Scripture Verse

So will I go in unto the king…and if I perish, I perish. Esther 4:16

Introduction

Words: Ed­mund Jones, in Se­lect­ion of Hymns from the Best Aut­hors, by John Rip­pon, 1787.

Music: Abid­ing Grace John S. Camp, 1905 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Jones (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
John S. Camp (1858–1946)

Lyrics

illustration
Esther Denouncing Haman
Ernest Normand, 1888
Wikimedia Commons

Come, hum­ble sin­ner, in whose breast,
A thou­sand thoughts re­volve,
Come, with your guilt and fear op­pressed,
And make this last re­solve.

I’ll go to Je­sus, though my sin
Like mount­ains round me close;
I know His courts, I’ll en­ter in,
Whatever may op­pose.

Prostrate I’ll lie be­fore His throne,
And there my guilt con­fess,
I’ll tell Him, I’m a wretch un­done,
Without His so­ve­reign grace.

I’ll to the gra­cious King ap­proach,
Whose scep­ter par­don gives;
Perhaps he com­mand my touch,
And then the sup­pli­ant lives.

Perhaps He will ad­mit my plea,
Perhaps will hear my pray­er;
But, if I per­ish, I will pray,
And per­ish on­ly there.

I can but per­ish if I go;
I am re­solved to try;
But if I stay away, I know
I must for­ev­er die.

But, if I die with mer­cy sought,
When I the King have tried,
This were to die (de­light­ful thought!)
As sin­ner ne­ver died.