2 Oh, lovely attitude, he stands

With melting heart and open hands! Oh, matchless kindness! and he shows This matchless kindness to his foes! 3 But will he prove a friend indeed ? He will-the very friend you need; The friend of sinners-yes, 'tis He, With garments dyed on Calvary. 4 Rise, touched with gratitude divine, Turn out his enemy and thine; Turn out that hateful monster, sin, And let the heavenly stranger in. 5 Admit him, ere his anger burn, Lest he depart, and ne'er return; Admit him, or the hour 's at hand, When at his door denied you 'll stand. Gregg.

205

1

"Return unto the Lord." Isa. lv. 7.
ETURN, O wand'rer, now return,
And seek an injured Father's face;
Those warm desires that in thee burn,
Were kindled by reclaiming grace.
2 Return, O wand'rer, now return,

And seek a Father's melting heart;
His pitying eyes thy grief discern,
His hand shall heal thy inward smart.
3 Return, O wand'rer, now return,
Thy Saviour bids thy spirit live;
Go to his bleeding feet, and learn
How freely Jesus can forgive.

4 Return, O wand'rer, now return,

And wipe away the falling tear; 'Tis God who says, "No longer mourn, 'Tis mercy's voice invites thee near.

206

Pardon and Peace offered.

1 VE who in his courts are found,

Listening to the joyful sound,

Lost and helpless as ye are,
Full of sorrow, sin, and care,
Glorify the King of kings;
Take the peace the gospel brings.

L. M.

Collyer.

7s.

2 Turn to Christ your longing eyes,
View his bleeding sacrifice;
See in him your sins forgiven,
Pardon, holiness, and heaven:
Glorify the King of kings,
Take the peace the gospel brings.

207

The Invitation. Rev. xxii. 17, 20.

1 THE Spirit, in our hearts,

2

3

Is whispering, "Sinner, come;"

The bride, the Church of Christ, proclaims
To all his children, "Come."

Let him that heareth say

To all about him, "Come ;"

Let him that thirsts for righteousness,
To Christ, the fountain, come.

Yes, whosoever will,

Oh let him freely come,

And freely drink the stream of life;

"Tis Jesus bids him come.

4 Lo! Jesus, who invites,

Declares, "I quickly come :" Lord, even so; we wait thy hour; Jesus, our Saviour, come.

208

The Weary invited.

1 COME, weary souls, with sin distressed,
Come, and accept the promised rest ;
The Saviour's gracious call obey,
And cast your gloomy fears away.

2 Oppressed with sin, a painful load,
Oh come, and spread your woes abroad :
Divine compassion, mighty love,

Will all the painful load remove.

3 Here mercy's boundless ocean flows,
To cleanse your guilt and heal your woes:
Pardon and life and endless peace,
How rich the gift, how free the grace!
4 Lord, we accept, with thankful heart,
The hope thy gracious words impart :
We come with trembling, yet rejoice,
And bless the kind inviting voice.

S. M.

L. M.

Mrs. Steele.

209

1

H

The Gospel Invitation. Isa. lv. 1.

O! every one that thirsts, draw nigh; "Tis God invites the fallen race; Mercy and free salvation buy,

are,

behind;

Buy wine and milk and gospel grace. 2 Ye nothing in exchange can give; Leave all have and ye Freely the gift of God receive, Pardon and peace in Jesus find. 3 Come to the living waters, come; Sinners, obey your Maker's call; Return, ye weary wanderers, home, And find my grace is free for all.

210

1

The Gospel Message.

L.M.

J. Wesley.

SINNERS, will you scorn the message
Sent in mercy from above?

Every sentence-oh how tender!
Every line is full of love;
Listen to it-

Every line is full of love.
2 Hear the heralds of the gospel
News from Zion's King proclaim-
"Pardon to each rebel sinner,
Free forgiveness in his name:"
How important!-
"Free forgiveness in his name."
3 Tempted souls, they bring you succor;
Fearful hearts, they quell your fears,
And, with news of consolation,
Chase away the falling tears;

Tender heralds

Chase away the falling tears.

4 False professors, groveling worldlings,
Callous hearers of the word-
While the messengers address you,
Take the warnings they afford;
We entreat you-

211

Take the warnings they afford.

8.7.4.

Littleton.

Peace to the troubled Soul. L. M. 6 lines.

1 PEACE, troubled soul, whose plaintive moan Has taught each scene the note of wo;

Cease thy complaint, suppress thy groan,
And let thy tears forget to flow;
Behold, the precious balm is found,
To lull thy pain, to heal thy wound.
2 Come, freely come, by sin oppressed,
Unburthen here thy weighty load;
Here find thy refuge and thy rest,
And trust the mercy of thy God;
Thy God's thy Saviour-glorious word!
Oh hear, believe, and bless the Lord.

212 Life the Day of Salvation. Ec. ix. 4—6, 10. L. M. 1IFE is the time to serve the Lord,

The time t' insure the great reward;
And while the lamp holds out to burn,
The vilest sinner may return.
2 Life is the hour that God has given
To 'scape from hell and fly to heaven;
The day of grace, and mortals may
Secure the blessings of the day.
3 The living know that they must die,
But all the dead forgotten lie;

Their memory and their sense is gone,
Alike unknowing and unknown.
4 Their hatred and their love is lost,
Their envy buried in the dust;
They have no share in all that's done
Beneath the circuit of the sun.

5 Then what my thoughts design to do,
My hands, with all your might pursue;
Since no device nor work is found,
Nor faith nor hope, beneath the ground.
6 There are no acts of pardon pass'd
In the cold grave, to which we haste;
But darkness, death, and long despair,
Reign in eternal silence there.

1 STOP, poor sinner, stop and think,
Before you farther go;

Will you sport upon the brink
Of everlasting wo?

Watts.

7.6.

Once again we charge you-stop;
For unless you warning take,
Ere you are aware, you drop
Into the burning lake.

2 Say, have you an arm like God,
That you his will oppose?
Fear you not that iron rod

With which he breaks his foes?
Can you stand in that dread day,
When he judgment shall proclaim,
And the earth shall melt away,
Like wax before the flame?
3 Soon relentless death will come,
To drag you to his bar;
Then, to hear your awful doom
Will fill you with despair;
All your sins will round you crowd,
Sins of a blood-crimson dye,
Each for vengeance crying loud-
And what can you reply?

4 Though your heart be made of steel,
Your forehead lined with brass,
God at length will make you feel;
He will not let you pass.

Sinners then in vain will call,

(Though they now despise his grace,) "Rocks and mountains, on us fall, And hide us from his face."

214

1

2

DEST

Few saved. Luke xiii. 23.

ESTRUCTION'S dangerous road
What multitudes pursue!

While that which leads the soul to God

Is known or sought by few.

Believers enter in

By Christ, the living gate:

But those who will not leave their sin,

Complain it is too strait.

3 If self must be denied,

And sin forsaken quite,

They rather choose the way that's wide,
And strive to think it right.

Newton.

S. M.