Father, Forgive Them

I

“Father, forgive,” the Saviour said,
  “They know not what they do:”
His heart was moved when thus he pray’d
  For me, my friends, and you.

II

He saw that as the Jews abused
  And crucified his flesh,
So he by us would be refused,
  And crucified afresh.

III

Through love of sin we long were prone
  To act as Satan bid;
But now with grief and shame we own
  We knew not what we did.

IV

We knew not the desert of sin,
  Nor whom we thus defied;
Nor where our guilty souls had been
  If Jesus had not died.

V

We knew not what a law we broke,
  How holy, just, and pure!
Nor what a God we durst provoke,
  But thought ourselves secure.

VI

But Jesus all our guilt foresaw,
  And shed his precious blood,
To satisfy the holy law,
  And make our peace with God.

VII

My sin, dear Saviour, made thee bleed,
  Yet didst thou pray for me!
I knew not what I did, indeed,
  When ignorant of thee.