When Oppressed with Sore Affliction

When op­pressed with sore af­flict­ion

In the sac­red word I find

Antidotes against de­ject­ion

Sovereign balm to heal the mind;

As I turn the vol­ume ov­er

And ex­plore each am­ple page

Treasures new I oft dis­co­ver

Which my warm­est thoughts en­gage.

But at times

alas

I wan­der

Seem to read the word in vain

And too oft that time I squan­der

When true wis­dom I might gain

Pardon

Lord

my in­at­ten­tion

Sacred en­er­gy im­part

To re­store from this de­clen­sion

My de­ceit­ful

wan­der­ing heart.

Shed on me Thy rays trans­port­ing

Dissipate the gloom with­in

May I to Thy word re­sort­ing

Rescued be from ev­ery sin;

Let the joys of Thy sal­va­tion

Ever hence my pow­ers en­gage

Send Thy truth to ev­ery na­tion

Bid it shine from age to age.