An Earnest Prayer For Pardon Of Sins Poem by Rees Prichard

O Lord, my God! who formedst me of nought!
My Saviour, who from death his servant bought!
O Holy Ghost! O Trinity benign!
Preserve my soul, and cancel all my sin!

For Jesu's sake, who to redeem me deign'd,
And whose each act thy approbation gain'd,
Forgive me, if in ought I've been remiss -
Forgive me all that I have done amiss.

Wash in his blood my filthiness away -
Low in his sepulchre my vices lay -
Veil with his righteousness my errors foul,
And pardon all th' offences of my soul.

Array me in the alb of righteousness,
And in thy glorious nuptial-garments dress;
So that I always well-prepar'd may be,
And in trim garb to come, O Christ, to thee!

Around my dwelling, place thy guardian host,
Nor let the Devil of my conquest boast!
Save me, O save me, from the treach'rous fiend,
Nor suffer him, O Christ, my soul to rend.

When to thy dread tribunal I shall come,
There to receive th' irrevocable doom,
For Jesu's sake my precious soul preserve,
And give me not the sentence I deserve!

Instead of mine, Christ's full obedience take,
And let his death, for me atonement make;
Though for my sins, He was condemn'd to die,
Yet for his sake, let me damnation fly!

Death I've deserv'd, and Tophet's scenes of woe -
Deserv'd the doom, hypocrisy shall know -
Yet give me not, O God! what I've deserv'd,
But by Christ's merits let me be preserv'd.

He did, for me, thy sacred law fulfil -
He perfectly, for me, perform'd thy will -
He di'd upon the cross, that I might live -
Then, for his sake, my sumless sins forgive.

No justice I, nor holiness, can boast,
My purity and my perfection lost!
No one can succour, help, or ransom give,
But what from thee, my Saviour! I receive.

Christ is my comfort - Christ's my solace sure -
Christ is my hope, in all that I endure -
Christ's my assistance, when Death's terrors come -
Christ's my protector, in the day of doom!

Christ a most ignominious death did die,
That He, for me, eternal life might buy :
In pity of his painful agonies
Conduct my soul, O God! to paradise!

God! lend an ear, my prayers to receive -
God! for my comfort, thy blest Spirit give -
God! cast an eye of pity on my grief -
And grant me, from thy lenient hand, relief.

O Lamb of God, my soul's diseases heal!
My wounded conscience's firm pardon seal!
Deep in the grave let all my faults remain,
And let them never, never, rise again!

Thy rig'rous Justice, O my God! I fear;
For how can I thy fierce displeasure bear?
My errors, self-condemn'd, I loudly blame,
Do thou the tempest of my conscience calm.

O, let thy guiltless death, my Saviour! come
Betwixt me, and the dreadful day of doom!
Place thy obedience, like a shield, between
Thy Father's Justice, and my filthy sin.

Let thine own blood assuage the vengeful ire
Of thy too-justly irritated Sire -
Let thine own blood his furious wrath appease,
That all the sorrows of my soul may cease!

I'm weak, O Christ! do thou my strength increase,
I'm sick and faint - O, heal the dire disease!
Heavy and sad, I sink oppress'd with fear,
Confirm my faith, my fainting spirits cheer!

Thou God of comfort, all my pains appease,
Thou Sire of mercy, give me present ease;
Physician of the world, assuage my grief,
And send me, Jesus, Son of God, relief!

Say, O my God! and say it o'er again -
Say to my soul, 'Ere long thou shalt remain
'With me in Paradise, and soon shalt rest
'Among my saints, with endless pleasures blest.'

Th' assaults of Satan, O my Christ! repel,
And save me from the yawning jaws of hell:
My sinking soul with thy free Spirit buoy,
And lead me to the realms of deathless joy!

O, Lamb of God, with all my sins dispense!
O, make my conscience void of all offence!
O, Lamb of God, at my last hour attend,
And to thy mercy take me in the end!

O Christ, my Shepherd, from the lion keep
My soul, and from his paws preserve thy sheep,
For which, O Jesus, thou hast paid full dear,
And me to heav'n amongst thy angels bear!

Receive my soul, O my Protector dear!
Receive my soul, 'tis time, unto thy care!
For long enough I've liv'd, and linger'd here;
I am not better than my fathers were.

I fain would from these chains of flesh get loose,
And fly, O Christ, to thee, my glorious spouse!
Draw me, sweet Jesus! for the time is come,
(If 'tis thy will) to thy celestial home.

Unto thy hands, I freely recommend
My Spirit, O my God! - let no one rend
The charge from thence, or bear it, as his prey,
In triumph from thy mighty hands away!

O Christ, my Shepherd! from the lion keep
My soul, (and from his paw preserve thy sheep)
Who daily seeks thy servant to o'erpow'r,
And, in its weakness, wou'd my soul devour.

This is the very time, when he does seek
To catch his prey - I mean, whilst I am weak ;
Support me then, O Lord, that I may guard
The precious prize, nor lose the rich reward!

Plant in my breast the Spirit of thy grace,
Around my soul a guard of angels place,
Array me with thy glorious panoply,
Nor let the fiend a triumph boast o'er me!

Enable me, my course run out, to rest,
And make my latest hour to be the best.
On thee, O Lord! with firmness I reply;
O take my soul to heaven, when I die!

Appease my pain, assuage its raging smart,
Observe my grief, and ease my troubled heart,
Trim my expiring lamp, my woes abate,
Receive my soul - I for thy mercy wait.

Say to my soul, that thou, O God of love!
Hast bought for me the blissful seats above -
Thy precious blood, and an unnumber'd host
Of pungent sorrows, the vast price they cost.