Scripture Verse

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Introduction

Words: Anne Steele, Po­ems on Sub­jects Chief­ly De­vo­tion­al, 1760.

Music: Be­mer­ton (Great­or­ex) Hen­ry W. Great­or­ex, 1849 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

How helpless guilty nature lies,
Unconscious of its load!
The heart, unchanged, can ne­ver rise
To happiness and God.

Can aught, beneath a power divine,
The stubborn will subdue?
’Tis Thine, al­migh­ty Spi­rit! Thine,
To form the heart anew.

’Tis Thine, the passions to recall,
And upward bid them rise;
To make the scales of error fall
From reason’s darkened eyes;

To chase the shades of death away,
And bid the sinner live;
A beam of Heav’n, a vital ray,
’Tis Thine alone to give.

O change these wretched hearts of ours,
And give them life divine;
Then shall our passions and our powers
Almighty Lord! be Thine.