Verse 1
Teacher, friend of foolish sinners,
Take the praise of thy grace
From us young beginners.
Struck with loving admiration
Hear us tell of thy zeal
For our soul’s salvation.
Verse 2
Foes to God and unforgiven
Once we were, distant far,
Far as hell from heaven:
But we have thro’ thee found favour,
Brought to God by thy blood,
O thou precious Saviour.
Verse 3
Thou hast in the weak and feeble
Power display’d, call’d and made
Us thy favourite people:
Us the vulgar, and obscure
Thou dost own; us unknown,
Ignorant and poor.
Verse 4
Simple folk and undiscerning,
Nothing we know but thee,
Love is all our learning:
We with loving hearts adore thee,
This our deep scholarship,
This is all our glory.
Verse 5
Thou, we know, hast died to save us,
We are thine, love divine,
Thou who bought’st shalt have us:
Taught and led by thy good Spirit
We shall soon share thy throne,
All thy joys inherit.
Verse 6
Here is knowledge rare, and hidden
From the wise, who despise
All our inward Eden;
Thou to us the truth hast given,
We in thee, (happy we!)
Know the way to heaven.