ERE I SOUGHT THE LORD

Thy grace appeared to me, dear Lord,
When I was dead in sin:
I wished not for Thy grace before
My soul was born again.

 T'was not for me to make the move---
I had no life within;
It took a pow'r I did not have
To save me from my sin.

 Thy love was placed within my heart,
A glorious change was wrought;
Before I knew, I had new life
Exceeding human thought!

 I would not e'er have sought Thy face
If Thou hadst ne'er reached down:
would have lived and died in sin
And perished 'neath Thy frown.

 How could I ever thank Thee, Lord?
No merit can I claim,
But for eternity I hope
To glorify Thy name.

 All praise to Thee I shall ascribe:
If saved I'm saved by grace
And through that grace I hope at last
To see Thee face to face.

 Elder Ralph Harris    -    April 2004