And Didst Thou Love the Race?

And didst Thou love the race that loved not Thee?

And didst Thou take to Heav­en a hu­man brow?

Dost plead with man’s voice by the mar­vel­ous sea?

Art Thou his kins­man now?

O God

O kins­man loved

but not enough

O Man

with eyes ma­jes­tic af­ter death

Whose feet have toiled along our path­ways rough

Whose lips drawn hu­man breath!

By that one like­ness which is ours and Thine

By that one na­ture which doth hold us kin

By that high Heav­en where

sin­less

Thou dost shine

To draw us sin­ners in.

By Thy last si­lence in the judg­ment hall

By long fore­know­ledge of the dead­ly tree

By dark­ness

by the worm­wood and the gall

I pray Thee vis­it me.

Come

lest this heart should

cold and cast away

Die ere the guest ad­ored she en­ter­tain—

Lest eyes which nev­er saw Thine earth­ly day

Should miss Thy heav’n­ly reign.