'Twas for sinners Jesus died,
Sinners he invites to come;
None who come shall be denied,
He says, 'There still is room
III. We once were as you are.
1 SHALL men pretend to pleasure,
Who never knew the Lord?
Can all the worldling's treasure
True peace of mind afford?
They shall obtain this jewel,
And what their hearts desire,
When they by adding fuel,
Can quench the flame of fire.
2 Till you can bid the ocean,
When furious tempests roart,
, Forget its wonted motion,
And rage and swell no more;
In vain your expectation
To find content in sin;
Or freedom from vexation,
While passions reign within.
3 Come, turn your thoughts to Jesus,
If you would good possess ;
'Tis he alone that frees us
From guilt and from distress:
When he by faith is present,
The sinner's troubles cease;
His ways are truly pleasant,
And all his paths are peace.
4 Our time in sin we wasted,
And fed upon the wind;
Until his love we tasted,
No comfort could we find:
But now we stand to witness
His pow'r and grace to you;
May you perceive its fitness,
And call upon him too! ~
* Luke xiv. 22. † Isa. lvii. 20, 21.
5 Our pleasure and our duty,
Though opposite before,
Since we have seen his beauty,
Are join'd to part no more:
It is our highest pleasure,
No less than duty's call,
To love him beyond measure,
And serve him with our all.
IV. Prepare to meet God.
1 SINNER, art thou still secure?
Wilt thou still refuse to pray?
Can thy heart or hands endure
In the Lord's avenging day!
See! his mighty arm is bar'd!
Awful terrors clothe his brow!
For his judgment stand prepar'd,
Thou must either break or bow.
2 At his presence Nature shakes,
Earth affrighted hastes to flee,
Solid mountains melt like wax;
What will then become of thee?
Who his advent may abide?
You that glory in your shame,
Will you find a place to hide
When the world is wrapt in flame?
3 Then the rich, the great, the wise, Trembling, guilty, self-condemn'd,, Must behold the wrathful eyes
Of the Judge they once blasphem'd: Where are now their haughty looks? Oh! their horror and despair When they see the open'd books, And their dreadful sentence hear!
4 Lord, prepare us by thy grace!
Soon we must resign our breath; And our souls be call'd to pass Through the iron gate of death:
Let us now our day improve, Listen to the Gospel voice; Seek the things that are above, Scorn the world's pretended joys. 5 Oh! when flesh and heart shall fail, Let thy love our spirits cheer; Strengthen'd thus, we shall prevail Over Satan, sin, and fear: Trusting in thy precious name, May we thus our journey end! Then our foes shall lose their aim, And the Judge will be our Friend. V.-Invitation.
SINNERS, hear the Saviour's call,
He now is passing by;
He has seen thy grievous thrall,
And heard thy mournful cry.
He has pardons to impart,
Grace to save thee from thy fears; See the love that fills his heart,
And wipe away thy tears.
Why art thou afraid to come,
And tell him all thy case?
He will not pronounce thy doom,
Nor frown thee from his face:
Wilt thou fear Immanuel?
Wilt thou dread the Lamb of God,
Who to save thy soul from hell,
Has shed his precious blood?
Think how on the cross he hung,
Pierc'd with a thousand wounds!
Hark, from each, as with a tongue,"
The voice of pardon sounds!
See, from all his bursting veins,
Blood, of wondrous virtue, flow!
Shed to wash away thy stains,
And ransom thee from woe,
Though his majesty be great,
His mercy is no less;
Though he thy transgressions hate,
He feels for thy distress:
By himself the Lord has sworn
He delights not in thy death *,
But invites thee to return,
That thou may'st live by faith.
Raise thy downcast eyes, and see
What throngs his throne surround!
These, though sinners once like thee,
Have full salvation found:
Yield not then to unbelief!
While he says, There yet is room,'
Though of sinners thou art chief,
Since Jesus calls thee, come.
Book I. Hymn 75, 91.
Book II. Hymn 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 35, 77, 78, 83.
II. SEEKING, PLEADING, AND
1 AH! what can I do,
Or where be secure!
If justice pursue,
What heart can endure?
The heart breaks asunder,
Though hard as a stone,
When God speaks in thunder,
And makes himself known.
2 With terror I read
My sins' heavy score;
The number exceeds
The sands on the shore:
Guilt makes me unable
To stand or to flee;
So Cain murder'd Abel,
And trembled like me.
3 Each sin, like his blood,
With a terrible cry,
Calls loudly on God
To strike from on high: Nor can my repentance, Extorted by fear,
Reverse the just sentence;
'Tis just, though severe.
4 The case is too plain,
I have my own choice;
Again and again,
I slighted his voice:
His warnings neglected,
His patience abus❜d,
His Gospel rejected,
His mercy refus'd.
5 And must I then go,
For ever to dwell
In torments and woe
With devils in hell?
Oh! where is the Saviour
I scorn'd in times past?
His word in my favour
Would save me at last.
6 Lord Jesus, on thee
I venture to call;
Oh look upon me,
The vilest of all!
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