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242

July 23 ALL FOR CHRIST

“They forsook all, and followed him.”—St. Luke v. 11.

Lo, I have followed Thee through night,
Dear Lord, and striven in awful stress
With powers of darkness and the might
Of the great hungry wilderness;
My tears have often washed Thy Feet,
While Thou didst let them freely flow
As if those bitter drops were sweet—
Then shall I lightly let Thee go?
And weary vigils have I held
With blessèd fasts, that are a feast
To famished souls, though I rebelled
Before and grudged Thy Love the least;
But, ah, Thy Patience was so good
And waited for my service slow,
It was the Rock whereon I stood—
Then shall I lightly let Thee go?
O I have passed through Jordan's waves
In swellings where I scarce could swim,
Though these were likewise passions' graves,
And fought with lusts like Anakim;
No precious idol have I spared,
Even if it cost the fiercest blow,
While Thou with me Thy Heaven hast shared—
Then shall I lightly let Thee go?
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