"Create in me a clean heart"

Representative Text

1 Lord, when thy Spirit descends to show
The badness of our hearts,
Astonished at the amazing view,
The soul with horror starts.

2 [The dungeon, opening foul as hell,
Its loathsome stench emits;
And, brooding in each secret cell,
Some hideous monster sits.]

3 [Swarms of ill thoughts their bane diffuse,
Proud, envious, false, unclean;
And every ransacked corner shows
Some unsuspected sin.]

4 Our staggering faith gives way to doubt;
Our courage yields to fear;
Shocked at the sight, we straight cry out,
“Can ever God dwell here?”

5 None less than God’s Almighty Son
Can move such loads of sin;
The water from his side must run,
To wash this dungeon clean.

6 O come, thou much-expected Guest!
Lord Jesus, quickly come!
Enter the chamber of my breast;
Thyself prepare the room.

7 For should’st thou stay till thou canst meet
Reception worthy thee,
With sinners thou would’st never sit –
At least I’m sure with me.

8 When, when will that blest time arrive,
When thou wilt kindly deign
With me to sit, to lodge, to live;
And never part again?

Source: A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. In four parts (10th ed.) (Gadsby's Hymns) #310

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Author: J. Hart

Hart, Joseph, was born in London in 1712. His early life is involved in obscurity. His education was fairly good; and from the testimony of his brother-in-law, and successor in the ministry in Jewin Street, the Rev. John Hughes, "his civil calling was" for some time "that of a teacher of the learned languages." His early life, according to his own Experience which he prefaced to his Hymns, was a curious mixture of loose conduct, serious conviction of sin, and endeavours after amendment of life, and not until Whitsuntide, 1757, did he realize a permanent change, which was brought about mainly through his attending divine service at the Moravian Chapel, in Fetter Lane, London, and hearing a sermon on Rev. iii. 10. During the next two years ma… Go to person page >

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