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3 If inward, still inquiring,
I turn my searching eye,
Or upward, now aspiring,
I raise my feeble cry,
No heavenly light is beaming
To cheer my troubled breast,
No ray of comfort gleaming
To give my spirit rest.

4 My soul! from this dread anguish
Is there no refuge nigh?

"T is guilt that makes thee languish,
And leaves thee thus to die:
Renounce thy sin and folly
Before the throne of grace;
And make the Lord, most holy,
Thy strength and righteousness.

251.

C. M.

Conviction by the Law.

1 LORD! how secure my conscience was, And felt no inward dread!

I was alive without the law,

And thought my sins were dead.

2 My hopes of heaven were firm and bright; But since the precept came,

With a convincing power and light,
I find how vile I am.

3 My guilt appeared but small before,
Till terribly I saw-

How perfect, holy, just, and pure,
Is thine eternal law.

4 Then felt my soul the heavy load,
My sins revived again :—

I have provoked a dreadful God,
And all my hopes are slain.

5 My God! I cry with every breath
For some kind power to save,→
To break the yoke of sin and death
And thus redeem the slave.

252.

L. M.

The Strivings of the Spirit.

1 SAY, sinner! hath a voice within

Oft whispered to thy secret soul,

Urged thee to leave the ways of sin,
And yield thy heart to God's control?
2 Sinner! it was a heavenly voice,-
It was the Spirit's gracious call;
It bade thee make the better choice,
And haste to seek in Christ thine all.
3 Spurn not the call to life and light;
Regard, in time, the warning kind;
That call thou may'st not always slight,
And yet the gate of mercy find.

4 God's Spirit will not always strive
With hardened, self-destroying man;
Ye, who persist his love to grieve,
May never hear his voice again.
5 Sinner! perhaps, this very day,
Thy last accepted time may be:

Oh! should'st thou grieve him now away,
Then hope may never beam on thee.

253.

S. M.

Man condemned before God.

1 AH! how shall fallen man
Be just before his God?
If he contend in righteousness,
We fall beneath his rod.

2 If he our ways should mark,
With strict inquiring eyes,
Could we, for one of thousand faults,
A just excuse devise?

3 All-seeing, powerful God!

Who can with thee contend?
Or who, that tries th' unequal strife,
Shall prosper in the end?

4 The mountains, in thy wrath,
Their ancient seats forsake;
The trembling earth deserts her place,
Her rooted pillars shake.

5 Ah! how shall guilty man

Contend with such a God?

None-none can meet him, and escape,
But through the Saviour's blood.

254.

S. M.

The evil Heart.

1 ASTONISHED and distressed,

I turn mine eyes within ;

My heart with loads of guilt oppressed,
The seat of every sin.

2 What crowds of evil thoughts,
What vile affections there!
Distrust, presumption, artful guile,
Pride, envy, slavish fear!

3 Almighty King of saints!

These hateful sins subdue;
Dispel the darkness from my mind,
And all my powers renew.

4 This done, my cheerful voice
Shall loud hosannas raise;
My soul shall glow with gratitude,-
My lips pronounce thy praise.

255.

INVITING.

C. M.

The Saviour's Invitation.

1 THE Saviour calls-let every ear
Attend the heavenly sound;
Ye doubting souls! dismiss your fear,
Hope smiles reviving round.

2 For every thirsty, longing heart,
Here streams of bounty flow,

And life, and health, and bliss impart,
To banish mortal wo.

3 Ye sinners! come; 't is mercy's voice; The gracious call obey;

Mercy invites to heavenly joys,—
And can you yet delay?

4 Dear Saviour! draw reluctant hearts; To thee let sinners fly,

And take the bliss thy love imparts,
And drink, and never die.

256.

L. M.

Rest for the weary Penitent.

1 COME, weary souls! with sin distressed,
Come, and accept the promised rest;
The Saviour's gracious call obey,
And cast your gloomy fears away.

2 Here mercy's boundless ocean flows,
To cleanse your guilt and heal your woes;
Pardon and life, and endless peace,-
How rich the gift, how free the grace!
3 Lord! we accept, with thankful heart,
The hope thy gracious words impart;
We come, with trembling; yet rejoice,
And bless the kind inviting voice.

4 Dear Saviour! let thy powerful love
Confirm our faith,-our fears remove;
Oh! sweetly reign in every breast,
And guide us to eternal rest.

257.

C. M.

The Gospel-Trumpet.

1 LET every mortal ear attend,
And every heart rejoice;

The trumpet of the gospel sounds,
With an inviting voice.

2 Ho! all ye hungry, starving souls,
That feed upon the wind,

And vainly strive with earthly toils
To fill th' immortal mind!-

3 Eternal wisdom has prepared
A soul-reviving feast,

And bids your longing appetites
The rich provision taste.

4 Ho! ye that pant for living streams,
And pine away and die!

Here you may quench your raging thirst
With springs that never dry.

5 Rivers of love and mercy, here,
In a rich ocean join;

Salvation in abundance flows,

Like floods of milk and wine.

6 The happy gates of gospel-grace
Stand open night and day;-

Lord! we are come to seek supplies,
And drive our wants away.

258.

L. M.

Christ's Invitation to Sinners.

1 “COME hither, all ye weary souls! Ye heavy-laden sinners! come; I'll give you rest from all your toils, And raise you to my heavenly home. 2 "They shall find rest, who learn of me,I'm of a meek and lowly mind;

But passion rages like the sea,

And pride is restless as the wind.

3"Blessed is the man, whose shoulders take My yoke, and bear it with delight; My yoke is easy to his neck,

My grace shall make the burden light."

4 Jesus! we come at thy command;

With faith, and hope, and humble zeal, Resign our spirits, to thy hand,

259.

To mould and guide us at thy will.

L. M.
Living Waters.

1 HO! every one that thirsts! draw nigh;"T is God invites the fallen race;

Mercy and free salvation buy,

Buy wine, and milk, and gospel-grace.

2 Ye nothing in exchange can give,-
Leave all ye have and are behind;
Freely the gift of God receive,—
Pardon and peace in Jesus find.
3 Come to the living waters, come;
Sinners! obey your Maker's voice;
Return, ye weary wanderers! home,
And in redeeming love rejoice.

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1 COME, trembling sinner! in whose breast, A thousand thoughts revolve;

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