Use the rod, and not the sword;
Correct with kind severity;
Bring me not to nothing, Lord,
But bring me home to thee.
2 True and faithful as thou art
To all thy church and me,
Give a new, believing heart,
That knows, and cleaves to, thee.
Freely our backslidings heal;
And, by thy balmy blood restored,
Grant that every soul may feel,
"Thou art my pard'ning Lord."
3 Might we now, with pure desire,
Thine only love request :
Now, with willing heart entire,
Return to Christ our rest!
When we our whole heart resign,
O Jesus, to be fill'd with thee,
Thou art ours, and we are thine,
Through all eternity!
101 Clarke-p. 149.] 1st P. M. 6 lines 8s. GOD, if thou art love indeed,
Let it once more be proved in me,
That I thy mercy's praise may spread,
For every child of Adam free;
O, let me now the gift embrace!
O, let me now be saved by grace!
2 If all long-suff'ring thou hast shown
On me, that others may believe,
Now make thy loving-kindness known,
Now the all-conq'ring Spirit give;
Spirit of victory and power,
That I may never grieve thee more.
3 Grant my importunate request:
It is not my desire, but thine :
Since thou wouldst have the sinner blest,
Now let me in thine image shine;
Nor ever from thy footsteps move,
But more than conquer through thy love.
4 Be it according to thy will;
Set my imprison'd spirit free;
The counsel of thy grace fulfil;
Into thy glorious liberty
My spirit, soul, and flesh restore,
And I shall never grieve thee more.
102 Zion-p. 155.] 1st P. M. 6 lines 8s.
VES, from this instant, now, I will
To my offended Father cry;
My base ingratitude I feel,
Vilest of all thy children, I;
Not worthy to be call'd thy son;
Yet will I thee my Father own.
2 Guide of my life hast thou not been,
And rescued me from passion's power?
Ten thousand times preserved from sin;
Nor let the greedy grave devour?
And wilt thou now thy wrath retain,
Nor ever love thy child again?
3 Ah! canst thou find it in thy heart
To give me up, so long pursued?
Ah! canst thou finally depart,
And leave thy creature in his blood?
Leave me,-out of thy presence cast,
To perish in my sins at last?
4 If thou hast call'd me to return,
If weeping at thy feet I fall,
The prodigal thou wilt not spurn,
But pity, and forgive me all,
In answer to my Friend above,
In honour of his bleeding love.
Kingsbridge-p. 117.] L. M.
SHEPHERD of souls, with pitying eye
The thousands of our Israel see;
To thee in their behalf we cry,
Ourselves but newly found in thee.
2 See where o'er desert wastes they err,
And neither food nor feeder have;
Nor fold nor place of refuge near;
For no man cares their souls to save.
3 Wild as the untaught Indian's brood, The Christian savages remain; Strangers, yea, enemies to God,
They make thee spill thy blood in vain. 4 Thy people, Lord, are sold for naught; Nor know they their Redeemer nigh: They perish, whom thyself hast bought; Their souls for lack of knowledge die. 5 The pit its mouth hath open'd wide, To swallow up its careless prey: Why should they die, when thou hast died; Hast died to bear their sins away?
6 Why should the foe thy purchase seize ? Remember, Lord, thy dying groans: The meed of all thy suff'rings these; O claim them for thy ransom'd ones! 7 Extend to these thy pard'ning grace: To these be thy salvation show'd:
O add them to thy chosen race:
O sprinkle all their hearts with blood!
8 Still let the publicans draw near: Open the door of faith and heaven; And grant their hearts thy word to hear, And witness all their sins forgiven.
Hebron-p. 111.]
"ESUS, my Advocate above,
My Friend before the throne of love,
If now for me prevails thy prayer,
If now I find thee pleading there,
If thou the secret wish convey,
And sweetly prompt my heart to pray,
Hear, and my weak petitions join,
Almighty Advocate, to thine.
2 Fain would I know my utmost ill,
And groan my nature's weight to feel:
To feel the clouds that round me roll,
The night that hangs upon my soul:
The darkness of my carnal mind,
My will perverse, my passions blind,
Scatter'd o'er all the earth abroad,
Immeasurably far from God.
3 Jesus, my heart's desire obtain ;
My earnest suit present, and gain:
My fulness of corruption show,
The knowledge of myself bestow;
A deeper displacence at sin;
A sharper sense of guilt within;
A stronger struggling to get free;
A keener appetite for thee.
4 O sov'reign Love, to thee I cry!
Give me thyself, or else I die!
Save me from death; from hell set free! Death, hell, are but the want of thee. Quicken'd by thy imparted flame,
Saved, when possess'd of thee, I am:
My life, my only heaven thou art;
O might I feel thee in my heart!
Pelham-p. 128.]
PIRIT of faith, come down,
Reveal the things of God;
And make to us the Godhead known,
And witness with the blood:
'Tis thine the blood t' apply,
And give us eyes to see;
Who did for every sinner die,
Hath surely died for me.
2 No man can truly say
That Jesus is the Lord;
Unless thou take the veil away,
And breathe the living word:
Then, only then we feel
Our int'rest in his blood;
And cry, with joy unspeakable,
"Thou art my Lord, my God!"
3 O that the world might know
The all-atoning Lamb!
Spirit of faith, descend and show
The virtue of his name:
The grace which all may find,
The saving power, impart;
And testify to all mankind,
And speak in every heart.
4 Inspire the living faith,
Which whosoe'er receives,
The witness in himself he hath,
And consciously believes :
The faith that conquers all,
And doth the mountain move;
And saves whoe'er on Jesus call,
And perfects them in love.
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