Ο thou beloved and lovely One of God!
Whom I have learned to love — from whom so long
I wandered in the night of misery
And sin; but to whose dear and bleeding feet,
Drawn by the cords of love, my soul has come,
To stay and rest forever: fain would I
Lift up to thee the voice of gratitude,
And sing thy matchless worth, whose glorious praise
Sounds from the lips and harps of heavenly choirs.
And fills the unmeasured universe of God
With solemn, sweet, and ceaseless harmony!
Thy name is “Wonderful” — thy Person is
The mystery of mysteries— the
Word of God incarnate—
And yet, Ο Christ,
Thou art all meek and lowly — like a lamb
For gentleness, and like a weaned child
For sweet humility — God’s meek and lowly child.
Ne’er didst thou break the bruised reed, nor quench
The smoking flax, nor turn away from pain,
Or poverty, or feebleness, or woe,
When such have sought thee. No! but to thine arms
Hast bid them welcome; with thy tender hands
Hast healed their diseases — bound up
Their broken hearts, and wiped their tears away.
And thou art still the same! no shadows come
O’er the light of thy pure holiness:
No storms disturb the calm of thy deep peace:
No changes cross the ocean of thy love —
The same forever! yes, the same to me
This day as when at first my wondering eyes
Beheld by faith thy glory — the same
This day to all who seek thee, as thou wast
To the poor outcast woman who of old
Embraced thy feet, and washed them with her tears,
And loved thee much, for she was much forgiven.
Ο thou beloved and lovely One! what words
Can speak thy worth! what words can ever tell
All that thou art, thou everlasting all!
Dear bleeding Lamb! blest fountain, where I cleanse
My sin-stained soul! Ο river of my peace!
Rock of my rest! shelter from every storm!
Light of my darkness! joy of my distress!
Balm of my wounded spirit! morning star
Of all my future! haven of my hopes!
Ο day-spring from on high, whose cloudless light
Has beamed upon me, banishing my night
With dawn of heaven; Sun of Righteousness!
Rise, oh, forever rise! forever shine
Brighter and brighter! from all weeping eyes
Remove all tears; and over all thy saints,
And over earth and heaven, and o’er the bounds
Of Time’s dark night, and far into the depths
Of all eternity, pour out the light,
Pour out the sea of glory, the full sea
Of all thy glory inexhaustible,
Pour out forever and for evermore;
And o’er the earth renewed, and azure heaven
Unshadowed, and the realms of endless peace,
Spread the sweet noontide of the hallowed day.