1 Why should a pilgrim grope within,
And judge by what he feels?
A loathsome stench of death and sin
No consolation yields.
2 Corruptions, base and foul as hell,
May vex and tease the soul;
But Jesus’ blood its rage can quell,
And make the conscience whole.
3 I have no life, no light, no love,
No truth or righteousness,
That God, my Father, can approve,
Or justice can caress,
4 But what I have in Christ, my Head,
And grace on me bestows;
My life with Christ in God is hid,
And he’ll redress my woes.
5 In this dear Christ I all things have;
Why should I yield to fear?
All that a living soul can crave,
Is richly treasured here.
6 In him I stand completely just;
His heart is my abode;
Though in myself, at best, but dust,
In him I’ve power with God.
Source: A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. In four parts (10th ed.) (Gadsby's Hymns) #604
Gadsby, William , was born in 1773 at Attleborough, in Warwickshire. In 1793 he joined the Baptist church at Coventry, and in 1798 began to preach. In 1800 a chapel was built for him at Desford, in Leicestershire, and two years later another in the town of Hinckley. In 1805 he removed to Manchester, becoming minister of a chapel in Rochdale Boad, where he continued until his death, in January, 1844. Gadsby was for many years exceedingly popular as a preacher of the High Calvinist faith, and visited in that capacity most parts of England. He published The Nazarene's Songs, being a composition of Original Hymns, Manchester, 1814; and Hymns on the Death of the Princess Charlotte, Manchester, 1817. In 1814 he also published A Selection of Hymn… Go to person page >
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