Thou hidden love of God, whose height, Whose depth unfathom'd no man knows, I see from far thy beauteous light, Inly I sigh for thy repose; My heart is pain'd, nor can it be At rest, till it finds rest in thee. Thy secret voice invites me still, The sweetness of thy yoke to prove: And fain I would: but tho' my will Seem fix'd, yet wide my passions rove; Yet hindrances strew all the way; I aim at thee, yet from thee stray. 'Tis mercy all, that thou hast brought My mind to seek her peace in thee; Yet while I seek, but find thee not, No peace my wand'ring soul shall see; O when shall all my wand'rings end, And all my steps to thee-ward tend! Is there a thing beneath the sun That strives with thee my heart to share? Ah! tear it thence, and reign alone, The Lord of ev'ry motion there; Then shall my heart from earth be free, When it hath found repose in thee. O hide this self from me, that I No more, but Christ in me may live; My vile affections crucify, Nor let one darling lust survive; In all things nothing may I see, Nothing desire or seek but thee. O Love, thy sov'reign aid impart, To save me from low-thoughted care: Chase this self-will thro' all my heart, Thro' all its latent mazes there: Make me thy duteous child, that I Ceaseless may Abba,
Father, cry! Ah no! ne'er will I backward turn: Thine wholly, thine alone I am! Thrice happy he who views with scorn Earth's toys, for thee his constant flame; O help that I may never move From the blest footsteps of thy love! Each moment draw from earth away My heart that lowly waits thy call: Speak to my inmost soul, and say, I am thy love, thy God, thy all! To feel thy power, to hear thy voice, To taste thy love, be all my choice.
