Scripture Verse

According unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:1–2

Introduction

Words: James Mer­rick (1720–1769).

Music: Pun­on Lo­well Ma­son, The Mo­dern Psalm­ist (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: John H. Wil­kins & Ri­chard B. Car­ter, 1839), page 57 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Mer­rick (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Lowell Mason (1792–1872)

Lyrics

O turn, great Rul­er of the skies,
Turn from my sin Thy search­ing eyes,
Nor let th’of­fens­es of my hand,
Within Thy book, re­cord­ed stand.

Prompt is Thy pow­er, when ills in­vade,
The weak and con­trite soul to aid:
Then let Thy cle­men­cy di­vine
Conspicuous in my par­don shine.

O let the full­ness of Thy grace
Each er­ror of my life ef­face!
But Thy de­crees, al­migh­ty Sire!
Integrity of heart re­quire.

Give me a will to Thine sub­dued,
A con­science pure, a soul re­newed;
Nor let me, wrapped in end­less gloom,
An out­cast from Thy pre­sence roam.

Oh, let Thy Spir­it to my heart
Once more His quick­en­ing aid im­part;
My mind from ev­ery fear re­lease,
And soothe my trou­bled thoughts to peace.

So shall the souls whom er­ror’s sway
Has urged from Thee, blest Lord, to stray,
From me Thy heav­en­ly pre­cepts learn,
And hum­bled to their God re­turn.

The heart that, taught its guilt to know,
Repentant heaves with in­ward woe,
Shall finds its pray­ers, its groans, its sighs,
To Thee in full ac­cept­ance rise.