The Two Brothers, and other poems By Edward Henry Bickersteth |
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“LORD, SAVE ME.” |
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 | The Two Brothers, and other poems |  |
193
“LORD, SAVE ME.”
“A ruin'd sinner, lost, undone,—Lord Jesu, hear my cry:
The brand of guilt is on my soul; Lord, save me, or I die.”
“I will, thou wreck'd and ruin'd one: before thee, lo, I stand;
Upon my bosom throw thyself, and grasp my pierced hand.
I will not spurn thee from my side for all thy rags and chains,
I love thee;—come to me, and wash thy dark and crimson stains.”
The brand of guilt is on my soul; Lord, save me, or I die.”
“I will, thou wreck'd and ruin'd one: before thee, lo, I stand;
Upon my bosom throw thyself, and grasp my pierced hand.
I will not spurn thee from my side for all thy rags and chains,
I love thee;—come to me, and wash thy dark and crimson stains.”
“Ten thousand talents, Lord, I owe,—nothing have I to pay;
I dare not come, whose nakedness would shame the light of day.”
“Come unto me, thou bankrupt soul; why dost thou linger yet?
With my own life-blood I have paid the last mite of thy debt.
My wealth, my goodness, give I thee, and, for thy royal dress,
Will clothe thee with a seamless robe, my perfect righteousness.”
I dare not come, whose nakedness would shame the light of day.”
“Come unto me, thou bankrupt soul; why dost thou linger yet?
With my own life-blood I have paid the last mite of thy debt.
194
Will clothe thee with a seamless robe, my perfect righteousness.”
“I fain would come, I fain would pray, my tears alone must speak;
I come;—yet seems my strengthless heart too wayward and too weak.”
“I come to thee, come thou to me, thou weary one, and rest;
And my meek Spirit shall abide within thy troubled breast.
His life and love, His power and peace, His majesty and might,
Are with thee; listen to His voice; He speaks, and there is light.”
I come;—yet seems my strengthless heart too wayward and too weak.”
“I come to thee, come thou to me, thou weary one, and rest;
And my meek Spirit shall abide within thy troubled breast.
His life and love, His power and peace, His majesty and might,
Are with thee; listen to His voice; He speaks, and there is light.”
“I come, He draws me; I am thine, Lord Jesu, Thou art mine.
I ask no more, if only thus upon me Thou wilt shine.”
“My Father loves thee, and I love; my Spirit dwells in thee:
Herein is life, and joy, and heaven, and immortality.
But haply clouds will come, and hide thy Saviour from thine eyes;
Say, wilt thou love me on beneath those future wintry skies?”
I ask no more, if only thus upon me Thou wilt shine.”
195
Herein is life, and joy, and heaven, and immortality.
But haply clouds will come, and hide thy Saviour from thine eyes;
Say, wilt thou love me on beneath those future wintry skies?”
“I only cast me on Thee, Lord; I love Thee, though unseen;
But when shall this dividing veil be raised that hangs between?”
“Press onward, ransom'd one, press on to that celestial realm:
The voyage may be rough and long, but I am at the helm:
The wilderness is void and vast; but, see, I go before thee:
The battle may be fierce; but I lead on before to glory.”
But when shall this dividing veil be raised that hangs between?”
“Press onward, ransom'd one, press on to that celestial realm:
The voyage may be rough and long, but I am at the helm:
The wilderness is void and vast; but, see, I go before thee:
The battle may be fierce; but I lead on before to glory.”
“And shall I never leave Thy side upon that blissful shore,
But see Thee in Thy glorious home, and love Thee evermore?”
“For ever—thou shalt share my throne, my Father's face behold,
And swell the rapturous melodies of thousand harps of gold,
Fear not, for I will greet thee with my well-remember'd smile:
Press on, be faithful unto death—'tis but a little while.”
But see Thee in Thy glorious home, and love Thee evermore?”
196
And swell the rapturous melodies of thousand harps of gold,
Fear not, for I will greet thee with my well-remember'd smile:
Press on, be faithful unto death—'tis but a little while.”
Hinton Martell, 1853.
| The Two Brothers, and other poems | |