O Blessèd Souls Are They

O blessèd souls are they
Whose sins are covered o’er;
Divinely blessed, to whom the Lord
Imputes their guilt no more.

They mourn their follies past,
And keep their hearts with care;
Their lips and lives without deceit
Shall prove their faith sincere.

While I concealed my guilt,
I felt the painful wound,
Till I confessed my sins to Thee,
And ready pardon found.

Let sinners learn to pray,
Let saints keep near the throne;
Our help in times of deep distress
Is found in God alone.

Author: Isaac Watts

Year: 1719

This is a metrical paraphrase of Psalm 32 from Watts' Psalms of David Imitated (1719). The text matches the first four stanzas of his version exactly.