Lord, have mer­cy when we pray,
Strength to seek a bet­ter way;
When our wak­en­ing thoughts be­gin
First to loathe their cher­ished sin;
When the ear­li­est gleam is giv’n,
Of the bright but dist­ant Heav’n,
Then Thy fos­ter­ing grace af­ford,
Then, oh, then! Have mer­cy, Lord.

Lord, have mer­cy when we know
First how vain this world be­low;
When its dark­er thoughts op­press,
Doubts per­plex, and fears dis­tress;
Sigh for death, yet fear it still,
From the dread of fu­ture ill;
When the dim, adv­anc­ing gloom
Tells us that our hour is come.

Lord, have mer­cy when we lie
On the rest­less bed, and sigh—
When our wea­ry spir­its fail,
And our ach­ing brows are pale;
When all oth­er hope is gone,
When our course is al­most done,
When is loosed the sil­ver cord—
Then, oh, then! have mer­cy, Lord.