How Can a Sinner Know?

How can a sin­ner know

His sins on earth for­giv’n?

How can my Sav­ior show

My name in­scribed in Heav’n?

What we our­selves have felt

and seen

With con­fi­dence we tell

And pub­lish to the sons of men

The signs in­fal­li­ble.

We who in Christ be­lieve

That He for us hath died

His unk­nown peace re­ceive

And feel His blood ap­plied:

Exults for joy our ris­ing soul

Disburdened of her load

And swells

un­ut­ter­ably full

Of glo­ry

and of God.

His love

sur­pass­ing far

The love of all be­neath

We find with­in

and dare

The point­less darts of death:

Stronger than death

or sin

or hell

The mys­tic pow­er we prove

And con­quer­ors of the world we dwell

In Heav­en

who dwell in love.

The pledge of fu­ture bliss

He now to us im­parts

His gra­cious Spir­it is

The ear­nest in our hearts:

We an­te­date the joys ab­ove

We taste th’eter­nal pow­ers

And know that all those heights of love

And all those heav­ens are ours.

Till He our life re­veal

We rest in Christ se­cure:

His Spir­it is the seal

Which made our par­don sure:

Our sins His blood hath blot­ted out

And signed our soul’s re­lease:

And can we of His fa­vor doubt

Whose blood de­clares us His?

We by His Spir­it prove

And know the things of God

The things which of His love

He hath on us be­stowed:

Our God to us His Spir­it gave

And dwells in us

we know

The wit­ness in our­selves we have

And all His fruits we show.

The meek and low­ly heart

Which in our Sav­ior was

He do­th to us im­part

And signs us with His cross:

Our na­ture’s course is turned

our mind

Transformed in all its pow­ers

And both the wit­ness­es are joined

The Spir­it of God with ours.

Whate’er our par­don­ing Lord

Commands

we glad­ly do

And guided by His Word

We all His steps pur­sue:

His glo­ry is our sole de­sign

We live our God to please

And rise with fi­li­al fear di­vine

To per­fect ho­li­ness.