Matin Bells and Scarlet and Gold By "F. Harald Williams"[i.e. F. W. O. Ward]. First Edition |
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SON OF GOD—SON OF MAN. |
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 | Matin Bells and Scarlet and Gold |  |
SON OF GOD—SON OF MAN.
What words shall I to Thee address
Who kiss Thy mercy's rod,
Thou awful and sweet Loveliness,
Christ Jesus, Son of God?
Who kiss Thy mercy's rod,
Thou awful and sweet Loveliness,
Christ Jesus, Son of God?
Mine eyes I cannot lift to Thee,
They blinded are with sin,
Until Thou bid'st the darkness flee
And grantest light within.
They blinded are with sin,
Until Thou bid'st the darkness flee
And grantest light within.
I may but smite upon my breast,
This evil breast of mine,
That seeks and never finds the rest
Which makes man's heart Divine.
This evil breast of mine,
That seeks and never finds the rest
Which makes man's heart Divine.
I feel Thy holy presence near
In silence and in flame,
Betwixt the trouble and the tear,
The shadow and the shame.
In silence and in flame,
Betwixt the trouble and the tear,
The shadow and the shame.
A solemn wonder fills my soul
From which I vainly fly,
And round me like the ocean roll
Thy waves, eternity.
From which I vainly fly,
And round me like the ocean roll
Thy waves, eternity.
At last, my Saviour, Thou hast come,
In Thy calm cleansing fire,
Though I have stubborn thoughts and some
Are mingled with the mire.
In Thy calm cleansing fire,
Though I have stubborn thoughts and some
Are mingled with the mire.
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But Thou wast likewise man, and all
I suffer and disown,
The temptings but without the fall,
To Thee are not unknown.
I suffer and disown,
The temptings but without the fall,
To Thee are not unknown.
And Thou didst choose a lowly lot,
Who hadst Thy diadem
Of many suns and stars forgot,
The Babe of Bethlehem.
Who hadst Thy diadem
Of many suns and stars forgot,
The Babe of Bethlehem.
For Thou wast born to every ill
And ache and cruel death,
And from Thee flows in mercy still
Like heaven Thy human breath.
And ache and cruel death,
And from Thee flows in mercy still
Like heaven Thy human breath.
A Man of Sorrows from the first
Thou hadst the scourging blame,
And nought could give Thy dreadful thirst
The love for which it came.
Thou hadst the scourging blame,
And nought could give Thy dreadful thirst
The love for which it came.
Into a world of woe and dearth,
Welfare for us to win,
Accursèd Thou didst enter earth,
And sinless wast made sin.
Welfare for us to win,
Accursèd Thou didst enter earth,
And sinless wast made sin.
And thus Thou knowest my distress
Who hast our weakness worn,
When life was all one wilderness
And every thought a thorn.
Who hast our weakness worn,
When life was all one wilderness
And every thought a thorn.
The sufferings under which I sink
Thy portion were and more,
The bitter cup that I must drink
Thou drankest it before.
Thy portion were and more,
The bitter cup that I must drink
Thou drankest it before.
Yes, Thou didst walk with healing hand
And break the sceptred death,
About that bright and blessed land
Where sleeps Thy Nazareth.
And break the sceptred death,
About that bright and blessed land
Where sleeps Thy Nazareth.
The will not waked by priestly art
Bent to Thy sovereign power,
And many a cold and withered heart
Burst into happy flower.
Bent to Thy sovereign power,
And many a cold and withered heart
Burst into happy flower.
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Oh, Thou didst look with human eyes
Into these eyes of tears,
And as a Sun of glory rise
Upon our world of fears.
Into these eyes of tears,
And as a Sun of glory rise
Upon our world of fears.
For earthly lamps that could but cheat
Thou broughtest heavenly oil,
Bearing the burden and the heat
Of all our grinding toil.
Thou broughtest heavenly oil,
Bearing the burden and the heat
Of all our grinding toil.
Thou gavest to the dying health,
That hushed the fever strife,
And to the leper soul the wealth
Of Thy most wondrous Life.
That hushed the fever strife,
And to the leper soul the wealth
Of Thy most wondrous Life.
And none besought Thy help in vain,
And none besought too much,
For every grief and every pain
Fled at Thy quickening touch.
And none besought too much,
For every grief and every pain
Fled at Thy quickening touch.
Thy word was freedom to the slave,
And calmed the tempest song,
The buried heard and from his grave
Upstarted free and strong.
And calmed the tempest song,
The buried heard and from his grave
Upstarted free and strong.
And yet Thou art the very same,
Though not to mortal sight,
Yet is there music in Thy name,
Thy shadow yet is light.
Though not to mortal sight,
Yet is there music in Thy name,
Thy shadow yet is light.
And Thou wilt take this little heart
To which my frailties cling,
And purge it through and set apart
A palace for the King.
To which my frailties cling,
And purge it through and set apart
A palace for the King.
I see Thy justice like the night,
I see Thy conquering love,
Which when I turn in hopeless flight
Spreads its blue heaven above.
I see Thy conquering love,
Which when I turn in hopeless flight
Spreads its blue heaven above.
And so I stay my trembling feet
On that most holy place,
Where truth and boundless mercy meet,
Within God's own embrace.
On that most holy place,
Where truth and boundless mercy meet,
Within God's own embrace.
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I know my strongest faith is weak,
My deepest love is dead;
I dare not look, I cannot speak,
I only bow the head.
My deepest love is dead;
I dare not look, I cannot speak,
I only bow the head.
And yet I see, I have no choice
Who in Thy vision share,
While all my spirit finds a voice
And rushes forth in prayer.
Who in Thy vision share,
While all my spirit finds a voice
And rushes forth in prayer.
I come as of Thy fellow-men,
'Tis but a little way,
One step outside of self, and then
That bright and endless day.
'Tis but a little way,
One step outside of self, and then
That bright and endless day.
I bring no gifts, no righteous plea
That might Thy pity move,
I simply cast me on the sea
Of shoreless unmapped Love.
That might Thy pity move,
I simply cast me on the sea
Of shoreless unmapped Love.
Above me opes another sky,
Beneath another land,
And in Thy dread Divinity
I touch a human hand.
Beneath another land,
And in Thy dread Divinity
I touch a human hand.
Because Thou art so very high,
And I so very small,
I dare to bring myself so nigh,
My sorrow, sin, and all.
And I so very small,
I dare to bring myself so nigh,
My sorrow, sin, and all.
I only find (as now I come),
Refuge from Thee in Thee,
For Thou my Saviour art the Home
I sought and could not see.
Refuge from Thee in Thee,
For Thou my Saviour art the Home
I sought and could not see.
In Thee I trust and nothing less,
A sinner as I can,
Thou sweet and awful loveliness,
Christ Jesus, Son of Man.
A sinner as I can,
Thou sweet and awful loveliness,
Christ Jesus, Son of Man.
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