2 Ready the Father is to own And kiss his late returning son: Ready your loving Saviour stands, And spreads for you his pierced hands.

3 Ready the Spirit to impart Grace to subdue the stubborn heart, To shed Christ's love in you abroad, And witness you are born of God. 4 Ready for you the angels wait, To triumph in your blest estate: All heaven is ready to resound, "The dead's alive, the lost is found." 5 Come, sinners, to your gracious Lord,

Incline your ear, and hear his word: His offer'd grace with joy receive, Hear, sinners, and your souls shall

live.

3 Ye heavy-laden, sin-sick souls, See from the Rock a fountain rise: For you in healing streams it rolls From Jesus, made a sacrifice.

4 Nothing you in exchange need give;

Leave all you are and have behind:
Thankful, the gift of God receive;
Pardon and peace in Jesus find.
5 In search of empty joys below,
Ye toil with unavailing strife:
Whither, ah, whither would ye go?
Christ hath the words of endless life.
6 To you he calls, "My goodness
My promises for all are free: [prove,
O taste my everlasting love,
And let your souls delight in me."

278. T. 205. SINNERS, hear the joyful news, Think not, that his wrath pursues, God, your Maker, is your friend:

That his curses you attend: "As I live," Jehovah saith, "I do not desire your death: Rather, rather would I see Each poor sinner turn to me." 2 O then turn to him and live,

Turn to him with all your woe; He is ready to forgive,

Ready blessings to bestow: Outstretch'd see his arms of love, Haste his tender heart to prove; Haste, ye sinners, you will find Jesus casteth none behind.

4 Ye, who long, alas, have been
Willing slaves of death and sin;
Now from bliss no longer rove,
Stop and taste redeeming love.
5 Welcome, all by sin oppress'd,
Jesus Christ will give you rest;
Nothing brought him from above,
Nothing but redeeming love.
6 Sing, ye ransom'd, to his praise,
Tune your songs to grateful lays;
Mortals, join the hosts above,
Join to praise redeeming love.
7 When his Spirit leads us home,
When we to his glory come,
We shall all the fulness prove
Of our Lord's redeeming love.

T. 132.

LORD Jesus Christ, my sovereign good,

Thon fountain of salvation, Behold me bow'd beneath the load Of guilt and condemnation : My sins indeed are numberless; O Lord, regard my deep distress, Relieve my guilty conscience. 2 In pity look upon my need,

Remove my sore oppression; Since thou hast suffer'd in my stead, And paid for my transgression, Let me not yield to dark despair; A wounded spirit who can bear? O show me thy salvation.

My longing is, O wash me clean
From every spot and stain of sin,
Like David and Manasseh.

6 Lord, I approach thy mercy-seat,
And pray thee to forgive me;
With contrite heart, I thee entreat,
Show pity and receive me:
Cast all my sins and trespasses
Into the ocean of thy grace,

And them no more remember.

7 0, for thy name's sake, let me prove

Thy mercy, gracious Saviour: The yoke which galls me, soon re

move,

Restore me to thy favour:

I feel a heavy burden; Reflecting on my trespasses,

I scarce could hope for pardon, But should be hopeless and forlorn, Uncertain where for help to turn, If I had not thy promise. 4 But thy reviving gospel-word, Which leads me to salvation, Does joy unspeakable afford, And lasting consolation:

This tells me, thou wilt not despise A broken heart, in sacrifice

Upon thy altar offer'd.

5 Me, heavy-laden sinner, hear, Bemoaning my transgression; To my complaints now lend an ear, To thee I make confession:

That I live to thee, my God,
may
And yield thee true obedience.

8 Thy joyful Spirit give me power, Thy stripes heal my diseases; Apply thy blood at my last hour

To save me, dearest Jesus: Then to thy promis'd rest me bring, That with the ransom'd I may sing Thy praise above for ever.

2 O Jesus, source of grace,
I seek thy loving face,
Upon thy invitation,
With deep humiliation;
O let thy blood me cover,
And wash my soul all over.

3 I, thy unworthy child,
Corrupt throughout and spoil'd,
Beseech thee to relieve me,
And graciously forgive me
My sins, which have abounded,
And my poor soul confounded.

4 Through thy atoning blood,
That precious healing flood,
Purge off all sin and sadness,
And fill my heart with gladness:
Lord, hear thou my confession,
And blot out my transgression.

5 Thou shalt my comfort be,
Since thou hast died for me:
I am by thee acquitted
Of all I e'er committed:
My sins by thee were carried,
And in thy tomb interred.

6 I know my poverty;
But ne'ertheless, for me
Are all good gifts procured,
Since thou hast death endured:
Thus strengthen'd, I may banish
All fears; my foes must vanish.

7 Christ, thy atoning blood,
The sinner's highest good,
Is powerful to deliver,
And free the soul for ever
From all claim of the devil,
And cleanse it from all evil.

8 Lord Jesus Christ, in thee
I trust eternally:

I know I shall not perish,
But in thy kingdom flourish :
Since thou hast death sustained,
Life is for me obtained.

9 Lord, strengthen thou my heart;
To me such grace impart,
That nought, which may await me,
From thee may separate me;
Let me with thee, my Saviour,
United be for ever.

For if in judgment thou wilt try
Man's sin and great iniquity,

Ah, who can stand before thee?
2 To gain remission of our sin,
No work of ours availeth;
God's favour we may strive to win,
But all our labour faileth;
We're 'midst our fairest actions lost,
And none 'fore him of aught can
boast:

We live alone thro' mercy.

3 Therefore my hope is in his grace,
And not in my own merit;
On him my confidence I place,
Instructed by his Spirit:

His precious word hath promis'd me
He will my joy and comfort be;
Thereon is my reliance.

4 Though sin with us doth much abound,

Yet grace still more aboundeth; Sufficient help in Christ is found,

Where sin most deeply woundeth: He the good Shepherd is indeed, Who his lost sheep doth seek and lead

With tender love and pity.

288.
T. 80.
THOU God of glorious majesty,
To thee, against myself, to thee,
A worm of earth, I cry;
A half-awaken'd child of man,
An heir of endless bliss or pain,
A sinner born to die.

2 Lo, on a narrow neck of land,
"Twixt two unbounded seas, I stand,
Secure, insensible;

A point of time, a moment's space, Removes me to that heavenly place, Or shuts me up in hell.

3 O God, mine inmost soul convert, And deeply on my thoughtful heart

Eternal things impress; Give me to feel their solemn weight, And tremble on the brink of fate,

And wake to righteousness.

4 Before me place in dread array The pomp of that tremendous day, When thou with clouds shalt

With godly jealousy and fear,

Eternal bliss to ensure;
Thine utmost counsel to fulfil,
And suffer all thy righteous will,
And to the end endure.

6 Then, Saviour, then my soul receive,

Transported from this vale, to live And reign with thee above; Where faith is sweetly lost in sight, And hope, in full, supreme delight, And everlasting love.

289.*

T. 14.
O LORD, afford a sinner light,
In darkness still I stray;
Star of the soul, appear in sight,

And show the narrow way.
2 That way is holy, Christians true
Alone may walk therein, [due
Who thro' thy powerful grace sub-
The world, the flesh, and sin.

3 Cold is my love, hence sin doth reign,

And grief corrode my heart; With things, whose only fruit is How loth am I to part. [pain,

4 Resolve, my stubborn heart, and cleave

To Jesus Christ alone: Would I all other objects leave,

The work at once were done.

5 Vile worm, shouldst thou refuse [to be Who died upon the cross for thee, And did thy soul redeem? 6 Redeeming Lord, O be thou mine, My Saviour, Sun, and Shield; Thy blood and death have made me To thee myself I yield. [thine, 7 Mould me as clay, and fashion A vessel to thy praise, [me Adorn'd with righteousness by thee, And sanctified through grace:8 So shall I walk the narrow way, By thee, my Day-star, led: And love divine, thy heavenly ray, Shall o'er my path be shed. T. 14.

Devoted unto him,

290. THE Lord first empties whom he fills, Casts down whom he would raise; He quickens, when the letter kills, Exalting thus his praise.

At once must disappear; [smiles, The bruis'd and wounded heart he heals,

And feeds with heavenly cheer.
3 When he applies his healing blood
Unto a sin-sick soul, [good,
This balsam, powerful, precious,
Ne'er fails to make it whole.
4 He freely laid his majesty
That our wants thro' his poverty
And all his glory by,
He richly might supply.

5 He's full of grace and truth indeed,
Of peace, of life, and light;
To all, that helpless sinners need,
He gives thy soul a right.

6 Tho' heaven's his throne, he came from thence

To seek and save the lost; Whate'er might be the vast expense,

His love would bear the cost. 7 On us he spent his life and blood, Our losses to retrieve; [good Mankind's redemption now holds For sinners who believe.