University of Virginia Library

2043.

[Incomprehensible to man]

Peter . . . said unto Him, Lord, dost Thou, &c. —xiii. 6.

Incomprehensible to man
The strange humility Divine
Till Jesus doth Himself explain
His own mysterious love's design:
Wondering we ask how can it be,
That God should wait on man below,
That the Most-High should stoop to me,
And wash the sinner white as snow!
When Jesus at his feet he saw,
Peter might well repeat the word
“From a vile sinful man withdraw,
Holy and just and heavenly Lord!”
But therefore will the Saviour stay
For this in human likeness born,
To purge our guilty stains away,
And to a saint a sinner turn.