Lo! now the time ac­cept­ed peals
Its tid­ings of re­lease;
A time that with sal­va­tion heals,
And to re­pent­ant tears re­veals
The mer­cy seat of peace.

Then let us wise­ly now re­strain
Our food, our drink, our sleep;
From idle word and jest re­frain
And stead­fast­ly be­gin again
A strict­er watch to keep.

Now Heav’n-taught love will haste to rise
And seek the cheer­less bed,
Where cold and wan the suf­fer­er lies,
And Christ Him­self to heed­ful eyes
Is hun­ger­ing for bread.

’Tis now that zeal­ous cha­ri­ty
Her goods more large­ly spends,
Lays up her trea­sure in the sky,
And free­ly yields, ere death draw nigh,
To God the wealth He lends.

Then con­se­crate us, Lord, anew,
And fire our hearts with love;
That all we think, and all we do,
Within, with­out, be pure and true,
Rekindled from above.

Now full­er praise and glo­ry be
To Thee, the First and Last,
And make us, bless­èd Tri­ni­ty,
More faith­ful sol­diers, wor­thi­er Thee,
Through this our chast­en­ing fast.