Oh Thou Whose Tender Mercy Hears

Oh Thou whose ten­der mer­cy hears

Contrition’s hum­ble sigh

Whose hand in­dul­gent

wipes the tears

From sor­row’s weep­ing eye.

See! low

be­fore Thy throne of grace

A wretch­ed wan­der­er mourn:

Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face?

Hast Thou not said

Re­turn?

And shall my guil­ty fears pre­vail

To drive me from Thy feet?

Oh

let not this dear re­fuge fail

This on­ly safe re­treat.

Absent from Thee

my guide

my light

Without one cheer­ing ray

Through dan­gers

fears

and gloomy night

How de­so­late my way!

O shine on this be­night­ed heart

With beams of mer­cy shine;

And let Thy heal­ing voice im­part

A taste of joys di­vine.

Thy pre­sence on­ly can be­stow

Delights which nev­er cloy;

Be this my sol­ace

here be­low

And my eter­nal joy.