How David, When by Sin Deceived

How Da­vid

when by sin de­ceived

From bad to worse went on!

For when the Ho­ly Spir­it’s grieved

Our strength and guard are gone.

His eye on Bath­she­ba once fixed

With poi­son filled his soul;

He ven­tured on ad­ul­te­ry next

And mur­der crowned the whole.

So from a spark of fire at first

That has not been des­cried;

A dread­ful flame has oft­en burst

And ra­vaged far and wide.

When sin de­ceives it hard­ens too

For though he vain­ly fought

To hide his crimes from pub­lic view

Of God he lit­tle thought.

He neith­er would

or could re­pent

No true com­punc­tion felt;

’Till God in mer­cy Na­than sent

His stub­born heart to melt.

The pa­ra­ble held forth a fact

Designed his case to show;

But though the pic­ture was ex­act

Himself he did not know.

Thou art the man

the pro­phet said

That word his slum­ber broke;

And when he owned his sin

and prayed

The Lord for­give­ness spoke.

Let those who think they stand be­ware

For Da­vid stood be­fore;

Nor let the fall­en soul des­pair

For mer­cy can re­store.