Father, If Thou Must Reprove

Father, if thou must reprove
For all that I have done,

Father, if thou must reprove
For all that I have done,
Not in anger, but in love
Chastise thine humbled son;
Use the rod, and not the sword,
Correct with kind severity;
Bring me not to nothing, Lord!
But bring me home to thee.

True and faithful as thou art,
To all thy Church and me,
Give a new, believing heart,
That knows and cleaves to thee;
Freely our backslidings heal,
And, by thy precious blood restored,
Grant that every soul may feel,
“Thou art my pardoning Lord!”

Might we now with pure desire
Thine only love request;
Now, with willing heart entire,
Return to Christ our rest!
When we our whole hearts resign,
O Jesus, to be filled with thee,
Thou art ours, and we are thine,
Through all eternity.