O God, to know that Thou art just
Gives hope and peace with­in;
We could not in a mer­cy trust
Which takes no count of sin.

I fain would op­en to Thy sight
My ut­most wick­ed­ness;
Set, Lord, in Thy most search­ing light
What I have done amiss.

No stern and need­less law was Thine—
Hard to be un­der­stood—
But plain­ly read in ev­ery line,
Holy, and just, and good.

Though base­ly weak my fall­en race,
And mas­ter­ful my foes,
I had th’om­ni­po­tence of grace
To con­quer, if I chose.

Well did I know the ten­der Heart
I out­raged by my sin,
Yet with the world I would not part,
Nor reign my pass­ions in.

My fault it was, O Lord, most high,
And not my fate alone:
Thou canst not suf­fer sin, nor I
In any way atone.

Yet there’s a plea that I may trust—
Christ died that I might live!
Cleanse me, my God, for Thou art just;
Be faith­ful, and for­give.