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By nature prone to ill,
Till thine appointed hour,
I was as destitute of will,
As now I am of pow'r.

Wilt thou now crown at length
The work thou hast begun?
And with a will afford me strength
In all thy ways to run.

349. Mourning. L.M.

Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy
Holy Spirit from me.-PSALM li. 11.

STAY, thou insulted Spirit, stay!
Though I have done thee such despite;
Cast not a sinner quite away,
Nor take thine everlasting flight.

2 Though I have most unfaithful been
Of all whoe'er thy grace receiv'd;
Ten thousand times thy goodness seen,
Tenthousand times thy goodnessgriev❜d.
3 Yet Oh the chief of sinners spare,
In honour of my great High Priest;
Nor in thy righteous anger swear,
I shall not see thy people's rest.

4 If yet thou canst my sins forgive,E'en now, O Lord, relieve my woes; Into thy rest of love receive,

And bless me with the calm repose.

5 E'en now my weary soul release,
And raise me by thy gracious hand;
Guide me into thy perfect peace,
And bring me to the promis'd land.

350. Indwelling Sin lamented. C.M. I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.-ROM. vii. 18. WITH tears of anguish I lament, Here at thy feet, my GoD,

My passion, pride, and discontent,
And vile ingratitude.

2 Sure there was ne'er a heart so base,
So false has mine has been;
So faithless to its promises,

So prone to every sin.

3 Full well I know that thy commands Are holy, just, and true;

And whatsoe'er my GoD demands
Is his most righteous due.

4 Reason 1 hear, her counsels weigh,
And all her words approve;
But still I find it hard t'obey,
And harder yet to love,

5 How long, my SAVIOUR, shall I feel
These strugglings in my breast?
When wilt thou bow my stubborn will,
And give my conscience rest?

6 Break, sov'reign grace, O break the
And set the captive free: [charm,
Reveal, Almighty GoD, thine arm,
And haste to rescue me.

351. Indwelling Sin Confessed. L. M. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity: and in sin did my mother conceive me.-PSALM li. 5.

LORD, I am vile, conceiv'd in sin;
And born unholy and unclean;
Sprung from the man whose guilty fall
Corrupts the race, and taints us all.

2 Soon as we draw our infant breath,
The seeds of sin grow up for death:
Thy law demands a perfect heart;
But we're defil'd in ev'ry part.

3 Great GOD, create my heart anew,
And form my spirit pure and true:
O make me wise betimes, to spy
My danger and my remedy.

4 Behold I fall before thy face;

My only refuge is thy grace:
No outward forms can make me clean;
The leprosy lies deep within.

5 JESUS, my God, thy blood alone
Hath pow'r sufficient to atone:

Thy blood can make me white as snow:
O may I all its virtue know.

6 Let me now hear thy pard'ning voice, And make my troubled soul rejoice! Then all my pow'rs shall join to bless The LORD, my strength and righteous

ness.

352. Indwelling Sin Lamented. S. M.

Behold, I am vile.-JOB xl. 4.

O LORD, how vile am I,
Unholy and unclean!

How can I dare to venture nigh
With such a load of sin?

2 Is this polluted heart
A dwelling fit for thee?
Swarming, alas! in every part,
What evils do I see!

3

[If I attempt to pray,

And lisp thy holy name,

My thoughts are hurried soon away,
I know not where I am.

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5

Such darkness fills my mind;

I only read a sealed book,

But no relief can find.

Thy gospel oft I hear,

But hear it still in vain;

I seem to have no love, or fear,
And like a stone remain.]

6

7

Myself can hardly bear

This wretched heart of mine;
How hateful, then, must it appear,

To those pure eyes of thine.

And must I, then, indeed

Sink in despair, and die?

Fain would I hope that thou did'st bleed
For such a wretch as I.

That

grace,

8 That blood, which thou hast spilt, which is thine own, Can cleanse the vilest sinner's guilt, And soften hearts of stone.

9

Low at thy feet, I bow:

O pity and forgive:

Here will I lie, and wait till thou
Shalt bid merise and live.

353. Mourning under the Hiding of God's Countenance. C.M.

How long, LORD? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever ?-
PSALM 1xxxix. 46.

REJOICE in GOD, the word commands,
And fain would I obey;
Yet still my spirit lingering stands,
While doubts impede my way.

2 How can my soul exult for joy,
Which feels this load of sin?

And how can praise my tongue employ,
While darkness reigns within?

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