Lord, when wilt Thou ex­tend Thy sway
O’er ev­ery hu­man heart?
When wilt Thou take the veil away,
And bid the gloom de­part?

Behold how thick a cloud is spread
Over this world of woe;
How sin lifts up her shame­less head,
And reigns with pom­pous show.

See how de­grad­ed and for­lorn
Thy Church on earth ap­pears;
While foes in­sult with bit­ter scorn,
And tri­umph in her tears.

Arise, O Lord, lift up Thy hand,
And break the hearts of stone;
Thy con­quests spread, till ev­ery land
Thy sav­ing love shall own.

Let grace light up the ut­most bound
Of Sa­tan’s dark do­main;
And sin­ners at the Gos­pel sound,
Awake to life again.