And
wilt Thou pardon, Lord,
A
sinner such as I,
Although
Thy book his crimes record,
Of
such a crimson dye?
So
deep are they engraved,
So
terrible their fear,
The
righteous scarcely shall be saved,
And
where shall I appear?
O
Thou Physician blest,
Make
clean my guilty soul
And
me, by many a sin oppressed,
Restore
and keep me whole.
I
know not how to praise
Thy
mercy and Thy love;
But
deign my soul from earth to raise
And
learn from Thee above.
--
Saint Joseph the Hymnographer