Hymn: Thou Hidden Love of God

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.