To Jesus, the Crown of My Hope

To Je­sus

the crown of my hope

My soul is in haste to be gone:

O bear me

ye cher­ub­im

up

And waft me away to His throne.

My Sav­ior

whom ab­sent

I love;

Whom

not hav­ing seen

I adore;

Whose name is ex­alt­ed above

All glo­ry

do­min­ion

and pow­er:

Dissolve Thou these bonds that de­tain

My soul from her por­tion in Thee;

Ah! strike off this ada­mant chain

And make me eter­nal­ly free.

When that hap­py era be­gins

When clad in Thy glo­ries I shine

Nor grieve any more

by my sins

The bo­som on which I re­cline:

O then shall the veil be re­moved

And round me Thy bright­ness be poured:

I’ll meet Him whom ab­sent I loved

And see whom un­seen I ad­ored.

And then

nev­er more shall the fears

The tri­als

temp­ta­tions

and woes

Which dark­en this vall­ey of tears

Intrude on my bliss­ful re­pose.

Or

if yet re­mem­bered above

Remembrance no sad­ness shall raise;

They’ll be but new signs of Thy love

New themes for my won­der and praise.

Thus strokes which from sin and from pain

Shall set me eter­nal­ly free

But strength­en and ri­vet the chain

Which binds me

my Sav­ior

to Thee.