Why Are Not Sinners, Lord, Consumed?

Why are not sin­ners

Lord

con­sumed

By Thy av­eng­ing rod?

’Tis Lord

be­cause Thou art the good

And the long suf­fer­ing God.

Tho’ men pro­voke Thee to Thy face

And Thy rich grace des­pise

Yet still Thy boun­ty feeds Thy foes

Thy thun­der sleep­ing lies.

On swift­est wing Thy mer­cy flies

Thy wrath ad­vanc­es slow;

Long dost Thou whet Thy glit­ter­ing sword

Before it gives the blow.

Long didst Thou bear a guil­ty world

With ra­pine filled and blood;

Thy pa­tience wished to have re­strained

The wide de­stroy­ing flood.

Could ev­en So­dom the impure

Have named ten right­eous men

Thy flam­ing sword in sul­fur dipped

Would have been sheathed again.

How oft­en did Thy anger burn

Against Thy chos­en seed?

But still Thy heart with­in Thee turned

For them Thy bow­els plead.

How shall I give My Eph­ra­im up?

My wrath on Is­ra­el vent?

How shall I Ad­mah’s plagues in­flict?

I pi­ty and re­pent.

So great are Thy com­pass­ions

Lord

Our songs they far ex­ceed;

O may such good­ness melt our hearts

And to re­pent­ance lead!