Lamentation Of A Sinner Poem by Rees Prichard

...Thy Sabbaths I profanely spent
In riot and vain merriment,
Or, which is worse, in drunkenness,
And ev'ry blameable excess.

When other folks, of all degrees,
Were night and morning on their knees -
I, woe is me! in idle play,
In some by-corner, pass'd the day.

Though sweet, as honey, is thy word
To ev'ry pious soul, O Lord!
Yet, to my taste, 'twas bitt'rer far
Than nauseous draughts of wormwood are.

Lewdness and lust I follow'd long,
Like one of that polluted throng,
Which in Gomorrah liv'd of yore,
'Till I was even at death's door.

I drank my glass, carous'd, and jok'd,
And all day long tobacco smok'd,
As if for that alone I liv'd;
For which I now am sadly griev'd.

My youth in vanity and pride,
And in a thousand sins beside,
I totally contriv'd to spend,
Regardless of my latter end -

And now that solemn scene draws nigh,
Not one jot better yet am I,
Than (if I must avow the truth)
I was e'en in the heat of youth.

I've therefore often wonder'd, how
Thou so much lenity didst show,
And how her jaws th' earth did not ope,
To swallow me, like Dathan, up.

There's scarce a single act of wrong,
Or crime, the list of crimes among,
Which I, alas! did not plunge in,
Immers'd up to the very chin.

Hadst thou not been by nature kind,
And to compassion much inclin'd,
To Hell I had ere this been thrown,
There in fierce flames to make my moan.

O Lord, I frankly own to thee,
That I have long deserv'd to be
Depriv'd quite of the vital air:
So num'rous my transgressions are!

And wast thou not, O God most high!
So wond'rous good and gracious, I
Had thought my load too great to bear,
And been, like Cain, urg'd to despair.

Yet hence I comfort do receive,
When nothing else can comfort give,
That greater is thy mercy, far,
Than all my foul offences are.

For though they be in number more
Than are the sands upon the shore,
Yet is thy mercy much more wide,
Than is the earth-surrounding tide.

I, therefore, trust that where sin reign'd,
And over me a conquest gain'd,
E'en there thy free celestial grace,
Shall conquer all that's in me base.

O God, thou hast most gracious been,
And pardon'd many a heinous sin;
Then be not more severe to me,
Though sinful to the last degree!

For when the Ninevites erst quitted
The countless sins they had committed,
Although their vices were so great,
Yet they with grace became replete.

Although Manasses was of yore
So vile - his like was not before -
Yet he thy gracious pardon gain'd,
When from his vices he refrain'd.

The royal prophet David too,
Although his sins were not a few,
Yet when he humbly cryd to thee,
Was, by thy grace, from sin set free.

And likewise Mary Magdalene,
Though long a most notorious quean,
Was, for the copious tears she shed,
By thy all-gracious favour fre'd.

And the young prodigal of old,
(When he had all his substance sold)
Thro' grace obtain'd, thy will obey'd;
Tho' he so long the fool had play'd.

I therefore hopes have entertain'd,
Though I have thy displeasure gain'd,
That I thy favour shall again,
For my Redeemer's sake, obtain.

With earnest, mournful, piteous cries,
With bleeding heart and streaming eyes,
For Jesus' sake, both night and day,
I humbly for forgiveness pray.

Remember, Lord! and bear in mind,
That Jesus, my Redeemer kind,
His heart's blood offer'd up for me,
As an atonement unto thee.

Remember too, that then He bore
Fierce pains for me, and anguish sore,
Nay, death, and all the pangs severe,
Which I myself deserv'd to bear.

Then, for His passion's sake, forgive,
And to thy mercy me receive -
And for his Sweat and Suff'ring's sake,
No other satisfaction take.

But freely now, whilst yet I live,
Forgive my sins, O God! forgive -
And head and heels, O plunge me, o'er,
In Christ's all-cleansing precious gore!

Although my sins are deeply grain'd,
As if they were with scarlet stain'd,
One drop of that, those stains will clear,
And make them white as lawn appear.

I therefore place my confidence
In Christ's blood and benevolence;
In hopes that I, without annoy,
May be receiv'd to endless joy -

And led to Christ in paradise,
Above the earth and nether skies,
To have my share of all the good,
Which He has purchas'd with His blood -

Into which ever-blissful place,
May God, of his abundant grace,
Conduct us all: there to adore
Him, for His mercy, evermore!