Confession, and Prayer for Pardon.
1 GoD of mercy! God of love'
Hear our sad repentant song;
Sorrow dwells on every face,
Penitence on every tongue.
2 Deep regret for follies past,
Talents wasted, time misspent ;
Hearts debased by worldly cares,
Thankless for the blessings lent-
3 Foolish fears and fond desires,
Vain regrets for things as vain;
Lips too seldom taught to praise,
Oft to murmur and complain-
4 These, and every secret fault,
Filled with grief and shame we own;
Humbled, at thy feet we lie,
Seeking pardon from thy throne.
5 God of mercy! God of grace!
Hear our sad repentant songs;
O restore thy suppliant race,
Thou to whom our praise belongs!
Relief experienced in Forgiveness.
1 WHILE with remorse and woe oppressed,
Distraction haunts the guilty breast;
The broken heart, the troubled mind,
In God alone shall succor find.
2 'Tis his the wounds of vice to heal,
The charms of mercy to reveal;
He grants the penitent relief,
And cheers the soul o'erwhelmed with grief.
3 When, by temptation's billows tost,
On rocks of ruin well nigh lost,
Still, hope, the anchor of the soul,
Shall folly's beating wave control.
4 To all the world's delusive joys,
Ensnaring wiles, and empty noise,
The sinner bids a long farewell,
And loves with purity to dwell.
5 In her secure and calm retreat,
He now enjoys a tranquil state;
Conscious that God will deign to hear
The contrite, humble, and sincere.
Blessedness of Confessing and Forsaking Sin. Ps. 32.
1 0 BLESSED Souls are they,
Whose sins are covered o'er!
Divinely blest, to whom the Lord
Imputes their guilt no more.
2 They mourn their follies past,
And keep their hearts with care;
Their lips and lives, without deceit,
Shall prove their faith sincere.
3 While I concealed my guilt,
I felt the festering wound;
Till I confessed my sins to thee,
And ready pardon found.
4 Let sinners learn to pray,
Let saints keep near the throne; Our help in times of deep distress Is found in God alone.
A Wanderer pleading to be reclaimed.
1 LORD! we have wandered from thy way,
Like foolish sheep have gone astray;
Our pleasant pastures we have left,
And of their guard our souls bereft.
2 Exposed to want, exposed to harm,
Far from our gentle shepherd's arm;
Nor will these fatal wanderings cease,
Till thou reveal the paths of peace.
30 seek thy thoughtless servants, Lord!
Nor let us quite forget thy word;
Our erring feet do thou restore,
And keep us that we stray no more.
Imploring Divine Mercy.
1 OUT of the depths of sad distress,
The gloomy mazes of despair,
To heaven we raise our warm address;
Deign, O our God! to hear our prayer:
O let thine ear indulge our grief,
For thy indulgence is relief.
2 Shouldst thou, O God, minutely scan
Our faults, and as severely chide,
No mortal seed of sinful man
Could such a scrutiny abide :
But mercy shines in all thy ways,
Bright theme of universal praise!
3 With longing eyes we seek the Lord; Before his throne our souls attend; Firmly on his eternal word
Our faith is fixed, our hopes depend:
On wings of love our souls shall rise
In contemplation to the skies.
4 Ye pious minds, on God rely;
With full assurance in him trust;
He sends redemption from on high,
And raises sinners from the dust:
He will at length absolve his heirs
From all their guilt and all their fears.
1 HERE in thy temple, Lord, we meet,
And bow before thy throne;
Abased and guilty at thy feet,
We seek thy grace alone.
2 Our sins rise up in dread array,
And fill our hearts with fear;
Our trembling spirits melt away,
But find no helper near.
3 Still, Lord, thy mercy 's rich and free, And runs an endless round; A boundless, purifying sea,
Where all our sins are drowned.
4 O send thy pity from on high
With pardon all divine;
Bring now thy gracious spirit nigh,
And make us wholly thine.
5 We humbly mourn our follies past
Each guilty path deplore;
Resolved, while feeble life shall last,
To tread those paths no more.
1 How oft, alas! this wretched heart Has wandered from the Lord! How oft my roving thoughts depart, Forgetful of his word!
2 Yet sovereign mercy calls, Return :' Dear Lord, and may I come! My vile ingratitude I mourn;
O take the wanderer home.
3 And canst thou, wilt thou yet forgive,
And bid my crimes remove?
And shall a pardoned rebel live
To speak thy wondrous love?
4 Almighty grace, thy healing power
How glorious, how divine,
That can to life and bliss restore
So vile a heart as mine!
|