Though his arm is lifted up,
He still forbears the blow:
’Twas for sinners Jesus died,
Sinners he invites to come;
None who come shall be denied—
He says—“There still is room.”
3
We Were Once as You Are
By Newton
I
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
In what their hearts desire
When they by adding fuel
Can quench the flame of fire.
II
Till you can bid the ocean,
When furious tempests roar,
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.
III
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.
IV
Our time in sin we wasted,
And fed upon the wind;
Untill his love we tasted
No comfort could we find:
But now we stand to witness
His power and grace to you;
May you perceive its fitness,
And call upon him too!
V
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.
4
Prepare to Meet God
By Newton
I
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 bared!
Awful terrors clothe his brow!
For his judgment stand prepared,
Thou must either break or bow.
II
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?
III
Then the rich, the great, the wise,
Trembling, guilty, self-condemn’d,
Must behold the wrathful eyes
Of the Judge they once blasphemed.
Where are now their haughty looks?
Oh their horror and despair,
When they see the open’d books,
And their dreadful sentence hear!
IV
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.
V
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.
5
Invitation
By Newton
I
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.
II
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 Emmanuel?
Wilt thou dread the Lamb of God,
Who to save thy soul from hell,
Has shed his precious blood?
III
Think how on the cross he hung,
Pierced 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.
IV
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.
V
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.”27
II
Seeking, Pleading, and Hoping
6
The Burdened Sinner
By Newton
I
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.
II
With terror I read
My sins heavy score,
The number exceed
The sands on the shore:
Guilt makes me unable
To stand or to flee;
So Cain murder’d Abel,
And trembled like me.
III
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.
IV
The case is too plain,
I had my own choice;
Again, and again,
I slighted his voice—
His warnings neglected,
His patience abused,
His gospel rejected,
His mercy refused.
V
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.
VI
Lord Jesus, on thee
I venture to call,
Oh look upon me
The vilest of all!
For whom didst thou languish,
And bleed on the tree?
Oh pity my anguish,
And say, ’Twas for thee.”
VII
A case such as mine
Will honour thy power;
All hell will repine,
All heaven adore;
If in condemnation
Strict justice takes place,
It shines in salvation
More glorious through grace.
7
Behold, I Am Vile
By Newton
I
O Lord, how vile am I,
Unholy and unclean!
How can I dare to venture nigh
With such a load of sin?
II
Is this polluted heart
A dwelling fit for thee;
Swarming, alas! in every part,
What evils do I see!
III
If I attempt to pray,
And lisp thy holy name,
My thoughts are hurried soon away,
I know not where I am.
IV
If in thy word I look,
Such darkness fills my mind,
I only read a sealed book,
But no relief can find.
V
Thy gospel oft I hear,
But hear
