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5 O God, thou art my home, my rest,
For which I sigh in pain;

How shall I 'scape into thy breast?
My Eden how regain?

874

God's absence deprecated.

O THOU, whose mercy hears

S. M.

Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand, indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye;-
2 See, at thy throne of grace,

A wretched wand'rer mourn :
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said, -Return?

3 Shall guilty fears prevail
To drive me from thy feet?
O let not this last refuge fail, -
This only safe retreat.

4 Absent from thee, my Light,
Without one cheering ray, -
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night,

How desolate my way!

5 On this benighted heart,

With beams of mercy shine;

And let thy voice again impart

A taste of joy divine.

875

12th P. M. 76, 76, 78, 76.

The deceitfulness of sin.

JESUS, friend of sinners, hear

Yet once again, I pray;
From my debt of sin set clear,
For I have naught to pay:
Speak, O speak the kind release ;
A poor backsliding soul restore ;
Love me freely, seal my peace,
And bid me sin no more.

2 For my selfishness and pride
Thou hast withdrawn thy grace;
Left me long to wander wide,
An outcast from thy face;
But I now my sins confess,
And mercy, mercy, I implore;
Love me freely, seal my peace,
And bid me sin no more.
3 Sin's deceitfulness hath spread
A hardness o'er my heart;
But if thou thy Spirit shed,
The stony shall depart :
Shed thy love, thy tenderness,
And let me feel thy soft'ning power;

Love me freely, seal my peace,

And bid me sin no more.

876

W

3d P. M. 4 6s & 2 8s.

Seeking restoration.

HERE

is the Saviour now,

Whose smiles I once possess'd?

Till he return, I bow,

By heavy grief oppress'd :
My days of happiness are gone,
And I am left to weep alone.

2 Where can the mourner go,
And tell his tale of grief?
Ah, who can soothe his wo,

Ah, who can give relief?
Earth cannot heal the wounded breast,
Or give the troubled conscience rest.

3 Jesus, thy smiles impart;
My gracious Lord, return,
Bind up my broken heart,

And bid me cease to mourn: Then shall this night of sorrow flee, And peace and heaven be found in thee.

877

H

10th P. M. 8 lines 88.

Forgiveness implored.

TOW shall a lost sinner in pain,
Recover his forfeited peace?
When brought into bondage again,
What hope of a second release ?
Will mercy itself be so kind
To spare a backslider like me ?
And O, can I possibly find
Such plenteous redemption in thee?
2 O Jesus, of thee I inquire,

1.1

If still thou art able to save,-
The brand to pluck out of the fire,
And ransom my soul from the grave?
The help of thy Spirit restore;
O, show me the life-giving blood;
And pardon a sinner once more,
And bring me again unto God.

878

TIMES

Vain repentances.

C.M.

IMES without number have I pray'd,-
This only once forgive;

Relapsing when thy hand was, stay'd,

And suffer'd me to live:

2 Yet now the kingdom of thy peace,

Lord, to my heart restore;

Forgive my vain repentances,

And bid me sin no more.

879

V

1

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1st P. M. 6 lines 8s.

Resolution to return.

YES, from this instant, now, I will

To my offended Father cry;

My base ingratitude I feel;

Vilest of all thy children, I; Not worthy to be call'd thy son; Yet will I thee my Father own.

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2 Guide of my life hast thou not been,
And rescued me from passion's power?
Ten thousand times preserved from sin,
Nor let the greedy grave devour?
And wilt thou now thy wrath retain,
Nor ever love thy child again?

3 If thou hast call'd me to return,

If weeping at thy feet I fall,-
The prodigal thou wilt not spurn,
But pity and forgive me all,
In answer to my Friend above, -
In honour of his bleeding love.

880

H

The wanderer returning.

S. M.

OW oft this wretched heart
Has wander'd from the Lord;
How oft my roving thoughts depart,
Forgetful of his word.

2 Yet mercy calls, -Return;
Saviour, to thee I come:
My vile ingratitude I mourn;
O take the wand'rer home!
3 Thy love, so free, so sweet,
Blest Saviour, I adore;

O, keep me at thy sacred feet,
And let me rove no more.

881

Restored by grace.

JESUS, if thy free grace

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S. M.

:

Again hath raised me up,
And call'd me still to seek thy face,
And given me back my hope,-
Thy timely help afford,

Thy loving-kindness show;
O keep me, keep me, gracious Lord,
And never let me go.

2 By me, my Saviour, stand,

In sore temptation's hour;

O save me with thine out-stretch'd hand,

And show forth all thy power.

Be mindful of thy word;

Sufficient grace bestow;

O keep me, keep me, gracious Lord,

And never let me go.

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O keep me, keep me, gracious Lord,
And never let me go.

:

S. M.

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882

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Rejoicing in Christ's restoring love.

SPEAK that word again;
It cheers my drooping heart:
How sweetly doth it soothe my pain,
And bid my fears depart.

2 And dost thou deign to own
A worm so vile as I?

And may I still approach thy throne,
And Abba, Father, cry?

3 My Saviour, by his word,

Hath turn'd my night to day; And all those heavenly joys restored, Which I had sinn'd away.

4 I wonder and adore:

The grace is all divine:
Lord, keep me, that I sin no more
Against such love as thine.

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