Now Are the Days of Humblest Prayer

Now are the days of hum­blest pray­er

When con­sci­ences to God lie bare

And mer­cy most de­lights to spare.

Oh heark­en when we cry

Chastise us with Thy fear;

Yet

Fa­ther! in the mul­ti­tude

Of Thy com­pass­ions

hear!

Now is the sea­son

wise­ly long

Of sad­der thought and grav­er song

When ail­ing souls grow well and strong.

The feast of pen­ance! Oh so bright

With true con­ver­sion’s heav’n­ly light

Like sun­rise after stor­my night!

Oh hap­py time of bless­èd tears

Of sur­er hopes

of chast­en­ing fears

Undoing all our ev­il years.

We

who have loved the world

must learn

Upon that world our backs to turn

And with the love God to burn.

Vile crea­tures of such lit­tle worth!

Than we

there can be none on earth

More fall­en from their Christ­ian birth.

Full long in sin’s dark ways we went

Yet now our steps are heav’n­ward bent

And grace is plen­ti­ful in Lent.

All glo­ry to re­deem­ing grace

Disdaining not our ev­il case

But show­ing us our Sav­ior’s face!