Hymn: Thou Hidden Love of God

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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.

© John Wesley