Godly Sorrow Worketh Repentance

Representative Text

1 Repentance is a gift bestowed
To save a soul from death;
Gospel repentance towards God
Is always joined to faith.

2 Not for an hour, or day, or week,
Do saints repentance own;
But all the time the Lord they seek,
At sin they grieve and groan.

3 [Nor is it such a dismal thing
As ’tis by some men named;
A sinner may repent and sing,
Rejoice and be ashamed.]

4 ’Tis not the fear of hell alone,
For that may prove extreme;
Repenting saints the Saviour own
And grieve for grieving him.

5 If penitence be quite left out,
Religion is but halt;
And hope, though e’er so clear of doubt,
Like offerings without salt.

Source: A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. In four parts (10th ed.) (Gadsby's Hymns) #241

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Author: J, Hart

Hart, Joseph, was born in London in 1712. His early life is involved in obscurity. His education was fairly good; and from the testimony of his brother-in-law, and successor in the ministry in Jewin Street, the Rev. John Hughes, "his civil calling was" for some time "that of a teacher of the learned languages." His early life, according to his own Experience which he prefaced to his Hymns, was a curious mixture of loose conduct, serious conviction of sin, and endeavours after amendment of life, and not until Whitsuntide, 1757, did he realize a permanent change, which was brought about mainly through his attending divine service at the Moravian Chapel, in Fetter Lane, London, and hearing a sermon on Rev. iii. 10. During the next two years ma… Go to person page >

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