Expostulation

O turn ye, O turn ye, for why will ye die?
Since God in great mercy is coming so nigh;
Jesus invites you, the Spirit says, Come,
And angels are waiting to welcome you home.

Come now to the banquet and make no delay,
For Christ bids you welcome, he bids you to-day:
Come wretched, come, starving, come just as you be,
While streams of salvation are flowing so free.

O turn ye, O turn ye, for why will you die,
When God in great mercy is coming so nigh?
Now Jesus invites you, the Spirit says, Come,
And angels are waiting to welcome you home.

How vain the delusion, that while you delay,
Your hearts may grow better by staying away;
Come wretched, come starving, come just as you be
While streams of salvation are flowing so free.

And now Christ is ready your souls to receive,
O how can you question, if you will believe?
If sin is your burden, why will you not come?
Tis you he bids welcome; he bids you come home.

In riches, in pleasures, what can you obtain,
To soothe your affliction, or banish your pain?
To bear up your spirit when summon'd to die,
Or waft you to mansions of glory on high?

Why will you be starving and feeding on air?
There's mercy in Jesus, enough and to spare;
If still you are doubting, make trial and see,
And prove that his mercy is boundless and free.

Come, give us your hand, and the Savior your heart,
And trusting in Heaven, we never shall part;
O how can we leave you? why will you not come;
We'll journey together, and soon be at home.

Notes: "to-day", "summon'd", "Savior", "Tis" (no apostrophe) as printed. Stanza 2 line 3 (p. 23) has no
comma after "be", as printed. Stanza 6 line 1 is set with no space after the first two commas in the print
(type crowding); spaces are normal here. Stanza 6 line 4 has damaged type in "together" and "and soon"
(letters partly missing) — the words are unambiguous. The verse line breaks follow the poetry
(4 lines of 11 syllables); the printed heading of p. 23 is the first line in quotation marks.