Sin, Confession of

Verse 1

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

Verse 2

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

Verse 3

All-seeing, powerful God,
Who can with thee contend?
Or who that tries the unequal strife,
Shall prosper in the end?

Verse 4

Ah! how shall guilty man
Contend with such a God?
None, none can meet him and escape,
But through the Savior’s blood.

Verse 1

Astonished and distressed,
I turn mine eyes within;
My heart with loads of guilt oppressed,
The source of every sin.

Verse 2

What crowds of evil thoughts,
What vile affections there!
Envy and pride, deceit and guile,
Distrust and slavish fear.

Verse 3

Almighty King of saints!
These tyrant lusts subdue;
Drive the old serpent from his seat,
And all my powers renew.

Verse 4

This done,--my cheerful voice
Shall loud hosannas raise;
My heart shall glow with gratitude,
My lips be filled with praise.

Verse 1

Depth of mercy! can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God his wrath forbear?
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

Refrain

God is love; I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Verse 2

I have long withstood his grace,
Long provoked him to his face;
Would not hearken to his calls;
Grieved him by a thousand falls.

Verse 3

There for me the Savior stands;
Shows his wounds and spreads his hands;
God is love; I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps, and loves me still.

Verse 4

Now incline me to repent;
Let me now my fall lament;
Now my foul revolt deplore;
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

Verse 1

How heavy is the night
That hangs upon our eyes,
Till Christ with his reviving light
Over our souls arise.

Verse 2

Our guilty spirits dread
To meet the wrath of heaven;
But, in his righteousness arrayed,
We see our sins forgiven.

Verse 3

The powers of hell agree
To hold our souls in vain;
He sets the sons of bondage free,
And breaks the cursed chain.

Verse 4

Lord, we adore thy ways
To bring us near to God,
Thy sovereign power, thy healing grace,
And thine atoning blood.

Verse 1

How sad our state by nature is!
Our sin--how deep it stains!
And Satan binds our captive minds,
Fast in his slavish chains.

Verse 2

But there’s a voice of sovereign grace
Sounds from the sacred word;--
“Ho! ye despairing sinners! come
And trust a faithful Lord.”

Verse 3

My soul obeys the gracious call
And runs to this relief;
I would believe thy promise, Lord!
Oh! help my unbelief.

Verse 4

To the blest fountain of thy blood,
Incarnate God! I fly;
Here let me wash my spotted soul,
From crimes of deepest dye.

Verse 5

A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,
On thy kind arms I fall;
Be thou my strength and righteousness
My Jesus, and my all.

Verse 1

Oh, that my load of sin were gone;
Oh, that I could at last submit
At Jesus’ feet to lay it down--
To lay my soul at Jesus’ feet.

Verse 2

Rest for my soul I long to find;
Savior of all, if mine thou art,
Give me the meek and lowly mind,
And stamp thine image on my heart.

Verse 3

Break off the yoke of inbred sin,
And fully set my spirit free;
I cannot rest till pure within--
Till I am wholly lost in thee.

Verse 4

Fain would I learn of thee, my God;
Thy light and easy burden prove;
The cross all stained with hallowed blood,
The labor of thy dying love.

Verse 5

I would, but thou must give the power;
My heart from every sin release;
Bring near, bring near the joyful hour,
And fill me with thy perfect peace.

Verse 1

Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive;
Let a repenting rebel live;
Are not thy mercies large and free?
May not a sinner trust in thee?

Verse 2

My crimes, though great, cannot surpass
The power and glory of thy grace;
Great God, thy nature hath no bound,
So let thy pard’ning love be found.

Verse 3

Oh, wash my soul from every sin,
And make my guilty conscience clean;
Here, on my heart, the burden lies
And past offenses pain mine eyes.

Verse 4

My lips with shame my sins confess,
Against thy law, against thy grace;
Lord, should thy judgment grow severe,
I am condemned, but thou art clear.

Verse 5

Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord,
Whose hope, still hovering round thy word,
Would light on some sweet promise there,
Some sure support against despair.