Oft as the Leper’s Case I Read

Oft as the le­per’s case I read

My own des­cribed I feel;

Sin is a lep­ro­sy in­deed

Which none but Christ can heal.

Awhile I would have passed for well

And strove my spots to hide;

Till it broke out in­cur­able

Too plain to be de­nied.

Then from the saints I sought to flee

And dread­ed to be seen;

I thought they all would point at me

And cry

Un­clean

un­clean!

What ang­uish did my soul en­dure

Till hope and pa­tience ceased?

The more I strove my­self to cure

The more the plague in­creased.

While thus I lay dis­tressed

I saw

The Sav­ior passing by;

To Him

though filled with shame and awe

I raised my mourn­ful cry.

Lord

Thou canst heal me if Thou wilt

For Thou canst all things do;

O cleanse my lep­rous soul from guilt

My fil­thy heart re­new!

He heard

and with a gra­cious look

Pronounced the heal­ing word

I will

be clean. And while He spoke

I felt my health re­stored.

Come lep­ers

seize the pre­sent hour

The Sav­ior’s grace to prove;

He can re­lieve

for He is pow­er

He will

for He is love.