not for all my life
My helpless soul defend,
And bear me through the doubtful strife,
And keep me to the end!

With shame the fatal cause I own
Of all my sin, and grief;
I did not stand by faith alone,
I fell through unbelief.

I ask'd, but never hoped from Thee
To' obtain the promised power,
Or look'd from sin to be set free,
Before my dying hour".

But lo! with humble faith I bow
My soul before Thy throne:
Deliver me from evil now;
For Thou canst save Thine own.

Vouchsafe to keep me, Lord, this day,
And every day from sin,
Until Thou take it all away,
And bring Thy nature in.

Safe in Thine all-victorious love,
And confident I rest;
What power can from my Rock remove,
Or tear me from Thy breast?

My soul on Thee, O Lord, relies,
Thine arms are my defence;
My soul hell, earth, and sin defies,
To come, and pluck me hence.

Nigh me I find my threefold foe,
But Thou art always nigher;
Nor will I from my fortress go,
Or leave my wall of fire.

My life is hid with Christ above;
Faith in Thy blood I feel,
A faith which doth the mountain move,
And bids the sun stand still.

The sin-subduing power Divine
Through faith I still receive,
It keeps this feeble heart of mine,
While unrenew'd I live.

It keeps, till I am born again,
And find the perfect power,
And tell the faithless sons of men
That I can sin no more.