4 Ah! give me, Lord, myself to feel;
My utter 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!

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S. M.

METHODIST COL.

Christian Wants.

1 I WANT a principle within

Of jealous, godly fear;

A sensibility of sin,

A pain to feel it near.

I want the first approach to feel
Of pride, or fond desire;
To catch the wand'ring of my will,
And quench the kindling fire.

2 That I from thee no more may part,
No more thy goodness grieve,
The filial awe, the fleshly heart,
The tender conscience, give.
Quick as the apple of an eye,

O God, my conscience make!
Awake my soul, when sin is nigh,
And keep it still awake.

3 If to the right or left I stray,

That moment, Lord, reprove;
And let me weep my life away,

For having grieved thy love.

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O may the least omission pain
My well-instructed soul;

And drive me to the Love again,
Which makes the wounded whole.

C. M.

Formal Religion.

METHODIST COL.

1 LONG have I seemed to serve thee, Lord,

With unavailing pain:

Fasted and prayed, and read thy Word,
And heard it preached in vain.

2 Oft did I with the assembly join,
And near thine altar drew;
A form of godliness was mine,
I never knew.

The power

3 I rested in the outward law;
Nor knew its deep design:

The length and breadth I never saw,
And height, of love divine.

4 To please thee thus, at length I see,
Vainly I hoped and strove:
For what are outward things to thee,
Unless they spring from love?

5 I see the perfect law requires
Truth in the inward parts;

Our full consent, our whole desires,
Our undivided hearts.

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6 But I of means have made my boast;

Of means an idol made;

The spirit in the letter lost,

The substance in the shade.

7 Where am I now, or what my hope?
What can my weakness do?
Father, to thee my soul looks up:
"Tis thou must make it new.

7s. M.

Seeking a Clean Heart.

1 BLEST Instructer, from thy ways
Who can tell how oft he strays?
Purge me from the guilt that lies
Wrapt within my heart's disguise.

2 Let my tongue, from error free,
Speak the words approved by thee;
To thy all-observing eyes,
Let my thoughts accepted rise.

3 While I thus thy name adore,
And thy healing grace implore,
Blest Redeemer, bow thine ear,
God, my strength, propitious hear.

MERRICK.

286

287

C. M.

For Enward Truth.

1 AM I an Israelite indeed,

Without a false disguise?

Have I renounced my sins, and left
My refuges of lies?

BEDDOME.

2 Say, does my heart unchanged remain,
Or is it formed anew?

What is the rule by which I walk,
The object I pursue?

3 Cause me, O God of truth and grace,
My real state to know;

If I am wrong, O set me right!
If right, preserve me so!

1 TALK with us, Lord, thyself reveal,
While here o'er earth we rove:
Speak to our hearts, and let us feel
The kindling of thy love.

2 With thee conversing, we forget
All time, and toil, and care;
Labor is rest, and pain is sweet,
If thou, my God, art here.

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3 Here then, my God, vouchsafe to stay,
And bid my heart rejoice;

My bounding heart shall own thy sway,
And echo to thy voice.

4 Thou callest me to seek thy face;
"Tis all I wish to seek;

To attend the whispers of thy grace,
And hear thee inly speak.

5 Let this my every hour employ,
Till I thy glory see!

Enter into my Master's joy,
And find my heaven in thee.

C. M.

COWPER.

Walking with God.

1 0 FOR a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!

2 Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus and his Word?

3 What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!

But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill.