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.