4 Almighty grace, thy healing power How glorious, how divine!

That can to life and bliss restore

So vile a heart as mine.

5 Thy pard'ning love, so free, so sweet, With wonder I adore;

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

325. The Backslider Mourning.
7-6-8.

O Israel, return unto the LORD thy GOD; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.-HOSEA xiv. 1.

JESUS, let thy pitying eye
Call back a wand'ring sheep;
False to thee, like Peter, I

Would fain, like Peter, weep;
Let me be by grace restor❜d,

On me be all long-suffering shown:
Turn and look upon me, Lord,
And break my heart of stone.

2 SAVIOUR, Prince, enthron'd above,
Repentance to impart,

Give me, through thy dying love,
The humble, contrite heart:
Give, most earnestly implor'd,
A portion of thy love unknown;
Turn and look upon me, Lord,.
And break my heart of stone.

3 See me, SAVIOUR, from above,
Nor suffer me to die;

Life, and happiness, and love,
Fall from thy gracious eye:
Speak the reconciling word,

And let thy merey melt me down ;
Turn and look upon me, Lord,
And break my heart of stone.
4 Look, as when thy pitying eye
Was clos'd that we might live;
"Father," (at the point to die,
Thy love exclaim'd) "Forgive."
Surely with that dying word,

Thou lookest, and the work is done;
Love, thy dying love, O Lord,
Breaks e'en my heart of stone.

326. The Backslider returning. C.M.

Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and 1
will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am
merciful saith the LORD.-JEREMIAH fii. 12.

THE Lord is kind in all his ways,
When most they seem severe;
He frowns, and scourges, and rebukes,
That we may learn his fear.

2 With thorns he fences up our path,
And builds a wall around;

To guard us from the death, that lurks
In sin's forbidden ground.

3 Return, ye wandering souls, return;
The Lord your misery knows,
His mercy ever is the same-
A balm for all our woes.

4 Behold, O GOD! we come to thee,
Confusion veils our face;
Yet, once again, we refuge seek
In thy long-slighted grace.

327. The Backslider returning. 112th.

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.-Hos. xiv. 4.

WEARY of wand'ring from my God,
And now made willing to return,
I hear and bow me to the rod;

For thee not without hope I mourn ; I have an advocate above,

A friend before the throne of love.

2 O JESUS! full of truth and grace,
More full of grace than I of sin ;
Yet once again I seek thy face,
Open the ark and take me in:
And freely my backslidings heal,
And love the faithless sinner still.

3 Thou know'st the way to bring me My fallen spirit to restore

[back, O for thy truth and mercy's sake, Forgive, and bid me sin no more :

The ruins of my soul repair,

And make my heart a house of pray'r. 4 Ah! give me, Lord, the tender heart, That trembles at th' approach of sin; A godly fear of sin impart,

Implant and root it deep within: That I may dread thy gracious pow'r, And never dare to offend thee more.

328. The Mourner's Request. S.M.

How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? &c. PSAL. xiii. 1, &c.

2

3

JESUS, thy light impart
And lead me in thy path;
I have an unbelieving heart,
But thou canst give me faith.

[Thy love all power hath,
Its power in me exert;
And give me living, active faith,
That purifies the heart.]
Unrivall❜d, reign within,
My only sov'reign be;
O crucify the man of sin,
And form thyself in me.

4 Thy blood's renewing might
Can make the foulest clean;
Can wash the Ethiopian white,
And change the leopard's skin.
5 That, Lord, can bring me nigh,
And wipe my sins away;
Can lift my abject soul on high,
And turn my night to day.

6 Fulfil thy gracious word,

And show my guilt forgiven;
Bid me embrace my dying Lord,

And mount with thee to heaven.

329. The Believer's Choice. L.M.

But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.-LUKE x. 42.

BESET with snares on ev'ry hand,
In life's uncertain path I stand :
SAVIOUR divine! diffuse thy light
To guide my doubtful footsteps right.
2 Engage this roving treach'rous heart
To fix on Mary's better part;

To scorn the trifles of a day,
For joys that none can take away.

3 Then let the wildest storms arise;
Let tempests mingle earth and skies;