ALONE!—a Stranger here—
Divinely lighting up a world of sin—
Didst thou, in grace, O living Lord, appear,
Our shadowed sphere within.
Alone! alone in love,
In grace, in holiness and truth; alone
Through righteousness all human thoughts above,
Thou soughtest out thine own.
Thou soughtest—'twas to save;
Yea, thou, the Lord, wouldst seek and save the lost,
And therefore was thy goal on earth, the grave;
Thy path of life, the cross.
Alone! 'twas thine to bear
The awful judgment Adam made our due.
Alone! for who wrath's chalice dread could share?
Who e'en thy purpose knew?
Alone! forsaken thou
Of God, thy God, when doing all His will;
Of man, thy creature, though thy thorn-pierced brow
Told out thy titles still.
Alone! upon the cross—
Despised, rejected, and by sinners slain—
Thou didst transmute unfathomed present loss
To heights untold of gain.
Except a corn of wheat
Fall deep and die, alone it doth abide.
Out of the Eater issued forth our meat;
Thou livest and hast died.
Alone, the Victor now,
Art thou in glory on the Father's throne;
Co-risen, we henceforth thy claims avow,
Thy place, thy life, our own.