Without desire or love or fear,
I like a stone remain.
VI
Myself can hardly bear
This wretched heart of mine;
How hateful then must it appear
To those pure eyes of thine!
VII
And must I then indeed
Sink in despair and die?
Fain would I hope that thou didst bleed
For such a wretch as I.
VIII
That blood which thou hast spilt,
That grace which is thine own,
Can cleanse the vilest sinner’s guilt,
And soften hearts of stone.
IX
Low at thy feet I bow,
Oh pity and forgive;
Here will I lie, and wait till thou
Shalt bid me raise and live.
8
The Shining Light
By Cowper
I
My former hopes are fled,
My terror now begins:
I feel, alas! that I am dead
In trespasses and sins.
II
Ah, whither shall I fly?
I hear the thunder roar:
The law proclaims destruction nigh,
And vengeance at the door.
III
When I review my ways,
I dread impending doom;
But sure a friendly whisper says,
“Flee from the wrath to come.”
IV
I see, or think I see,
A glimm’ring from afar;
A beam of day that shines for me,
To save me from despair.
V
Forerunner of the sun,
It marks the pilgrim’s way;
I’ll gaze upon it while I run,
And watch the rising day.
9
Encouragement
By Newton
I
My soul is beset
With grief and dismay,
I owe a vast debt,
And nothing can pay:
I must go to prison
Unless that dear Lord
Who died and is risen
His pity afford.
II
The death that he died,
The blood that he spilt,
To sinners applied,
Discharge from all guilt:
This great Intercessor
Can give, if he please,
The vilest transgressor
Immediate release.
III
When nail’d to the tree,
He answer’d the pray’r
Of one who, like me,
Was nigh to despair;
He did not upbraid him
With all he had done,
But instantly made him
A saint and a son.
IV
The jailor, I read,
A pardon received:
And how was he freed?
He only believed:
His case mine resembled—
Like me he was foul,
Like me too he trembled,
But faith made him whole.
V
Though Saul in his youth,
To madness enraged,
Against the Lord’s truth
And people engaged;
Yet Jesus, the Saviour,
Whom long he reviled,
Received him to favour,
And made him a child.
VI
A foe to all good,
In wickedness skill’d,
Manasseh with blood
Jerusalem fill’d;
In evil long harden’d,
The Lord he defied;
Yet he too was pardon’d,
When mercy he cried.
VII
Of sinners the chief,
And viler than all,
The jailor or thief,
Manasseh or Saul:
Since they were forgiven,
Why should I despair
While Christ is in heaven
And still answers prayer?
10
The Waiting Soul
By Cowper
I
Breathe from the gentle south Lord,
And cheer me from the north;
Blow on the treasures of thy word.
And call the spices forth!
II
I wish, thou know’st, to be resign’d,
And wait with patient hope;
But hope delay’d fatigues the mind
And drinks the spirits up.
III
Help me to reach the distant goal,
Confirm my feeble knee
Pity the sickness of a soul
That faints for love of thee.
IV
Cold as I feel this heart of mine,
Yet since I feel it so,
It yields some hope of life divine
Within, however low.
V
I seem forsaken and alone,
I hear the lion roar;
And every door is shut but one,
And that is mercy’s door.
VI
There, till the dear Deliv’rer come,
I’ll wait with humble pray’r;
And when he calls his exile home,
The Lord shall find him there.
11
The Effort
By Newton
I
Cheer up, my soul, there is a mercy-seat,
Sprinkled with blood, where Jesus answers pray’r;
There humbly cast thyself beneath his feet,
For never needy sinner perish’d there.
II
Lord, I am come! thy promise is my plea.
Without thy word I durst not venture nigh!
But thou hast call’d the burden’d soul to thee,
A weary burden’d soul, Lord, am I!
III
Bow’d down beneath a heavy load of sin,
By Satan’s fierce temptations sorely press’d,
Beset without, and full of fears within,
Trembling and faint, I come to thee for rest.
IV
Be thou my refuge, Lord, my hiding-place!
I know no force can tear me from thy side;
Unmoved I then may all accusers face,
And answer every charge with “Jesus died.”
V
Yes, thou didst weep and bleed and groan and die—
Well hast thou known what fierce temptations mean—
Such was thy love, and now, enthroned on high,
The same compassions in thy bosom reign.
VI
Lord, give me faith—he hears—what grace is this!
Dry up thy tears, my soul, and cease to grieve:
He shows me what he did, and who he is,
I must, I will, I can, I do believe.
12
The Effort-in Another Measure
By Newton
I
Approach, my soul, the mercy-seat
Where Jesus answers pray’r;
There humbly fall before his feet,
For none can perish there.
II
Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh:
Thou callest burden’d souls to thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.
III
Bow’d down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely press’d;
By war without and fears within,
I come to thee for rest.
IV
Be thou my shield and hiding-place!
That, shelter’d near thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him, Thou hast died.
V
Oh wond’rous love, to bleed and die,
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I,
Might plead thy gracious name.
VI
“Poor tempest-tossed soul, be still,
My promised grace receive;”
’Tis Jesus speaks—I must, I will,
I can, I do believe.
13
Seeking the Beloved
By Cowper
I
To those who know the Lord I speak,
Is my Beloved near?
The Bridegroom of my soul I seek,
Oh! when will he appear?
II
Though once a man of grief and shame,
Yet now he fills a throne,
And bears the greatest, sweetest name,
That earth or heaven have known.
III
Grace flies before, and love
