1 Lord, if thine eyes survey our faults, And justice grow severe, Thy dreadful wrath exceeds our thoughts, And burns beyond our fear.
2 Thine anger turns our frame to dust; By one offence to thee Adam with all his sons have lost Their immortality.
3 Life like a vain amusement flies, A fable or a song; By swift degrees our nature dies, Nor can our joys be long.
4 'Tis but a few whose days amount To threescore years and ten, And all beyond that short account is sorrow, toil, and pain.
5 [Our vitals with laborious strife Bear up the crazy load, And drag those poor remains of life Along the tiresome road.]
6 Almighty God, reveal thy love, And not thy wrath alone; O let our sweet experience prove The mercies of thy throne!
7 Our souls would learn the heavenly art T' improve the hours we have, That we may act the wiser part, And live beyond the grave.