- How shall I meet my Saviour?
How shall I welcome Thee?
What Manner of Behaviour
Is now requir’d of me?
Let thine Illumination
Set Heart and Hands aright,
That this my Preparation
Be pleasing in thy Sight. - Thy Sion’s strowing Flowers
For Thee to tread upon;
I’ll raise with all my Powers
More Notes than Unison,
To praise the King of Glory
With Psalms of Melody,
T’improve the Sacred Story
In Rhimes and Harmony. - What hast thou not devised,
Lord! to retrieve my Loss,
When I was so disguised
By Sin, and Hellish Dross;
The Sense of lost Salvation
Quite drove me to Despair,
But thy own Incarnation
Brought my Redemption near. - I lay in Fetters groaning,
Thou cam’st to set me free;
My Shame I was bemoaning,
With Grace thou cloathedst me
And raisest me to Glory,
Endow’st me with thy Bliss,
Which is not transitory
As worldly Treasure is. - What caus’d thy Incarnation?
What brought Thee down to me?
Thy Love to my Salvation
Contriv’d my Liberty.
O Love, beyond Expression!
Wherewith thou dost embrace
Mankind in its Digression
From Thee, the Source of Grace. - Let this Consideration
Chear up your troubled Heart,
Ye Sons of Desolation!
That feel the sinful Smart;
Take Courage, your Salvation
Stands waiting at the Door,
The Gospel Consolation
Is nearer than before. - You need not strive nor labour
With any Human Strength
To draw his Love and Favour
To you desired Length;
He comes and shews how willing
He is to bless you all,
The Law he is fulfilling
To save you from the Fall. - Be not cast down, nor frighted
At Sin, tho’ ne’er so great;
No! Jesus is delighted
The Greatest Guilt t’abate.
He comes to raise all Sinners
From Death to Life and Bliss,
And make us new Beginners
To taste what Jesus is. - You dare not fear the Clamour
Of Satan and his Clan,
The Word, his pow’rful Hammer,
Destroys their wicked Plan.
He comes as King of Glory,
Whose Nod confounds their Host;
He carries all before ye,
And baffles all their Boast. - He comes to pass his Sentence
On all his Enemies.
But those of True Repentance
Shall meet with Love and Peace.
Come Prince of Grace and Wonder!
Fetch thy Beloved Home,
Reveal thy Glories yonder,
Thy longing Spouse says: Come!