Verse 1
Shall men pretend to pleasure
Who never knew the Lord?
Can all the worldling’s treasure (Matt. 6:19-20)
True peace of mind afford? (John 14:27, Phil. 2:6-7, Isa. 26:3, Col. 3:15)
They shall obtain this jewel (Matt. 13:45-46)
In what their hearts desire,
When they by adding fuel
Can quench the flame of fire.
Verse 2
Till you can bid the ocean,
When furious tempests roar,
Forget its wonted motion,
And rage, and swell, no more: (Matt. 8:26, Mark 4:39, Luke 8:24, Ps. 89:9 Ps. 107:29)
In vain your expectation
To find content in sin;
Or freedom from vexation,
While passions reign within. (Gal. 5:17)
Verse 3
Come, turn your thoughts to Jesus,
If you would good possess;
’Tis he alone that frees us (John 8:36)
From guilt, and from distress:
When he, by faith, is present,
The sinner’s troubles cease;
His ways are truly pleasant,
And all his paths are peace. (Prov. 3:17)
Verse 4
Our time in sin we wasted, (Tit. 3:3)
And fed upon the wind; (Hos. 12:1)
Until his love we tasted, (Ps. 34:8, I Pet. 2:13)
No comfort could we find:
But now we stand to witness
His pow’r and grace to you;
May you perceive its fitness,
And call upon him too! (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, Rom. 10:13)
Verse 5
Our pleasure and our duty,
Though opposite before;
Since we have seen his beauty, (Ps. 27:4, Isa. 33:17)
Are joined to part no more:
It is our highest pleasure,
No less than duty’s call;
To love him beyond measure, (Deut. 6:5, Deut. 10:12, Deut. 11:13, Deut. 13:3, Deut. 30:6, Josh. 22:5, Matt. 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27)
And serve him with our all. (Ps. 40:8)