Where Shall My Wondering Soul Begin?

Where shall my won­der­ing soul be­gin?

How shall I all to Heav­en as­pire?

A slave re­deemed from death and sin

A brand plucked from eter­nal fire

How shall I eq­ual tri­umphs raise

Or sing my great De­liv­er­er’s praise?

O how shall I the good­ness tell

Father

which Thou to me hast showed?

That I

a child of wrath and hell

I should be called a child of God

Should know

should feel my sins for­giv­en

Blessed with this an­te­past of Heav­en!

And shall I slight my Fa­ther’s love?

Or base­ly fear His gifts to own?

Unmindful of His fa­vors prove?

Shall I

the hal­lowed cross to shun

Refuse His right­eous­ness to im­part

By hid­ing it with­in my heart?

No—though the an­cient dra­gon rage

And call forth all his hosts to war

Though earth’s self-right­eous sons en­gage

Them and their god alike I dare:

Jesus the sin­ner’s friend pro­claim

Jesus

to sin­ners still the same.

Outcasts of men

to you I call

Harlots

and pub­li­cans

and thieves!

He spreads His arms t’em­brace you all;

Sinners alone His grace re­ceives;

No need of Him the right­eous have;

He came the lost to seek and save.

Come all ye Mag­da­lens in lust

Ye ruf­fi­ans fell in mur­ders old;

Repent

and live: des­pair and trust!

Jesus for you to death was sold;

Though hell pro­test

and earth re­pine

He died for crimes like yours—and mine.

Come

O my guil­ty breth­ren

come

Groaning be­neath your load of sin!

His bleed­ing heart shall make you room

His op­en side shall take you in.

He calls you now

in­vites you home—

Come

O my guil­ty breth­ren

come!

For you the pur­ple cur­rent flowed

In par­dons from His wound­ed side

Languished for you th’eter­nal God

For you the Prince of Glo­ry died:

Believe

and all your sin’s for­giv­en;

Only be­lieve

and yours is Heav­en!