Verse 1
O God of my salvation hear
And help a sinner to draw near
With boldness to the throne of grace:
Help me thy benefits to sing,
And smile to see me feebly bring
My humble sacrifice of praise.

Verse 2
I cannot praise thee as I would,
But thou art merciful, and good;
I know, thou never wilt despise
The day of small and feeble things,
But bear me till on eagle’s wings
To all the heights of love I rise.

Verse 3
I thank thee for that gracious taste,
(Which pride would not permit to last)
That touch of love, that pledge of heav’n:
Surely on me my Father smil’d,
And once I knew him reconcil’d,
And once I felt my sins forgiven.

Verse 4
My Lord and God I then could see,
My Saviour, who had died for me,
To bring the rebel near to God:
Thou didst, thou didst, thy peace impart,
Pardon was written on my heart
In largest characters of blood.

Verse 5
When I had forfeited my peace,
My manners in the wilderness,
Infinite love, how didst thou bear!
Thou wouldst not give the sinner up,
My heart retain’d a feeble hope,
And could not, durst not yet despair.

Verse 6
Assail’d with doubt, and fear, and grief,
I stagger’d oft thro’ unbelief,
Yet still thou wouldst not let me yield,
When stronger souls their Lord denied,
And fell in heaps on every side,
I never cast away my shield.

Verse 7
Vilest of all the sons of men,
When I to folly turn’d again,
And sinn’d against thy light and love,
Grace did much more than sin abound,
Amaz’d I still forgiveness found,
And thank’d my Advocate above.

Verse 8
Saviour, for this I thank thee now,
My Saviour to the utmost thou
Hast snatch’d me from the gates of hell,
That I to all mankind may prove
Thy free, thy[1] everlasting love,
Which all mankind with me may feel.

Verse 9
The boundless love that found out me,
For every soul of man is free,
None of thy mercy need despair;
Patient, and pitiful, and kind
Thee every soul of man may find,
And freely sav’d thy grace declare.

Verse 10
A vile, backsliding sinner I
Ten thousand deaths deserve to die,
Yet still by sovereign grace I live,
Saviour, to thee I still look up,
I see an open door of hope,
And wait thy fulness to receive.

Verse 11
How shall I thank thee for the grace,
The trust I have to see thy face,
When sin shall all be purg’d away!
The night of doubts and fears is past,
The Morning-Star appears at last,
And I shall see thy perfect day.

Verse 12
I soon shall hear thy quickning voice,
Shall always pray, give thanks, rejoice,
(This is thy will, and faithful word)
My spirit meek, my will resign’d,
Lowly as thine shall be my mind,
The servant shall be as his Lord.

Verse 13
Already, Lord, I feel thy power,
Preserv’d from evil every hour,
My great preserver I proclaim;
Safety and strength in thee I have,
I find, I find thee strong to save,
And know that Jesus is thy name.

Verse 14
By faith I every moment stand,
Strangely upheld by thy right-hand
I my own wickedness eschew,
A sinner I am kept from sin;
And thou shalt make me pure within,
And thou shalt form my soul anew.

Verse 15
I thank thee, whose atoning blood
Each moment interceeds with God,
Sprinkling my every word and thought;
God hears thy blood for mercy cry,
And passes all my follies by;
He sees, but he imputes them not.

Verse 16
I sin in every breath I draw,
Nor do thy will, nor keep thy law
On earth as angels do above:
But still the fountain open stands,
Washes my feet, and head, and hands,
Till I am perfected in love.

Verse 17
Come then, and loose, my stammering tongue,
Teach me the new, the joyful song,
And perfect in a babe thy praise:
I want a thousand lives t’ employ
In publishing the sounds of joy!
The gospel of thy general grace.

Verse 18
Come, Lord; thy Spirit bids thee come,
Give me thyself, and take me home,
Be now the glorious earnest given,
The counsel of thy grace fulfil,
Thy kingdom come, thy perfect will
Be done on earth, as ’tis in heaven.

[1] Wesley changed “thy’ to “thine” in 1745.