The Inward Witness

Verse 1

Thou great, mysterious, God unknown, Whose love hath gently led me on E'en from my infant days; Mine inmost soul expose to view, And tell me if I ever knew Thy justifying grace.

Verse 2

If I have only known Thy fear, And followed with a heart sincere Thy drawing from above, Now, now the farther grace bestow, And let my sprinkled conscience know Thy sweet forgiving love.

Verse 3

Short of Thy love I would not stop, A stranger to the gospel hope, The sense of sin forgiven; I would not, Lord, my soul deceive, Without Thine inward witness live, That antepast of heaven.

Verse 4

If now the witness were in me, Would He not testify of thee, In Jesus reconcil'd? And should I not with faith draw nigh, And boldly, Abba, Father, cry, I know myself Thy child?

Verse 5

Ah! never let Thy servant rest, Till, of my part in Christ possessed, I on Thy mercy feed: Unworthy of the crumbs that fall, Yet raised by Him who died for all, To eat the children's bread.

Verse 6

Whate'er obstructs Thy pardoning love, Or sin, or righteousness, remove, Thy glory to display; My heart of unbelief convince, And now absolve me from my sins, And take them all away.