O may a strain, like gen­tle rain
On dry and thirs­ty land,
True feel­ing start with­in this heart,
Unfruitful as the sand;
To lift my eyes above the skies,
And raise my hum­ble prayer;
May ev­ery doubt be put to rout,
And van­quished ev­ery fear.

My mind, tho’ bent, my thoughts in­tent,
On swift­ly fleet­ing joys,
Still from my heart may now de­part
This love for earth­ly toys;
Too much of life in anx­ious strife
Has run to waste with me;
In thoughts sub­lime, the rest of time
May I de­vote to Thee.

When comes my end, O Sav­ior, send,
A mes­sage of sweet peace;
When I de­part, O give my heart
Assurance and re­lease;
Then may I bound from this low ground,
To tread the star­ry way,
And on my sight break ho­ly light
In Heav’n’s un­cloud­ed day.

Now, O my soul! let love con­trol
Thro’ life thy ev­ery thought;
By faith still see the things that be,
Reserved for those He bought;
Live on in hope, in wid­est scope
Survey the realms above;
Nor draw aside, but firm abide
In faith, and hope, and love.