Ah! Woe Is Me, Constrained to Dwell

Ah! woe is me

con­strained to dwell

Among the sons of night

Poor sin­ners drop­ping into hell

Who hate the Gos­pel light.

Wild as the un­tamed Ar­abs’ race

Who from their Sav­ior fly

And tram­ple on His par­don­ing grace

And all His threats de­fy.

Yet here al­as! in pain I live

Where Sa­tan keeps His seat

And day by day for those I grieve

Who will to sin sub­mit.

With gush­ing eyes their deeds I see

Shut up in So­dom I

And ask with Him who ran­somed me

Why will ye sin and die?

Jesus

Re­deem­er of man­kind

Display Thy sav­ing pow­er

Thy mer­cy let these out­casts find

And know their gra­cious hour.

Ah! give them

Lord

a long­er space

Nor sud­den­ly con­sume

But let them take the prof­fered grace

And flee the wrath to come.

O wouldst Thou cast a pi­ty­ing look

(All good­ness as Thou art)

Like that which faith­less Pe­ter’s broke

Or my ob­dur­ate heart.

Who Thee be­neath their feet have trod

And cru­ci­fied afresh

Touch with Thine all vic­tor­ious blood

And turn the stone to flesh.

Open their eyes

and ears to see

Thy cross

to hear Thy cries:

Sinner

thy Sav­ior weeps for thee

For thee He weeps

and dies.

All the day long He meek­ly stands

His re­bels to re­ceive

And shows His wounds and spreads His hands

And bids you turn and live.

Turn

and your sins of deep­est dye

He will with blood ef­face

Ev’n now He waits His blood t’ap­ply;

Be saved

be saved by grace.

Be saved from hell

from sin and fear:

He speaks you now for­giv­en

Walk be­fore God

be per­fect here

And then come up to Heav­en.