O be earnest, do not stay;
Thou mayest perish e'en to-day.
Rise, thou lost one, rise and flee;
Lo! thy Saviour waits for thee.
NAY, sinner, hath a voice within
Oft whisper'd to thy secret soul, Urged thee to leave the ways of sin, And yield thy heart to God's control? Hath something met thee in the path Of worldliness and vanity,
And pointed to the coming wrath,
And warn'd thee from that wrath to flee?
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
Sinner, perhaps, this very day
Thy latest call from God may be;
And should'st thou harden'd turn away,
Then hope may never beam on thee.
ASTEN, O sinner, to be wise,
Hand stay not for the morrow's sun;
The longer wisdom you despise,
The harder is she to be won.
O hasten, mercy to implore,
And stay not for the morrow's sun;
For fear thy season should be o'er,
Before this evening's stage be run.
O hasten, sinner, to return,
And stay not for the morrow's sun;
For fear thy lamp should fail to burn,
Before the needful work is done.
O hasten, sinner, to be blest,
And stay not for the morrow's sun;
For fear the curse should thee arrest,
Before the morrow is begun.
O Lord, do thou the sinner turn,
O rouse him from his senseless state;
Nor let him thy salvation spurn,
Nor rue his fatal choice too late.
PILGRIM, burden'd with thy sin,
Haste to Zion's gate away;
There, till mercy speaks within,
Knock, and weep, and watch, and pray.
Knock-for Jesus lends an ear;
Weep-he marks the mourner's sigh;
Watch-till heav'nly light appear;
Pray-he knows the sinner's cry.
Hark! it is thy Saviour's voice-
"Welcome, Pilgrim, to thy rest :"-
Now within the gate rejoice,
Safe, and own'd, and bought, and blest.
Safe-from all the lures of vice;
Own'd-by joys the contrite know;
Bought by love, and life the price;
Blest-the mighty debt to owe.
Happy pilgrim! what for thee
In this world can now remain?
Seek that world from which shall flee
Fear, and shame, and tears, and pain.
Fear!-thou hast in heav'n no place;
Shame!—from glory's view retire;
Tears!-be wiped from ev'ry face;
Pain!-in endless bliss expire.
And seek an injured Father's face; Those warm desires that in thee burn Were kindled by reclaiming grace.
Return, O wanderer, return,
And seek a Father's melting heart;
Whose pitying eyes thy grief discern,
Whose hand can heal thy inward smart.
Return, O wanderer, return,
He heard thy deep, repentant sigh;
He saw thy soften'd spirit mourn,
When no intruding ear was nigh.
Return, O wanderer, return,
Thy Saviour bids thy spirit live;
Go to his bleeding feet, and learn
How freely Jesus can forgive.
Return, O wanderer, return,
And wipe away the falling tear;
'Tis God who says-No longer mourn;
'Tis mercy's voice invites thee near.
|
