The Cyber Hymnal ‎#10497

10497. From The Recesses Of A Lowly Spirit

1 From the recesses of a lowly spirit,
Our humble prayer ascends; O Father! hear it,
Upsoaring on the wings of awe and meekness;
Forgive its weakness!

2 I know, I feel, how mean and how unworthy
The trembling sacrifice I pour before Thee;
What can I offer in Thy presence holy,
But sin and folly?

3 For in Thy sight—who every bosom viewest,
Cold are our warmest vows, and vain our truest;
Thoughts of a hurrying hour; our lips repeat them,
Our hearts forget them.

4 We see Thy hand—it leads us, it supports us:
We hear Thy voice—it counsels and it courts us:
And then we turn away—and still Thy kindness
Pardons our blindness.

5 And still Thy rain descends, Thy sun is glowing,
Fruits ripen round, flowers are beneath us blowing
And, as if man were some deserving creature,
Joys cover nature.

6 O how long-suffering, Lord! but Thou delightest
To win with love the wandering—Thou invitest,
By smiles of mercy—not by frowns or terrors,
Man from his errors.

7 Father and Savior! plant within that bosom
The seeds of holiness—and bid them blossom
In fragrance and in beauty bright and vernal,
And spring eternal.

8 Then place them in Thine everlasting gardens,
Where angels walk, and seraphs are the wardens;
Where every flower that creeps thro’ death’s dark portal,
Becomes immortal.

Text Information

• First Line: From the recesses of a lowly spirit
• Title: From The Recesses Of A Lowly Spirit
• Author: John Bowring
• Meter: 11.11.11.5
• Language: English
• Source: Matins and Vespers, 1823
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: HERZLIEBSTER JESU
• Composer: Johann Crüger (1640)
• Meter: 11.11.11.5
• Key: g minor
• Copyright: Public Domain