99
1
PART
PRAYING FOR REPENTANCE.
III.
SECTION I.
PRAYING FOR REPENTANCE.
1
whom
needs,
Whate'er thy every creature Whose goodness, providently nigh, Feeds the young ravens when they cry, To thee I look; my heart prepare, Suggest, and hearken to my prayer.
2 Since by thy light myself I see
Naked, and poor, and void of thee, Thy eyes must all my thoughts survey, Preventing what my lips would say; Thou seest my wants, for help they call, And ere I speak thou know'st them all.
6-8s
3 Thou know'st the baseness of my mind, Wayward, and impotent, and blind; Thou know'st how unsubdued my will, Averse from good and prone to ill; Thou know'st how wide my passions rove, Nor checked by fear, nor charmed by love!
4 Fain would I know, as known by thee,
And feel the indigence I see;
Fain would I all my vileness own, And deep beneath the burden groan; Abhor the pride that lurks within, Detest and loathe myself and sin.
5 Ah! give me, Lord, myself to feel,
My total misery reveal; Ah! give me, Lord( I still would say) A heart to mourn, a heart to pray; My business this, my only care, My life, my every breath, be prayer. 100
JESU, 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.
3 Jesu, 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 hell within, A stronger struggling to get free, A keener appetite for thee.
L. M.
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, Scattered o'er all the earth abroad, Immeasurably far from God.
4 O sovereign 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, Quickened by thy imparted flame, Saved, when possessed of thee, I am; My life, my only heaven thou art, O might I feel thee in my heart!
101
6-7 s.
1
See me from thy lofty throne; Give the sweet relenting grace, Soften this obdurate stone! Stone to flesh, O God, convert; Cast a look, and break my heart!
2 By thy Spirit, Lord, reprove,
All my inmost sins reveal, Sins against thy light and love Let me see, and let me feel; Sins that crucified my God, Spilt again thy precious blood.
3 Jesu, seek thy wandering sheep,
Make me restless to return; Bid me look on thee, and weep, Bitterly as Peter mourn,
Till I say, by grace restored,
" Now thou know'st I love thee, Lord!"
4 Might I in thy sight appear,
As the publican distrest, Stand, not daring to draw near, Smite on my unworthy breast, Groan the sinner's only plea, " God, be merciful to me!"
5 0 remember me for good,
Passing through the mortal vale! Show me the atoning blood,
When my strength and spirit fail; Give my gasping soul to see Jesus crucified for me!
S. M.
0
THAT I could repent! With all my idols part, And to thy gracious eye present A humble, contrite heart; A heart with grief opprest For having grieved my God,
A troubled heart that cannot rest, Till sprinkled with thy blood.
1
S. M.
2 Jesus, on me bestow
The penitent desire;
With true sincerity of woe My aching breast inspire; With softening pity look, And melt my hardness down, Strike with thy love's resistless stroke, And break this heart of stone!
103
THAT I could revere
0
My much- offended God!
O that I could but stand in fear
1
102
Of thy afflicting rod!
If mercy cannot draw
Thou by thy threatenings move, And keep an abject soul in awe,
That will not yield to love.
2 Show me the naked sword Impending o'er my head;
25