Have Mercy, Lord, Thy Wrath Remove

Have mer­cy

Lord

Thy wrath re­move

Nor let Thy judg­ments weigh me down;

I can­not live with­out Thy love

I can­not stand be­neath Thy frown.

Wilt Thou not once Thy face dis­play

And dart a ray of heav­en­ly light?

Still must I urge my cheer­less way

And mourn through­out my long-lived night?

Lo! In my pray­er I ev­er mourn

Vexed with the sad re­mains of sin

Broken

and bruised

and racked

and torn

How shall I bear this hell with­in?

This un­be­lief

these cru­el fears

Distracting doubts

and tor­tur­ing pain

While Thou art si­lent at my tears

Thou see’st them ev­er flow in vain.

And must I yield to black des­pair?

In vain on Thee for mer­cy call

Tempted above what I can bear!

And wilt Thou suf­fer me to fall?

Never again dis­close Thy face

Or show me the aton­ing blood?

Have I ex­haust­ed all Thy grace?

Hath God for­got­ten to be good?

Forever is Thy mer­cy gone

Thy truth

and faith­ful­ness

and love?

Doth ang­ry jus­tice rule alone?

Have I no ad­vo­cate above?

Then pour Thy ven­geance on my head

And quench the smok­ing flax in me

Break (if Thou canst) a bruis­èd reed

And cast me out who come to Thee.

Jesu

I come my doom to meet

A sin­ner whom Thou wilt not spare:

But I will per­ish at Thy feet

The first that ev­er per­ished there!