Matt. xviii. 12
O
God, through Christ the living way,
My
Father and my
God,
So
near, and I so far astray,
Brought
nigh Thee by His
Blood.
Myself,
and this, and that, I sought
Behind,
around,
before--
And
yet the nearest found I not,
Until
I sought no
more.
O
Love, Thou deep eternal tide,
How
dear are men to
Thee!
The
Father's heart is opened wide
By
Jesus' Blood to
me.
It
was Thyself, O God, who sought,
With
tender yearnings
deep,
The
loveless sould who sought Thee not,
The
worthless, wandering
sheep.
I
come, yet leave myself behind,
And
thus unfearing
come,
For
nought besides Thyself I find
In
mine eternal
Home.
I
come--Thine open arms enfold
And
welcome me
within--
Let
others work to bring their gold,
I
only bring my
sin.
Thou
bringest love and gladness forth
From
Thine exhaustless
store,
To
me, deserving but Thy wrath,
The
life for
evermore.
And
now by magnet force led on,
I
reach the inmost
rest--
The
nameless rapture of the son
Upon
the Father's
breast.
G. T. S.