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Collect after the Offertory. (V)

Fountain of Wisdom, mighty Lord! All heights, all depths in Thee are stored; before we ask, before we sigh, unbared to Thy omniscient eye; our greatest and our smallest need lies spread before Thy view indeed. O when our thirsty spirits faint, to Thee in words our wants to paint; Thou know’st each feeble, slow advance and pitiest our ignorance; we pray Thee, Lord, our hearts to teach; Thy great compassion we beseech. Thou hear’st the yet unuttered cry; whilst yet we speak, Thou, God, art nigh comfort to mourners to impart, healing to bring each contrite heart; weak and infirm, we on Thee wait, compassionate our helpless state. In trembling sense of inward sin, to ask we scarcely dare begin; unworthy we, and halt, and blind, Almighty Thou, and good and kind; O hear our faint petitions, Lord, as Thou hast promised in Thy word. Dare we not ask? O do Thou give! Pour out Thy Spirit; bid us live; unstop our ears, unseal our eyes; in Thy fear make us truly wise: vouchsafe all blessing to accord through our allworthy conquering Lord.

1 Fountain of Wisdom, mighty Lord!
All heights, all depths in Thee are stored;
before we ask, before we sigh,
unbared to Thy omniscient eye;
our greatest and our smallest need
lies spread before Thy view indeed.
2 O when our thirsty spirits faint,
to Thee in words our wants to paint;
Thou know’st each feeble, slow advance
and pitiest our ignorance;
we pray Thee, Lord, our hearts to teach;
Thy great compassion we beseech.
3 Thou hear’st the yet unuttered cry;
whilst yet we speak, Thou, God, art nigh
comfort to mourners to impart,
healing to bring each contrite heart;
weak and infirm, we on Thee wait,
compassionate our helpless state.
4 In trembling sense of inward sin,
to ask we scarcely dare begin;
unworthy we, and halt, and blind,
Almighty Thou, and good and kind;
O hear our faint petitions, Lord,
as Thou hast promised in Thy word.
5 Dare we not ask? O do Thou give!
Pour out Thy Spirit; bid us live;
unstop our ears, unseal our eyes;
in Thy fear make us truly wise:
vouchsafe all blessing to accord
through our allworthy conquering Lord.

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Text attr. Eliza Humphreys
Tune Vernon
Luicus Chapin (1760-1842), arr. R. Pryor III

Collect after the Offertory. (V)

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking; we beseech thee to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us, for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.