6 Let worldlings then indulge their boast,
How much they gain or spend ;
Their joys must soon give up the ghost,
But mine shall know no end.
70.
Humbled and silenced by Mercy.—Ezek. xvi, 63.
1 ONCE perishing in blood I lay;
Creatures no help could give ;
But Jesus pass d me in the way,
He saw, and bade me live.
2 Though Satan still his rule maintain d,
And all his arts employ d ;
That mighty word his rage restrain d,
I could not be destroy d.
3 At length the time of love arrived,
When I my Lord should know ;
Then Satan, of his power deprived,
Was forced to let me go.
4 can I e er that day forget,
When Jesus kindly spoke !
" Poor soul, my blood has paid thy debt,
And now I break thy yoke.
5 " Henceforth I take thee for my own,
And give myself to thee ;
Forsake the idols thou hast known,
And yield thy heart to me. "
6 Ah, worthless heart ! it promised fair,
And said it would be thine ;
I little thought it e er would dare
Again with idols join.
7 Lord, dost thou such backslidings heal,
And pardon all that s past ?
Sure, if I am not made of steel,
Thou hast prevail d at last.
8 My tongue, which rashly spoke before,
This mercy will restrain ;