Who Believes the Tidings?

Who be­lieves the tid­ings? Who

Witnesses that God is true?

Sees his sins and fol­lies more

Than the sands up­on the shore?

Sees his works with ev­il fraught

All his life a con­stant blot?

Sees his heart of vir­tue void

Alien from the life of God?

Tastes in ev­ery taint­ed breath

Pride

and self

and sin and death!

Who

ah

who de­serves to feel

Never end­ing pains in hell?

Trembling views his long sought hire

Vengeance of eter­nal fire?

Who hath fruit­less toil be­stowed

To ap­pease the wrath of God?

Vain is all thy toil and care

Vain all na­ture’s trea­sures are:

More to buy one soul it cost

More to save a spir­it lost.

What

then

wilt thou

canst thou do?

Canst thou form thy­self anew?

Canst thou cleanse a fil­thy heart

Life to the dead soul im­part?

Canst Thou thy lost pow­ers restore?

Rise

go forth

and sin no more?

Never

nev­er can it be

God alone can set thee free!

God alone the work hath done

Fought the fight

the bat­tle won.

God alone the price hath paid

All thy sins on Him were laid;

Happy soul

from guilt set free

Jesus died for thee

for thee!

Jesus does for thee atone

Points thee to th’eter­nal crown

Speaks to thee the king­dom giv’n

Kingdom of an in­ward heav’n

Glorious joy

un­ut­tered peace

All vic­tor­ious right­eous­ness.

Why then do thy fears re­turn?

Yet again why dost thou mourn?

Why are all thy com­forts fled?

Sin re­vives

and I am dead.

Dead alas! thou art with­in

Still re­mains the in­bred sin;

Dead with­in thou sure­ly art

Still un­clean re­mains thy heart;

The un­tamed re­bel­lious will

Foe to good

en­slaved to ill.

Soon the Com­fort­er will come

Fix in thee His con­stant home

With thy heart His wit­ness bear

Strong

and per­ma­nent

and clear:

All thy griefs shall then be gone

Doubt and fear no more be known;

Holy love thy heart pos­sess

Silent joy

and stead­fast peace;

Peace that nev­er can de­cay

Joy that none can take away.

Wrath

and pride and hat­red cease

All thy heart is gen­tle­ness;

Let the waves around thee rise

Let the tem­pest cloud the skies;

Calm thou ev­er art with­in

All un­ruf­fled

all se­rene:

Thy sure an­chor can­not fail

Entered now with­in the veil;

Glad this earth thou canst re­sign:

The new heav­ens and earth are thine.

Why then heave again thy sighs

Heir of all in earth and skies?

Still thou feel’st the root with­in

Bitter root of in­bred sin;

Nature still in thee hath part

Unrenewed is still thy heart;

Still thy heart is un­re­newed

Alien from the life of God:

Hence with se­cret ear­nest moans

Deep un­ut­ter­able groans.

Come

Thou ho­ly God and true!

Come

and my whole heart re­new;

Take me now

pos­sess me whole

Form the Sav­ior in my soul;

In my heart Thy name re­veal

Stamp me with Thy Spir­it’s seal;

Change my na­ture in­to Thine

In me Thy whole im­age shine:

Bow Thine ear

in mer­cy bow

Fill me with Thy full­ness now.

Happy soul

who now re­newed

God in thee

and thou in God

Only feel’st with­in thee move

Tenderness

com­pas­sion

love;

Love im­mense and un­con­fined

Love to all of hu­man­kind;

Love which will­eth all should live

Love which all to all would give;

Love that ov­er all pre­vails

Love that nev­er

ev­er fails.

Stand se­cure

for thou shalt prove

All th’eter­ni­ty of love.

Happy soul

from self and sin

Clean

e’en as thy Lord is clean;

God hath made thy foot­steps sure

Purified as He is pure.

God thou dost in all things see

God is all in all to thee;

Heav’n above

and earth abroad

All to thee is full of God.

Happy soul

whose ac­tive love

Emulates the blest above

In thy ev­ery act­ion seen

Sparkling from the soul with­in:

Thou to ev­ery suf­fer­er nigh

Hearest

not in vain

the cry

Of the wi­dow in dis­tress

Of the poor and fa­ther­less!

Raiment give to all that need

To the hun­gry deal’st thy bread.

To the sick thou give re­lief

Soothe the hap­less pri­son­er’s grief;

Weak the hands thou lift­est up

Bid the help­less mourn­ers hope

Give to those in dark­ness light

Guide the wea­ry wan­der­er right;

Break the roar­ing li­on’s teeth

Save the sin­ner’s soul from death;

Happy Thou

for God doth own

Thee

His well be­lov­èd son.

Let the sons of Be­li­al rage

Let all hell its pow­ers en­gage;

Brand with in­fa­my thy name

Put thee to an op­en shame;

Let earth’s com­forts be with­drawn

Parents

kin­dred

friends be gone;

Happy

O thrice hap­py thou

Sealed un­to re­demp­tion now!

All in earth thou well hast giv’n

God is thy re­ward in Heav’n.