Thou Hidden Love of God

Thou hid­den love of God

whose height

Whose depth un­fa­thomed no man knows

I see from far thy beau­te­ous light

Inly I sigh for thy re­pose.

My heart is pained

nor can it be

At rest

till it finds rest in Thee.

Thy sec­ret voice in­vites me still

Thee sweet­ness of Thy yoke to prove;

And fain I would: but tho’ my will

Be fixed

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 its peace in Thee!

Yet while I seek

but find Thee not

No peace my wan­der­ing soul shall see.

O when shall all my wan­der­ings end

And all my steps to Thee­ward tend?

Is there a thing be­neath the sun

That strives with Thee my heart to share?

Ah tear it thence that thou alone

May’st reign un­ri­valed mon­arch there.

From earth­ly loves I must be free

Ere can find 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 sov­er­eign aid im­part

To save me from low-thought­ed care!

Chase this self-will from all my heart

From 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 my heart away

From earth

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

is all my choice!