William Baxter The Sinner's Plea (1853)

FROM

THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER:

FOURTH SERIES.

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VOL. III.] BETHANY, VA. OCTOBER, 1853. [NO. X.
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T H E   S I N N E R ' S   P L E A.

Saviour! friend of dying sinners,
      Unto thee for aid I flee,
Is there yet in thy compassion
      Room for rebels vile as me?

All thy love I long have slighted,
      To the world a willing slave,
Casting all thy words behind me,
      Canst thou such a sinner save?

Only hardened by thy mercy,
      Which should melted me to tears,
Can that mercy now be granted,
      To dispel my gloomy fears?

Often have I heard thy gospel,
      Calling me to turn and live;
Yet did I despise the message--
      Can thy love such guilt forgive?

Yet I come, faint, feeble, dying,
      I must perish if I stay;
Though my crimes be deep as crimson,
      Thou canst wash the stain away.

At thy feet behold me lying,
      Hear my earnest, only plea;
I have sinned--but O my Saviour,
      Thou didst shed thy blood for me.

WM. BAXTER.      

[The Millennial Harbinger (October 1853): 599.]

ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC EDITION

      William Baxter's "The Sinner's Plea" was first published in The Millennial Harbinger, Fourth Series, Vol. 3, No. 10, October 1853. The electronic version of the poem has been produced from the College Press reprint (1976) of The Millennial Harbinger, ed. Alexander Campbell (Bethany, VA: A. Campbell, 1853), p. 599.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 21 June 1998.
Updated 28 June 2003.

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