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When I look round upon mankind,
That are to ruin bound,
I must reflect upon the year
When I salvation found.
'Twas in the days of blooming youth,
When in my sixteenth year,
That truth in tones of thunder said,
I must before God appear.
O words, ye never can express,
Nor angels yet relate
The kind of anguish which I felt,
When first I saw my state.
When first I saw that I was one
Of the rebellious band,
That strayed away from innocence,
To fall among the damned--
In regions far beyond the reach
Of pardon and of peace
In chains of torment to be bound,
Never to find release. [154]
And while I thus in danger lay,
And knew not whence to flee,
I heard a voice, as that of Him
Who died on Calvary.
I looked from whence the voice had come,
And lo! I saw the Lamb,
With thousands of rejoicing saints
Praising the Great I Am.
At the same time an angel came
The glorious news to tell,
That if I would to Jesus turn,
I too should with Him dwell.
But then the sacred word replied,
"Thou'st broken God's dread law;
And if stern justice should be done,
'Twould vengeance on thee draw.
Then came the messenger of peace,
Swift as a thought can fly,
And said, "For these thy many sins,
Jesus did bleed and die."
My heart did then begin to feel,
lend tears began to flow;
I then resolved with all my sins
To Jesus Christ to go. [155]
And when I sought with all my heart,
My Saviour did me meet;
And when I saw His hallowed form,
I fell down at His feet.
"Arise," He said, "my son, arise,
Thy sins are all forgiven;
Come, follow me in all my ways,
And dwell at last in heaven."
O! then I leaped with inward joy,
And ne'er can be expressed
The heavenly feeling that did flow
Into my peaceful breast.
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