Scripture Verse

Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Matthew 15:19

Introduction

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Thomas Haweis (1734–1820)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems 1749, Vol­ume 1, pag­es 162–63. This hymn been pub­lished in nu­mer­ous al­tered forms.

Music: Rich­mond (Ha­weis) Tho­mas Ha­weis, Car­mi­na Chris­to 1792 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

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Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Lyrics

O what an evil heart have I,
So cold, and hard, and blind,
With sin so rea­dy to comply,
And cast my God behind!

So apt His mercy to forget,
So soon dissolved in ease,
So false, so full of all deceit,
And desperate wickedness!

Long have I murmured to be clean,
From all iniquity,
But knew not that I loved my sin,
And would not be set free.

Oft when the pleasing ill drew nigh,
And God foreshowed my fall,
I would not from temptation fly,
Or heed the Spi­rit’s call.

His warning voice I would not mind,
But turned mine ear away,
And lingering stood, ’till sin should find
And seize its willing prey.

Oft have I asked for help, afraid
Lest God my voice should hear,
While with deceitful lips, I said
Th’Abominable Prayer.

Oft, when He would not let me yield,
But stopped me by His grace,
I raged from sin to be withheld,
And burst from His embrace.

When after each foul sinful fall,
I would have all given up;
He would not let me give up all,
But forced me still to hope.

Infinite, unexhausted love!
Jesus and love are One;
If still to me Thy bowels move,
They are restrained to none.

If me, e’en me, Thou yet canst spare,
Fury is not in Thee;
For all Thy tender mercies are,
If mercy is for me.

What shall I do, my God to love,
My loving God to praise!
The length, and breadth, and height to prove
And depth of sovereign grace!

Thy sovereign grace to all extends,
Immense and unconfined;
From age to age it ne­ver ends,
It reaches all mankind.

Throughout the world its breadth is known,
Wide as infinity,
So wide it ne­ver passed by one;
Or it had passed by me.

My trespass was grown up to Hea­ven;
But far above the skies,
In Christ abundantly forgiven,
I see Thy mercies rise!

The depth of all redeeming love,
What angel tongue can tell?
O may I to the utmost prove
The gift unspeakable!

Deeper than hell, it plucked me thence;
Deeper than inbred sin:
Jesus His love my heart shall cleanse,
When Je­sus enters in.

Come quickly, then, my Lord, and take
Possession of Thine own;
My longing heart vouchsafe to make
Thine ev­er­last­ing throne.

Assert Thy claim, receive Thy right,
Come quickly from above,
And sink me to perfection’s height,
The depth of humble love.