1 I set myself against the Lord,
Despised his spirit and his word,
And wished to take his place;
It vexed me sore that I must die,
And perish too eternally,
Or else be saved by grace.
2 Of every preacher I'd complain,
One spoke through pride and one for gain,
Another's learning's small;
This spoke too fast, and that too slow,
One prayed too loud, and one too low,
The other had no call.
3 With no professors could I join,
Some dressed too mean and some too fine,
And some did talk too long;
Some had a tone, some had no gift,
Some talked so weak and some so swift,
That all of them were wrong.
4 I thought they'd better keep at home,
Than to exhort where e'er they come,
And tell us of their joys;
They'd better keep their gardens free
From weeds,than to examine me,
And vex me with their noise.
5 Kindred and neighbors all were bad,
And no true friends were to be had,
My rulers were too vile;
At length I was brought for to see,
The fault did mostly lie in me,
And had done all the while.
6 The horrid loads of guilt and shame,
(Being conscious too I was to blame)
Did wound my frighted soul;
I've sinned so much against my God,
I'm crushed so low beneath his rod,
How can I be made whole?
7 But there is Balm in Gilead,
And a physician to be had,
A balsam too most free;
Only believe on God's dear son,
Through him the victory is won,
Christ Jesus died for me.
8 For Christ's free love's a boundless sea;
What! to expire for such as me?
Yes 'tis a truth divine;
My heart did melt, my soul o'errun
With love, to see what God had done,
For souls as mean as mine.
9 Now I can hear a child proclaim
The joyful news, and praise the name
Of Jesus Christ my king:
I know no sect, Christians are one,
With my complaints I now have done,
And God's free grace I sing.
10 Glory to him who gave his son,
To die for crimes which we have done,
And made salvation mine;
For as we'd fold ourselves for naught,
So without money we are bought,
A blessed truth divine.
11 Come saints rejoice in Christ your king,
His solemn praises sweetly sing,
And tell the world his love;
Sinners invite for to receive
Of God's free grace and not to grieve
The holy sacred dove.
12 All those who do an interest gain,
In the blessed Lamb that once was slain,
Will surely happy be;
Their loud hosannahs they shall raise,
A monument of God's high praise,
To all eternity.
Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs: for the use of religious assemblies and private Christians 1800
Leland, John, an American Baptist minister, was born at Grafton, Massachusetts, on May 15th, 1754, and began to preach at the age of 20. From 1776 to 1790 he was in Virginia, and thereafter in Massachusetts, mostly at Cheshire. He died Jan. 14, 1841. His Sermons, Addresses, Essays and Autobiography were published by his niece, Miss L. F. Greene, at Lanesboro, Massachusetts, in 1845. His influence seems to have been equalled by his peculiarities. We hear of his "restless activity and roving disposition"; his "mad devotion to politics," wherein he had much local and temporary weight; his "ready wit and endless eccentricities;" as also of his high character. Of the hymns which have been ascribed to him, some on doubtful authority, the followin… Go to person page >
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