Scripture Verse

If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Romans 8:13

Introduction

Words: Un­known au­thor, pre-12th Cen­tu­ry (Je­su qua­dra­gen­ari­ae). Fran­cis Pott trans­lat­ed this text as In Watch and Pray­er by Thee in his Hymns Fit­ted to the Or­der of Com­mon Pray­er, 1861. Ten years lat­er, he re­vised it to the form be­low, and it was pub­lished in Church Hymns (Lon­don: So­ci­ety for Pro­mot­ing Chris­tian Know­ledge, 1871), num­ber 108.

Music: Ab­er Will­iam H. Monk, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1875 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
William Monk (1823–1889)

Lyrics

In hun­ger, watch, and pray­er,
These for­ty days were passed
By Thee, O Je­su; and Thy love
Doth sanc­ti­fy our fast.

Through flesh­ly lusts in­dulged,
Man lost his first es­tate;
Thou wouldst re­store by lead­ing us
Our flesh to sub­ju­gate.

Be with Thy Church, O Lord;
Our self-de­ni­als bless;
Accept the tears Thy child­ren shed
O’er all their fro­ward­ness.

Forgive, most gra­cious Lord,
The fol­lies we de­plore,
Prevent us with Thy guid­ing hand
That we may sin no more.

So do Thou in our souls
The pow­er of sin de­stroy;
And make us fit to wor­ship Thee
With East­er’s ho­ly joy.