When dark­ness long has veiled my mind,
And smil­ing day once more ap­pears;
Then, my Re­deem­er, then I find
The fol­ly of my doubts and fears.

Strait I up­braid my wan­der­ing heart,
And blush that I should ev­er be
Thus prone to act so base a part,
Or har­bor one hard thought of Thee!

Oh! let me then at length be taught
What I am still so slow to learn;
That God is love, and chang­es not,
Nor knows the sha­dow of a turn.

Sweet truth, and easy to re­peat!
But when my faith is sharp­ly tried
I find my­self a learn­er yet,
Unskillful, weak, and apt to slide.

But, O my Lord, one look from Thee
Subdues the dis­obe­di­ent will;
Drives doubt and dis­content away,
And Thy re­bel­lious worm is still.

Thou art as rea­dy to for­give,
As I am rea­dy to re­pine;
Thou, there­fore all the praise re­ceive,
Be shame and self-ab­hor­rence mine.