The Unknown Traveler to Emmaus

The day wears on to ev­en­tide

His re­sur­rect­ion day;

Emmaus bound

two friends

in grief

Begin their home­ward way.

In brok­en words they tell it o’er—

All

all their bit­ter loss:

The riv­en rocks

the op­ened graves

The dark­ness of the cross.

O sor­row-la­den hearts! ye walk

Still on­ward in the gloom

Who yet be­lieve your ris­en Lord

Is laid in Jo­seph’s tomb.

We trust­ed that it had been He!

(So hope will strive with fear);

And while they thus of Him com­mune

Jesus Him­self draws near.

Jesus Him­self

and yet un­known!

Thus

in His love and pow­er

He ev­er meets the sor­row­ful

In sor­row’s dark­est hour.

O Mas­ter! As we jour­ney on

From morn till ev­en­tide

This

on­ly this

we ask: to know

Thee ev­er by our side!

Still on the high­way side of time

That voice be­loved to hear

That sym­pa­thy di­vine—to know

Jesus Him­self draws near!

What if our eyes are hold­en

still

Thy face we may not see?

Dost Thou not with Thy breth­ren walk

Whene’er they talk of Thee?

Why are ye sad? So gra­cious­ly

He makes their cares His own;

Each hu­man sigh finds ec­ho there

Before His Fa­ther’s throne!

Our friend draws near

walks by our side

Into the twi­light dim;

And though the night of grief be dark

Its sha­dow falls on Him.

O Lord! In all our jour­ney­ing

Thy pre­sence we dis­cern

And while we walk and talk with Thee

Our hearts with­in us burn.

To know Thee

Lord! know more and more

The won­der of Thy grace;

Bring us

one day

to talk with Thee

And see Thee face to face!