One Thing I of the Lord Desire

One thing I of the Lord desire —
For all my way hath miry been —
Be it by water or by fire,
O make me clean.

Erewhile I strove for perfect truth,
And thought it was a worthy strife;
But now I leave that aim of youth
For perfect life.

If clearer vision Thou impart,
Grateful and glad my soul shall be;
But yet to have a purer heart
Is more to me.

Yea, only as the heart is clean
May larger vision yet be mine,
For mirrored in its depths are seen
The things divine.

I watch to shun the miry way.
And stanch the spring of guilty thought;
But, watch and wrestle as I may.
Pure I am not.

So wash Thou me without, within;
Or purge with fire, if that must be;
No matter how, if only sin
Die out in me.