No. 125 Humble Penitent, Skh 14
Hexatonic, mode 3 b (I II III IV V VI —)
Stay, thou insulted spirit, stay! Though I have done thee such despite,
Cast not a sinner quite away, Nor take thine everlasting flight.
Though I have most unfaithful been, of all whoe’er thy grace received;
Ten thousand times thy goodness seen, ten thousand times thy goodness griev’d.
But O, the chief of sinners spare, in honor of my great priest;
Nor in thy righteous anger swear I shall not see thy people rest.
If yet thou canst my sins forgive, e’en now, O Lord, relieve my woes;
Into thy rest of love receive, and bless me with the calm repose.
E’en now my weary soul release, and raise me by thy gracious hand;
Guide me into thy perfect peace, and bring me to the promis’d land.
Davisson, the compiler of the Supplement to the Kentucky Harmony, claims this tune. It is similar to ‘The Bird Song’, Sharp, ii., 215. For other tune relationships see ‘I Will Arise’ in this collection.