Th’Abyss of Many a Former Sin

Th’abyss of ma­ny a for­mer sin

Encloses me and bars me in;

Like bil­lows my trans­gress­ions roll:

Be Thou the pi­lot of my soul

And to salv­ation’s har­bor bring

Thou Sav­ior and Thou glo­ri­ous King.

My Fa­ther’s her­it­age abused

Wasted by lust

by sin mis­used;

To shame and want and mi­se­ry brought

The slave to many a fruit­less thought

I cry to Thee

who lov­est men

O pi­ty and rec­eive again!

In hun­ger now

no more pos­sessed

Of that my por­tion bright and blest

The ex­ile and the ali­en see

Who yet would fain re­turn to Thee

And save me

Lord

who seek to raise

To Thy dear love the hymn of praise!

With that blest thief my pray­er I make

Remember for Thy mer­cy’s sake!

With that poor pub­li­can I cry

Be mer­ci­ful

O God most high!

With that lost pro­di­gal I fain

Back to my home would turn again!

Mourn

mourn

my soul

with ear­nest care

And raise to Christ the con­trite pray­er;

O Thou

who free­ly wast made poor

My sor­rows and my sins to cure

Me

poor of all good works

em­brace

Enriching with Thy bound­less grace!