Verse 1
O thou, who know’st what is in man,
Who searchest out the reins and heart,
Me, Jesu, to myself explain,
A ray of heavenly light impart;
Impart thyself, thou real light,
And manifest my nature’s night.

Verse 2
Cause me, O God, myself to know,
The depth of wickedness within,
Shew me, my inmost substance shew,
Th’ exceeding sinfulness of sin:
Such power belongs to thee alone;
Shew me, that sin and I are one.

Verse 3
Senseless alike of sin and thee,
My unawaken’d soul remains,
Fast bound in sin, and misery
I slumber on, nor feel my chains,
Nor taste nor see how good thou art,
For still the veil is on my heart.

Verse 4
Oh! Might my heart at least relent,
And feel the guilty mountain-load.
Oh! That thy powerful word might rent
The veil, and let me into God;
The glories of thy face display,
The brightness of eternal day!

Verse 5
I know the terms: I cannot see
Thy blissful face, and live—in sin:
A flaming sword preserves the tree
Of life, least[1] self should enter in;
It keeps out self, and every way
It turns, the man of sin to slay.

Verse 6
Be it according to thy word,
Ready to meet my doom I am.
Oh! Let me rush upon that sword,
And feel the sin-consuming flame;
Live only Christ in me, not I;
O let me see thy face and die!

Verse 7
Die all of self to live no more,
Die the old man no more to rise;
Me to thine image here restore,
Receive me to thy paradise,
(Whence I may never more remove)
The paradise of perfect love.

[1] Wesley changed “least” to “last” in 1756.