No strength of na­ture can suf­fice
To serve the Lord aright;
And what she has, she mis­ap­plies,
For want of clear­er light.

How long be­neath the Law I lay
In bond­age and dis­tress!
I toiled the pre­cept to ob­ey,
But toiled with­out suc­cess.

Then to ab­stain from out­ward sin
Was more than I could do;
Now, if I feel its pow­er with­in,
I feel I hate it too.

Then all my ser­vile works were done
A right­eous­ness to raise;
Now, free­ly chosen in the Son,
I free­ly choose His ways.

What shall I do was then the word,
That I may wor­thi­er grow?
What shall I ren­der to the Lord?
Is my in­qui­ry now.

To see the Law by Christ ful­filled,
And hear His par­don­ing voice;
Changes a slave in­to a child,
And du­ty in­to choice.