I cannot now for Mercy groan,
Or offer Thee an Heart of Stone.
9, My Mouth is stopt, and guilty now,

Before my Judge I am become,
Lo! at Thy Judgment-seat I bow,

O God of Love, pronounce my Doom,
And if Thy yearning Heart permit,
Now, Saviour, Slay me at Thy Feet!

SURER

The BACKSLIDER.
URELY in the LORD we have

Both Strength and Righteousness;
Jesus mighty is to save

The Sinner in Distress : Jesu's Blood on which we stay,

Cleanses us from every Stain, Takes the Guilt of Sin

away, Nor lets the Power remain.

2. Why then, O my Saviour, why

(If mine indeed Thou art) Am I thus ? a Sinner I,

And still unclean of Heart? Why doth Sin my Heart divide ?

Whence this grievous Tyranny, All this Hell of Self and Pride,

If Thou haft sprinkled me?

3. Did I not believe and feel

Through Faith my Sins forgiven? Was I not caught up from Hell,

And strangely rais’d to Heaven? Yes; I once could call Thee Mine,

Felt my Saviour's Blood applied, Cloath'd in Righteousness Divine,

I once was Justified.

4. What

I the Servant am of Sin,

While to its Yoke I bow: While the Love of Sin remains,

Christ in me can never dweil, CHRisT with Belial never reigns,

Nor mixes Heaven with Hell.

5. Can Unholy Actions fuit

With One that is in Thee? :
JESU, Thou hast said, the Fruit

Muft answer to the Tree:
If the Tree (the Heart) were Good,

Evil Thoughts it could not bear,
Could not be by Sin subdu'd,

If Thou, my God, wert there.

6. Can the felf-fame Fountain yield

Both bitter Streams and sweet?
In a Soul by Jesus fill'd

Can Satan find a Seat ?
No, my LORD, I am not clean,

Am not inwardly renew'd,
Am not (for I still can fin)

I am not born of GOD.

7. See, I give up all at last,

My boafted Gifts disclaim, Trust no more in Graces past,

But now condemn'd I am: Nothing do I bring to Thee,

That I may Thy Mercy move, No one Spark remains in me

Of Faith, or Hope, or Love.

8. If but one Good Thought could buy

Thy Grace, and Heaven win,
LORD, not one Good Thought have I,

My All is Self, and Sin;

Full

3.

9. Let me never, never more

My wretched Soul deceive, Dream that I have Life, before

I hear Thy Voice, and live : Let me, humbled in the Duit,

Wait to taste how Good Thou art, See, and feel, but never trust

My own deceitful Heart.

10. O that I could truly wait

The Dictates of Thy Will, Calmly mourn my sinful State,

Till Thou shall say “ Be ftill! “ The Loft Sheep to save I came,

" The Backslider to restore ; “ Sinners I do not condemn;

“ Depart, and Sin no more."

An

ANOTHER.

1.

H! the dire Effects of Sin!

O'What 'irongue can fully tell

All that I have felt within,

Since first from Grace I fell! Still Thou seest my Stormy Breaft, My Soul is as the troubled Sea, Never, never can I reft,

Till I believe in Thee.

2. O the Load my Spirit bears, The Mountain of

my

Grief! Full of cruel Doubts and Fears,

Of racking Unbelief;

Beb

A.

Did I ever Thee behold ?
Thee did I ever truly know ?
I can neither keep my Hold;
Nor let

my Saviour go. 3. Did I not my Soul deceive

With groundless Hopes of Heaven?
Did I, LORD, indeed believe,

And was I once forgiven?
Still I ask, but no Reply:
O bid me, bid me come to Thee ;
Son of David, hear my Cry,

If Mercy is for me.

4. Hear me ftill Myself bemoan,

A Bullock to the Yoke
Unaccustom'd I rush on

O that my Heart were broke!::
Long I after Thee have mourn'd,
And fill unpitied I complain,
Turn me, and I fhall be turn'd,

And never sin again.
5. Me Thou woud'ft not disregard,

Were I indeed sincere,
But my Heart, alas ! is hard,

And yoid of Love, and Fear;
Seldom can I lift mine Eyes,
Or offer Thee an hearty Groan;
Take, if Thou woud't have me rise,

O take away the Stone.

ANOTHER

I.

Α

H!

my dear, loving LORD,

To Thee what shall I I say? Behold I tremble at Thy Word,

And scarce presume to pray :

Ten

Ten Thousand Wants have I,

Alas ! I all Things want,
And Thou hast bid me always cry,

And never, never faint.

2. Yet now, Thou know'ft, I fear,

I fear to ask Thy Grace,
So often have I, LORD, drawn near,

And mock'd Thee to Thy Face :
With all Pollutions stain'd,

Thy hallow'd Courts I trod,
Thy Name and Temple I prophan'd

And dar'd to call Thee Gop:

3. Nigh with my Lips I drew,

My Lips were all unclean,
Thee with my Heart I never knew,

My Heart was full of Sin ;
Far from the Living God,

As far as Hell from Heaven,
Thy Purity I still abhor'd,

Nor wish'd to be forgiven.

f. My Nature I obey'd,

My own Desires pursu'd,
And still a Den of Thieves I made

The hallow'd House of God;
The Worship He approves

To Him I would not pay ;
My Selfith Ends, and Creature-loves
Had stole

my
Heart

away.
5. My Sin and Nakedness

I tudied to disguise,
Spoke to my Soul a flattering Peace,

And put out mine own Eyes ;