The words
Stanza 1. When Peter through the tedious nightHad often cast his net in vain;Soon as his LORD appeared in sightHe gladly let it down again.
Stanza 2. Once more the gospel net we cast,Do thou, O LORD, the effort own;We learn from disappointments past,To rest our hope on thee alone.
Stanza 3. Upheld by thy supporting hand,We enter on another year;And now we meet, at thy command,To seek thy gracious presence here.
Stanza 4. May this be a much favored hour,To souls in Satan’s bondage led!O clothe thy word with sovereign pow’rTo break the rocks, and raise the dead!
Stanza 5. Have mercy on our num’rous youth,Who young in years, are old in sin;And by thy Spirit, and thy truth,Show them the state their souls are in.
Stanza 6. Then, by a Savior’s dying loveTo every wounded heart revealed,Temptations, fears, and guilt remove,And be their Sun, and Strength, and Shield.
Stanza 7. To mourners speak a cheering word,On seeking souls vouchsafe to shine;Let poor backsliders be restored,And all thy saints in praises join.
Stanza 8. O hear our prayer and give us hope,That when thy voice shall call us home,Thou still wilt raise a people up,To love and praise thee in our room.
Olney Hymns (1779), Book 2, Hymn 10. John Newton. Public domain. CCEL transcription with modernized spelling. www.praylock.com/olney-hymns/2-10
