O God, to Know That Thou Art Just

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.