God’s law demands one living faith,

Not a gaunt crowd of lifeless creeds;

Its warrant is a firm “God saith;”

Its claim, not words, but living deeds.

2 Yet, Lord, forgive; thy simple law

Grows tarnished in our earthly grasp;

Pure in itself, without a flaw,

It dims in our too-worldly clasp.

3 We handle it with unwashed hands;

We stain it with unhallowed breath;

We gloss it with device of man’s,

And hide thine image underneath.

4 Forgive the sacrilege, and take

From off our souls th’ unworthy stain;

And show us, for thy Son’s dear sake

Thy pure and perfect law again.