I cannot lift mine eyes, For, O, my sin is great,-- High as the hills that rise Up, up to heaven's gate,-- I cannot lift mine eyes, So great my sin, so great.
But I would smite my breast, And bow me at the Cross, And well He knows the rest, My pain, my grief, my loss;-- Yea, I would smite my breast, And bow me at His Cross.
Mayhap when I have told The burden of my sin, He'll make my spirit bold, And speak, and soothe, and win;-- All this when I have told The burden of my sin.
Then shall I lift mine eyes, And see the sin removed, And in the radiant skies Behold the Well Beloved;-- Then shall I lift mine eyes, And see my sin removed.
When at Thy feet, oppressed, The burdened sinner falls, And, woeful and distressed, Upon Thy mercy calls,-- O hear the penitential prayer, Forgive the burdened sinner there.
Did'st Thou not send the Son, To shew the Father's grace, To bid a world undone Arise and seek His face? And wilt Thou not in mercy say, "Thy many sins I take away"?
Yea, Thou wilt not despise The soul's uplifted prayer; Nor when our hopes arise, Plunge us in deep despair; But wilt forgive the evil done, Through Christ the Well Beloved Son.
O Jesus Christ, by Thee The Father's grace is found, And pardon full, and we With every good abound,-- We see Thee nailed upon the tree, And know all blessing comes from Thee.
Because I was brought low, And sin had triumphed quite, Thou God, all good, didst bow, And seek me in the night.
And Thou didst lift me up, For Thou wert lifted high, When on the Cross Thou gav'st Thyself for man to die.
Thou Life, Immortal Life! O, full of sympathy! Clothed with my flesh Thou cam'st From Thy felicity.
To burst our mortal bands, And vanquish in the strife, And dead, from death arise, Crowned with immortal life.
To Father and to Son, To Thee, blest Spirit, praise, Here on the earth, and there Where live the endless days.
O God of life, in whom we live, The bounties of Thy favour give, And teach our souls to soar; That, at the source of every good, Our life may find its needful food, And live for evermore.
O Lord of mercy, by whose grace The sinner seeks the Father's face, And finds a welcome there; When fears the trembling soul distress, And sins the aching heart oppress, O Lord of mercy, spare.