Ah, mournful case, what can afford

"Ah, mournful case, what can afford" is an eighteenth-century sacred poem written by the Scottish Secession minister and poet Ralph Erskine. The text was first published in the second edition of his popular volume Gospel Sonnets (Edinburgh, 1726). It appeared as the opening section of Part V under the title "The deserted Believer longing for perfect Freedom from Sin," structured across twenty stanzas of four lines each. The composition expresses spiritual angst, personal isolation, and a deep longing for heavenly relief from sin.

Although the complete twenty-stanza poem was considered too lengthy for standard congregational worship, a distinct excerpt beginning with stanza fourteen, "O send me down a draught of love," achieved widespread recognition as an independent hymn. This shorter selection was published in the Sacred Songs of Scotland (Edinburgh: A. Elliott, 1860, p. 41). It was subsequently adopted by Roundell Palmer (Lord Selborne) as No. 370 in his influential collection The Book of Praise, and was later officialized for Church of Scotland use as No. 230 in the Scottish Presbyterian Hymnal (1876).