Absence from God › Representative Texts

1 O thou whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye!

2 See! low before the throne of grace
A wretched wanderer mourn.
Hast thou not bide me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said, return?

3 Absent from thee, my guide, my light!
Without one cheering ray;
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

4 O shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine;
And let thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

5 Thy presence only can bestow
Delights, which never cloy.
Be this my solace, here below,
And my eternal joy.

A Collection of Hymns and A Liturgy: for the use of Evangelical Lutheran Churches; to which are added prayers for families and individuals #247

1 O thou, whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye!

2 See! low before thy throne of grace,
A wretched wand'rer mourn;
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said, return?

3 Absent from thee, my guide, my light!
Without one cheering ray;
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

4 O shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine;
And let thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

A Collection of Hymns and Prayers, for Public and Private Worship #196

1 O thou whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye.

2 See! low before the throne of grace
We wretched wanderers mourn;
Hast thou not bid us seek thy face?
Hast thou not said, return?

3 And shall my guilty fears prevail
To drive us from thy feet?
O let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat.

4 O shine on this benighted heart
With beams of mercy shine;
And let thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

5 Thy presence only can bestow
Delights which never cloy;
Be this my solace here below,
And my eternal joy.

A Selection of Psalms and Hymns: done under the appointment of the Philadelphian Association #LXXVIII

1 O Thou whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand, indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye!

2 See, low before Thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn:
Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face?
Hast Thou not said, "Return"?

3 Absent from Thee, my Guide, my Light,
Without one cheering ray,
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

4 Oh, shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine;
And let Thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.


Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #299

1 O Thou whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand, indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye!

2 See, low before Thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn;
Hast Thou not bide me seek Thy face?
Hast Thou not said, return?

3 And shall my guilty fears prevail,
To drive me from Thy feet?
O let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat.

4 Absent from Thee, my Guide, my Light,
Without one cheering ray,
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

5 O shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine;
And let Thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

6 Thy presence only, can bestow
Delights which never cloy;
Be this my solace here below,
And my eternal joy!

Church Book: for the use of Evangelical Lutheran congregations #352

1 O thou, whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand, indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye!

2 See! low before thy throne of grace
A wretched wand'rer mourn;
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said, return?

3 Absent from thee, my guide, my light!
Without one cheering ray;
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

4 O shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine;
And let thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.


Hymns, Selected and Original: for public and private worship (1st ed.) #299

1 O Thou, whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh,
Whose hand indulgent wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye;

2 See, low before Thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn;
Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face?
Hast Thou not said, return?

3 And shall my guilty fears prevail
To drive me from Thy feet?
O let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat!

4 O shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine!
And let Thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

5 Thy presence only can bestow
Delights which never cloy:
Be this my solace here below,
And my eternal joy!

International Song Service: with Bright Gems from fifty authors, for Sunday-schools, gospel meetings, missionary and young people's societies, prayer-meetings, etc. #288

1 O thou, whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand indulgent wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye;--

2 See, Lord, before thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn;
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said--"Return?"

3 And shall my guilty fears prevail
To drive me from thy feet?
Oh, let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat!

4 Oh, shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine!
And let thy healing voice impart
The sense of joy divine.

Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs ancient & modern (Abr. ed.) #307

1 O thou, whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand indulgent wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye;--

2 See, Lord, before thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn;
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said--"Return?"

3 And shall my guilty fears prevail
To drive me from thy feet?
Oh, let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat!

4 Oh, shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine!
And let thy healing voice impart
A sense of joy divine.

Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs ancient and modern #640

1 O thou, whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand indulgent wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye;

2 See, Lord, before thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn;
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said "Return?"

3 And shall my guilty fears prevail
To drive me from thy feet?
Oh, let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat!

4 Oh, shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine!
And let thy healing voice impart
The sense of joy divine.

Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs, ancient and modern for use in the prayer-meeting #275

I. O Thou, whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand, indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye:

II. See! low before thy throne of grace
A wretched wand'rer mourn;
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said, Return?

III. And shall my guilty fears prevail
To drive me from Thy feet?
O let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat.

IV. Absent from thee, my guide, my light,
Without one cheering ray,
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

V. O shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine;
And let thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

VI. Thy presence only can bestow
Delights which never cloy;
Be this my solace, here below,
And my eternal joy!

Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional, Vol. 1 #110

1 O Thou, whose mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand, indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye!--

2 See! at Thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn;
Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face?
Hast Thou not said, Return?

3 Absent from Thee, my light,
Without one cheering ray,
Through dangers fears, and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

4 Oh Shine upon my heart,
With beams of mercy shine;
And let Thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

The Book of Worship #360

1 O Thou whose tender Mercy hears
Contrition's humble Sigh;
Whose Hand Indulgent, wipes the Tears
From Sorrow's weeping Eye.

2 See! low before the Throne of Grace
A wretched Wand'rer mourn:
Hast thou not bide me seek thy Face?
Hast thou not said, Return?

3 And shall my guilty Fears prevail
To drive me from thy Feet?
O let not this dear Refuge fail,
This only safe Retreat.

4 Absent from Thee, my Guide, my Light,
Without one cheering Ray,
Thro' Dangers, Fears, and gloomy Night,
How desolate my Way!

5 O shine on this benighted Heart,
With Beams of Mercy shine;
And let thy healing Voice impart
A taste of Joys Divine.

6 Thy Presence only can bestow
Delights which never cloy;
Be this my Solace, here below,
And my eternal Joy.


The Christians Duty, exhibited, in a series of Hymns: collected from various authors, designed for the worship of God, and for the edification of Christians (1st Ed.) #CCXXX

1. Oh Thou whose tender mercy hears
Contrition’s humble sigh,
Whose hand indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow’s weeping eye.

2. See, Lord, before Thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn:
Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face?
Hast Thou not said, return?

3. And shall my guilty fears prevail
To drive me from Thy feet?
Oh, let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat.

4. Absent from Thee, my Guide, my Light!
Without one cheering ray,
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy nights,
How desolate my way!

5. O shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine!
And let Thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

The Cyber Hymnal #5443

1 O thou whose mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh,
Whose hand indulgent wipes the tears
From Sorrow's weeping eye;

2 See, at thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn:
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said, "Return"?

3 Shall guilty fears prevail
To drive me from thy feet?
O let not this last refuge fail,
This only safe retreat.

4 Absent from thee, my Light,
Without one cheering ray,
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

5 On this benighted heart
With beams of mercy shine,
And let thy voice again impart
A taste of joy divine.

The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book: for use in divine worship #585

1.
Oh! thou, whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand indulgent wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye.

2.
See, low before thy throne of grace,
A wretched wanderer mourn;
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said—return?

3.
And shall my guilty fears prevail
To drive me from thy feet?
Oh! let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat.

4.
Absent from thee, my Guide, my Light,
Without one cheering ray;
Through dangers, fears and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

5.
Oh! shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine!
And let thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.



The Southern Harmony, and Musical Companion (New ed. thoroughly rev. and much enl.) #290

1 O Thou, whose tender mercy hears
Contrition's humble sigh;
Whose hand, indulgent, wipes the tears
From sorrow's weeping eye--

2 See, low before thy throne of grace
A wretched wanderer mourn;
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
Hast thou not said, Return?

3 And shall my guilty fears prevail
To drive me from thy feet?
Oh, let not this dear refuge fail,
This only safe retreat!

4 Absent from thee, my Guide, my Light,
Without one cheering ray,
Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night,
How desolate my way!

5 Oh, shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine!
And let thy healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

The Voice of Praise: a collection of hymns for the use of the Methodist Church #418