Father of Lights, from whom proceeds

Verse 1
Father of light,[1] from whom proceeds
Whate’er thy ev’ry creature needs, (James 1:17, Ps. 104:27-28, Acts 17:25)
Whose goodness providently nigh
Feeds the young ravens when they cry; (Job 38:41, Ps. 147:9, Luke 12:24)
To thee I look; my heart prepare, (Ps. 10:17, )
Suggest, and hearken to my pray’r. (Ps. 5:3, Ps. 10:17, Prov. 16:1, Mic. 7:7)

Verse 2
Since by thy light myself I see (Ps. 36:9)
Naked, and poor, and void of thee, (Rev. 3:17)
Thine eyes must all my thoughts survey, (Ps. 139:1-2, Heb. 4:13)
Preventing what my lips would say: (Ps. 139:4)
Thou seest my wants; for help they call, (Matt. 6:32)
And ere I speak, thou know’st them all. (Isa. 65:24, Matt. 6:8)

Verse 3
Thou know’st the baseness of my mind (Jer. 17:9-10)
Wayward, and impotent and blind, (Rom. 7:18)
Thou know’st how unsubdu’d my will,
Averse to good, and prone to ill: (Gen. 6:5, Rom. 7:19, Rom. 8:7)
Thou know’st how wide my passions rove, (Tit. 3:3)
Nor check’d by fear, nor charm’d by love. (Ps. 36:1, Rom. 3:18)

Verse 4
Fain would I know, as known by thee, (I Cor. 13:12)
And feel the indigence I see; (Rev. 3:17)
Fain would I all my vileness own, (Job 40:4, Ps. 51:3, I John 1:9)
And deep beneath the burden groan: (Ps. 38:4)
Abhor the pride that lurks within, (Prov. 8:13)
Detest and loath myself and sin. (Job 42:6, Ezek. 20:43, Ezek. 36:31)

Verse 5
Ah give me, Lord, myself to feel,
My total misery reveal: (Rev. 3:17)
Ah give me, Lord, (I still would say)
A heart to mourn, a heart to pray; (Ps. 51:17)
My business this, my only care,
My life, my ev’ry breath be pray’r. (Luke 18:1, Eph. 6:18, I Thess. 5:17)

Verse 6
Scarce I begin my sad complaint, (Ps. 142:2)
When all my warmest wishes faint;
Hardly I lift my weeping eye,
When all my kindling ardors die;
Nor hopes nor fears my bosom move,
For still I cannot, cannot love.

Verse 7
Father, I want a thankful heart; (Col. 3:15, I Thess. 5:18)
I want to taste how good thou art, (Ps. 34:8, I Pet. 2:3)
To plunge me in thy mercy’s sea, (Ps. 103:11, Mic. 7:19)
And comprehend thy love to me;
The breadth, and length, and depth, and height
Of love divinely infinite. (Eph. 3:18-19)

Verse 8
Father, I long my soul to raise (Ps. 25:1, Ps. 86:4, Ps. 143:8)
And dwell for ever on thy praise,
Thy praise with glorious joy to tell,
In extasy unspeakable; (I Pet. 1:8)
While the full pow’r of FAITH I know,
And reign triumphant here below. (II Cor. 2:14)

[1] Wesley changed ““light”” to ““lights”” in the second edition.