My God! How Perfect Are Thy Ways!

My God! how per­fect are Thy ways!

But mine pol­lut­ed are;

Sin twines it­self about my praise

And slides in­to my pray­er.

When I would speak what Thou hast done

To save me from my sin;

I can­not make Thy mer­cies known

But self-ap­plause creeps in.

Divine de­sire

that ho­ly flame

Thy grace cre­ates in me;

Alas! im­pa­tience is its name

When it re­turns to Thee.

This heart

a fount­ain of vile thoughts

How does it ov­er­flow?

While self up­on the sur­face floats

Still bub­bling from be­low.

Let oth­ers in the gau­dy dress

Of fan­cied mer­it shine;

The Lord shall be my right­eous­ness

The Lord for ev­er mine.