Scripture Verse

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1

Introduction

portrait
John B. Dykes (1823–1876)

Words: From The Psal­ter (Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­van­ia: Unit­ed Pres­by­ter­ian Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1912), num­ber 143.

Music: Vox Di­lec­ti John B. Dykes, 1868 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

O God, ac­cord­ing to Thy grace
Be mer­ci­ful to me;
In Thy abound­ing love blot out
All my ini­qui­ty;
O wash me whol­ly from my guilt
And make me clean with­in,
For my trans­gress­ions I con­fess,
I ever see my sin.

Against Thee on­ly have I sinned,
Done ev­il in Thy sight;
Lord, in Thy judg­ment Thou art just,
And in Thy sen­tence right.
Behold, in ev­il I was formed,
And I was born in sin,
But Thou wilt make me wise in heart,
Thou seek­est truth with­in.

From all pol­lu­tion make me clean,
Yea, whit­er than the snow;
O let my brok­en heart re­joice
And glad­ness make me know;
Blot out all my ini­qui­ties,
And hide my sins from view;
Create in me a spir­it right,
O God, my heart re­new.

From out Thy pre­sence cast me not,
Thy face no more to see;
Thy Ho­ly Spir­it and His grace
Take not away from me.
Restore me Thy sal­va­tion’s joy,
My will­ing heart up­hold;
Then sin­ners shall be turned to Thee
When I Thy ways un­fold.