Lyrics

A broken Alter, Lord,
This thy servant rears,
Made of a hard, cold heart,
Cemented with tears:
There I find quarries
Of all these piled vanities,
But shred of holiness,
Standing cross to Thy decrees:

A Heart alone is such a stone
As nothing but Thy power cut
Wherefore each part of my hard heart
Meets in this frame to praise thy name

Though my hard heart scarce to Thee can groan
Remember that Thou once didst write in stone

That if I chance to hold my peace,
These stones to praise thee may not cease
O let thy sacrifice be mine
And sanctify this Altar to be Thine.
These stones are as Thy hand
Thy sovereign hand did frame
O tame my hard, hard heart
This is Thy highest art